WEST COAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 January 1923, Page 2

WEST COAST

AG RIGULT URAL DEVELOPMENT. (Speeial to “St tv”), HI CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 29. Some time ago a northern West Coaster complained to the writer that nearly everybody who visited the Coast to spy out the prospects concentrated his attention on South Westland and gave no notice to the possibilities in the northern end. There was some truth in the impeachment and consequently the writer spent several days during his trip in country that will be tapped by the connection with the AEidland railway. During those few days a good deal was seen that appealed, but a good deal more that offended the eye, for what would be termed in the North Island “Maori farming” thrust itself forward very prominently in some districts.

STILLWATER-AHAURA-REEFTON. The trail of the miner and miller is apparent up the Grey Valley. Blackberry, gorse, crops of ragwort, and minor infestations despoil the landscape. Here and there small areas have been cleared and are showing a good growth of white clover and lotus major. The latter grass to the Coast appears to be something like what cocksfoot is to Banks Peninsula. It flourishes amazingly on the most uninviting places. The point is that if much of this country were logged up and burnt and some attention devoted to the mass of blackberry and gorse that infest it, a greatly increased amount of grazing would be secured. In the timber milling days the future of the surface of the land was the last thing considered. However, much of the country is apparently sour and drainage would be costly, but there is a very big area where cuttings have been made which disclose favourable subsoils for drainage. The future of this country depends entirely on the cost of its reclamation. In the meantime the cost of extirpating the blackberry and other weeds, drainage, and liming looms too largely when the value of well-cleared land in other parts of the province is taken into consideration. Lime costs at the kiln over £2 per ton and to clear (not necessarily stump), drain, and give to this class of country a ton of lime to the acre would prob, ably not fall far short of £8 to £lO per acre. This involves the expend! ture of money that the Coast does not possess. One instance of the retrogression that has been allowed to develop was pointed out by a member of the party, who drew attention to a big level field, where, in 1884, he rode the winner of a “double” at the local races. It was then absolutely clean ; to-day it is a mass of gorse and other weeds. Round about this point, however, the soil is light, but apparently sheep do well on it, as several line drafts of lambs were to be seen. Near Aliaura there are extensive flats of milled country that are running a few cattle, but much of 4 it is sour-looking.

TOTARA FLAT. An eye-rest is provided when the splendid Totara Flat is reached. Here there is a line “skelp” of level, wellgrassed flats that compare very favourably with our good Canterbury land. Where it had been put under the plough good growing crops were to be seen, and the cattle and ewes and lambs were the last word in condition. This land is held in substantial blocks and is capable of carrying, good dairying herds. It is pierced- by the ReeftonStillwater railway, and with the opening of the tunnel it will be as near Christchurch as Oamaru.

Krom a vantage point on the Flat a wide stretch of country opens to the eye away to the west. The. easy foothills are heavily timbered, and local people say that the soil is of a very promising character. Successful burns, a difficulty on most of the Coast as a rule, are, it is asserted, secured here. It was a long-range view the writer had, but with some years’ experience of North Island bush country he would say that, transplanted over the Straits, the foothills towards the west in this locality would not be long uncleared. As a matter of fact, it is to the North Islander that this class of country is likely to appeal. He is more used to going out into the wilds with the axe on his shoulder than the Canterburyite. In the Ikamatua district there is a good area of cleared land and the plough has been included here in the list of farm implements. Some of the land is light but is carrying fair flocks of sheep. Well-grassed flats are to b e seen to a limited extent. Originally some of these flats carried heavy bush, and the state of cleanliness of some of» them and the abundance of good clean pasture and the greater Immunity from weeds show that the country hag been properly farmed. It can be said that around the Upper Ahaura-Totara and Ikamatua there is room for an expansion of settlement without much cost in the matter of reclamation. The areas at present held are too big, as indeed they are right throughout the Coast. The capital is not available to employ labour to farm them properly, and the result is weed growth. In nearly every district the writer visited the farmers would do better if they had half the land, a fact which many of them frankly admit.

Generally in New Zealand settlement has preceded the amenities of settlement—i.e., land has been taken up before bridges or railways, and frequently roads, reached within miles. An attractive feature about the section of the Coast above dealt with is that it is well served with excellently surfaced roads and a railway.

