A RIDE THROUGH PUKERIMU AT HARVEST TIME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3048, 28 January 1892, Page 3

A RIDE THROUGH PUKERIMU AT HARVEST TIME.

(BY OUR TRAVELLING COKKESrON'DKNT.) There is probably no district in Waikato that will better repay a visit during the haivest season than Pukeriinu. Lovers of good famine in any of its branches, whether in the way of sheep feeding, fattening bullocks or grain growing, will find in this district much to interest, and possibly to instruct them, leading a personal visit, perhaps tho reader will accept an invitation —metaphorically—to accompany your correspondent on a recent trip to this locality. Leaving Ohaupo, we follow the Hamilton road for some distance, until it junctions with one striking olf at right angles to the east. This is our route. At this juncture is situated " Lochiel," the fine farm of Mr John McNicol, the main road to Hamilton going through it. This well managed estate—comprising over 1000 acres —is now becoming widely known, chiefly owing to the famous flocks of Lincoln*, and high class stud horses, which the enterprising owner has gathered together. The pastures seemed rather bare of feed, probably due to the dry season and lar;e stock kept ; but the prize sheep were looking uncommonly well, and fat enough for anything. Mr McNicol, like many other settlers along this road, has a portion of tho groat Rukuhia swamp within his boundaries, but with a little drainage the swamp land is fast drying up, and even now forms good rough pasture for stock. Leaving " Lochiel " the first farm reached on the Pukenmu road is that of our respected A1.11.R., Mr ii. Lake. His large fields were full of high grass, whitened by the summer sun, and waving in the afternoon Krauze like a crop of ripe grain. Here wore grazing some fine fat cattle. At this point we strike the Pukeriinu Hats, which extern! in an almost unbroken level, right to Cambridge, the soil throughout b'.ing of a light porous nature, in many places the coarse gravel and sand coming to the very surfaee. Any ono unacqu tinted with the district, and judging by similar sandy deposits elsewhere—say along the upper terraces of the Waipa—would at once pronounce it woithless land. But we will see. Before leaving Mr Lake s, we pass a largo crop of turnips, well advanced, and on the opposite side of tho road some good clover paddocks. The advantage of clover over tho grasses in dry weather is now plainly demonstrated—the grass everywhere being white and parched, while the clover, with its deep feeding root-:, was as green and luxuriant as though watered every day. A fine clover paddock is passed a little further on, belonging to Mr Sturgess. This crop was being made into hay, and tho paddocks adjoining, with cattlo grazing in them, wero also deep with the red clover. What astonished mo was to find growing on the next section—which is still in a state of nature — vegetation of tho poorest kind, indicative in every other district of bad land—patches of titree, stunted fern aid heather ; yet this land has apparently only to bo broken up and sown with seed to produce splendid pastures. Perhaps some of the knowing ones will explain this. Opposite to Mr Sturgess' is the farm of Mr H. Buttle, and on tho same side, adjoining it, is that of Mr Willoughby, who had his small grain crops safely stacked. It was becoming evident from tho herds of dairy cows in the roadside paddocks, that a creamery was somewhere handy, and this I found to be locatod at a junction of Uio main road, with a branch line leading olf in the Hamilton direction. The Pukeriinu creamery is not an extensive affair, but no doubt it serves its purpose quite as wall as some of the more elaborate ones ; but like another I know of, the suppliers have a water difficulty on hand ; and are just at present carting the precious fluid, for the use of the engine, etc. The cream is conveyed daily to the Ohaupo station for transhipment to Ngaruawahia. About here we enter the grain growing district, Mr Gane, whose farm conies right up to the creamery having some 40 acres of wheat and oats, chiefly the former. First-rate crops, all out in stook ; and lying further back the Messrs Caley Bros, have about the same quantity of grain. At this point I may digress, just to mention (of course in the strictest confidence), that Mr K. Caley is at present engaged in building a now house, preparatory to taking a most important step, as a member of the most honourable order of benedicts, I welcome Mr Caley. The next farm we come to, is that of Messrs Scott Bros., upon which were growing, or standing m stook 40 acres of wheat and oats, and in the pastures some grand fat cattlo. The charactor of the soil seemed just the same— light and sandy—but a glance at the stock and crops was sufficient to show the fertility of it. At Walker's gully—where the farm ends—a good opportunity is afforded of inspecting the various strata to a great depth, and an interesting study for a geologist it is. Layer upon layer, of all grades and colours, from the finest white chalk to coarse gravel and stones, and strangely enough, the surface soil of about six inches is of a very strong nature. Tho same I characteristics are to be observed iu the ] road cutting at Cambridge. At Walker's gully is situated the Piikerimu school, now under the care of a lady teacher. From here the road passes, for some distance, between the fine farms of Messrs Johu and Robert Fisher, The latter gentleman grew very little grain this season, preferring to fatten a large number of fine bullocks ; but Mr John Fisher has some 10 acres in wheat and a dozen in oats. Upon this farm is also a large area in turnips, just coining up. In conversation, Mr Fisher mentioned that the suterpillars were troublesome ill the oats again this year. This does not coincide with the popular theory—that caterpillars require three years to pa-s through their various stages of life. Adjoining Mr Fisher's is Mr Arch. Wallace's farm, where sumo very neat hay slacks, thatched with whit', rye straw, immediately catch the eye. Mr Wallace has some 20 acres of wheat, and a large paddock of oats, and was, I understood, intending to thrash straight from the stook, On the opposite sido of the road, and bounding the Waikato River, is the largo Osta'e known as Wai Valley, formerly owned by ?.Ir Reynold-), but now by Mr Burn-Mur-dnch, ;i gentleman recently from H one. No grain is at present grown at Wai Valley, but a large area of turnips, Mr Bum-Murdoch intending to go in very extensively for sheep. Crossing the oad again we are at the compact little farm belonging to Mr James Anderson, funuerlj

~f Maiu-eie. A vi rv enrs-ry g'noee mit this will kept holding, witli it- li"ld: "f grain, turnips and pasture, is sufficient- r. > show that .Mr Anderson never came to ]'nkeriinu t < karn farming, and it turning nut a krgn f| nantity of farm produce from a comparatively small farm means prolit, then this little, estate should pay well. Hut as the proprietor was kind enough to a-sk a somewhat tiivd out col* res poll de if t to camp down for the night, perhaps I may—still metaphorically—ask the reader to do thus line, promising soino further details of Vr.kernnu fanning in another letter.