LAND ON THE "MAIN TRUNK."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 512, 20 May 1909, Page 8

LAND ON THE "MAIN TRUNK."

AS SEEN FROM THE RAILWAY. t Mr. J. Swindlehurst, au Eltham .farmor, /who latoly travelled over tho Main Trunk lme' to Auckland, told an "Argus" reporter that he, was, disappointed' with the land as seen from the railway. Ho travclled by slow-day ■trains so as to seo everything possible. Till Taihapo was reached the land-was .fair, but •from thence onwards past Taumarunvii till To Kuiti was reached the land was poor—so poor, in fact, that ho believed it would not : carry one sheep to five acres. . After passing To-Kuiti the. land seemed'toimprovo/audko believed 4hat ,'near'v.To Aroha'the soil' was. much , better.: Ho/intended, to make;, another; journey over tho samo ground again, , but.' he ■■was positive ; nothihg 'thathad been seen, could coino up; to Tarauaki - 'soil, and it- was better £40 per. acre, hfere/.than £10. anywhere,elso./- He noticWj.a lot .or black--, berries and' other' noxious weeds v duririg'-. his: tripl" Ho expressed pleasure at the Govern-, ment , tree'planting.; Between'Motorua and 'Northern 'ft airoa he saw, about a thousand aires of /fine. trees,/ /mostly .bluegums . and larches. This is,a work, lie thinks, tho.'Government should push on: everywhere—on tho Main Trunk particularly, where the land'is of pumice formation and at present: will not grow, grass. , - . •. //. Regarding the prospects of farming that way, he said that he believed tho land "too /poor, for. dairying, but ibo young men had good prospects there iii other direc'tions.; .; /: v:,/ " ■/;,■'/ : -/./V^ v -./;//- - ' 5 : '■/