RESOURCES OF THE WEST COAST.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1923, Page 4

RESOURCES OF THE WEST COAST.

A LAND OF PROMISE. POTENTIAL WEALTH OF FINE DISTRICT. (Lyttelton Times). Chatting with n prominent figure in the history of mining in Westland, T asked him about the men who had worked a successful sluicing claim which we had visited together years ago. His answer explains, in part, tiie development of farming operations in this province. Naming about ten men lie said: ••They’re all farming. (Tone for botter-lal. They now talk about dairy cows and stock instead of dints, slabs and props. They’ve 'oft minim' for farming.” And the result is making itself felt. Westland now possesses" 11,000 cattle of all descrip- j lions. There are 12.000 dairy cows, [ about the same number of steers and plenty of young stuff. Then there arc •12,000 sheep and, according to a Government report, 28,500 lambs ucio tailed in the year 1921-22. The total occupied area of 'the province is given as 1,731,0-19 acres, hut as 1,036,182 of these acres arc described as " standing virgin hush,” with 93,000 more growing onlv fern or second growth, and 327,210. acres classified as “barren and unproductive,” it will be seen that the area actually under grass is not large. What the Agricultural Department calls “old pasture” totals 123,311 acres, hut for tlie year mentioned the new pasturage added exceeded -1,000 acres. Westland contains some splendid grazing land, but it is not a second Tarankai. All the hush country will not make good dairy farms, and it might not he wide of Hie mark to that timber will afford the best return obtainable from much of it. But "> the valleys undoubtedly there is 'and of the finest quality, and a man with

it first-haml knowledge of the country, ri*'l ifc to the southern boundary o! the province, assured me that praiticallv every vallev, in lime, would support a dairy factory. H certainly looks as though things were lending that way. Already there is a string of factories along the coast, and theie will he additions in the not distant future. In order, from north to south, the factories south of the Grey district are: Kumnra (butter). Arnhura (butter), Kokatahi-Kniterangi (bin ter). Wniiaha (cheese), inlerWangnimi butter and cheese) and

Wmnfo.'i (cheese) 'and the additions m ir i'n Litre will probably be: Hokitika. WebeU, Alatill ahi, the Han't and Okuru. Now Okuru is 110 mile; south of Hokitika by >oa. and there iu prospect ot dairying operations even I’llriher south,. r l ho great need of the farmers is access, and those in th" south mention lhe bridging of the Wnihoil and the Waikukupa as a matter of the very first importance. The factories mentioned are run on ill" co-operative principle, but the proposed central factory at Hokitika will be a proprietary concern, li "ill lira" it' supplies principally irom the land served by the railway to lio-*. The first factory erected in Westland was that at Kokatahi, which commenced operations in 189>. Reedit I v plans for enlarging the building

and plant were discussed, so that the enterprise is a flourishing one. Tts output has grown from thirty-two tons t,, probably lot) tons or more. Tin' inter-Wanganui factory at I lari Hart in 1911 sold its output fur £2598. Last year it turned out 187 toils of cheese and three toils of but ter. ami the revenue derived from the sale was £15.517. Since 1911 the Walaroa faclorv Inis more than doubled its output. In 1922 il sold 7i f tons of cheese for £5971. These facts and figures are -aillieient to show that dairy farming is well established on the Coast, ami that the prospects are bright. There . [....jjlj !,.. .. I V ;.. I ri.,,-,.lp | ~ . )lO,r ab’.llg L hi: line. DAIHVING LAM'. Tl.c obvioti- question, " lieu tin- piospeels of development of dairy farming aIV discussed, is as to the suitable land available. As lar as Westland is concerned that remains to he proved. Let ween the Poherua and Wanganui Divers the Government is draining a swamp of about 1000 acres and it should make splendid dairy larnis. Ami all along the coast there are an as of swamp laud, hut only a careful survey "ill show "bether there i-. sufficient fall to drain Lhom properly I have heard oi one 'Wanip with p at hoi tom, where Hie .-.nhsidetiee at the ground, consequent on drainage opera lions, would exceed the tail and make development impossible. The impression is that the swamp areas at Ktttigam a and Bruce Hay can he drained effectively and at the present lime a topographical survey is being made of 00,000 acres in the far south of .the province in order to prove whether drainage would be possible. Those who know the country are convinced that much of the sv. amp land from tinHaast lo Tael; urn’s Hay can lie brought into good pasture. Nearer at hand a

survey has been made of swamp land in the I'r-rlik- Kokatahi district and the owners may take steps to bring t his area in. Much of the hill countrv will grow timber only, blit the valleys of Westland are most fertile. In the years to come there ma.v be nceoxsilv lor more river profeel ion norlli but the material is at hand. There has been no land boom in this pro. vinoe. and prices. comparatively speaking, are not high. A report presented to the Chamber of Commerce in 1919, when values were soaring in tlm north, recorded sales ol land at ke.kntalii at .£2O and at inter-Wanganui ai CIO por no re.

TJio M:i vur oi iliikitiUn, f*. Perry, lias taken a keen interest in farming operations, and when 1 called he willinglv discussed the .subject. He was of the opinion that Westland was passing through a trailsit-orial stage, leading to the fuller development ol its agricultural resources. Farmers were beginning to appreciate the vn.ln.' of manures and some now realised that a small farm well worked was better than a- large farm indifferently worked. For one thing the fanner with the smaller holding was more independent of outside labour, which a problem, and, in addition, he could devote 'more attention to the plac-e. Each year saw an advance in lhe methods of farming; more study of the soil and so on.' There was ample room for further progress and with a provision of cheaper fertilisers and manures, which tho completion of the Otira lino promised to give, there should bo steady development in the industry.

For dairying purposes the farmers ot Westland show a strong preference for the Shorthorn cross, probably because of their dual utility. There are mor--. cows and heifers of that breed in the province than of all other sorts added together. As usual, farmers differ regarding the *nlin«l most suited to the conditions of the coast, and herds with Jersey, Friesian or Ayrshire blood predominating are to ho- found hero in increasing numbers. Well bred animals, of proved milking strains, are coming in front Nelson and Canterbury, but the experience of years, based on proper testing of the herds, will be necessary in order to prove which breed gives the best return to the Westland farmer.