"HILL CREST."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 May 1910, Page 4

"HILL CREST."

A .MODEL DAIRY FARM

Few people in and around Levin do not know "Hill Crest," the charmingly situated residence of Councillor 10. S. Lancaster, in York street, Levin. .It is, without making an invidious distinction, one of tho most attractive homes in the district, and from its commanding situation one can obtain an uninterrupted view of the surrounding country. In favourable weather the northernmost parts of the South Island can be seen from tho lawns, while one gets a "magnificent view of tho Horcwhenua Lake, and tin* Tararua range of mountains. Mr Lancaster was born in Ivarori, and was brought up on a dairy farm, so that consequently when he took up land in the Levin district in 188!), he was already an experienced farmer. He bought. 217 acres of land at the junction of Horcwhenua road east .and tho Ivoputaroa road. !>.J miles from the present Best Office, and gavo the homestead, when it was erected, the name ot "Hill View." The country, of course, in those days, was impenetrable bush. There was'no road from there to Levin, excepting a track that had been made by the Government, and Levin itself' only boasted of two or threo houses. Levin Hotel was just being erected, so that it will be easy to be seen that civilisation had made but little headway twenty years ago. Mr Lancaster at once commenced to fell the bush, some oi the trees being eight feet through. He cleared fifty acres at first, and in 1891 he built a house and came and settled down on the farm. Mr Lan-

caster was the second dairy farmer in Levin, so that be is in the position of being aide to form a sound and competent judgment on dairy matters in general. And it may bo incidentally mentioned at this point that he was the first person to introduce a spring trap into the district. In winter he used to milk his cows before daylight and again after dark, filling in the interna! in felling bush on the flat and on tlio mountain side, as the boundary of the farm was the crest of the ranges. In the .summer ho put in his time stumping the land and getting it fit for agriculture. The time occupied in felling the bush was five years, and when this part of the work was accomplished Mr Lancaster, who is a. great believer in tree planting, began setting macrocarpa, pines, and blue gums on tho flat, and willows in the hollows. To-day this farm is one of the best sheltered in tho district, and it would not- be an unfair computation to say that .Mr Lancaster planted there some 1000 shelter treees and over 200 fruit trees. The willow trees in tho hollows greatly add to tho appearance of the farm, .some of them being of immense size, and sheltering a con.siderahhi area. Paddocks were fenced off, a rich crop of grass soon sprang up. and Mr Lancaster was able to turn out a fine MO 15 OF iSHEKP, which found abundant feed on the

hill sides. Butter-making proved a prolitable business in winter time when lie got as much as 2s (id a lb, but in summer it often only fetched t)d a U). The Xew Zealand Dairy Uiiion hud started a creamery .some fourteen years ago, but as it was felt it was not giving justice to local dairy farmers Mr Lancaster ami several others started the pre- , sent dairy company in Queen street, and it is here to-dny Mr Lancaster sends his milk. He was chairman of the Board of Directors for two years in succession. In 11)01, on •account of indifferent health, Mr Lancaster put the farm <111 the market and sold it. During the period lie had been there he had transformed the countryside, and to-day many of the gum trees he planted, stand six'ty feet high : while one pear tree is over fifty feet high, the Japanese walnut trees adding variety to the nboriculture. Subsequently Mr Lancaster bought thirty acres of land in Kawiu road, .and this is now occupied, by Mr Park, Mr Francis, Mr Blackburn, Mr Gibson and Mr Xewpcrt. The subject, of our sketch lived in the house now belonging to Mr Park, and bore, as at "Hill View," one of the things he paid particular attention to was the planting of trees for shelter and ornamentation. He took a trip round the world three and a half years ago, and during that time the liouso got burned down. Ho re-built it, however, and then disposed of it. From hero Mr Lancaster went to Qu eonswood road, where ho built the house now occupied by Mr Abraham, and lived there for six months. Eventually 110 bought ten acres of land at \ork .street, and erected "llill Crest," which he is making his permanent residence. Tlio prettily designed house with its vermilion coloured roof and white exterior, was erected by .Mr Lancaster, ami ho showed great tact in its arrangement. It is erected in the centre of the lawns, which slcpo down somewhat steeply to the roadside. The lawns are fenced in, and 011 all sides these is a wealth pf bloom and foliage. The Japanese maple, English laurel, native cabbage trees, native kanaka, roses, cosmeas, and chrysanthemums grow in profusion on the beds, while the orchard, which lios at the bottom of ono section of the lawn, contains a large number of healthy-looking fruit trees of various descriptions. .Mr Lancaster is a great Oeliever in tree planting, and at the rear of the

house lie sot some eighteen months ago a double row of blue gum seeds. These seeds have now become trees eighteen feet high, and not only add to the ornamentation of the place, hilt provido excellent shelter. He is busy now planting trees, and 1 hero and there on the land lie has set clusters of gums and pines, as well as in the approaches ito the gardens, and hedged thera in with pampas grass, which not only adds to the appearance of the farm, but protects the trees .«nd causes them to grow bushy at tlio foot. Ho recommends, among other plants, tho 'totarn, for ornamentation, as well as the native cabbage, of which he Iras four different sorts. Tho farm possesses a vinerv twenty feet by itwonitv-four, and the vines look very healthy. Tomatoes are also grown in ftie vinery and last season over HALF A TON were sent to market. At the present time Mr Lancaster is growing, just outsido tho building, about i

twenty different sorts of shrubs, which he picked up on Mounlt Ruapehu. With reference to dairyfarming, Mr 'Lancaster hokls that Levin is one of tho best districts in X«w Zealand for tho industry. He strongly advises tho growing of maize for the summer feeding, and, says that it is being sown in larger quantities than over before. Tho best winter feed is mangold wurzels and green oats. His herd of grade Jerseys are a fine looking lot, and tho owner of "Hill Crest" is not unnaturally proud of the fact that ho took tho best avorage in milk for tho season at the factory. Grado Jerseys for dairying are his favourites, and from his herd of eight he has taken over £100 during tho past nine months. At .the present time it is, ho savs, extremely difficult to know what is the best grass to put down, and he contends thait at tho Experiment Farm paddocks of different seeds should be laid down and experiments conducted in order to ascertain which is the best feed for ont<tle. Many grasses are, of course, injurious, and 'Mr Lancaster includes in this class cocksfoot. Considering that only eighteen months ago "Hill Crest" was to all intents a.nd purposes, treeless, the transformation that has been effected is remarkable. Many hundreds of trees have now been planted, and in summer time tho gardens are a mass of bloom. Although .so busily occupied in .tree and d'airy farming, Mr Lancaster has built ten houses in Levin, taken an active part as one of the committee of the Levin Horticultural Society, and thrown himself energetically into local polities. He was for years a member of the Levin Domain Board, and twelve months ago was elected a member of the Borough (founcil. Given a fair chance he holds that Levin is a district that is bound .to go ahead, and so far as dairy farming is concerned he is convinced of the suitability of the feed and climate.