SOUTH WESTLAND FARMING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22431, 18 June 1938, Page 11

SOUTH WESTLAND FARMING

STEADY PROGRESS MADE SETTLERS CONFIDENT OF FUTURE (THE PRESS Special Service.] GREYMOIJTH, June 17. Because of the comparatively low price of land, the abundant rainfall, a marked improvement in the breeding of stock, and better road and bridge facilities, a substantial increase in farm production in South Westland may be anticipated during the next few years. Throughout the district amongst the farming community there is an air of quiet but definite confidence in the future. That optimism is warranted, according to observations made by a reporter of “The Press” during a trip 'ast week to Weheka. The main factors which* have contributed to the success so far achieved in farming In South Westland are stated to have been the opening up of new areas, top dressing with lime followed by superphosphate, and the introduction of dairy sires from the North Island and from Canterbury and Nelson*

Particularly noticeable Is the use of burnt lime to combat the sourness of hitherto gwampy lancj, the increase in the use of lime being ascribed mainly to the nearness of a supply at Ross which shows an analysis of about 96 per cent. , , ~ Approximately 60 per cent, of the land now in production in South land is devoted to some _ extent to dairying, the remainder being used for raising fat cattle and fat lambs, Eminently suited for dairying is the land round Hari Hari and Wataroa, Being drier and warmer than Hari Hari, the Wataroa district is also suited for the raising of fat cattle and fat lambs. When all available land is cleared, it IS estimated that about 35,000 acres could be brought into production at Wataroa, compared with the presen iday total of about 15,000 acres, which, in turn, is a great increase on that of 10 years ago. Puring the last few years there has been a marked increase both in the number and in the quality of the iat lambs raised, more especially between Wataroa and Weheka, and from this district have come some of the lambs sent to freezing works in Canterbury. On occasions lambs from Wararoa have topped the Addington market. So far as can be ascertained, the record is held by a truck of fat lambs, sept this year from the property of tlv late Mr F. G. at Weheka, which averaged 831 b. Fat lambs, it is claimed, do well on the river flats of South Westland, and lambing percentages are higher than elsewhere on the West Coast. Farmers now generally favour cross. That the dairying Industry in South Westland is increasing, and that the future is particularly bright, may be gathered from the reconstruction of ‘he Inter-Wanganui dairy factory at Hari Hari, which commenced operations last week. Supplies for this factory are drawn from as far south as Weheka, 60 miles distant. A substantial new concrete factory will shortly be erected there to replace the present

wooden building which has done duty for more than 30 years. The new factory will have a capacity output of 150 Q tons yearly, compared with its. present capacity of 38Q tons. The latter figure is slightly more than treble the output 10 years ago. Rerhaps the most marked advance made over the last few years in South Westland has been in the breeding of fat cattle. In recent times graziers in the Waiho Gorge, Weheka, and Mghitahi districts, and in the Haast, have imported good quality sire? of the Polled Hereford breed in Order to eliminate damage to stock in transit to markets by lorry and rail. This breed has another advantage. One extra beast, because of the absence of horns, can be put into a railway truck. Probably nowhere in New Zealand is there to be seen a yarding Qf better quality Hereford apd Hereford-Short-horn cross cattle, with some Aberdeen Angus oattle, than pi the half-yearly sales at Wataroa in March and October. .

Better reading and more bridges are still required, however, in South Westland to assist materially the fat stock raising industry. To-day, stock has to be driven to the Wataroa saleyards, 22 miles north of Waiho, from great distances. For example, stock froim the Cascade run belonging to the Nolan brothers, of Okuru, has to be driven 175 miles, while oattle from the holding of the Cron brothers af the Haast have been driven 100 miles to the sales. Journeys such as these frequently necessitate the swimming of mountain rivers and torrents. .In spite of this arduous travel, however, the beasts are in gootl condition on arrival.

•'The Press” Classified Advertisements are read at the breakfast table, and are sure to deliver results during the day—l2 words Is, 3 insertions ?s fid. 'Phene 33-358, -fi