The St. Johns herald., 1890-06-12
PROSPEROUS FARMERS.
Agricultural Life in the North Island
 New Zealand.
Fer soTid comfort and c oTiet Cni>)

{ sf.rieuIturaI Life in the North Island
 New Zealand. ot For solid comfort and QGiet cni>
 of life, there could hardly be s )ynert viable lot than that Of a bug more en- the North Island of New -n-IarmeE ln climate i5 truly tempe AeaLand' The aq+ er,,r,oe baat nc ate. The great 7,,--oes .-7 ftar Ter exceeds eighty ,,..-,,l.r {bat te is So little frost in o-,;-,,,,e ar5 h nder plants-lika ger o-1,-sIl,, h, -i0tropes remain out and X-o+ ;t is -ossom all the year round. ,o4o not at all an enerTating eli .;a The bush-farmers are race of $, and all domestic animals grew
 d great size. and are of prime quality.
 The bush-iagmer usually buys his l land from the government, on deferred pa yments, e. else gets a perpetual lease. That means that he pays a very low rent ] fer 1t unoil he has saved enough money to make it his own, when he pays from s 1 to Sl0 an acre for it, and gets a title l guaranteed from the government, which can not afterwards be questioned by anybody, He can buy from twenty ! acres to 620. Most of the bush-farms are about 150 to 900 acres, and that Lakes 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 150 feet high, with dense undergrowth of smaller vegeta- tion, tangled and matted together by
  brambles. It is all very lovely to look at, but 1t 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 1t is to fell it and burn it. This takes two years before it is thoroughly done, but by that time the land-which is exceed ingly rich-is covered with magnifi- cent crop of grass, and the farmer is al- ready in position to start his dairy and to rear young stock for market.
 1 The bush-farmer builds his own house ! of totara slabs, with the rugged brown bark left 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 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-bOusos in the bush arc extremely snug inside, with every domestic con- ven.cnce, 2n1 all sorts of lit.le comforts and rn6nemerts. Tn the roughor ones the furniture > limited 5o plain tables ] and enchc5 of sa@n timber, with bunIs aga..-st tho ~-Ii to sleep in; and the cooh.l.g utensils a-o on,y two in num- 5eT--a fryin ---s 7. ;li billy" or lin pot, for bv-.I z or steH-5Ug. But even
 -.cl .]-i:.l-. :s ...,-..- .-,.-s ; ti.-.c arc " L :1~0Ie = 70 1re-.l. Cr:c- gre warm and wh2la-oma, a13 wIol kopt clean are really y c,s-i--.-.DIe. CI5- side tho bash-f-s-2-r -s,;c.T .l-nts some scarlet Rcrlni-rls, hoGoF4 .lo..l3~ and climbing roses, which G0ol eproad all over the house and convert g ~o2 -l slabs and thatch into bower cf bcaa.r
 Food abounds On bush farms and tle universal rulo thcro is for men, N0n.cr 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 TO butchers bill to pay, and the larder is always sup piled with plenty of the best at the cost of a charge of powder and shot. Then every creek swarms with eels-which are a favorite article of diet-and an cx- cellent vegetable called Maori cabbage grows all around. All that the farmer has to buy is four, sugar and tea, and these are to be got cheaply enough at the nearest village store and carried up to the farm on a pack-horse or on the farmers own back. The sturdy folks there think nothing of carrying a ''swag" weighing 100 pounds or 15O pounds for fifteen or twenty miles in a day. The farmhouse is usually well 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 seen in Q New Zealand bush-farm, but tea and milk are universal bever- ages. The wealthier class of farmers, however, not unfrequenJly keep keg of Scotch whisky or a case Of Hollands to treat friend or celebrate high days and holidays.
 When once the bush is cleared and the land is paid for the profits of the farm are considerable, and the bankers say some of the suggest accounts they have are those of the bush-farmers. Once a Week.
 SHODDT IS KING.