THE COUNTRYSIDE

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16985, 24 December 1926, Page 11

THE COUNTRYSIDE

"HOMESTEAD, HERD AMD PADDOCK" WHATAWHATA ON THE WAIPA. AN EARLY WAIKATO CENTRE. By " PLAIN BILL." Crossing the railway lino at Frankton Junction and passing tho Frankton School, a further run of 6A milos will bring the traveller from Hamilton to Whalawhata. Here tho Waipa River is spanned by a new bridge erected a yoar or two ago to replace tho old structure, beyond which point roads diverae leading respectively to Pirongia and Raglan.

From a very early period in the history of European settlement in this part of Uic country Whalawhata and the district adjacent to it has held a place, whilst the richness of the Hals along the Waipa was well known to the Maoris, who cultivated them in native fashion long before the pakcha invasion. A considerable Maori population resided in the neighbourhood then, and the outlines of old fighting pas 'may still be traced at various points in the locality. A substantial Maori clement remains lo this day in and around Whatawhata, most of whom arc engaged in farming and a vocations connected with the land. One of the earliest mission stations in the Walkato, I gathered, was established at Whalawhata, whilst during Uic Maori" war a military barracks and hospital existed there, and a number of soldiers who lost their lives in the course of the native troubles were buried in the old Whalawhata cemetery. When peace was restored a good deal of country round about was granted to military settlers, and numbers of Maoris who bad remained friendly were allotted small blocks of land. * Unfortunately these sections were a good deal neglected for many years and according lo old residents were largely to blame for the spread or gorse. The seed or this plant was introduced by the European pioneers, when wire was unknown and a common form Of fencing was ditch and hank with gorse planted on lop. The same remark would at. that date have applied equally in other districts of the North Island. In parts of the Rangilikei, for instance, even so late as the early eighties, scores or farms were enclosed and subdivided by ditches and banks with gorse on lop.

In Days of Old. During a conversation with Mr T. 0. Black-eft, a resident of long-standing in the district, be referred to the early days or the dairying industry when one of the first creameries was established at Whatawhata. Amongst the prime movers towards this were Mr 13. n. Shepherd, Mr Rolhwcll, senr. (father of Messrs F. and K. Rothwell, who still reside at Whatawhata), and Mr Arthur Dawson. In those days suppliers received 2id per gallon for the whole milk and got the skim back, but out of the 2id had lo find the cost of carting the cream to Nparuawahia, where it was made into butter at a Reynolds factory. In connection with the roading of the district Mr Blackelt mentioned that Mr P. Corhoy (father or the brothers Corboy) had done great work on the old Newcastle Road Board, and had also been largely instrumental In having a school established at Tc Kowhni.

Mr Frank ltolhwcll, who first came to Wliatawhata about 10 years ago, mentioned to rue that at that time most of the flat whore the township now stands and all around It, was still in native bush. A cleared portion, however, had been cultivated by Ihe .Maoris for a very long while, and an old missionary had told him of a splendid crop ol' wheat lo ho seen over 60 years ago about whore Ihe school Is located to-day. When Mr Rolhwell first saw Wliatawhata there was no bridge spanning the Waipa, and those who desired to cross it were ferried over on a punt. In connection witli Ihe native troubles, Mr Rolhwell retailed to mc a story told by an aged Maori, who at that time was a child of live or six years. After British troops had fired on them at Mercer a number of Maoris retreated in the direction of Wliatawhata, eventually camping in the vicinity of Karamu. I Hiring the flight, the old native declared, the only steed available for him was a billy-goat, and mounted in this fashion he made the journey.

A Eroodor of Clydosdalea.

Strictly speaking, I suppose, Mr J

C. Begbic's property of 109 acres on the Whalawhala-Ngaruawahia Road would come within the Tc Kowhai district, but for purposes of this article has been included in Whatawhata. On this a herd of 43 milking Shorthorns, nearly all pedigrees, is carried, in addition to 10 head of young slock, three bulls and nine horses. The herd was tested for. four seasons, the average for the year before last having been 3221 b butterfat.

