TWO BLADES OF GRASS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 371, 4 November 1932, Page 4

TWO BLADES OF GRASS

The news that the Goveirnment has decided to pass over the recommendations of the National Expenditure Commission I and proceed with the developj ment of the Ngakuru and Gala- | tea blocks "as funds permit," I will be received with general J satisfaction. A great deal has j been said and written regarding j the development of these blocks j but whatever criticisms have f been levelled, it cannot be gainI said that in New Zeaiand partiJ j cularly, there is especial merit in persuading two blades of grass to grow where previously there was one. As Mr. E. Earle Vaile aptly phrased it in the course of an address in Rotorua, the whole structure of New Zealand's prosperity is Tbuilt upon grass. We publish this morning an article which briefly sets out the remarkable achievement which has been wrought in three ; years over the block of newly j developed pumice country which • ' embraces the Ngakuru, Horoj horo and Guthrie settlements. j Two and a half years ago, the j total butterfat production from | | this area was under 5001bs. per ; mensem, to-day as a result of | scientific development and hard | work, it is' producing 10,5001bs. for the same period. It is posI sible to develop this argument ! | f urther but it is really not necI essary. It is sufficient to state j the bare fact. In a primary proi ducing country passing through | the difficulties which at present j beset New Zeaiand, the chief : hope of recovery is in increased ; production allied with - better marketing methods. An achieve- ' ment sueh as that in the Nga-I . kuru country, proves eonelusiveI ly that pumice land can be developed to production point in a short space of time and by methods which will in the course of time, give valuable consolidated pasture. It also provides a complete answer to the contention of

ine commission that the development of pumice land is not worth while. The commission based this contention on the quoted cost of £12 an acre and on those figures,^ were they correct, the j contention would perhaps be justified. We have already pointed out, however, that this figure was apparently taken from the costs of native land development activities and is considerably higher than the figures which are quoted by practical farmers in the district. Until a statement of expenditure is given, it is impossible to ascertain the cost per acre of developing the Ngakuru and Galatea country, but so far as Ngakuru j is concerned, it at least gives promise of producing valuable results. feut it is not necessary to go to Ngakuru to prove the value of pumice land. A survey of many farms in the Rotorua district will provide proof and to spare. The greater proportion of this land has been developed without any of the capital and facilities which the Government has been able to give to its schemes. Etard work and tenacity have been the chief factors but they have proved themselves. Recently we published an article recording the rematrkable increase in output at the Ngongotaha dairy factory. This reflects

uie general mcrease m production throughout the district, an increase which will be further extended as additional areas are brought under grass. It will be recognised that the Government is handicapped by lack of finance in the development of Ngakuru and Galatea but it is to be hoped that development will not be unduly curtailed. Ngakuru No. 1 block is now ready for seleetion and has been so for some time. So far as we are j aware, there is nothing to prevent the allocation of the six farms outside the Government demonstration farm, which comPrise the block. The reeord of :oduction which has been at- |

tained on the Government farm could be repeated six-fold on the other farms and there appears to be no reasouable purpose in delaying settlement. It is true that a certain proportion of the area is being worked on a sharemilking basis, bnt it is not being worked by any means. to capacity. Galatea development has riot yet proceeded so far as that at Ngakuru, but here again, there does not appear to be any reason for holding up further development indefinitely. The results already achieved at Ngakuru should give the Government ehcouragement in this direction.