THE WAIANIWA.

Southland Times, Issue 667, 8 May 1867, Page 3

THE WAIANIWA.

The portion of country which I have classed under this head extends from the above mentioned creek to the Jacob's River Estuary (Riverton.) The amount of cultivation on this" part of the country is not large, although the land is in no way inferior to that I have already noticed. The road passes over the Waianiwa plain, and for some six or seven miles no homesteads are met with near the road, but to the north and west, fine long belts of bush are seen, under the shelter of which many comfortable homes have been erected. The flats or plains are beautiful and undulating, the soil is deep rich dark loam, and the native vegetation most luxuriant. The farms I visited were in a healthy condition, and the crops equal to the general average of the New River flats, the terraces become high ; in fact, the further north I went, the richer the soil appeared to become, and undulation more marked. After crossing the plain towards Riverton, the farms again become more frequent. The returns obtained for this portion of the country were few, but those few pave an average of 36 bushels wheat, 40 do oats, 12 tons potatoes, 40 tons turnips to the acre. But this cannot be considered a full average, inasmuch as Flint's, Ryal and other localities adjacent even exceed this. This is a Bplendid grazing country, and, from the extent unoccupied, offers a Splendid field for the carrying out of Farming — Agricultural and Pastoral— on a large scale. lam compelled to reiterate what I have said before, that all the producers are more than satisfied with the year's crops, and all unite in affirming that if labor was more plentiful, and a foreign market found for the produce, Southland would be the most desirable of all the New Zealand Provinces for industrious tillers of i the soil to settle in— in .short;, that farming would be a paying and" "rapiSly" increasing stimulant-to material 1 progress throughout the Province. Having noted xny observations of the country passed through/ in going from Invercargill to Rivertonj my following communications will embrace a sketch of Riverton and its suburbs j the Aparima district, and Winton. This done it will not be a difficult task to show by comparison that Southland is the most productive Province in New Zealand, its crops surpassing in quantity all others, exceeding largely most of the Australian colonies ; and its produce not inferior in quality to any — that much industry and enterprise is being displayed, and that a solid foundation for future greatness has been laid.