PROGRESS OF WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19895, 26 May 1936, Page 3

PROGRESS OF WAIKATO.

FARMING DIVILOPMINT. REVIFAV BY MINISTER. That the eminence of the Waikato \\'inter Show as a dairying show was not challenged was the opinion expressed by the Minister of Agriculture. the Hon. \\'. Lee Martin. in speaking at. the ofilcial opening ceremony. “This eminence is the joint result, firstly, or the enthusiastic and welldirected effort that is put forward in running the. show by its oiiicials and supporters, and. secondly. of the suc—cess and magnitude of the dairying industry in the \\’aikato and adjacent districts.“ he added. Only those who consulted official figures realised how in recent years Auckland dairyimt had forged ahead. According to the latest figures available. which 'were those re— ‘ lative to 1935. slightly more than half‘ the total number of dairy cows of the‘ Dominion were to he found in the‘ Auckland province. the Dominion total in round figures being 1.928.000, and\ the Auckland province total 980.000.‘ Getting nearer home. the official stat—t Isticrs showed that the dairy cows in‘ the South Auckland area covered By} the land district which started south of Franklin County. numbered 608.000‘ —almost a third of the dairy cow pop— l ulation of the Dominion. 3 i A Prominent Future. Hamilton being the geographical centre of such an immense dairying district as these Official figures indicated, it was scarcely surprising that the dairyinvg side or the \\’ailmto \\’inter Show continued to be so prominent. It might be well to consider, briefly, some or the causespi’ the astounding growth of dairyinvg in the Auckland province. One cause over which the farmer had no control was the climate, which widely favoured a heavy and relatively well-distributed growth of feed on the district's grasslands when they were . suitably managed. i Another and more important cause had been the outlook of the farmers themselves. It had been not only a progressive outlook. but a resourceful one. an independent one, and an industrious one. In short, thuioneering spirit had persisted to the present day. and fortunately continued to operate. As evidence of this there was the fact that Waikato farmers had either introduced innovations or readily

adapted them to their needs, Waikato farmers could Justly point, with pride In what they had done in respect. to such matters as topdrrssing. ensilage. pig—husbandry. and the production of; purebred high class dairy stock. } t Topdruslng lnoruu._ . ‘ “As to tnpdrossing. the latest figures‘ available, which (‘o\'l‘l‘t”tl up to March ::I last. Stil‘flVt‘tl that the dairy season Just rinsing haul henn market! by an inrrease in the use of fertiitst-rs in South i .\urkhmt’l, it‘ one roultl judge by that fertilisers t'al‘l‘lt‘tl nn lhr railways. The‘ inrrraso in rnmparisnn with the pre—vious yrar had not bern a large one—aimut $l.lOO trans actually. in assessing thp significance of this increase it. nemlml tn he hnrnp in mind that rPrnrd quantities of fertilisrrs were used tn the Dnmintnn in the previous year of t93i-33, and in these Fnuth Aurklanrl look its relativn proportion. “.\tnrrx than passinar lntrrrst attach—nd to tho fart that in all sortinns ut‘ thp provinrr. th-opt in the To Awamutn and ndjnrr‘nt districts, thnre “as n, failing—MT last srnsnn in the rail\\'n3‘ dr‘liwrirs nt‘ limn tn rnmput'isnn with Ihnsr of thy mitt—3s srnsnn.“ nritlrd thr- Minlstm'. it \\‘nlllll he in—trrvsting to know (infinitely what was the runs? at this rlvriinr. \\'as it to hr‘ rnnnm'tml with tho inrrmsml "so at t’ortilism's‘.‘ [lad t'armrrs \\’hn hall lwrn usim: time as an nitrrnatfvr tn t‘rrtil—lsrl's nnw revrt'srd this prartlcr'.’ it so. it. might iw rr‘mm‘iiml that field in\'t‘s-‘ lig‘ztlions by tho llvparimrnt In the district. shuwml that u‘t’nt‘t'aily limr stlnhhit nut. hr usml as an allornntiw to frrt—‘ iiisrrs. These investigations shmw-d also that tho respt'mst‘s tn Ilnw \‘fll'il'll rnnsitlm'ahiy in different parts 0! the prm‘incr." ’l‘lu' .\iinisler paid a triimlp to tho rxrollrnre 01‘ the show. and rxtrntlcd gnarl \\'ishr's tn the rxt‘t'utivr fur a sucresst’ul season.