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(i) Hawkes Bay This region, the Counties of Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Patangata, is a belt of rolling country stretching from the Ruahine Range of the Main Divide to the Wharaerata Ranges of the East Cape region. The area is one of good soil with warm summers and cold winters and an average but sufficient rainfall approaching 40 in. over most of the region, though tending to drought in January and February. The region is completely given over to fat-lamb production in the south-west, mainly so in the centre and south-east, and is rapidly swinging to fat-lamb production in the north. Wairoa County, with its steeper hills, presents more problems and difficulties than the rest of the region. Except in Wairoa County, reversion is absent. The introduction of subterranean clover in 1932 made possible a great improvement in the pastures of the south-western dry part of the region, and this, with the associated use of top-dressing, has greatly increased carrying-capacity. Where the rainfall is greater, white clover has been developed in the pastures with a similar effect. The increase of 1,220,000 breeding-ewes in twenty-five years since 1920 (of which 725,000 is since 1925) is the dominant feature of the region's development. (j) Rangitikei This is a block of country (the Counties of Patea, Waitotara, Wanganui, Rangitikei, Kiwitea, and Pohangina) bounded by the South Taranaki Bight to the west, the King-country and National Park to the north, and the Rangitikei River and the Ruahine Range to the south and east. The number of sheep has increased by 785,000, and breeding-ewes by 725,000. In 1945 about 35 per cent, of the ewe-flock were put to Southdown rams. The characteristic features of the region are its fertile coastal plain and rolling downs, its low-rainfall hill country (which includes the Taihape and Hunterville districts), its high-rainfall hill country (which includes a portion of the King-country) and its highland tussock plains round Waiouru. The highrainfall hill country has largely reverted and been abandoned for similar reasons to that of the Taranaki region, but in a few cases where it is owned in conjunction with the lowland fat-lamb farms as a private source of breeding ewes it has been kept in good order. Arable farming on the low country has largely given way to fat-lamb farming; so, to a lees extent, has dairying, a change in which ragwort has played a small part. The productivity of the low-rainfall hill country has greatly increased as a result of top-dressing and the provision of supplementary feed for cattle. These practices have been assisted by the presence of the Main Trunk railway, and by the fact that the Taihape district has a deep soil with a high lime content, much of which is ploughable. The Hunterville hill country shows signs of being over-stocked. The region has an exportable surplus of breeding-ewes. The fattening of Romney wether lambs is very common. (k) Manawatu This region comprises a mixed area of mostly very good farmable land lying between the first-class land of Rangitikei and Hawkes Bay regions, the second-class country of the south-east coast hills, and the hard, reverting country of the Hutt. This region includes the Counties of Dannevirke, Woodville, Pahiatua, Oroua, Manawatu, Kairanga, and Horowhenua. These counties have similar soils, topography, and rainfall. Of these counties, Dannevirke, on the south fringe of the Hawkes Bay region, is mainly good intensive sheep land, as is Oroua and