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Transfers. The total number of transfers granted during the past year was as follows :— Number. n ' a ' : Acres. Lease in perpetuity (ordinary) .. .. .. ..70 13,044 Renewable lease .. .. .. .. . . . . 12 1,272 Lease in perpetuity (land for settlement) .. . . 52 13.733 Renewable lease (land for settlement) .. .. .. 2 2,112 Small grazing-runs .. .. .. .. 28 69,580 Occupation with right of purchase .. .. .. 13 1,554 Perpetual lease .. . . .. .. .. .. 34 2.580 Occupation lease .. .. .. .. 18 513 Miscellaneous licenses .. .. .. .. 38 4,159 Pastoral runs .. .. .. .. .. 20 430,022 Education Reserves .. .. .. .. 24 20,509 Totals .. .. .. .. ..311 559,078 Land proposed to be opened for Selection in 1912-13. An area of 1,633 acres, comprising Elderslie No. 2 Settlement, will be offered to the public on renewable lease in fourteen sections on the 29th jfpril, 1912. Two sections in Conical Hills Settlement will be grouped and offered for lease as one holding of 627 acres, and five sections of rural land aggregating 702 acres will be opened for selection under the optional system on the 7th May of this year. Of national-endowment land 4,000 acres in Lower Wanaka, Rankleburn, Beaumont, and Tuapeka West Survey Districts will be offered to the public under renewable lease, and 29,215 acres in Leaning Rock and Warepa Survey Districts will be placed on the market—9,o9o acres as a pastoral run and 20,125 acres in small grazing-runs. General Remarks (Rangers' Inspections). Contrary to the weather-conditions of several previous years, the past year in the latter part has been marked by an amount of rain beyond the normal. In consequence, more particularly in North Otago, where the settlers had been suffering from droughts, they were encouraged to put a larger area than usual into cereals. These, for yield, turned out remarkably well—such phenomenal yields as 50 to 60 bushels of wheat to the acre being obtained, while in one instance upwards of 115 bushels of oats to the acre was threshed. The excessive wet and cold, however, had the effect of delaying the harvest, especially in the southern districts, where at the date of my report the greater part of the white crops is still uncut. The position and prospects of tenants of ordinary Crown land are reported on by the Ranger as follows: — The tenants on ordinary Crown lands have had on the whole a fairly successful year. The past winter, though free from heavy snow, was more severe than the average, on account of the longcontinued frosts. Last autumn and also last winter and spring were very dry, and hence the grass did not come away early, consequently feed was scarce during the early spring and summer. Stock, generally, were in a backward condition, and the lambing percentages below the average on pastoral country. Towards the middle and end of December the weather completely changed and became very wet. The crops and grass came away very quickly, and stock soon picked up in condition. The weather greatly retarded shearing operations, and the general shearing was considerably delayed and expensive. There was not the usual number of surplus stock this year, but wool-prices were well maintained. Central Otago did not enjoy the copious rainfall that visited the south and east part of the province. In the early parts of the season the weather was extremely dry and the pasture very late in coming. Many of the early root-crops failed, but rain coming in December favoured those resown. There are now some fair turnip crops, and the grain crops generally are good. The harvest weather there was favourable, and the oats, wheat, and barley crops have been well saved. In the eastern and southern part of Otago the weather since the middle of December has been very wet and broken, and though the grain crops grew luxuriantly they have not ripened well. The farmers have had considerable difficulty in getting their crops cut, and more difficulty still in saving them ; in fact, a very large proportion of the oats and wheat will be at least, badly discoloured, if not absolutely destroyed. The wheat return must suffer very much, and it is difficult to see where sufficient wheat is coming from to supply local requirements. The high-priced land baa Buffered most from the wet season, and it is to be feared that those holding highly valued land, and those paying high rents, will suffer considerable hardships on account of the poor returns and inferior prices that must necessarily follow for badly matured grain. The bush settlers have been at some disadvantage through the wetness of the past season. The roads have been heavy, and the delivery of milk to the factories liiis been difficult. There has, however, been very good feed, and the returns have been well maintained. Most of the bush farmers are dairymen, and the dairying industry has been extended by the erection of a number of new factories during the past season. The prices ruling for butter and cheese have given the factory-suppliers a timely lift, and though they have had bad roads and wet weather to contend with they seem to have had a good year generally. Cattle prices are high, and this also has materially helped those who had surplus stock. Taking the farming community throughout Otago as a whole, they seem to have had a fair average year, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather-conditions. The strong and growing desire to get