The Far North.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6292, 17 July 1888, Page 3

The Far North.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— Perhaps a line or two froni the far north of New Zealand may interest some of your readers. The moat notable feature (to a Chrißtchurch man) in the climate here is the entire absence of those bile-disturbing nor'-westers of yours. The | island being go narrow here, has always a gentle breeze from the ocean j yet living in Bheltered valleys, we do not feel the full force of severe gales. The summers are not much warmer than with you, bat the winters are much milder, three or four odd nights of frost being the complement for the winter. The soil is varied in character. Some valleys are the ** pick of creation," and the kauri' gum lands mere pipe-clay deserts. The soil may be seen on the river banks showing as mneh as sixteen feet of alluvial deposit without a change in character from top to bottom. How 6uch an expanse of level arable land, having water carriage at hand, as is to be met with at Awanui, comes to be so long neglected, is a mystery. It is covered now in ti-tree, and the Aucklanders send tt> Canterbury for potatoes. A great part df the land here is for Bale by Government at from 10s to £1 per aero cash, deferred payment, or perpetual lease at the selectors* option. This letter is written from one of the village settlements, all of which in North Auckland have been placed on land of j exceptionally fine quality. The fruits to be seen thriving and bearing in the open air are leiaon, orange, banaaa, quiuce, passion fruit, peach (almost wild), grapes* ; loquats, &c, water, atsd musk melons. j Sweet potatoes and maize are novelties, ! the yearly growing and eating of which are a high delight to a Canterbury man. Liquorica, arrowroot, ginger, and quinine, or Peruvian bark, have all been tried in this settlement, and found to produce excellent crops; but having no facilities for manufacturing they have been neglected for the more practu-ai. awuet; potato, &c. Two crops of ordinary potatoes are grown here par annum — one planted in August and another in March. This gives a great advantage, as autumn grown seed kidneys. come in jiiist right for spring planting. We are now served by two steamers weekly from Auckland ; the freight charges being from .15s to <£1. Timber and water are. in abundance everywhere. Bush land is preferred by many a 9 being the cheapest to lay down in permanent pasture. The falling of the bush costs about SQs per acre, and the grass seeds are simply strewn on the ashes, where they take root in autumn and by the following, midsummer make a fine sole of grass. Pro* visions, delivered, cost as follows :— Flour, 14s to 15s per 1001b— we badly want a dour mill up here; oatmeal, 15^; white sugar, 3£d per lb; tea, Is 6d to 3s ; beef, 2£d; mutton, 3d; pork, 3d; well bred stock cows, each .£5 to £7 ; hacks, £5 to £7; draught horses, £10 to £15; cross-bred sheep, 6s to 93; scrubbers of all sorts, half the price; building timber, 12s per hundred, sap and heart together. As a village settler I am thoroughly satisfied with my land, and all the men I have met from the other settlements say the same.. I should be happy to communicate with anyone coming to settle in this district.— I am, &c, E. N. DAVIES, An old " Lyttelton Times " £unner. ; , Takahue, Monganui County, . , .. July 2, 1888.

IF THE SUTfEREBB FEOM COHBtrKPTICW, Scrofula, and Genival Debilitt, will try Soott'b Kmttlsion of Fuse Cos Liver Oit with Htpophosphites, they will fiud immediate relief and a permanent benefit. The .Medical Profession ' in the various countries of the world, universally declare it a remedy of the greatest value • and as It is Tory p&latat>Je p it cua bo rea&Hy tak<sxx "bj" tj^« -, xat>et eeftfiitivtj fct^ltiivh. and will never fail to ffiro relief Hod comfort to the Bu&erer. Any Chemist can supply it at. 4s Gil and 2s 6d.— [Advt.l The Railways and the Block System. — The absolute block system is now almost: universally adopted on English railways' the percentage being 97, or 8485 miles of the 8718 miles of double line open. In Scotland the percentage is 98, only 28 of the 1176 miles being otherwise worked. Ireland offers a great contrast, only 29} . per cent being worked on the block Bystern, or 174 out of 592 miles. Taking the : United Kingdom as a whole, the per* ceatageia 93.