CLAY AND CLOVER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 447, 4 February 1919, Page 1

CLAY AND CLOVER.

[By A. J. Heigtiway.]

KARAKA'S PROGRESS-

(Re-printed from the January number of the " NZ, Farmer,") No land is beyond redemption—that is the lesson of the last ten years' experience on the light clay lands of the Auckland province. Land that was originally regarded as dear at 5s an acre has been transformed by proper cultivation and manurial treatment into good cropping and pastoral land, valued at up to £25 and £3O an acre. Land which was the subject of derision has, under proper treatment, risen 300 per cent in value in four years, and, in the fourth year from the rough, one farm has carried a herd which averaged 2401b. lof butterfat per cow. In the face of those figures, and in the light of the experienced gained in the proper method of treatment of such land, it can confidently be stated that, practically speaking, there is not an acre of even the poorest clay country which cannot be redeemed from a wilderness and made productive by proper cultivation and manure. This fact opens up a bright prospect in the future development of the North. A*typical area of- the clay loamslight friable clays with a thin covering of chocolate soil, which is so extensive throughout the Auckland province—is what is known as the Karaka district, an area extending along the southern shores of the Manukau harbour practically from Waiuku to Eunciman. The greater portion of this district was originally covered with ti-tree and furze, with small clearing? where the fern and danthonia struggled for mastery. Along the shores of the harbour, on seme of the flats, kauri gum was to bo found, and gum-diggers, in exploiting these deposits, proved careless in regard to fire. Consequently, blaze after blaze swept through the tangled mass of wild growth until the very heart was burned out of the soil, and its reputation grew as that of the M hungry " and useless Karaka for which practical men would scorn to pay a mere fivo shillings per acre. It is true that on some of the country facing the water frontage, where land of a slightly better quality was to be found, settlers established themselves from 40 to 50 years ago, and those families still maintain extensive interests -and increasingly prosperous interests—in the district. But, practically speaking, the reputation of the Karaka was as low as it could be until men with more knowledge of (and faith iii) agriculture took it up, and began itf improvement by various methods. THE SECRETS 01 SUCCESS. Put in a nutshell, the whole secret of success on this type of land was found to consist in getting humus to the soil, and adding phosphates. In supplying the humus clovers have played a most important part - in fact, clover, as much as anything else, has made the Karaka country profitable. One of the best practices has been found to be to clear the scrub, plough tolerably deep, summer fallow, and throw into a temporary lay to be fed off for two years, and then re-sow in permanent grasses. On this second ploughing the soil is found to be in excellent working order, and with the humus of the grass and clover roots, together with the top that is ploughed in, gives a sole which in some cases has already lasted nearly a score of years. M»nure is sown with every sowing of seed, and experience has shown the wisdom of top-dressing every year with about three cwt. to the acre of good phosphatic manure. Turnip and oats are also used in breaking in the country to a very considerable extent One practice is to sow a mixture of clovers and some grass seed with oats, and, by top-dressing after the oats are cut, convert this into quite good pasture. Properly treated this is a great clover country —but manure must be added to feed the rank growth the clover and lotus varieties make, and this growth, in return, mulches and builds the soil Results speak for themselves, and to-day the large area in the Karaka district, although still containing much undeveloped land, possesses farms which amply demonstrate the tremendous possibilities of the future whi.n cheap manure may once more be expected. The roading problem has been ono factor to be contendod with, but the courage of the farmors of tho district is unbounded, and authority to be>rrow £27,000 for an extensive metalling scheme has been given the Franklin County Council. This scheme will be vigorously prosecuted so soon as labour is available, and in fact some part of the work will bo accomplished before the coming winter. With aderjuate winter access to this district its productive capacity and rate of development will both be greatly accelerated. Tho rateable value at March 31, I'tis, of the Mauku and Karaka Hidings in which is included 'he Karaka district was £Bo7,(>3'J. Not the wholo of this figure to bo credited to tho Karaka area, but it is fairly safe to put tho v i'uh of this formerly worthless district at a round half million. IUK KAKAKA LAM' < OMPANV. The first big step in tho really modern development of the Karaka

