G.—lo.

Rotokautuku. Located on the Tapuwaeroa Valley Road, close to the Waiapu River, and about two miles from Ruatoria, this scheme of 53 acres was only gazetted for development in January, 1938. The land consists of light, arable soil which should respond to treatment, and should carry a good sole of grass when ploughed and resown. There are 4 acres of flat land along the Tapuwaeroa road frontage, and the land then rises rather sharply to the main portion of the farm, comprising mostly flat to sloping ground broken only by two watercourses. Springs furnish a good water-supply, and one of these springs is particularly strong and capable of reticulating the whole area if a ram or windmill is installed. There are no buildings on the property. One settler with five dependants is established, but no development work had been embarked on as at 31st March, 1938, although, however, the country has well been farmed for over twenty years by a European. T uparoa. The scheme, gazetted with an area of 10,286 acres, bearing this name is situated five miles south of Ruatoria on the East Coast main highway, and comprises the Whareponga station (5,376 acres), Akuaku Station (563 acres), Totaranui A 1 Block (439 acres), and seven dairying settlers (1,626 acres), a total of 8,004 acres under active development. The Whareponga station live-stock, numbering 7,899 sheep and 989 cattle, was, by resolution of the owners of the land, sold in March last. The property is now divided into six separate holdings, and two private sections which have been withdrawn from development. These new settlers have been stocked with sheep and cattle from the old Whareponga station. Most of Whareponga is easy hill country, which before development commenced was in pasture, but a large portion was overgrown in manuka and tauhinu scrub, which has since been all cleared, and the property fenced. Nearly two-thirds of the pastures are in native grasses, the remaining portion being in good grass. Prior to subdivision, the station was run by a Maori manager with a staff of six Natives. Workmen numbering twenty-two were also engaged on this scheme. The seven dairying areas comprise 200 acres of good loamy flat country in good pasture and 1,426 acres of easy hills in mixed pasture. Approximately 450 acres are ploughable. The hill area is of shale-clay formation. The dependants of the settlers total fifty-five, and the health of the people is satisfactoiy. The settlers are making satisfactory progress, though much remains to be done before returns are commensurate with the quality of the land. Housing conditions are fair, although a good deal of repair work is required. These settlers have a bright prospective future if they continue to work with the zeal and energy which they are at present showing. The live-stock tally as at 31st March, .1938, was 187 milking-cows, 90 other dairy stock, 1,025 run cattle, 6,054 breeding-ewes, and 3,668 dry sheep. Whareongaonga. This is a new scheme gazetted in January last. It is situated on the main highway some 20 miles south of Gisborne and comprises an area of 494 acres which has reverted to scrub and blackberry. It is typical sheep and cattle country unsuited for dairying. A nice patch of bush of about 40 acres will be preserved. Some 83 acres have been cleared and sown, and will be stocked when the fencing has been repaired. This work is in hand. Mahia. Located on the north-eastern portion of the Mahia Peninsula and approximately three miles from the port and railway-station at Waikokopu, the total area gazetted in this scheme was 2,854 acres, of which 363 acres are being farmed by five settlers as dairy sections. A further area of 450 acres of the Whangawehi Block is being sown, and will be farmed as a grazing and cropping proposition in the meantime. The Whangawehi section and the Kaiwaitau area (400 acres) comprise good undulating country of a silty soil, while the balance of the area is sandy in nature and is at present being planted with marram grass and lupin to arrest sand encroachment. Practically the whole scheme area is ploughable. The health of the people is excellent. Forty acres were sown in oats during the past season and a good crop of 55 tons was harvested and stacked. The existing housing accommodation, when sundry small repairs are executed, will be satisfactory. With adjoining lands which it is proposed to bring into the scheme, this area should ultimately develop into fifty self-contained farms. Mohaka. Situated on the East Coast main highway twenty-six miles south of Wairoa, this scheme comprises 19,709 acres, of which 11,600 acres have been brought under development. It is practically all light scrub country running into light pumice in the back (inland) portion, and is divided into 3,000 acres of flat land and 3,000 acres of easy undulating country, the balance being of a hard hilly nature. Almost the whole area prior to development was covered in scrub and was badly infested with blackberry, but to date nearly 6,000 acres have been cleared and brought into a reasonable state of pasture. The grass is holding fairly well, but, as in all areas of this class of country, top-dressing and careful stocking will have to be continued to prevent deterioration.

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