SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1785, 3 November 1919, Page 4

SOLDIER SETTLERS.

AVONHEADJNSPECTED. TWITCH-INFECTED LAND. A HANDICAP TO THE MEN. Although the men on .the Avonhead Settlement have only been on their holdings for about five weeks, the energetic and practical manner in which they have commenced farming 'operations gave rise to expressions of admiration from a large party who made an inspection on Saturday afternoon. The inspection showed that a number of the tenants are faced at the outset with a handicap which makes operations for a time pioneering work in the real sense. Their land is twitchinfested, and until they can overcome this pest it is apparent that the financial return from their sections will be considerably affected. There were two or three cases where this fact was so patent that the obvious suggestion was that the Government should recognise the disability this season in remissions or allowances in rents.

| The inspection in question was arranged by Mr A. <". Jamieson, chairman of the Canterbury District Repatriation Board, and the party included members of the board, the Repatriation Officer (Mr T. M. Charters), Mr H. D. M. Haszard, Canterbury Commissioner of Crown Lands, representatives of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund, Returned Soldiers' Association and others.

j Mr E. Orchard, a settler, and presijdent of the Avonhead Settlers' Association, conducted the party on its inspection. In practically all cases the men | were at home and busy at work. The men seemed keen, but several were I frankly anxious regarding prospects, I owing to the twitch difficulty, which, ! however, they were tackling in practical fashion. A portion of the land can only be described as in a shockingly dirty .state. Obviously, as the Government purchased the property from Mr 11. J. Beadel several months previously, its duty then was to have skim-ploughed the area. This would have given the men opportunity this season to grapple with the twitch problem with some chance of success. As it is, cultivation is really starting too late. ENERGETIC SETTLERS. The first holding visited was a 15-acre block, in the occupation of Mr T. R. O'Callaghan, who has a wife and three children. Five acres were in oats and eight in potatoes. A cart shed and stable was being erected, Mr O'Callaghan proposing to live in this during the summer months and build a dwellinghouse later. The work accomplished by the occupant was really remarkable. He was one of the few settlers who had actually done his own ploughing, for in the absence of implements most of them had their land ploughed by contract. A 40ft well had been sunk, a contract having been let for this to be done on most of the sections.

Fifteen acres adjoining were held by Mr E. C. Sarginson, an ex-mercantile marine officer who had to abandon his profession through deafness contracted by shell concussion. He is a married man with children. A lean-to house has ben erected, most of the land was in crop, all but three acres which it was intended .to sow in mangolds and carrots. ' Mr E. Orchard farms 17* acres and he had just completed the foundation of a four-roomed dwellinghouse. The concrete work was done by himself. A portion of the land had been sown in oats and grass and eight acres were in garden -peas and four in partridge peas. In addition he had planted potatoes, part of this area being affected with twitch. He intends to go in for poultryfarming, and already had personally built a house for the purpose 40ft by 15ft, with a shed next to it. Adjoining is Mr F. N. Tomlinson's area, this occupant being at present •employed by the Public Works Department at Arthur's Pass. But his land was sown- down in potatoes, oats and peas. FIGHTING THE TWITCH. Easily the worst section for twitch is that of Mr H. Denton's. With Mr E. L. Eice, who adjoins, operations were then in process on both areas. A horse rake was tearing the roots out of the ground and depositing them in heaps. The occupants were also at work with forks and, every few yards or so, the heaps were burning. In Mr Denton's ease there was no hope of a crop until much of the pest had been eradicated, and he intends later to plant potatoes. Even then the presence of the twitch will form a problem, and, unfortunately, he will have to pin his faith on the one kind of crop, for it will be too late to sow. anything else. Mr Eice has five and a-half acres in partridge peas, but, until the party was actually on the spot, rt was thought that the area was in oats, the twitch having grown several inches. With the help of the present rain the peas, which have struck well, may get ahead of the twitch, but the issue is doubtful.

Mr Campbell has ];">* acres, and-is the father of eight children. lie lias decided to keep cows. Meanwhile he has five and a-half acres in oats and grass, an acre in mnngolds, and has two acres prepared for potatoes. Fortunately, a shed was on the property. A huge stack of twitch roots had been taken off one acre, which will sell later as manure.

