THE CINDERELLA STATE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3597, 1 April 1924, Page 4

THE CINDERELLA STATE.

AUSTRALIAN VISITORS. Two interested and interesting Australian visitors to Palmerston North at present are Messrs. H. ■ W. Clarkson, of Toodyay, West Australia, and A. G. Tedcastle, of Toolern Vale, Victoria. Both gentlemen are keenly interested in Prlesians. and were present at Mr W. D. Hunt’s big sale just held in the south, where they each made purchases. A leisurely tour through both islands has followed, and at present Messrs. Clarkson and Tedcastle are seeing all that is to be seen of “Marvellous Manawatu.” In a brief chat last evening Mr Clarkson, who is a Merino grower, on a large scale as well as an admirer of the big ‘‘black and whites” told many interesting things about tha “Cinderella State” of the Commonwealth. Like all Westralians he has a firm belief in the great future ahead of his country with its boundless spaces, rich areas of land suitable for all kinds of farming, magnificent forests and fine climate.

Dairying is a growing industry in the West, while of course woolgrowing is not confined to Merinos. Mr Clarkson himself has successfully bred Romneys from New Zealand strains. He dispelled the somewhat prevalent notion that it is necessary to keep on importing pedigree stock to keep up the standard —at least so far as West Australia is concerned. “Like your own breeders we buy from outside because we are always . anxious to improve,” he said, “but we are breeding a fine type of both sheep and cattle over there for ourselves.” There is a great future for grape growing in the West. Hundreds of thousands of acres will grow grapes wild, and some day the State will supply a big proportion of the world’s wines. All classes of fruits grow in prodigal profusion—in fact there Is no market for them.

That the land is capable of a good return was shown by one illustration gievn by Mr Ciai'kson. Just a few miles from Perth there is a soldiers’ settlement where the land is worth to-day £IOO per acre. “Not many years ago,” said the Westralian, “it could have been bought for ten shillings an acre.” Apparently the soldier settlers are better off there than In some parts of New Zealand.

To-day Messrs. Clarkson and Tedcastle are visiting the Weraroa Experimental Farm, and they will also visit the A. and P. grounds and other spots of interest.