CUTTING UP. FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1911, Page 20

CUTTING UP. FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

ONE OF" THE, LAST OF THE BIG . ; ESTATES. ANOTHER ASSETTO PALMERSTON. The Manawatu district, generally speaking, is not like some other districts —ioi instance, the Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay — a land A big estates. There are a few, it is true, but they are not very large, but there are numerous comfortable properties, up to a thousand acres or co of iirst-class land. Some of these the ov/nerß themselves are cutting up Indeed, tho general tendency in the Manawatu is towaidsfurther.subdivision, and this moyeme,nt is taking place on 1 a natural process-^-that is, owners .are cutting up- of their own accord. 'The district round Palmerston, at any rate, was. originally allotted in small areas. The smaller, settlers in many cases proved unable, with their meagre 'capital, to make good in the face of the adverne conditions of the early days before the railways came, and tliose boons to the farmer, the freezing process and the dairy -industry, 1 cleared, away the clouds. Consequently ihere was an aggregation of land in, the hands of .few. .Now, under the prosperous conditions of the last fifteen jears there has been avdivision and subdivision, so that on the whole the areas are not large. - "SIBERIA.".There arc, however, as- previously indicated, a few large estates in the vicinity of Palmerston North. One of these is 1 the property across the river between Fitzherbert East and Ashhurst. It is- known locally by the inauspicious name of "Siberia.". Why, nobody seems to know, unlesi it is that it sho,\vs rather bare and bleak-looking under the thick crown of bush topping in a forest reserve the low hills towards the Gorge. But there are two Siberian — the Siberia of the frozen waste and the chained gang of prisoners tramping through the snow, and the "Real Siberia" that Foster Fraser. first revealed to the public — ■ another Canada, a laud full of agricultural and mineral resources. A FINE PROPERTY. ' So with Pahnerston's "Siberia." It is a fine property of 4000 acres, of .which fully half consists of river flats and level terraces, with soil of the greatest fertility. .' The balance is in easy hillslopes. Access is at present from Ashfa urst across the new Manawatu bridge, which s spang the river just about opposite the Ashhurst railway station. Immediately on the other side is the beautiful homestead., where the owner of the estate, Mr. Arthur Harding, resides. Mr. Harding reserves the residence and an area -of "land -round it for his own use. As an indication that the climate is far from Siberian, it may be said that Mr." ' Harding grows beautiful oranges and lemons in the open air, and in addition strawberries and a number of subtropical _ plants in the beautiful garden." Though at present the most convenient access is by Ashhurst and the new bridge, it will be possible, when the estate is cut up and roaded, to enter by- Fitzherbert across the Fitzherbert bridge. - A main road will run right across the miles of alluvial flats to join the Gorge" road by the homestead. QUALITY OF SOIL! .The . quality •of the soil' is unmistakable.. Though it was in the dead of winter whep a representative of the Evening , Post went over the farm with the- manager, (Mr. M'Kenzie), there was abundance of feed everywhere, and the many head . of stock, including sheep, cattle, audf horses were in first-class condition. ,The soil is' of the rich, easily worked, Jeilty character of alluvial deposite. ' lii addition to its advantages of soil, the property is splendidly watered. Every few hundred yards there are runniiig.sti earns, perennially flowing from the adjacent hills. In all the weeks of dry, hot weather 1 that characterised last summer, there i was never a shortage of water anywhere on Siberia. For dairying purposes the abundance of running water -.k an invaluable boon. As the watei; i« clear and pure, it ''s quite fit for use in the house, and is, as a. matter ' of ;fact, ' used already by the manager at his own residence. Some of the land has already been stumped, but ■there is still a great deal of firewood lying about .in the shape of stumps and logs; and this will be no mean advantage to the small settlers in these days when firewood itt scarce and coal expensive. On tho -tops of the foothills there' is a considerable area of fairly level country, which it is intended to subdivide into larger sections than those on the river flats. At present it i» used for cattle grazing, and grows ample feed for large numbers, of stock. From these slopes a glorious view of the whole Manawatu may be obtained. . • THE SUBDIVISIONS. The subdivision of the. alluvial levels and terraces will be into small sections of from 40 to 195 acres, eminently suitable for dairying. A factory .will be erected 'at a convenient site on the estate. The 'survey shcAvs 19 sections ranging from 40 to 117 acres, and -six. from 195 .to 830 acres. These latter are suitable for ordinary'mixed farming. Plans will shortly bo issued, when full particulars will be given by Messrs. G. A\ Preece and Co., or Messrs. -Abraham and Williams, Ltd., or Mr. Andrew Guy, the vendor's solicitor, all of Palmerston North.