The St. Johns herald., 1891-01-15
PROSPEROUS FARMERS.
Agricultural Life in the North Island of
 New Zealand.

New Zealand.
 For solid comfort and quiet enjoyment of life, there could hardly be a more en- viable lot than that of bush-farmer in the North Island of New Zealand. The climate is truly temperate. The great est summer heat never exceeds eighty degrees, and there is so little frost in winter that tender plants-liko ger aniums and heliotropes-remain out and actually blossom all the year round. Yet 1t is not at all an enervating eli mate The bush-farmers are q 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. CT else gets Q perpetual lease. That means that he pays very low rent for 1t until he has saved enough money to make 1t his own, when he pays from 8 to S10 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 620. Most of the bush-farms are about 150 to 200 acres, and that makes very nice little property in- deed.
 The land, when bought, is covered with what is @ lied virgin bush"-that is, primeval forest, cypress and yew trees, 100 feet or 15O feet high, with dense undergrowth of smaller vegeta- tion, tangled and matted together by canes and wild vines and creeping brambles. It is all very lovely to look at, but it has to be got rid ot 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 it and burn it. This takes two years before 1t 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.
 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 left overhead and a 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-hoUsas in the bush are extremely snug inside, with every domestic con vcnienco, anI ell sorts Of little comforts aud re6ncments. In the roughcr ones the furniture is limited to plMn tables and benches of sawn timber, with hunks aga;ls5 the vail to sleep n; and the ccol1:1r I.ta.2s-,5 a-o ca,v t.o n nun Dcr-a Ervir r-paa t22 'fl--lT," or tin pot fer bs.l-E e e--HiGg. bu5 1-on such nIiri -.Es haj..t.-icoG a= fic5c arc by TO rears i9 lo dc=c-e13. They arc warm and Waol,-oaa, c-l wh2n kept clesn are really Va:F comfortable. OUt- side the bUsh-fatlaer usually plants some scarlet geraniums, ho1e5 sucki25 and cliin bing roses, which soo1 spread all oyer the house and convert Is rough slabs and thatch into bower of beauty.
 Food abounds or bush farms, crd the universal rule there is for men, women and children to eat threo 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 lardar is always sup piled with plenty Of the best a5 the cost Of 9 charge of powder and shot. Then every creek sWarms with eels-which are 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 CT 15O pounds for fifteen or twenty miles in 9 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 ere 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 unfreQuently keep a keg of Scotch whisky or Q case of Hollands to treat friend CT 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 Q Week.