PUMICE LANDS ALONG MAIN TRUNK LINE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 332, 28 January 1911, Page 6

PUMICE LANDS ALONG MAIN TRUNK LINE.

NEED FOR SETTLEMENT. (Our Special Commissioner). The township of Ongarue which owes its present position of commercial activity to it being the outlet through which the products of the fine Ohura Valley pass for their various destinies by way of the Main Trunk line promises well in the futur?. when many thousands of acres of land in its vicinity are put on the market. Thousands and thousands of acres are in the hands of the natives and are classed as pumice lands. Whether the category in which it is so placed

, is a correct one remains to be seen. ; The supposed reason for this great area of country which extends to Taupo and Eotorua for being unsettled ; is that the country is pumice and | unfit for reproductive settlement. The | major part of this country is easy, I rolling, undulating, and is capable of i carrying many thousands of settlers. llt is only on the fiats and terraces i that the pumice land is found. The J hills are not pumicy as is the general idea. They are mostly of a papa | formation and country such as this ; has been long and favourably regarded Iby recognised sheep farmers. The ! flats and terraces which have their ! surface covered with pumice are the : result of some ancient vocanic acti- | vity. The pumice region which extends irregularly round Lake Taupo and in a great belt around Ngaruahoe, Ruapehu covers many thousands of acres. It is estimated that in the North Island there are 5,000,000 acres of pumice land without doubt the greatest area of land available in New Zealand, but as yet unoccupied. The settlement of these lands is a thing that should be encouraged. Our pioneer settlers ;>nd men with capital are willing at any moment to exploit the value of such a formation of country. All of these lands should be acquired by the Government and subdivided into such areas as it is possible to work. The question then arises what are the proper areas into which this country should be sub-divided, i To my mind these areas should not be | allowed to pass into the hands of men who would use them for speculative I purposes, and therefore should be ; put upon the market in areas of 1 reasonable size that could be farmed !in a proper manner. These lands in | the general terms of sub-division ! should mean areas that the man who takes them should be again able to ; sub-divide into paddocks suit- ■ able for obtaining the beat results.

The ingenuity of the white man ■ is requisite to deal with these lands, and already there are men on them proving what can be done and is required. If these great tracts of 1 country are permitted to remain in the hands of natives they will remain as ' they are today--a liability on our coun- | try instead of an asset. Almost every I acre of this country can be turned to good account. I consider that ! the only way to bring that about is to cut this, country up into areas |of from about 1000 to 3000 acres j according to the quality of the land. The terms should not exceed in rental : one shilling per acre with the right |of the freehold on the same basis ! which wouid mean the right of acquirj ing the land at £1 per acre. I In conversation with Mr James ! Bennett, Ongarue, a well-known and i successful farmer in the Feilding ; district, he informed me that he had ! an area of country in the vicinity of ' Ongarue. He was not at all riis- : appointed in regard to what could be done in the dealing with pumice lands. I Every farm, he said, should be subi divided into paddocks that could be easily worked and stocked closely. He was convinced that the land where pumice was prevalent required tramping in order that it might be consolidated. Whenever possibe the plough : should be used. Deep ploughing was 1 a mistake. It should be shallow in I order that the vegetation which had i grown on the surface could be turned to account. The decay of this vegct- ' able matter, when uprooted and mixed ; with the pumice, rendered it capable of growing grass. C'lover did well and grass in many instances was taking well. With a little manuring the country grew excellent vegetables, potatoes and cabbages doing particularly well. The proper dealing with this area of country right alongside the Main Trunk iine will mean a lot to the busine3s people of Ongarue. Not only that, but it will also further incre s se ; the products of the King Country w'-en settled. Pumice lands should be no longer regarded as waste lands. They would be productive were they given the opportunity of only being tested, Men have signified their willingness to deal with them if they only given the opportunity of doing sq. 'i'ho question of these iy an important cne and is worthy o.t ; the serious consideration of s' l .! men j and women who have the agricultural ana this | country at j