WHANGAMARINO SWAMP.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 191, 1 May 1914, Page 4

WHANGAMARINO SWAMP.

And Other Similar Areas.

Some Striking Possibilities.

Recently the Editor of the "Times," iu company with Mr Glass, chairman of the Waikato River Board, made a visit of inspection of some of the Waikato swamp lands which it is declared may be drained by the lowering of the Waikato river by 2 feet at Mercer. Mr Glass is as enthusiastic about the proj-.ct as ever. "There are thousands of acres of as good land as at Aka Aka," he declared, "only waiting to be drained."

The first point visited was what used to be known aa Ballard's and Hallett's swamp, now belonging to the Waikato Land Co. There are 1000 acres through which a main drain and five Mile drains have been cut. as a result of this drainage about 400 air.s have already been grassed, sheep and cattle are tunning on land that was formerly submerged, and the place is beicg cut into dairy farms two of which, we were informed, were recently sold.

At Meremere, on one of Mr Glass's properties, some 100 acres of land has jußt been drained—land that people used to declare was absolutely undrainable. Thii result was accomplished by a single drain 4ft 6in deep, sft wide at the top, and which cost £7O. It is estimated that the returns from the gum and the timber will the original cost of the land,, plus the expenditure on the .drainage. The next swamp, leading to the Education reserve, is of 200 acres, and is now being drained. This haH been accomplished below the railway line and the company's drains are now being put in and are showing all the fall required. These ewamps will also be burnt off and grassed in the spring. At Meremere 50 acres on the hill has been put in gtaes and white turnips. Within six weeks it was decided to stock the paddock with light stock. The growth was a telling answer to the allegations of those who cried down this "poor" land.

Ud the Whangamarino river one may go by launch trom mouth to head for twenty miles, being navigable all the way. A branch of this river, the Maramarua, is also navigable for 13 miles. The area of Crown land between these rivers is said to be 10,000 acr.s all of rich alluvial, with a ridge of low hill running through the centre. Between the Whangamarino river and the Wairangi road are another 4000 acres of Crown lands, onethird of which is level and the balance is peaty. Following Rare creek there is a swamp from Whangamarino railway station to Te Kauwhata, a distance of 6 miles. Of this 3000 acres some 800 acres is alluvial and the balance is peaty. Representations were recently made to the Minister for Lands about these territories and prompt action has been taken by the Minister to give effect to ths request of the Waikato River Board concerning these thousands of acres of swamp land, belonging mainly to the Crown, in the Whangamarino district. A lit'le over a fortnight ago the River Board carried a resolution, drawing the attention of the Minister to the value of the Crown's estate, now

lying idle through want of draining-, anJ asking that the areas should be inspect d by an officer of the Department and the diainage work already carried out by a number of [the private owners investigated. Last week the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr H. M. Skeet, visited the district, and after making a compkte inspection expressed himstlf aa agreeably astonished at the great possibilities of the place. An estimat? of the total cost of the work suggested, which will nin into raanv thousands of pounds, is now being prepared. The Board has now arranged for a poll of ratepayers for the purpose of sanctioning a 1-an of £6OOO to make a start with the work, and on the amount it inteuds to ask the Government for a subsidy of £2 for £l.

The Minister for Lands is t) be asked by the River BoarJ to call for tenders for a drain through the swamps between Whangamariro and Te Kauwhata, the cost of which, it is estimated, will be about £SOO. The cdjoining settlers will be prepared to pay their share. Mr Glasj gives it as hia opinion that the gum recovered will more than pay the cost of the main drain. One portion of the alluvial plain is beiog fed off by cattle at the pressnt time. When drained it is expecled that the peai lands will fetch £lO per acre and the alluvial up to £2O an acre. A great feature of the country is that with every 100 or 200 acres there is always a piece cf high, ploughable land to go with the rich swamp. On the way it was noticed that the River Board had been doing good work in clearing the Whajigamarino creek, but it will take £SOO to complete the clearing of this river and the Maramarua.

Atone point of the journey not a homtstead could be seen and yet, with drainage, these vast wastes could be converted into highly profitable small farm areas carrying] a big population. It has been proved that with a very little expense a large portion of this low-lying country can tc made highly produc-tive-as witness the results gained by the Waikato Land Co., Messrs Coultas, Gla?s, Drake, Marden, Hawke and others.

At the junction of the Maramarua and whangamarino streams the Commissioner's party viewed a large expanse of swamp land, and were given an ocular demonstration of what might be accomplished by draining in a piece of land which has been drained by Mr Coultas. This small area, of 120 acres, carried one beast (o the acre during the four months of summer, and yielded a monthly milk cheque of from £6O to £7O.

The opinion of the settlers met on the trip was that the area could be drained with case if the Waikato river was lowered 2ft, and not 6ft, as mentioned in a Government report.

An area ot 100 acres, which has been drained by one Battler, was pointed uut to the Commissioner. Originally this piece of the swamp was consideted to be "bottomless," but for the sum of £7O drained, and its value raised from £3 to £lO per acre. While in the district, Mr Skeet visited the Grown land at Te Kauwhata, now being surveyed for fruit-growing purposes. The Commissioner is expected to furnish a report upon the swamp land inspected by him at an early date.