LATENT RESOURCES

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 146, 21 June 1916, Page 11

LATENT RESOURCES

NEED FOR MORE ENTERPRISE.

It is quite plain to any visitor that the resources of the district are not being taken full advantage of, and this is, in' fact, generally admitted. There yet i remains a big scope for the man who is a little more scientific—a little more enterprising—than many who are now gardening in the district. One gentleman put it this way: The land is so prolific that there is no need for them to worry. They are making a living? Yes, undoubtedly they are making a living, but they should be making a fortune! When there is more competition the realisation of the position will probably be forced upon them, but then it may be too late. There are exceptions, of course, but not many. HARD WORK. Market gardening calls for hard and continuous labour. Unless a man is prepared for that he can never make a success of commercial growing. By himself he can work ten acres, .and make good money, but he must be systematic and must know something about the calling he has favoured. Market gardening by itself is no good for a novice, and nobody should be drawn into it by glowing accounts of the success achieved at Otaki. Of course, it is different if he is prepared to stand a loss for the first season or two; INTENSE -FARMING. Otaki is a district specially well suited for farming of the " intense" variety. The soil is rich, and the prioe demanded

is one which .makes it imperative that the most should be obtained from it. Land suitable for vegetable growing is on the market at from £50, £60, to £70 per acre, or it can be had on a lease with a purchasing clause at £3 per acre per annum. It will be seen, therefore, that the returns would have to be substantial in order' to warrant the outlay of capital. But there need be no doubt about that point if the ground is properly worked.