AROUND UTIKU.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 815, 12 May 1910, Page 8

AROUND UTIKU.

NOTES BY THE V?A\. From tho railway lino when 'going north towards Mangaweka one sees u block of fine rolling sheep country 'away on the Kawhatau sido of tho Rangitikei; part of it is farmed by Messrs. Gorringe Bros., and another portion is farmed by Messrs. Totman Bros.. When riding along the Potaka Road (writes our travelling correspondent) I saw these lino properties near by. They seemed to be just full of sheep. The carrying capacity is—well, I am almost afraid to say what it is, but I was assured that it is up to anything'to bo found in any part of the Wellington province; that is, for purely, pastoral land. Like some other settlers in this district, Mr. Totman has built a very handsome residence on a plateau which overlooks a stretch of level land running up to the cliffs over the Rangitikei River. . ■

Passing along this Potaka Road I cams to a fairly large area of heavybush land, chiefly flat.; This block,. I was told, has been surveyed into ' 45ecre sections, and for dairy farms. It is 14 miles from Mangaweka, and is situated.on the Omatane Road. It does really seem absurd to out up land in such a locality in:so small sections. I wanted to get across, to Tltiku, but as there was only a ford over the Rangitikei, which I did not know, I was not at-all inclined , to tako-the risk. This river has been-the death of many an unfortunate man in tho past. In consequence 1 had to go all the way round v by Mangaweka.' Between there and Utiku r tho country is very broken, but for all'that it. is a country full of grass. Just below Utiku the Hautapu River joins the Rangitikei. Up the valley through, "which the latter, runs there is some nice land. Mr. Butler has a sheep.- farm here, comprising rolling hills and good ploughable land. This gentleman has run nis telephone wire into Utiku. The town now .wears., a very different aspect from what it did on.my last visit some three' years ago.. It was then a busy time, the shriek of the saw, and the hum of the planer were heard all over the place. It was a busy little town, on account of the large spending power of the sawmill population. Now there is • only . one mill left, that of Messrs. Gibb and. Sons, who still have some years' cutting before them. . Their logs aro brought across the. Hautapu Gorge on a singlespan suspension bridge. ■ Many empty cottages and vacant stores can be seen. •However, t there is a considerable area of Native land, which will como in for settlement,- and the timber has :been ( taken out of tho'bush by tho mills." 1 saw several very good dwellings on these lands' in course of building; and ■when the properties have been broken in they should add very ranch to the number of:stock in.this district... . .

The chief cause of-anxiety ,in most of this country is the, Califofniaii .thistie,- which threatens to become ■ a.-men-ace, though from what I heard it would seem that if.the settlers tako it in hand early they can compete with it with a considerable amount of success. At one time, and that not many years" ago, the main'road was an awful place to travel over. Now it is splendid, and for a comparatively new district seems able to cope with the traffic.. Good metal at hand made it,much cheaper than would have been the.'case if material'had to be railed, as had to be done further north. Some of the hills at the back of Utiku run up to 2900 feet : above sea levelj and yet on the highest sections there is any amount of splendid grass. Of course it is a bit cold iriVw.in.ter, but is .very .healthy for sheep.