NEWS FROM ALFREDTON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 8

NEWS FROM ALFREDTON.

THE DISTRICT AND ITS PEOPLE. •Anyone looking at a map and .seeing the many small divisions into .which the Alfrcdton. district is divided, would at once say (writes our travelling correspondent) that here, at any rate, there is close -settlement. Wheu the country is seen, it is exactly flic reverse. There ran be no doubt that such country is not suitable for. close farming. Komul about Alfrcdton are both sheep stations and large-forms. There are comparatively few small areas, the land not being suitable Leaving the township, we took the Castle Hill lioad running up the valley. In about- a coupic of miles or so a largo building is • seen 011 the right, > which proves to be the fine wool shed on To Hoe station, tho property of Kebbell Brothers. Just bsforo this, and behind a fine long belt, of-trees 011 tile-windy side, tho homestead comes into view.

' .Further .up' the. road, and on the. opposite'side of the j'oad, is the Alpass estate. Tho next .property is an education' reserve of'' six or seven thousand acres. It was formerly leased by. Mr. Girdwood at a penny per acre, it was nil bush, and tho lesspfl felled about half of it., It is now excellent sheep country. Tho 'lease exptrod. about two years ago, and the land has been-cut up into several sections. ( 'Mr. Harold Kebbel has one of the largest lots, and is -rapidly getting his bush down. I went to the camp right in the heart of the thick bush. . A real old-timer it was—quite, a typical bush camp! Civilisation might have been a hundred miles away, instead of which there was the telephone stuck up in the tent. ■ Said Mr. Kebbel, "I'll ring' up Ngarata." ,And so he did. t It .seemed to mo. a-wonderful thing to find this most useful instrument'installed in a tent in a buslr.eamp, , . Prom Mr. lvebbel's there is a fine view across country, to "Jlauawa" and "Anna(hio," and more to tho east -to "Tinni," all large sheep stations'in the Tinui district. The new lessees on this reserve are fast getting their places in order,, and it will not be long before all tho bush is. down, which, of course, means more produce.