OUT AND ABOUT.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5490, 1 April 1910, Page 2

OUT AND ABOUT.

TE WAIROA FARM

A few days ago a Ti.r.es representative "visited '-To Wairoa," the properly of Mr H. 1\ Clarke. The farm is situated -about six miles from Tauijanga 1 wharf, en the .Kmtiri kaU mam iroad. The holding- may I also ,ne reached by water, and it is \nn nJed for a consideriVble distance on the eastern iside by the navigable Wairoa river. Mr Clarke is the owner of the commodious Jauinch 'WjajnVaWu. -anif* 4s" cnhibled f o land all material required for use on the fannj at; a poiwt on the river bfcmk about 20 chains from Jthe homestead, a well-graded trolley road providing 'access to the Wairoa. Chaff and other products are sent away by this route. The total area of the farm is 430 jacres, consisting! of 200 acres previously owned by the late Captain Chrke— father of the present owner— and 224 acres purchased in recent years by |Mr H. 1?. Clarke from Messrs Laurie Bros, and the Assets Rca'li£astion ißohlrtl. /Tii Captain Clarke's time he engaged in sheep farming and cropping, jbut Mr H. 'P. Clarke <rio\v« )pi-ns liis faith principally |to dairying. ,He has gone out of sheep because there is, no ready market fbr the fats, but would (be prepared; however, to go in for sheep fattening ag-ain if a freezing works were erected at Taurang>a. Ihi highest jt>oi>it en the property is nn eminence, ltnovb to tils mo.itvca as PukewKnnake, which w a s ■i.n foijmer liny a a stronp£y-fortified Maori pa. The fortifications have long since been dismantled to give place i o JRhvg/liish g^sses. Pukew-Ka-trakc ovorlooks ihi. mouth (of the Wniroa and the vicinity must have been the scene of jnn'tiy st/irrinfl; conflicts 'between' |lhe natives. 'Nuinnrous !Miaori woai»ons have Wecsn fount! in the' vicinity, including stens axes and tomahawks, and « 'valuable greenstone tiki, picked up abwit ci/gjht shears 't\7o, and hub«sequently disposed' of to , Capt»aiin Mair. A. .portion of the ; extreme tn-1 of the pa, which! was seprtrfe'tetl from the main Ra Ijry a- ditch 30 ft?et wide- antf 13 foet "docp, tnaj' stijl W isoen in i ( tS' natural From the top of IPukGwrmnake is a magnificent view of Mount MauTvganui, Mayor, Ktarewha. RoTig'iwaea, \fatakana antl Motuhoa. Islands, !iiirt' all the surriDundiniSf coij|itr?sfrom Tauranffa to Katikatl. Mr Jx/hihcad's fl»rm hounds "IV Wai"oa" on the north ai>d close »to tho boundary fence is the surveyed line of the Kast iCoast railway.

