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Atiamuri, at Rotorua,. 12,236 acres. Acquired : 986 acres, May, 1947, 10,152 acres,. May, 1948, and 1,098 acres, July, 1948. Long-term-development project involving extensive clearing and grassing, fencing, and buildings. Progress : 730 acres sown in new grass and further 200 acres being cultivated. Edgecumbe, at Edgecumbe, 7,308 acres. Acquired, August, 1936. Subdivisional scheme not finalized. During the year special attention has been given to the reestablishment of pasture, which deteriorated badly during the war years owing to shortage of fertilizer. Good results have been obtained from crushing, oversowing, and top-dressing. Portions of this block are very badly watered, and a trial bore has been sunk and it is now certain that satisfactory water can be obtained on these areas. A portion (part of Orini Block) is an important ponding area and subject to floods. Fairview, at Waimana, 1,978 acres. Acquired, June, 1945. Objective : Two dairy-farms for settlement in 1950 and two sheep-farms in 1951. Development programme : Grassing, fencing, water-supply, and buildings. Progress : 90 chains fencing and access road completed and considerable area oversown with good results, and re-establishment of pasture by crushing has been continued. Galatea, at Murupara, 25,112 acres. Acquired, 1931. Fifteen civilians and thirtyeight ex-servicemen have been established. A further three ex-servicemen will be established on permanent tenure as at Ist July, 1949, five sections will be ballotted on wages in July, 1949, and twelve more sections will be ballotted in 1950. This will leave approximately 14,491 acres still to be settled, and it is expected that this will provide seventy to eighty sections. The portion of the block not yet settled is being farmed as a sheep-station, and surplus live-stock bred on the place are transferred to various other blocks under development in the district. During the year 630 acres were sown in swedes and 800 acres in permanent pasture. A further 1,000 acres are now being cultivated for sowing in permanent pasture by autumn, 1950. Development of the whole block should be completed in five to seven years. Three ex-servicemen on wages r with promises of sections. Hamurana, at Rotorua, 275 acres. Acquired : 252 acres in 1947 and 23 acres in 1948. Objective : two dairy-farms for allotment, July, 1949. Development: Completed except for buildings, for which contract let. Kaituna, at Paengaroa, 746 acres. Acquired, February, 1949. Objective : Two dairy-farms for allotment in 1950 and two sheep-farms for allotment in 1952. Contracts are being negotiated for the necessary buildings, and subdivisional fencing has been commenced. Four individual water-supplies are being installed. Matanuku, at Tokoroa, 3,440 acres. Acquired : 2,945 acres in 1940, 334 acres in 1945, and 161 acres in 1946. Twenty-one dairy units have been allotted, and the balance area of 640 acres will provide two dairy units and one mixed unit for allotment in 1949, Two ex-servicemen, with promises of sections. . Mihi, at Reporoa, 26,994 acres, of which 23,259 acres are considered suitable for development. Acquired between 1938 and 1947. A subdivision scheme has not yet been finalized, but an estimate of the number of farm units which this block will provide is 117, comprising 95 dairy and 22 mixed. This is a long-term-development block, and its major problem is the provision of a satisfactory water-supply. Approximately 8,000 acres are in grass, of which 1,200 acres have been sown during the past year to complete the development of eleven sections formerly partially grassed, together with an extension into 500 acres of virgin country. The immediate objective is to prepare for settlement twelve sections, seven of which will have individual water-supplies installed and the other five will be watered from existing reservoirs. It is hoped to complete this, work in 1951. The pasture on the twelve sections now in grass, and which can be satisfactorily watered, has received special treatment during the year so that early settlement of these can be achieved. Three trial bores have been sunk during the year, and results to date indicate that satisfactory water can be obtained on the western side.

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