THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 10

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

ALONG POREWA STREAM.

VIGNETTES OF HOMESTEADS. ._

AND A WORD ON FLOCKS.

As I was riding past Tututotara, tho proj perty of Mr. J. AV. : Marshall .at Porewa (writes our travelling correspondent), 1 stopped to look at a lot of Romney ewes.' They were as nice a mob as I havo seen for a long time, a. very'even line, and from their appearance they should have a very good lambing. Another thing which I particularly notked about them was that they .were very clean in marked contrast to the condition of many sheep this season—a condition caused by the softness in tho grass causing scouring. This is a serious matter now that wool has mado such a splendid recovery'. I have been in sheds lately where crutching was going on, and in many cases the.; entire, cut-off had to be thrown out with the .daggings. Mr. Marshall's: new house shows up well from the road- It is a fine two-story building nestling among the ; plantations, and looks very different from the old-fashioned gabled homestead which had done duty at Tututptara for many a long year. But let us ride on. Soon the Porewa stream is crossed, and shortly afterwards the Mangaraupi. A'little further ort is the Main Trunk line, and just as I got there the Auckland, express thunderedpast. Then to tho left,-up Polgreen's Hill, and down again, into Leedstown. As a Yorkshireman, I have a desire to violently assault those who so utterly misuse the names of towns in the Old Country. Fancy a pl£ce with three houses being called after the city of Leeds, with its population of between three and four hundred thousand! Up hill again, : ; and -tnto- the • handsome ; two-story mansion, of Mr. W. S. Marshall,is seen on the brow of the -hill-, overlooking .the. Rangitikei. Va11ey...,. Mr. run is, "Te Hekenga," in the Pemberton district. Anyone who ."has been at'the station will 7 know "Old Mick." I hope the'old man. is still alive. Hβ. was in tho Army with Major Marshall, father of; the two residents to whom I have already alluded. In fact, I think, he. ."acted as the' Major's' servant, arid when the Major ;left the A-rmy to .take up iarming Michael : went witfli him. ' . , '■'■'■•. ■ ;Across.from 1 Mr. Marshall's .there is another block 'of new buildings, the homestead of Mr. Gower, formerly of Bonny Glen. He has' :chosen.;'a. beautiful.site for. the station. On #gain, ; ' and on the. right is the' large two- ;■ story; house of Mr. Z. : Meads, standing.in-an. enclosure of macrocarpas, which 'he has very, fortunately planted at a sufficient distance from the house to make a pretty picture. On the opposite side is Mr. Illston's. The next is Mr. -_.J;., Aiken's. When asking which was his place .1 was told :' '-Right along the-road, on this side; a very and natty-looking place." Well, that just tits it. It shows onco moreihow.a fanner, if ; only he has the.taste for nice surroundings; can find time to give his home that, attraotivo appearance which is often lacking. Everything is neat'and tidy; in'fact, it'is a good farm in every respecirrand a good.farmer. .: . ',-" . .