Land Settlement.

Mt Benger Mail, 1 April 1914, Page 1

Land Settlement.

BALLOT IN THE SOUTH

ABSENCE OP COMPETITION

INYEKCAItGILL, March 2(

That most oi the farmers in Southland are not sufi'ering iruiu aay fotm of land hunger was clearly s-now.i Ly the result oi the opening for selection of the Ardlussa ana Wuturi'KiKj Settlements. Of the fifteen sect'oas orfered only five were taken .;j, and oi tiie I,,'iou acres -the total are i ofltred only a bout 1200 acres were -ot rid 01.

I lie Ardlussa estate, which was re- • ently acquired by the Government comprises a total area of 12,'J'JJ acres, and it is described as varying from rich river Hat land and good tgricullural downs to hilly pas.oral country, Moreover, good results have already been obtained from it with oats, turnips, and grasses, ike uu-ws arc practically new, mid it is reported as being practically free of raubfts, in addition to which all the sections are watered by running streams. The settlement is situated from six to ten miles from the Balfour railway station, on the Gore-Lumsden line. To cap all these advantages, access to three of the sections is by a good metalled road, and provision has teen made tor similar facilities with rtspoct to the remainder. Only three -f the six sections offered were taken tp.

the Waiarikiki Settlement is .- ituuted up to nine miles from M.tuaura, ami access is provided by in< .ailed roads. The land has also been largely cultivated a nd is admirably adapted for either sheep or cattle turning, dairying, or mixed farming. In lorma'.ion it varies from easy spuj and downs to undulating tmd hat .and. Of nine sections ofiered, three were taken up. Ihe absence ol competition was remarked upon by a gennernan well versed in land settlement \,o areporter after the ballot, lie Oointed out that there had been similarly dull conditions in regard to the ballots for other estates ofiered recently, aad said that he ascribed the posiuon to the fact that there was more land than applicants. Some oi the land oltered would probably be subject to keen competition were it offered .a U»e north,and he was surprised at ;ao absence of wider competition.