A NEAR-BY DISTRICT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 11

A NEAR-BY DISTRICT.

DEAR TELEPHONES AND SLOW RAILWAYS. Mr. Johu H. Hnggerty writes from Ohariu as under:— 1. Entirely satisfactory, tho children being taught gardening in many branches, the growing of vegetables, grains, and grasses, and experimenting with many different manures, milk testing, etc., which all. proves very valuable to them. 2. Being mostly sheep farming in my district, the farmers are dependent on their wool clip to a great extent, and which now commands good prices at our local sabs. As far as disposing of fat stock is concerned, wo have the two local freezing companies, which do not appear to be much in opposition to each othor, and simply make their own prices, in many cases paying one shilling and eren more, less than they pay for sheep from one or two hundred miles from their works, < and then have to pay railway freight, simply because they have opposition from othsr freezing companies, who do not operate in this direction. We also have our Johnsonville fat stock sale every Wednesday, with its forty . bullocks and threo hundred sheep, which is simply_ a "stop gap" for Wellington, butchers, being attended by aboat a dozen butchers, when they do not buy elsewhere or through other firms. The sooner the stock auctioneering firms, assisting in supplying stock to butchers for Wellington needs,. associate themselves together and put up associated yards, tho better for all concerned, especially the farmer, as he could then oxpcct, competition for his stock. 3. Wp are well served by roads, but carriage of goods by rail is far from satisfactory. I can instance a case just recently, one of few: Advice received by mail, copy of consignment note enclosed, goods loaded Ngahauranga, consigned this day, and five days later arrive at Johnsonville, a distance of nine miles by rail; same from Wellington, in many cases, from date of delivery at goods shed, Wellington to Johnsonville, six miles, occupies threo days. This means, when living a distance from the station, often unnecessary journeys and inconvenience to sco if goods have arrived. 4. No complaints regards postal service. Telephones are within the reach of few living at a discancc, owing to the high cost of installation.

5. The fanner is, I should say, if not directly benefited by agricultural shows, indirectly, and often greatly enlightened by a trip to a show, as ho sees for himself what breeding, careful attention, and proper management of stock can produce. What appears most wanting at our shows is a better display of agricultural implements.

6. I should say the work of the Department of Agriculture bas been of groat l:t?nefit, but think it could be extended still further by the Government in the analysing of soils, and manures made up to suit the different soils, at State-owned manure depots. Only just recently the Government circularia'd all local bodies as to their wants in hardwood timbers, with the object also of finding their support to a scheme whereby t-lie Government would import timbers and have depot l ? at tho principal ccntrfs, whereby local bodies could purchase their supplies at a reduced cost. Similarly the farmers might well bo asked what support would bo given to a scheme whereby the Government, would have' manure depots at tho principal centres. There are hundreds of thousands of tons of manures being used annually, and it would smvly bo a step in the right direction to rcduce the high cost of them. At least one pound per ton could bo saved to the farmer, and lie might also lie sure of a manure to suit his soil, so as to get the best ltfsults. 7. No organisation whatever. 8. What few renters of farms there are in the district appear to bo doing fairly well, owing to the good prices of wool and mutton. ■ !). Very little ou.tsidk- labour is employed, bsing a sheep grazing district. 10. In ail coses I should say conditions are satisfactory. 11. Telephone extensions, so as to be within the reach of all. At present telephones are only for the rich.