FARMING IN THE FIFTIES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 74, 30 April 1930, Page 5

FARMING IN THE FIFTIES

EARLY CONDITIONS IN HAWKE'S BAY. LINKS .WITH PAST UNEARTHED BY RESIDENT. The Hawke's Bay farmer was on a good wieket in 1859 with wool at ls 6d per lb and good land at 10s an acre. Some interesting sidelights on farming conditions in Hawke's Bay and in other parts of the Dominion in those early days are contained in a series of letters written overseas at that time by a firm of Wellington merchants, long since defunct. Copies of these let'ters hae been unearthed by a Mohaka resident and fonvarded to us for puhlication. Some of them make interesting reacjing. In a letter to a prospective immigrant in Holland, tlie firm wnves as follows, concerning the rnerits of Hawke's Bay land and the profits allegedly made thereon. Within the last few months the district of Ahuriri, which fqrnis the North East section of the Province of Wellington, has been erected into a separate province. Land is available in most cases, for immediate cropping, and large portions of it have passed into private hands at the Government rate, 10s. per acre Several of these purchases have been resold at 300 to 400 per cent on original cost, and town sections have realised 10 tx> 20 times the purchase money. On the West Coast at Manawatu, a large and rich district is being bought from the natives and will soon thereafter he bought up. For agricultural purposes the land is well adapted, and the Government price — 10s per acre — is so low as to make very few purchases turn out unprofitably. In Canterbury, where a larger extent of good land is available, the Government price is £2 per acre and very large purchases are made every year there and very rapidly increase in value. In Otago, too, the -land is passing into privat© hands. Should you decide on uiaking an investment in New Zealand land we would recommend huying a few allotments in new townsliips. In very few instances do such investments turn out unprofitably. Several of these are now springing up, as very great progress has been made in fonning new roads and opening np the resources of the country. "Since steam communication has heen estahlished with Australia the demand for land has increased, and were it but generally known to capitalists vea-y little would long remain open." In a further letter to 'the , same source the firm comments "The Hawke's Bay province on the East Coast of this island is more suitable for sheep than any other lcind of farming, 'being free from timber and mostly hilly. There are some fine

spots, however, well suited for daiiy farming. Should you decide upon purchasing- we would advise your giving timely notice and not shaclding your agent too much. To make good invest- , ments it is necessary to do so at the Government saies, 1 not for second hands. and as those only take place at long intervals when blocks are acquired from the natives it is impossible to force desirable purchases. The Hawke's Bay district is well adapted for the growth of the vine and lint. ' W"Butter is in demand constantly of good quality for the Australian market. It is now worth ls 2d and will rise as the season advances to about ls 6d per lb. Potatoes, £6 per ton; grass seed (rye), 7d per lb. Cheese, ls 4d per lb. Grapes, ls per lb.* Wheat, 7s and 8s per bushel. Oats, 5s per bushel. Indian corn, 4s per buishel. Barley. 8s pe!r bushel. Draught bullocks, £10 to £12 each broken in. Milch cows, £7 each.. Horses from £30 to £80 each. Heavy dranghts are scarce and in demand : wool, clean washed fleece, ls 6d per lb. Sheep, ewes, 20s to 22s cash . Timber 16s to 18s pei' hundred superficial."