A VISITOR'S IMPRESSION'S

Lake County Press, Issue 981, 26 September 1901, Page 2

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSION'S

Mr Morilzson. Dunedin, has been visiting Adelaide, and ibe Mildura district to inquire into trade, in South Australia, has almost completed his mission. He paid a visit to Scppcltsficld, to get tin insight into the South Australian wine trade, and was much impressed with what he saw. Speaking to a representative of ‘The Register’ after his return, Mr Moritzson said ; “In order to enable me to inform my fellow colonists about this particular trade T went to Seppcltsticld with a view of seeing for myself to what extent the industry is carried on there, and 1 was simply astonished at its enormous dimensions. It seems that the trade, us carried on in the Hatossa district, will stand an extensive increase, and 1 have no doubt that a. great quantity of those beautiful and pure wines can be consumed in Nee Zealand. I notice the bulk of the people in the isurrotuuling district are of German extraction, and I am pleased that my countrymen have assisted in the establishment of the wine industry." Asked concerning the chances of opening up a market for Mouth Australian wine in New Zealand, Mr Morilzson replied: “If the nines could be laid down in New Zealand at the price for which they are sold here, plus freight and other charges, my colony no doubt would offer a big field for the trade, and it would encourage the drinking by the working and middle classes of South Australian wines, which arc certainly superior to any consumed now by those sections of the community. For some time past some Adelaide wines have been advertised in New Zealand, but owing to the heavy duty they are beyond the reach of the classes to which 1 have referred."

“ Whai was your impression of the farming operations in the district V” —"The crops, chiefly wheat, seemed to be in a. backward condition for ibis lime of the year, bill no doubt that is due to the late rains. The statistics given by Mr Darling in the. Assembly the other night showed that the. average crop for the last seven years varied from 2 to not quite 6 bushels, and that farming in this country can be carried on. It must be simply heart-break-ing to those engaged in wheal raising to get no reward for their trouble year after year. If such had been the experience in Xew Zealand 1 believe the farmers would have abandoned the land long ago. or would have gone into some other industry. The average reheat crop in New Zealand last year was o0 bushels, and that is looked upon as small. From 40 to 60 bushels is

harvested repeatedly, while our oat crop in the south averages from 60 to 80 bushels, and the newspapers report repeatedly crops of from 80 to 110 bushels. A case has come under my notice where two men bought a farm of 350 acres on the Taieri Plain at £lB an acre, and a little over two years later the land had paid for itself. That was at the time of the big drought in New South Wales in 1889, when wheat one year went up to 5s 6d. and in the following year was worth 4s 6d in our colony. Their wheat crop for those two years averaged 80 bushels an acre. During my journey to Seppcltstield 1 noticed the absence everywhere of sheep-farming or dairying, which naturally means that no permanent pasture is put down, us in New Zealand. I was told that no introduced grasses will grow in this country. I would draw the attention of those interested to a grass seed which is largely used in the north island of New Zealand, on the pumice land, which is poor and dry, and has no rainfall for a large portion of the year. This grass has transformed that country from an unstocked land into a fertile feeding ground for sheep and cattle. It is known as the ' sheep or red fescue,’ and was introduced by Mr Chewings, a former South Australian. It is especially adapted for a dry and arid climate, and no drought- can kill it. After being sown it may lie dormant in the ground for two or three years, or it may grow the first year. Il is deep-routed, and after two or three years has been cut from six to nine inches long. Considerable quantities of it are shipped to Victoria, and 1 noticed il making a magnificent show in the Ballarat Gardens, where the gardener assured me it was the finest grass he had ever grown. It is obtainable in New Zealand at 5d a pound.”