FARMING NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10718, 23 October 1912, Page 6

FARMING NOTES

(Jiy ''.v.:.in on the Lain!. ')

As far as can ho ascertained, the recent spell of wet weather in Otago Jias not done a gre'.it deal of damage in-the country. The lass of live sto;:k has not boon hcavv.

A commercial man who has just returned to Ounedin from a, trip t:> the North Island says that the lambing season Juis hoen a good one in the North, and that t'ho country looks promising fro in an agricultural viewpoint. As regards commerce, however, the Xortli Island, in, his opinion, i s liehind the South -Island; '"•

it is stated that the demand by "New Zealand fiirr-ors for seed potatoes this ,spr;n<>; is 1 ;jr below the average in past years. One merchant :-:avs that only about a third of the um;,w <iliaj.-j titv has bcon this season.' I' rom what ho lias seen during an extensive trip throughout the Dominion, lio is iiK'linod to believe that there is a general tendency amount' farmers to ;•;<) in for dairying and pa.-:toral pursuits, the prices that have been realised this year for dn'ry produce ;! "'i appear to have impressed many farmers. ;

I Ihe (iiK'stmu of cs!a')ii.sliinji; eoloporative works the attrition of tlio Taraunki Provincial Executive (if the X.Z. Fanners' Cni;:n, liui; the opinion seems to lie tint the 1 aton. Vi'fli'lc.s \vo:i!d ,mee,t reriuireiner>ts provided rcceiyinp; <ifnr>f, were established. Ali- 'Hiiekoridgo said that lie had undertaken to inake a J-ysteinatic canvass of the district on behalf of •support for the Patea company, and lie knew (hai; the depot (iiieslion would he considered. He would have

more information at the next mooting, and ho moved tli.it further eonside rat ioji of this question bo held oventill tho next meeting.

j Arrangements are to bo made im- , j mediately to throw opon gum lands lin tho Auckland district: for small j farm settlement on the liners recently indicated oy tho Prime Minister. It is pro nosed tha.t s , tho average ifann shall have an area of 25 acres. A ■man who intends to take up fruit ■Si-owing will bo allowed to take up a smaller area if lie desires, -and a man witli a family who wants more land will bo allowed to have it. Tho land will bo offered on tho occupation with right of purchaso tomiro. It is intended that settlers shall occupy their kind for the first five years free of rent. Possibly legislation may be rejqnirod to sanction this concession, but- i (for tho scheme as a whole ntf 1 legis-j Jlativo addition to that already on the I Statuto Book will be required. After I | they havo been in occupation for five ! | years settlors will be asked' to pavj J interest on the value of their land niltil they have paid off the capital- va- i lue. Thor© will be no fixed scale of instalments. The term taken ..by the J settlor to pay for his holding will lie jlong or short, as he desires. Settleluonti on tnc-io i-iucs v/ill bo liTTt carried out in the Auckland district, whore huge areas of exhausted gum lands arc available, but it is intonto ox tend the benefit of the .scheme ) ultimately to the whole "Dominion. )