THE KING COUNTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 11

THE KING COUNTRY

PAST DIFFICULTIES . MISFORTUNES NOW ENDED RAPID RECENT DEVELOPMENT FUTURE PASTORAL PROSPECTS No. I. BY H.B.T. The history of the early development of the King Country is an unfortunate one and, as always where a district or a dog earns a bad name, it takes years of sound progress to wipe out the stigma of an early bad break. J. wenty-five or 30 years ago, when, the big area of bush, scrub and fera country stretching from Te Awamutu, on the boundary of the Waikato, to Taihape, in the ,8011 th, was opened lor settlement, both Government and 1 armors thought that its development would ofler few problems. The experience with apparently similar country in the district from Taihape southward had been that, once the bush was cleared and the land grassed, little subsequent trouble was experienced in controlling secondary growth, or establishing permanent pastures of ryegrass and clover.

Guided by this experience financing institutions, private lenders and the Government all advanced money liberally, and the ambition of each settler was to fell and grass as much of his holding as possible iji the shortest time. Uncontrollable Secondary Growth it was not long, however, before HJ was apparent that some serious mistakes had been made. Encouraged by the normally heavy rainfall * and the loose and unconsolidated type of soil comprising a large part of this area secondary growth of fern, manuka, wineberry and weeds, including, ragwort, made their appearance. Into the bargain, the shallow-rooted grasses which throve and proved permanent on the more compacted papa soils to the south were more or less of a failure in this new environment, and it was then too late to secure good secondary burns in the ash from which the deeper-rooted cocksfoot, Timothy, prairie grass, red clover and similar species suited to the soil and climate could be successfully sown. Following the initial failure, or only partial success, of the settlers, lenders became cautious in advancing further capital, and at the most critical stage of its, development many settlers found that they could not secure the stock, seed or fencing materials necessary to hold the country they had already grassed. Dairy Farming a Mistake

There were again some areas which were too small for a man with a_family to make a living by grazing sheep on them; and sheep and nm cattle which would stand "punishing" were the only« stock with which there was any hope of holding in check the luxuriant growth. The soil had to be consolidated and a dense sward of strong grasses established before there was hny hop© of suppressing fern and other secondary growth. These smaller men were forced into dairying in order to earn an income on which they could live and 1 think it would be safe to say that keeping dairy cattle exclusively has ruined more good land in the King Country than any other method of farming. Wherever the dairy cow was the only fartu stock kept, fern, ragwort, manuka and countless other weeds and secondary growth reared their flourishing heads and, among the blackened logs and stumps, defied every effort of the settler to control them. ' * Many beaten men walked oft suea farms, not because the land was infertile or "sick," but bfecause previously approved but wrong methods had been employed in breaking, in this new; tvpe of land in a wet climate. Then, as an inevitable consequence, came th« Reverted Lands Act; and more recently the mortgage adjustment commissions, with a large number o_f applicants for relief in this area.

Great Opportunities It is little wonder that, with these inauspicious beginnings, the King Country has come to be looked jipon as a good place to be out of. But in spite of all this I feel certain that, with the fundamentals to successful development .learned from bitter experience, there is no part of New Zealand which offers greater opportunities for successful sheep and cattle farming by young and energetic men with sufficient capital to effect improvements through subdivision, and secure enough of the right kind of stock to hold and consolidate the country. In the past nine years approximately 700 miles of roads have been formed or metalled in this' area. During the past five years the Maori lands development scheme has alone been responsible for the taking in hand of some 80,000 acres of previously unproductive land, which to-day carries approximately 25,000 sheep, 2000 run cattle and 700 dairy cows on an area on which the development work is admittedly only half completed. In 1933, the development of reverted and Crown laud was undertaken by the land development branch of the Lands Department. One small block was then taken in hand, but the area now under development exceeds 34,000 acres. The number of • men employed during the last three years by this branch alone has practically trebled, now having reached 800. These, with their dependents, involve no less than 2000 souls directly supported by , the scheme. In the same period, the production of butter-fat from these areas controlled by the Land Development Board has increased from 16,5001b. in 1935 to 70.0001b. in 1938. A comparison of wool returns for the same years shows 48 bales increased to 616, while sheep sold have gone from 1650 to 24,000. Impressive Figures Perhaps still more conclusive proof, than this development work undertaken under Government assistance, that tho King Country is now making rapid progress in production, is provided by the export and revenue figures of the northern centre, Te Kuiti. Two years ago, when the writer previously reviewed the progress and possibilities of this area, the chief items of export were as follows, those for the present year 1937-38 being in parentheses.— Cattle, 13,542 (12,539); sheep, 91,071 (104,486); timber, 29,717 tons (25,675 tons); other goods, 50,508 tons (74,060 tons). The reduction in tho number of cattle sent away by rail may be explained by the great local demand which exists, and is increasing, for stock suitable for crushing fern country now being improved, and the high proportion of breeding cows which are kept. A reduction of some 4000 tons in timber exported reveals that a number of the smaller mills in the neighbourhood have exhausted their sources of supply. Potentially Great Pastoral Area These facts and, figures, illuminating and convincing 'though they may be, sketch but the framework of the possibilities of development in the King Country. With experience, enterprise, capital and energy available, there i* every prospect that this great become the pastoral centie ofthe island; a second Hawke a ■ &*?> r the advantage of a more regular abundant rainfall.