VERDANT FIELDS OF THE WEST MAKE IT OTAGO’S SHOW PLACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27096, 2 June 1949, Page 5

VERDANT FIELDS OF THE WEST MAKE IT OTAGO’S SHOW PLACE

Daily Times Staff Reporter

Comparing favourably with the fertile plains of Southland, or for that matter, some of the best pastoral land to be found anywhere in the Dominion, the West Otago district (Tapanui-Kelso-Heriot-Crook-•ston) is one of the show places of the province, but unfortunately not many people know anything of it. A wide valley lying between two ranges of mountains, it is off the beaten path of tourists, but from it flows a never-ending stream of primary produce. Its lush fields pasture some of the finest Romney flocks in the Dominion, and stud breeders in the district have some justification to be proud of the excellent flocks that have been built up.

A balanced distribution of store and fat cattle, some pigs and a little dairying, as well as the growing of wheat, oats, and small seeds constitute farm husbandry as practised throughout the territory. The average of Dominion wheat yields is somewhere round 34 bushels to the acre, but for this valley it is not lower than 60, if as low, for many yields of 70 and up to 80 bushels to the acre are recorded. It is in the production of fat lambs and fine wool, however, that West Otago excels. Apart from those topped off later in the season, there are

114,657 for last season. Inward traffic on the branch line from Waipahi is not as great in tonnage as the outward, but for 1948 there were 26,955 tons of unclassified goods brought in. The bulk of this is lime and fertiliser, huge quantities (by the 100 tons) going on to individual farms. Even on the close clay subsoil land, manurial treatment, plus the proper use of lime, has produced amazing results. There has been an abundance of feed throughout the whole district, and paddocks are still green with an ample late growth. Indeed, visitors to

thousands of lambs fattened and sold for export straight from the ewes. One consignment of over 500 sent out this season by one farmer—the first draft —averaged 38£lb. This is something of a record.

the district from north of Dunedin during the past month cannot fail to have marked the striking contrast between the parched and brown fields to the north and the deep greens of West Otago’s pastures. Much of the success in farm development here has resulted from the use of only the best certified seed when paddocks have reached the stage where they have to be sown down in permanent pasture. Ample winter feed, both in hay and other supplementary fodder, primarily, swedes, is the secret of flocks coming through to lambing, and later, in such excellent, condition. When spring growth comes away, there is an abundance of it, and stock fatten readily. The carrying capacity of the land is also steadily increasing, and with closer settlement in some areas the gross total of .primary production from the valley will increase with the passing years.

The bulk of the fat lambs go out to the works by motor lorry. These lorries pull right into the farmer’s drafting pens and load the lambs. They thus arrive at their destination without loss of weight. Where lambs have to be driven over any distance to a railhead, it is found that the average loss of weight is lib a day. Trucking avoids this loss. An indication of the volume "of this carrying business is seen in the figures of one cartage contractor, who during the current season alone—and it is not yet completed—has trucked 20,873 fat lambs to Mataura, and he is only one of four operating in the district. In addition, railway unclassified figures for “sheep and pigs” totalled