OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.—No. 23.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 115, 25 April 1884, Page 2

OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.—No. 23.

[by our special reporter." mr. clark’s station, opou. A mile and a half from the Big river bridge and nine miles from the town of Gisbonne, stand the pretty and substantial residence of Mr. J. Clarke, who in partnership with Mr. Dobbie took up the Opou station three years ago. A mutual dissolution took place between the partners fifteen months ago, Mr. Dobbie retiring and taking up the management of the Auckland Agricultural Company’s run at Okahuatiu. Opou contains 4000 acres, partly freehold and partly leasehold, arid bounds Patutahi and Te Ari blocks. Mr. Clark, a thoroughly genial and warmhearted Scotchman, who has been 7A years in Poverty Bay, is conversant with the theories and practice of agriculture, having gained all his early tuition and experience in one of the best agricultral districts of Scotland, which he has brought to bear upon his New Zealand holdings. His live stock is not large, but they are choice. Of sheep he has 1000, principally Lincolns and 200 head of cattle. The estate is well divided into a number of good sized paddocks, some of which are abutting on the main road leading to Patutahi. It has been asserted that wheat will not grow in Poverty Bay. To show that such a theory is entirely erroneous I need only point to a one-hundred-aerc field of wheat on the Patutahi roadside, being harvested at the time of my visit, by Mr. Clark and his station hands. As I gazed on this beautiful field of golden grain—a sight so unusual in the district of Poverty Bay—and in the evening as I enjoyed the pleasures and associations of Mr. John Clark’s household, I found that there is something in the work and pleasures of the country that reachess even beyond the gratification of the eye —a something that invigorates the mind, that erects its hopes, that allays its perturbations, that mellows its affections, and that the happiest schemes and wisest resolutions, were we observant of Nature’s gifts and blessings, should be formed under the mild influence of a country scene and the soft obscurities of rural retirement such as that obtained at Opou. The romantic-looking bush seen to the left as approaching Mr. Clark’s residence would form a theme for a poet. There is something peculiarly charming about this spot—pleasant to the eye, and specially inviting. While remaining there gazing at the woods, the plains and the distant hills the words of Longfellow occurred to my mind: — If thou art worn and hard beset Wi'h sorrows tha‘ thou would’st for/ot, If thou woul i’st read a lesson that will keep Thy heart from fainting, and thy soul from sleep, Go to the woods and hills ! no tears Dim the sweet look that nature wears. But I am forgetting the wheat field, and taking a flight of fancy across the vast expanse that met my gaze. When in England I once wrote an article for an Irish newspaper—The Belfast Telegraph,— upon the wheat producing countries of the world, in which I remember returning New Zealand as yielding an average of 37| bushels to the acre. I have, during sojourn in Poverty Bay, never believed the statements made that it would not pay to attempt wheat growing, and that in sowing both time and labour would be thrown away. Many years ago I was acquainted with the fact that in Poverty .Bay, New Zealand, immense quantities of wheat were grown by the natives and sold to the traders. In the face of this knowledge it really seemed to me a mystery why wheat could not be grown the field of wheat just reaped by Mr. Clark, at Opou, which is estimated to yield forty bushels to the acre, proves without further demonstration that in this part of the country wheat can be largely and profitably grown. Mr. Clark also laid down 20 acres in barley, 40 acres in oats, and 60 acres in maize, but the latter crop did not yield satisfactorily. The 18 acres planted with mangolds proved satisfactory, and the yield of potatoes from the six acres planted gave the homestead an abundant supply. Does it not really seem absurd that some of our settlers do not even cultivate a spud, preferring to purchase imported ones ? Mr. Clark has expended no less a sum than £390 in endeavoring to eradicate the varigated this de. The land is generally of firstclass quality. I have said so much in my two last communications about the thistle, that a little anedote concerning the Scotchman’s admiration for it—not the varigated sort—will not prove amiss. The origin of the national badge of Scotland—the Scotch thistle—is thus handed down by tradition :—“ When the Danes invaded Scotland it was deemed unwarlike to attack an enemy in the darkess of night, instead of in a pitched battle by day; but