THROUGH WAIKATO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9157, 25 March 1893, Page 9 (Supplement)

THROUGH WAIKATO.

ITS CONDITION AND PROSPECTS.

No. 11. [by our special correspondent.

When aboub to leave Hamilton by rail for Cambridge I met with .Mr. Sare, the local manager of the New-Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, who was going by buggy to Cambridge on business." He invited mo to take a drive with him in order to see the country better en route, and I accepted the invitation with pleasure. The drive from Hamilton to Cambridge is one of the pleasantest in the province, and only excelled by some of the drives in the suburbs of Auckland—Remuera, Ellerslio or Epsom. The trim hedgo-rows, the plantations of trees, and the highly cultivated farms with their comfortable homesteads on either side of the highway combine to form a picture of rural beauty which no lover of nature can fail to admire. Owing to the exceptionally rainy season there was a wealth of pasturage everywhere, and J had never seen Waikato wearing a brighter vesture of emerald i green. Since my last visib the country seemed still more improved in appearance, the farms being better kept, and in a good state of cultivation. It has been stated that high-class farming will not pay, but I was assured that skilled farmers in the district who had tried it found ib profitable enough—the most noticeable farms, as we passed, along, were those of Alossrs. S. Steele, Way, Ewen, Day, Alain, PickeringDouglas, AH well, Broadmeadows' Estate and Jas. Taylor. J TWO DAYS AT FENCOURT.

On arrival at Fencourfc—the headquarters station of the Auckland Agricultural Company—two and a-half miles from Cambridge—l received a hospitable welcome from Mr. J. McCaw, the genial and popular manager of the estate, who is also inspector of the Estates Company's properties in the YVaikato and Thames Valley districts. On becoming acquainted with the objects I had in view in visiting the Waikafco, Mr. McCaw kindly gave rae every information in his power and afforded me every facHity for seeing for myself by devoting a couple of days to driving through the Fencourfc estate, and the surrounding district. As Fencourfc Estate has been repeatedly described in the columns of the IS'EW Zealand Herald during the regime of Air. Every McLean and the management of Captain Bailey, I shall content myself by referring only to its more recent history, and the operations at present going on there under the supervision of Captain Bailey's successor. »

Fencourb is worked as one of the Auckland Agricultural Company's properties, as aro Whitehall, Karapiro, L'aeroa, Horahoxa, Okoroire, Te Baa, Vlaugawhero, Hungahunga, Okauia, and tVaitoa. Fencourb proper contains 9420 teres, principally flat country, anci origilally a great part semi-swamp, milling back to the base of the Jlaungacawa Ranges, which shelter it to the eastward. With the exception of from 1.200 to 1300 acres the estate is nowall in an improved ifcafce, carrying 16,000 sheep and about 2000 lead of cattle. Horse breeding is also carried on here, one of the best Clydesdale stallions, the Duke of Albany, from imported stock, being kept fcr maintaining ;he supply of draught horses for the various estates of the company. A thoroughbred jntireby Goldsbrough-Marifcana, a grandson of old Sylvia, 'who recently died at Wellington Park, is also kept to provide tor the supply of hacks, of which a large number are required. The general flock of sheep are mostly crossbreds with a good lash of the Down in them. It is expected that 7000 prime wethers from Fencoarfc will have passed through the chambers i>f the Auckland freezing works by the 2nd of April, besides which drafts of Fab sheep have been going weekly to the local markets. A flock of etud Lincoins, 400 ewes, are kept for tho supply of this and the Agricultural Company's ather estates. Tho breeding is principally done on She other estates, but Fencourb and i;he Waitoa stations are reserved principally for fattening off. The Battle are principally Iferefords, but an infusion of the Shorthorn blood is now thought necesseary, and with that object in view, ten pedigree Shorthorn bulls have been recently imported from the best herds in the South. In driving along tho CambridgeOxford Road I could not help admiring a very fine Hereford bull, which has been brought up from tho South this year in order to improve tho breed of Herefords on Fencourb. Drafts of fab cattle are sent away weekly to the various markets all the year round. The estate is ring, fenced, and well subdivided into suitable paddocks, intersected by good roads, and has several handsome plantations of Pious inaignis, interspersed with deciduous trees, about SO acres in area which afford good shelter, and add greatly to the appearance of the estate. There if one specially fine avenue, formed of o variety of trees, which would admirably serve as an approach to a handsome country mansion should the estate be subdivided. One belt of trees on Fencourb is nearly four miles long, and tree-planting i'.being steadily pursued on all the estates, some thousands of trees having been planted last year. Of late arrangements have been made for supplying some of the paddock? more largely with water for the use o] the stock. Water can bo gob by sin kino anywhere at 26 feet in depth. Butt an? McDonald's Te Anjri rail In are used to koe[ the troughs full, and found to answer well, Splendid water from the hills is carried b> flaming for over a mile, and is then circu lated through the various paddocks. The policy adopted in working the estate is to sow sufficient areas of turnips t< successfully carry the stock through th< winter, to keep them in condition, beside: fattening off a large number for the loca market. After tho turnips are eaten off tin land is ploughed and sown down with .' mixture of the best English grasses anc clover. Turnipping is regarded as tlu sheet anchor of successful sheep and cabbie raising. By this method the property i: kept up bo its full carrying capacity, and the pastures are renewed systematically. Ad joining tho wee tern side of tho estato is tb<

