DAIRYING IN WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1924, Page 4

DAIRYING IN WESTLAND

IMMENSE I’OSSiBIUTIKS. 11l speaking of the re-eiur-es of Westlaud. one geoenu'v has in mind ils great limber and ■ oal industries, and it is seldom, indeed that the dairying industry is coupled with the others under review. \ a the Coa-i has a great future as a dairying ecu ti'e, according lo an epiiii m expressed lo a “N’.Z. Times” repivs.,mat iv> by Mr A. I.cigb. Hunt, who has just eomplri oil an extended, tour of I lie privime. He was lutieh struck, he said, by the large amount ol excellent dairying laud wilieli he passed through- lertlie. river flats, in Hoiks of from .‘.0.00s to 8(1,!. "Q a.- re.- . There were large areas of such land at, K aka tali i and Koiteraugi. near Hokitika, and further south simihsi land was encountered at llarihari and Wninr ia. r.NI.M PROVED LAND. A certain amount of dairying wa.being carried oil there now. but must of the land was mu half improved, said Mr Hunt', and needed draining before .1 .mild he at its best. Tim drainage quest ion was a big one. and would have to he tackled svstenmti-t-a!!v. It was no u--e each mail tinkering with his own draining, because he had not sufficient capital. Ihe formation of drainage boards, was needed to do the work. This land was cheaper at the present time than any land ol its class in the North Island, and when in a fairly advanced slate ol improvement eomd he bought at irom £2O in iloll per acre, while fairly drained land was on the market at £lO and upwards. It ecrl'nf nlv offered greater opportunities to a man looking tor a dairying investment than did any other part of Mew Zealand. PLENTY OF LIMESTONE.

.After draining, the land would need liming, but this should he easy, and cheap ill a country where unlimited quantities of limestone and fuel were everywhere close at hand. A ! present lime was produced only under the most primitive conditions, and eoii'oqueutlv cost Inr more than it should, but this was a matter which could easily he remedied.