KING COUNTRY FARMING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 454, 8 September 1928, Page 27

KING COUNTRY FARMING

SEASON’S PROSPECTS BRIGHT (From Our Own Correspondent.) TAUMARUNUI, Friday. An unusually mild winter and early spring have combined to give a pronounced impetus to farming operations all over the Central King Country, and the prospects for the coming season are unusually bright. Prices for stock have been high all the winter, and show at present no sign of declining. This has resulted in many breeders being able to unload at a workable profit, and much of the money realised has gone into improved farming, particularly in the direction of top-dressing. A really valuable feature of the last season, and also of that now commencing, is that land under cultivation has been held at a good level, and in most cases still further improved, while new areas are being brought into productivity under better conditions. As an indication of the progressive

spirit operating among dairy farmers in the central King Country, it is worth recording that Tickner Bros., of Kirikau (Wanganui River) have just imported a pedigree Jersey hull from the well-known “Waipiko” herd. The animal can lay claim to a great butterfat hacking, as he is a grandson of “Vivandiere,” the world-record twice-a-day milking cow, with a total of 1,0361 b. butter-fat in one y.ear. His two grand-dams avei-aged 8331 b. but-ter-fat in one year. Farming interests in the district are congratulating Messrs. Tickner Bros, on the important investment they have made. Farming for Profit Much has been said and written derogatory of King Country farm lands, but all who are in a position to judge are well aware that much of it is without foundation, for investigations clearly prove that proper methods will attain excellent results. A reporter has been given a concrete example of successful farming, which is typical of what might be done throughout the district. In the Punga Punga, near Taumarunui, sometimes spoken of as some of the poorest land in the King Country, there is a holding of 1,460 acres that was taken up in 1915 in its virgin state. For the first seven years the owner did not receive a profit, hut, since then a substantial annual profit has been shown. Exclusive of interest payments and allowing the land clear, since 1922-23 onwards, the farm is reported to have shown' an average profit of £2,680 per year. Assuming that £1 per acre had to be paid for rent, which is very high for the class of land, a profit of £1,200 would still accrue, and this includes had years. The land is engaged, principally in lamb fattening, the breed being Southdown rams to crossbred ewes. The land will carry two ewes to the acre, and will fatten most of the lambs. For the last two years approximately 2,000 fat lambs annually, and from 100 to 150 head of fat cattle have been moved off. At March 31 last the farm was carrying 3,100 ewes, 65 rams, 25 purebred Southdown ewes, 750 lambs, and 451 head of cattle all on the 1,460 acres. After March 31, 300 fat lambs and 98 head fat cattle were disposed of, showing clearly that the land was not overburdened.

New Method Adopted The owner of this farm adopts a different method of sheep raising from that generally prevalent in the King Country. When most people sell off their cast ewes in February, he buys ewes at that time, and puts the rams with the cast ewes again, selling them about the beginning of June, or crutehing time. The ewes are then in lamb, and the farmer claims that this method pays a great deal better than that usually adopted. His reasons are that there is a great flush of autumn feed in the King Country and the land can carry the extra stock at that period. There are thousands of acres of land similar to this that could be worked on an equally profitable basis, though experience has proved that scrub land does not prove so successful unless considerable money is first expended in fertilising.