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33

Summary of the Settlements established upon Estates acquired and dealt with under the Provisions of the Land for Settlements Act up to the 31st March, 1924— continued.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OP COMMISSIONERS OP CROWN LANDS. North Auckland. (H. J. Lowe, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) The only settlement opened during the year was Ecclcston Settlement, situated at Otaliuhu. Some eighteen building sections were offered on cash or deferred payment, and twelve were disposed of. Ah the city tramway system has now been extended to Ellerslie (Harp of Erin) it is hoped to proceetl with the necessary stroet-formation of the Cadman and Carroll Settlements. Cadman Settlement comprises 31 J- acres, which has been subdivided into 143 sections, and Carroll Settlement 11 acres and fifty sections. Waimata Settlement. —Quite a large area of ground has been stumped and ploughed and has been in crop during the summer. The settlers who had supplementary crops eif turnips, millet, and Italian rye; for their dairy cows did not feel the dry spell, and the returns from the cows have been most satisfactory. Nearly all the settlors are milking on the flats and running dry sheep on hilly country. All the cows of the settlement have been officially tested during the year by the dairy company's official tester, with gratifying results. A fair amount of bush has been felled and sown down in permanent English pastures during the year, and miles of subelivisional fences erected and new drains put in on the flats. Over four thousanei sheep were shorn in tho wool-shed at tho homestead, and they are milking eiver three hundreel cows em the settlement. Altogether, things leiok very prosperous at Waimata, and there seems no doubt that every one of the settlers will make good. It is a great pity that we have not all our soldier settlers settled on this class of country. Awakino Settlement. —Past seasons taught the settlers the necessity of putting in good deep drains, as the swamp that drains through most of this settlement is a large one with a big catchment area. New subelivisional fences have also been erected, and a start has been made in stumping and clearing the grountl for cropping, so that next seasem they will be able to grow summer feed for their stock. Over two hundred cows are being milked on this settlement by the settlers. On some of tho hilly country they are running store cattle and breeding-ewes. The cows are all under official test, and the returns have been satisfactory. Altogether things look very prosperous in Awakino, and on this class of country any settler will make good if he is a worker. Upokonui Settlement. —A large area of bush has been felled, burnt, and sown down in English grass, and new subdivisional fences erected. The settlers this year purchased a few good breeelingewes, and as soon as they breed up a flook will sell the cows anel go in mostly for sheep, just keeping sufficient cows to pay the store bills and keep the place in order. Unless they run sheep anel cattle on this class of country, in a few years it will all be back in fern. Mixed farming is the only thing to keep the country in good order. Pakaraka Settlement. —A fair amount of gorse has been cleared during the year, and the ground ploughed up and a few crops taken off. Owing tei the volcanic rock being so close to the surface on

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Name of Estate. Leaseholds. Freeholds. Principal Purpose for which Holdings arc utilizid. Itomarks as to Present Position. fiouthland. Allenby Ardlussa Beaumont Campbell Crionton Park Edeudalc Ermedale Fortification Hill Glenham Knows ley Park Lambert Liimonl. Maori Hill Mcrrivale Mcrrivale No. 1 Mcrrivale No. 2 Monte Cristo .. Otahu Ringway Stalker Strathvale Teihoka Waiarikiki Waikiwi Town 5 6 8 4 4 105 10 6 37 9 1 6 16 45 8 7 4 8 3 8 9 4 7 29 2 "2 46 2 7 Dairying Pastoral Mixed fanning .. . . .. :. Mixed fanning Pastoral I iairying Mixed fanning I 'astoral Mixed farming Pastoral Dairying Dairying Mixed farming Mixed farming Mixed fanning Mixed farming .. . . Dairying Mixed fanning Mixed farming Dairying Dairying Mixed farming Pastoral Suburban building-sites Good. Poor. Unsatisfactory. Doubtful. Good. Very good. Poor. Good. Very good. Poor. Very good. Fair. Good. Good. Fair. Fair. Doubtful. Fair. Fair. Very good. Good. Doubtful. Poor. Good. 10 3 I 13 Totals.. 349 80 Grand totals 7,052 I ,563