COUNTRY RAMBLES.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 63, 3 January 1918, Page 4

COUNTRY RAMBLES.

¥isst to Waifoapoa. The representative of this journal recently undertook one of his periodical visits to various parts of the district, and among the rambles was one to the beautiful little township of Waharoa. Wabaroa, with its natural and cultivated bush, is a pretty place at any time, but in late spring, with the grass growing in abundance, and the good class cows at ease in the paddocks, it is easily at its best. And this spring for a positive fact it is showing up better than any other, mainly because of good times, the ingress of toilers who have found their feet, and are now putting into the land some of that which has been taken out, and the amount of breaking-up work which they have been doing. The pity is that the Native block between Walton and Waharoa is still idle. Were this being worked on the sight from the railway line from Morrinsville to Tirau would be unequalled in any part of the province. However, if rumor is correct, the Government intends to shortly cut up the portion purchased by it some months ago so that improvements may be looked forward to. The hardships on settlers whose land abuts on the Native block has been drawn attention to frequently, and it is to be hoped that very soon this land will be brought into a productive state and so assist in building a permanent farming district. Time being short the newspaper man could only visit a few of the farms, but these can be taken as a good indication of the progress of the district. The writer first visited Mr T. McMillan’s farm on the main road to Matamata. Prosperity was stamped all over the place from the homestead to the back paddocks. Tlie owner is milking 80 cows, practically all of which are

His average milk test last season was ‘4.0. Mr Smith, in the 12 months that he has occupied his farm, has made several additions to his house and shed and has just erected a large new implement shed and loft. Mr D. Casey has a very fine farm of 180 acres all cleared and re-grassed with 30 acres in turnips. He is milking 50 cows at present and both the quantity and the quality of the milk are good. Mr F. Wright has been in possession of his farm for 11 years and naturally in that time it has undergone a great change. There are 169 acres all cleared and regrassed and strongly fenced off into paddocks. Mr Wright is using a 4-cow machine to milk his herd of 55 Shorthorn cows. Their average milk test last season was 3.9. The farms of Messrs S. Mason and R. Phillips are looking in good trim and indicate that the owners are prosperous in results and improvements.