Mr Bcgbie in addition breeds Clydesdale horses, and exhibits from bis stud have, been very successful in the showring, animals bred by him having won between 50 and 00 first prizes during the last live years. A distinction unique in the Waikato attaches to this stud in the fact that a colt and a filly from it have each taken championships as yearlings. This colt, Ohotc's Royal Buchlyvic, was champion at Pukckoho and reserve champion at Auckland as a yearling, and this year as a two-year-old was champion at Hamilton, and first in his class at the Royal Show. The six-year-old mare Ohotc's Pride (Artemus Ward —Crown Princess) has done her breeder and owner : great credit in the show-rings at Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge and Pukekohe, having secured 19 first prizes, four championships, four reserve championships, 30-gulnca and 10guinea cups, and a silver Clydesdale medal. This mare has not bred yet. hut is now apparently in foal to Royal Buchlyvic, the colt previously mentioned. Another good winner for Mr Bo.gbic has been the three-year-old (Illy Ohotc's Miss Buchlyvic, who has not suffered a defeat, in her class, and was reserve champion at Hamilton and Pukckohc last year, when she also won the Clydesdale medal for best two-year-old bred by exhibitor at Auckland. She is slinled to the imporled horse Sir Wellesle.y. owned byMr \V. Wallace, of Cambridge. When | she was llirec months old her owner

Higginsorr's Road

refused an of 100 guineas for Miss Buchlyvie. Ohole Queen, a marc by Dakota King, has a filly foal at 100 to Sir Wcllcsley, and another brood marc from Ibis stud is away to the imported horse Gold Lint owned by Mr McNicol, of Clevcdon. Though the market for heavy draughts is not all it might be at present, really good stuff 'is always saleable, and carrying firms in the cities seem lo be turning lo horses again in preference to motors for short hauls. Some Good Stuff. One of the properties visited was that or Mr A. 10. Dickie, who has farmed 1 13 acres just across the Walpa bridge for the last nine years. Here a grade herd of 44 cows, with which pedigree Shorthorn bulls arc used, is milked. 1 saw the lest sheets for this herd which showed an average of 311.3G1b fir 1924-25, and 309.571 b for last season from 43, including nine heifers. The best cow last year, after calving twin heifers, did 523.171 b in 305 days, and another returned '506.20 lb In 242 days. A very old Ilolstein. which Mr Rlckle brought with him to Whalawhata, did 381.911 b the year before last in 239 days, and last year returned 429.731 bin 288 days. A Shorthorn-Jersey, whose test at the end of the season was only 3, nevertheless recorded 409.441 b fat in 290 davs, her heavy milking ability having compensated fur flic relatively low lest. Anollier cow, which did 4451 b in 'in:? davs the year previously, last season yielded 3341 b in 269 days, having "gone bung" in three Quarters Shortly after Christinas. She would have gone out of the herd forthwith, but was retained In the hope of a heifer calf which she had not previously produced. Strangely enough she nol only had Ihe desired heifer, hut came in completely sound all round and is milking on well, not having shown a sign of udder trouble this season.

Mr liickle also specialises in Tamwnrlh pigs, having a pedigree boar and eight pedigree sows of this breed. line sow which lie exhibited al Hamilton Ibis and last year was awarded first and champion on each occasion, and was first in her class at the lioyal Show at Auckland. Adjoining the Township. Willi frontage In the two main roads which pass Ihl'Ollgh I tic township, and dead Mat except for Ihe rise i which Ihe residence stands, Ihe si) acres upon which Mr ,1. T. KcnipIhoren is milking 10 high-grade Jerseys may wilhoul exaggeration hi- described as a really rliQir.i farm. Having been in Jerseys for 10 years, nearly nil Mr Komplliornc's present, herd W ern bred by him. II' 1 luld IDC lie had liiuiul Ihe scas'.'ii su fur a good one.

and if llic appearance of his place and i his slock are anything to go by l venlui'o lo predict that any season in which they railed to come out on the rlglil side or |he ledger would have lo he pretty had all round in LllO way of prices and everything else. About four years ago Mr Tom Maisey purchased 100 acres of country j bordering upon the Walpn near llic lownship which up I ill lhal lime j rornicd part or a considerably larger j holding. It so happens Unit some years ago I had heard accounts of the way in which gorsc and blackberry were then taking possession or good land and river Hals, consequently when 1 saw the other day how much of the deteriorated portion the present, owner had got into good order again in such a comparatively short lime and samples Of the sort of stuff dealt with, some of winch has still to be lacklcd, it was an eye-opener upon what can lie accomplished by hard work and intelligent farming methods in coping with such drawbacks lo productivity. I can see Mr Maisey the owner or a very line rami in a few years to come. At the present lime he is milking a herd or .10, which is being worked into the Jersey. Of course Ihe farm wasn't nearly all in the rough when Mr Maisey look il. but he has certainly worked wonders in the lime upon the portion that was.

