AMERICA AND NEW ZEALAND CONTRASTED.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 20, 13 September 1873, Page 11

AMERICA AND NEW ZEALAND CONTRASTED.

(Auckland News.) It is a frequent practice with some colonists to disparage New Zealand, and loudly sound the praises of the « Great Republic." Those feS' States, they would find everything to their satisfaction. The land would be far superior to that of this colony , the climate would be all thtLZl ■ \ U K Ddt '", ort * that there th «y ™ uld fi nd everything which would be conducive to their material prosperity. A few years ago several setters left this colony for America,^ the hope of betermg their condition; and othersf amongst them the late Mr SToung, of the Grange, visited the agricultural districts of the States for the purpose of selecting a suitable place, should they find the prospects of success i m America so much better than in New Zealand. Mr Young returned more satisfied with Auckland than he had formerly been. The best portions of California he found inferior to many districts of this province, and others who hastily left Auckland for America have since lived to regret their choice. The following extracts are portions of a private letter received by a gentleman iS town from a relative who left this district and went to America a few year* ago. They show plainly that the best land in America is inferior to the land here, either for farming or grazing purposes, and that the much vaunted prame ands do not deserve the high character they have received. It will also be seen that Auckland has climatic advantages far supernr to anything the writer has met with in America. The letter was written in April last from Olympia in Washington Territory, on the west coast of the United States. The writer says :— Having spent some time this winter in looking for land, I am now able to give you a better description of the country than I was able to do before. The greater part of the land in Washington territory is very heavily timbered. You can find more heavy timber growing here upon one acre than you caa on the same area of land in any other part of the world. The soil is very poor in general. There is very little good land ; but you can find patches of good land alone nic creek and river bottoms. The prairie land has a gravelly soil. It is of no use for farming, and of very little use for grazing. There is good grass growing on the prairies before they are stocked, but when they are stocked with cattle or sheep the grass dies out. There were a few good prairies with pretty good land, but they were of small extent, and have been taken up some time ago. They were covered with fern before they were taken tip. Where I was looking for land tins winter is the best land in the territory west of the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range is a continuation of the Sierra Nevada that runs through California. The best land here is on the creek and river bottoms, and is covered with timber, not pine timber, but maple, alder, and ash. lha pine land is of no value for farming purposes. There are places to take up wifli very fine timber upon them, but they are being fast taken up. In a few years all tho good farming land will ii X a T l u Up I Whe '; e I waß lookin g for land «»» winter is called the best grazing land weet of Cascade Range. There is very little timber upon it, but it is situated too fur from market to grow grain profitaly. lhe climate is not very cold. There is not much trost and snow, but the winters are very wet. The stock live here throughout the winter without bein,' housed. Th« summers are' very fine, but there is often frost late m the spring that does a great deal of harm to the crops. The climate of British Columbia is about the same as it is here. There is a railroad being built through Washington Territory. It s a continental railroad, and the terminus is not far from here. This line will be ab'.ut 2,000 miles Ion". Tho Government gave the Corapanj every other section of land for 20 miles back ou each side of the road, to help to have it built The ' Government land on each side of the line of fie railroad is open fov settlement. \ou can take up, under the Homestead Act, 80 acres or pre-empt 160 acres. Anyone taking up a homestead has to live on it for five years before getting the title, which will cost him about £3 fos fees, the Government giving the land. You can pre-empt 160 acres by paying 2* dollars (10s) per acre, and living on it six months, after wkich you can get the title to it. The railroad company sell their land at from 2to 10 dollars per acre. Outside tho railroad limits you can homestead 160 acres by living on it for five years, and pa/fr* 15 dollars (£3.) for foes ; or you can pre-empt 160 acres by payinf 1£ dollars (55.) per acre. The Government of the United States do not allow the monopolist to buy up all the Government land as they Jt m T?Ti. £ H •« T £ e .\ ar &\ Bt <l»«ntity one can buy here is 160 acres. The Northern Pacific Kailroadgoes through the Territories of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Dakota, and the State of Minnesota

The land on the line of railroad east of the Cascade Range is a good grazing country, but there is none of much use for cultivation until you cross the Bocky Mountains. The greatest. part of the land between the Cascade Bange and the Rocky Mountains requires irrigating to raise a crop, and the winters are much colder than they are here. The best land is east of the Bocky Mountains in Montana arid Minnesota. Last year 70,000 immigrants settled on laud on the eastern end of the line of the North Pacifio in Minnesota and Dakota, and there will be about an equal number this year. East of the Cascade Bange the country is nearly all prairie land, very little timber, but there is some good land.- Water is scarce in places, and you can grow but very little without irrigation. The winters are also severe. The Canadian Government are going to build a railroad from Lake Superior to British Columbia, which will connect with the railroad system of Canada. After it is built there will be a railroad from Halifax in Nova Scotia to Victoria, in British Columbia, a distance of about 3,090 mites. The inducements held out to immigrants to go to the Australian colonies can bear no comparison to those held out by the United States Government. In the United States anyone can take up 160 acres of land, and by living on it .and improving it for five years, can go to the land office and get the title to it by paying about £3 for the fees. There is better laud in New Zealand than any I have seen about here, and what iscalled good grazing land is poor compared with what is found in New Zealand and Australia. The greater number of the farmers about here are poor They have to ship their grain to England, hut they make a good" living. Farmers in New Zealand, who have good farms, make more n?oney thaa they do here. The grain costs more per ton to ship from here than it does from Australia. Beef is selling at 4d per lb. Wool-growing . pays better than anything elae, as there is a large duty on wool imported into this country." •