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The natural facilities for dairying in Nelson are many —soil, climate, and rainfall favouring the industry. At Karamea—a typical dairying country, coast land—there is a butter-i'actory which uses the milk of four hundred cows, the output of butter during the year being 27 tons. There are also butter-factories established at Collingwood, Takaka, Richmond, Wakapuaka, and Motueka. Angora-goat Industry. It has frequently occurred to me during my visits to various parts of this district that a large area could be made profitable by establishing thereon Angora-goat farms. Angora goats should be well suited to the Nelson conditions of climate and locality, for there is much typical goat country. An attempt has been made by Mr. Cropp, of Wai-iti, to establish a flock, but he has not yet arrived at that stage in experiments which enables him to speak with authority on his prospects of success. In the United States, South Africa, and Australia purebred bucks arc allowed tp run amongst a flock of common goats, and the results are reported to be astonishing, for a flock may be produced which cannot be distinguished from purebred Angoras. As there is always a ready market for mohair, and the flesh of the Angora is equal to the best mutton, the importation of Angoras appears to be a matter which is worthy of the serious consideration of tho Government. Incidentally it may be noted that Mr. Cropp keeps his goats in enclosures overrun by blackberries and briars, and by this means rids the country of these weeds. He states that the goat lives almost entirely on the leaves and young shoots of the weeds mentioned. Classification of Lands in Nelson Land District. So much has been written and spoken respecting the areas of Crown lands available for mixed fanning and pastoral settlement that I have spent some time in making a careful estimate thereof, based on the best available topographical data, supplemented by my personal knowledge of the district. The Nelson Land District contains an area of about 4,686,000 acres. Up to the 31st March, 1907, there has been sold or otherwise disposed of an area of 1,618,000 acres, leaving an area of 3,068,000 acres, which may be classified as follows : Lands suitable for mixed farming, 421,000 acres ; lands suitable for pastoral purposes, 1,103,000 acres ; lands suitable for reservation for forest, climatic, and scenic purp'oses, 884,000 acres ; and barren mountain-tops, 660,000 acres. The area suitable for mixed farming may be described generally as light to heavily timbered country, with tracts of open terrace land (pakihi), the latter being stony and mossy in places. The timber consists of black-birch, brown-birch, red-birch, rimu (red-pine), kahikatea (white-pine), mountain totara, and kowhai, with undergrowth of puka (broadleaf), hoho (five-fingers), horopito (pepperwood), konini (fuchsia), makomako (wineberry), horoeka (lancewood), houhere (lacebark), and black scrub. The soil on the river-flats is exceedingly rich, and on the slopes and up to a good elevation there is a great deal of limestone, marls, sandstone, &c. That the open terrace land before referred to may be improved by drainage and cultivation is evidenced from the results obtained in the Inangahua County, but considerable capital is required to make it reproductive. The area suitable for pastoral purposes naturally comprises the hilly country, wooded similarly to the flat and low-lying country just described, excepting that the birches predominate and the undergrowth is not so dense. The formation is limestone, serpentine, granite, and conglomerate. Where the forest has been cleared, grassed and sown liberally, the'results from this country have been excellent. The area suitable for reservation for forest, climatic, and scenic purposes is an estate of great value, for although it possesses no value as land suitable for any kind of settlement, yet it is a great picturesque showground for tourists. The barren mountain-tops, although reaching a high elevation, have a value for grazing purposes in many localities during a portion of the summer season ; in fact, there is a considerable area for that purpose under lease at the present time. It is not too much to say that included in the lands thus briefly described there is land suitable for every kind of culture, stock-producing, dairying, orcharding, pig-breeding, &c. The general average quality of the lands, combined with an excellent climate, justify the opinion that there is a field here for the industrious settler. He can acquire cheap land on liberal terms in localities where there are the requisite natural conditions for his special pursuits. These facts have been long overlooked by residents of other districts in the colony, and cannot now be too widely known. Withdrawal of Lands from Goldfields. A question of importance in relation to the permanent settlement of Crown lands in parts of Nelson is frequently forced on the notice of the Land Board. I refer to the difficulty experienced by small settlers—particularly ex-miners—in acquiring a permanent tenure to the lands which they occupy under temporary license. As you are aware, nearly the whole of Nelson Land District is situated in mining districts, there being only about 1,000,000 acres over which the Warden exercises no jurisdiction. Hitherto there has been only one industry in Southern Nelson —that of mining—and no disposition was shown by the mining community to settle on the land. Recently, however, many miners have turned their attention to land, and, naturally enough, those who have done so desire to acquire a permanent tenure so as to protect their improvements. They are, however, frequently unsuccessful in obtaining a permanent tenure, owing to their applications being objected to on the plea that the land they occupy is auriferous, or that there is an impending development in gold or coal. Many applications have been granted by the Land Board after careful inquiry, but have been vetoed by the Warden. It is within my own personal knowledge that many of the objections are frivolous. The Land Board recognises the importance of the mining industry, but there is no reason why a large area of good land should