THE LAND HUNGER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 2

THE LAND HUNGER.

• i V- - * '•! . ■- ■. V- - : 1 ' V ;-V r "V->-JIAKOMIi AND ■ WHARE-KOA ESTATES

Our Manawatu representative; : while, in' Kimbolton . tho ■ other dav, embraced- tin?-' opportunity to. see' the Miikonui and ■AY hare-: ;; Koa Estates, thb cutting up l for sale of which' is causing considerable cojnmeht amongst'V ' farmers in the district; and those in outside * I localities, who - oi'o anxious to' acquire - land." ' (Through-tho'courtesy''-of- Mr. Ti, E. Jackson, tho manager for 'the. Hon;; J. Bryce, pur ro- - presentativo "was driven over. 'both '' farmv • and had an opportflnity of seeing 2830 acres . of tho richest, fattening pasture iiiHho North' •- Island. -It is not churned, that tha.: land is ■ - the best in the': but the'.owners''-; and farmers arotirid the district willliertify ' l to _ the -fact, that 1 - it'%bul3 v b'e 'difficult' to I." eclipse'it -for -fatteniftg purposes and for. an r. all-round utility, piirpofe on '.the tho present'timothtertf'is rf thirst" ..•••' in the Kimbolton, back-blocks',:'', triots, and this no doubt. has'been'brought:.' about by the results achieVed 1 by'tlie farmers' - in turning out fat' sttfek I .''. Tho ■ district' has also built up a reputation '"ioi 3 itself with fab stock in. tho'show-ring."'-* '■ <V Thirty years'ago all the '-Kiwitea'v district - was studded'with dehse btisli; and at' tlio present time relics' in' the . form'of giant 'rata;. , trees remain' to raark \vhrit imist hdvo'beei} a magnificont forest .extending' from 'th« Rualiin6 ranges■ as' far (is tlioVoye can'see,.. The Hon. J. Bryco,: thenVa youiig and eneiv getic 'pioiieor .and . anxious to acquire: land that could bo'converted into a comfortable'lioldiife, sislecteg. his block, on the advice ,who was 'theri the G6verii,perit. Surveyor in the -locality. At tho. time of. jbaking pos-. session; Mr. Bryce carried his. store. of provisions along tho Oroua River^aij'tl,'eventually landed at Kiwitea,. following, of course, tho track used by tho Maoris of earlier days. At Kiwitea lie camped on'tho centre of. tho estate. A few days later -ho made his- first trip to Cheltenham, seven, miles distant. Ha followed the course of a creek, and arrived there aftor thrco days' ■ hard' travelling, '.for there were no metal roads' or'.-evSn-va''g6,od track. What a contrast- with -the!: d&Velop- 1 ments of to-day I The Hon. MrV'Brycty'who is now enjoying 'a well-earned ''Tetirenientj can tell many romantic stories of tlfeoearly.. days. ;'i Sinco then the hand of progress'Ml':extended over tho district, cc pital has poured in', the bush has reccdcd, and now we have, around ijlio rising township of' ■ thousands of acres of tho finest and clj,da'bcst sheep and cattle country on the Iwdb and grain crops alike aro grown with ease in tho Kimbolton district, and tho rape and turnip fields now to bo seen equal thos£ of many farms, costing £40 per aero,- Ori;tho estates under riotico there aro good example's of ellcctivo shelter produced at little v expanse—a guarantee of sheltered stock lind early spring grass. Hay-making. is in full swing m tlie district; arid tho crops aro heavy. Oats arc looking well,, and tho growth is oven'bettor tliali on some of tha heavier land along tho'coast. . Tho district suits mixed farming. ' For years past -tliero has been a ' great desire amongst local settlers to seo tho Makonui Estato cut up, and a deputation made a trip to Wellington to urge 'tho Government to move in tho matter. Tho dosired effect, howovcr, has beon brought about by tho free will- of- the owner. Thousands or pounds have been spent in stumping, clearing, and general improvements, including l'oaamjr, and with tho sale will coino

new residents into tho. district, which must mean .an- additional' benefit to Kimbolton business/people. The 1 fences on 'tho estate aro faultless—a ' matter of importance to ;ownors of ; pure-bred stock. In; conclusion, Makonui-is situated on the main FeildingKimbolton road, fifteen miles from Fending and two miles , from : Kimbolton, ,and mad coaches-pass the proporty four, times a . day. "Whare-Koa adjoins Makonui, end is boundod by the - Forest Road. li miles; from - Kimbolton.. ■ There •; aro - a post-oiiico, telepnono bureau, telegraph office, school, and creamery in tho township.