A Tour in New Zealand.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 952, 11 June 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Tour in New Zealand.

No. XIL —Ax Agricultural Company. [From the Melbourne Leader}. The province of Canterbury is entered upon when the Waitaki River is crossed, and the country at this point becomes less undulating than about Oamaru. In a sense this may be considered the southern boundary of the vast “ Canterbury Plains,? although the plain is broken about Timaru by a stretch of rich downs, much of the same character as these comprising the Oamaru district. The country between the Waitaki and Timaru consists of rich downs and open plains, the downs being exceedingly fertile, and the plains varying from rich agricultural soil to poor flats, upon which the gravel or shingle lies almost upon the surface. Where the land is good it is occupied in farms devoted to agriculture, and where poor in large areas for the grazing of sheep. About 25 miles before coming to Timaru, Mr. Studholme’s extensive estate is passed, upon which some thousands of acres are cultivated. The cultivation paddocks, consisting of oat, wheat and turnip lands, and artificial pastures, carrying long-wool sheep, extend for several miles along each side of the railway, and the average of wheat upon the estate for the past season has been 59 bushels per acre. This farm, however, is of exceptional size, the general area being from 200 to 50 J acres.

Timaru, at a distance of 131 mile; from Dunedin and 100 miles fron Christchurch, is the southern port o Canterbury. Formerly an open road stead, a safe harbor is being made bj the building of a breakwater, which although not yet completed, already enables ships to be loaded with the produce of the district. To the westward of Timaru a tract of rich limestone downs extends for about 3C miles, constituting a farming district very much resembling Oamaru. Occupying a central portion of this trad of downs country is the Levels estate, the homestead of which is six miles from Timaru. This estate, which is one of the properties of the “ New Zealand and Australian Land Company, Limited,” is the only one of the company’s properties which I visited but, through the courtesy of Mr. Cunningham Smith, the ' energetic secretary of the company, I am able to give particulars of their holdings in other parts of New Zealand. The Levels is certainly one of the finest properties in the Colony. On approaching the residence, which is close to a branch railway running through the estate, one is struck with the extent of the tree plantations, vhich here, as on most of the farms md stations of New Zealand, have )een cultivated. The commodious residence is situated in a well grown flantation of blue gums and pines, md wide belts of the same kind of rees have been planted in different >arts of the property, one of the belts )eing 200 acres in extent, while the rees are from 30 to 50 feet high and I feet in diameter. Like most of the arge laud-owners of New Zealand, he company are selling their land on he deferred payment system for fannng purposes, and it is this fact which lives their estates a special interest or agriculturists. The Levels consists >f 74,000 acres of land, nearly all fit or agriculture, and well adapted for fheat growing. About 12,000 acres .re under cultivation, and 22,000 acres lave been sown down in English gasses, so that the whole estate, with ts cultivation paddocks and live ledges, is like a gigantic farm. Very ittle of the land has yet been sold, mt the whole is now for sale in blocks f different sizes to suit purchasers, aid at prices ranging from £5 to £25 >er acre, or an average of about £9 9s >er acre. The other estates of the lompany are also worthy of notice. Pareora, in the Canterbury provinial district, situated between the two ivers Pareora and Otaio, 10 miles outh of Timaru, on the main line of ail way, is not far from the Levels, t is a compact estate of some 18,000 ■cres, all agricultural lands, well dapted for wheat growing. The ompany have about 1000 acres at preent under cultivation, and 8000 acres ave been laid down in English grasses. >ver 4000 acres of this estate have 'een sold on easy terms in small farms, he average price obtained being about >l3 per acre, and the remainder of the roperty is open at prices ranging rom £lO to £25 per acre, or say an

average of about £ll. From its position, climate, and other natural advantages, this is considered one of the choicest estates in the company’s occupation.

Ardgowan is a small estate of about 6000 acres, adjoining the town of Oamaru, and possessing considerable value on that account. The land is rich wheat growing soil, and is nearly all in English grass. Here is kept the chief stud flock of Border Leicesters, which have made a good name for themselves in the Colony. The value per acre of this property is about £l5, and it is proposed to sell by auction, at any early date, some of the fields adjoining Oamaru town as suburban sections.

