MARLBOROUGH ITEMS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13095, 21 April 1908, Page 4

MARLBOROUGH ITEMS.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS."} BLENHEIM. April 14. The Mariborough Land Board to-day discussed the stay in land settlement that Mariborough. and the south generally has experienced recently. Mr John Duncan proposed, and the Board adopted, a series of resolutions! which have for their object the using up of much available land in the bush districts. Of late years more and more attention has ibeen drawn to the advance and settlement in tho Sounds and the Polorus, Wakaimarina, ""and Rai valleys. The last census showed a greater proportional increase in tho Pelorus district, behind Havelock, than anywhere else in the, province, not excepting Sfcarborou^h.

Much interest has been aroused by a proposal that a kind of residence, with demonstration grounds, should bo made «f the Se&don State Nursery by tho Government, for tho nursery, as euch, is 6oon to bo closed. It is tHe opinion of experts that an agrio-uMural college and Farm for boye wouM /be a great success there. Many people rail at the Department of Lands for not proceeding with the afforestation, scheme started in the Lower Awiatere, especi£,Hy in view of the fact that 100,000 acres of Government farms contained in the Starborough, Flaxbourne, and contiguous settlements, lack trees of any kind.