country was taken when Mr T. C. Williams, of Hawke's Bay, bought 10,000 acres in the rough state at a few pounds per acre, with a view to improvement. A certain amount of work was done to the estate, but Mr Williams, about ten years ago, sold out to Mr Friedlander, of Ashburton, at about £4 per acre. Mr Friedlander formed the Karaka Land Company, to develop 8,000 acres then remaining, and placed Mr J. Batty in charge. From what Mr Batty had heard of the "poor Karaka country," he was dubious about undertaking the proposition, but consented to make a visit of inspection. He relates that when he reached Drury station, and saw the wilderness of blackberry and furze that existed in thoie days, he remarked to himself, "Well, this is only a free trip." But when he saw a field of 50 acres which Mr J. Flanagan, now of Drury (who had been manager of the estate for Mr Williams), had ploughed twice and then put into red clover, Mr Batty changed his opinion. That field convinced him what the land could do with cultivation and manure. From his extensive Canterbury experience, Mr Batty knew the miracle that manure could work, and he was too good a farmer not to appreciate what sound methods of cultivation could do. He therefore joined the Company, and embarked upon the work of development upon a big scale. A plant of 40 horses, with movable huts and cookhouses, etc., for the men, was engaged, and the " breaking-in " commenced. The Company's policy was primarily one of rapid development, with a view to closer settlement, but at the same time stock to the number of 8,000 sheep and 200 head of cattle were carried on the property. In a normal year's working, when the plant was in full swing, anything up to 2,000 acres would be put under the plough At one time up to 300 acres would be under oats, and 250 to 300 acres under swedes. From swedes, after a fallowing, the land would be put into grass. Manure was used extensively in all the cropping work, and it can be said that nearly the whole of the property had one or two applications of manure before being sold. The manures chiefly used were basig slag, bonemeal, and super, with a preference for slag. The biggest individual ordor for manure was for 350 tons of basic slag, which ran into a total cost then of about £1,500. Sufficient of the property had been broken in by 1912 to offer some 14 or 15 farms for sale. Bidding was not brisk at the auction, and but few properties were quitted, but private sales shortly afterwards effected* a clearance of most of them. Two subsequent sales were held, the last being in 1914, and as a result of the company's work it can be said that a single property of 8000 acres, grazing only sheep and cattle, is divided into about 70 farms supporting with labour, etc from 350 to 400 people, and yielding a tremendous return in butter-fat, fat cattle and sheep. The company did very valuable work indeed in bringing this country into a state fit for sub-division, and credit must be given to Mr Batty for the successful methods he used. With his belief in manure, good cultivation, ample fallowing, and the use of clovers to restore that humus to the soil that has been burnt out by a succession of fires set going by careless gum-diggers, Mr Batty did wonders. His faith in hiscount-y is shown by the fact that he and his sons purchased some 800 acres from the company, on which she-p are carried, with top-dressing, at tho rate of 2i to 3 sheep to the acre the year round. MODERN DAIRYING The company having played its part, the modern dairy farmer comes on the scene and push' s on the work of closer settlement. To illustrate how good farming and hard work have transformed the " poor starved Karaka " into broad and luscious dairy meadows worth up to £3O per acre, the career of one man may be taken. The Karaka Land Company having demonstrated tho value of the district, Mr Ben Charles in September, 1912, purchased 100 acres at £9 ssperacre. His parlictilar section was then in furze and dauthouia, no work having been done upon it. After six years' work this farm is admitted to be in the boat heart of any in the district, and credit is feely given to Mr Charles as beiig the most successful dairy fanner round about. Tho methods which have yielded this result comprise a sensible rotation of crops, ,good cultivation and persistent manuring. First of ul! it may be said that Mr Charles was reared on an Otago farm, where the principles of agriculture wore well drilled into him. On taking possession of his 100 acres of furze and danthonia, with a carrying capacity of nearly zero, Mr Charles ploughed 50 acres from September onwards, fallowed it in tho summer, and in the early autumn put down permanent grass. With n two months he had it stocked with 17 ht ifers, and on these ho began milking in the spring. At this stage tho position was reached whero tho ready money was gone and tho place had to bo self-supporting. It proved to be - and then " some " as the Americans say. (To bo continued")