THE POVERTY BAY DISTRICT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10659, 12 May 1906, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE POVERTY BAY DISTRICT.

o: o EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS OF AN EX-WESTERN VICTORIAN.

The following interesting article is culled from a recent issue of the Pastoralists' Review: —

Sir, — A6 I am about to leave the State of Victoria, the land of my adoption, for the East Coast of New Zealand, and never likely to return again except as a visitor, may I tbrough your valuable columns say a farewell. I have always found m reading your Review no paper ever gave the grazier and farmer a better idea of how matters were progressing over tho world, and if one wanted to correct erroneous information m the AAcg c or Argus m regard, to New Zealand, I found I had to go to you to correct those libels m connection with the sale of lands and employment of labor. I often wonder that the New Zealand Government did not go to some expense m sending a lecturer over to Australia to contradict many statements made over here, as they were published m the papers, and which I know to be untrue m their details from my own practical experience. I know quite well I have notbing to gain m bringing people to New Zealand from Australia; at the same time, I think newspapers should be bound to publish something near the truth. CLIMATE. As I am now m more thau half the allotted span of life, I some time ago started to New Zealand, ou tlie East Coast of the North Island, and I do not chink I shall ever regret it, and only wish I had gone twenty years sooner. My family who are there express themselves the same way. Since coming over here on a. visit to wind up business I had. I find Australians . very ignorant of New Zealand, its resources, and its climate. I have often been asked if I am not afraid of getting snowed up, or m dread of earthquakes. The lactcr 1 know as much of m Victoria, as I have yet known of over m New Zealand. As to snow, I have seen just as much of it m the distance here as ever I shall expect to see m my neighbourhood m New Zealand, and take all the disadvantages over there for the grazier and, his family, I think it is the finest climate m the world, with no hot winds, consequently no bush fires. LEGISLATION of New Zealand : I have not studied it. very closely, but I question if the grazier is not better off there than here as far as taxation goes. I feel confident that the Premier has the whole of New Zealand and its welfare at heart, and I think it's only a matter of time before Australia will be taxed just as' heavily per head; m fact, I cannot see it otherwise, with the present legislation, which was my principal reason for leaving the country. It seems to me tluit everything is centred m Melbourne, whereas m New Zealand there are many towns and cities, and all seem to get a fair share of business. As to th<* LANDS DEPARTMENT OF . VICTORIA. I can assure you I am more than disgusted with it, and I could put through as much business m New Zealand m as many days as regards leases as it would take mouths m Victoria, and I a perfect stranger without any friends or political influence. I found all I had to do was to produce the cash, and my business was settled. Spare me from red tape m the Victorian Lands Department ! Referring again to Australia as compared with New Zealand m their GRAZING CAPABILITIES, my idea is the latter holds many advantages m the locality I have named, that is, the East Coast of the North Island, where you can rent good grazing country for 6s and 7s per acre chat will carry and fatten, two slieep to the acre, and as many cattle as you wish to put on to prevent feed becoming too rank. This is watered by numerous running streams, with shingly or pebbly bottoms; rainfall is 50in per annum, and as it is nearly all hilly country, the drainage is good. Such a thing as a. bush fire as it is termed and dreaded here is unknown.

