Farming in Victoria.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 109, 12 May 1904, Page 2

Farming in Victoria.

A COMPARISON WITH NEW ZEA*LAND. Mr T. Young, ex-Mayor of Horsham, Victoria, and senior partner in tlie linn of Young Brothers, who carry on a large stock and station agency in the northern and western parts of Victoria, has been spending some days in Christzhurch. Speaking to a Times reporter, Mi- Young said he had long wished to visit New Zealand. A fortnight's stay in Auckland left him with a very good impression of its beauties, but it was of the surrounding: country that ho, as a farm and station agent, was chiefly impressed. Journeying from Auckland to Rotorua he passed through a lot of very rich country, which interested him thoroughly, lie had been rather surprised to find that thousands of acres of the best land, worth from £2O to £3O per acre, were stocked with dairy cattle, for he came from a land of grain-grow-ing and sheep-raising. He had made diligent. Inquiries, and everywhere he had found an appearance of prosperity and contentment. In the country he saw rich soil and well conditioned stock, and he couM only conclude from all he had seen and heard that the farmers were prospering exceedingly. A comparison with Victoria was inevitable, and when ho remembered tho recent drought and the general clement of uncertainty in the farming life of his own country, New Zealand had very much the best of it. In the bush lands of Taranaki he had seen some splendid soil. It corresponded very closely with that of the best part of Western Victoria, except that the latter was devoted largely to cropping, while some of the best land lie had seen in New Zealand, worth nearly £SO an acre, was used practically for dairying purposes only. The bush of Victoria was less difficult to clear than that of New Zealand, and the land was thus more easily adapted to cultiva-i, tion. In regard to the tenure oJ land/ in Victoria, it was noticeable that fairly large estates were being aggregated in many places. The land was cut up for selection, originally in blocks of 320 acres, and sold by the Government at £1 per acre, tlio purchase money being p£\id at the rate of Is per annum. After holding land for six years the occupant had tho right of transferring the lease. People who had done well, and some who linil not, had gradually sold out to their neighbours, and so it caino about that largo farms were to lie seen everywhere. Blocks of 1000 and 2000 acres, and even a few of 10,0(10 acres, were by no means uncommon.