BARRYTOWN-CHARLESTON

Barrytown breathes of the mining days. It was here, according to local tradition, where occurred the noted incident of the miner lighting his pipe with a£s note. The past importance of a decadent West Coast town is generally illustrated by the. number of “pubs” it contained. Barrytown had 17, with 2700 of a population to keep them going. Now there is one pub and a few families.

Until recently the district suffered badly from isolation. Its only method of communication with Greymouth. 18 miles away, was along the beach when the tide was out. It was a perilous trip sometimes, and it can be understood that it needed some strong lure like gold, to bring people along. Cattle, in the early days for the mining population were frequently brought along the beach after being travelled over" from North Canterbury through tlie ranges to Reef ton. Recently « road has been put through between Greymouth and Punakaiki, 30 odd miles, and the Public Works gangs are now connecting up a few more miles, which will give direct communication with Westport, bringing the present connection of 100 miles between that town and Greymouth down to 70. In passing, it may be remarked that 20

or 30 miles of this road provide some of the finest beach and bush scenery in the Dominion. There are unique attractions, such as the “blowhole,” and another “Wanganui river” ( the Pororari). When it is better known it will claim big crowds of seaside resorters-

Quality rather than quantity describes the country along portions of this coast. Where on small pieces as far as Barrytown farming is carried on white clover grows luxuriantly. But the great attraction is that a stretch of about 15 miles is subject to a warm current from the ocean, and frosts are practically unknown. Round about Barrytown the. writer was pointed out a field from where two crops of potatoes had been taken in a year, and he was informed that early tubers have been dug in October! “This is a possible Pukekohe of. Canterbury,” somebody remarked. There certainly would appear to be scope for an enterprising gardener supplying early potatoes to Christchurch in October. The. soil is comprised of a warm loamy granity sand, up to 10 feet in depth, the washm’s of the hilltops for ages. Dairying is mildly carried on on the fiats above Barrytown. There is excellent roughage in the bush and rank grass on the flats. It is all understocked. There is one heard of about 40 cows, which, in the good seasons, returned as high as £lOO in a month, but the bulk of the herds comprised from 12 to 16 cows. A permanent motor lorry service lias been established, and now that the isolation of the district has been removed possibly the herds will be increased.

A LIMESTONE BELT. Punakaiki is 27 miles from Greymouth, and most of the country about here is still in the virgin bush. Back from the sea there are extensive flats of reputedly good grazing quality and areas of easy hill faces that, it is claimed, could be brought in. The singular condition previously mentioned in regard to the warm belt makes the burning of the felled bush here less of a problem than further south. In the valleys of the Punakaiki, Porarari and Fox rivers attractive settlement country opens out. Round about this quarter there is a good depth of loamy soil on a subsoil of shingle.

There are about 50 or 60 settlers in this district, including a number _of returned soldiers, and they are satisfied with their prospects. The fact that nearly all, if not all, the soldiers stuck to their holdings is a very hopeful augury. There has been no land boom on the Coast, and most of the settlers got in on a very low basis. Further north in the Brighton survey district it is estimated there are from 40,000 to 50,000 acres of verysuitable grazing country, and altogether according to one local estimate, there are between 80,000 and 100,000 acres in the Punakaki-Porarari-Bright-on districts on which beef cattle could be run, and sheep on the drier flats. The peaks average from 1500 feet up to 4000 feet, which, however, is much higher than the average. This country needs capital to develop it, and the adoption of North Island methods in the process. The “limestone belt” is recognised as a material factor in the prosperity of North Canterbury, and it is interesting to observe that the limestone crops up on the West Coast on a parallel line.,. Inland it disappears, but in boring for minerals near Reef ton it was located at about the 150 ft level. It reappears in the Inchbonnic district further east, so it would appear that even the mountain range does not break its continuity. The districts described in the foregoing are on a parallel line with Waikari to Cheviot.

The country dealt with in- this article is “patchy.” Much of it is badly weedinfested and would take a deal of money to make it do more than it is at present —provide roughage for cattle. Other parts possess distinct possibilities, and the investment of capital would meet with profitable results There are other areas where the abandonment of casual and the adoption of up-to-date methods would at once treble the earning power. Running 30 or 40 dry cattle and 14 or 15 dairy cows on 300 to 400 acres could only be possible where land costs so little that it practically escapes interest charges and taxation. The Lands Department has areas in the back districts that are awaiting occupation, and it would appear that these areas provide a field for effort—and capital. (To be continued.)