CAMBRIDGE FARMING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 35, 11 February 1929, Page 19

CAMBRIDGE FARMING.

A GREAT SEASON. El j !i.:,KAT lIKCORD ASSURED. (f- : . ■■ ii.r .'inn C<->rr?<pnndfnt.) i AMBI;ID«;K, Saturday. ]~ ...:._' p .\ ith f>l her parts of the I, ~, ;■ ■, .|, ;; :\i- lu'i-ll tllllv H great <CAf,. ;,.,- :, •:- in 'hi* ili-trii.-t. With ■r A \ \';\ ,\'.\ ■ 'lii'litif'ii-', a wonderful ] M .-\.-r. ii '•■.:::crfat record n««ured an<l i ~.■-.. ,i'| rn'iHi'l. no dark clnuili )Vl , ~.,•..i "i "ii tin , tunning horizon to v ,,,..-., ':. ■ • -.!■•) icit iu tin; least, lie f.,.,.. ;. ■■ winter under the nu><t ~.,,.; .•;■..:- i-i.iiilitii>ii: enjoyed for many y< a;-. TV- ';;.! r \ f-T taken from the land? of i|:-"i >t :!iis sfason lias indeed neen . ~,:i: i,■. hi- line. On all sides tliere are Jjhv-'ji-'a- ■ t iuiu-ually larjre dimension*. v l,'il,> a :■■■■■ >t*l amount of l'a},,.,.ii • .■ '.a:!, Cambridge di-trii-t far- ,„,.[■- '. i ■• -'ii'- in for a considerable ~,, , nit iif -.i|i;.'fii'..-i'.nry feed, notwithj,t:iini.n- '■•■ !i'i\y hay crop- , ?. Turnip [.[■iipj ,ii'' v< ■' ':i"_' maturity, and many j,i-,.a- n'.-:ii-i '.i.i>k woll. Tht> same iii.iv he -' id i."f tiii'i/r and other <-vr>\«. I; :. ii.i\v Htifirirt'lit that a bntterfat record i- H--ii!i'.i. Favoured with occasional rain- »ii! '■ ''"' i'''jiiiiiiinp of the New Year. t!ir> -11;>; : i:>■ - ; " tin , factories are keeping mi ri'iiiiirk.ii'iy well, and for the month of .laini.iry tin 1 Mipplie* to tlie factories f.linw h i->i!i-iil'.'ralilp increa-e. as com-iiari-d witii the corresponding period of the jiir-\i"ii- M'liMin. While this increasfl production is due in a large measure '" 'I' l ' more efficient methods bi-in* adopted, the greater inou*ure of credit in ii -t iif* given to the use of manure-. Ni'vi-r in the history of Cainbridge dairying ha- such an amount of manure invii imported into the district a* during tin , present season. It is very difficult to a-certain the amount in exact tignrt , *. liiit it may he said that if the total was placed alongside that of. jiav. ten var- ago. it would certainly provide a daggering comparison. Even Ht the present there are very lar»e supiilii's coniiiiL' into the district, r-orne of thi«. of ruurse. due to a .concession available during the early period of the year.

N'ot only dairying, hut other branches of primary producing are experiencing equally proajierous times. The sheepfarmer in this <li.-trict has had an equally pood time. At late sales sheep have been fetching very good value.-. Lambs were disposed at the local stock sale on Monday last for 2-">/(5, while shorn lambs offered to-dfty on account of Mr. Jas. Taylor went even a little higher in price.

The Ragwort Menace. Although tin: ragwort menace in this district i» not nearly so pronounced as in some other parts of South Auckland, nevertheless district farmers are perturbed, as it is well that they are alive to the danger of the pest. On the flat lands in the neighbourhood of the borough there ia not a great deal of the weed, but some portions of the hill country further back are fairly infested. The tenacious nature of the pest, together with its spreading propensities, give the farmers on the lower country much concern. Some portions of the Te Mho settlement are fairly covered with the weed, while ragwort is equally as numerous in the southern portion of the Eoto-o-Kangi, also at the south-eastern end of the Karapiro district near Tirau. During the past few weeks farmers have been very busy pulling and burning the weed, but there are a few who do not seem to realise the seriousness of this menace to dairying lands. The use of elieep to keep down the weed is being more extensively employed with good results. However, to have the fullest effect, the attack upon the weed has got to be universal. This was recognised fit the monthly meeting of the Matamata County Council on Friday, when it was decided to write to the Minister of Agriculture urging that assistant inspectors be immediately sent to the county to help in observation work and in notifying farmers.

The District Roads. Although dusty and a hit troublesome with loose sand, the district roads are in very good order. Good progress is being made with the tar-sealing of the Hamilton-Cambridge main highway, over four miles now being completed. At the monthly meeting of the MataBiata County Council at Tirau on Friday it was mentioned by the engineer that the Public Works Deparment surveyors arc about to reeurvey portion of the main highway between the Cambridge borough boundary and the Horahora crossroads. Actually the stretch concerned is from a- point about two miles beyond the Karapiro factory and the Horahora cros-roads. On the stretch referred to, which is one of the most tortuous pieces of the road between Hamilton and Rotorua, there are several dangerous hair-pin bends, and these are to be cut back, together with other improvements to this stretch. It is really marvellous that there have not been more serious accidents on this portion of the road. Your correspondent understands that the work will be placed in hand at an early date and that unemployed labour will be used.