Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/292

CHAPTER XII.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CANTERBURY DISTRICT.—VISIT TO A SHEEP-STATION.—HOW THE SHEEP-BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED.—THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.—IRRIGATION IN NEW ZEALAND.—SHEEP LOST IN SNOW-STORMS.—THE SHEEP-RAISER'S ENEMIES.—DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY PARROTS.—THE RABBIT PEST.—HOW RABBITS ARE EXTERMINATED.—VISIT TO A WHEAT-FARM.—WHEAT STATISTICS.—IMPROVED MACHINERY.—THE SPARROW PEST.—TROUBLESOME EXOTICS.—WATER-CRESS, DAISIES, AND SWEETBRIER.—AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.—MOUNT COOK.—FIRST ASCENT.—PERILOUS CLIMBING.—GLACIERS AND LAKES.—THE SOUTHERN ALPS.—DUNEDIN.—OTAGO GOLD-FIELDS.—INVERCARGILL.—LAKE WAKATIPU.—MINING AT QUEENSTOWN.

THE provincial district of Canterbury is both an agricultural and a pastoral country, part of it being well adapted to grain-growing, and the rest to grazing. Its staple productions are grain and wool, and
UNDER THE SHEARS.it ships large quantities of both to England and other countries. There are more than 5,000,000 sheep in the district, besides 200,000 cattle and horses; the annual product of wheat is nearly 7,000,000 bushels, and of oats half that amount. Evidently the Canterbury pilgrims did not choose unwisely when they came here to found their Utopia.

Our friends were invited to visit a sheep-station and wheat-farm in the interior, and at once accepted. Mr. Abbott, the gentleman who gave the invitation, explained to them that the