THE PRICE OF LAND.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 158, 2 January 1914, Page 3

THE PRICE OF LAND.

High Values Fop Sheep Country

An experienced man, dealing with the above subject in the Pastoralista* Review, says:—Many sheep farms in the Canterbury province have changed hands at as big a price as £lO an acre for one-ewe capacity,' and where the labour of turnipgrnwmg is involved, it is a hieh price, based upon a 100 per cent, lambing, which is usual. After all expenses are provided for nothing much is visible by way of return to the owner. If wool and lamb, fattened on cultivated feed, make, say, 255. from which comes 10s interest on outlying capital, there is a set-off in this class of Bheep-farming, heavy expenses for cropping, labour, upkeep, which quickly dissolves the 15s. It seems as if there is not much in this for the capable type of man auch farming requires, and it-><«|s one to think that the prices ofhyNaid for sheep farms in New Zeby^

are to a considerable extent

flaenced by their prospective use for dairying purposes. Relatively £lO an acre for one-ewe country is the equivalent of a full £25 an acre for two-ewe country, and this suunds more like a dairying price.

Speaking generally, and taking the Dominion as a whole, it may be said that prices ruling for sheep country, where the chief or sole teliauce is placed upon pasture, and where an experienced man may hope to engage himself in a profitable occupation, ara, except where access fa bad, £4 an acre for one-sheep country, £5 or £6 for one-ewe country, £8 or £9 for one and abal&ewe country, and £l3 to £ls lor two-ewe country, and in certain part* £lB 10s for two and a-half ewe country of fallen bush land not yet. ploughable, and where lambs 4re sold a l * stores for about 10s, ,with lambing of 100 per cent, and over. Where the country ia really writable such prices are paid by experienced men. The sheep farm that has a good proportion of cultivable land fetches considerably mors, but then the mixed farming capabilities of such and prospective use for dairying enter into consideration, and it may be said to be more or less speculatively held as a gljeep farm, ultimately destined for dairying. The foregoing prices arc for sheep tarms of a general average area ot up to a thousand or two acres. The larger estates of the better kinds of land are fa*t disappearing in subdivision. It can haidly be said that there is much scape for increased production from sb< jp in New Zealand. With the de' elopment of easy communication to he hack country, it is much more lik ly that in such a well-watered coi ltry, with estate subdivision so acl ve, dairying will to a considerable extent displace sheep. The prevailing, price ot land sunports this theory, for the returna from sheep can barely warrant the figures given for many properties. To be sure there is room for improvement of B h«P flocks which will result in acfjtional wool and mutton output. This will come about gradually as the new type of farmer, evolved in the altered subdividing conditions of New Zealand sheep-farming, pains greater experience in sheep management, hut while it ia coming about dairying will be extending its influeuce, and instead of land values remaining at what may for sheepfarming be regarded as a maximum, they will in many cases probably advance. Although sheep country that) S one t0 a b'E ti£ ure there ia with most farms a great scope for further improvement of the land by W ay of fencing, shelter provision, and mote skilful grazing arrangements. The paucity of wellsheltered farms in New Zealand is very marked, and as the country is comparatively a windy one, the effects of cold and hot winds obviously rob the pastoralist of a large percentage of growth rijjht throughout the year. By more skilful methods and improved labour conditions the flocks of the Dominion should increase a full 50 per cent., providing no encroachment uf dairying occurred.

Some onion-growers at Manukau are having extremely had a sort of blight having got into the bulbs. The first sign of the blight is a black rmt which comes on the * leaves, something like soot, which after a short time turns the leaves white, and then they start rotting right down into the bulb. The loss to the growers will be very considerable. as they made i'JSO per acre last year.

n A number of the potato crops on the Taieri, Otago, have been ruined as a'result of the recent floods. Had (the potatoes been through the ground i is possible that they might *iave covered, but a 9 they had unly been inted for two cr three day, there is tie hops tor them, All through * southern districts it hai been tremely difficult to get the ground suitable condition for planting, th the result tnat very much ,alter crops thac usual have been t in, and these have been planted