MOUNT SOMERS AND ALFORD FOREST DISTRICTS.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6369, 17 February 1886, Page 3

MOUNT SOMERS AND ALFORD FOREST DISTRICTS.

' (VSOK OXJU ABHBTTBTOU COBBSSTOKDXKT.}

(Concluded.) A disappointed journalist once said of Attorn , Forest that the district Abounded in nothing bat" beer, birch, and benlders." Birch a&a boulders axe still to be found in greet plenty* bat beer has become an almost unknown beverage amongst the inthe Bushman's Pride, Bose of Springburn, and other Good Templar Lodges having won over and received into fheirranks nearly every man, woman, and child in thediatrict- This seasonthere is also eomethingmore profitable and interesting to look upon than birch or boulders, for there are some splendid crops of oat*, and an abundanoe of fresh feed in all directions, the dry hot summer having proved specially favorable to all parts of the district.. The cage and storekeeper of the Forest, Mr H. Knight, has a' "nice 40 bnshel crop, while Mr W. T. Chapman, Mr Bunhler and others have paddocks that will yield over 40 bushels pet- acre. Considerable attentMHKhas been paid to fruit-growing, and ssteral of the inhabitants are this year xMko&ing their crops by the ton. Mr Xmght hae a small orchard of young, healthy leaking trees well laden with fruit. Mr BimbLjr has an older orchard, and he anticipates being able to eend f*Uj six tons of apples into tne market. Stowed away in a retired little nook, backed by the hills, - and almost surrounded by nature bush, Mr E. Bolton has a snug property, including a comfortable little cottage (toe interior.of which betokens the most scrupulous care flliMili'Tr— "** **"» J?"*- nt hia spouse), orchard and garden, together with some bash hud and pasture. With pardonable pride, Mrs Bohon gave mc the history of each tree in the garden and orchard. This I will not detail to your readers, though I will mention that the trees are all loaded with a very fine and prolific crop of apples, perfectly tree from oodlin or any other moth. Calling at Mclntoah'a hotel, I was shown where and how he had dissevered a deeply laid scheme for an art of ineendkrikm. The would-be incendiary had placed a lot of inflammable material, saturated with keroeene, between

J&m weather boarding and r Jfniay. latofhis a candle faaid been so placed that .it could bo easily lighted, and left to bum till it ignited the material that had been saturated with the oil. The cleaning of a frosted window revealed the plot, and saved the probable destruction by fire of the AlfoTd Forest Hotel. No clue has ever been found to the perpetrator of the . acheme, and no reason, other than that probably of wanton mischief, can beaadgned for anyone wishing to eet the place on fire. While chatting with the peaceful inhabitants of" the " bush," old memories of the "diamond" fever were recalled, and many specimens of the suppoeed 4fa"nn»fltt were* again brought out for my inspection. The little crystals are 'still preserved as relics of the bright hopes once tay>£/ entertained that the hills and teeming with millions of precious stenee. The hero of the , -diamond field" hae quite re&eatly been prospectiig in the neighborhood, and had joet returned lades , vitaßpedmenß of minerals, and buoyed up by the belief that a valuable disc**ery would yet be made in the immediate vicinity of Alford Forest. Bβ this as it may, tee district just at present is rich in pasture, and the settlers are jubilant with- the prospect of at least one good •eaeon. From Alford Forest right round to Mount Somers, the appearance of the district is. equally encouraging. At! tbe| fritter place fruit-growing bide fair to develop into *n important mdactry. On the sonny slopes of the Qawfor Downa, Mr B. F. Wnght has a very extensive orchard, and though his trees are quite young he has a good crop ,«t apples this sfiwrn Mr Price and other inhabitants have good fruit gardens and orchards, which, in favorable seasons, give torUt* very eatlefactory reeulte. The new railway bridge is drawing near compieQon, and the inhabitants are SookiQg forward to having a railway station within half-a-mile of Hood's Hotel, one of the most comfortable and test conducted up-country houses in the colony j a place where one immediately feels at home, and can always make euro o€* genuine welcome from genial honest John Hood. When the extension of the ssflway line is completed, many visitors wffl aoabtkffls be attracted to the pretty little township of Mount Somen. It hae immerous pcante of interest well worth a visit, amongst them being the stone quarries, the head works of the water* races, the remarkable eaves, and the coal pits, while for those who are fond of moun- , taiagoriiig, the ascent of Mount Somecs woalaaloid a few hours' healthful recreatiob Indeed, the whole district from M«wnt Somen round the foot of the hills far AMard Forest, Moxut Hurt, and the Batam «orge abounds in points of peculiar interest and beauty. Just new the riven and creeks are very low, and the back ranges can be visited with comparative ease. From the Sakaia to the Bangitata all the highest points, including Mount Hutt, Mount Alford, Winterslow, and Mount Somers, are quite dear of fflbw, and tool lummite can be reached

