FARMING IN WAIKATO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 218, 15 September 1930, Page 8

FARMING IN WAIKATO.

HIGH PRICES FOR HORSES. IMPROVED FARM BUILDINGS^ DISAPPEARANCE ,OF RABBITS. • (From a Travelling i Correspondent.) - .. • Spring .is ; setting in steadily in the Waikato, in•- spite of late -frosts.'.. Grass is coming on well wherever paddocks liave been well treated. Fruit trees are in full bloom, and 'willows •are}showipg up green. Cows are coming .in with a rush, ''and','xxiilkreturns are.steadily on th© increase. ; — . Lorry loads of- "bobby" calves may still be seen,on their way to the works. Farmers are finding a great difficulty in getting enough pigs to use up the skim milk. : Consequently small pigs /are bringing record prices. » " Dairy cows are still selling well. All classes of-stock are at a fair level. Horses seem to be coming into'their own again. ; Prices are -fully as high as they were in premotor days. There is an unsatisfied demand for draught horses. A four days' horse fair is now being held at • Cambridge, and over 800 were, yarded, Seven hundred of these were draughts. Prices for unbroken Wrses run from £25 to £37, and for broken horses to • £48, witli: keen competition. Buyers came from as far south as Feilding.. . : . , _ \ . From the train one sees wide stretches of gorse in some-districts. It is a constant fight to ,keep, this pest in check. On some. farms some paddocks •• are': quite clear and; are showing up green, while, in other, paddocks gorse is running riot. This is no doubt owing to want of more working capital to keep the pest under. In- some districts, on. the better class qt land, gorse,. except along the .headlands and fences has entirely disappeared. The , same may be said of the rabbits. Closer settlement'and the disappearance of cover have dealt a death blow to the bunny. " 4 ' The farmers' suroundi'ngs are gradually improving,' in spite of falling prices. Many farms that.looked ragged and linear ed for a few. years ago are now looking trim a'nd ship-shape. Buildings have been painted'-and' look more cared for: It shows that' tlic farmer is "digging in" krid' is determined to' establish 'himself, come what will. < <.