OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 257, 9 March 1911, Page 7

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES.

RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER REVIEW No. 20. [All Rights Reserved.] (By R. J. EAMES). HAWKE'S BAY: PROVINCE OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE. DAIRYING AT DANNEVIRKE. The notion generally held of Danncvirke district is that it is a saw-milling area. That is no longer true. The milling timber was cut out some time ago. Then followed the felling and clearing by the farmer, and now there are developing extensive pastures for tli£ cow. But, like the whole of Hawke's Bay, this locality is struck periodically by droughts. Not such droughts as our hrethern across the herring-pond know, but droughts of sufficient severity to dry up the founts which yield the butter-fat. Take the experience of the Dannevirke Dairy Co. by way of example. In 1906 it paid out £BOOO, and in 1907 the figures fell to £5600. In 19011-10 there was an increase to £7OOO, and this year the sum will be about tne same, from which it will be seen that even yet a recovery has not been made of the set-back in 1007. There were indications at the time of visiting that the present season will be a short one, as the falling-off in the supply was more rapid than at the corresponding period of previous years, due to the dry weather which afflicted the whole of the province in late December and January. Within a seven-mile radius at Dannevirfce there have been four new dairy factories started within three ycarß, which shows how rapidly the redeemed bush lands are coming under cows. The pay-out of five factories averages something like five or six thousand pounds per factory per annum. Several blocks have been cut up by tne Government in lota of 70 to 230 acres, at rentals averaging about 9s per acre. In freehold values there has been a rapid increase, and they range now from £lB to £4B per acre. There is a lot of land which requires about three acres to carry a cow, but it has been shown that land at £2O per acre will return £3 per acre from butterfat. One section, running a cow to 2% acres, won £9 10s per cow. The establishment of a bacon factory shows that the importance of the pig is being recognised.

INTERESTING DISPUTE ABOUT TESTING. Along the run from TJa'nnevirke to Woodville there are further evidences of closer settlement, and at Woodville itself is established the biggest dairy'company in Hawke's Bay. This is'ia proprietary concern which last year mdnufactured 443 tons of butter. Round about' Woodville there have been some years'of com- ( petitive manufacturing, and a good many failures by which the farming community has suffered. Last year a rather hot controversy occurred over the reading of tests, one company alleging that another had made a practice of misleading the people by reading the tests low, which J process enabled them to pay out more per lb for the butter-fat:' brie of the parties to the controversy published the following table, showing the effect of under-reading a test:— '' Milk Test Fat Price Value p.c. lbs d. £ s. d. 1000 3.8 38 10 1 11 8 1000 3.7 37 10yi 1 11 7>A 1000 3.G 30 10 Vi *1 11 0 1000 3.5 35 10% 1 11 4% 1000 3.4 34 11 1 11*2 The figures are instructive. From them it will be seen that if a given'lOOOlbs of mill: contained 3Slbs of bntter.-fat (at a 3.8 test) it would only be credited with 341bs of fat if one read the tclit as 3.4. SOUTHERN END OF THE DISTRICT. One of the most importaiit'b'f the companies connected with the rural activity of the district is established at Woodville, namely, the bacon company. Anyone who gets the opportunity Should take a run through a factory ■of"' this kind, which can turn out something like 400 pigs a day. The work is specialised on the American plan and it take!* only a few minutes for the hog to pass through the hands of the sticker, the 'scraper and the other operatives, on to the hooks in pieces, readv for curing. ' ' When dairying operations Were begun in 181)7 the output of the Woodville district was something like 75 tons, but' with the development of the industry there was made in 1000 about 450 tons of butter, and this without increasing the original area. This year the Hawke's - Bay Company's business shows another expansion of two tons,' without taking in fresh territories. The 1 average price of butter-fat for the pastid'hrec. years. was over lOd per lb. The district as a whole is a good one for dairying, but the land is also suitable for sheep and a good deal of it is used for ;'tlve. 'light stock. There is no doubt that 'a furthor<extension of dairying will ta'ke place,; and although the milch'cows (according'to an expert who is familiar with both districts) were for a long timO'behjnd the quality of "the Taranaki animal, improvements* arc now taking'place every year! Several herds have been worked lip within five or six years from "just cows"''' in- ; to producers which donbled the output' of the different farms. Some suppliers' are averaging up to 3001bs of butter-fat" per cow but a great many, in the words of ah' authority engaged in the-business, "jiis't puddle along and only get half the 're-, suits they should." The Cow has been responsible for many changes in the Own-j ership of land. Up to 1897 there had hardly been a farm sold in the district for -years, and the best land could then ) be bought for £l2 per acre. With'the development of dairying, however, values, have risen rapidly until they now range l from £25 to £45 per acre.' The.Woodville dairying area is not a large one: 1 The best of the land, if farmed well,: is capable of carrying a cow to IV!> atfres; One farmer has wintered 100 head' of cattle on 150 acres, and wintered thew well. To do this, however, requires Systematic farming, with provision for winter feeding. The farm areas run from 15 to 300 acres, the large majority being from 80 to 120 acres. Up to the present there has been very little manuring and many will say that it is unnecessary. Others, however, declare that it pays to manure and that the use of basic slag means bigger profits. The valleys are on the wet side in winter but are rich in quality, being heavy loam over clay. All kinds of English grasses take readily, but a lot of cultivation is, necessary. The surface timber has" mostly disappeared and half, or often more, cf the farm areas have been put under v he plough. For the lighter land furthel back supporting, on an average, a cow to three acres, £ll to £lB is asked. In com parison with values jn some other place; there is a prospect of further rise, but financial men engaged in the imlustryten that present values are quite high enoiisl | if farmers are to keep on the safe side ; On one farm of 140 acres 100 head o stock were run, including a herd of 5t | Jerseys, which averaged 2Solbs of butter I fat per cow. During the past few sea I sons the dairymen have realised what : valuable adjunct to a farm the pig is J and dairymen on 45 and 50-acre place 1 i have netted £IOO a year from their pork ' ers and baconcrs. Besides dairying, cereal

•of the district, say from Ormondville to Woodvillc, has lost its original rural characteristics. Besides dairying, cereals and root crops are grown with good results, and from a contemplation of this end of the district one is almost led into forgctfulncss of the fact that it is part of the province of the Golden Fleece.