PUKEKOHE EAST TO BUCKLAND.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 146, 16 February 1916, Page 4

PUKEKOHE EAST TO BUCKLAND.

[By our Travelling Hepresentativej One hardly realises the amount of cropping that is going on in a district till all roads are explored and all l'armj visited, and when this is done it is seen that it is really surprising what is being ptoduced in tome of the mo;e unknown localites lake that portion of Fukekohe East, for nstance, that lies between the Bcmhay nad and Buckland. lhis part is very httl2 known to quite a lot if our prominent settlers, and jet it is a district of choice farms, for the most part well handed and producing a very fair proportion vl ifce wealth cf the district in general farming lines There are some very fine crops of wheat lound this vicinity, those of Mr T Morgan and Mr W Adameon beini; jeally worthy of special mention. Of course Mr Morgan is a veteran wheat grower, and bis tourteen acres this year should easily shuw forty bushels to the acre. This Bbould nett a very substantial prolit for super and bonedust was only applied at the rate ot two hundredweight per acre; but of course the land was worked by the methods of an experienced practical farmer, together with first-class implements. The owner h certainly a believer in the axiom "it pajs to buy the best,'' tor all his implement] are of lirst grade colonial manufacture, and sre all attentively and thoroughly caiel for Mr Adamson has a farm adjoinirg, and here I found trie owLer busy stack-buildirg. Some fourteen acres of oats were already in stock. This Mr Adamso:i reckons should run out at close tj J tors per ec:e, and the wheat that was being harvested was a splendid sample of Tritan's Blue. Grown i.i potato ground it should easily thresh out forty bushels per acre Another farm that has produced some good yields this season is that of Mr G Bichards, with Mr C Baguley ss manager. Ninctejn acies of oats had already teen cut and sold, and twenty acres of potatoes grown, all of which turned out well. Northern Star, Gamekeeper and Bed Bocks were the varieties tried, and all showed good U'turns. The Bed Hocks, Mr Bsguley informed m°, gave a splendid yield, but were rather susceptible to wind and gof knocked about contiderablj. All the potatoes from this farm are graded before being sold, and consequently all eotsigunients tearing the owner's brand find a ready and prcfitable market, the price this season averaging about £lO per ton Further on I called at two very pictuie:qiiß little farms, belonging to Mr 1 Walker and Mr L S Civil. These farms have numerous carefully preserved pretty clumps of native bush, and the eifest is very noticeable and appeals to one immediately. Mr Walker confines himeelf to stock dealing, whilst his neighbour, Mr Civil, though a new hand at the gam?, has taken up potato culture, and tbat in a very satisfactory manner. Over sixt-.en acies have been grown this year, and the crop now teing dug is turning out at ten tons per acie After leaving the Buckland road and passing over the Bed Hill, 1 found dairying in favour, and Messrs H Wilcox, A Hewitt and G Johcston mustered close on one hundred choice milker* betse.n them. Mr Wilcox is the County Council member for this ward and in keenly interested in the loading problem, and has been the means ot getting many improvements effected

during his terra ot office. And no one can say (hit the work has been done sel iat.lv, for bs has not got a yard of metal near his own farm, and 1 really tbink his own road will be io a bad way in the winter * Mr G Johnston is a new corner,. and has quickly started to put a neglected farm in order. Toe touse aid ground* have received marked attention, and, with the neat rustic fences and shrubberies about, the home will soon be an ideal one. The cowshed atid milking mscihne is a model of pertectiun and every laboursaving d visa is being installed. Mr Johnstcn has taken up a common sense method with bis heifers, and they are all gradually educated to the shed, first to handmilkirg in separate bails and then by degrees to the milking machine. Every turn is workd out with methul and kindness combined, and consequently a first-class result is obtained. i'ressntly when this flace gets properly in going order, 1 expect to see some records put up One bad feature 1 no'iced on this trip through was the encroarhment of the noxious blackoerry, and it will be interesting to know what actioa the County Council intend to take in the matter. One farm, in particular, belonging to an absent Government official n in a sad state with both blackberries and rabbits and is a source ot annoyance to neighbouring owiers and it seems a rjty that sues good land in such close proximity to the railway shoulf be left in so neglected a state. On the by-roads, of cours.\ there ie an absence ot metal, and one owner expressed the wish that the County Council would take up a sufficient loan to metal all by-roads carrying any degree ot traffic. Metalling ot a snail area iouad the station was, he considered, no use to him anJ only served those whose property abui.ed. His argument was that when he reached the end of the metal with hia load he was no better off than if there was none anywhere, and yet he was rated to pay for that which was no use to him, but if he wanted bis by-roadß , 'metalled he had to coment to a special loan which "the ottur fellow" paid lothing for and yet benefitted by. tie considered the laircst way was to bonow sufficient to metal the let and let everyone pay accordingly. This might perhaps be tco tig a scheme for the Council to undertake, and yet it with some modification could probably be made practicable Fatsicg through Buckland 1 noticed an enormous growth of lotus major—more thau I have ever seen before. With tte price of this seed there should certainly be a profitable harvest by saving some, and many el the Buckland paddocks which are earrjing stock could be cut and shoull yield welt