GOULBOURN ESTATE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1395, 11 June 1881, Page 2

GOULBOURN ESTATE.

By Cincinnatus,

A visit to tho property of Messrs. A. W. and 0. K. Poarhon, at Hautapu just now would not ?erve to secure anything like an jdoa of what it is capable 1 of producing except indeed by coinpar son, with other places. The long dry months since Clmstmas have had a bad effect upon Waikato pastures and id may fairly be doubted whether tho district as a whole has ever presented, as regards its grass so uninviting an aspect. Late in the season aa it is tho rain which has fallen during the pabt week has bepn gr.ttef ul after the protracted drouth, and ah eady the face of the country has put on a , greener color. I suy that by comparison with the paßtuies in other parts of the district, the fields at Goulbourn present a very fair appearance. Nowhere on the property, it might be said, is there and absolute want of grass, though it would hardly be expected that a crop of hay could be mowed there in the month of June. The estate which is just 1005 acres iv extent, formed the Southern half of the block purchased originally from the, natives, at the close of the war, by the Messrs. Martyn. These gentlemen held the block intact for a period of thirteen or fourteen years. Mr. John Martyn occupying the lower half, and Mr. William Martyn. the portion now known as Goulbourn, but formerly as Pencarrow. In the meantime they also purchased and improved a valuable estate at Mangawhere, near Matamata, and on the Waimate Plains being thrown open for settlement, Mr W. L. Martyn disposed of his estate to the Messrs Pearson, and eventually purchased land on the West Coast. The present owners have not been a season in occupation, and little alteration need be looked for, nor do I think will much be made. The estate has been laid out with a regard to convenience into seventeen' paddocks, and in most the sole of discernible gives evidence of Mtbifg qualities in the pasture. Of course, year by year the now recognised necessity for turnip culture will mean the breaking up of a portion of grass land annually. Last year a paddock, 80 acres in extent, and lying at the rear of the homestead, was broken up, the dry grass having been previously mowed and burned off. The manure \ised was Victorian bonedust, at the rate of 2cwt. to the acre. At first, in common with many others, the crop was unpromising enough, but having got a start it has now developed into very fair proportions. Some of the roots are of large size, and all ovev the field there ia a general uniformity. As there is no

marked scarcity of grass as yet the turnips will be allowed to grow till the end of the month when they will be stocked in the usual way. There is another patch 61 14 acres of turnips in a field nearer the bald hills which is not looking quite so .! well, ,and there are twenty acres of grass and turnips sown on the upper river terrace. The lnst was sown quite re§«Js3fy ,but the turnips are showing freely. liJ uLnbther paddock the Messrs Pearson have small crops of oairots and swedes looking fairly well. The vaiiety of turnip principally sown is the Aberdeen, the Greystones having been chosen for the lower part, on the terrace. The whole of the seed was sown witli a Coultas' horse drill, which has given thorough satisfaction. Of other crops there are four and a-half acres of potatoes, partly kidneys, which yielded very ■well, and 20 acres of oaten hay, the yield of which is estimated to be nearly 40 tons. This has been stacked in sheaves, and from time to time chaffed by steam power in a convenient shed erected for that purpose. The number of stock on the estate just now is not large, probably two hundred sheep, two hundred head of cattle and a dozen horses, but in ' the early part of the season, before Messrs Martyns sale, it was very heavily stocked. The homestead is finely situated in a central position, and the residence, with its ornamental grounds, is one of the prettiest couutry residences in the Waikato. The home plantations of pine?, gums, oaks and other varieties of English trees, have attained a considerable growth while the orchards of choice trees are coming into full bearing. The advantages of tree planting have not been lo3t sight of ; on various parts of the estate, at the corners of paddocks, between creeks, &c., there are piomismg clumps of evergreen trees, and an a\cnuc of pines nearly a mile in length, lcids from the main Hiimilton-Cambiidge load, towards the residence. There is also a thriving miniatuie forest on the summit of the conical lull, "which is »o prominent a feature in the landscape, and which, in former times was used as a stronghold by the natives in their intcr-tnbal w.us. Between the trees on cither hand the spectator, standing on this lull, gets a clear view of Cambridge and the greater portion (the West) of Hamilton, the intervening country lying like a map at his feet. There are few more valuable piopeitics than this, and peihaps noncpobsesnig better facilities. It lias a never-failing supply of water, a river landing, and is within easy distance by a good load, of Hamilton and Cambridge. Next season, the present owners intend turning their attention to the growth of cereals, in which, with ordinary care, they can scaicely help succeeding.