OPENING THE NORTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 9

OPENING THE NORTH

epFECT OF MAIM TRUNK LINE. OTAMATEA COUNTY PROGRESS 1 -EAT THE DISTRICT PRODUCES. |f:.-' No. I. ?Sfe ' TBV OUR NORTHERN WAIROA ~ ''-' ; cORRESrONDEKT.] : . ■ the nine counties which comprise the - th Auckland peninsula, Otamatea is |jl? 0 tho m«K* prosperous, with near po'"j f " Ce t - a ]ities which its sister counties do not ' " frtweni'possess. Lying in the heart of '••'», peninsuhi Otamatea for many years ' J-J the recognition vouchsafed to Whai and Hobson, its eastern and western SJfcbours.' but it quietly and steadily in- ,. "-"^ c , it.- pastoral importance, till new ST the North Auckland Main Trunk line '■■■'■■ - tapped its confines, it emerges as one .: 'f the most, favoured and " go-ahead" * unties in the Dominion. It. embraces * area, of 364 square miles, stretching Job the upper purl of the Northern, Wav • " .lif.tricO to the Oruawharo River and •Vjagawai, where it junctions with Rod- ' -f County. It is really the key to the V . orthei" 11 peninsula, now that, railway fovJwtion is fast being pushed midway heteectt raparoa and Mangaturoto, and 'then the line is opened even to the pre--52134 point of work, the importance of Ota- -. -sat«a will become vividly apparent to the . >eneral community. /jjjjiongst the most favoured portions of til comity is the stretch of 20,000 acres : <M alluvial fiats which comprise the Raupo -Strict, and which abut on the Northern 4?airoa River. When this territory was (brown open for selection, by the State, , 'Seekers were dubious of its fertility, iiiS-iite the fact that extensive draining ' W its had been completed. Sections were sold at £2 10s per acre, mostly to farmers ,trag in the vicinity. When it was dis- ■ r;.-,-;red that the drainage scheme had suc- • cicsfully converted the marshy fiat into j I t -al Meadow country, the fertility of which surprised even the resident selectors, a ■'..msh.set in for the then uusurveyed portion until every part of the at present '? available 16,000 acres became tenanted, 'awi today the whole flat is a sward of -pasturage dotted with smiling homesteads, and is the home, of 2000, dairy cows, with : .,it numbers, of other live stock. Improved holdings are now selling at £40 per acre, and keen agitation is b?mg mode for a further 2000 acres, from which the : timber has been removed, to be thrown; open for settlement. The Prime Minister !'{Hon- W. F. Massey) has promised that h this shall be divided at the earliest moment ' into dairying sections approximating 75 acres. The balance, 2000 acres', is at pre- ;" sort clad -withwhite pine, which is being steadily felled and converted into building .hate-rial by a modern sawmilling plant at ; Xaiunai, a work which affords employment fe> large body of men. ' Extensive Drainage Work. ■ ■ ■'.:' ; ■'',- ■; ■■■'■■ ■■: - . .';'''.. ..;,■, The whole Sat is furrowed with .<&a&ls and deep drains, the total length -.: which runs into . scores of miles, whilst : the river frontage, is provided with stop-. , Wilis and flood gates under the control 'e? the Kaupo Drainage Board. It was $a drainage success of thin territory which ■ ; lei fei the Hauraki'Plains, being similarly , : which has ■induced hundreds | : : of JtreJ-ieekens .to compete, for holdings on i ' t> Vm j> Phko area. \ : '.Tteßaupo district is fortunate in having progressive settlers, for the Drainage | Bwihas raised a loan of £18,300 for the j .purpose'of cutting further canals at the I Hte'pl the high lands which bound the hiliid portion of its,- territory. When i ; this'work is completed it is expected that ; ?'• ultra marshy extents will be rendered lit for farming during the wettest winters. Ts'j. Board has experienced considerable difficulty with erosion of the river bank, ;j3si) which the river tides sweep with force ■Kiwi annually wash away slices of valuable .land Some few years ago the Government made a grant of £5000 to stone fact: some seven miles of the bank.' A •portion of the money was tentatively expended ~- in the construction of manuka groins, which acted well and caused cushions oE mud to ; form between the tideway and the shore, but the* action of salt water • ha* ] destroyed the barriers, and things are now as they originally stood. •A: definite, scheme of protection is being "evolved, and Mr. : Massey has stated that the Government will materially assist in matter.' :;■' ': V The settlers, moreover, being fully cog- i nisant that good highways mean increased '• Wealth, have burdened themselves with an i £18,000 loan for road works, and have in [land the metalling of the arterial thoroughfare from P.uavvai to Matakohe Road. Iru coDneijtion with this schema they are asking for a £ for £ subsidy in place of annual road grants, and have been pro;Jajsed that Cabinet will favourably consider their request. , Stock Carrying Capacity. ;.- The journey across the flats in summer Sssi ; a pleasing one. On every hand feed '. is -luxuriant, cattle are literally rolling, fat, j and well-kept homesteads, betoken successful farming, and one is quite prepared, in view of the rich nature. of the soil to learn j of record maize, oat, and pumpkin crops. [The latter are grown for pig feed amongst the maize, and a yield of 20 tons per acre, in addition to 80' bushels of maize, is far ! from being a record. Such fen country is [ :tho natural home of the Holstein cows, j.wid fine samples of that strain may he observed. Tho Jersey is also much in evidence, but Shorthorns predominate, whilst in the beef classes, Devons and Herofords make a good showing. Raupo is also noted | for its horses, and annually there are bred | many fine light and medium draughts '-which find ready sale. In connection with |.the dairy industry pigs are raised on a large scale, and it is estimated that close .'pn 2000 are annually sold. '"■■' The adjoining hill country is of a fine pastoral nature, and it is asserted that in the Rehia district, 130.000 acres are carry- ' : s 'ng 40,000 sheep, 17,000 cattle, 900 horses, ; tod 700 pigs. |1 . A Livestock Centre. J j „. Leaving the fen country, the road to |Matakoho runs through limestone forma- , %i and skirts small estates which exhibit ; mil signs of prosperity. Matakohe town- | 'flip contains all modern signs of coramerdaldom. and is pleasantly situated on an ann of the Otamatea River. A few miles /farther on is Paparoa, the capital of the county, and the centre of Otamatea's pastwal industry. Its monthly cattle sales • attract buyers from all parts of the pro- : duce, and its sheep fairs are events of - "Soitaderable importance. On # all sides | %are is evidence that the dominating in■'..fio'ence in tho district emanates from live,*k>ek, and one is prepared to learn that -.itiw dairy herds comprise over 5000 cows ;:*hich • supply two butter factories, that gljeep number 63.000. and that the value " ?' ta*f and store cattle, horses, and pigs ,* s over £100,000. ■-■ hi addition" to ordinary grazing., Otama- .■.■':;**? farmtrs are breeders on an important IfSs* 6 ' Messrs. Coa-tes Bros, are specialists .:* Southdown and Shropshire sheep, and s|F»ess some of the purest flocks in the dominion; Messrs. Smith Bros, possess Mi of Devons and Herefords, and Mr. 1 B. Ariell's stud Polled Angus cattle ''? far-famed.. The Devons are an excep"Wally fine class, and include some of the igstraksian champion units. They are ;-*?N*sctory .milkers, but are primarily beef *wsck, their nuggety carcases -being in de- ::■">* by butchers. Crossed with the HerefM 'mxy provide an idea}, beef frame, and being mainly used ft* that purpose. ,

