FARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 11, 14 January 1925, Page 11

FARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

REMARKABLE EXPANSION. THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. FROM YFILDEIiXKSS TO PASTURES. 'By - AXCHOniTE.'i

lue remarkable expansion of the _reat dairying industry in the Xorthern Ring Country during the Inst few years is probably more noticeable in that 'territory which lies between the a alley of the. YWipa at Otorohanga and 'the f'uniho River—which marks the line Ketween the Waikato and the Kin" ( ountrv. D

s-omc eighteen years ago the whole ot this vast area, with the exception of a very few isolated cultivations, was in its virgin state. To-day this land is mostly in pasture nnd running dairy herds, sheep, and cattle.

This territory i=. above all. a dairying district. On tiie western side lie the ranges of Pirongia where dairvinrr activities end anrl where the erstwhile forest-clad slopes are now used for the raising of sheep anrl cattle. On the east, again, are the great Rangitoto Ranges running north and south and now converted on many of the foothills into sheep and cattle holdings. In between these two well-defined ranges, and covering the valley of the Waipa River and its tributaries, lies this immense area of dairying eountrv uiider re\iew. estimated at 123 square miles.

There are large areas ~f swamp lands being brought into availability by the various drainage boards operatiu"- in tbe county, and when these comprehensive works are completed much further settlement will result. There arc settlers here already on these partly improved swamp lands, who have had experience of farming on the Hauraki Plains, who declare that the swamp lands in the Waipa basin are fully as good in productiveness, and in many instances superior in quality. The dairymen who now chiefly operate this territory are keenly alive to the value of topdressing their pastures, and the evidence of the value of this practice lies in the increased quantities of cream being brought in from the various districts. On the Otewa-Tahaia Road, for instance, three cream lorries now run where two ran last season, and on the Mangaorongo Road two lorries bring in cream from as far as the foothills of the Rangitotos. Encouraging signs of steady and progressive settlement are noticeable on even the poorer land of the Otorohauga County. Xew settlers are coming in, bringing new methods with them, and there is little doubt 'but that even the hilly lands, where not too steep, will respond to the modern system and practice of , intensive top-dressing with suitable manures. Metal Roads. The Otorhanga County may claim to hold a very favourable position as regards the mileage of splendidly metalled roads within the confines of its boundaries, and, as loading and metalling arc intimately bound up with better conditions for the man on the land, this has been a not inconsiderable factor in the general progress which has been reached in a comparatively few years of pioneering effort.

The Otorohangii County is a recent offshoot of the Waitomo f'ounty, becoming an independent local body some two years ago. Prior to the formation of this new county 10.3 miles of metalled roads had been laid down (within what is now known as the Ot-orolianga County) and since then IS* miles of metalled roads have .been added, whilst some twenty miles of new metalled roads are now being laid this season.

In the .\langaoron<_'o Riding, metalling has been proceeding apace during the two years of the new county's existence, and, with the completion of the current contracts in hand, the whole district will be well served by superline roads, linking up with Rangiaten, Maihiihi. Peewhenua and Wharepuhnnga witli the natural centre at Otorohanga. The shingle for most ot" these great roading works is obtained from the bed of the AVaipa River, where an apparently inexhaustible, supply is available for all similar works in the county and for export. Dairyin; Figures. The huge butter factory ai Otorohanga is one of the most important branches of the Xew Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company's enterprises, and its products grade as second highest in the whole of this company's concerns.

The suppliers here nnm'ber 407, and the cream from 12.300 cows is manufactured into butter at Otorohanga. This factory turned out loTo tons of butter last season (102:1-24) but the 1924-2.1 season will assuredly improve upon that output as the present has been the most, favourable dairying period as yet experienced in the King Country.

The company's testing officer. Mr. AY. •f. Black, is now testing- some So herds which represented 1*33 cows during November. tine herd of 70 cows gave an average of butterfat for Xovember of 461 bs.

-Mr. W. Anderson is also testing, on. behalf of the Herd Testing Association, 30 herds, comprising some I.tOO cows.

Another' large dairy company has a depot at Otorohanga, and there receives cream from some lIS suppliers who milk some 209") cows. Tin's cream is railed to Frankton Junction, where the head factory of the Waikato Valley Dairy Company, Ltd., is situated.

This company, alone, manufactured 33] tons of butter last season from the cream collected in the Otorohanga County. There are probably 17.000 dairy'.-..us in this county. 4000 of which are under various forms of testing. The herds average about 30 cows, although the largest liprd is 550 cows. This largest herd is being milked on the headlands of the Kawa Swamp (by Messrs. Frank Quin and Sullivan) on land that was bought some years ago at £4.1 10/ per apre. It is certain that the herd-testing activities during the present season, added to the growing practice of adequate topdressing of the pastures, and the' intensive culling of the herds, will lead to <rreatly improved returns for those cno-aged" in the production of outterfat" and its by-products. Then, again, the general movement for smaller areas, and intensive cultivation of these, combined with heavier manuring, has attracted wide attention in this territory, and whenever put into operation has proved to be solidly successful and to be the means of directing the footsteps ot the small farmer towards the pathway that leads to success and eventually to independence.

MS? Puk / ma Pou Soldier BattlelEM2 here l hc -*tKV?2iiS l- rtod Headway. Several of the farmers Tron Pr ° t f dng 300,b of bu ««rfat per cow from their average herds of some 30 1 The outlook for those settlers, am] for dl L°tVv er localitiea in this «»»'" is distinctly encouraging. With tlie r£"*«on that better s?re S , herdte£ ng and manuring in combination will 2 ,i "P f eat] y the normal "turn, from the land, the great majority of dairymen are now devoting thcmwlrns ih P irr,uHn ? :. maximum roturns froiu IH«w C ! i , m \ ti ° conditions here are I meal for the dairy farmer, and undoiibt«ilj th ls r( .gi on of the Northern King Country presages prosperity, content men and at least, moderate wealth for those hardy and energetic pioneers who have subdued the %vildernl>aa and HndTnct I* i nt ° tI,C bpil ' llit ' u ' Svass mnde now to be seen on every side.