Village lands, if surveyed into sections under 1 acre each, are offered on application at not less than £o per section, except in inland districts not opened up by railways, where the price may be £2 10s. per section. In the event of two or more persons applying on the same day for the same section, such section is submitted at auction, the right of bidding being, however, confined to the persons who have applied. But if village lands are surveyed into sections of a greater area than 1 acre each, but not more than 50 acres, they are designated "small farm allotments," and in the case of more than one applicant for the same section its occupancy is determined by lot. The minimum price of such allotments is-In districts opened up, 20s.; in districts not opened up, 10s., per acre; or they may be had on lease, with or without a purchasing clause.

Rural lands comprise all other Crown lands, whether agricultural, pastoral, or forest. The price varies in different districts, and ranges from the mere cost of survey, under the homestead system in Auckland and Westland, up to 40s. per acre, as in the system of selection before survey in Canterbury.

The mode of payment for suburban and rural lands is either immediate or deferred. Under the immediate system, the purchaser has completed the transaction on full payment of the purchase money, and no further obligation rests on him, nor is there any restriction as to the extent of land he may acquire.