ilerefords are yearly coming into greater lavour, out Shorthorns comprise) tho bulk of the cattle total. The Bickerstafle Estate. " , An important feature of the Otamatea is its sea-served conveniences. A regular steamer service connects the many landing stages with Helensville, and the longstretching arms of the harbour" admit of smalt, craft being utilised for the carriage of goods far inland. These inlets lend to the scene a picturosqueness which is unique and form a blending of water and landscapes which attracts general notice, In tins connection the Bickerstaffe Estate is peculiarly and pleasantly situated on the Whaicapirau peninsula, which is triangleshaped, with Batley at the apex and Maungaturoto and Whakapirau settlements at each corner base. A portion of tho estate was originally designed to be an experimental station, but 'for various reasons the scheme was not perfected, and toe portion still remaining in the hands of the State is carried on as a general ™> The whole estate comprises 10,000 acres, all of which is improved, ant, many sections are tenanted by farmers under the lease in perpetuity tenure. The Lands Department controls 1500 acres, on which are 2000 Romnev *heep, 300 An«ora goats, a herd of Kerry cows, and some ordinary beef cattle. The sheep are a particularly fine lot. Some fleeces have weighed over 141b and realised Is per lb; the Angora clip averages 41b per goat and sells at from Is 9d to 2s 6d per lb; the cattle command highest market values, but the Kerrys have fallen far short of their repute, and the estate is now returning good financial results. Its aspect is most inviting, the. soil is of a mixed limestone, papa and sandstone formation, and produced the best of herbage. Waipu brown top, clovers, and pnspalum flourish whilst other grasses show the best of growth. Over-valued Sections. Owing, it is stated to the over-valuation ; of improvements upon certain of the sections, they are 'untenanted, and settlers are asking that they be revalued and be reoffered for selection. The Prime Minister last month inspected the estate. Ho expressed pleasure at his visit, and stated that he intended having a- revaluation made, that probably. a large area would be handed to the Lands Department for ordinary disposal, and that he coincided with a request that the holdings should. bo subdivided into small areas approximating 60 acres, for dairying and fruit culture. There is no question that the small areas would be speedily taken up, and if devoted to the purposes mentioned, their cultivation would materially increase the county wealth. In addition to the estate being well served by steamer and sailing vessel, the North Auckland Main Trunk line is at present tapping the territory, and will place it in direct communication with Auckland.