MATAMATA PAST AND PRESENT.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8057, 15 November 1906, Page 2

MATAMATA PAST AND PRESENT.

♦ A BEYIEW. THE WAHIROA CREAMER 7. To sum up, Matamata seems to have a bright future in front of it, provided of course that fairplay is given to the land, for, as has been remarked before, the land responds readily to manuring. For oats, which grow well, no more manuring is required than in the Wairarapa district. As one man put it, at the rentals paid, Matamata settlers can afford to be liberal with their fertilisers; indeed, taking the price of land into consideration there is no reason why farming there should not pay as well as in any pirt of the oolony. The business people in the settlement are optimistic in their view of the future, and all agree that given a continuance of past experience, no other iasue than success need be looked for. The trade so far has been of a substantial character, practically no bad debts having been incurred. Great advantage is anticipated from the settlement of Mangawhcro and other estates, for Matamata forms a natural centre for these districts. The farmers also seem well satisfied with their prospectß, especially now that the ealeyards have been proved a success. Having the yards there -aves great expense and lass of time, by obviating the necessity of travelling stock to Cambridge or Waibou. This tends to raise the price of stock in the paddocks, as buyers can afford t) " spring " a little when one or two mob 3 can be "boxed"and so driven to their destination. Thus, only recently one settler quitted a small line at JSB 103 in the paddock, a price at which 1 none cou'd complain. No description of Matamata would be 1 anywhere tiear complete without reference to the Wabaroa Creamery, situated close 1 to the ra'lway station, some four miles north of Matamata. As is well-inown the W'aharoa village settlement date 3 from r the time of the late Mr J, C. Firth, many of the original settlers still residing there. For some years these people sent their milk t > the cheese factory run by the I \ssets Kealisadon Board, but when the t Blip to buttermaking was firmly estab- ( iished, they became anxious to partake in ( it, and negotiations with the owners of the cheese factory for conversion or Bale, fail- | insr, the New Zealand Dairy Ass:ciation was approached. In coniequenoe a J creamery was sta'tel by that concern, five i years ago, and place i under the manage--1 ment of Mr A. Watts, who still oontinues in office, to the satisfaction of the sup- ) pliers. Th:s season 22 herds are milked, ) at the time of our visit the daily yield i being G653 of milk, and the average test i 3'6, about the same as last yeir, and it is I expected to go up to 14,000 in the flush of i .he seas jn. When all the cows are in, the i number will be -117, an increase on the number of last year. Compared with the ) last season there is an inoreise of two sup- ■ pliers, with an increase of 150 gals of milk. I'he figures for past years show a gradual i but substantial progress, for during the ; first season there were but 14 suppliers ; who sent in 500 gals of milk. One of the • lust suppliers here is a Maori, who, in this his third season, has a herd of 20. It should be remirked that one ' of the largest suppliers, with sixty 1 milch cows, has transferred his business to 1 a nearer creamery, so that in realiy the proportionate increase per producer is much greater than would appear from the mere tiguro-s. The cows are stated to be milking much better than for jyars past, and, generally sp-aking, dairying here is going ahead, prospect* for supplier and 1 factory being very bright. It is certain that when the adjoining estate of Richmond Downs is cut up for close settlement, the supply to the Waharoa sreamery would be greatly increased, and larger prices for butterfat would be the result. The rtsxmill, wnich has been running for about three years, under the ownership of Messrs Forsman and Debar, has been dismantled, most of the plant guing to Hinuera, as the partnership has beon dissolved.