31

D.—2

490. You were then managing for Messrs. Edwards and Kerr ? —Yes. 491. Did you regularly muster the sheep that winter?— Every month that winter I mustered fat sheep for the butcher. 492. Why did you muster them every month ? —The dealer came every month to take sheep away. 493. Was that mustering ever interrupted by the weather ? —No. 494. Was that winter less severe or more severe, or was it a fair general average winter ?—lt was a fair average winter. 495. I suppose in every winter there is some snow ? —Yes, more or less. 496. As a rule, when does the snow begin to fall ?—'Generally in July and August. 497. Are the falls of snow continuous ? Do they lie on the ground, or do they disappear and leave the ground clear until there is another fall ? —The snow generally disappears if there is any rain. 498. Is there usually rain ? —There is generally rain after the snow, which clears it away. 499. How long, as a rule, do you find the snow to lie on the ground ? —A heavy fall of snow would lie three or four days. 500. That is, before it is all gone ?—Yes, on the fiat land. 501. What do you call a heavy fall ? —A foot or eighteen inches. 502. When was the last heavy fall of snow ? —Five or six years ago. 503. There has not been a heavy fall since that time? —I have not been up there these last two or three years. They say that during the last winter there was very little snow. 504. Whilst you were there, had you what you term a heavy fall of snow every year ?—lt was generally a foot deep. We would have a snowfall, which would, perhaps, last two or three days. 505. I suppose you know the country all round there thoroughly well ?—Yes. 506. You know the Rainbow ?—Yes. 507. Was the Rainbow a part of Mr. Kerr's country ?—Yes. 508. Also down the Wairau Valley ?—Yes. 509. How far from the Tarndale Lake is the Eainbow Station? —About eight miles. 510. Do you know the Acheron ?—Yes. 511. And all the other valleys in that part of the country ? —Yes. 512. What sort of country is it for grass ?—lt is splendid country for grass. 513. Do you know whether English grasses grow there well ?—I tried them at the Eainbow, and they grew well there. 514. You have not tried them at Tarndale ?—No. 515. Why not ?—I had not an opportunity then. 516. Is there good native grass at Tarndale ?—Yes. 517. I believe the Tarndale stock are somewhat celebrated for their goodness, and the country for its fattening capacity ? —Yes. 518. Are you speaking of the whole country as being good grass country ?—Yes, the whole of Tarndale. 519. I suppose you have no reason to suppose that English grass would not grow there as well as at the Rainbow ?—-I think it would. 520. Are the bottoms of the valleys in the tributaries of the Acheron fertile ?—Yes, they are all good grass country, the same as Tarndale. 521. Have you tried any cultivations at Tarndale, or in any of the valleys ? —Only at the Eainbow. 522. Will you state the result of your trials in cultivating land ? What did you try to grow ?—I only grew oats for horse feed in winter. 523. Did you grow much or little of it ?—About ten acres. 524. As much as you wanted ?—Yes, as much as I wanted for the use of the station. 525. Did you find the crop good?— Quite as good as down at the Waimea West, where I am now farming. 526. Have you any reason to suppose that oats would not succeed as well at Tarndale, or in the valleys there ?—I think they would grow just as well. 527. Have you tried to grow any other cereals than oats?— No. 528. You have not tried wheat or barley ? —No. 529. Had you a garden there ?—Yes, we had a vegetable garden. We grew carrots, swedes, &c. 530. You did not try anything more ? —No ; I did not devote much of my time to gardening. I only grew what I wanted for our own use. 531. Did they grow well ? —Splendidly. 532. Do you mean splendidly for that place, or would you have thought them a good crop down here? —I have never seen anything like them down here for goodness. 533. How do you account for that ? —-The climate was suitable, and also the soil. 534. Do I understand that the soil is particularly good there ?—The soil was good where my garden was. ' 535. Is there any more soil of the same.character in that district?— Any quantity of it. 536. From what you say, am I to gather that the bottoms of the valleys in that district would be suitable for settlement —that agriculturists could grow oats, have gardens, and supply dairy produce?— Yes, I should think so. 537. Do you consider the climate there such as would make life unbearable to people, if they tried to live there ? —They could live there. 538. Had you a family when-iyou lived there ?—No. 539. Would their gardens and cultivations thrive as well as yours did ? —Yes, certainly. 540. Have you had any experience in hop-growing ? —No. 541. You know the sort of soil suitable for hops ? —Yes. 542. Can you say whether there is any quantity of ground in that district suitable for such a crop? —I think the soil there would be suitable for growing hops. 543. Is there much of such soil ?—There is a good deal of swamp—the kind of ground desired for top-growing.