THE WEALTH OF THE SOIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12910, 26 February 1906, Page 3

THE WEALTH OF THE SOIL.

EXOmiOUS POSSIBILITIES.

Xew Zealand is in a highly prosperous condition at the present time, ami has been prosperous for many years and in likely to be prosperous for many years to come. This prosperity has depended in the past, and will depend in the future, on the exertions of our farmers and the produce they win fn>in the soil. All other New Zealand industries sink into insignificance beside fanning-. Gold-mining, coalmining, gum-digging, timber-milling.' fl ax . milling, all forms of trade, important as they are, contribute only a fraction to the national wealth, and would produce si ill less were it not for the prosperous condition <:f ilgricttliHlC. Agriculture in Xew Zealand is responsible, for the onipu: of cr-.r £21.G30X ; ?.') worth o; produce ;:ji«uaHv. of which ivrv i512.000.CC0 worth is txpojii-d !..<.vu;-,"., markets.

Whin one c< .nsiders tin: <\it of ihe to:--! of 68.680 landowners in Xew Zealand. nnVy 50,000 have holdings over iive aru-s in extent, and that the bulk <.i the .mca hcl.l is "not half cultivated, it will be seen wh-' iimiit'n.ve possibilities still lie ojn:n bcfoiagriculture ia Xew Zealand. There- are iwn ways !n- which the mn. duction of agricultural 'wealth may' bilargely increased, First, by iu re i'nttnsive cultivation, whereby the land already

in occupation n;..y be made to produce niv-tre largely ; secondly, by the occupation and cultivation of the millions of acres c-f Crown and native lands now lying idle. At the present time barely one-sixteenth of the land in occupation is really closely settled, and without close settlement intense cultivation is practically impossible. Out of the 56.511,154 acres in occupation at the present time, only 2,-35e.620 acre* are held jn farms under 320 acres, whilst 27.013,685 acres are held :n :ij-j.»- of over 10CO ceres.

Fortunately the idea, of closer ♦c'' : tn.cn< is aheady receiving a conss-3eraWe aircMit of attention, and its effect upon ilc country so far as experienced has :wU- iotc.-«■ been highly bcr.cfici;il.

I j One h;<* only to visit any < : .» i H «\J.crc : large est.r.c*-- «c:ic existed ,ms •.«!.<-»«: the ' prlicy «>f closer settlement ha* i*een jiur- - sued, to be impressed •n'Ji |*j« ' ; offered by subdivision. Wiser-.: oiv ; n* 'y " • <ti etched huge paddocks «»r r..;>chly :;»?•« ej ; country, i-ierc arc nnw innuniejiwle <r*-3ta-J vat ions. Vigorous townships Jive .jrur.c ! up where <>«ce was o:»ly a manners }., s.fe~. • and in place of the occasional" • hut or cottage there stand ' sant. homesteads : There can be r.o doubt that mini; mf'the increase in agricultural pr-j lucu«n wJiiJi f New Zealand can boast 1* h:e. J » ihv : j closer settlement of ihc kind, hrjjcly of >jcour>c brought about by she subdivision I j of private estates and partly by the action | j "( the Goverrimer.: under" its" Land* for : '. Ser.lenKiu .A .. litre c.-;: .-Jv, be no h'"«bt that >: ihc ::n:rcr growth of settle--1 j nient dejuafls %h>- fninre prwpcri'v of New ; j Zealand. ..nd ev«-ytlini- V.wt can be done ; jsliouh! bs den-. \<i !ix pf.pnlijir»n en the 1 jsr-ii. ;nd give :";•„-.». p»pnla;i<<n oppor?unity |r develop its wcJih-yielding capacities.— j Avdchird " HtraM."* "