Productive Waikato

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1076, 13 September 1930, Page 24

Productive Waikato

Land of Vast Possibilities

Forty-four years ago an enterprising businessman secured a small tin shack, less than 20 miles out from Hamilton, and started the first dairy factory in the Auckland Province. Most people who heard of the move laughed but, today, the whole of the Waikato does homage to the memory <of those who pioneered the dairying industry, for it is largely to dairying that the Waikato owes its greatness. I

Time was when Canterbury and Otago were looked to in New Zealand for examples of farming enterprise, and it was said that a South Island farmer could be picked out anywhere for the efficiency of his methods. That day has passed, and visitors to New Zealand, after an investigation into farming conditions in this Dominion, are unanimously of the opinion that the Waikato farmer leads as a practical demonstrator of what scientific pasture management can do to get the highest degree of profit out of the soil. The term “The Empire's Dairy Farm” has been fittingly applied to the Waikato, and with much justification, for over the past decade the district has come to the fore, and the enterprise of its farmers in cooperation with the commercial community has brought methods of both production and marketing to a state where the whole dairying world here and overseas can find material for thought and subsequent emulation. Nor are the farmers of the Waikato

showing any signs of slowing down on their forward move, for there is every indication that production there will be doubled within the next decade, while the ramifications of its marketing system extend to all parts of the world. TAPPING THE WORLD'S MARKETS It was a Waikato organisation which started a move recently to market the whole of the Empire’s dairy produce through the one channel with a view to rationalising marketing, and cutting down the margin between prices paid to the producer and prices to the actual consumer. Already a big part of the exportable dairy produce of New Zealand and Australia goes through this channel which has outlets to all parts of the worjd, where there is a possible market for New Zealand produce. As yet, it has not been in active operation for over one year, but it has shown itself sufficiently powerful in that time to indicate that the Waikato farmers are equal to any move likely to be made by overseas buyers to combine and reduce competition for our produce. The future of Empire Dairies, Limited, will be watched with considerable interest by the dairying community. FERTILISERS FOR PROSPERITY It was the Waikato also which showed New Zealand liow to use fertilisers and, incidentally, taught, the world a few lessons. Land that quarter of a century ago grew little but stunted scrub and rushes is today carrying its cow to the acre in many districts, and in all parts every year the fertility of the soil is being built up to a degree which makes it equal to, if not. better than, much of the richest of the natural lands farmed

in the early days of agricultural and pastoral activity in New Zealand. In the sphere of herd improvement, also, the Waikato has taken the lead, and from it has emanated the idea or group herd-testing, and calf marking on a co-operative br is. The average production per cow has been lifted to a large degree by the activities of group herd-testing societies in the Waikato over the pa- decade. Dairying is not the only channel through which the Waikato derives I its wealth. In other phases of farm-

ing it has made big strides during the past decade. There was a time when it was considered that South Auckland pastures were fit for little but dairying, and the raising of store stock. That time has passed and today the Waikato raises annually fat lambs which are equal to the best ever sent out of Canterburs’. Fat lamb raising is now one of the foremost industries of the Waikato. Every season more and more breed- j ing ewes are drawn from outside the province to meet the requirements of farmers specialising in the raising of fat lambs. For a number of seasons Waikato lambs have been the first to be shipped to the Home market, the first draft reaching there in time to catch the Christmas trade. Displays of fat lambs at the Hamilton A. and F. Show in recent years have been equal to anything of their kind ever seen in the Dominion, and, dressed, and exported to London, have been very favourably commented on by Smithfield graders.

The total killings of lambs at Auckland works in recent years hare shown an annual increase, and indications are that the season 1930-31 will see further records put up, as lambings throughout the province, particularly in the Waikato, are reported to have been heavy. SHOWS REFLECT A WONDERFUL DISTRICT It is at Hamilton’s two shows that the wonderful fertility of the district is most clearly reflected. At the summer show held during November, the display of dairy stock makes a particularly tine showing, indicating in no uncertain manner how far the Waikato farmer is prepared to go in his quest for increased production. For the quality of much of the stock is such that it could be shown with credit in many of the world’s greatest stock shows. All phases of farming are reflected by the Winter Show, rightly called the "World’s Greatest Dairy Show.” Entries are drawn for the dairy produce section from all parts of the Dominion. The display of root crops is always proof of the wonderful fertility of Waikato lands and the farming enterprise of the settlers. The number of trade exhibits of advanced farming machinery and ideas indicates trend of the farming community toward co-operation with the scientific investigator in a move to lift farming from the plane of haphazard industry to that of a skilled and rationalised profession. Today, the Waikato Winter Show is regarded as one of the off-season features for the farming community of New Zealand, and Hamilton during that week is the venue lor farmers’ conferences of. a most representative aud varied nature.

The progress made by the Waikato during the past 50 years has been great, but in reality the work in the past has been but the laying of the foundations for a greater future. There is still much land in South Auckland capable of great development, and, it is when the experience of recent years is applied to this, that Waikato residents will be able to say without fear of contradiction that they have in their district, not only “The Empire’s Dairy Farm,” but also, as with their butter even now, “The World’s Best Farm.”