C.—l
Principal works carried out comprised 1 mile 40 chains road, 6 miles 11 chains fencing, 401 acres clearing and stumping, 537 acres ploughing and cultivation, 408 acres grass, 38 acres swedes, 5 acres lucerne, four cottages, and 92 chains plantations. Pasture-establishment on the better-quality lands has been good, and the swedes and oat crops were very satisfactory. On the lighter land, establishment has been slower, but shows good promise of improvement. Stock comprises eleven three-year-old heifers, 140 two-year-old heifers, and four pedigree bulls. Galatea Estate. —The following is a summary of operations carried out on this estate. Clearing : Minor clearing on areas to be ploughed for crops was carried out. An area of 160 acres was cleared of rushes, the rushes being stacked and burnt. Fencing: This included the fencing of section boundaries and subdivisions to permit of better pasture-control by station stock, the subdivisional fencing of share-farms and the fencing of shelter-belts. Buildings : The ten share-farm cottages, cow-sheds, store-sheds, and pig and calf shelters were completed on the share-farms. A number of two-men huts were erected on the main camp to replace the tent-accommodation and' repairs and additions made to the store-sheds. Water-supply : The reticulation of the area south of the Township Road was completed, the share-farms being completely reticulated and further troughs placed for each subdivision of the station pastures, a total of 103 700-gallon concrete troughs being constructed on the ground. The share-farm houses, cow-sheds, and pig-pens were connected to the water system. Ploughing and Cultivation : The lucerne and swede areas, totalling 250 acres, were cultivated and sown, and an additional area of 699 acres was ploughed and cultivated for station swedes and turnips. An area of 535 acres was under cultivation for autumn grass. Hay, Oats, &c. : The areas required for hay and ensilage were cut by this Branch, and an additional area was cut and saved for station-stock purposes. An area of 70 acres of oats was cut and stacked. Areas totalling 610 acres of grass were topped. Plantations : A total length of 482 chains of pine plantation was planted, and the older plantations blanked where required. All trees planted are making exceptionally good growth. Liming and Top-dressing: Areas totalling 437 acres, including the lucerne paddocks, were limed. A commencement was made with the autumn top-dressing, a total of 407 acres beingcompleted. Grass-harrowing : An area of 250 acres of station pastures was harrowed and this work will be proceeded with. The following summary gives the work completed during the year :— Acres. Clearing rushes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 160 Fencing— Chains. Station .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 1,703 Share-farms .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 1,539 Buildings : Ten cottages, ten cow-sheds, eleven store-sheds on share-farms, and six huts and one store-shed at camp. Drains cleaned . . .. . . .. .. .. .. 1,473 Plantations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 482 Ploughing and cultivation— Acres. Share-farms . . .. .. . . .. .. .. 250 Estate .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,234 Cultivation Demonstration Farm .. .. .. . . .. 25 Ploughing only for oats .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 Crops— Lucerne .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 120 Swedes and soft turnips .. .. .. .. . . .. 854 Area of grass cut for hay .. . . . . . . . . .. 646 Area of grass topped . . .. . . . . . . .. .. 610 Tons. Hay saved station .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 175 Oats stacked .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 Acres. Grass harrowed .. .. . . . . . . .. .. 250 Grass limed .. .. . . .. . . .. .. .. 437 Grass top-dressed .. .. . . .. . . . . .. 407 Orongo Settlement. —Since October, 1922, a party of twenty-four relief men has been transported daily from Thames and engaged in deepening drains and raising stop-banks. Work was completed in January, 1935, and men were transferred to Tahuna District and employed in ring-barking willows on banks of Waitoa and Piako Rivers. Aponga Settlement. —A single men's relief camp has operated throughout the year, engaged in roading, metalling, and fencing. Some 2 miles 70 chains of fences have been erected ; 1 mile 30 chains road formed, and 1 mile 14 chains metalled.
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