The above is the title used locally for a road, which branches off to the right about a mile along the Whata-whata-Tuhikaramea Road. This gives access to properties owned by Messrs J. R. Higginson, F. Higginson and C. Eyre. The latter not long ago purchased from Messrs Good and Baric a holding of about 3CO acres, which is managed by Mr .Tames Neill. A herd of 107, I understand, is being milked hero and a number of young slock carried.

Mr J. R. Higginson is milking 34 cows, moslly grade Jerseys, upon the 122 acres he farms, and his brother, Mr Frank Higginson, whose holding is of 260 acres, has a herd of over 100 upon it. The late Mr W. W. Higginson, father of the gentlemen named, look up 210 acres hereabouts in the early history of the district, and in a chat during luncheon to which he hospitably invited me, Mr "Jack" Higginson recalled the time when he and other members of tlie family could get on and oIT Ihe section only by way of Whatawhata and Karamu, crossing the Waipa by canoe al the latter spot.

One of the Early Brigade. j McCutchcon's Hill, on the Frankton- ! Whatawhata Road, is so named after , Mr W. McCutcheon, whose property adjoins it. Mr McCutcheon, who as j an infant of 12 months was brought to Whatawhata, has resided there since with the exception of a period j Of some years in business in Ihe j vicinity of "Whangarei. A herd of 30 j is being milked here, the only reason the number is nol nearly double being : that the operation is carried out hy'; hand. Consequently a number of dry j slock are, carried on Ihe properly as ; well. The whole place was broughl i in out of li-lrce and gorsc, and Mr McCulchcon remarked lhal in llic old days, when little could be made out of what could be produced, and Ihosc engaged in carving out farms had lo lake outside work lo keep llic pot boiling, the bringing-in process naturally took a long while. One grade cow in Ihe herd was pointed out by Mr" McCulchcon as having done 3501 b fat in her first season, and between 35011) and -iOOil) ever since. Less Costly Manures Needed. During av chat with Mr R. Martin, who farms-110 acres a short distance along the Xgaruawahia Road from Whatawhata, he expressed a preference for high-grade super for topdressing purposes, which al Ihe prices current iie considers Hin besl value. ! The crying need to-day, he added, was [lo make manures available lo fanners al less cost. This view was subscribjcd to by another very well-known '; sntllcr of the district, who declared ; that whatever can lie done lo cheapen \ fiio price of manures lo fanners will go further than anything else inwards i increasing production, lie advocated still further reductions in railway | freight upon all farm-used and I'armi produced merchandise. In connection with top-dressing, the same sctlier remarked that whilst at present chief I attention was being given lo Ihe phosphate link in the manorial chain it j might become necessary later on lo strengthen llic potash and nitrogen j links also lo preserve an even strength throughout Ihe whole.

Brevities. The Whatawhata School, where Mr J. Sutton has been in charge for 18 years, has a roll' number at present or about 95. The assistant teachers arc .Miss 0. G, Parker and Miss W. Mather. A small road frontage to a farm Is usually considered a disadvantage as increasing the difficulty of cutting the place up into smaller holdings if desired. It has also, it seems, an effect upon cows reared upon such places, which, never having the opportunity to look upon passing strangers, nearly fro mad when one, does happen to come near them, though perfectly quiet with the milkers llicy know. For 1 his reason, one farmer remarked with a smile, his cows always did their very worst on days when the herd-tester was at ttie shed. However, this shyness was wearing off by degrees. A resident in the neighbourhood of Whatawhata, who was probably the first man In Waikato to try top-dress-ing with basic slag, at a time before Ihe Ruakura Stale Farm came into existence, mentioned to me the manner in which old-style farmers at that dale regarded what has since become a universal practice: "There's So-anri-So," they said, "putting manure on lop of the grass. It will bring the roots to Ihe surface anil when the hot weather comes in summer Ihe grass will it 11 die away." Well il. hasn't died yd. Perhaps Ihe summers haven't been sufficiently hot.since. A fine crop of hay. estimated In go three tons to Ihe acre, has jusl been cut off live acres at Hie Whalawhata Domain. The board, i!. seems, lopdresses Ihe area annually with .'! ewt. lo the acre, and puts Ihe crop up for sale by lender towards Ihe end or November, one of the conditions being that it must bo cut and slacked by January so as lo leave the ground cleai' for the spoils meeting.