THE NORTH ISLAND.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1568, 7 March 1887, Page 3

THE NORTH ISLAND.

To the Editor of the Star.

Sir, — Never having seen in your columns anything concerning the general opinion of Canterbury (and perhaps South Island as a whole) residents regarding the North Island, I will, with your permission, give a few instances of the many gross misrepresentations which have been made by persons who have been " in " the North Island. These persons must have been very narrow minded, or else they had never been out of the towns ; otherwise they wouid never have given currency to such erroneous accounts of the North. Mauy have said regarding the Waimate Plains, not that it is not a grain growiug distiict (for then they would have been somewhat correct), but that the soil was not in the least suitable for grain — that it was, in fact, of very little account but for grass, of which there was an abundance all the year round, and that there is not the slightest occasion to provide for winter feed. That that is incorrect will need no confirmation to the majority of your readers. That the grain crops in the North are not nearly as heavy as those in the South there is no denying — there are no 120 bushels per acre crops of oats, and 40 tons and over crops of potatoes lo the acre here (and when a ex-Canterbury settler speaks of such crops, bis hearers are sceptical, but it i 9 nevertheless a fact). Cropping has never been given a fair trial iv this district until tbe past few years, and the results in many cases have been very satisfactory, and are likely to be still more satisfactoy in tbe future, as the rainfall must inevitably become less when such large areas of bush country ai'e being felled, and the wet seasons have been the chief objection to cropping in the past. I might mention many other deplorable reports which have been circulated in the South, but it would be trespassing upon your space. What, I should like to ask, have persons to gain by giving currency to such prejudicial reports to the welfare of the North Island ? Is it from fear of being turned to ridiculp by their friends when, after leaving then 1 South Island homes in disgust, coming over here, and remaining for perhaps a year or two (which time would not suffice to give any place a fair trial), they return with the accounts (and many others) referred to ? Or is it from pure ignorance of the island ? It is probably from a variety of reasons of this nature. I know of a party of well-known Canterbury settlers coming to Wellington about four years ago, purchasing a tent and provisions, camping about on the hills surrounding that city for a few days, and then returning with the account that there was no level land in the North Island, and that the quality of the soil was very poor. If one listened to all the statements made in Canterbury three or four years ago, in respect ot the North Island, he would have had enough to do. What persons desirous of obtaining knowledge regarding the North should do, would be not to rely on the descriptions of others, but to come and judge for themselves and not to be too economical, for by tenting it they would never obtain the desired information. They should travel by easy stages from Wellington to New Plymouth, and would then have some reason to talk about tbe North Island. — I am, &c,

B. L. H.

Manaia, March 7.