Crown Lands.

The total area of New Zealand is upwards of sixty-six million acres. Of this, eighteen millions have been sold, or disposed of in education and other public reserves; fourteen millions belong to the aborigines, or to the Europeans who have purchased from them; and thirty-four million acres of Crown lands still remain for disposal. Of the latter fifteen millions are open grass or fern country, ten millions forest, and nine millions are barren mountain-tops, lakes, and worthless country.

The Crown lands are administered under the authority of "The Land Act, 1885," by the Hon. the Minister of Lands, Wellington. The colony is divided into ten land districts, each being locally governed by a Commissioner and a Board. It is with the Land Offices the selector has to transact all business.

The names of the land districts and the fullest information concerning the disposal of Crown land will be found in the various publications of the Crown Lands Department.^*

For convenience of reference, the following abstract of the various provisions for the settlement of the land has been taken from these publications :—