[a. c. bdbbard.

56

a—l 4.

43. Subsequently to January. 19(17, did you suffer da,nag,- by floods on your farm?— Not to the same extent, because it came at a different time of the year. H. \,,. there other lands in the vicinity of yours that are similarly affected? Yes, nearer Paeroa and the Natives' land on the northern side of the creek. 45. Have you anything further to say with regard to your own personal damage/ - No: 1 am not making out a case for compeiisal ion or anything like that. 46. You hay,- been here seventeen years, and during that time you have taken an interest generally, and latterly particularly, in connection with this question ?—Yes. 47 'What observations do you wish to make in connection with the matter? I consider thai the fact of the river being silted up is depreciating the value of our property very, siderably. 48 Ire you speaking for yourself only or for the district ? Lor the district generally. pi You have had an intimate knowledge of several other cases besides your own /-I am familiar with liiosl places about here, especially about Paeroa. that are affected. 50 In what way were YOU interested in those other places: did you do any work on them. When we first came here we had the only mowing-machine and reapc,-ai„l-bimlcr .1, the district and all the far rs used to get us to cut their crops. I usually did that work myself For about mi , years previous to 1893 I was in the habit of cutting the crops of Messrs. Buchanan, Cock, Bertelsen, and other farmers. I came from Manger,-, jus. outside ol Auckland, which IS considered a g ood farming district, but I found the crops down here were much better than they were at Maneere Mangere is a highly cultivated farming district. , . ~,..,,. IT Do you remember the nature of the land right adjoining the river / A. that time most of the cleared paddocks about here were on the river-beds, and they grew grass right down to the water's edge. .12. Did you also cut at Mr. A. J. Thorp s?—Yes. . 53 And'now what is the position/ In company with Mr Buchanan I vis,,,-, a lot olthese paddocks subsequent to the flood of March las,. (~, ,„„. „f Buchanan's paddocks where I formerl , ,v there w s after the flood a depth of tailings extending for about 4 Square chains the depos , being from Gin. to .8 in. deep. I also visited Barrett's paddock adjoining lee waß an area there of 3 chains by 12 chains, the deposit being 3 m. and in daces 2ft deep I I. m v its were ma,h the 4th April. A, A. .1. Thorp's place on the Te Aroha Road we fonnd a good 'loal of sil, in the middle of a big paddock we used to cut. he depos,, variedfrorcl 1 in. to ~ in . in depth. It would be very hard to give the area, because there was a dlght depositof .lit over most Of the paddock. There were 12 or 15 acres in the paddock. A ■'■;'' ',;. opposite Bertelsen's. a little lower down. I found a deposit extending ,p-r about 2 acres but the Jl ,le far,,, seemed to me t„ be affected with the deposit. A Mr. B ertelser,is place at thebacko^ the house there was a deposit to the depth of from 2 in. to 24 ~,. In one place Betel „ lug down 1,;,,,, 2 f,'. i-I Z It the same date we took a deposit from the floor of an old shop ,„ the township. These samples have been sent to Mr. Pond for analysis. 54 Does the land about here require draining before it is •^VJS B S3 '-'f';, , intensified farming, and drain it thoroughly. It is heavy lam. By I mean it want s lo be drained thoroughly, and the drams kept open. It IS different to lolling country. When it is in "Tass it does not want any more attention. s iMand that will stand cropping to a great extent/- I have seen, paddocksinJhe Netherton district and they t„ld me that they had taken nine crops ~1 oats oh the,, in succession wt , , Y'.avc taken three crops, and 1 have found the third one eveiv bit a ihe first one. We never have to put artificial manure „,, the land tor our white or straw cops bere They "T,nv too rank as it is without manure. . V Wn,,t is the position now as regards cropping a, Nether,,,,,/ he experience of the Vetbe.-toi, oeonle after the 1907 Hood was that it was not safe to crop their land. 5 Wurtefle rfhasthat had financially upon ~„- farmers? -They stand a great r.skof losing „„. ;,;,',,,. ( ;;.' l t|iril . ~,,,„. and it also interferes with what you might call scientific farming-that ' a, Manawaru there we,, six sales lon this side the, ere fi.9 Vii,, ire often in the township? — Yes. ~„>- ,i , Si Whu-h was the highest II las far as Paeroa Township is concerned / - Lither II ■ that "' M i;i r '\v;:!n did yen take the «» ho. the A ■ of the shop in the township?-On the „h April,