Ruapuna, which is about twenty-five miles from Ashburton, is a prosperous agricultural and pastoral district. The post office is connected with the public school, which has an average attendance of twenty-two. Among the oldest settlers in the district are Mr J. Doyle and Mr. J. McLaughlan. In 1885, the land which lies between the Shepherd's Bush estate and the Rangitata traffic bridge was thrown open for selection by the Government, under perpetual lease, in sections varying from 200 acres to 600 acres, valued at thirty shillings per acre. Under a revaluation made in 1889 the price was reduced to twenty-five shillings per acre, with the result that the whole of the sections were taken up within two years. Before the advent of the settlers, stunted manuka scrub, tussock and stones, which seemed to defy all attempts at cultivation, covered the plain. Owing to the industry and perseverance of the settlers, the foresight of the Government, and the County Council's water races, the landscape now presents a very different aspect, with its well made roads, bordered with sweet smelling gorse hedges, which afford shelter for the sheep and cattle, and the plantations of stately pines which surround the homes of the farmers. The land is all divided and fenced into paddocks of from five to one hundred acres, and the homesteads of the settlers are set off with lawns, orchards, flower and vegetable gardens. Heaps of stones and boulders, which have been taken from the land, are to be seen in many of the paddocks, some of which still await the labour which has raised the value of the land from twenty-five shillings to £4 per acre. Mr. T. Bennett, Mr. J. Glaney, Messrs D. and S. Sewell, Mr. C Jaine, Mr. R Anderson, Mr. W. Trethewey, Mr. Sealey and Mr. Clement are amongst those who were the first to settle in district. The Ruapuna settlers have been specially complimented by the Government Land Commissioners on account of the excellence of the work done by them. page 863 Many of the settlers cherish the memory of the late Mr. John Grigg, of Longbeach, on whose estate they were employed, and while there gained experience which has since proved of inestimable value to them as landowners.

Jaine, Charles, Sheepfarmer, Ruapuna. Mr. Jaine was born at Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, where he was brought up on his father's farm, and also spent some time in business in Hereford. On the 25th of March, 1881, he sailed for New Zealand by the ship “Waimea,” and landed at Wellington, but immediately transhipped to Hokitika, where he remained for six months. He then removed to Canterbury, and was for ten years in the employment of the late Mr. John Grigg, at Longbeach. Mr. Jaine left Longbeach in 1891 to take up 600 acres of Crown land at Ruapuna, under perpetual lease, and was one of the first settlers in the district to take up land on that tenure. He has expended a great amount of labour and money on the property, in clearing stones, laying off plantations, and in fencing; and the farm, which was once a desolate piece of stony ground, is now in a perfect state of cultivation. The plantations are well grown, and afford good shelter for the crops, the sheep, and the homestead, which is surrounded by well laid out grounds, a fine orchard, and a flower garden. The paddocks are subdivided with wire and standard fences, and water-races have been made by the Ashburton County Council. Mr. Jaine was elected a member of the Rangitata Road Board in 1901, and is chairman of the Ruapuna school committee.

McLauchlan, James, Farmer, “Cairn-hollow,' Ruapuna. Mr. McLauchlan was born in Strathmore, Perthshire, Scotland, and followed agriculture till he came to New Zealand in 1855, by the ship “Cornubia.” He settled first at Opawa, and subsequently joined his father and brother, who had taken up land at Lincoln, where they carried on dairying and grain growing for ten years. This farm, however, was disposed of, and another was purchased at Brookside, where they carried on dairying and cattle breeding and fattening for thirteen years. In 1878, Mr. James McLauchlan bought the first portion of his present farm at Ruapuna. He named his place “Cairnhollow,” which now consists of 500 acres of freehold and 185 acres of leasehold land. It was originally part of the Cracroft run, taken up in 1851. When the land was bought by Mr. McLauchlan it was covered with tussock and innumerable stones, which made cultivation troublesome and expensive. As the first settler at Ruapuna, Mr. McLauchlan had to combat these and many other difficulties. The ordinary Reid and Gray double, furrow plough would not stand the strain, and Mr. McLauchland devised a special plough, modelled on Reid and Gray's patent, but ploughing only one furrow. In this and in other ways he has persevered, and now his land is all cultivated and clear of stones. “Cairnhollow” is divided by substantial fences into eleven paddocks, where good crops of oats and excellent crops of rape and turnips are grown, and a large number of sheep are bred and fattened for the frozen meat trade. Mr. McLauchlan has always taken an active interest in school and church matters, and has been a member of committees for twenty years; he is also a member of the Domain and Cemetery Boards, and an elder in the Presbyterian church. He was married, in 1868, to the youngest daughter of the late Mr. Samuel McCleary, of County Down, Ireland, who came to Auckland, in 1866, in the ship “Rob Roy;” and he has two sons and twelve daughters.

Mr. and Mrs J. McLauchlan.