RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1075, 12 September 1930, Page 9

RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

WORK ON THE PLAINS INCREASE IN PRODUCTION According to the annual report on the Rangitaiki land drainage scheme submitted by the Department of Lands and Survey no major construction works were undertaken during the jear and the work carried out consisted almost entirely of maintenance and improvement of existing works. Excellent weather conditions obtained practically throughout the period, with an abut dance of spring and summer growth. The rainfall in the spring and summer months was ample and, although followed by a fairly dry autumn the pastures on the lighter and higher land were not seriously affected as they were under the drier conditions of the previous two summers. The cultivation of paspalum on tbis class of land was placing it in a better position to withstand a prolonged dry spell than when growing English grasses only. FLOOD DANGER Serious flooding on the plains was confined to a limited area in the White Pine Bush district, which suffered from an overflow from the Whakatane River during February. In this instance. the heavy rains were of short duration and confined to the watershed of the river. The result served to show that the danger of a severe summer flood from the rivers running through the Rangitaiki Plains was always present. The remarkably rapid increase of output of the principle dairy company operating in the district was a sure indication of the progress of permanent settlement and cultivation of the area. Already some of the individual herd returns and returns to the acre compared very favourably with those of much older established dairying districts. There were many exceptionally fine herds on the plains and number of farms which gave a high return of butterfat to the acre.