SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1923, Page 1

SOUTH WESTLAND

A VlSi'i'OliS I.M I’ll KS-MOX. In t 111- course i;!' mi interview after his ret. urn from n visit to Smith WestItiiiil. Mr T. I’.numi t (lrtinniser of the New /.I’lilniiil I nl'liicis' Cnioii). nshcil what his injniivssioiis won- ol tin> possibilities n!' thi> district visited. Mr lluxton said ho was surprised to fun I ilint the ohiss of Inml utis nf siivh n liioh onlor. Ip to tlii'i present tho litrinor hail r. ally h ’i’ll n pioneer. hivnkmv: in tho Inin! am! makiiip; dairyii;;: and f;11 111i11U jiio.-ihlo, 'flic tiir.o was coniine wlion the necessity for and ndvniilnij't's nl linin' intense i-nltiv.-uimi would 1..- realised ami instead of. as hiiln-rto. tho resouive-. ol tho soil hoino scarcely Inin in d. si-iontilio methods ol larniino would I>.■ iiitrodiiood. ami tlii\ land would ho inndf to yield its utmost. without daiiyer of exhaust imi. Ono ol tho prcntest draw hacks to tho land roatliiiio tho liiphe.-t point of prodiictivily was tho oroat cust of transport oi lime and manure. This was still a jri'eat pint.loin, which was pussi Me ol iluiiiiii only hv the improve-

meet 11f ilii' means of eonimunieation ! .tin' extension ill the railway nr i !>>.• |irnVi-inii nl ;i |iurl somewhere ;tloi !fC till' roast line. .Ml I’uNloii iVimn! tli.-it those nl' tin' farmers who iniil remit ly visited C ;iiterlmry were full of admiral inn for the advatire wliieh is lieill<c liuide in ill-" ap]ilieiit'ii'll nl' seieiitilie |iriliei|iles ill aerieulture. hiil, he I'oninl tinst in Smith Westland the funner will take some time yet to :ui|uir" the piitier.ee null pei'severaitee required lm- thorniieh and seieul ilir iillintr nl the soil. ’I lie idea was still prevalent that a tanner in iheso | arts slioiihl put nut his entlio ala! slieri) nil the iuislur ai d t:>’ nut nf the laud what it was willin': to yield. It seemed Ir'id for • "me el itfarmers to realise that soientifie ettlti- \ t i i > 11 llllt S'il!|.. illllie into the soil v,hieli it did not po.-sess before. 'llie day would not lie far di-taul when areas u hieli at present Mere yiver, over to rushes, weeds, and swamp, would

Ire made to yield ilio quota to the Domillion s prt.nl net<. Smith r»i 11 <rihari. Mr Buxton found no evidence of tlu: use of manure at all. This was n,,t diffieuit to understand when it was con-

sidered that the eartage oi manure 1 1<1111 Boss io liarihari en-: about LT 10s a ton.

The farmers, however, are optimistic and view the future prospects with anticipations of increiised prosperity. Tiie opening oi the (turn tunnel they consider certain to lie a rival boon to them in getting their stock through quickly and without less of condition to the Addington market. They realise that (la- loading ei stock i ail'he carried

out early in the morning at Hokitika, and bv evening the animals are sately in the Addington yards. That the tanners of South Westland arc aeq-iminied with the way to rai-c tirstclass bullocks was very apparent to Air Buxton. and lie considers those lie saw equal in anything in New Zealand. Sheep were found to he doc,-; > ,11. Konumys and l’unmev and Southdown crosses predominating, and ii was considered 11 111 l till' lambs seen bad wood prospects of tiudiug a satisfactory market in Canterbury. Ihe percentage oi lambs was good, averaging between 7." and 1011, and the tanners assured .'.lr Buxton that vers few had b .en hi«i through bad weather, ultlioiigli severe late frosts had kept tlm feed backward, and the condition of stock suffered in <-on-eq lienee. ’i'lie settlers considered that tliev laid one gelt nine grievanee. This was in regard to the mail service provided to places south of liarihari. At present residents of Wataroa, Wailio. and farther south had onlv one mail week, and liarihari only two. In view of the statement of the mail contractor that he was willing to carry flic mail twice weekly to all these districts, provided he ua> given a guarantee of the renewal ol his contract, there appears to he an opportunity of making an arrangement satisfactory to both the Postal Department and the settlers. 'l'lie mail coniraetor already runs a car to ihcse parts twice a v.wk. I ut he takes no mail on his mid-week trip, this being j taken onlv oil Sundavs.

few visitors to Hokitika realise the low fares ruling lor mi .or (rips further south, and undoubtedly with the opening of the Kxhibitioii ill the capital of Westland towards tlm end of the year, trips will lie arranged whmlt will inquaint the visitors with a part of the Dominion unrivalled in i'. pctciiliulilies and scenic grandeur.