LOCKED-UP COUNTRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3176, 29 April 1909, Page 3

LOCKED-UP COUNTRY.

OCEANS OF SPLENDID LAND." HON. A. W. HOGG'S IMPRESSIONS. The possibilities of the King Country from an agricultural point of view, while they have long been recognised in Auckland, have been ignored in the south, and it is only now that the Main Trunk railway is through and Southerners are given an opportunity of obtaining a passing glimpse of the country that they are beginning to realise its immense potentialities. To appreciate them thoroughly, however, one has to travel right through the immense areas of practically virgin land, and when he has done so he cannot help coming away impressed with the great future before the district once it is opened up. .! The Hon. A. W. Hogg, Minister for Koads and Bridges, who recently completed a tour of inspection through this of the Dominion, is charmed with the prospects before it. "The King Country, which I visited, has opened my eyes as to the future of that part of the Dominion," he said tu an Auckland "Herald" representative. "Down South, the general impression all along has been that a great deal of this country was worthless, or almost worthless, for argicultural purposes, especially the land which is covered with fern and bracken. Travelling from Te Awamutu to Kawhia, and again from Te Kuti to Awakino and Mokau Heads, I had every opportunity for inspecting vast areas, both of fern and bush land, and I was very much sui'prised as well as impressed with the character of the soil. In the fern country I found that the bracken grew strong and vitorous, which seemed to indicate the fertility of the soil, and from the road cuttings I observed that there was a great depth of rich chocolate soil cabable, in my j opinion, of producing fine root crops, and land that with proper working should be fit for almost any kind of agricultural 'operations. A great deal of the bush land invites the sawmiller on account of the really fine timber which exists, but in the meantime, owing to the absence of roads and the distance which the hush is from the railway, sawmil- j ling "in. these outlying parts is rendered virtually impracticable." J Mr Hogg proceeded to point out > ( that in many parts of the King Country he saw an abundance of hare white limestone, which, when crushed, would make very good road metal. The only difficulty was that in some places, such, for instance, as j between Kawhia and Te Awamutu, j it would have to be carted for | miles along the main road, and ex- | cept during perhaps three months j of the year, would be rendered too i costly, and he was afraid, therefore impracticable. The making of the main roads would be a God-send to a considerable number of settlers especially those workers who helped to construct the Main Trunk railway and who in some instances were located on improved farm blocks. Directly these roads were metalled population would undoubtedly find its way into these parts and the townships now in their infancy would be come flourishing cities. He spoke highly of the settlers in the King Country classine them as of the right stamp and with their help he had no doubt that the country would be speedily roaded and improved for a large population. "Of course," continued the Minister, "the native land difficulty has alwayß been in the way of opening up this country. It seems a terrible pity that oceans of splendid land should be growing nothing else but bush and Dracken, and the sooner the Crown, in my opinion," takes steps to place this land in the hands of thrifty settlers, to make it productive, the better it will be for the Dominion. There is a wealth of exports to be extracted from the soil of the character I have witnessed, and it seems to me to be a lamentable thing that an acre of that land should have been locked up against the landless settlers, who are now suffering from the earth hunger. lam satisfied that there would be a general exodus from the South if the people only had a proper idea of the wonderful character of the country."