RANGITIKEI AREA

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

RANGITIKEI AREA

Lambing Just Starting A trip this week took me up to Turakina and home through Marton and Bulls on a perfect spring day. The district looked • well, pastures were short, but fresh, and stock appeared in good heart. A really good, warm rain would send the feed away. Such a rain was enjoyed the night after the trip. . About 20 per cent, only of ewes have lambed as yet on the West Coast generally. The main lambing is just starting. Between Bulls and Turakina I passed a lorry well laden with bales o£ sacks, and shortly thereafter came upon a chaffcutting scene, one now unfortunately rare.

The Rangitikei country is truly excellent, all-round farming land. One can do almost anything with it —raise fatlambs or white-face lambs, dairy, grow all manner of grains, or harvest pastures for seed. For each and all these purposes it is well suited, having a good substantial soil, less wind than most of the Nort,h Island west coast, an ample rainfall ; and the harvest season is reasonably reliable. I understand that land here is valued at from £25 to £35 an acre. A carrying capacity of three ewes per acre is common.

Messrs. F. S. Falkiner and’ Sons’ Boonoke Stud, N.S.W., has about 40,000 breeding ewes and is the largest Merino stud in the world. Sales of rams since the stud came into Messrs. Falkiner’s possession in 1882 aggregate over £2,000,000.