THE COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 270, 12 November 1909, Page 9

THE COUNTRY.

SOUTH-EAST TAUPO DISTRICT.

A sentleman. who recently returned froa a visit to the district about Taupo, mrei a hopeful account of the prospects for the future. He states that north-east from Lake Taupe is a block of 100 000 acres of land, which many T ears ago to bought from the Crown, king considered of very poor quality. Some ten years ago 45.000 acres was mirchased by a Southern man, who has Lee been residing upon it. and three years ago an Aucklander bought 52,000 icres. which is situated between Waiotapu and Taupo, and which he is now breaking in. -1 consider" states the recent visitor, "that in 20 to 30 years time all that land will be just as valuable as much of the Waikato land, which years ago was considered too light to be of much value. Then the fact was discovered that it would protr turnips splendidly, and sheep and cattle followed, with the result that today the land in the Walk ato is fetchfaff big prices for dairying purposes, and tou will now find there some of the best herds of cattle in the Dominion on good grassed paddocks. In the years to come, I expect similar results from the light lands at Taupo. All that is wanted is to get the land settled by the right class of men—l mean men who know how to farm, and have a little capital with which to begin. To the poOT man such a country is no good, as he cannot bring it into cultivation quickly enough to secure a return for his labour. But I am sure That land is not so poor but that a man •with capital, who for five years can go on expending capital, will, in the end, get a substantial return for his money. "In the block of 42.000 acree of land to which I referred, there is a swamp flat of 1.200 acres that was put down in grass some eight or ten years ago, and I know that for some time now that area has carried some 4.000 sheep, and is still carrying them all right, for it would be hard to find a cleaner, healthier flock. The land is unwatered by a bi°" swamp drain, which, in the first plac6, was four feet wide by three in depth, but has been now cut by flood •waters to a width of 20 feet and a depth of 12 feet. It 13 somewhat interesting to note that at bottom of the drain is now to be seen what is evidently the remains of an old forest, the timber being mostly tota-ra and matai, clearly proving that at one time it ■was bush land, which was probably covered by volcanic debris. That land has all been thought to be ■worthless, but what I saw convinces mc it is not. Up on the hills the land is lighter, but ■where it has been broken up and sown it has shown that it will produce plenty of feed. North of Taupo the land is all of a light character, but still results during the past two or three years have conclusively proved that in that end of the district exists some of the best turnip growing land in the North Island. That was shown by the mammoth Swedes that were exhibited at the recent Winter Show in Auckland. Those particular specimens, I am informed, were not selected, but taken from a patch of 400 acres as a sample to show what could be done on that land. After such land—being well manured—has produced two or three crops of turnips, it is then ready to grow grass for pasture. At the fa-r end of this large block, known as 'Broadlands,' there is some heavy mixed bush, and that land can certainly be ranked now as good pastoral country. The trouble at the present time is the lack of roads in that end of the district. I would, however, again wish to emphasise the fact that this is not a district for a poor man to go to, but a man with capital, ■who takes up land there and spends his money judiciously, is bound to make a. good return. As at the present time there is some talk of starting a sugar beet root industry, it seems to mc that there may be a future in that respect for the Taupo district. The district is largely pumice, -which, owing to years of exposure to the atmosphere, is now in sucq a state that it readily breaks up finely when worked, thus rendering available for plant food large quantities of phosphoric acid which it contains. "Beyond Rotorua, behind the halfway house on the run through to Te Teko, there is a fine block of bush land. These sections were taken up a few years ago under the option with right of purchase at 9/- per acre, and the land is bow worth £3 per acre to the owners of those leases. That amount has been effered. but not one of the holders would dream of accepting such a figure; in fact, they would not think of surrendering their leases under £5 to £6 per acre, which shows the rapid advance that has taken place in the value of the land in the North Island. At the foot cf Xongataha there is a small dairy farm of 300 acres, which is carrying grass that would not disgrace any part of the Waikato, and the herd grazing on that pasture pretty well supplies with milk the whole of the Hotorua township." BUTTER TRADE INQUIRY. SOL CAMERON" OX NEW ZEALAND METHODS. (From Cur Special Correspondent.) LONDON, October 1. The Produce Commissioner for the New Zealand Government, Mr. H. C. Cameron, appeared this week before a committee appointed by the Department of Agriculture for Ireland, and described the measEres adopted by the New Zealand Government for the" regulation of the butter industry. The object of the inquiry at -which tie Produce Conrmissiouer gave evidence is to ascertain the principal forms of trade description at present applied, in the United Kingdom, to different grades of. butter; and to suggest what additional measures, if any, it is desirable for the Department to take in the interests of the Irish butter industry, with Bpetial reference to the prevention of loss or injury to the industry from the use Of false trade description." Hi". Cameron said that in New Zealand there was compulsory registration of aJI creameries and of farms with more than 60 cows and of private dairies of less tkin that number of cows. Each was required to have a registered number and a registered brand. The inspectors had very wide powers, and condemned butter Which _ was not up to standard. A system of grading was in force, and since it *&s established the butter had become 01 more uniform quality. The system snowed the manufacturer where his delects were.

