"RURAL NEW ZEALAND, THE BRITAIN OF THE SOUTH."

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 6 September 1893, Page 7

"RURAL NEW ZEALAND, THE BRITAIN OF THE SOUTH."

H. Brett, Printer and Publisher.

(From the Otago " Daily Times," Saturday

June 3rd, 1593.)

This is something quite aparb from tha ordinary guido book or descriptive work. To say that ib is somewhab American in stylo is to say tho best of it, for ib is in truth gob up after the manner of the besb American publications intended to serve the eamo end—viz., to make known the resources of the State. The book contains a large number of well - executed "processed" illustrations. These are illustrations in the proper sense exhibiting our industries, scenery, and resources. Large farma and small, wheat, sheep, fruit, dairying—all have have their turn both in illustration and texb. There is no overloading of statistics, but a few are given. Lists of dairy factories show 29 in Auckland and 34 in Otago. Canterbury exhibits nearly a quarter of a million acres in wheat, with an average of about 25 bushels to the acre. Wellington and Napier yield frozen sheep in prodigious profusion. The country traversed and to be traversed by the much-abused ObagoCenbral railway comes in for a plain statement of facts. These facts are libtle known even in Dunedin; beyond they are far less known. Besides low terraces, proved now to be capable of being culbivated, there are fairly estimated to be 700,000 acres of agricultural land, only a portion of the nearest block of 37,000 of which has been as yet tapped by the railway. The author does justice to every parb of the colony, nob omitting our ugly littleducklingSouthland, which,under the altered conditions of profitable farming, is now coming to be one of the foremost districts of Now Zealand. To anyone wishing to geb a tirab glimpse of New Zealand farming, we cannot recommend anything better than Mr Houghton'a book ; it is thoroughly practical and trustworthy. After this glimpse we can only recommend the intending farmer to disappear into the interior until ho has mastered the details. Wo have been forced to listen for many yeara to the superiority of, Australia, and have been at times forced to admit that her markets were better, but now that the dreaming days are over, and the theory thab " Protection creates local markets " has begun to come to pieces, we are content to let the real superiority of Now Zealand as a Hold for colonisation assert itself without puff. To this end is Mr Houghton's book designed. It is in no sense a puff. Ib does nob contain a single■ unverified statement. Ib makes no attempt to enhance the value of land; ib confinea itself to telling the reader what the land can do and will do. While the book deals mainly with the material resources and condition of NBW Zealand, educational and religious matters are nob wholly neglected. Christchurch College, Knox Church, and a very creditable reproduction of the fine interior of Napier Cathedral are among the illustrations. We need scarcely express a wish thab Mr Houghton's book will be a success, as'we understand that a first edition of 6,000 was sold before it was published.