Making a Start. Facing Waimairi Road, Mr C. L. Nelson holds 14 acres, and has not a great deal of twitch to encounter. ■ He has a number of acres in oats and grass and potatoes, is retaining an acre for a kitchen garden, and intends to plant

later a six-acre orchard. He is starting to build a shed, and will build a residence later. The occupant' of the adjoining section was engaged at the time or inspection in making a brooder for poultry. He has part of , the land in crop, and, in addition to poultry-farming, intends to establish a commercial orchard. Thirteen and a-half acres next door are held by Mr H. W. Gooding. A patch of light land showed through an oats crop, and he is sowing later in potatoes, mangolds, and carrots. Next year he is putting down two acres in lucerne. An area of 10J acres, Mr F. C. Sadler's holding, is mostly in mixed crop, and a house is being built. A house has been removed to Mr E. G. Gowler's 11-acre holding, where oats and potatoes constitute the crop. He is a married man with one child. Mr C. S. Crawford, who also is married and a father, has displayed considerable energy. A house was well under way, and fowlhouses for commercial poultry farming had been erected. For the poultry a patch of lucerne was sown down, and more is to follow. He also had seven acres in peas, and three in potatoes. Adjoining, Mr W. Adams, a one-legged soldier, was being assisted by a brother in the erection of a poultry house. He holds live acres, and intends to keep poultry. Next door Mr J. Finnerty holds a corresponding area. A poultry house was built, and oats and potatoes were in. This settler is a life-pensioner, with a wife and throe children, and can do no real work. His mates formed a working bee and planted his potatoes. Five acres next door had been put in peas and potatoes by Mr W. Juriss, who, a builder by trade, was engaged in the erection of a shed. Mr Stanley Monsen 's area adjoining has not beon cultivated. It is proposed to take this -for a schoolhouse and hall, and give Mr Monsen five acres from the demonstration farm area adjoining. Shelter trees on the farm appear to«be necessary. THE- QUESTION OF ADVICE.

A much-boomed feature of the settlejment was that the men, many of whom I have had no experience in farming, [were to receive advice from those in charge of the demonstration area adjoining. Yet according to men with whom a Sun representative conversed, the}' have been left severely alone in this respect. Most of them pay a tribute to Mr H. B. Veiteh, of Christchurch, who has done a great deal in advising them and giving valuable tips, whilst a neighbour, Mr Chatterton, has not only proffered advice, but loaned implements, etc. Here again those on the demonstration farm do not appear to have assisted greatlv. It is understood that officers of the Agricultural Department, are prepared to go out and give advice when reouired. But naturally many of the men are shv about asking for someone to come out specially, possibly onlv a small oue»tion having arisen. For this concession to bo of use, the officers not only from the Cliristchurch office but from the demonstration farm should actually visit the holdings on their own accord and be prepared to~meet the men halfway on the question of advice. THE DEMONSTRATION FARM.

On the demonstration farm which is the homestead block of 150 acres, under the management of Mr G. Matthews, 25 acres are to be laid down in orchard and vegetable gardens. Four acres' have already been planted in apple trees. It is the intention of the department to fence off five acres for a poultry farm, and the erection of the necessary build in nrs will be proceeded with immediately. Tji the meantime the department is making use of the old shearing shed for rearing chickens. There are at present about 900 chickens on the farm. Ore acre i? to be devoted to the apiary. The shelter hedge lias been planted, and the necessary sward is being prepared for the colonies. The department has at present 40 colonies on the farm. These in the meantime are being kept in the house grounds. The department intends to run a small dairy farm of about 25 cows. The dairy will be run on up-to-date lines, and a prope? record will be kept of the yield of milk and butterfat for each cow. Special attention will be paid to the feeding of the dairy cows during the winter. A small piggery will be run in connection with the dairy farm. Owing to the limited area of the farm it will be impossible to carry anything but a limited number of sheep; however, the department intends keeping a sn'.cll flock of ewes to demonstrate the raising and fattening of lambs. At present the land is being prepared and it is intended to plant about five acres potatoes, five acres in mangolds, and 10 acres in turnips. This will serve the double purpose of employing a considerable number of returned soldiers, and cleaning the laud, which is in a very dirty state with practically every description of weeds.

It is intended to establish cubicles on the farm so that returned men who desire to study practical agriculture can St.-"- on the property and assist in the work.

Following the inspection the partv were entertained at afternoon tea by Mr A. W. Jamieson and brief speeches were made by Messrs A. W. Jamieson, E. J. Howard, H. Holland, N. B. McCallum, E..Orchard, and A. F. Dravton.