TE MAPARA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 647, 28 February 1914, Page 5

TE MAPARA.

Own Corresponds! t,

This block, which was thrown open about four years ago, has made immense strides in this short period. Those Bettlera with bush sec:ions have all practically fulled, fenced and grassed, while those on the fern and manuka country are makii g equally rapid strides, using the 1 it«st and moat up-to-date methods, such as mowing machines for cutting the manuka, fern and tutu, disc ploughs, etc. One gets a fair idea of the energy displayed by the Crown land ranger's last report, which Bhowed the improvements to be seven timeß greater than the required amount. With a few exceptions, all hands are going in for dairying, the co intry being easy, and the English grasses do ing well; in fact, for clovers, *>me of the fern land is quite equal to the best in the South ißland. With a ready market almost at their doors— Pio Pio dairy factory—Hettlers cannot very well help getting on. Just now the Public Works Department are trying their hardest to spend portion of £7OO which was granted last March. During the past nine months there has been nothing done to our roadß, and yet this money was available.

One of our settlers has caused a mild form of excitement through his partiality for rifle practice, his main target being his neighbours' dogs. Some Bay he is practising for the Bisley team, others that, aB there is no convenient rifle range, he keepß hia eye in at home in case he is called to defend his country. Be that as it may, the fact remains that there isn't a dog remaining at large through the length and breadth of Mapara. There has been a steady ran on dog chainß at our local store, and the Waitomo County office has been actually besieged with settlers wanting collars. However, it's all for the good of trade, as I'm sure there are some who, under ordinary conditions, wouldn't think of registering their dog, but when one gets the latter done, and a collar thrown in, and all for half a crown, it's dirt cheap. If the lo sal body included a chain for, say, another bob, it would help the position considerably at present in re Mapara.