THE PUMICE COUNTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1932, Page 9

THE PUMICE COUNTRY

IMPRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT. NEW FARMS EROM WILDERNESS. *1 am convinced that the once despised pumice country is about to come into its own,” said Sir James Parr, Leader of the Legislative Council, on Saturday, on his return to Auckland from a holiday tour in the RotoruaTaupo district. “We in the city hardly realise yet what a striking new asset of production for New Zealand tffese tens of thousands of acres are destined to be,” added Sir James. “Last .week I saw the soldiers’ settlement at Reporoa, and the Broadlands Estate, where Mr. Earle Vaile has proved what can be done with what seemed 20 years ago to be a barren wilderness, but which to-day displays pastures equal to almost anything in the Waikato. The prison farm near Tokaanu, started by Mr. Justice Herdman when he was Minister of Justice, and developed later, when the same portfolio was in my hands, is growing root crops unsurpassed in New Zealand. “I spent two days viewing the present operations at Ngahura and Guthrie, near Rotorua, where the Lands, the Agricultural and the Public Works Departments are all working together as a team in reading, fencing and grassing ' 20,000 acres of typical pumice country,” added Sir James. “Of course, almost everything depends on proper manorial treatment, just as in the Waikato. Field experiments by the Agricultural Department at Ngahura, testing out different seed and manure'mixtures under the advice of Dr. Cockayne, Dr. Annett and other experts, are of the greatest value. The department is to be praised for its enterprise. Farmers should see what is going on there. 1 “The idea is to cut these new settlements up into 200-acre farms and settle them. Next year they will have 60 or 70 new settlers there. Personally, I think 100 acres or so sufficient for a small farmer with little capital. A'larger area spells larger overhead expenses in interest and so- forth, and looser farming. Intensive cultivation is the thing nowadays. I am sorry all the scrub and tea-tree have been cut out. Shelter will be a vital question.” Sir James paid a tribute to the Maoris for the hard work they were doing in breaking in their lands at Horohoro. “The Government is finding the money and paying them wages in the meantime, the cost to be charged to the lands and to carry interest,” he said. “I saw 30 Maoris at work, fencing, ploughing and mowing hay. Whether their enthusiasm will last is doubted by some students of Maori psychology. Time will tell. “Certainly at present nothing could be finer than the display of communal spirit and energy with which these natives are working together to open up this block. Each worker is to have his own section when it is developed and fenced. The results already are astonishing. Their clover pastures are two feet high and are being cut for hay. I do not wonder that the Governor-General, who visited this area last month, was greatly impressed. “I saw the departments at work on Mr. Troutbeck’s 20,000-acre station at Galatea, recently purchased by the Government for closer settlement at £4 or £5 an acre. Roads are being made and fences are rapidly being erected. Expedition seems to be the order of the day. It is hoped to put 80 or 100 settlers soon on this area. It is isolated, being 30 or 40 miles from the railway. Consequently, a little town is to be created about the centre. 1 “The land is of varying quality and it has hitherto, been a sheep and cattle run, growitur danthonia,” said Sir James. “One will watch with interest the departments’ efforts to turn this estate into dairy farms. . “Altogether one forms the impression that the Government is aliye to the fact that the pumice country is capable or nroditable development, and the departments are doing sound work. I believe they will be able to put new settlers on these lands at a fair and economic cost. As for myself, I am sure the day is not far distant when this country may rival even my native Waikato in productivity.” ' ' - - - -■ -i