A SCOTTISH FARMER IN NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 9

A SCOTTISH FARMER IN NEW ZEALAND.

SOME OF HIS IMPRESSIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent/) LONDON, 11th February. To-day's Scotsman gives prominence to a long letter written from New Zealand by a young Scottish farmer, who has been in the Dominion for a year, and who has already met with success in his new home. He gives some good advice to intending young emigrants. THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCESS. In the course of his- letter he remarks :—"I: — "I have had ftve years' expeiienco on farms at Home, and I find it very useful here, as the work is done in practically the same way, though all the farmers here work, themselves and their families. There is no 'high faluting' in New_Zealand like there is in Scotland. ~"No 'airs' are tolerated, and if a young fellow wants to get work and* wants to get on, he must be prepared to do the same work as is done by the 'hands' on farms at Home, and not be afraid to dirty his hands or to put on old clothes. I mean this for young farmers and would-be farmers. Of course, a regular farm hand will have his work hero just as an Home. But the hours are shorter, and a man is treated more as a man, and allowed to use his brain — if he has any ! — not ordered around, as at Home. As regards labour, good, experienced hands are scarce in New Zealand. A good, sound man, with a practical knowledge of farming, never need want work and good pay m Ne*w Zealand. There is no room here for town boys or spoiled 'mothers' darlings' who 'want to go and farm.' . . . Ploughmen, shepherds, fencers, ditchers, and domestic servants are wanted always hare, provided • they know their work and are willing to work. 1 can safely say this, that a man under a Scottish farmer in Scotland has to work harder than he would do here. The colonials do not conic up to our Home men of Scotland for work — they are more after the style of Englishmen." Some people may be inclined to question this statement. However, to proceed :— "The land of New Zealand is magnificent for crops where it is cleared of timber and is ploughable, and the grazing is also first claes. There is not a stono, on the land on this island. I have dug' down to twelve feet, through sandy soil and clay, and could go down over 100 ' feet in places and not even touch gravel All up the West Coast of botb islands there is a lot of rain ; the country is rough and sparsely populated. On the East Coast though, and in the centre of the islands, especially the South Island, one sees first class land being worked and fanned in all ways possible. There are, especially in the North Island, huge tracts of land covered with stumps, being cleared of bush and used chiefly for dairying or sheep. Pine land most of it, only requiring the necessary men and capital to work it. The scenery is magnificent. Tho farms are rough-look-ing, and the farm structures are poor indeed and badly arranged. There are a lot of temporary looking buildings about the farms. But where people have been settled' for some time a little order is to be seen. But this is practically a half contury country, and it has made really marvellous strides in th* past fifty years. Anyone coming here must be prepared to see rough roads and fences, poor buildings, and plain houses compared to those at home. But the comforts here are much as in the country district? of Scotland — mostly second-rate provisions, but bound, and just what one would get itt the country places at Home. In the towns, however, one can be almost as luxurious as at home if one wishes. Taken all over, from what I have seen, read, and heard about it, I can say that New Zealand is an ideal colonists' country — any amount of room for pioneers! FINAL ADVICE. "It is thorough, competent, country workers that are wanted in New Zealand, and for such there is good pay and sufficient work, with posnbly a little roughing to do as regards sleeping accommodation, and more than enough of mutton and tea ! The climate is magnificent. Altogether one has a good time here. There are railways to the central places, coaches to many places, and a coasting service along all the coastline. There is every chance for young people working their way up in life in New Zealand, especially those who are up to farm work. That is the main thing. Those who come out to work on the farms must be well up to the work." The writer, who went out to Dunedin a stranger, speaks of the great kindness extended to h:m by all with whom he haa come in contact in his adopted country.