A VISIT TO WOODLANDS AND FRESHHELD.

Waikato Argus, Volume IX, Issue 767, 29 September 1900, Page 4

A VISIT TO WOODLANDS AND FRESHHELD.

(iSY OUR TRAVELUNG CORRESPONDENT). Opportunity recently offering, your representative paid a visit to Woodlands, calling in at Freshfield, where Mr E. B. ,Cox has been for some years past busily engaged in breaking in an extensive block of swamp land. Leaving Hamilton by the Hukanui Road on a fine spring morning, some of the charms of country life are shown. The air is fresh and bracing, while on every bush and bough tke glistening drops—hanging heavy after the night's rain—sparkle and gleam like diamonds in the morning sun. For some distance out the. road passes through well-farmed land, the fresh green fields, already carrying a good sward, and stocked, for the most part, with dairy cows, whose full baga are suggestive of a good season at the new Kirikiriroa creamery, which we have ju3t passed by on the roadside. Some miles out a deep gully i 3 crossed, alter which the country rises, and appears to be of a somewhat poorer, nature, cultivation being more backward, though here and there, hardy settlers have established homesteads, round which are ploughed fields, stacks of corn and some fair crops of turnips. WOODLANDS.

. The road winds along the crest of the hills, from which an extensive view of the Woodlands Esute is obtained, the sub stations of Hillside and Ormond being mapped out before us, while stretching away iu the distance is the great swamp that has, so far, proved impracticable to all attempts that have been made to reclaim it, either for agricultural or pastoral purposes. From here, also, the Hukanui Lake, a broad 3heet of water lyiug on the left hand, looks very pretty, the bright rays of the morning sun being reflected from its glassy surface, unbroken save by some flocks of wild ducks. On the right and bordering the road for some distances is Ormond, its rich pastures, broken by clumps of native bash that cive quite a park-like appearance, the groups of cattle dotted here and there, together with the broad pastures extending over hillside and plain well stocked with sheep, make up a pastoral scene pleasant to look upon, and suggestive, in these days, of good prices and ample profits for the proprietors.

The conspicious success with which the Woodlands Estate has been managed by Mr John Gordon ia best shown in the steady increase in the number and quality of the live stock carried, including the quantity turned off fat each year,, the present position is,briefly,as follows : Out of a total area of 87,000 acres, 30,000 are under grass, and now carrying 30,000 sheep, 3,000 head of cattle aud several hundred horses.

The sheep, after years of careful selection and breeding, are now of a uniform style, showing the Lincoln and Leicester cross, and are large, well woolled sheep that give the best result both iu clipping or for the butcher, last season's clip averaging 91b l'2oz for every sheep on the estate, a record that any flockmaster might well be proud of, 13,000 ewes are now lambing, almost the whole of them to English Leicester rams, bred by the Company at their Eureka Statiou. Respecting the rutput of fat stock, during the past six months 3,600 fat sheep have been forwarded to the Auckland markets, the average price realised during the first three months being 18s 3d per head, and for the last three over 20s or au average, all through, of 19s per head. The management also intend to take advantage of thu development of the freezing business, and purpose forwarding about "2,000 fat lambs to the Auckland Works during the ensuing season. Iu fit cattle also a steady business is done, regular weekly consignments being forwarded to towD. Some 350 steers aod 200 heifers have already been sent, and a number have yet to go, the prices for steers have averaged up to £lO 10s per head, and for heifers up to £7. To keep up the output of fat cattle which averages 700 head per annum, about 400 cows are bred from, and in addition, from 300 to 400 head of young steers are bought in the markets every year. Eor some years past the number of brood mares on the Estate has been gradually increased, aud during the ensuing season some 30 draughts, and 10 of a lighter stamp, will be bred from, the whole of the brood mares being kept at the Eureka station, under the charge of Mr A. Edmunds, aud where the Cornpuny have a first class Clydesdale stallion, Cetieral Cordon, and Merrymaker, u. horse of the stout roadster class. The fore going will give an idea ot the operations carried out on the Woddlunds Estate, but when it is remembered that the cultivated area is really only a fringe round a great waste region, with miles of swamp separating some of the stations, the difficulties to be overcome in the management can be understood, aud no

better evidence of Mr Gordon's ability could be cited, than Che Pteady manner in which he has brought this estate, to its present profitable condition. At Ormond, under the clump of Mr Thus. Powell, the I cad stockman, mi. located the pedigree Shorthorns, that have dec sj tnujh tu spread .lie fjino of Woodlands, »ul a few n les cu rim »v!oUpanes of tilt stalls will benf interest. First of course, comes Mi* Duke of Manometer, a light roun bull of great lineHvre, bis pedigree eont.'iiniiii! twm<y crosses, bred by the Hen S. A. Angus-, S.A.. and who showed his quality by takmu lirt and champion prizes in Waikato, mid lirst in Auckland las heaiou. The Duke has thickened out wouderluily binco hi.s last appearance in public, and being a lev?I benst, showing great quality, should (jo near repeating last, yen's .successes. His stall mate, Russell's Florist, bred at Ormiiifl, who took the ehampion certificate in Auckland last season, when ouly 11 yearling, has alao done well in the interval. This is a bull of a somewhat. different type, dark roan in colour. He shows a Wright oil over that is astonishine in a bull not two years old until October. Though lacking a little of the high-bred look, especially about the bead, of h's stall mate. Russell's Florist will always be a hard bull to put down in the show ring, and the verdict of the judges in October and November will be watched with interest. Two bull calves are also being prepared for exhibition, one is a dark red named Te Aute I and the other a roan named Te Aute 11, both being cot by the Napier bull Te Autu Duke. The youngßters are well grown and Rhow a good deal of quality, but are nothing exceptional. ' Three heifer calves complete the list, and these are good specimens of the Shorthorn, and will take some beaticg, one dark roan being beautifully topped, and if not a prize-taker as a calf will be heard of later on.

