NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 86, 20 July 1910, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD.

A NORTH ISLAXD FARMER IX EX (J LAND. London, June 10. I have come to England not so much on pleasure as to study the markets heie, and the methods of the furmerg, and the prodiu-tivene** of tin* land.' said ilr. J. Field, of (Jisborne, with whom a reporter had a conversation this week regarding his trip. Mr. Field had just been to the Royal Counties Show, where ho bought three prize winners in the Ronrney class of sheep, to send out ta Gisborne. "Romneys," he said, "are proving themselves the most productive breed of sheep in New Zealand." He intends to visit the Roval Agricultural Show, where he will exhibit some of the stock he has purchased, and later he will visit Scotland, Ireland and America, returning to New Zealand in October. "It seems to me," said Mr. Field, "we are not getting a fair run in the markets here. As regards the lamb and mutton market, it is admitted here that they are selling a good deal of our New Zealand lamb as best English. In' justice to New Zealand the Dominion should get the credit for its lamfr. I have reason to believe—indeed, I saw it myself—our 'best honey is sold as English. It is bottled bv English firms, who put their labels on* it. Why should we not have our own demonstration shops in England, stocked with New Zealand products, to show what our country is capable of producing? There is no doubt the middle man is scoring over our heads. All we want is justice done, and that we must get, sooner or later.

"I think we have much to learn in New Zealmul in the way of getting up the stock for show purposes. As regards farming, T hope to go to Scotland with Dr. Clmpple, MjP., to look at the land there, and try to get at its productive value. Dr. Chappie thinks that a great deal of it is just as fertile as our best New Zealand lands, and being so near the markets its productive value should be verv ."inch ereater. Whether it is that 'ln t wthoils of farming are expensive. "liethur it costs them more to produce titan it costs us, is a question I have not been long enough here to answer confidently. And yet I suppose their labor is very much cheaper than ours.

"It is only my opinion, and I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the methods of the farmers here are not up to date. For instance, where we have four horses working a plough in New Zealand, they have two horses here, and, of course, that method of working, being necessarily slower, must add to the cost. Some of the farmers I have conversed with here seem to thinlc that New Zealand is doing them a great deal of harm by its competition in wool, meat and dairy produce. And yet they talk of getting 50s each for their fat sheep, whereas in New Zealand if we get from 12s to los we think we'are getting a good price for a fat sheep. There must be a screw loose somewhere.

"I am very much impressed with the convenience in getting about England, and with the beauty of the country, and the well-kept homesteads. I think e\«ry New Zealander should make sm effort to visit the Old Country to see for himseli its beauties." MASTERTOXIA.V IN ARGENTINA. A COUNTRY OF EXTREMES. A Masterton resident, Mr. W. Coulter, places at the disposal of the Age a letter received from his Brother, Mr. John Coulter, who, after farming in South Africa, took up farming in Patagonia and Argentine. South America. His letter dates from Comorloro Rivadavia, Shubut, April 20th, 11) 10. The following is an extract:—

"We have experienced a fearful drought, absolutely, so to say, no rain or snow for three vears. The little rain that did fall in that time was so light that it did more Barm than good. As a consequence the animal* became very low in condition, and very low in price. I sold 2000 sheep at 5s n ach, and was glad to the price. Wool has been low in price, because the wool from starved sheep is not of much value. Altogether ye have had a very rough time with the drought. This is a country of extremes; the dVonght broke a month ago and it rained for 49 hours terribly hard, a cold rain, too. I had a dam or reservoir for irrigation purposes that was washed clean away, and about two or three feet of sand mud spread over our potato- crop. The same thing happened to some of our Alfalfa (Lucerne). Fences were swept away, and there were land' slips all over the place. Roads that toot me months to construct are destroyed, and deep dongas have replaced them, some 100 feet deep. Then there is the toll of animals which lay dead after the'storm passed. lam likely to sell out, having had an offer for the place. As to going back to New Zealand. land there is so awfully expensive and: laborers so very unreliable and also very dear that I am a little afraid I cannot manage it. Risks are too great here; one's (locks are either decimated by drought or smothered in snow. You are surprise;! that I feel inclined to go back to Africa—sunny South Africa. Well, do you know, the best and most comfortable living I ever made was in that country. Land is cheap there, and labor is reliable and cheap. I pay a Kaffir 10s per month, and give him two or three pounds of maize meal a day and lie is happy; and he can drive bullocks or horses, plough and sow, weed and dig. herd sheep or cattle, just as well, and more conscientiously than the majority of white men. I don't say I would not go back to 'New Zealand; far from it, but mv experience of New Zealand is work, work, and work hard to make ends meet. This country is like New Zealand; it is I all work, and labor is awfully scarce and ' dear. I have been offered the managership of a large estate of 100 leagues of land, that is to say, (520,000 acres, but it is 330 miles from here by waggon road, and desert in between. I have not accepted it, and shall be leaving here after the shearing.*'