UP THE NELSON RAILWAY LINE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, 23 January 1907, Page 2

UP THE NELSON RAILWAY LINE.

1 A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. THE BENEFITS OF RAILWAY EXTENSION. A town visitor to the Tadmor and Sherry district learns that one of the immediate beneficial effects of the extension of the Nelson railway to its present temporary terminus is the resumption in the district of the cultivation of oats, barleyt and some wheat, on a large scale. Several acres have been sown with these cereals, or have been ploughed for the purpose, as the profits, which used to be dissipated in the cost of waggon conveyance to the railway, is now largely saved. Had the season not been so exceptionally dry, the good results from the change would have been experienced already. A considerable area in the Sherry is under hops, which are looking very healthy. ° ' • Jt . ""^i 10 * b f. generally known that m the Tadmor district both the mohair and the ostrich feathers industries have been started, though they are in their early infancy^ There is at Tadmor a hertl of Angora goats crossed with the common or garden, nanny, and it is expected that the .animals, even if they do hot yield an early profit from their wool, fhay ;do service in keeping down v the blackberry, which is a great nuisance and a. rather serious problem iui i the district. T.he ostriches at present" are more in the nature of a hobby than anything else; but the owner expects to attain to the dignity of an ostrich farm ere long, and hopes to place ostrich feather products on a business . basis, similar to the development of the industry at Auckland. I While the/lower portions of the Waimeas and Nelson have shaken off the < drought, and been blessed with- com- - paratively abundant, though tardy, ram, the, visitor beyond Belgrove is astonished to realise that the drought is still in full blast in the country on the otKer side of the railway tunnel. Ihe hills are almost tare of grass, and while some of the hops are toll and healthy, fields alongside of well-grown vines are quite poor. Light crops, now in stook, alternate with cultivation paddocks that have been turned over to sheep or- cattle as not worth cutting When the heavy rain fell in and around Nelson,- there was only a light and ' passing drizzle at- Tadmor and the vicinity. The rivers did not even get into fresh. In view of the dry weather, iW speaks well for the ability of the district to withstand drought that the crops, though light are yet fair in yield. From the angler's point of view at least, the absence of fresh in those most fishable streams, the ! Motueka, the Motupiko, and the. Tadmor,would^ be greatly welcomed, while all the farmers of the district want 'rain for the sake of the winter grass. There- is a good deal of anticipation in the Sherry just now with regard to. coal' developments. In response to a local application, Mr Tarrant, of the Mines Department at Westport, is understood to have sent in a report to the Minister on local indications, and it is expected that by request another Mines Department officer will also inspect a - locality on" Mr Phillips's land. To those who have been in coal country, the aspect and conformation of the hills around Tadmor and Sherry give every sign of coal measures. The vagaries of the weather of late have been greatly felt-around Tadmor and the Sherry. When the' cold snap set in a series of frosts" was experienced. There was a very severe frost on."Sunday morning, another sharp one on Monday, and a light one yesterday.. The result is that a good many pota-' toes and beans have suffered severely.'The prolonged dry weather has desiccated the steep hillsides, and recent slips have been frequent. Great scars may he .seen in all directions, many of them looking quite recent. It is said that a large portion of the hills dividing the Tadmor and Sherry valleys are shelving into riverbeds. ' ■ -. *• The ,, train service and the amended timetable are proving a great convenience tothe large and important area served between Wakefiejd and Tadmor. , The trains going and returning : fe>., Ufedmor the same day frequently in the week are well patronised by passengers and heavily laden with goods, Yesterday little Kohatu presentechrait« a busy appearance— there was almost a's much bustle as at Richmond, goeda arriving and departing, carpenters being at work, and vehicles waiting. One is surprised at the extent of the settlement already noticeable in the track of the railway extension. The whole Valley, from Tapawera, has had. th» building fever quite strongly, wiula from Kohatu to Tndmor little homesteads, some of long-standing, •■■—■•»)» - dotted all along the line, Dp Hudson's new residence, on a pleasant elevated ~ site near Tapawera, has been planned and the timber is now being stacka«j fc> season. Necessary building improve." ments are also being made at Kohatu station, tw y ihe .. b y e - •' "wy" bo suggested that a railway trip to Tadmor and back the same d.«y is no bad way of spending a spare day. Especially if one be an angler, he may put in his time some nine hours, either at Tapawera, in the "Mother of Waters," the Motueka, which here receives two tributary streams, or he may start at Tadniot and work back to Tapawera, picking up the train midway at one of the stations. If the angler have a couple ' or days or more at his disposal, he may try the Baton, where fish are plentiful and ready, or the Wangapeka, where the trout are large, but not ~ready takers. The little Tadmor is a very • fishable stream, and the fish are very eager, but the drought has rendered it low and slimy just now, and the trout are in poor condition. The Motueka, ■ at Tapawera, with a small minnow, is the resort one would recommend for a single day's outing, always provided that rain gives a general cleaning out between now and, 'say, Anniversary Day. It is stated that trout are becoming very scarce in the Sherry River owing to hydraulio sluicing and . sawdust. While on the subject of trout, it may be said that some suspicious dynamite explosions were heard from the Motu[eka River yesterday. Doubtless some of the poaching fraternity were "on the job." There wag & narrow escape from a serious accident in the immediate vicinity of Tapawera Bridge the other night. Two traveller* in a buggy had just got off the. bridge when, a railway tricycle came along at several miles on hour. The \\ m yi,, M virtually on the County Council's road at this spot and for some distance beyond, and it is a marvel that the occupants at the buggy were not run into, However, all's well that ends well. In conclusion, the writer of the fearer ■ going observations made in- the courabv . of a day's trip-to Tadmor, desires. to" sincerely thank tha officer in charge of the Nelson-Tadmor section of railways; Mr Edwards, and tho staff generally for much courtesy and consideration shown him. The effort to popularise the railway is already Bearing good fruit and it, is hoped that Mr Edwards will be encouraged by headquarters ft his endeavour. > ' "