WAIKATO IMPRESSIONS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

WAIKATO IMPRESSIONS

Verdantly Green Landscape DAIRYING REVIVAL PREDICTED Having in recent weeks journeyed through Hawke’s Bay. Wairarapa and about the Manawatu, I found the greenness of the Waikato on a recent visit wonderful to my eyes. This greenness was. indeed, apparent all through from Hunterville noriliward. Even so, Waikato farmers are not altogether happy. Works are jammed with unshipped meat and chillers specially are held up. The dairy-farmer has had his production reduced by the seasonal influence to a degree estimated at 16 to 17 per cent., approximately a one-sixth cut iu output. High costs are, of course, the subject of universal and loud complaint. A most significant piece of information gained was that some revival of dairying is expected in the Waikato. This is “the lesser of two evils.” Dairying is said to be “nothing wonderful,” but sheep are worse. Stock, both up the Main Trunk and about. Waikato, look well and feed is good throughout.

These Waikato impressions were gleaned from many sources over some hundreds of miles of motoring, the great Waikato basin being criss-crossed very thoroughly. The weather has been perfect gieat heat and dead calm, with cool nights and light morning fogs.

Daybreak in Marton showed a green tinge in ttr& grass, the result of the useful rains of March 10 and 11. So, too, will this be showing well now over all the West Coast districts and. I understand, in Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay. But may more rain soon fall to keep tne growth moving. At the top of the big Rata hill I noticed a well-constructed dam being built. By the materials laid out it is presumeu that this is to be fenced in. This is a very sound policy and one which might be completed by planting the reserved area with trees. At the foot of this hill on the left was a splendid paddock of swedes, a big area, judged at 30 acres, with another of perhaps 35 a short distance along. We do not see many such about these days. But what a wonderful winterrfspring feeding is there stored! It is also significant to see the success of this crop, for roots have of recent years largely lost favour. Maybe we are to see a revival; I hope so. Rata is dominated by its splendid but ter factory; to a degree greater than seen elsewhere. It is a most imposing plant, in tasteful surroundings, and is a credit to the district. Beyond here was noted a paddock of what appeared to be stud Hereford cows with calves. They did look well and of grand type ; a charming scene. Approaching Mangaweka, along the valley, the ewes seen were really huge and in great order. In one paddock the ewes were specially large and mvondered where they were bred and from whose rams. The feed was good all through to hereand on. Just north of Mangaweka a paddock of bidi-bidied lambs was noted. This is interesting. Those “seeded” lambs were-noticeable, yet a few years we expected all hill sheep to appear like that at this season. Go all over the island today and you see really very few. Why is this? Is bidi-bidi getting less? If so, my guess is that heavier cattle stocking is having an effect. The Pumice Country. It came as a surprise to find the pumice country was so near Manawatu. It, was reached at Hihitahi, only 14 miles beyond Taihape and only 92 from Palmerston North. A first glimpse was also had of Ruapeho, “monarch of all he surveys” ; the mountain bore little snow. Here we came upon the giant tussock, in seed-head and standing three feet tall. Some hillsides dotted with this reminded me of New Mexico and Arizona iu the United States of America.

This country is coming in fast. Very few miles of the whole route is now unfenced, even about Waiouru, yet there were scores of unfenced miles not many jS.ars ago. What a difference in season here, compared to Wairarapa or Rangitikei I A binder was seen, jus_t starting in to cut a huge paddock of o_ats. And a few miles on was seen another huge paddock, all in stock. There is a good deal of oats growing up here. The season appears to be like that of Otago. The scenes reminded one of "Settling the Prairie” pictures—distances, great open spaces, and so forth. At 98 miles from Palmerston North the first ragwort was noticed —a _ solitary, miserable, one-foot-tall plant; it did not like the pumice. About Karioi there were oats in stook and stack, much hay in stock, pressed, but out in the open. This was good couutry again, like the Ohakune potato land, but it is new and raw. Potatoes seen near Ohakune were in full flower, a late crop.

From here for some miles the country was unattractive. It looks sour, damp, log-ridden and weedy. The really good country lies south-west, toward liaetihi. I wonder if it was mere rawness that made this unattractive land appear so. Or is it as it looks. Hoggets on it were not a good advertisement, but a small paddock of swedes seen here were as good as ever you would hud. Californian thistles were very bad, but that is no black mark on soil quality. But 1 did not like the dandelions all about so thickly. In 123 miles of running 1 bad now counted three ragwort plants. That was in 45 miles from Taihape. May the country be always so clean. Feed was green but well down, and rains are needed to push the growth. Up past Horopito a cow was seen on the roadside bearing a bell. How rare this is these days! 1 believe you would find many children, even on dairy farms, who would not truly know the purpose of that bell. The King Country. At liaulJluu one Alma u, gnat, illga plateau anu urops quickly. livre, at lop mixes iroixx x'amieisivu .vurtn, the rea. ragwort land is reached. lucre were unis literauy yellow; a scene oi ueauty to a tourist but one to be wept over by any true larmer.

-f lic h uiigauui lliver is soon rcacucu, and along ius valley, troui io umes out of Taumaruuui, the country looks i cry lair.