Cambrid'icfcory. In the vicinity of this fiituatod an area of '2000 acres (encourb estate, which is admitted for cutting up into dairjlt will be all in grass this nufc* farthest point of this area is ! than three mile* from the factcis approached by a good road all On part of the swamp portion my are carrying a lot of stock. J several hundred acres of rape 1 "* and in other parts of the estopping and improving it very mii An eal farm of 50 acres has [ been si five - acre lots by tho managejCavv, with a view of testing the is of the various manures used on' for turnip-growing. The experirnbo watched with interest nob onljpompany's managers, bub by the i the district generally, as affording of settling some questions of*al interest, at present uudotermi KAJAND WHITEHALL. In cowith Fencourb, the Karapi ro nnoll estates are also worked. Their j(is 10,338 acres, of which Karapirts some 3000 acres, all of which iss land, and well adapted for cutbmediutn sized farms, or as an assi?tblemenb. The Karapiro portion a highly improved state at presonb'ercd with a very fine sward of grassWhibeball portion (a libble over 70 being still in a state of nature,:! at presonb as a rough run for.ittlo. A groat portion of Wliibehablo of being brought, under the ploiin duo course a system of clearinging, turnipping, and grassing wiled out here. DEAL FREEZER.

Recenusand representative shoop were pit from tho Agricultural Compatjea, and the carcases frozen for than market, and specially markedcal of "the ideal freezer" which tended to export thither. They win pie of the stock that ib is propose*© on the groat estates, and which vhoped, raise still higher the reputatinv Zealand mutton. It is suggest* a boiling-down establishment i>e fitly erected in the districtjrould pay in the long run to boi the inferior stock and wastrelfs being indirectly recouped by the tho residual products—fat, offal, si. Two objects would bo thus ashed — prevention of tho deteriorof tho flocks, and a better or the higher-class sheep. As it le of the smaller settlers, on the of economy, buy inferior al stock at the markets, and as like p like, have a still lower type of sheepuated. "THEY AND THE LOWLY." Alongjaso of the Maungakawa ranges, along, were to bo seen the hoes and clearings of small farmersier settlers. Upon one of the highest >f tho mountain was to bo seen, a oho sky-line, tho handsome coantry'm of Mrs. Thornton, widow of the hD. B. Thornton. Tho moro approach, up tho side of tho Maungakawa, nyo cosb a largo sum, and tho total coss handsome country mansion is said re run into some £10,000 to £12,000.view from it is simply magnificent, elta of the Waikato lies far below, sjut in panoramic array before tho spe< rimmed in by tho eternal hills. Nt, across the plain, is old Pirongiaits storm-scarred peaks rising skyward a chain of ranges dies away northwaho Taupiri Gorge. On the left is Maurtari, classic in Maori fablo and stoid southward the horizon is boundediountain chains rising clear and shannst t!io horizon. It may be questionhethcr any other country mansion.he province commands so grand athal so diversified a view of inountaii plain, open country and forest, cfcivabed lands and tracts of virgin so. awaiting the advent of tho pioneers'onisation. ,EE PLANTING.