on one occasion the invaders resolved to avail themselves of stratagem, and in order to prevent their tramps from being heard they marched barefooted. They had thus neared the Scottish force unobserved, when a Dane unluckily stepped with his foot upon a superb prickled thistle. He gave a howl of pain, which discovered the assailants to the Scots, who ran to their arms and defeated the foe with great slaughter. The thistle was immediately adopted as the insigna of Scotland. The famous plant was of old sacred to Thor. Its color, it is said, was derived from the lightening. Some of our settlers in this district must really feel expectant of TeKooti and his followers coming bare-footed to invade their territory—like Mr. Agnew Brown, for example, for their crops of thistles are extraordinary large. Mr. Clark on the contrary, believes in keeping his land clean, a system commended by every good farmer. Since Opou station has been in the hands of the present proprietor he has exported a large number of sheep for the Auckland market. Last (on Feb. Ist) he sent 500 to Wellington for shipment to England, under the refigerating process. This year the wool clip at Opou has been 180 bales. In Mr. Clark, Poverty Bay has a good settler. As a member of the County Council he has shown himself anxious to mete out justioe to his fellow ratepayers, but how to cope with the wants of so many, scattered over such a wide district, has been a moot point. His belief is that the County, as at present constituted, is too large, and that the present rates receivable are too small in their sum total to adequately open up the country without some Government aid. Taking the value of Poverty Bay exports in wool and grass seed, for several years past, we have had very little assistance in comparison from the Government. In imports, the money paid by our settlers and residents has been far in excess of that paid in districts in the South that have been largely benefitted by the expenditure of money from the Colonial Exchequer. This state of things is unfair to our settlers. It will be for them in the future to make their voices heard in clamoring for that assistance so long withheld. I must now leave Mr. Clark and take a peep at his old partner, who has shut himself out of the world of civilization at OKAHUATIA. This run is situate sixteen miles from Gisborne, and extends over an area of twelve miles, or 30,000 acres, and this stupendous estate was formerly held by Messrs. Clark and Dobbie, who sold out to the Auckland Agricultural Company fifteen months ago, their manager being Mr. Dobbie. This rim is reached by traversing through Patutahi and beyond the limestone quarry and wateshed in the direction of Ngatapa. It is bounded by Mr. Morrice’s run at Tanahanga, with the Warekopai block at the rear Excepting about 10U0 acres flat the land is hilly. The flat portion is first-class alluvial soil. The hills are credited with being the best large area of rough land in Poverty Bay. There are at present 14,000 sheep, 500 head of cattle, and 30 horses. The wool clip this season was 103 bales, only 7,300 shee having been shorn. The flat in the valley extends a long distance. On this flat have been erected the manager’s house and station buildings. The road leading to this run is a very good one during the summer months, but is sadly in need of metal in the wot or Winter months. . Within a verv short distance is the Patutahi quarry, with its mountains of limestone. Even in this direction there is a market open for road metal. There is no doubt that the hills in this direction are first-class grasing country, and when once access can be gained by passable roads, speculators will be found turning an eye towards this large belt of te ritory. A very good wool-shed has been erected at Okahuatia, and about 30 miles completed on the run.

Mr. Dobbie, the present manager, has been in New Zealand seven years, five of which he was in partnership with Mr. Clark. By his accent any person would take him for a Scotchman, but such is not the case. He is a Cockney—a Londoner with the brogue of a Scot. He has a thorough knowledge of pastoral and agricultural and pastoral pursuits gained at Rome, and may, therefore, be regprded as a practical farmer. He takes much interest in the working of the run he manages. It could not have been placed in better hands. Adjoining the above run, on one of the Patutahi rural sections, is MR. C. BOURKE’S RUN, of 711 acres, purchased originally by Mr. Tucker at the Government land sale. The run has been fenced and is stocked with 500 sheep and about 60 head of cattle. The present proprietor has done some grass seed sowing, and effected several improvements. This is a desirable little area of land, and will soon give good evidence of the labor now being expended upon it. (To be continued,)