without much difficulty. Far back up the BakaiaChKgealittle enow can be seen on Hie dividing mage, bat only a little. * It ie «Btly at the end of toe hottest; sad driest of euou&ers that the Southern Alpe are bo dear of anew as at present Maay creeks £hat take their sources from the mountain gorges are now almost dry, a thing which nap not. bees known for many yean fait. Beturning to my subject, from an agricultural and pastoral point of Tie 9 *, the Tillage of Springburn, midway between Mount Somere and Atford>Foreat> is worthy of a little notice. Here there is a considerable area of rich swamp land, and the luxuriant crops of grass, oate, and taxnipa are a sight -worth ttavellmg many Bdkt to ccc. Mr A. has a aagaifbent crop of oats, standing over Bft high, splendidly headed, beautifully eves, aad of a partioularly good color. The same piece of land has more than <*c* produoed an eighty-bushel .crop. ftrir year the return per acre *Bf be even above that. Th* whole *&*k is one of the fairest pictures t&aaecneed wish to behold at this seassn * wfaar. In come paddocks adjoining w Mactarlane ie cow carrying out a auaple but effective system of irrigation. H»,P»*a a what Mr Bobsoa or Mr Fooka twftaMy term the catch-water 08808. Btmaiag down one of the paddooks fr miSt originally awft t» carry ct storm-water and the ewramr from a creek. A simple earth* work dam he* been pot in at the top end «ul the water directed through the fence »*>.-* large paddock of turnips. gygjapiy «»fei*y narrow channels-with a ***« has been made to flow ©•arJSery part of the* paddook, with the ****J»*Miueteitrj remits, a few daye being f*»ewittonolace a great change in the »*wawd growth of the turnips. By■mflMr means a great part of this district easily krkated, and I think Mr ■jyftrtwn is entifled to a oonektezable :*gwnt_ of credit for having pr ft "ft"K'iy wrooxstr&ted the efficacy of irrigation. **»nng here, I armed at AifordlS»e«t •amafter dark, highly pleased with what I "ftj&ietn during my tour. Chtihe.following morning lcroeeedthe «»« nee Pudding Hiil, vhere ie silosM

sS«eJitffccipal headworks of the County) CeaneiTg water-races. -- My object in^ojag* juantfty c# water oomittK; the mam race, as it Was reportedlio be very law, and for many weeks past farmers low down on the plains had been complaining of the shortness sup- ! ply. The water in the Pudding Hill stream was certainly unusually low, but the dam wae full nevertheless, and there was a large supply going down the mile of concrete fluming that carries the water into the main race. The greatest complaints of scarcity of water this season have come from the districte sound Kyle and Seafield.*! From personal observation, I know that; these complainta are well founded, but the; cause is certainly not through a scarcity; of water in the dam at the intake from the north branch' of the river,; about three miLee below Pudding hilL I visited this place on my way to Methven, ■ and was surprised to find that what is known as the auxiliary supply is much larger even than the Pudding hill supply. All the water that could with safety be; . tnrned on was' rushing dowfl the main race,; and as this is the' one that euDpliea the' Seafield district the scarcity of water low down on the plains suggests the idea that some of the upper races are either not as clean as they should be,or that they havebeen tampered witi to a greater extent than has yet come to the knowledge of the County Council or the water rangers. Whatever or wherever be the real canse. it is certainly sot with or at the headworks, neither is it to be found anywhere about Methven, for there ie a big stream of water constantly flowing past that township. Soon after my arrival there on the Tuesday, big streams flowed down, upon the town in all directions. Heavy black masses of clouds gathered up, repeated peals of heavenly artillery were heard, a few bright flashes of lightning seen, then the rain came down in torrents, and I concluded what, up to this point, had been an enjoyable trip, by a ride of twenty-one jsUea in the teeth of the heavieet tain storm ever known to pass over the district. My bath was probably a much needed one, but taken in a less involuntary and less protracted form, it would,have been far more agreeable, and I should have been less willing to tamper with my temperance obligations on airival in Ashburton.