Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-03-11
PROSPEROUS FARMERS.
Agricultural Life In tho North Island of
New Zealand.


climate is truly temperate. The great
est summer heat never exceeds eighty
degrees, and there is so little frost il
winter that tender plants-like ger
aniums and heliotropes out and
actually blossom all the year round.
Iot 1t is not at all an cnervating eli
mate. The bush-farmers are a race of
giants, and all domestic animals grow
to great size, and are of prime quality.
The bush-farmer usually buys his
land from the government, on deferred
payments, or else gets perpetual lease.
That means that he pays very low rent
for it until he has saved enough money to
make it his own, when he pays from SIS
to $40 an acre for it, and gets a title
guaranteed from the government, which
can not afterwards be questioned by
anybody. He can buy from twenty
acres to 62O. Most of tho bush-farms
are about $50 to 200 acres, and that
makes very nice little property in
deed.
The land, when bought, is covered
with what is called virgin bush"-that
Is, primeval forest, cypress and yew
trees, 100 feet or $50 feet high, with q
dense underground of smaller vegeta-
ton, tangled and matted together by
canes and wild vines and creeping
brambles. 1t is all very lovely to look
at, but it has to be got rid Of before the
land can be used, and unless there is a
sawmill handy, where the timber can be
sold, the only thing to do with it is TO
fell 1T and burn it. This takes two
years before it is thoroughly done, but
by that time the 1and-which is exceed
ingly rich-is covered with magnifi-
cont crop OF grass, and the farmer is al
ready in position to start his dairy and
to rear young stock for market.
The bush-farmer builds his own house
OF totara slabs, with the rugged brown
bark lett on, and good roof of thatch,
made OF the rushes which abound on the
edge of the bush. Timber costs nothing,
so he need not stint himself for space.
he generally begins with four good-sized
rooms, besides a loft overhead and q
cooks hut outside. He makes his
own furniture, too, unless he has some
household goods which he brings with
him in bullock dray. Many of the
farm-houses in the bush are extremely
snug inside, with every domestic con-
Venience, and all sorts of little comforts
and refnements. In the rougher ones
the furniture is limited to plain tables
and benches OF sawn timber, with hunks
against the wall to sleep in; and the
cooking utensils are only two in num-
ber-a frying pan and a ''billy," or tin
pot, for boiling or stewing. But even
such primitive habitations as these are
by no means to be despised. They are
warm and wholesome, and when kept
clean are really very comfortable Out
side the bush-farmer usually plants
some scarlet geraniums, honeysuckles
and climbing roses, which soon spread
all over the house and convert its rough
slabs and thatch into bower of beauty.
Food abounds on bush farms, and the
universal rulo there is for mon, women
and children to eat three square meat
meals day. The bush is full of wild
cattle, wild pigs, wild goats and wild
birds, SO that there is no butchers bill
TO pay, and the larler is always sup
piled with plenty of the best at the cost
OF charge of powder and shot Then
every crock swarms with eels-which
are favorite article of diet-and an ex-
cellent vegetable called Maori cabbage
grows all around. All that the farmer
has to buy is flour, sugar and tea, and
these are to be got cheaply enough at
the nearest village store and carried up
to the farm on pack-horse or on the
farmers own back. The sturdy folks
there think nothing of carrying a
"swag" weighing 100 pounds or $50
pounds for fifteen or twenty miles in q
day. The farmhouse Is usually we'll
stocked with hams, bacon, smoked beef
or mutton, and all descriptions of
stores; and If any number Of visitors
arrive they are heartily welcomed, and
pressed TO eat and drink as much as
they like. Intoxicating liquor is sell
dom'soen in New Zealand bush-farm,
but tea and milk are universal bever-
ages. Tho woalthier class of farmers,
however, not unfroquently keep keg
OF Scotch whisky or a case Of Hollands
to treat friend or celebrate high days
and holidays,