G—lo

Te Piki Situated near Cape Runaway, the scheme is at present run as a sheep and cattle-holding property. Maintenance work on fences, roads, and drains has been carried out during the year. The nursery attached is doing well and will supply the shelter trees for coast schemes. During the year 25 acres of grass were sown down and 25 acres of root crops put in, while 10,000 pinetrees were planted. New fencing totalling 80 chains has been completed with -100 chains of repair work. Twenty tons of hay were harvested. This is a difficult scheme on poor-class country. It was established to find work for the unemployed, in 1933. Putatjaki This scheme, which is situated at the foot of Mount Edgecumbe and around Te Teko, has about 6,000 acres of flat, volcanic-ash-covered soil and is very severely affected by dry conditions. The recent drought made it necessary to stint some stock in order to get the lambs away, while surplus ewes were sent to the freezing-works. At present it is difficult to say whether the rain will bring away a fresh sole of grass, and it may be necessary to resow large areas. The hay and swede crops suffered badly and are very light indeed. A manager has recently been appointed to this area. Rotorua Nursery Situated on the Taupo Road three miles from Rotorua, this nursery is well established under an expert Maori nurseryman who keeps the schemes of the district fully supplied with their requirements. Owing to the shortage of fencing-materials to provide the necessary protection, schemes are not as fully planted as the Supervisors desire, and a market for surplus trees grown has been found among local bodies, other Government Departments, and, wholesale nurserymen. Inquiries are now being received from settlers under the Rehabilitation Department. Ruatahuna The 6,596 acres of farmable land of Ruatahuna scheme are situated on the Waikaremoana-Rotorua Highway, where development was originally commenced in 1931 to provide assistance to then unemployed Maoris of the Urewera district. The area is now run as a fully utilized scheme, all shearing being done at the scheme wool-shed and the wool pooled for sale as one clip. Great difficulty has been experienced in handling these lands through the reluctance of the title-holders to merge the area into a large-scale scheme for running as a station carrying sheep and cattle, which is the only practicable method of dealing with such a large, virgin block of land, isolated as it is in the heart of the Urewera country by poor roads at a distance of about seventy-four miles from Rotorua or Wairoa, the nearest railheads. Taheke This scheme is situated past the Okere Falls about fourteen miles from Rotorua and is now coming into excellent heart. This year 2,470 fat lambs were put off to the works. Prior to development, the Waiariki District Maori Land Board had a mortgage on the lands, and during the year part, of this was paid off. It is anticipated that the balance will be paid to the Maori Land Board this June.

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