Totara, on the main line of railway, 6 miles south of Oamaru, originally consisted of 14,400 acres, and was all laid down in English grasses. The soil and climate, as already described in the papers on the Oamaru district, are splendidly adapted for wheat growing, and it is said that some of the heaviest yields of magnificent quality of grain known in the Colony have been taken off this property. As showing the estimation in which it is held by the public, it may be mentioned that the company sold by auction about 3000 acres, at an average of over £22 per acre, the land being fenced and in grass, but without buildings. The homestead block of about 1000 acres is still for sale, and the price asked is £3O per acre. The house is a substantial stone building, standing in the midst of a plantation, with splendid garden and orchard, and would make a most desirable residence for a man of means, who might wish to spend his days in a delightful climate and pleasant neighborhood. There are large quarries of the wellknown Oamaru limestone all over this property. The prices for the different farms still open, vary from £lO to £3O per acre.

Coming to the Southland and Otago estates, Aparima is a compact property of 6800 acres, situated on the line of railway between Invercargill and Otautau, a district previously described as one of the best in Southland. On this estate there is good agricultural land, with large forests of timber adjoining. None of this land has been sold, but it is all for sale at an average of about £5 10s per acre. Edendale I have already referred to as presenting an attractive appearance from the Dunedin and Invercargill railway line. it consists of about 100,000 acres. About 30,000 acres of this property have been laid doyvn in English grasses, which grow very luxuriantly on the Mataura plains. The soil and climate are admirably adapted for English grasses, turnips and oats, and should a market for butter and cheese be found in England by the assistance of the freezing process, which succeeded so well in the Protos experiment, there is no doubt that a large population would be supported in the district by dairying. It is in contemplation to start a co-opera-tiye butter and cheese factory, and if this idea is carried out the company will doubtless be able to dispose of a large portion of this vast estate. The price asked for at present ranges from £2 per acre for unimproved land to £2O for land in grass with live hedges, buildings, &c. The company have a herd of pure polled Angus cattle on this property, which I have previously referred to as having been very successful both in breeding and fattening, and are prime favorites with the Invercargill and Dunedin butchers. Edendale has also a large stud flock of Lincoln shee.p Clydevale, situated on the Molyneux River, contains 39,530 acres, nearly all agricultural land. There are over 11,000 in English grass, and 5000 acres in course of cultivation. This property is the only one which is not situated on a line of railway, and the homestead is about 8 miles from the Waiwera railway station. The Molyneux River was navigable for many years, and steamers used to ply regularly, but the construction of the railway embankments, and a disastrous flood three years ago, have so altered the channel that at present there is no boat at all running. The price of land 0,1 P ro P er ty is on the average about £7 per acre all round. There is a very superior herd of shorthorn cattle, and the sheep are Border Leicesters, a very valuable stud flock of this breed being kept up. Wheat grows very well on this estate, which also produces good root crops and all kinds of cereals.

Waitepeka is a small property of a little over 3000 acres, close to the township of Balclutha. One half of

the estate has been sold at an average price of £7 10s per acre. Moeraki is another property situated close to Hdmpden township, on the main line of railway between Dunedin and Christchurch. It consists of 8400 acres of freehold, 4300 of which are in English grass, and 265 acres are in cultivation. Here the company keep their principal stud flock of pure Lincoln sheep, the reputation of which is very high. A few hundred acres have been sold to settlers, and the balance is open at an average of about £8 10s. per acre. Acton, the most northern of the company’s properties, on the Rakaia River, 35 miles south of Christchurch, contains 21,000 acres of land. 4000 acres are in crop and 11,000 have been laid down in grasses. The land is perfectly level, and is worked very cheaply, all sorts of labor-saving machinery being successfully employed The quality of the wheat is very good, and it commands top price in Christchurch. The average value of this estate is about £8 per acre all over. At the time of my visit the company owned in New Zealand 331,375 acres of land, situated in the provincial districts of Southland, Otago and Canterbury. They also hold about a similar quantity of leasehold land, chiefly hill country. There were under cultivation 33,840 acres, and 105,760 acres were in English grass. The stock carried consisted of 446,000 sheep, 9800 head of cattle and 763 horses. The value of grain grown on the properties in the previous year was £20,800.

The company’s terms of payment differ according to the situation and nature of the land, but generally speaking it may be stated that on farming land 50 per cent, of the purchase money is payable in two years from date of sale, the balance with 6| per cent, interest in from 5 to 7 years. The instalments are made to fall due immediately after harvest, and the system has been found to work satisfactorily. The payments extend over a period of seven years, but the balance can be paid and the purchase completed at any time, and if desirable at the end of the seven years the period may be extended. An agreement is entered into by which the purchaser is prevented from exhausting the land during his lease, but as the conditions only provide for a due proportion of grazing and root crops, they are beneficial to the purchasers as well as to the company.