Run Improvement In The Mackenzie

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 8

Run Improvement In The Mackenzie

The emphasis was on development and run improvement when high country men from all over the South Island attended a field day held last week by the Upper Mackenzie branch of Federated Fanners on stations bordering the Haldon road in the Mackenzie Country.

There was talk of run plans and development of properties in accord with sound principles of soil conservation, of aerial oversowing and topdressing, sod-seeding and cultivation in more favoured areas, of drainage and swamp reclamation, of growing lucerne and fat lamb production.

And there was evidence of the impact of these practices on the country—clover amid the tussocks, lucerne nearly knee-deep and barns full of bales of hay. And of the future there was talk of this sort of country carrying four or five times the stock it is today. i

From the Mackenzie stream bridge on the Haldon road the field day visitors first heard an account of developments on Mr D. M. France’s Glenrock run of 10,443 acres, ranging from 1700 to 4500 ft. which is a Department of Agriculture demonstration run and also the subject of a run plan from the Waitaki Catchment Commission.

Mr D. G. Reynolds, farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture at Fairlie, said that the time had come when some of the conflicts concerning development of this type of country should be ironed out and it was hoped that some of the answers would be provided on Glenrock. The carefully measured programme there would also, it was hoped, provide confirmation of the profitability of the practice. There were many who could see the 12m acres of I tussock country, now with i some 2m sheep, carrying four I or five times that amount of i I stock, he said. I The seven stations on the I Haldon road were now runI ning 55,000 sheep on 250,000 ! acres. Some 200.000 acres ! of this country was topdressi able and under full developj ment he saw stock numbers rising to at least 200,000, he ; said at a later stage. Mr Reynolds said that Mr I Wilson, chief pastoral lands j officer of the Lands and Sur- [ vey Department, had assured him that where sound . development was being under-

taken stock increases would be allowed on runs. Glenrock, he said, was a compact unit with easy access and good alluvial flats to shingle tops. At the start of the programme it had been carrying 3200 sheep—6o per cent of them dry—and 40 cattle. The aim of development was to grow more and better feed and the intention was that by 1973 stock would Ibe up to 7500 sheep and 100 head of cattle. The plan was to grow lucerne for winter feed—there was already 100 acres in lucerne—6oo acres had been topdressed and oversown with I clover and already 10 miles of subdivisional fencing had been done and three miles of fences had been cattle proofed —the idea of the fencing was to encourage natural regeneration.

There was no intention, he said, to change from the hardy Merino breed of sheep, surplus stock from which were commanding an increasingly better market. By June, 1973, he said, it was expected that gross income would be up to £14,000. This would be as a result of the expenditure of £15,000, not including stock, and including some £3OOO from grants and subsidies. Thereafter increasing stock from about 7500 to 10,000 would require little extra expenditure apart from the extra stock itself.

Mr A. Robinson, of the Waitaki Catchment Commission, said that as a result of mainly fencing the centre block of some 4140 acres on the property was carrying three times the stock that it formerly had done, and that was although some 300 acres had been taken out of production. Mr France, who took up Glenrock in 1956. recalled that before subdivision all of the hoggets and two-tooths had to be wintered away down country.

He said he thought the way things were going that stocking should be doubled in a few years. He said he did not think that anyone could hazard a guess about the future of this part of the country. He did feel, however, that some water on this country would be a great thing. In the winter of 1962, Mr France oversowed 40 acres of tussock, at about 2000 ft at the mouth of the Mackenzie Pass, with a box topdresser using 61b of Montgomery red clover and 3cwt of sulphur superphosphate. Ever since it has wintered 40 head of cattle each year. Each year 400 ewes have also been put on ; this country after tupping and have remained there for about six weeks. In addition two years ago 1200 bales of hay were taken off the block and last year 1200 bales were harvested off half and £6OO of Montgomery red clover seed, as a catch crop, off the balance. Recently another lewt of ordinary superphosphate has been applied and the country is reported to be looking very well again.