OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 269, 23 March 1911, Page 7

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES

! RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER | REVIEW. No. 22. [All Eights Reserved.] (By R. J. EASIES). WELLINGTON: A PROVINCE PROGRESSIVE. CROPS, MILK AXD FLEECE. Pushing still further in a north-wester-ly direction from Feilding, there is the agricultural excellence of the Rangitikei, between tile river of that name and the Wangaehu. "Clay land, hard land," somt may say. But with intelligent tillage it lias proved itself capable of big things. Not only for cropping, but for grazing and fattening. Thirty pounds per acre was offered 'for a 000-acre lot—and was refused. This country is used for drygrazing and fattening, and its, computed capacity is three sheep to the acre, besides cattle. Of course there is land — lots of it—available at a lower price than that. Away towards Hunterville, again, the land runs into bigger holdings, and where level enough to cultivate it is good for cropping. The price is from £8 to £ls and £2O per acre. The £8 land is on a two-sheep basis, while the £ls and £2O property is generally used for mixed farming, and the extra price is also created by its closer proximity to the centres. From Turakina to Bulls the land has a good cropping value--£ls to £25 pel' acre. The valley of the- Turakina is all good grazing, and part of it is fine for mixed agriculture, commanding £3O to £35 per acre. As the valley becomes narrower, northwards, the level parts sell from £3O to £4O per acre, while the hills give grazing country, not over-steep, and worth from £lO to £ls per acre. Away still further north there is a wide range of values, according to quality and situation. Throughout the whole of the cropping area between Feilding and Wanganui there are on record numerous instances of land withstanding the strain of repeated crops. The Rangitikei sub-soil is heavy clay, and experience is proving the necessity of working it vigorously. Each year, as the plough gains in effectiveness, some new earth is brought surface-wards to enliven and refresh the root-space. Plough-draining is being largely adopted. This work, on a previously unimproved farm, was estimated to have increased the value of the land by £7 per acre. That was the owner's estimate (not for selling purposes), but it was necessarily arbitrary. In a number of places plough-draining has not been completely successful, the capillary service not having proved effective. Here and there, however, farmers are working with the determination to bring the soil to its highest point of production and are tiledraining their properties. Autumn sowing appears to be growing in favor, and the experience this year has proved the wisdom of providing against dry seasons, such as the present, by that process. The excellence of southern Rangitikei rye having been proved, the farmers to the north are experimenting, and with success. As the bush land is cleared the potato crops yield heavily. BASIN OF THE WANGANUI. Although the Wanganui river is famed for its scenery, an evidence of the fertile character of its surrounding country is found in the importance of the town situated close to its mouth. Amongst other big works which speak Of the productivity of the stretch of country of which Wanganui is the centre there are the freezing works, the wool-stores, and the fellmongery and soap works. Dairying is also largely carried on. In the town are represented nearly all the leading mercantile firms, the importance of whose business has made their names familiar throughout the Dominion. The continued growth of railage freights and shipping afford proof of the progress of the district, in sheep and cattle raising, in agriculture, and in manufactures. Northwards of Wanganui there is some soil of the Ta'ranaki variety. In the vicinity of Westmere and Rapanui the price of dairying lands runs between £4O and £SO an acre, and no really good farms can be got under £45 an acre. Ten-acre lots, in select positions, touch £OS, £7O and £BO per acre. Like all the land in the North Island, the country hereabouts is patchy. At the back of Wanganui there is hilly and rough country, with occasional Hats. In the river valley itself general farming is carried on, the richer parts being devoted to dairying. Hill land, under light stock, with a carrying capacity of 2% sheep to the acre, fetches from £l2 to £l4 per acre, and nothing good is to be got under £-° vu £lO per acre. (.OMfN' TIIRO' THE RYE: Southwards from Marlon, and about half-way between that place and Foxton, may be found the nurseries of the rye and crested dogstail seed, which have made the name of Sandon known throughout New Zealand. The crop of dogstail this year should average between 000 and TOOlbs to the acre, and it will dress down to .something over half that weight. When dressed the seed sells at !>d per lb. .The rye-grass crop was estimated to yield 30 bushels to the acre this year, and it was practically all sold in advance at 5s per bushel of 2Sllh of seed to the measure, with an additional penny for every pound-weight of seed in excess of the standard weight of the bushel. Of late years the Sandon seed has increased in weight, and sometimes proves itself at 321bs to the bushel measure, which at this year's price would mean 5s 4d per bushel. The bulk of the dogstail grown in this area is sold in the North Island, hut a good deal of rye goes .South. Farmers who have lieen in the district for 30 year.-- say that there has never been a better season than the present for oats, most of which is being chaffed on account of the weight of the hay. Jt is a complaint that the land will grow enough straw to give a 00 or 70 acre bushel crop, but the grain yield, compared with the quantity of stuff produced, is not so large as it should be. Of wheat, 30 bushels to the acre is considered a good average in an ordinary season. By a proper rotation of crop's a great area has been kept in good heart. After turnips, two or three white crops (oats, wheat or barley) will be taken, and then the paddock will be sown down in rape and grass, which forms the famous pastures from which the rye-grass seed is harvested. After two years the seed may be taken and thereafter it can I be threshed indefinitely, but practical fanners have found it not suliieiently profitable to keep the grass down for a longer period than seven years. Dogstail is sown and cropped annually. Bonedust and superphosphates are the manures principally used. Over the region of the rye from £25 to £32 an acre is about the price, but farmers there do not sell and run away to seek land elsewhere. They settle. About l]/ s miles from Sandon is the Ohakea settlement, where | dairying lias added heavy goodwills to I the Government rentals, which latter | run from lis !)d to ISs per acre. Between Sandon and Rongotea first-class land is up to £3O an acre. From h'ongole/i. In llimitangi it is .sandy country, and one finds the experience of great, parts of Auckland province rej peated. Fifteen years ago fanners who knew the land well, or believed they did,

would not touch it at £ 1 per acre. Now it is found profitable at £l2 to £l'! per acre, i'or both fattening and crops In such manner have values progressed right through the country of the rye.