In addition to the above the usual number of pedigree cows and heifers, fat steers etc., will be shown. Last season's champion cow Larkspur V is looking particularly well just now. The Otmond herd comprises 60 pedigree cows, from which are bred the bulls required on the estate, any surplus being readily disposed of at high prices, the last lot Bold going to the Fiji Islands. Some four miles from Ormond is the Woodlands home station, where among other stock is a pure Lincoln flock of 200 ewes, which are kept for ram breeding purposes, the Lincoln rams being used wheuever the English Liecester predominates too strongly in the ewes, and as weight of fleece is desirable, the Lincoln strain is thus strengthened. These Lincoln ewes are now lambing to rams bred on the Moeraka Estate, North Otago. Among other recent improvements at the head station is the erection of a stable, 85 by 25ft to accommodate 16 horses on the ground floor with Granary overhead, all the timber including kauri plates and pillars being sawn from the Company's bush at Taupiri. FKESHFIELD. About four miles from Woodlands and two miles from the Taupiri Eailway Station is the Freshfield Estate of 11,000 acres now owned by Mr F. O. Williams, and for many years managed by Mr E, B. Cox, who, with the somewhat limited means placed at his disposal in the past, has done much to reclaim this valuable block of swamp and hill land. Since the acquisition of the property by Mr Williams, however, the work of reclaiming has been pushed on with greater vigour, the results of which are visible on every hand. A ride through the estate reveals new works in progress, and also shows how quickly most of the swamp land is responding to the ordinary course of draining and eraesing. During the past year 100 acres of swedes and 40 acres of green globe turnips have been grown on the hills and dry flats, and notwithstanding an unfavourable season, a good crop was secured, about 50 head of grown steers and 500 hoggets being still on the roots in September, with ample feed for weeks to come. Among the stock on turnips were several pure Hereford bulls, bred by Mr Every Maclean, whose famous herd has been recently purchased and transferred to Freshfield. Somo of the bulls will be shown this season, and though not receiving any housing or extra feed beyond the roots, are fat enough for anything. The same may be said of the Hereford cows and heifers, about 60 altogether, that are running out on the swamp paßturas with sheep. All the cows, save a few sucklintr big calves, being in the pink of condition, some of them being really beautiful animals—-and-it is this attribute that commends the breed to all who have large areas of new or rough country. Alway 3 hardy, and having a wonderful tendency to fatten, the Herefords are a valuable breed, and with such good material to work upon Mr Cox is determined to bring the Freshfield herd to the front. Altogether about 500 head of cattle are carried, from which 200 calves are annually raised. Two thousand sheep are also kept, among them being a choice flock of 400 pure Shropshire ewes, bred by Messrs Farmer and Hall, and these are now lambing to pedigree rams. It is Mr Cox's intention to breed rams for sale, a choice lot of 50 two-tootbs being available for this season's market. The bulk of the sheep arc crossbreds of a very superior class, being large, well-woolled sheep and now lambing out in the swamp pastures. In connection with these ewes Mr Cox informed me that he grazed them on turnips for a couple of months during the winter, and had observed no illeffects therefrom, though they were in lamb at the time. Riding out through the swamp, a rich sward of grass, some of it 11 years down, some sown during the past autumn and already carrying stock, proved the fertility of the soil ; and as there are about 5000 acres of this class ot country, all easily drainable and none of great depth, the general run having about four feet of peaty matter overlying a bottom of sandy clay, the value of the swamp when fully reclaimed can be estimated. Out of one drain now being run up the centre of the swamp six feet deep and five feet across at the top, enough clay is being obtained to make a decent road alongside, which gives an idea of the class of country to be dealt with. When fully reclaimed, Mr Cox is confident that Freshfield will carry 10,000 sheep, and there is no reason to doubt it, and certainly there arc few with more experience or better able to judge the carrying capacity of swamp laud. Here and there over the estate are low hills nud dry flits. These are worked up, Maoris doing most of the ploughing, put in turnips, and then into grass, so that the stock are. sent out fit for any market. As a further proof of the suitability of these swamp pastures for carrying sheep, it may be mentioned that out of 1700 lambs dropped last season, 1200 were sold fat to the Auckland Freezing Company for export. No doubt it has been up hill work in the past, for swamps are not reclaimed in a day, or in a year, but the worst is now over, and with the rapid development of useful work at piesent going on, Mr Williams will soon have, in Freshfield, a very valuable and productive estate, towards which the energy and ability of its popular manager has contributed in no small decree.