Those remember- the Waikato, compara treeless, will appreciate tho great chwhicb has come over the face of the lane for trie bettor by the tree planting has been going' on of late years. Itity that other varieties of trees than the! insignia are not planted so as to obtairetter timber when the tree has attaits full growth. As it is, the Finns ii», though ornamental and 'utilised i largely on account of its rapid gra yields but poor timber for general u homesteads, and from the shallowndits roots in the ground, is a source of or when planted alongside a public hi(y. In the Wfiikato and Thames V, during the boisterous gales of last me pine trees were blown down by the do and one, 70 feec in height, thrown d across a highway, to the danger of ind limb. TJUKD COMPANIES.

In convfp; with settlers as to the advantages disadvantages of reclaiming and settlimo land by companies with associated jtal, or by settlement in the ordinary m of individual enterprise, in certain (lists of Waikato and the Thames Valley, tho;er said that the companies were a bene The ordinary settler got a ready marlfor his chaff, etc., from the tractors 3 worked for tho companies —in plough, ditching, fencing, shearing—these cactors in turn being usually small sottlevho, by such incidental and supplemontavork were enabled to hold on and title tithe first years of settlement. The com broke in the hind and sweetened i brained it on a comprehensive scale, which id not bo accomplished by individuals—l made ib ready for settle ment. Thoyerage settler could not take up laiiand afford bo wait till these objectworo accomplished. Of course a fciuivould come—in fact was rapidly appching—when subdivision would be in j interest of the country. Some of the eat estates were already about up to I point of subdivision, and nofcwibhstandi all said about tho "land

hunger," tho jjpanies would be only boo happy to disjo of a goodly portion of their lands forjbblemenb. In tho face cf i the inducemeuoffered would Government happy to disjo of a goodly portion of their lands forjttlemenb. In the face cf tho inducemonpffered by the Government to persons to itlo on the Crown lands, • at Jow figures,;) easy terms, the companies are sadlyandicappod, as in justice to their sharehiers, and having regard to the amountf capital invested, they cannot disposoif their lands ab anything approacbg the terms of the Government, '"y will therefore have to look for theiolieuts to the emigrating middle-class Erliah farmer, with some capital, who ca work 2000 to 4000 acres, and who desires cltivated land to start with, and wishes to avid the drudgery of pioneer colonisation. l» r of tho Waikato and Thames Valley tijritory cannot be regarded as " a poor mau'scountry," and ib would be simply an act offolly and cruelty to pub small settlers on s»ch land in its primitive state—with all tluj drainage works requiring a comprehensive system—as they could nob make a decent livelihood and maintain their families in ordinary comfort. Associated capital can alone overcome the difficulties in reclaiming these great Waste tracts of country, which, when reclaimed should, in their mode of disposal, bo dealt with in such a manner as, while giving a fair recompense to J:bo companies concerned, bo beneficial to the investing settlor, and promote and facilitate tho regular settlement of the country.

A considerable sum of money has been expended .upon Downing street as a place of official residence since the late Government quitted it. The now Ministry is determined to be healthy, as well as wealthy and wise, and both No. 10 and No. 11, tho official abodes of Mr. Gladstone and air William Harcourt, have undergono an exhaustive sanitary overhauling, in addition to being done up in other respects with a keen eye to comfort. Now ib is Lord Rosebery's turn, and tho foundations of tho Foreign Office are being severely attacked.

The Governor of British Borneo reports a visit to the island of Banguoy, which is peopled by a trustworthy and industrious race. Their marriage rite consists in transferring a drop of blood from a small incision made with a knife in the calf of the man's leg to a (similar cub in the woman's leg.