THE KING COUNTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 7

THE KING COUNTRY

PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS , FARMING IMPROVEMENTS ' MORE LAND UNDER CULTIVATION [from our own correspondent] TE KUITI, Friday Tho King Country, in common with other parts of tho Dominion, has felt the effects of the depression, but when the present economic trouble passes tho district will have its share in prosperity. Following the recent rains the countryside is looking particularly fresh, and with the dry winter experienced, stock is in excellent condition. One farmer, up to the end of last week, had docked 600 lambs, this beingjlecidedly early for this district.

The Pio Pio Dairy Company reports that high-grade cream is being obtained in that district, where some farmers have increased their herds this year. In spite of the hard times farmers are making use of as much top-dressing as possible. Realising the need for it they have made sacrifices in other directions. In this con- [ nection assistance is being rendered by mortgagees in a number of cases. A good sign is the fact that several large holdings have been broken up into smaller farms. Increase in Cultivation A noticeable fact is the increase in the amount of land that is being brought into cultivation, and it is also to be noted upon that tho insidious ragwort, upon which a relentless campaign was waged several years ago, is disappearing, except in the case of unoccupied lands.

An example of the increase in the amount of land being put under the plough is provided within a mile of the town. From tho hills on the west side - of To Kuiti one looks across the valley r and observes an increase in the amount of ploughed land and a decrease in yellow ragwort and blackberry-infested « patches which hitherto constituted such a bad advertisement to the traveller passing through. Last year an experiment in wheat-grow-ing was carried out by the Maoris at Te • Kumi, where several hundred acres of .. blackberry-infested country adjacent to . the golf links was cleared, ploughed arid sown in wheat. Within the past month the , same land has been turned over with the tractor and is again ready for sowing •* another wheat crop. L e Where perhaps the greatest untouched , possibilities of the King Country lie is in the Rangitoto district, where there are * thousands of acres of easy country await- " ing development. This tract is roughly. -* seven miles from the railway and is easy - of access, though several more by-roads , might be required prior to settlement. Production oi Lime I

Within the past two years there has a been a large increase in lime quarrying and crushing operations near Te Kuiti ' and a new small company has just com- »• meneed at Hangatiki. A lime company at Waitete is carrying out operations on a largo scale and employment-has been given to many hands. - There are now six lime companies operating in this territory. A . comparatively new in-the _ district is coal mining, and th'dtigh up _ to the present this has been carried on , only on a comparatively small scale, /there t are indications that, it will develop. The , two mines are located at Rangitoto, one having only recently been started. •„ j / The Mangapu drainage scheme is pro- ' grossing > satisfactorily, arid- the benefits , have been shown in the past winter in ♦ the decrease in the flooding of areas affected. One important work requiring M to be carried out, and one for which ways ;r and means have been sought for some < years, is that of clearing the willows from the river near Pio Pio. Growth in this vicinity has resulted in serious flooding r of land and roads.