THE WEALTHY WAIKATO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14225, 23 November 1909, Page 7

THE WEALTHY WAIKATO.

_U, -t*. — WffiloU FERN LANDTO PASTURE. A REVIEW OF TO PASTURE. A REVIEW OF PROGRESS. THE PAST AND THE PRESENT. *HoW it has all come about in such a few is simply wonderful." The speaker Jas Mr. William Taylor, of "Green Hills," Ta Awamutu; the occasion was the annual 4ow of the Waikato Agricultural and "pastoral Association at Hamilton last week. *,Ana still the wonder grew as the writer was Hißiot&?tay Mr. Taylor among the flowers I § the flocks and the pride of the herds that ye&l and low and wax fat on the smiling pastures- of the wealthy Waikato and the J«ii fields of adjoining districts. Here £» found the keynote'to the high watermark reputation which the Waikato has l maed at Home and abroad for its golden fleOce, its frozen beef and mutton, and its jitter and cheese, which latter are more productive of' wealth than many a gold iamel Then, too, the show pens contained -scored of prize pigs, representing an inlaoßtry- which has proved such a valuable • 'adjunct,to dairying and whose pearls (or 'jnonetaitf equivalents) have not altogether been despised. There were also the horses, bloods,; draughts, roadsters, and liliputians '—a game and showy lot that would delight , the hearts -of fanciers the world over. And, • finally, ther* were the thousands of keenly observant visitors beaming with goodwill towards. thflfr neighbours, and withal .... Wealthy and well dressed. "When ■'■■ I tame lto Te Awamut-u, after leaving school, 38 years ago the only build- '"". ings there were a blacksmith's shop, a low"1 class -pub-> and s, store, with a mail once a , week," said Mr. Ta3*lor. '"This part of the country was considered to be in the ' back blocks then, and pakeha settlers were | few and far betwem." The light of other SS days now sparkled into a merry twinkle in • the eyes of the speaker as he added, "Why, the only. excitememV\we young fellows, had • «w» in watching th&pnly girl in the neigh - ' bourhood pass by for ter mail once a week." : The nature of the cotatrv, Mr. Taylor exV ■ plained, was . mostly %h rolling fern and .■very easily cleared. ••* Sunday was the recognised ''fire-stick 1 dayi and more burning . ioff would be done thei, than during the - whole of the week. lifter a growth of grass was secured the lipd was used for grazing. Dairying had hot been thought 'of then." \ •'. . ; The turning of the tid<s which came to rcarry Waikato on to fortune occurred in the very early seventies, with tta close of Maori 1 '.hostilities. . After the fricion had petered out the Government made Und grants to afcoae; formerly engaged in jylitary service, baptams' securing Jots of : 4tD acres, lieutenants 200 acres, sergeants 100 acres, and privates 60 acres. Literally the soldiers fffila& down the sword for thd ploughshare, Vnd the centrifugal ' forces of Ssere set 'in motion. Lands ftere cleared, Vattia were raised, agricultural resources were opened up, the flax industry received "impetus, and every succeeding: .par was a era of progress.; Its-knot much l«w!sftre ihan a dozen years since Varying was ■ tongraaied. . The father of the ihiustry was iofr. Henry Reynolds, now of Argentine, Whose name will be handed down to succeeding generations as a benefactor to the iW&ikato. '■' As with most new ventures this iwje had to contend with ', the irrows of sceptical criticism and the want 4 marketilralir,'; facilities, but " gradually labilities 'wP 9 ' dissolved until the, daily , <atput of J?ntter now totals 900 boxes, representing a teonetary value of £2520. Tfore• aredoEens of creameries and butter factories in Me Waikato, and a leading official of one 'company stated a few days ago feafc his - '"company alone expected - within Jh very ihort while to be distributing a quwer'of r jainilli(>n' ! sterling per -annum amolj the ■ -' "farmers who supply them with milkl. The ; ; herds of .the Waikato have increased luring -i-.'.;.' Aha i past five years at an astonishing rate— SO. per cent, or more—and * with the more 'extensive adoption of the milking michine dairying holds unlimited possibilities, Some separators are just now on .their trial, and 'there seems no reason why the success that gy Baa attended them in other countries siould sot be repeated. f J * The supply of r sheep and lamb from the Waikato to ■ the' Auckland ' Freezing Works Sue also tremendously • increased, while an * interesting feature in connection with the pastoral industry is that the adaptability of the" Waikato '%tot\- turnip , raising attests &sji&tti& quantities of store sheep from distrits ysfaroffasGisborneand Northern Taranii. /■--JjgAccording to.an opinion expressed by be Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. T. Mjc- ; r awfflrie) at the last winter show the Wlijfcato is one of the very best root and foddW jrop districts in New Zealand. The roof, he thought, were a perfect revelation of tie ' ;fertilrfcy of the soil. With the advance tf dairying it is chiefly the back country th|t jb ' now utilised for ' sheep grazing, and a large portion of the recently balloted fir Te Akau Block will =be turned into she* Country. '• - Scientific treatment of the lam 4«S played an important part in -the di Vekipment of the Waikato. y In the firi j J :'Ji'|^! a ' : '' the practice was to bring in the net "country by ' grassing, but the prediction « Mr. J. A. Pond, that the light soils of tl|> Waikato would prove more .suited for top dressing than for breaking up for pastui! 'land, has been realised, and the pew com tf*y » brought in with turnips. Basic sla pas proved to be the most successful fert jjwer to*" these light lands, upon which graa «, secured for a surprisincrlv large propoi ; twn of the year. The Waikato has bee] (the scene of continuous movements in lane fcSf;™'? 6 numbers of settlers coming from th£ older.lands of the South Island. Increase} fnvalu«B have been phenomenal during th |p«t ; fir« rears,- land in the most favoure dWricte being worth £20 per. acre, an foldings nearer the towns un to £4CLpe . - i jcre. ; And still the -wealthy Waikato i but a flower in the land.