CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 31 January 1912, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

SHEEP LAND

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —After finishing a letter to you by early post (say about 4 a.m.) this morning, 1 took up your valuable paper to see what was happening all over the world. The first paragraph that met my eyes was that "a farm in the Tokomaru district has the extraordinary carrying capacity of carrying 10 sheep to * the acre." It does not say "keeps them," but 1 suppose it means so. Nor does it mention for how long a time those sheep have been kept on the ground and have not been .shifted, or any assistance given this acre. Neither does it say how these sheep improved, or otherwise. I doubt somehow that the shears have had to be in frequent use often, or the sheep did not look at'all smart. I happen to know the district. The first time I passed through, 1 think, was on or about December 20, 1863. Give me the Waimate Plains yet: and I shall be willing to stake a "bob" or two on the Waimate Plains —500 acres against 500 acres on Tokomaru Plains, or things have altered, greatly since I I last visited that district, say about 1885. Certainly there is some good land around Bruce, as the town is now known; but wheat is or was a far more profitable crop to grow there than to fatten or keep sheep on. The farmers grew fair crops of turnips, and are improving the land. Now they have lime at their doors. Taieri can beat Toko, and tJie Waimate I Plains beat the "twa" (Scots) o' them for real self-grown feed for cows or sheep either. FARMER. Otakeho, Jan. 30. (Our corespondent evidently is making the mistake of confusing Tokomaru (Manawatu district) with Tokomairiro (Otago). The land referred to in the paragraph is in the former district, and a special cause for carrying capacity —- no doubt temporary carrying capacity — was shown to be exceptional manuring. —Editor.;