MIDDLE RUN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 20

MIDDLE RUN.

•A PICTURESQUE PROPERTY AMD ITS-STORY

THE BOOTH JERSEYS.

■UP-TO-DATE METHODS.

One of the most remarkable collections of stud farms to be found in Now, Zealand is gathered together in the stretch of country lying just below the Waingawa River, in the Vi'airarapa Valley. It would be difficult to picture anything" finer than' the prospect over this piece of country from the hills by Gladstone. In tho foreground winds the Iluamahanga, in its wide bed of shingle, whito and dazzling in the sunlight. Beyond the river tho green and well-stocked pastures stretch away until they are lost in the blue haze out of which the mountains rise against the sky. Homesteads, plantations, and the three-lined courses of tortuous streams

lend a, charming variety to tho view, and it is difficult to realise how short a time has gone by since the first white settlers" began the work; of ■ creating this pleasant countryside out of a; wilderness of sombre bush and swamp. -■ •

Middle Run, for instance, out on the Carterton-Gladstone Road, 1 looks as ■if it had grown up with tho . landscape away back from time'immemorial. J As a matter of fact/ it was acquired by Mr. Alfred Booth from-Mr. 0. R. Carter,' the founder-of. Carterton, and was|then', covered with rough. scrub,} and flax, and. a. fair proportion of tho: property!;, was. an impassable-swamp. ! Mr.. Alfred Booth,■■who!was a brother of the late Mr .'William Booth, of Caftejton, still but has passed the control!of the property;over to'his sons, who, as Messrs. TT.-'il! and A. E.; Booth, , are-well'known among stock-breeders s from one eiid of the Dominion, to the. other, ~ ;.. \ ...1 ~

When -Middle Bui was taken, up it, carried practically, up ..sheep. To-day it' turns; off ..between, 'sixty; and- .seventy bales of wool, a good'many; head of cat- ;

tie•and'.fat l shcep,<and cropping is also carried on. The bulk of the property is rolling down land covered with a soil that varies from.'a light shingle to ! •the rich alluvial of the old swamps. Miles of surface drains have been constructed, and inuch draining has also, been done, the property being one of the. most, highly improved in. the district. . The estate has a frontage of two miles, to the Gladstone lload, which runs along its' southern boundary, and it extends northwards Taratahi, a '• distance of. about three. miles. . tin, approaching from Carterton, the new residence of Mr. A. E. Booth is first passed, and then from the top of a rise one catches sight of a large house on the summit of a neighbouring riso. This is thc_home of Mr. Alfred Booth, and is well known among horticulturists for its fine rose garden and also for its bulbs, Mr. Booth, • senior, being an enthusiastic gardener. • Not far away , is tho'residence'of Mr. W. H. Booth, where another rose garden is-to be found. About half a mile to the northward is the working centre of the pro-' perty, and here are found the sheep and cattle yards,' the woolshed, two granaries; tho stables, and also ih the vicinity two ploughmen's cottages, and tho usual men's wharo. It- is interesting to. note that Mr. Alfred Booth, was ono of the' first persons in the AVairarapa to instal shearing-inachines. Tho residents of Middle Run are well off so far as recreation is concerned, for on the property is one of-:the best private golf links'in'the'district,'the undulating country iending 'it splendidly for the purpose.' ' i .■' !' On the sheep side the endeavour of