There ig plenty of unbroken country; as it. is termed, which is bush m its natural state, and can be taken up- ai Is to 2s per acre, and which costs lrom £2 to £2 10s per acre to fall, burn, sow, and seed.' "The seed is just sown'broadcast on the ashes alter the fire. All big timber left is valuable for fencing and building, and called matai and totara ; the latter lasts as long as redgum m the ground.-, and posts of any dimensions can De split at the stump at from 20s to 25s per 100. You sow grass seeds selected according to locality you are m, and wich mustard, rape, and turnips if that does well, which . just gets the rain, say; ten or twenty days after the sowing, you may depeud mi being able to fatten, six sheep to the acre for six months, that is, until the spring comes, when your trouble or drawwback comes on you, for the whole of your sowing comes to be one mass of Scotch thistle as high as your shoulders. Even a don.key would, I think, object to tin's pasture. Those- thistles exist' until the end of winter, through all of which period you have no stock on; then m winter, n\ the, heavy .4 rains and light, f viable. 6oil they fall, and rot. Following spring you will notice your Italian rye, if you are wise enough, to 6ow it, also perennial, and tliafc spring you will probably get on your two 6heep to the acre; but no more, thistles, come vp — they have done their part m, fertilising their maidenland. How or why they/ came there He who made the land can only tell, I presume. After another year, m waiching your, pasture — that is, the third year— you will notice cocksfoot and clover showing m abundance; that is, presuming you have sown the seed which the local sowing always contains. You can reckon your country capable of two 'and a half sheep to the acre, chat is, to latten them, and you have it fenced. in as well at what I wrote before— from £2 to £2 10s per acre. That price is only a rough estimate, or an average one, as there are a great many contingencies. Of course, the more subdividing yon do the greater the cost, and the greater the carrying capabilities of your lands sown down.

Now, my idea is that any young men wanting to start as graziers cannot go wrong m taking up this land . -cording to their means or capital. - There is. any amount to bo got on easy terms, and on forty-two years' lease, to payment for improvements ii you forfeit, and lam sure anyone wanting, to obtain sich land can easily find out where it is obtainable at the land office. T had no trouble m getting on to the land, or, m obtaining every facility and civin*y from the Lauds Department, and same. from all others I came m contact wth, t\en from the Maoris you get every encouragement to settle on their land, as they arc the jolliest fellows I ever met. I read "m your review lately of a, Queenslander having great success with a rape crop on, I think, the Darling Downs. I wonder he did not try mustard with it, as it matures a little earlier, and gives the stock a good feed before the rape gets away, and m Victoria we always find it act as an anti-purga-tive, as rape has a tendency to purge grown sheep as well as lambs. There is no doubt New Zealand has its fair share of noxious weeds of many kinds, and some of the native shrubs are of a poisonous nature, such as tutu, and when cattle are hungry they eat it ravenously. Then there is the rangiora, which I am told produces dizziness, and is not of a poisonous nature m other respects. Snakes are so far unknown^ likewise foxes. Rabbits are m some parts of the island. We have none so far, but I am told by people whp have gone through the rabbit raid that the Government, by introducing stoats and weasels m rabbit districts, and by poisoning with grain, etc., have "kept the rabbits away, likewise the birds, I presume. However, m my district I see the domestic turkey gone wild m the hills, anu you can shoot them any time on your land, likewise pheasants. I see plenty of pigeons come to the bush m winter, for some berry it is said; they are good eating, but poor sport. In the open country you see plenty of the Californian quail, which I am informed are good eating, but poor sport with ,dog and gun. I should ..have mentioned that m the case of a man taking up new country to break m he can always reckon on a good return by his first six months of grazing off rape, etc., as the freezing works will take all he fattens m ewes and lambs, and store sheep are always obtainable m the district. As to the burning off of your fallen bush, you must get it down m midwinter, and let it lie until summer, When you wait an opportunity for a burn. I estimate a working man, with say, £500 m cash could start m this country by taking up, say, 1000 acres, and proceed to clear on his own labor, and from my experience it is' better invested money than any selector can show m Victoria, where it is scrub country and with heavy timber. Of course, you can only get small patches available for the plough, such as on a creek flat, but winter feed is always good m the genial climate I am m; m fact, I could dairy all the year round without artificial feeding, housing, or rugging, as the land is un. dulating and well sheltered. In the new-ly-settled districts the roads are not good, but time and money can make them, as m nearly all districts they obtain material for: making good roads by obtaining shingle stone, which requires no napping, and makes a grand road after traffic has gone on it for a while. AU this is obtained m the beds of rivers and creeks.' '

I- was only six weeks m New Zealand when I saw what I considered desirable for my family, and equal to my small means. I found the people of New Zealand kind and hospitable. I was never asked by an agent to go and inspect a property. I got any particulars I wanted* of properties, ahd had no trouble m getting about to see the different lands thrown open oy the Government or private individy-ls. „*_:-__, ■■■■■■ ■ i