HARVEST PROSPECTS IN PIAKO. The Waitoa District.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1632, 19 December 1882, Page 2

HARVEST PROSPECTS IN PIAKO. The Waitoa District.

m m ; f>i 1% Phobably, tljere.jLs no other districfen *the Aubklautt province, li»tto \vWmffi4t;.tleiij^ Jia^e^afintroclilt^^Jhaf has* made the prbgress'in the' 1 ' saines&paee of time; which the district between Hamilton ami To Aroha has made, and this notwithstanding the adverse natare^pf. ,the country, wjiieh,fsix^ years ago, wds, with very ltytleiexcoption, a vastfswampy wilderness, upon which settlement in any form was little short of impossible, unless assisted by the expenditure of large sums ot money. It is a comparatively easy task to eradicate, the fern, and clear off the ti-troe,'but to .make land olfy and fertile * that, has' fdr generations 'patat' been submerged and covered with noxious and -deteriorating vegetable matter, is a task which requires not only a Vast amount of labour and" expanse, but one which requires enterprise, perserverjuice and patience. Certainly -a vast amount of capijbal has been expended in reclaiming the waste lands of Piako, which exemplifies great faith in the future of the district on the part of the owners, ,and daily , we hear of new contracts being let, representing large expenditure for further reclamation. The producing and bearing capabilities of that/ part of the country already reclaimed, ' has warranted landowners in these extensive undertakings ; furthermore the immediate prospects of a i railway running through the country, with good markets at either torminus, antj tne fact that an extensive aah promising goldfield is' springing up in the immediate vicinty has brought the district prominenty before the public, aud thus enhanced the value of the Piako lands. And uot only this, but those who have already gained a footing hi the countiy have gained confidence in their holdings, and arc now canying out extensive improvements, Judging from piesent appearances, a railway through the Piako County will not require subsidising for the productiveness of the country, aud the enterprise of its settlers is a biim'cient guarantee for a large amount ot ti attic. In that part of the country between Mornnsville and Te Aroh-i the tanners seem to have followed the example of their Wafkato neighbours in the matter of grain growing, for the grain crop of this year, both in regard to extent and quality, particularly tho former feature, is far in advance of that of the previous year. The area in oats and wheat this year, in the district under notice, does nob exceed 1000 acres, and of j this Messrs Morrin and Studholme have I U."» 0 acres, 200 of winch arc in wheat, Mr J. j 13. Smith, 150; the Richmond "Block, 100; and Mr W. A. Murray, 72; the other growers averaging between 20 and '30 acres each. Thou«h six yearrf ago the | land in the district was a wilderness covered with flax, titree, and fern, and in son\o playes under water, few if any of the crops could be excelled by anything in the Waikato or Waipa districts. Mr Smith's wheat crop is one which is highly spoken of by the settlers as the finest which has ever been seen in that I part of the district, aud Messrs Parr and Melton's is not far behind. It is expected to yield no le&s than 45 bushels^ to the acre, probably 30, and the straw in some places measures 7ft. Notwithstanding the newness of the land, this is a crop upon which the Waitoa may be con gratulatfcd, and if such results as these continue, an,d, th.c Piak.q lands are capable of growing such oxcellent grain crops we have no doubt but that iv the com se of time, it will become a very extensive grain growing country. We mention Mr Smith's crop more as an example than an exception, for in no case where the seed has been put in at the proper time does any wheat crop promise less thau 40 bushels to the acre. These results are doubtless duo to the caretul and proper tillage of the giound, but we must also attribute &Qin,e o,f the credit to the quality of the sqU. On the estate of Mr W, ArMurvay, a well was recently sunk, aud for a depth of nearly 30 feet, nothing but lich vegetable mould existed. This same estate, which consists of 9000 acres, when taken iv hand six years ago, was just capable of carrying the same number of cattle that is now carried and fattened in a paddock, sown in turnips, of (50 acres. It will therefore be seen, that by high cultivation and drainage, and w ith good markets to act as an inducement, there is ho limit to the grq\ytili swl pi^duoo of tho Piako lands. Though the oat crops in the district under notice promise a very heavy yield, a very little proportion will find its way to the threshing mill. The farmers find it pays better to cut the crops before they ripen for chaff. A good aveiage crop will cut into two tons to the acre, and last year a price qf £6, a ton was readjly fibiained. ppi\si faring this, together wiftythe fact; that a ready market is Always a$ hand, fqr chaff, whereas the grain Mould have to he transported to au outside market, we dq not wander at the fawners preferring converting their crops into chaff instead of letting them ripen. However, we dare say, as the distiict gets more thickly populated, and a good market springs up near at hand the success of this year's cropping will induce farmers to go in for grain growing in earnest, notwithstanding the newness of the soil. f Tq hfi fotfti>}ifC(?.J