MACHINE EXPERIMENTAL FARMING

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5280, 17 December 1946, Page 6

MACHINE EXPERIMENTAL FARMING

SituaU'd on the main MatataWhakataue highway, and on the hanks of Ihe old Rangitaiki River, i.nd bonnd'-d bv the Awaiti Stmun lies. an ei.tirely new venture to the far m i ng co m mu n i ty . For the last. two yoars this area na,- been used for machine experimenta) methods to break in swampy tountgv. The variety of machines used iiK-ludes giant discs of all types, carr.v-all scrnper for drainage work. ; iatul Ieveller, rotary sci'aper. new | iype of tnassive swaiup plow with a • east beam, and speeder dragline tuaehine for drainage construction f and maint enance. These nmcliiner. : with their allied cnterpillar tyne trac- : tors, make ideal nlant for this type ; oi work. i Further experimenls are being continually catricd out. j Within the last two months two i puhlic demon.strations have been held | and the numbeis present at Ihe see- • ond, shortlv after ihe first demo-nstra-i tion, showed what a large amount oi ! mterest is being displayed by the ! public and farmers of the Eastern ! Bay of Plcntv district. Since the 1 commencement of this demonstration I atea, aparl from the public field days, J numbers of private demonstrations ; have been given to enabje operutors i to study and understand methods of j working machines to their hes.t adI vnntage. ! In the ncar future a fuvtlier field ] day will be staged to demonslrate i the new cowdozcr. This machine, used in conjunction with the eater-})illar-type. tractor, is for the ccmpleting of the batter on drain banks, at the sarne time, another dragline machine and treneh hoe will make their appearance. The dragline being a specifically construeted machine for swampy and soft land, however, due to design, the total overall weight has been reduced by 40 per cent.