diford,' Short, and Gray Bros., and ramj. of Messrs. Booth's own breeding have also been used on the flock.' ■ One ol the rams bred on the place was awarded a prize at the last Carterton Show, : and this without .any special prepara- . lion. With this ram, "llunner-TJp," is is hoped to breed something more than ordinarily good. He is a splcndidlywoolled sheep, showing density and crimp in his flece, and has a square, loiv-set body. For show-ring purposes, however, he cannot compare for size. with some of the rams shown, not bav- , , ing been forced in his youth. : It is not, however, for.its Romneys, but for its far-famed Jerseys, that Mid--die Run is best known. To give the . general reader some idea of the standing of this herd, a few.figures will be '.'-. to the point. The winnings during th« past six years are as under:— Championships ; 10" i ■ • First prizes .' 43' ■ -i ] Second prizes : 34 , i --'Third prizes ;........ 22 . ]-.' T0ta1.................. 109 v ■■ -. ; ASouf seven years >ago tne isrossbred cattle supplying the'home-■'. ;st-Ksd and ploughmen with milk werfl", 'disposed of, and a number of pure 3er- ; jsoys i took their place. '■ These -were ; : found-to bo^far".superior 'to', their'.prede- i cessors,-. , and, 'what ; was." then' ; a■ smart-.; side-line '■ Has.; developed with the great , 'demand : for, pure, registered cattle into: cue;of the. most paying lines on this,' run. ■' .'...',•. . ■ .--.' .. ' . '■•"'■ : ..There is:np difficulty,in, selling ,cowa, at big .prices, and; young hulls are never : . ' icepi.beyond/ tfio yearling,' stage.,- To.' ' merit; the for,.dairy 'stock; : the : :-. .are".from dams giving -over' p01b.,;621b.; and'63llb. 'of; milk; per'"day. 7 '' The three' dam's of; present sires 'used' have 1 takeii champion tickets 'in.the r show; ring,.and;'it is claimed,.have'the> largest' and best-shaped .udders in ;New , Zealand. .-...-. The cow Sunflower IV, giving 63Jlb. in one day, averaged 601b. for thirty days' (not bad for a little Jersey), and in the opinion of Hγ. AV. H. Booth, who has judged a little, has no superior ■ in New Zealand for all-round excellence. The cow Victoria V, giving 621b. per day, has just won another championship at Christchurch. . ■ An endeavour has been made to keep' tho herd as near typo'as possible.' The' ' animals, as 'indicated above, have taken : a fair share of awards and champion--.' ships in the, show ring. The. herd numbers - about 25 cows, and is closely ■• allied to in English stock, having blood V of the imported ewes, . Silver". King,; ■': K.C.8., Larkspurs, Optician, and Dry,, Monopole close up in their pedigrees.. It is on the line of Dry'Monopole, im. " ported .sire of many famous cows, that , : the Jersey".'herd"will .be bred.for,a iayt',- ' ;ye'a¥s;' v '' ! >;'''-' : '" 5f' i/ '\ i : ' ■.:. '''*-."'fv^'/^N The area, under.crop at Middle, Rnj •. is as .. .'.' : , acres, mostly Imperial green globe seed, as blight resister. ■ Bape—l2o acres. Oats—93 acres. ~ ■ -.■'.-' •'.; Oats; for feeding off—so icree. ,'. ..V Tho, cropping has been carried on mostly under the direction of Mr.' A. E. '■'" Booth. : '• " .... The system of cropping adopted ia as follows:— ■'.'.'-' .. Turnips from grass, followed by rape;. ■ autumn sown oats for cutting ■ green" bats for feeding in autumn; rape and'.• !i ■ grass sov/n in spring. : ; : Sometimes the following variation ij ■ made from ■ grass; spring ; : sown oats for -cutting;- autumn sown . ' oats for cutting; autumn fallow; spring' sown rape and grass. . .-.■■■ Grass seed is sometimes sown in autumn, with green oats for feeding . off, but spring sowing with rape givej the best'returns. : The turnips are invariably an excellent crop, and are the backbone of the system. The rape is found to make a fine preparation' for oats. Though tho land will grow oats continuously, no risk is taken by over-cropping, good grass being the end of the system in view.- '" ■ '-.■ . . : -.- . The turnips, with an allowance o! hay, are found to run equal to 25 to 30 hoggets per acre for four months. By, ' keeping the .hoggets : going to, a fresh ■ break' every■'ten to,-fourteen' and following : with old ewes,-the.'death rate runs ".from, only'one- to two per cent. : during ,the winter, and.a number: oj. these deaths are caused by 'ina;'on fresh feed.-.- -~. .'^.'