o.—il

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gDod herds on the Rangitaiki Plains, and a number of farms which give a high return of butterfat per acre, all of which goes to indicate that in a few years the total yield of butterfat should increase enormously. The Rangitaiki Swamp has reached that stage in its development when its progress is almost entirely dependent on the individual efforts of the settlers. There is ample proof that the future of the district is in good hands. The preparation of the land and the planting of flax on the several areas acquired for the purpose has been vigorously prosecuted by the several companies operating in the district. Altogether an area totalling over 7,000 acres has been acquired for flax-cultivation, comprising for the most part lands too low-lying or with too great a depth of peat to make them anything but doubtful propositions for the cultivation of grass. If the present rate of progress is continued, there is every prospect that in the future these areas will become substantial revenue producers. Attention is also being paid to the lighter and poorer classes of land in and fringing the drainage area. Cheaper manures, following the completion of the railway, have enabled the owners of some of this land to experiment with the growing of grass and root crops. From the results obtained it seems to be safe to predict that the pasture-lands on the Plains will be materially extended in the course of years. In the previous year several electrically-driven flood-pumps were installed on low-lying areas to relieve the congestion of water in abnormal times and to reduce the water-table in normal times. Pumping has now been resorted to over an increased area, and although it is too early to predict the ultimate result a general improvement is already noticeable in these areas. In connection generally with, the Rangitaiki drainage-works it is pleasing to quote the following extract from an article appearing in the New Zealand Herald in August, 1929, written by their special commissioner :— " There has been a good deal of criticism and comment regarding the cost of reclaiming the Rangitaiki Plains, and some people still retain the impression that the State has lost money over this work. This, of course, may be true if the narrowest interpretation of the term ' State 'is taken, but in the truer and broader light the State has gained enormously, for it can be shown that even at the present time, while the district is still very far from its full productive stage, it is producing in one year nearly as much as the total cost of all the drainage and reclamation work. Moreover, at the present rate of progress it will go on increasing its production until the yearly output of wealth is double the original cost." Rainfall. —The average rainfall as recorded at Thornton for the past twelve years has been 54-63 in. Last year's total was 59-88 in., rain falling on sixty-seven days. The wettest month was February, with a fall of 9-22 in., when a fall of 8 in. was recorded in forty-eight hours at Thornton, and the driest was March, with a fall of 0-73 in. Eastern District. —No dredge-work was carried out in this area during the period under review, there being, however, several canals requiring attention when a suitable plant is available for the work. The Royal Commission of 1925 recommended that a flood-gate should also be constructed at the Rangitaiki end of the Kopeopeo, but after consideration this desirable work had to be abandoned, owing to the difficult country for work of this nature in the vicinity, and also owing to the risk of a wash-out when the Rangitaiki River overflowed its banks. Relief workers were employed during the latter half of the period in carrying out desirable drainimprovement work and the construction of several lengths of new drain, with very satisfactory results. Two new flood-gates to serve areas of low-lying lands and several small bridges were placed. The usual maintenance of hand drains and stop-banks was carried out throughout the area. Western District. —Maintenance dredging was completed in the Tarawera Western and Section 109 Canals early in the period, and the two plants engaged carried out further work in the Awaiti Road Drain, Seccombe's Drain, and Section 110 Canal. In addition to the usual maintenance of existing works, the ring-barking of willows on the Rangitaiki River between Te Teko and the mouth was put in hand. This work is the forerunner of a proposal to clear the river banks and bed of all possible obstruction, with a view to improving the flood-capacity of the channel. Maintenance and protection work has been carried out on the Tarawera River stop-banks as required. These banks are formed solely of pumice dredged from the river, and it is essential that they should be covered with some surface growth so as to bind them together. Lupins have been sown in some places, with satisfactory results, and an endeavour will be made to establish kikuyugrass in conjunction with the lupin, and this combination, if successful, would tend to stabilize the banks. The daily readings taken of the water-levels in this river disclose a satisfactory position, no permanent rise in the bed or water level having taken place. Dredges. —Only two of the three dredges remaining on the works were in commission during the period. A total of 160,120 cubic yards of spoil was dredged, covering a distance of 583 chains. The cost per cubic yard of the material excavated was 4-19d. The following table shows the total amounts excavated and rate per cubic yard for the past eleven years : — Cubic Cost per Cubic Cost per Yards. Cubic Yard. Yards. Cubic Yard. 1919-20.. .. 176,672 6-62d. 1925-26.. .. 431,277 5-88d. 1920-21 .. ~ 215,768 8-82d. 1926-27.. .. 227,006 6-05d. 1921-22.. .. 473,994 6-68d. 1927-28.. .. 359,080 5-28d. 1922-23.. .. 540,802 8-13d. 1928-29.. .. 339,450 5-73d. 1923-24.. .. 788,059 5-59d. 1929-30.. .. 160,120 4-19d. 1924-25 .. .. 626,762 5-56d.