A TRIP DOWN COUNTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3157, 17 September 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TRIP DOWN COUNTRY.

fr.v ui'i: TKAVi-a.i rsi: coi.iii.-i-i'N '-kkt]. ; I*J-:i:ll.\i"S the must, pleasant time of lie- ; y, in to go a!..,ul thee.'Miitry i- duiaim-1 i,,- j sprin-xT. N'atiiri- -eem-, at this -•-■ i.-mi, !o , !■■■ i. i-ii-in.- m il.e d.-inMtiii--- ..f v.in'. r. i with 'its cold rains and slinrp, bleak { wind-. Th- |Ms:u,v:., Iru-e and bi-.,wii f-,r I -. i..-iiiv inoiith.--, ai.- n iw ...-.-umiii. , ai. i-iuei'.'ild LTecn, and, on a 1 i:i• - ninrnina , , lh- bright ray.H ~f the sin, f.-.11i.i- up.'.n ihe ,1-w i!.'..p- '.vhi-h l-.iid t|..- y. a.■•_' "rns-, r;i!i<" ib.ein to 'j-iirkli , and trl* riiti ! likes-, many di-i'ii-.nd-. Kv. ii i!: ■ -I-.-';. graziiiir in ihe pidd-.el;-, appfar !■> baware ihat their wmvl time is <-vi■;-, and L1.i1..-- '.".-ii.-rallv a:-. , 1.,..km- up. aU.-it |i,e i-i-e is short yet, alel ih-'-y hav- no time to !0.-.' in ff-ttiug- up i---nifiitioii ; sean-.-U-looking round -is tin: train mils by. 'I ,-iiould imagine that, !,:.:■ can trav.-l from Waikato io Auckland by rail without realising thai, whatever may have bcf-n the progress of land settlement in other pint- of th. , province, very little bus been made upon that portion ihn.ugh whiidi the line runs. A notable exception to thi'.i, however, is to hp observed in the VViiif.iiiai district, where the extensive w i.t'l- plantations form a pleasant feature in the otherwise dreary landscipu of fern and st.unte I ti-tree, varied only by vast swfimps. Most ])eople have an idea that establishing tree plantations is soinethin ir like eff'octinir a life insurance policy—an act chiefly calculated to benefit our descendants, but the experience gained at Wairangi scorns to disprove this view. Xnnn of the wattle plantations under notice are more than teu years old, yet a substantia! return is now being obtained from some of them. I was informed that upon one plantation, that of Maclean and Co., over 100 tons of dried bark has just been obtained, some trees not six years old yielding 70"bs of bark. This bark is now being seasoned, and will then bo forwarded to Olasgow, where it bringn a high price. (If course, there are other plantations. That of tho Glasgow Company, situated on the opposite side of the line, is very extensive, and stripping operations are now being common , -ed upon it. The value of these wattle plantations, whether to the owners or as a guide to others who hold similar areas nf poor land, can scarcely yet be estimated ; and it is a question whether the large number who look to a paternal Government for regular work might not be profitably employed in thus transforming the htijje areas of third-class lands into valuable wattle plantations. Xoting the farming districts down the line, it appeared to me that—with the exception of the warm .scoria lands in the immediate, vicinity of Auckland—the grass and young crops were no further advanced than with us in Waikato, and, generally speaking, very little young grain was to be seen. In view of the damage now being done in Waikato by insect posts, particularly the graduating grub, it seems a pity we cannot import a few of the (locks of gulls which, in the Papatoitoi and Otahuhu districts, were following the plough aud harrow teams in white clouds, evidently picking up every unfortunate insect that happened to be turned up. Tit!-: I'RODUOK TRAOE. Naturally, your correspondent in his wnndcrinwrs in tho city found his way to those quarters where tho trade in farmers' produce is chiefly carried on, and. .as a preface, I may remark that it required ft very short sojourn in town and very slight powers of observation to note that tho trade in farm aud orchard produce is, at present, completely over-done. Everything appears to be sold at prices which must leave the grower, whethev he resides in Waikato or the South, very little, if anything at all, for his labour. The reputation that, Auckland has hitherto borno as being the bpst market in the colony for farm produe.e, bus evidently been traded upon to the utmost, and the reault is that farm produce from all over tho colony, fruits from Tasmania and tho Islands, aro be-ng simply pitchforked into tho Auckland market in such quHutities, that the prices have become jus: about anything the buyers choose to give. In conversation with Mr Alex. Aitke.i who does a. vury largo selling trade for Waikato, I gained some insight into tho way tho sales of imported produ;o are conducted, and us being of interest, to our settlers I give it:— "Mr Aitken, and ali-o Messrs ICsmnand Arthur, hold their produce sales on Friday, when large causignments of Waikato potatoc, apples, etc., are always staged. Rut on the day previous the salesmen -vho deal in Southern and Tasmanian goods, clear out immense quantities at anything dculers like to give, tho stuff coming straight from the. ship's side, and has to be sold. T«smiuiian apples at 5s and b's per case, a I trifle over 10 per lb. ; Southern potatoes at about E2 per ton. Consequently W-ii-kiito produce, though of superior quality, this is Generally admitted, has to meet these prices, or to remain unsold. Again as Mr Aitken oxplaiued, the low freights which rulo by steamer from the South, are all iu favour of the Southern farmer, while our railway tariff from inland districts is so prohibitive, that, taking the caso of Tβ Awamutu potato gri,wc-rs, at late prices, out of a five-ton truck, about one half, that is, two and α-lmlf tuns, is taken by the railway for fraisrht and chai-jres. Finally, as Mr Aitkeu sensibly roiniikiid, our Auckland M.H.R's, though including , some first-claps men, are generally occupied in fighting and squabbling themselves, instead of combining for the purpose of obtaining suedi concessions as would, at least, place Northern farmers and business men upon the sume footing as tho<e in tho South. This unfair handicapping of Auckland, is however, a subject which I will again refer to when touching upon some local indas tries.