THE UREWERA LANDS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17986, 1 February 1924, Page 3

THE UREWERA LANDS.

❖ ; PORTION TO BE OPENED. About 32,000 acres of Urewera Crown lands are to be opened for settlement in March or April. This land is all bush and will be used for grazing purposes, with the exception of some small flats along the streams which may be used for cropping. A 13ft road has been formed from Waimana up the river to near the land and the timber is on hand for building all the bridges required, except the one across the river at Matahi where there is- a good ford available at other than flood times. With regard'to the quality of the land, there is considerable variation of opinion, but applicants will be able to form their own opinion by observing the results of similar lands , which have been felled arid grassed within the Urewera blocks, on land which was bought from the natives before the Government stopped further progress of the Waimana Settlement southward about 35 years back. The principal timber is. tawa which amounts to as much as 75 per cent, of the bush in the valleys and slopes of tlie hills, the underscrub being principally supplejacks wftli a good sprinkling of nikau palms. On some of the higher country the crowns of the ranges arc. covered with tawhai, commonly knowu among bushmeri as silver birch. On local bush lands similar to the land now being opened, the carrying capacity has been two and a-half she-op to the acre for the last 12 lu 14 years. Generally speaking the quality of the land and the prospers of making good grazing land are better than on much of the bush land opened bp within tho iast 20 years. Lake' Waikaremoana lies just at tlie back: of this land and it will proT>ably bo only a row years before electric transmission lines are brought down these valleys.