MOUMAHAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 382, 6 May 1910, Page 2

MOUMAHAKI.

A VALUABLE STATE FARM. REFORM DEMANDED. DAIRY EXPERIMENTS NATURAL OBJECTIVE. (Wellington Times). ■lt has been asserted time and again that the Moumahaki experimental station .has been a mistake; that it has been established in the wrong place, and that its ■■continuance can serve, no useful purpose. With prosecution of the present policy there is considerable 'truth in this ,view, notwithstanding that excellent work has been done in the past, especially in connection with manorial, root 'and top-dressing experiments, and that equally good work U in progress. It is possible, however, to make Moumahaki the most valuable of all the experiment farms of the Government.

In all there is in the property 000 acres of, lanu, about a third of which is broken country, while another third is taken up 'with buildings, plantations, nursery, orchards, etc., leaving about half of the station arable land. The soil is a light black .sandy loam, which responds readily to manurial treatment, but can be rapidly exhausted of fertility in the absence of supplies of humus. With humus and judicious manuring jt can carry a great growth of grass. It is Taranaki land, though it is not typical of the best soils in the province, but it is just the country which requires proper treatment in order to gain the best results for the benefit of the majority of Taranaki farmers. From every point of view—environ-j ment, soil '.and natural conditions—Moumahaki is cattle country. This being the case, it is plainly obvious mat the future policy of the station should be in the direction of experiments and demonstrations in connection with milk production. It may be said that the Government has already in the Weraroa Dairy Farm such a station, but Weraroa is not Moumahaki. The .Manawatu station is on a particularly fertile piece of country, and is therefore not capable of assisting the Taranaki dairy farmer in general as Moumahaki undoubtedly is. It could, in addition to leading the way in the production of the most suitable soiling crops—both for summer a-nd winter feeding—be an important i centre for the breeding of bulls of milking pedigree of the several leading dairy, ■breeds for advancing the herds of the district. There is also the important matter of profitable pig production, of which too little is known at the present time. This by-product of the dairy is destined to yet play an important part in dairy farm operations, but the farmer is yet without a guide as to the most profitable breed, and the best methods of feeding in order to secure the best returns from this/branch of his business.

THE PRESENT POLICY. At the present time Moumahaki is a well-laid-out ,and well-appointed larm, where a number of very useful experiments are being conducted. It was very ■well managed by Mr. F. (inlanders, and is being equally well managed by his successor, Mr. Primrose McConnell. The mistake which was made in the first place—the paying of too much attention to orchard and horticultural work—is still to be rectified. The district is not suitable for fruit-growing and while demonstrating tue espalier method of fruit producing is useful enough to some farmers who are- prepared to give a little time to a small farm orchard, a twentieth part of the demonstration in connection with this would be all that would be required, an I a tenth of the present area devoted to this department of the farm would ue all that should ue necessary. A quarter acre model farm garden, with vegetable:; in the centre, and fruit grown on tin espalier svsteiu .around the sides, would be demonstration enough. Vegetables and fruit are required for the farm staff, and this area would be .sufficient for the purpose. The -plant breeding work on the station 'would certainly be continued, as well as the root and manurial tests. The poultry operations should either be placed on a proper footing or abandoned. There is a good opportunity to make this department a valuable and profitable division. The Dexter-Kerry and .Kerry cattle should be disposed of and their place taken •by cattle which the dairy farmer favors, It must be admitted that the department has ifailed to interest the farmer in the diminutive Irish stock. They are evidently not required under New Zealand conditions and it is only waste of time and money to keep them either for pure or crossbred breeding purposes. At present they are merely an expensive attraction.

THE RECENT CRITICISMS. Several critics of the station have been recently airing their views in the newspaper press. From what the writer saw on a late visit to Moumahaki these critics had evidently based their unfounded statements on the gossip of people who, for their own purposes, are endeavoring to prejudice the station and its management in the eyes of the .public. The "farm has always ,becn a model of management, and it has never looked better than it does at the present time. To the enquiring agriculturalist there are many tests and demonstrations in ■progress which must prove of great interest. Apart from the manurial and root experiments there are interesting demonstrations in catch crops, preparing a lucerne seed-.bed. the applying of vegetable humus, a capital experiment in fat lamb production, etc. Under the present scheme of management the station should develop in the direction 01 increased utility to the fanner. Should the obvious .policy of the station be pursued—converting* it into a demonstration dairy farm—Moumahaki could be made the centre of dairying activity of immense importance to the milk producers of Taranaki, and at the same time be a source of profit to the Government.

THE STATION STOCK. On the 500 acres of arable and broken land there are at present being carried about 200 head of cattle, over fiUfl sheen. 22 horses, and 1000 head of poultry. All the stock are looking remarkably well. Of the 'sheeo the Border Leicester flock is a collection of -purebred types of the breed whieh.it would be difficult to improve; they are of fine quality and very even. The draught horses would do credit to any farm. The cattle are disappointing. There are the few Dexter Kerries and Kerries, some crosses, among which a Dexter Kerry-Shorthorn stands out as a diminutive model of an almost iperfect Aberdeen Angus, a few good grade cows, a fair line of bullocks fattening on turnips, and some good young steers on the rougher country.