The witness dealt with the question of the increase in the quantity of moisture a .New Zealand butter, to" which' attenk°a was directed last year, and explained ■"* grecautiona that" were now being

taken by the New Zealand Government | to prevent it in the future. He added that there were in New Zealand 193 creameries, 116 packing-houses where butter was milled, and 308 private dairies. COMPULSORY GRADING. Mr. Samuel Lowe, of the firm of W. Weddel and Co., St. Helens-place, E.C., expressed the opinion that the trade descriptions at present applied to different grades of butter in the United Kingdom were too numerous and required simplification. He advised that only two descriptions of butter should be used—namely, creamery and dairy. The process of blending enabled butter merchants to supply a fairly regular uniform standard of butter throughout the year. It was essential that all creameries should have mechanical refrigerating machinery, and each creamery should have a cold store to hold at least one week's make of butter.

Mr. Lowe said he was a strong believer in complete compulsory grading as carried on in New Zealand and Queensland, hut seriously doubted whether the compulsory element could be adopted in this country. It would be an advantage to every creamery in Ireland to have its butter graded by Government officials under an optional system of grading. COMPLAINTS ABOUT MOISTURE. The Produce Commissioner has given wide publicity to the action taken by the New Zealand Government to meet the complaints regarding the excess of moisture in New Zealand butters. He has published a letter in the daily and trade papers, which he hopes will serve to reassure both traders and public in this country. Mr. Cameron writes:—

" With reference to the increase in the' quantity of moisture in New Zealand butter, "to which attention was directed last year, I am instructed by the High Commissioner to inform you that he has received a letter from the Prime Minister giving details of action taken by the New Zealand Government in dealing with the matter as follows: —'All butter sent in for export to Great Britain during the coming season will be subject to a rigid inspection by the officers of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture stationed at each port of shipment. A large number of samples will be taken for analysis daily, and in all cases where the legal limit for moisture is exceeded, the offenders will be prosecuted. In addition to this the instructoro in butter-making who visit practically every creamery in the Dominion a number of times each season, will pay sperial attention to the question of moisture in butter. They will also look closely into the methods of manufacture adopted in regard to butter-making, and endeavour to induce the makers to ertain not more than from 12 to 13 per cent of water in the finished article. These offerers will carry a moisture-test-ing outfit with them on their rounds. In view of complaints received during the past season, the question of moisture in butter for the coming year will receive more than usual attention. Some extra men will be employed in cheeking the work of the dairy companies in this respect, in order to safeguard tho interests of the purchasers of New Zealand butter, and to protect the industry generally. The High Commissioner is satisfied that these precautions, taken in the interest of the trade, will comment themselves to all purchasers of New Zealand butter in this country."

