THREE NEW SETTLEMENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4637, 16 April 1902, Page 7

THREE NEW SETTLEMENTS.

FOREST GATE, KUMEROA AND EGGLESTON. The particulars, terms and conditions for the disposal on the lease in perpetuity system of three new settlements have just been completed by the Lands and Survey Department. The Forest Gate Settlement, Hawke's Bay, will be open for application on Monday, the 19th May. The settlement, recently acquired by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act, is situated in the western portion of the Hawke’s Bay Land District, fifty miles from Napier by railroad, and ten miles from Waipawa. The north-eastern portion of the property adjoins the village of Onga Onga. The settlement contains 8776 acres, the area now offered being 8756 acres 3 roods and 88 perches, divided into twenty dairy farms and nine sections of mixed agricultural and pastoral land. The dairy farms vary in area from 13£ acres to 478 acres; the mixed farms from 498 acres to 814 acres. A considerable amount of ploughing and cropping had been carried on by the previous owners of the property, but generally speaking the pasture has been allowed to run out, and therefore requires renewing. The land is all ploughable, and very great improvements could be effected in its grazing and stock-carrying' capabilities by a small expenditure. There is good access to all the~sections by the existing district roads, running through ttie property; tEdse roads being all metalled and in good order. Timber for building purposes,, and ample supplies of fencing material and firewood, are obtainable from two sawmills in the neighbouring bush district. The Kumeroa Settlement, which is also in Hawke's Bay, will be open on Monday, tho 12th May, a week earlier than Forest Gate. Tho settlement, recently acquired by the Government from Mr Thomas Crosse under the Land for Settlements Act, is situated in the southern part of the Hawke’s Bay land district, ‘ about six miles from Woodville, which is the centre of a successful dairyfarming district. The whole of the property was originally under heavy forest. which has now been cleared and laid down in English grass, with tho exception of 70 acres. Tho Manawatu river runs through the settlement. The total area offered for selection is 3748 acres, divided into six dairy farms, and eight sections partly for farms and partly for grazing. The, d’airy farms consist of rich river flat laud in tho western portion of the settlement. The eastern portion of the settlement is chiefly steep unploughable country. The formation is of papa, with the exception of 60 acres of limestone country. The average altitude of the dairy farms is ‘about 290 feet above sea-level, and the larger areas vary from about 270 feet to about 1070 feet above sea-level. A creamery has been erected on section 14, block 13, Tahoraite district, about 30 chains from the north boundary of the settlement, near the road to Kumeroa. The Eccleston Settlement, Canterbury, which will be open on Monday, the 12th May, contains 1245 acres 1 rood and 26 perches. It has been acquired by the Government from Mr E. P. Chapman under the Land for Settlements Act. It is situated in tho county of Waimate, South Canterbury, and is distant about twenty miles south from Timaru, and five, miles and a quarter, by good road, from the Otaio Railway Station on the Main Trunk railway. It was formerly well and favourably known as the Hafton estate, and has now been divided into four farms, varying in area from 216 acres to 444 acres. The property consists of low flat-topped downs, with easy slopes into most of the creeks, and very little waste. The soil is a good black loam, from Tin to lOin deep, on a clay subsoil. The whole of the laud, with the exception of about 89 acres, comprising the steeper faces near the creeks, has been ploughed and cultivated. Wheat crops grown on tho property have yielded from 16 to 40 bushels per acre, and oats from 36 to 60 bushels per acre, according as tho season has been unfavourable or otherwise. About 322 acres have been under crop or in turnips this season, and the remainder of the land is in gross from two to seven years old. With about one-quarter of the area under cultivation, the property can carry about 1800 sheep. The climate is temperate, extremes of ,heat or cold being unknown, and snow rarely lies on the ground for more than a few hours. The rainfall is sufficient for general farming.