THE CAPE COMMISSIONERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 5

THE CAPE COMMISSIONERS.

Messrs J. D. Visser aud W. Halse, the commissioners appointed by the Government of the Cape Colony to inquire into the systems of agriculture practised in the Australian colonies, left New Zealand on Tuesday by the Waihora for. Hobart. The visitors were conducted by officers of the Department of Agriculture fchroagh different parts of this colony. The bulk of the time they were' able to devote to New Zealand was spent by them in the North Island, but after crossing Cook's Strait they bad an opportunity of viaitiog Mr Johu Grigg's celebrated Longbeacb estate and the Lincoln Agricultural College. On Friday last, tbe 141.h . inst., Messrs . Visser and Halse were roes at Timaru by Mr T. A. Fraser, assistant chief inspector of btock for Otago, who acted as their escort for the balance of their tiip in Ihe colony. The commissioners came on tt; Dimedin on tbat day, aod carried away with them a very favourable impression of the country which they saw on tbe way down. To quote their own words, the country was magnificent. They saw it under.tho best of conditions. The^erops in the Timaru district, which were splendid, wore all in stpok, and those in the Oacaaiu were nearly all in stook. It was estimated that these crops would thresh out an average of fiom 50 to 60 bushels per acre. Shag Vidjey, Goodwood, and . Waikouaiti districts all looked like a garden. The limited time that was at the disposal of the commissioner^ precluded them from staying for more tbaa a night in Dunedin, it being neces^ sary that thoy should leave on the following morning for the Lukes, but, rising at an early hour on the 15th iu»t. snd procuring a cab, they drove up to the Town Hall in order that they might enjoy a view of the city.. The experience of the commissioners, on their journey to Queenstown was a repetition of; that of tha previous day. The Taieri Plain never looked better than it did on tbat morning; aud a similar remark applies to the land in the Tqkomairiro and'Clutha districts,, and so on right up to Kingston, everything looking well. The commissioners did not see one had ciop, nor any bad-conditioned stock in the whole way from Timara to Kingston. Tho farming district of Arrow and Frankton was inspected by the visitors, and the land there being of a different quality from tbat iv the country they had previously seen, their attention was naturally attracted by it. They were very much struck with the very fine barley which, just turning ripe, was being grown in the district, and the crops of oats and- wheat were also v«y good. They visited Lake Hayes, and also obtained some insight into tbe methods of tha mining carried on at the Arrow and on the Shotover. Auxioty to Bee as much of the scenery of Lake Wakatipu as was possible impelled one of ■ the visitors to ascend Ben Lomoud lato: iv - tho afternoon in oompany with Mr Fraser, and a magnificent view was obtained from the summit. Even on Ben Lomond it waß noticed that the stock at a high altitude there showed goud-condition. At Queenstown the hotels were crowded with tourists, and the. commissioners enjoyed the opportunity of difenssing the colonies with numerous visitors from New South Wales and Victori*. It: had baen intended on the jouriißyfrom Kingston to Invercirgill, via Gore, to make il stoppage at the famous Edendale estate,..but the want of time prevented tbem from putting their intention ioto execution. They had a fine view of the property, hewnver, and were greatly impressed with the immense fields of excellent turnips,. cleanly, kept and weedlef-s, with fine crop 3of grain, and- with'tbe noted herds of polled Angus cattle.- The whole country on thn journey to Invercargill lcoked exceedingly well,, the commissioners seeing it under the most favourable of conditions. At Invercargill the visitors were tiken through the rope aud twine works,. and the process <>f manufacture from the native flax to the binder

twine was shown to them. They subsequently visited Messrs Guthrie and Co \s sash and door factory. It is legarded us porsihle that a market for New Zealand twine niay be found in the Cape, and that a trade in timber may be opened between the Cape Caiony (where there is no timber) ond this colony. The commissioners examined.a number of samples of grass seeds-in the warehouses at Invercwrgill, and Messrs Tothill, Watcon, aud Co. presented them with a.-pack of Chewings's .red fescue seed. Messrs Vi?ner and Halse, it may , bi^ added, carried away with them a very high opinion of the climate and soil of this colony—ran:opißion tbat was all the more favourable iuasmuch as before coming to New Zealand they. encountered the heat wave in Australia.

In the Cape ColoDy the conditions of farming differ widely from those that obtain in New Zealand. Mr VUser, who is a well-known farmer in the west of the Cape Colony, practises mixed farming and grows grain, Hia custom is first to take a crop of wheat and as a step precedent to this.he has to spend 15s per acre on manure; in the» next year, jlis -crpp t ,.i![ of.. oats and hay, and for the next two years the laud which has been so cultivated lies fallow. No land has ever been laicLdown in grass at the Cape, there being no rotation of farming there which embraces sowing land down in grass as one of the steps that should betaken. Mr Halse is a farmer in tbe east district and he grows potatoes and wheat, the cultivation of the cereal being assisted by irrigation. The distriot in which he resides used to ba a good one for stock, but these have now turned out very unhealthy, sheep having died Off ranidly from stomach worms and other troubles. The climatic conditions differ in the east and west. In the former part of tho colony rains are prevalent iii summer and the winters are dry and frosty, but in the west the reverse obtains. The point iii which the commissioners 'claim for the Capo Colony an advantage over the Australian colonies is that it is, in their opinion, better suited lor fruit cnlture wine-growing. All the labour is coloured, and the -men are paid'wages averaging from 10s to 20s per mouth and found. AVheat is worth Is 6_ to 5s per bushel, fat Bheep fetch from 15s to 18s, "and fat bullocks from £9 to £10