There arc al>out^JJW>-«a€fOs of rich allu\ij^f ■^flats'" on the farm. Along ♦tfie'Tront Jis an area trf 20 acres, which bavo "been drained .ami cropped. Off a portion 'the owner says he bns^ In jfocmcr .ycfllrs, lifted a crop of 25 tons of .potatoes to the ucro. besides hoavy yields ,of 'maifce. This Bat locks as if it \vtyuld grow nny produce unri c-erfcatuly ftsj un■lurpassalle for dairy .farming. Adi wining, tlu "Wiurco, riivfer is fcC r flat of abfeut 100 acres, <to Wvhich improvements are I>cnTf 'carried «ut. Aljout 1200 (cliUijlhs of drains havo recently been opened' and Mr Clarko intends to cut another 200 chains, and also to erect a floedg'ate noar tin northern end to assist th.3 div^r^rfp There,* is i^fltnty of feod on the flat, and cattle cen travel over the whole of it. A conimßneement has been imade in cirttiffe 1 thft tea-tree andtiha ovttiibr •hopes to sow &' laegts portion an the cbur»e of a year or .two.- When in grass it /will be c. fine Idofrfting urea -and ought to !>e capaHe of carrying about 80 or 90 miikitag' cevws right thrtoiigh t'Kd scaioh.i On the westerrt t>i'lo the .propertj; is bounded ->>v. !Mr Db-vMsoti')^ farm. Alr/jy ana lyrfu^jdcpfy j^ttere are about SO acres of drained swamp, which have been sown A patch jof paspalu'u< dilitastum dbhwodi out ccnspicueftialy, which {proves /that this species of 'gr'n.ss libea swairnp country. A'Hout 150 ffcrete <of lahVl hlave bern down in EngJish " pasture, for periods varying ifroni three to ten years, o'nd the rich growth and thick sole is proof that tho laivl is. well adapted fo»* grass. Forty acres ad j-ai/raisoij jthc Tmaiii' riotad Melvc fcjK'n plotiiijhed and disc hAri'Qwtldt foald^' to receive seed. Croi>ping is not pone m for very extensively, alth'oi^gW I3evieiia!l st/ticks of oafts have 'bjecm h&rvestod. 1 this season. A paddock of five acres of maize hnu heen grown for use Son the farm, lamd- the Vrop 1 , whi'cht is nearly ready for cribbing 1 , is £me of, the best in the district. There are 35 nninrals in the {milking herd. These aye princip«.lliy Stuorthorais Ivitb -a Jew g^aele Jevstys. \lthouig(h 19 iheifers nro included, the returns- are ' ver^ sa.tis?act'dt^I hi* hV>i«d'miaking c^vpx 'JEI pen fc:iai'J during several «io»vjbhs of the season. ' Mr Clarke in tii-3 Shorthorn breed, l>e€ause the steer calves, which are retained on tbe farm till they are a year old, are always saleable. The bull is a grade Shorthorn of the milking- strain, a rich roan in colour, and one of the bent animals of the ftype to be seen in these parts. It was purchased in ths Waikato, and as Mr Clarke hijs owned it for several years,' he intends to dispjose of it ttois season, and purchase amotherf in its stead. A laHge nuniib'er of lhcjife?-s and calves sired -by 1 Ihia animal are to be seen at "Te Wairoa," and ia real nice lot they are. hfig in franc a<n:t ■bowing {plenty of quality. The owner (Was about 100 ttiead of. o4?ier Cflttlw on the property. A choice lot 'of 15 3-y«ar»dld Keifers^ / duo tlo calve in the spring, was pointed out. 'Mofiry of the cows ii* the (dapry herd aajd a lai'g'e |miJi|ber tof the young stock have been reared on tha pl«,ce, which shows that the locality is well euit-ed for the raising nf cattle. .Mr Clark owns »Uoutf : 80 Hordes. Tha workers include (a nice Braemar mare (with Chi«ft a in foal), a Kinigi Fergus mare, aW ArmoUale mane, and four Chieftain mares and fillies. Amongst the lighter stock rriafe- ,1* s<*in a fiine mare "by NV^tolf broW 11 , wit-b la wrqll-flprc/wn Firearm yearling ifilly running with her. The well-fcnown Riritanond mare Myrtle has a shapely colt by Firearm at her side which lo o W hk* fmakim? a Kalloper. One d! the nest grown fonls in the district is a robnst colt by Hamoa froni a well-bred Mack mare. Of the other younp horsey .the most JnbtirrtiWe' three weH^rrotwn yearlirijfe tiy Chiefta:>i a very fftfe foal by tin «*ame sire. Judgdng by tJio young horses on the farm Mr Clarke may bo expect«d to supply a number of prize irmWer* at some of the future agricultural shows. The raising of prjrs has jrecrfvpd a deal erf -attention at "TeWniroa" of jate fc'ear^ Ainowt J7O htvve bean sold thi« seosrn, wi'li 15 p.-r\-ers Still in the »ty: There are als,, eight breeding i«owb and a boar of <ha fa^roirrite 'Bwrk.'jh'ii-© breed n-ai-nW i^ a. f*)ur-bcre n'aOiJock. Tt is ¥r CVrke's tntenticn b*"-fa»<v> i n a new^ FiaaSock <of tcto,- acre«» for his Dlgii next season, "when he expects to dispose <o( i*iout 100 h«aVl

Therd are six biSrs, of wc(ll4scpt substantial jfencos on the property, these being constructed of purlri strainers, blucgium posts, and soy. galvanised (wires. There is an ine.\ihaiist\blc supply of 'bfluegwms on the fanu. Those required for posts as* cut and split, «ttd stacked under s-helter for a yoai or so (before b*ing placed in the ground. Our ref resent ative ..was shown l.Muqgum posts that h.id been tin the fences for sev<n years, and which were lit for service for a long period yet. Evidently the bluegtim makes very si»rvjcc«ty)« posts when allowed to dry in shelter.

