The New Zealander Abroad.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 60, 2 July 1908, Page 3

The New Zealander Abroad.

MR J. 6* THOMSON ON HIS TRAVELS. A VISIT TO SUFFOLK. , HOW THEY FARM THERE, J Mr J. B. Thomson, formerly of Lakeside and Clintonj ;who is at present touring the Old Country, has written a long letter to a friend in Milton, and we have been permitted to publish the part dealing with country life in the " Old Dart," as it is sometimes called. After dealing with life in London, where Mr Thomson spent three weeks, the letter proceeds Having an invitation to spend a few days with a farmer in Suffolk, I left London by an early train, going first to Petersboro', and then by Ely to Lakesheath, where my friend's farm is situated. On the way I was greatly delighted with the appearance of the country. Everything was fresh and green, and every inch of land seems to be farmed like a garden. The grain crops were just covering the ground, and all the way along one could see dozens of men, and sometimes women, busily employed weeding with hoes, amongst the crops. This is a thing we never see in New Zealand, but here wages are low, and one can easily see that the stirring up of the soil would do a great deal of good. As we sped along I noticed that every little village had its church, and that every church had its steeple. Many of these churches or cathedrals are a great deal too large for the towns they are situated in, but many of them are thousands of years old, and this goes to show that in byegone ages this country was more thickly populated. I had an hour to wait at Ely, and was advised by an obliging porter to visit the cathedral. Many trains stop here to give tourists an opportunity of viewing this splendid edifice dating from the twelfth century. The building is of high dimensions, and its western front is considered the finest example of early Gothic in England. I was shown where Oliver Cromwell used to tie up his horses when he came to the cathedral. This old worthy took a great set on the church at one time and would do anything to show his hatred. 1 At Lakesheath later on I was shown in the church there a number of angels' figures which had all had their faces cut off by the Mighty Ruler. Suffolk is a great place for cattle, and in the paddocks one could see magnificent specimens of the Shorthorn breed, and all in excellent condition. Sheep here are not so numerous. What there are are of the Suffolk breed, all black-face. They are said to be easily fattened, and stand the soft ground ot the fens better, than some of the other breeds. A strange custom is to fold them all up in pens at night. One reason for this, I was told, was that there are no fences suitable for keeping i.i sheep; another was that when they are shut up in a small space they enrich the land very much. The sheep, I noticed, were much knocked about in travelling in and out, and I think would be better out on the pasture both day and night. I attended a stock sale at Bury St. Edmunds, and was greatly surprised at the prices obtained for sheep and cattle. Bullocks that would bring from £j to in New Zealand brought to £22 1 os. Calves brought from £2 10s to to £lO 10s; lambs that would bring 12s to 13s in New Zealand brought £2 los here; wethers, newly-shorn, worth about £1 in New Zealand, brought £$ i os; pigs (which formed the principal part of the sale) and horses brought prices about the same as in oqr country. Auctioneers from each firm sell the different stock simultaneously, so the sale noes not last long. These auctioneers are a very quiet lot, putting no life whatever into their work, unlike some of our vigorous knights in New Zealand. They, however, gel through a great deal of work in quick time. Such a thing as a dog is not to be seen. When farriers or butchers buy stock they either take them awaj in an immense truck on wheels made for the purpose, or send several of theii men with them on foot, a couple ol men always being in front. Most oi the farmers appear dressed in real ole English style, and think themselves nc small potatoes aa they drive off in theii gigs, drawn.by bob-tailed horses. Th< day was exceedingly cold, but I noticet on the homeward journey that all hand: pulled up at the different inns to ge something to keep the cold out. Thi game life of this country is mos interesting to . a New Zealander, am makes one think of the day when we'na< 1 pheasant and partridges in numbers. A we drove along we could see quantitie of pheasants, partridges and hares, al ' in the same paddock and quite tame 1 I was told that the keepers of 1 Iveagh collect all the eggs that the can, hatch them out with incubator and turn them adrift at an age whe 5 they can look after themselves. Som 3 great bags are sometimes made in

day. One day six guns brought down 1700 birds, these I might explain were sent all over England to the d : liferent hospitals and i ..titu'i -.is. The plover is also a i bird here, and their eggs are generally sought after. In the early season they have been known to fetch as much as 12s 6d each. Professional eggers know by the antics of the bird in the air where to find its nest. Mr Thomson seems to have made good use of his time. He has visited also towns in Norfolk, Nottingham, York, Durham and Northumberland and at latest was in Edinburgh. y