HORSE AND DOG.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1940, Page 16

HORSE AND DOG.

MUSTER IN FAR NORTH DAIRY HERDS AND SHEEP.

I (By M.G., Kaitaia.)

"Couldn't lend us a few dogs, could you?" Aβ he checked his horses to hustle the combined "dog strength" of his two mates and himself out of the way of motor traffic, the youthful leader of a mustering gang bound for what even Kaitaia calls "the Far North," had a reflective twinkle in his eye. "Only fifteen between the three of us and five horses—we need a few more just for company," he observed gravely, "three weeks' mustering and drafting and then the drive down ....." But for the stock saddles, the coiled ropes and stockwhips and the bags containing personal effects for weeks, which might even mean sleeping in the open, the many dogs made it look vaguely like the gathering of an English hunt. But already they were away, clattering through the last of the little towns and bound for the back of beyond or, to be very explicit, the end of New Zealand. Swagger of Pride. Horses and dogs mattered a lot and there was a conscious swagger of pride which would have made good in the favourite "Westerns" of any of the three youths .....

Hori was riding in the lead, the big bay fighting the bit, while following immediately behind him came the grey pony which was so tried a veteran that he no longer required leading. With a pleased grin Henare was handling a flighty but powerful four-year-old. "Hie third time on the road, but he'll be educated when we come home," was the observation. Last of all, in charge of the dogs, rode the young boss, his two locally famous hacks jogging happily together as though the whole trip wae quite their idea of a jaunt. And under their noses, packed closely together in this area of motor traffic, ran the black, black and tan and black and white dogs, each a specialist in his own line. With slight variations all that is a daily theme in the steep areas of the far northern peninsula. On the bigger cattle runs the annual spring muster ie taking place, and the stock, already in' excellent condition after the mild winter, is being brought inland and southward for fattening before commencing the final 70-mile trek to the freezing works at Moerewa. Around the last homestead of all in the Far North—the historic Te Paki 6tation—mustering, is in full swing, men and dogs combing the 53,000 odd acres of steep and sandy ground at the extreme end of the peninsula. Here the rounding up and drafting of th semirounding up and drafting of the semiwild run cattle will occupy several weeks, and they will then be driven over a hundred miles down the country to Kaitaia, where they will comprise an entire special sale. Buyers Travel By Air. In contrast to the musterers, to whom horses are indispensable, the stock buyers arrive in the moet modern of ways. This year, of course, the war : has made the programme different, but only a year ago buyers of Te Paki stock arrived at Waipapakauri by 'plane. This year a number of special salee of beef cattle have already been held. Equally busy, though probably not so _ picturesque as the musterer, is the dairy farmer and the owner of the mixed farm. The whole of the Mangonui county has benefited by a mild and dry winter, and there are excellent indications for the preeent season. Dairy herds are in splendid condition and rapidly reaching their full milking strength. Sheep flocks are also in fine order, and lanrbing is well advanced.

In dairying, in particular, farmers are making a drive for increased production and herd-testing is reported to be greatly on the increase. In addition to this many heifer calves which would probably be sent to the works in ordinary circumstances are being redistributed through a pool syetem to farmers requiring extra young stock.