OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 221, 29 December 1910, Page 3

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES

RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER REVIEW No. 10. (By R. J. EAMES). [All Rights Reserved.] AUCKLAND: A PROVINCE OF J PROMISE. THE NEW ZEALAND DAIRY ASSOCIATION. In the previous article we were able to see the great disadvantage under which the New Zealand Daily Association works—the disadvantage of distance — compared with the favored factories in Taranaki. On the Main Trunk line, the most distant creamery controlled by the Association is at Taumangi, on the Rotorua railway line, 137 miles from Auckland. Otorohanga (on the Main Trunk line) and Te Aroha creamery (Thames line) are each 115 miles away from their business centre, -while the Cambridge creamery (Cambridge line) is 95 miles away. These particulars give some idea of the area in that range of country south of Auckland over which the Association operates. Milk and cream have to be carted by sledge, by pack-horse, by waggon, and by rail to the three factories at Pnkekohe (doing nine tons a day at the time of writing), at Ngaruawahia (ten tons a day), and at Frankton Junction (five tons a day). But even under these conditions the Association realises good prices' for its butter, and last year paid to its suppliers for spring, summer and autumn, over all creameries, at the rate of 11.2G4d per lb for butter-fat, an:l for August per lb. All the creameries are not paid the same rate, each having its own cost of management debited to it. It follows, of course, that where dairying is most flourishin.?. and the supply is largest, the suppliers there get the biggest returns. The highest price paid at one centre over the whole season -was ll%d per lb of butter-fat, 'whilst at the lowest-paid creamery, which had an output for the year of onlv ten tons of butter, the return was 10.3d per lb. Last year the business of the Association increased by 27 pe: ->nt., and the expenses by 6 per cent.. ? :hat an economy of £7270 was effected, equal to nearly three-eighths of a penny per lb of butter-fat. There are now nearly 2000 shareholders in the Association, of whom rather more than 1800 are suppliers. The 2500 tons of butter last year will be increased this season to 4000 tons. There will be, it is estimated, a natural increase of 25 per cent., whilst the balance of the advance will be a result of the purchase of the business of Ambury, English and Co., which •firm handled" 19 creameries and one factory. The Association indents -manure for its suppliers aid for years .has encouraged the testing of cows. A good many suppliers have installed ■ private testers, and an official informed the writer that wherever that has been done there has been a good deal less trouble and dissatisfaction over the ensuing test at the factory. THE LOWER WAIKATO.

Eight across the country immediately to tlis soutli of Auckland there, are stretches of naturally good land, as well as a lot of /farm country which has "been ''built up," an! is' being kept; up by annual manuring. At the- back of Waiuku, on the West Coast tfoe're are two old swamps which are probably producing just now as much butter-fat to the acre as any other land in Xew Zealand. At Clevedoii, on the,' East Coast, £4O an acre was refused for one farm only a few weeks ago. At Karaka is a kind of country which cannot be called first-class land, but the' development there is interesting as showing how, in a very few years, profit J produeing homestead's can be wrung from a wilderness. The district about Manurewa (16 miles from Auckland) requires about 3 or 4cwt. of manure (basic slag and bonedust are used) every year. Up to three acres to the cow are required, and in-considering conditions in this and a lot of similar country the annual upkeep of the land must be carefully reviewed. Prices are high and perhaps the best'value (not the highest price) of recent note was that of a 50-acre farm which changed hands at £26 per acre. _ ' ■ : PUKEIvOHE DISTRICT.

Pukekohe is one of the big Waikato centres of dairying, and one of the three factories belonging to the Xew Zealand Dairy Association is situated there. Approaching this district from Drury. pome good crops are to be seen and the general experience is that so far the'season is proving a good one for oats, lie hills and valleys about Pukekohe present many panorama's of undulating beauty, and the first impression is that the district is most prolific. A closer inspection, however, shows that this locality, like others, is suffering from the misfortunes l of other days. Nothing but the closest attention will keep the land in good heart. Originally, the pleasing fields seen now were under dense puriri bush. With (the clearing, cocksfoot was sown. But in the bad times the land was 1 allowed to go back and weeds (the blackberry is a prominent feature of nearly all Waikato landscapes, especially as seen from public roads and the Government railway line), and all sorts of rubbish luxuriated. Since the dairying industry began in earnest, however, the people have had more ready cash and have been able to improve the land by tillage and top-dress-ing. Potatoes have been found to be a first-rate thing to sweeten the ground and to put it in good fettle for grass, The crops have proved profitable, the "earlies" having payable markets down to Dunedin. Repeated turning-up of the ground created a fertile surface and experienced men affirm that one acre now will produce as much grass as three or four acres would grow fifteen years ago. Although constant tillage has been the thing, farmers have lately been studying the effect of top-dressing and have not been breaking up the pastures which with care are now improving every year. One farmer who has top-dressed for nine years has produced what he declares to be the nearest approach to England's valuable pastures which he ,has seen. The grasses used are cocksfoot, clover and rye. Small holdings and intense cultivation distinguish the district. Fifty acres make a popular holding. Besides potatoes, mangels, turnips and carrots are largely grown. In small farms £26 per acre is .thought about the thing, but improvements and situation have resulted in £4O kin acre being procured. It doesn't do to talk high-priced land here. "High prices," they say, "such as we hear of in Taranaki, are a bad thing for dairying, although they may be all right for those who have pulled out, leaving the other fellow to bear the burden." That sentiment is worth setting down; it prevails so largely through the Waikato. Seeing that dairying is in its infancy, as industries go, one must be pleased with the quality of the cattle, although highj grade herds are not bred in a generation. [ A hundred and fifty years should do the thing 'handsomely. In order to assist •the process of building up the best quality of dairy cows, farmers are paying a good deal of attention to testing and culling, and already some good strains are being developed. The principal cross is the Jersey-Shortihorn. Cows in milk at the beginning of the season fetched £l3 and £l4 per bead. Throughout the lower Waikato .there is no grain-growing of importance, and the encroachments of the dairy cow,up,on rfche sheep and cattle - grazing aireas a>fe jas* marked as in'any part of Tarafalpl, ~