36 A NEW AGRICULTURAL POLICY 



part of the land. With the Board's approval 

 the Committee took possession of the entire 

 area, and immediately set about the work of 

 reclamation and cultivation. The work was 

 done entirely by means of prisoner labour, for 

 which a camp with accommodation for about 

 ioo prisoners was found on the farm. 



" The first operation the Committee had to 

 undertake was to clear the land ; this they did 

 by cutting down the bush in the first instance, 

 and then systematically uprooting the stumps 

 with steam tackle. In this way they cleared 

 close upon ioo acres in 19 17, and cropped it 

 with beans (27 acres), oats and barley (60 

 acres), and potatoes (9 acres). The Inspector's 

 Report runs thus : ' The hedges, which had 

 run wild and could hardly be distinguished 

 from the " bush," have all been cut down to 

 the ground, and many hundred yards of ditches 

 have been opened and cleared. The work 

 has been carried out under the direction of a 

 member of the Executive Committee, with the 

 assistance of a resident bailiff. The clearing of 

 the farm and bringing it back to cultivation 

 was a very big undertaking indeed, and the 

 Committee deserve the greatest credit for what 

 they have been able to accomplish.' " 



Previous to taking over this land its letting 

 value was just its sporting or shooting value, 

 about 5s. per acre ; to-day the Committee 

 consider that its letting value is 20s. per acre. 



