DISTRICT NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9441, 11 May 1909, Page 2

DISTRICT NOTES.

From Onr Travelling Correspondent. The threshing mills have been kept very busy and have had an exceptionally good run up to the present time. Despite the fact that a lot of grain was threshed out by the galsa and rain when the crops stood m the field there have been some very fair averages. By many the soil in the Haleombe district is considered to be rather too stiff and clayey, for agricultural purposes, but as time goes on the more the ground is worked the batter are the yields, and this year seme very good crops have been taken from the laud, tha average being 63 bnshels to the acrfEjof Algerian oats grown by Mr J, McLennan, while a good crop of ohod! was gathered from a thirtyseven acre paddock belonging to Mr J. Ferguason, which ont tons to the acre. Some fields that were skim-plonghed and harrowed after the grain as taken off now wear a beautiful green appearance, and look as ifdihey had bean hand sown with oats, but in reality the . crop has ■ sprang from the grain that was beaten out before it was harvested. One farmer told me that he had twice fed off this weather sown crop, and he thinks that instead ot ploughing again and re-sowing he will let the present growth continue and see what sort of yield it will give him next season. It has never been thought worth while to build a creamery at Kakariki, but last November Mr N. P. Neilsen erected a small cheesemaking plant, and from that data nine of the settlers in that locality have been supplying milk to this at present primitive cheese factory. I understand that about 1,5001bs of milk a day have been going through the factory, and lid per pound has been paid for the batter-fat. Mr Neilsen has purchased a section of land and purposes erecting a new building and extending his plant, and as he has been promised the milk from 200 odd cows next season he hopes to pay a higher price lor the botter-fat. The land on the south side of the Rangitikei river is most suitable for dairying and as the money is sure and the 'profit good farmers are inclined to do less cultivating as it has proved unprofitable this year and by try milking for a change. Some of the Maoris at Kakariki'also express their intention of milking for factory next season, and it has been proved in the King Country that natives with the assistance of European experts, make excellent dairy farmers. When the new factory has been erected the Kakariki residents hope to arrange for a post and telephone office, for at present the mail has to he brought from Haleombe, a distance of from four to five miles, and there is no wire connection with the outside world. It is also time that a goodsshed was erected at Kakariki, for daring the season there is a large quantity of grain and wool trucked at this station. Probably these conveniences will be supplied in the coarse of time when the residents succeed in convincing the different departments that their needs sare pressing, but at tha present time they will no doubt find that the Government are not over anxious to expend more than they can help. A fine large granary has been built at Mingaroa, one of the farms belonging to Messrs J. Oornfoot and L. Hogg. This building is of storing 1500 bags of grain and is at present covering I,QOO bags of oats belonging to the owners.