The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7398, 26 February 1902, Page 2

The Star.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock iv Hawora, Mamia, Normauby, Okaiawa, Eltliam, Mangatoki, Kapongo, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakelio, Munutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea and "Waverley.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26.

FARMING IN SOUTH AFRIOA-

A WARNING.

Whilst it is probably true, as Mr Rhodes assert?, " that the settlement of our people on the land is the only method by which an assured and lasting peace can be secured for South Africa," and whilst that explains the large assistance given to prospective settlers by the Government, thtre are no arguments proving that such se tlemenfc should take place from New Zealand, or that any iS'ew Zealander would be benefited by taking advantage of the inducements offered. So impressed is a New Zeakndcr in South Africa of the darger of high-coloured accounts he has seen in New Zealand papers unsettling some of our settlers that he (Mr H. H. Stephens) writes from Volksrust a letter of warning to the Canterbury Times. What he says poes far to prove that the energy, industry, and perseverance necessary for even a partial success in South Atcica, when added to the free land and monetary assistance offered, -would insure prosperity from the natural resources of the colony alone in New Zealand without any such aid. Mr Stephens denies that South Africa is a aheep country, as we view such lands, and says that such success as has been achieved is owing to the possession not only of very large areas of land, but of ability and facilities for shifting the flocks from one class of country and district to another, from high veldt to low as the seasons demand. Pure-bred rams have brought to the flocks no stability of type, and the breed quickly degenerates to scrubbers. Vermont merinos, for a time suoaessful owing to climatic caucus, become ho oily in the fleece as to render the wool unsaleable, and a more open fleeca had to be grown. The Southdown cross did not answer expectations, and present trials with Bhropskire promise but partial success. Cattle take too long to mature, a beast not being considered full-grown under eight or nine years of age, whilst the purebred red Africander, still a favorite with many, grows till ten or twelve years, the cows only developing earlier. The quality of the grass is against a good yield of milk in dairy cows, however good the breed. "In addition to these drawbacks, there is the ever-recurrent lung sickness, which forever keeps breeders on the alert. Add to this the cattle breeders' enemy — rinderpest — and the cup is full. Among horses, every season that scourge the horse-sick-ness kills hundreds The water supply is deficient, and, what there is, erratic and irregular." It would appear that in reproaching the Boers for laziness, in that they cultivated so little, we were a little overhasty. Regarding English grasses, Mr Overton says they are not a success, and that the cattle much prefer tho natural grass and thrive better on it. And then he poiats to what really are the attractions of the country and their limitations. It will be noticed that the conditions are such that imported food stuff will be required for years, and in growing this at horns is New Zealand's opportunity, and in catering for a mining population which will enormously increase. " There are plenty of all kinds of minerals in this country which wiil undoubtedly make it a great place for large capitalists, but for farming or stock rearing in my opinion it is not in the leo sb to be compared with New Zealand. I would like also to remark that no unskilled labour id required in this oountry, as all unskilled labour in done by the black population, and at a rate of pay which a white man could not exist on."