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A—i

Elsthorpe Settlement.—The Elsthorpe Settlement is situated about thirty miles south of Napier, and the main road from to the sea-coast at Kairakau'Vuns through the property. It is distant from the railway about fourteen miles, with access thereto by good gravelled drayroad the whole distance. The settlement was opened for selection on the 24th June, 1896.. The area purchased was 9,740 acres. The present number of selectors is 47 ; total population,»lo7.' Number of sheep, 24,100 ; horses, 165 ; cattle, 600 ; pigs, 20. Area in grass, 9,050 acres ; area in white and green crops, 35 acres 3 roods ; balance bush and scrub. There are twenty-seven dwellinghouses in the settlement, of a total value of £4,500. The improvements effected by the settlers, and exclusive of those originally on the ground, are valued at £14,140 55., as against £8,226 ss. 6d. required by law. Mutton and wool growing are the principal sources of income to the settlers, who have continued to prosper from the inception of the settlement. Pouparae Settlement. —This settlement contains 337 acres 3 roods 4 perches, and it is situated on the main Ormond Road. It was opened for selection in April, 1897, in nine holdings, the whole of which have been selected. Nine dwellinghouses have bee, erected, and nine selectors are residing. There are at present fifty-two persons on the settlement. Seventy-six acres are under crop, the balance being laid down in permanent grass. The improvements effected are valued at £4,245 Is., as against £859 6s. 3d. required by the Act. This settlement has had another successful year, and the high prices for produce have been well sustained. Waimarie Settlement (Poverty Bay District).—This settlement contains 430 acres 2 roods 10 perches, and is situated about ten miles from Gisborne on the,main Ormond-OpotiM Road. Sixteen of the selectors reside on their holdings and two on adjoining sections. There are at present sixty-seven persons living on the settlement, and there arc sixteen dwellinghouses besides fifteen other buildings. The improvements effected are yalued*at £3.507 10s., as against £1,086 19s. 3d. required by the Axt. Only a few of the sections are large enough for the selectors to make a living on. the remainder being utilised as homes, the selectors finding work in the locality. Willows Stlt/ement. —This settlement is situated about four miles from Gisborne. It contains 775 acres 1 rood 36 perches, and was offered for selection in March, 1899. All the selectors are residing either on their allotments or on the adjoining sections. The improvements effected arc valued at £5,994, as against £1,913 4s. 7d. required by the Act. The principal industry of this settlement is dairying, and the settlers have had a most successful year. Number of persons, 78. Tomoana Settlement.— This settlement, which was part of the Frimley Estate, is situated near Hastings, and was placed in the market on the 2nd March, 1898. The area purchased was 111 acres 3 roods 38 perches. Number of occupied sections, 13 ; total population, 61. Total number of stock, 197, comprising 52 sheep, 18 horses, 82 cattle, and 45 pigs. Area in grass, 83 acres, out of which 33 acres have been ploughed, cropped, and again laid down in permanent pasture by the settlers ; area in white and green crops, 5J acres ; orchards and gardens, 20 acres. There are twelve dwellinghouses in the settlement, of a total value of £2,460. Eleven selectors are residing on their holdings. An apiary has been started on one of the sections, comprising at the present time some forty colonies. The improvements required by the Act amount to £310 Bs. and the value eif biprovements effected to £3,701 10s., showing a further increase in the value of improvements effected during the year. The season has been on the whole a favourable one for fruit, but too dry for dairying operations. Mahora Settlement.— This settlement, which was originally part of the Frimley Estate, is situated near Hastings, and was opened for selection on the 22nd March, 1899. The area purchased was 1,133 acres 3 roods. Number of selectors, 34 ; total population, 150. Number of stock, 3,840, comprising 3,204 sheep, 325 cattle, 94 horses, and 217 pigs. Area in grass, 870 acres, out of which 367 acres have been ploughed and resown in permanent pasture ; area in white and green crops, 183 acres ; and in orchards, 39 acres. All the sections are now taken up. There are thirty-two dwellinghouses, valued at £6,705. The improvements effected by selectors are valued at £11,680 55., as against £9,527 effected last year ; and the value of improvements required by law amounts to £3,466 7s. 2d. Dairying and fruit-growing are a steady source of income. One of the settlers is secretary to the Hawke's Bay Beekeepers' Association. He has on the ground eighty colonies of bees, and his output of honey for the past season was 2 tons, which sold locally at from 4Jd. to sd. per pound. The Mahora North school has a large attendance of pupils, and another school at Mahora South is now being arranged for. Hatuma Settlement. —This settlement is situated fifty-nine miles - from Napier, on the main trunk railway between Wellington and Napier, and lies near Waipukurau and between Oruawharo and Arlington Estates. It was placed on the market on the 25th April, 1901. The area purchased was 26,522 acres 3 roods 20 perches. The number of occupied sections is 59 ; total population, 259. Number of sheep, 48,657 ; horses, 283 ; cattle 1,376 ; pigs, 36. Area in grass, 22,800 acres, out of which 2,150 acres have been ploughed, cropped, and laid down again in permanent English grasses; white and green crops, 1,874 acres ; balance scrub. There are fifty-nine dwellinghouses in the settlement, valued at £14,123. The improvements effected are £40,492, as against £23,905 required by the Act. The value of improvements effected during the year amounts to nearly £2,000. Mutton and wool growing are the principal source of income to the settlers. Notwithstanding the dry season, the settlement is in a very prosperous condition. Manga-a-toro Settlement. —This settlement is situated in the southern end of the Hawke's Bay District, about eleven miles from Dannevirke Township and Railway-station, and was acquired from the Assets Realisation Board by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act. The area purchased was 19,581 acres 3 roods 12 perches. The number of occupied sections is 26 ; the total population is 114. Total number of stock, 32,432, comprising 30,630 sheep, 192 horses, 1,605 cattle, and 5 pigs. The area in grass is 16,000 acres, of which 3,000 acres has been regrassed, anel 550 acres of bush felled and sown ; area in white and green crops, 797 acres ; balance bush and scrub. All the sections are occupied. There are twenty-five dwellinghouses, or a total value of £7,380. Value of