Gk—lo.

Haparangi Plantation. This plantation is situated on the Haparangi Mountain, lying to the south of the Rotorua-Atiamuri Road. It has an area of 833 acres and, as previously reported, was gazetted under section 522 of the Act, primarily as a Native unemployment scheme for the benefit of the Maoris of the Rotorua district; and secondly, to increase the natural shelter afforded to other schemes on the Horohoro belt. To the 31st March, 1936, some 750,000 trees have been planted. The more exposed southern and eastern parts of the hill have been planted with eucalypti and the hardier pines, such as Pinus Murrayana and radiata ; on the higher levels Pinus Murrayana. Facing north, and on the warmer slopes, species such as Douglas fir, macrocarpa, eucalypti, radiata, ponderosa, and Murrayana are planted, while the fire-breaks are lined with poplars. No major planting was carried out during the year, but maintenance works such as road repairs, and clearing fire-breaks were undertaken. The trees show good growth, and ultimately will be a valuable asset to the Department. Horohoro : Kapenga 1. This scheme comprises an area of virgin land, some 1,000 acres in extent, of similar quality to that of the adjoining block known as Kapenga 2. It is hoped that the breaking-in of this area will be commenced this year. Horohoro : Kapenga 2. Developed with the intention of providing dairy-farms for selected men from the Tuhourangi tribe, this scheme was a means of providing useful work for the Maori unemployed of Whakarewarewa. The property, of an area of 400 acres, is situated at a distance of seven miles from Rotorua on the Atiamuri Road, and is a particularly warm piece of country. It lies to the sun, and is protected in the background by the Haparangi Mountain, and shows promise of turning out to be one of the best areas on the Horohoro Block. Effective results have been achieved in the consolidation of the pastures by heavy stocking. Stock carried comprised 301 ewes, with 103 per cent, lambs. In addition, 966 wethers, which were put on Kapenga off the shears, were sold off fat at 255. per head, and 155 head of beef cattle were carried through the year. An adequate water-supply has been obtained for the present from springs on the property, but further extensions will be required on subdivision. Work during the year consisted of top-dressing the grassed area, clearing second-growth tutu and fern, and replanting where necessary one mile and a half of shelter-belts. The revenue for the past year is reflected in bulk stock, but as at the 31st March this scheme was allocated the following stock : 3 bullocks, 153 run cows, and 2 run calves. In future the block will be run as a separate unit, and this will enable proper farm-working accounts to be prepared. Horohoro : Ngati-Tuara. This land, comprising 2,125 acres under development, is owned and worked by the Ngati-Tuara and Ngati-Kearoa, subtribes of Te Arawa, who have converted an area of scrub and fern into nineteen farms, of which sixteen supplied the factory this season. The holdings average between 90 and 100 acres. In addition to the general farming operations, further subdivisional fencing, draining, erection of cowsheds, cultivating turnip crops, and keeping in check noxious weeds, have been carried out during the year. Exceptional growth in the summer augured well for a first-class crop of hay, but continued wet weather retarded the gathering of the crops, and the quantity saved was affected accordingly. With the turnip crops that have been cultivated on each section this year, there should be sufficient feed to see the stock through a normal winter. The units continue to show a considerable improvement in their assimilation of farming methods, and this is reflected in the cleanliness of their sheds, which has resulted in a considerable quantity of their output being graded finest, and a steady increase in the poundage is recorded. The following figures taken for each dairying season Ist July to 30th June indicate the progress of butterfat production.

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Year. ! Number of Cows milked . Total Butterfat.l Ave^ e ! sheds. per Gow. lb. lb. 1932-33 .. .. 10 Not recorded. 29,400 1933-34 .. .. 10 286 41,509 145 1934-35 .. .. 10 243 41,981 173 1935-36 .. .. 16 365 62,084 170