THE WAITOA DISTRICT. A Few Facts About its Farms and Farmers.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 33, 19 January 1884, Page 2

THE WAITOA DISTRICT. A Few Facts About its Farms and Farmers.

For a district that is something like seven years old the Waitoa has made surprising progress. Smiling homesteads and the nuclei of villages have been called into existence as though by the magic hand of the conjurer, and occupy the demesnes of the raupo, the flax, and the kahikatea. Less than a decade ago the cry of the moor-hen, and the gurgling of the rivers were the only sounds that woke the echoes of the solitude. Now the lowing of cattle and | the bleating- of sheep have taken the place of the pukako's note and the clattering of the agriculture implements " From early dawn to dewy eve " is a resonant accompaniment to the sound of the rushing water. Excellent roads traverse the district in all directions. The district viewed from The Aroha mountain suggests the idea of a gigantic chess-board, the numerous rectiangnlar fields forming the squares. One of the land-owners in the district, who has visited his property three times in the course of as many years, supplies the following evidence of the progress made in the Waitoa and its surrounding localities. Three years ago this gentleman, Mr Chudleigh, counted 30 houses from his own doorstep. The next time he visited his farm — about a year later — from the same coign of vantage he couuted 100 houses. A few months he was again at the Waitoa, and on that occasion ' the buildings were found to total 300. The most important farmers in the district are : — Mr W. A. Murray (formerly .. .H.R. for Bruce, Otago), who farms 10,000 acres ; Messrs J. and C. Gould, 10,000 ; Mr G. Seddon. j 3000 (leased from Mr E. R. Chudleigh) ; Mr J. B. Smith, 2000 acres ; Mr Larkworthy, 4000 acres ; Mr Moon, 600 acres ; Mr Strange, 1800 acres ;Mr Mellon, 800 acres j Mr Reuben Parr, 800 acres ; and Mr Willis, 300 acres. One noteworthy fact in connection with these farmers is that, with few exceptions, they are immigrants from Canterbury. This extensive migration was not -the result of combined action ; one by one the settlers came, and we know of more than one who pitched on the district after vainly searching the whole colony in search of his ideal. Some of them are sons of wealthy Southern families. All are wen calculated to do their little best to " send the world along," Perhaps the fiilu of •' the model farmer of l lie ilUtric-i. ' should be conferred on Mr J. i>. Small, ilis 2000 acres is largely composed «»F well drained swamp land, ami tlu excelled!; order in which e\e:ythlwj; is kept should be a lesson to Farmers of the blip-shod order, who, we regret to sny, aie. only too common in (he AucUljni'l province. Mr Smith, Uesi les his \Vaitoa farm, owns 800 acres at. South bridge, Canterbury. That 1 mil is prolili • to an extraordinary degree, as is demonstrated by the fact that the rental is 28s per acre per annum. The .isse.sse 1 value of t!ie Southbridge land is £3U per acre. With such a nice nest "i^if. it would be surprising if a man of Mr Smith's energy did not make a charming spot of his Northern property. The Waitoa homestead is a verandahed villa ; some little distance away are the stable, stockyard, etc , all kept in excellent order. Near by is the orchard, which includes a fine strawberry patch, From which during last season splendid fruit was taken by the hundredweight. About 350 acres are in crop, the greater portion of the remainder of the farm being in well-grassed paddocks A very small proportion 'of the area is still in a state of nature. Prior to last season Mr Smith, in common with other farmers in the block, had gone in extensively for cattle raising, but the business was quite overdone, indeed some of the settlers lost pretty heavily in stock. Mr Smith for instance purchased steers at £3 10s and was forced after keeping them for eight months to lose 30s a-head on them. To Mr Smith belongs the credit of discovering that cropping will pay admirably in this district — a matter concerning which there had hitherto been no little doubt. Last year he planted 100 acres in wheat, and obtained the exceptionally good yield of 37 bushels per aci'e. The wheat fetched 4s 6d per bushel — then the top price for local wheat in the Auckland market. And this in > spite of an extremely dry season. The land had been sweetened with superphosphate manure applied at the rate of l^cwt. to the acre. The profit on that 100 acres < f wheat was just £500. Last spring,' Mr Smith forseeing that the progress of the Te Aroha goldfield would create a large local demand for chaff, put 3&0 acres in oats, and only some 40 or 50 acres in wheat. The oats have come on splendidly. The varieties sown were Canadian and potato, but the former seem the best suited to the soil. Some of the straw is fully seven feet in height. Tl.is variety ripens earlier than Tartarian or potato oats, and while it is better headed the grain is longer The crop is estimated to be worth 40 bushels to the acre. On Monday last Mr Smith had two of Wood's reapers and binders at work on the crop, which we must not forget to mention he intends converting into .chaff. The reapers and binders perform their work admirably, and the improved one of last season is in advance of any other machine in use in the district. And while writing on this matter there is one point to which wo would like to draw the attention of Auckland, agricultural implement impqrt^rs. Mr Smith actually, found it ciieaper to get his maohinery from Christchurch than from Auckland. The cost of : liis new reaper and binder, even