For 30 miles beyond laumaruuui the going is througn lulls, mostly gruzeu oy sheep, but wilu a good deal oi waste.au,i. Uu LUe .latter ragwort was very tuieu, but surprisingly nttle wa.s seen ou grazed areas, sheep ucep it trolii getting uueaa. Actually, on useful laud, lucre was ragwort here than auuul I'uhiatua.

let this is mostly tluru-cmss country, infested with Irost-leru and bracken, It is fortunately not very sleep, anu ou.y about 50011. io 800 ft. lu altitude. Climate is it» great asset —easy winters, good rains, and little wiud. The hoggets seen did not impress. About 20 miles before Te Kuiti was seen a farm where ragwort had taken possession. It was on? in dairying, to judge from the buildings, but it was uow deserted.

Very few sheep were met oi. the whole journey to here. Odd small lots were generally returning troin dipping. One phenomenon noted was thistledown. The air was thick with it all the way from Taihape and on to Hamilton. White butterfly were plentiful from Taihape to Taumaruuui, but not northward.

About 14 or 15 miles before Te Kuiti. the country greatly improves. Here burning off ami logging was in progress, mostly on a small scale. Then, nearer Te Kuiti, ploughing was seen ; the first to any extent since Waiouru. The sheep were of much better appearance here, too, and many cattle were seen, almost all

A.A.’s Blackberry was troublesome ou some farms.

A particularly line lot of ewes was seen on the left, going up the big hili before descending to Te Kuiti, and another on the right, while descending. Here, too, was noted the first gorse since Marton, and the first paspalum met. This grass was vividly green. In Te Kuiti I heard complaint ot the dry weather, as I did later in Waikato. But what I saw made my ear unsympathetic. This is quite a good autumn condition. The rains of March 11 had extended right up here. There was a lot of pennyroyal about a tenacious weed. On the aerodrome a dozen in-calf Jersey heifers were observed. They were a treat to the eye. They had size, colour, type and condition, and were as big as cows. Ragwort, too, was very bad north ot Te Kuiti. I saw one group of three exdairy farms all turned over to sheep. Ibe cows had been driven out. The Waikato. From about 20 miles south of Te Awamutu the country shows great improvement It is easier and more developed. At Otorohanga, 3G miles from Hamilton, one enters the “dairy empire, a land ot almost a million cows. At six miles before Te Awamutu the first lucerne was- noted in 200 miles or more—a good-looking stand. The size and activity of To Awamutu are a tribute to its country. It appears as good a town as Levin. Io the west of there lies the 3000 ft. towering landmark of Pirongia, across the historic M aipa River. Toward this I headed, into the setting sun, on a road lined with burberry hedgerows planted 70 years ago, towering elms and chestnut trees abound«!__a quite English landscape. Ihis is some of the very pick of the Waikato country. . . ~ ■ Arrived at my destination a tat-lamb farm on the banks of the Wiupa. I was immediately impressed with the pastures. Here was “mature grass—an eczema safeguard and the first 1 saw on the whole journey. The impression was so strong that “it jumped at one even though doing 45 miles an hour at the end of a long day’s drive. Not one. but many paddocks were in fullest dairy feed, with quite a few dead stalks showing through. I found almost half the farm in ihis condition. • farmer had a terrible scourging in IJ-w and be is not to be caught again.

Stock Position. My host that evening rang his buyer, with whom he is a well-favoured client, to get his final clearance of lambs drafted. There was a matter of 130 to go through, with say CO or 70 to go to works The buyer could not even say >es to that without consulting his manager. 1 inallj word came through that “they could be squeezed in.” This hold-up of sheep and cattle is a serious matter. I have found it to be general. The thought occurs as to whether Kew Zealand has enough storage space. 1 can think of very little expansion in store capacity these last dozen years, during which period our meat production has increased hugely. The Meat Board could well make a statement on. the situation. Chiller cattle, too, are held up badly here, as in more southern districts, but that is more understandable. This week some big offerings are to be made of stores for sale to fattenors, but agents are worried as they cannot see chiller holders buying just now. ~, , j The ewe demand has been tilled and rams are out on most farms. Any ewes now offered meet a poor reception. I hetrt'd from several sources that southern ewes are in growing favour, being preferred to Poverty Bay lines. It looks as if the Waikato will be strong competitors in the southern districts of the island uext season. Dairy stock are in good demand, but not. yet offering greatly. Good weaners are priced at up to £4 a head. Weaner pigs have come down sharply to 10/- for best, with fair pens making 6/- to 7/6. , < A visit paid to the Hamilton sale impressed one with the hugeness of the pig business here. I saw more than 300 pig pens, a dozen races' and all of six loading banks, .with a score of lorries in attendance. The entry was "only ordinary.’ about 1400. Pigs were being drafted up in droves. A dairy company chairman told me he had just had adviee that a new supplier was coming on next season. A sheepfarmer near Morrinsville was putting on two herds, each of 100 cows. this was in contrast to two years ago. when so much was heard of the, swing to sheep. But—here’s the catch. He estimates New Zealand is short ol 80,000 cows and that even many in milk should be culled. Where the cows are to come from is a problem. The movement to dairying is not an isolated case. Dairy stock will be dear Ibis winter. (To be continued.)