OKURU NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1926, Page 3

OKURU NEWS.

] (Front a Correspondent). FARMING NOTES. OKLRU. April LI. I Two goals that were recently imporr- - ed are doing excellent work-amongst i the. blackberries here. Goars could 3 firflfitahly be kept on all these farms. : They eat little of what other stock rely • upon, eating principally leaves and rubbish and should be useful in running in some of these paddocks overgrown with second growth. It is also claimed they do prevent disease which i frequent farm stock, especially dairy : cows. * Rabbits are becoming rather too numerous in parts of the settlement- 1.0 he safe, there being a notable increase on last year. There is still an excellent | growth in tlie pastures and prospects are fair so far, considering the season and crop failures. GENERAL. Several local residents recently returned from the Exhibition. Mr and Mrs Adam Cron left recently for Dunedin via the Pass. The district is at present without a school teacher. There are quite a number of children coming on school ago. Mr Ay-on. Chief Tnspetcor of Fisheries writes.—“ Any assistance which 1 am attic to give in helping to stock the llnast River with trout 1 will he glad to do so.” This is a matter which reqwires the attention of our Acclimatisation Society. Our rivers are ideal for lisli and would idler inducement to many keen fishermen. FARMING NOTES. OK UR U, April 19. Mr E. James recently secured seeds of recently introduced grasses and clovers which were sown out in boxes. The results from this has been the selecting of a few of the many species sown as being highly suitable for West Coast conditions, the most noted was Red Canary grass, (Pularis Bulhosii). The col ill or and welter the period the more growth, it made and grows well on 1 strong moist soils. Mr Dalgleish (Fields Instructor) considers this grass could he utilised to advantage in South "Westland. But it. should always- he 1 kept eaten down, as like cocksfoot it 1 becomes very rank and is inclined to carry ergot if allowed to get too rank. 1 It is a thoroughly perennial, and makes a very useful permanent pasture on account of its cold resisting qualities. * It seems to thrive in cold weather, and I the plant will grow an inch or more 1 a day in the depth of winter. Unfor- 1 tunately this seed is not to he obtained ’ commercially at present, hut Mr .Limes intends to import a quantity for sow- ■ mg next season. This plant, will not * stand drought conditions. But ifshould I thrive under these climatic conditions 7 admirably, and its winter growth must not he overlooked. Mr James will 1 have trial packets of seeds available later for enquiring parties. SWEET FLOATING GRASS.

This is another grass that could ho profitably sown in boggy marshes, swamps, water holes, and low lying country likely to he overrun with water at times. This grass will grow oil water and its growth will rapidly increase as i:he water rises. Stock are also fond of it. Like the Red Canary grass the seed is not to lie obtained commercially at present. Of the. clover families .Subterranean and Yellow I’re foil nourished most, while Egyptian (Beerscem) and Bokltarn have done fairly well. But the latter would only thrive on dry sandy places and could probably ho of service hv top-sowing tho consolidated sandy river bods and hem lies. In Australian the Subterranean has recently come to the lore. Seed was bringing Ts (id nr even more per 9). two years ago. but can be procured at 3s per lit., and may even bo clteaitor. This plant is an annual hut owing to its tree seeding system can he classified as a. perennial and quickly covers up vacant spaces and is relished by siock. A paddock was recently sown, at Karangarua. Which shows the dominant nature of this plant against weeds. If will also .grow on a wide range of soils, including sandy and gravelly land. The other successful clover mentioned. Yellow Trefoil i> somewhat like cow grass in appearance and shows every appearance of becoming an excellent cropping plant. It is vet somewhat early to report on this plant, having been sown late. U is quite unlike flic other trefoil varieties of tho clover family. WEST COAST WHITE PIXE.

During the last two seasons experiments have been made ot exporting N.Z. butter in boxes made ol foreign timbers and far too in my reports have |,con received from London indicating that New Zealand butter packed in such boxes lias been adversely affected. Advice lias been received to the effect that olio company's butter purchased by on oversea buyer has already caused a loss running into approximately £2,000. The fault lay in small pockets of gum or resin in the timber acutely effecting the butter. Wbv import foreign timber when we in our own province have large holts ot the finest blitter box timber that can he procured anywhere. Why lose ground in our butter market when these large forests of white pine mre laying untouched, and many younger holts coming along. Eighteen million feet of millablc timber in one block of which two thirds is white pine was recently purchased in this district by a saw-milling firm and scores of such belts are still laying idle that could ho offering employment for many hundreds of families and supplying 'the local bodies and Government with revenue. Another import,ant point about white pine country, once cleared it makes excellent pastures. There are many younger belts coining along that might he reserved for future dates. It is essential that mills operate tliroughant this country as a pioneer operation in opening up many largo tnaets of good pastoral and dairying country. Mr and Miss Harris have returned from Dunedin.

Mr T. K. Y. Sedilon has promised to co-operate in the Haast Russ reading scheme, reads an extract from a letter from a well-known Otago resident. OK UR U, April 23.

Mr IV. O’Leary leaves to-morrow lor Dunedin. Some years have elapsed ■Mice Mr O'Leary last trod in his no-

tive province. .Mr Lizz/ml and a friend leave Makaroa within a few days For Okurti. Mr Wilson juu. and another young man arrived yesterday to take up employment with Nolan Bros. Heavy rainfall has been experienced during the month, hut of a warm nature giving good growth to the pastures. Further complaints arc to hand ot damage bv wandering horses. One owner! residing in Hokitika, has made a. practice for years past of using the public roads to graze breeding mares, being a c-ontimihi pest to everyone. Stoats are becoming, too numerous around homesteads relieving the owners of many eggs. An extract from a letter from .n !l. F. Ay-soil. Chief Inspector of Fisheries to Mr Eric James. Oluiru, reads. “I may say "that at the request of the late Mr Seddon. I visited the West Coast in 1897 and made an inspection of the rivers and lakes from Greymouth to south of the Vaiho, and I formed an opinion then that no district in New Zealand could compare with Westland for splendid rivers, streams, and lakes for different varieties of trout, and I recommended the Government to give the Westland people substantial assistance in stocking

its splendid waters. The work was carried out for a time hut as I have already stated I regret to say that at tho present time the West fa ml Acclimatisation Society is doing nothing in the way of improving the fishing in this extensive district.” "What opportunities we arc missing here in Westland, no better suited is any other district, yet we are doing nothing and allowing our opportunities of drawing a" constant source of revenue from keen and wealthy sportsmen that nre prepared to come from every corner of the earth to such a sportsmen’s paradise, coupled with our beautiful forest scenery and mild climate. What is our Acclimatisation Society doing? Why all this leakage of interest in our wonderful undeveloped assets?—"assets that are

here for all time. The revenue deriv ed from such traffic in the North Is land and other parts of the Dominiot are large and if such traffic wore draft ed here it would he one of the surcsl ways of advertising our scenery.

Two .stags were recently secured by a stalking party in the Llnast region, the antlers of each being securely interlocked with one another. It appears they became engaged in a duel and became locked together. Their bodies were still quite warm when found, having apparently died from exhaustion. It is understood they are to he mounted as they were found. A number of ladies were to lie seen in the various camps this season, some taking an active part in the sport.