This action on the part of the Government of New Zealand will heartily commend it-self to all traders in

this country, and Will receive their unstinted support. It is to be hoped that the aim and object of the New Zealand Government may be fully achieved. THE POTATO BLIGHT. Spraying for the blight on the potato crop is still being proceeded with, in the hope of saving the crops and securing some return. The up-to-date farmers realise that after expending about £4 per acre for seed, and another pound for fertilisers, as well as the cost of ploughing and planting, it is well worth while fighting the blight by spraying at a comparatively small cost per acre, in order to secure a better result from the crop. Many statements are made to the effect that spraying is not effective, but such is not the case. On the contrary, the best of evidence is available to establish the fact that a crop regularly sprayed with the standard preparation will, in a period largely infested by blight, be saved, where, on the other hand, the same variety of potato, growing under similar conditions, but not sprayed, will be cut down by the disease. Spraying, to be effective, must be done thoroughly, and at an interval of about ten days in bad weather, •both under the leaf as on the top. THE HORSE-POWER OF HORSES Speaking technically, a single horsepower is a force sufficient to raise 33,000 pounds one foot high in one minute, or one pound 33,000 feet vertically in one minute. This, we are told, is the unit by which English and American mechanics measure power developed in any manner by steam, by means of electric motors, or by real horse flesh. The actual work done may be measured in the same way.

It is interesting to know just what horse-power a horse of cerLuin weight may be expected to develop as he performs the work on the ordinary farm. For continuous work, hour after hour, drawing the plough is about as tiring to horses as any operation on the farm, so this may he taken as -an example of the power required of the animals. A four-teen-inch furrow, Eix inches deep, requires a steady pull of more than 425 pounds to turn it 'over on stubble land. With a draft as heavy as this, a team moving at the rate of two and one-half miles per hour will develop more than three horse-power. This may seem unfair to a team of two horses, but this, of course, will depend entirely upon the natural power and weight of the horses. The working capacity of horses of different weight may be considered to be somewhere near the following averages: Energy developed by a horse weighing IGOO pounds, moving continuously at the rate of two and one-half miles per hour, would equal one and one-third horsepower; that of a 1400 pound horse, 1.17 horse-power; a 1200 pound horse, 1 horsepower; a 1000 pound horse, .S3 horsepower, an 800 pound horse, .07 horsepower. Tins means, in other terms, that a horse should work easily pulling a continuous load of about one-eighth of his own weight. A load of three horsepower is. according to this test, rather a heavy one for even a heavy team to draw continuously, though it would probably be easily handled for a few days.

The draft of a loaded wagon weighing two tons and drawn at the rate of two and one-half miles per hour, will be a great variation according to the

different nature of the tracks over ■which the load is hauled. The average, over gravel roads, sand, dry dirt, mud, ploughed land, and meadows is nearly 2 horse-power with high wheels, and 2.9 with low wheels, a great range of from 1.13 to 4.98 horse-power being recorded by Professor King in his experiments. Other factors In this problem are, the great advantage gained from the momentum of a wagon drawn at a greater speed than two and one-half miles per hour, also the advantage given horses which do not work continuously at drawing the plough, or similar work. The figures here presented cannot be as hard and fast as when dealing with the working capacity of a steam engine—a thing of iron. The idea given is that of the number of horse-power work units commonly performed by our farm horses, and the example of a team of 1200 pound animals, drawing a plough cutting fourteen inches wide and four inches deep, at the rate of two and one-half miles an hour will illustrate the point. Here, each horse is developing just about a mechanical horse-power. Also, each horse is doing nearly what a horse of that weight should do easily, day after day.—"lowa Homestead." ECCENTRICITIES IN HORSES. In horses there are many peculiarities of shape, colour, etc., and many eccentricities of manner. Speaking generally, anything unusual, whether in appearance or manner, is a point in favour of the horse. I have a suspicion that this principle pervades all animated nature. Certainly I never met an eccentric man without finding behind that characteristic a good, genuine, honest, and clever man. In horses I am irresistibly driven to similar conclusions. The ordinary young animal which goes where you put him, without any idea or mind of his own, is as soft as a boiled turnip. He cannot do a journey, nor can he satisfactorily carry one through a long hunting day and theft jog cheerfully home in the evening; still less could he go through the hardships of a military campaign.

The best horses I ever had were thoroughbreds, and most of them had what some call temper; I call it eccentricity. One of these horses killed his -late owner, but for years afterwards he did my work brilliantly. Another horse had become utterly unmanagable by various owners; and one cruel man had knocked out his left eye. I bought him for the proverbial old song, and I never had a better animal in my life. I could have driven him a hundred miles any day. He was never sick nor sorry, never had n cough or cold, never off his feed, never had a filled leg, never lame, always ready for work all the year round. —Outspoken, in the "Farmer and Stockbreeder."