State of Nature - Thomas Good Letter Transcript

110. Thomas Good letter (older male)

My dear cousin,

I feel quite grieved at the gloomy future for agriculturalists in the old country. A succession of bad seasons year after year is most extraordinary. Let us hope that it will not always be so.

You have previously been informed of the general fertility of soil in this part of the west coast of the North Island. The best district I should say would be from a few miles north of Ōeō to within a short distance of Whanganui. Throughout the whole of this district the country seems especially adapted for green crops. The price of land varies according to situation, distance from a town, coach road, rail way, also the condition the land may be in, cultivated or uncultivated.

In this district near New Plymouth improved properties may be had at 7 or £8 per acre. About two months ago a land sale was held of the remaining portion of the confiscated open and forest land. This land may be said to be in a raw state or a state of nature.

The prices given were far above the value. Rather than give 7 or £8 for unimproved property it would be infinitely better to buy an estate improved. A good farm of 400 acres would keep a family in comfort but to acquire a property of this size, erect a house, the necessary buildings, and buy stock the farmer should have at command from 6000 to 8000£.

Were I about to settle anew in New Zealand with my large family, and had ample means, I should purchase in the first place an improved farm in the open land where I should have my homestead. I would then buy from the Government 1000 acres of forest land at £2 per acre. The felling I would have done by contract. Allowing that it will be for a few years encumbered with logs and stumps, bush land will grow more and better grass to the acre than open land and in the long run will prove a safe investment.

I hope I have been sufficiently explicit as to the nature and value of landed property in the district of Taranaki. If you are fully bent upon taking so important a step would it not be better first to send one of your sons, he could go and return in six months, and spend two months in New Zealand.

We are going on much as usual. Our cattle and sheep are doing well, we are careful not to overstock and it takes time to cover the land with grass. We have about 1200 sheep, 600 cattle, horses do not count. We are pestered with wild pigs but this nuisance will disappear as the country becomes settled.

I remain, your affectionate cousin,
Thomas Good