including the carriage from Christchurch, is £& or £6 less than the price quoted by an Auckland house for exai tly the same kind of machine. These rnacliines cut and bind fifteen acres per day with ease, seldom get out of order, and are so simple that boys soon learn to drive them. All the land in cultivation on the farm was skin-ploughed before being | for sowing. Some of the oldest, anil presumedly the most experienced Waikato fanners scout the idea of skinploughing, but we can assure them i hat its advisability has been fully proved by more than one Waitoan. Mr Smith has 120 acres in swedes, this season, and he finds that they do well in the rich black loam of the swamp land. Mr Smith's experience in swamp draining has led I him to the conclusion that sheep are better than cattle for treading it down. The process of draining is also greatly assisted and hastened by deepening the drains as the ground sinks. A considerable portion of the Mr Smith's land, in its primeval state, was covered with ti-tree and a portion of it has i cost 10s per acre to clear. That a man owning a magnificent estate in the Waitoa district as does Mr Chudleigh, should be content to leave it, and go and vegetate in the Chatham Islands, is a matter that passes our comprehension. However he has dona the next best thing to living on it himself — leased it to a good tenant in the person of Mr Seddon. Mr Seddon turns his attention principally to stock. Ho has a fine two-year-old bull by the Dak of Newcastle, and the herd of cattle generally appear above the average. Some draught yearlings, by the N.Z. . tud Co.'s Young Melbourne, are worthy of attention. The paddocks are grassed luxuriantly, and no difficulty is experienced in fattening. Experience has shown however, that it is impossible to keep the beast in good condition during winter without mangolds, etc., and Mr Seddon has a good root crop in the ground for this purpose. The mangolds especially, look well. About 20 acres are in Swedes, and a considerable area in potatoes. One patch near the homestead, planted with Suttons Flower Balls, is now yielding an average of 15 tons per acre. The area in grass is 500 acres, and of this Mr Seddon intends to cut 100 acres for hay. The system of swamp drainage is well exemplified in this estate, A large area has already been reclaimed, and the process of reclamation is going on every day. Mr Seddon pointed out to us a stump standing a couple of yards out of the ground which five years ago was almost covered. Once the water is out of the swamp the surface gradually sinks. Before cattle are put on drained swamp land the soil a' most resembles pumice stone, the foot sinks into the porous surface of decayed vegetable matter and earth, and a thick volume of almost impalpable dust r ses. Sheep and cattle soon tread it into solidity, and after being left for a time to sweeten it is fit for the operations of the husbandman. At the time of our visit tho main drain was being ! deepened a couple of feet, the sinking of the land necessitating this. The principal obstacle to be contended with in cutting these drains is the timber. Fallen giants of pre-historic forests are met with in the drains at frequent intervals, and the work of cutting through these masses of heavy ; timber, water-logged with the mo-sture of ages, is decidedly laborious. Many theories have been advanced as to tne origination of the enormous tracts of swamp land? in this province, but the most feasible, and the one that most strongly commends itself to our mind as being correct is this. The Natives erected strong dams or eel weir? across the creeks. These, when situated on plains caused the water to spread over the surrounding country and eventually become a swamp. The strongest proof in support of this contention is? the fact that in most swamps tue old creek beds may be distinctly truce I. Mr Moon's well-ordered farm of 600 acre:adjoins those of Messrs Smith and Seddon. It is principally in grass and and at the time of our visit, the manager, Mr J. Parr, was busy getting in the hay. Tho oat crop is a heavy one but is slightly affected with smut. Mr 11. B. B. Willis' dairy farm is for its size one of the best in the district, Mr Larkworthy's station is the pioneer farm in the Waitoa. There is 100 acres in oats — a good crop. Most of it will be cut into chaff. It is intended to plant 100 acres in turnips for next season One of the features of the estate is a fine orchard of young trees covering an area of 12 acres. These were sent by Mr Larkworthy from Australia — an action hardly in accordance with the ethics of common sense, when it is remembered that there is a first-class nursery in the district. The estate is now being managed by Mr Downs, a practical English farmer, engaged !y Mr Larkworthy in the old country, and who arrived in the colony quite recently per s.s. Doric. Messrs Gould Brotiers' estate is entirely devoted to grazing. We shall in a future issue refer to some of the other farms in the flourishing district of Waitoa.

The Manawatu Times gives curruney to a report that Sir Willinm Fox is likely to to be asked to stand for Rangitikei at tinnext election. Our contemporary- adds that a number of Mr Stevens' supporter!-, have ask.d Mr Arkwright, formerly ii member of the English Parliment for Derby, and now a Rangitikei settlor, to stand for the seat, but he has deiiuitely declined to do so. Mr Arkwright is u decendant in the direct line from Sir, Hichaid Arkwright, the faraona inventor of the spining jenny, who in Us earlier Jay shaved for a penny. -