HOW SETTLEMENT PROCRESSES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1914, Page 7

HOW SETTLEMENT PROCRESSES.

A TRIP TO NORTH 7ARANAKI. Whilst Stratford folk are watching the development of the hack country out East, few have any idea of the settlement of the coast country in the north of Tai'anaki, and the south of the Auckland province that trade.with Tai'anaki. The writer having accepted an invitation from Mr A. W. Budge to spend a few days on his Pioi Run, left New Plymouth by motor at 6 p.m. on the morning of the 18th inst. The road, with the exception of Mt. Messenger, was in line order for motoring, and it seems a pity that this hill does not got more attention from the. authorities, as then the drive would be one oi the finest in the district for tourist; in the summer months. Arriving at Awakino about 11 a.m., we find it is Mr Newton King's cattle and sheep fair, and a glimpse at the stock yarded gives one an idea of the possibilities of this district for stock raising. Both the cattle and sheep pens were eramnied to over-flowing, and ! think 1 am safe in saying nearly every hoof was sold. Wether, i brought up to 18s 2d and ewes 14s (id. and both sellers and buyers seemed well satisfied. In the cattle pens a lino of store bullocks from Messrs iTweedie Bros' fetched £B. Two fine lines from the Pioi Estate brought I CS lis and £7 4s, the larger line of over 100 head would be hard to beat for quality, and compared favorably 'with anything reared in the North Island. A line of fat cows from the same estate were knocked down at £7, after keen competition from a Meat Co.'s huyer. Nothing could have been a better advertisement for ;the district than the stock yarded, all of which were in excellent condi- ' tion. Crossing the Awakino River in a small boat in the evening, we found ; horses saddled up waiting for us, and a gallop of about two miles along the; beach brought us to "Pioi" This run, which was acquired by Mr Budge about two years ago, contains 8840 acres, and was formerly owned by Messrs Elliot and Bayly. It has five miles frontage to the sea. The front portion facing the beach is of exceptional quality, and carries about five sheep to the acre. In fact, the manager (Mr Dixon) says he hardly knows what some of the best paddocks will carry. They are laid down in Mission Bye, which has been sown over 20 years. No top dressing is needed here, the salt spray being the great factor to strengthen the pasture. Thousands of tons of high flax are growing near the sand, and it seems a pity not to see it being converted i.ito fibre. Tn the days of high prices Messrs Elliot and Bayly ran a mill here, the remains of which, including a,,irery da.ijge,, water, wheal,, .still, stand near one of the creeks.

Two days' hard riding took us ever,the greater part of the run which is mostly easy country, with long undulating slopes and low rideable hills. Tlio stock consisting of about 800 big cattle,and 9000 sheep looked particularly well and healthy. i great number of this season's '•'.nibs being lit for, freezing, but Mr Budge informed me he keeps all his bv.n breeding, and culls at four years old. A line of 600 fat wethers waiting to bo inspected by Messrs Borth'■viok's buyer were as even as peas, and very prime. About 2000 acres of the property is still in standing bush and the'-country being so easy with no leading ridges, one can easily go astray, as we found to our sorrow. After a two hours' tramp, expecting to came out in a. clearing on the other side, we found ourselves a few hundred yards from where wejstaufed! Wild pigs are still numerous, and the men fencing on the back line told us they had run into two sows with twenty-five young ones the day previous. I'ig hunting is still indulged in, and we heard many tales of hairbreadth escapes. Wild cattle also abound in numbers in the bush, and some were got the week before our visit, which were known to be thirteen years old, had spent their lives in the bush. Since acquiring the estate, Mr Budge has had many miles of new fences erected, in addition he has had ,built a new wool shed capable of holding from five to six hundred sheep. There is also a concrete dip with a gravitation water scheme from the adjoining hills. From some of the high nobs a good view of the

surrounding country could be obtained, and one was struck by the thousands of acres of standing hush yet to he cleared, which, when all in grass, should make this a vast grazing locality. To the city man requiring a few days spell, T could not recommend anything hotter than a week at Pioi. There is good fishing off the reefs, plenty of shooting in season, and if he wants anything more strenuous, a day's cattle hunting in the hush will reduce his weight a few pounds. We left the run at seven o'clock- on the morning of (he 22nd, and caught the car leaving Awakino at S a.m., and arrived at Waitara in four hours. This, by the way, is a daily motor service between Waitara and Awakino, admirably run by Messrs George and Johnston, of Waitara.