A fine supply of pure water {s ol>tuined by means of a "G 0 old" ram, which is set at the foot of (an iniline behind the house. The source of supply is a spring issuing (from v pumice rock, the water being carried fJown by an inch pipe <« the mm. which forces the water through ai^Ulhter pipio up fa,' rfs,e of 1106 f,ecft. to the tanks at ; ths refer of the residence. The water is also conveyed by means of a (branch pipe to the large tank at the milking sh 3 d. Mr Clarke decided \t 3 have a Law-nence-KcTi(nedy;-C;;Uip.s milJcJnig pltaint instil \- d '|in Ih-js ocfwshcd \&s£ DecemlA?r» The power is supplied ttjy a 6 h.p. storm enigirae, oaipaHle 'of driving at Kb® raknc time three p,uisators — milking' six cows — the Separator» *n»» the s«w. The engine mnrtu by Andersons, Limited, and is vej-y easily managed. The Baltic separaihr £s afclb to deal jwitb 80 gallons of milk per hour.. >Ar vat is sot in the separator- room— vkich hns a concrete floor— to which a steam pipe is comfocttfd, enrftflingi the ntensils to he thoroughly cleansed with a minimum of trouble. Another pipe enables the fl o or to be washed town, thus makingi for cleanliness of tho highest degree an essentiality if N«w Zealand butter Is to" regain its name on the Home Qrtarket. The in Hieing shed has ft concrete fl6 o r. |Mr Clarke is co wel 1 ss-t-isfletl ivitK Xixe results achieved IA- ,},is imithjmery, th.it he intends .enlarging the shad «ni increasing his wilMng. herd to about 80 cows next season. The saw bench is in close proxim-

ity to the seimi-ator house, and as there are plenty* of trees en the farm th» necessjiry firewood ,for the qrijne tlnlcl fqr ihioMfichok^ rlurpo.scs is drawn thither -and sawn into any length KlesirwK Tte owner intends to have his etoaiT-cut-Ui g pla-nt drlvon by- the engine in .the near future. Close to <ha homestead (is a. wellkept orchvrd, which Mr Clarke hopes to enlui'ge during the approaching planting season. Shelter trees ,ar* always a necessity [where Icatt)* b»1 horses are Icept, and in this inspect "-Te fllaiiiYJa" is especiaJßy well off. A great' number of' #nrprovements ( h a ve b«jcn effected <)yy the present owner during recent years and when he has his alluvial flats grossed |ho farm wMI I,'ffco r. nfc with the l>eftt of its acreage on tho I*'-«st Coast. A new Siouise has jiist been erected pn -an eminojice overlofftfinig liho whole .farm «nd the lvaitjoui- f\-om OnVofcorbta. to Mount Mauip^nMi. while the eastern Jaspect embrncjs v view of the W-oiroit river. Ktatikuti-

Taura-ntesi main road, niwl the country extending from Otumoetaii l>ack to Oropi aiwl Kjainiit-i).'. flha hixilxttng —with verandah—covers 2500 anniaro feet and contains Sdiminproom. rtrawingroonj, hall, four bedrooms, kitohon, scullery, pantry, larder and Im-thToom. lißaittjs very aAnple lire*vision in tfob way cf cupboards, l.nt'U press, .wardrejje?, ■ t\iv. A! ydi'aiidah, 7 feet iwido, cxtonds aUmar the entire easteifn; Kacc o f Wws liuiidiflljf ond the greater portion of tho northern face, a total length of S3 feet, «md has !n*u:rg>,uat glass daors ivpentng on iv> itjfram I'he drajw-

■<nf£ a-nd climng rooui£> There. a.re four fireplaces in the building 1 , three being jopen 'hearths of tha architect's own design, constructed to get the maximum value in heating either from wood or coal. Tn the kitchen is set a No. ; 2 Or.u,h Hange, \vo(ih high pressure Wjoilcr, coving, and plate rack. A a5-gallon (Copper circulator, thoroughly inflated, is attached, 'and supplies hot enfl cold water to the sc'ullory as well as to '.ho lavatory ibasin end bath. While no money 'has been thrown away on ornuLientation, pure and simple, tho hciuse rtias.the a-ppearatvee <ot be'ng t'hoitouigfMy equipvpwl- "amirl ifinished in every pirticulLr., In'viucr St. nn ahof solid camfort -arU practical use--futoess, such as sec»ns jjn kaaping with a (property like '"Pc |AVn,irca" Fa I'm. The *>uilding- work was carried put by Mr J. ,C. Adams, whose son (Mr Stanley | Attains) acted as foraivan. Thp pluming work was executed by Messrs Davjes Bros., in'l the brickwork \)y Mr "\V. Crump. Thn Joaintinjf, paperha7iging an^d deccrative work was enti-ustetl to Mr N'ormlan. Cmlleth. whr> displayed considerable artistic tiaste. comWhed with good workmanfliip, jn putting tha finishing {touches to the whole job. The -building wtis designed; (by Mr <J.*iArnold Ward, "and carried out under 1 his supervision.- The ,new homestead appears to give the owner complete ijntisfar.ijfcn, and ranks as one of U»« most cta/mtyitrte country homes in l-he district.