C.—l

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some of the sections it is impossible to cultivate the ground, but where the rock is not so close or near the surface very good work has been done. The settlers are all dairying, and the cows generally are in good condition. Very little permanent improvements have been effected during the year. Puni Settlement. —Fair progress has been made on this settlement during the, year. A large area of ground has been stumped, and, as the stumps we>,re mostly puriri, this has been a stupendous undertaking. The new stumped grounel has been ploughed, and crops of autumn seed-potatoes have been grown with good results, and the ground is now in fallow for the sowing of early potatoes, or in Italian rye and turnips for winter feed for the cows. New subdivisional fences have been erected, and a little bush felled,-burnt off, and sown down in English grasses. New drains have been put down on some of the low-lying sections to take off the storm-water, and by doing this it has been possible to plough up the ground and take crops off it. The settlers are all now comfortably housed, anel are milking, cropping, anel getting the ground ready to grow potatoes for the early market. The country requires to be liberally top-dressed every now anel again, so as to get the best result from the English grasses. Provision has been made for the cows, and stock generally are looking well. Waileilei Settlement. —Very little progress has been made eluring the year. Some of the settlers on the good portion of the settlement have, stumped, ploughed, and brought in a fair area of land, and on the flats some good crops have been grown. New subelivisional fences have been erected and large areas of the poor grounel have been ploughed and are now in fallow. A few ae:res eif scrub have been felled, sown, and put down in English pastures. The results from the cows have not been at all satisfactory, except on one or two holdings. Streamlands Settlement. —New fences have been erected anel new drains have been dug sei as to connect with the large main drains that were put through the settlement last season. The largo main drains have been cleared out, anel the settlers are now feeling the, benefit of these drains, as all the storm-water soon leaves the flats. A fair amount of ground is gradually being brought into permanent English pastures. The land is cleared of scrub and blackberry eluring the summer months, and surface-sown in autumn. This has only been made possible by elraining. All the settlers are milking, and provision has been made for feed for the stock. Molulara Settlement. — Good progress has been made on many of the sections. A fairly large area has been stumped, cleared, and ploughed on one section, anel the results from the crops grown Lave been most satisfactory. Subelivisional fences have been erected, and new artesian bores have been put down and are giving a good supply of water. A fair amount of ploughing has been done on the sections. Gooel stacks of hay were well saved during the summer for winte>,r feed for the stock. The settlers are all milking with only two exceptions, and one of them expects to milk as soon as he can breed up a good line of his own lioifers. The stock generally are looking well. Koremoa Settlement. —Very little progress has been made on this settlement eluring the year. The' drains have been cleareel out on the flats, anel a few chains of new elrain dug towarels the far end of the settlement. Remuera Settlement. —Tho stone has boon removed, stumps cleared, and a large area ploughed and crops taken off during the year on some of the flat sections. The new ploughed grounel has grown excellent crops. New elrains have been elug on the flats to connect with Lake Omapere, anel now that the outlet of the lake has been lowered the water is gradually leaving the flats, but it will be some time before the ground adjoining the lake will be fit for English grasses. Subdivisional fences have been erected. Provision has been made for winter feed for the stock, and they are, all looking fairly well. The grass lanel on Remuera requires a liberal supply of manure to get the best results, and this class of country respontls very (juickly to top-dressing. Auckland. (W. E. Marsh, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Including those occupied by discharged soldiers, there are fifty-one settlements in this district, on which there are at present 919 settlers, occupying 178,843 aores under lease, while 638 settlers, occupying 120,738 acres, have already acquired the freeholel of their sections. A few of the more recently established settlements are still struggling against adverse conditions, not having yet surmounted the difficulties created by the slump and other circumstances. The large majority of the settlements, however, especially of the early ones, are in a thoroughly sound and prosperous condition, and comprise some of the best dairy farms to be found in the elistrict. Gisborne. (V. I. Blake, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) All the settlements in the district —except, of course, soldier settlements —are old-establisheel ones, and the lessees still continue, as a rule, to make good. In a few instances the. Board has had to come to tho rescue of men who bought in at a large gooelwill, but the remaining original, selectors are all em a sound footing. It is abundantly evident that, these old land-for-settlements purchases were sound propositions. Hawke's Bay. (.1. 1). THOMSON, Commissioner eif Crown Lands.) No additions were maele during the year to the lands for settlements in ITawkii's Bay, and no change of any importance has taken place. Transfer? of holdings are not frequent, and generally the Settlements are in a very satisfactory state,