Chapter IX.

Soil and water supply—A place to make a home in—Averaged size farms—Settlement fast extending—Crown lands—Forests.

The Excellence of the Soil, the abundant water-supply, and the general undulating nature of the surface, point out this district as preeminently one suitable to the moderate sized holding; and this indicates a future large population, living in close proximity one to another, and enjoying all the advantages in the way of civilization that flow from such causes, Taranaki is essentially a place to make a home in. It is almost needless to speak of the gardens of Taranaki; their fame is wide-spread; with a soil and climate such as it is, gardening becomes a delight that can be indulged by all.

It is not far from the mark to say, that the average sized farm in Taranaki does not exceed 200 acres in extent. Hence the 44,000 inhabitants of the district are practically gathered within a few miles of the coast. But settlement is extending fast, and the rougher portions are now being eagerly taken up, and in these inland parts, sheep, rather than cows will—at any rate at first—be the main occupation of the settlers, and larger areas will be the rule.

The Lands still remaining in the hands of the Crown, where there is scope for further settlement, lie to the north-east of the district, the main access to which will be by the Main Trunk—and the Stratford-Ongarue railways, the Whanganui river, and the various roads which are pushing out from these main lines of communication in all directions. Nearly all this area is at present forest-clad, and more or less rough country, but suitable generally for sheep. The Crown owns in this part of the district about 124,000 acres un-surveyed, 81,500 acres surveyed land and now open for selection, whilst a staff of surveyors is constantly engaged in preparing further area for selection. In addition to this there are about 507,000 acres of land of similar quality held under Native tenure, most of which will come in for settlement purposes in some shape or other within the next few years.

Part of the Famous Waimate Plains, near Hawora, Taranaki N.Z., being some of the [unclear: Best Grazing land in the World].