PREVENTION OF SAND DRIFT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21647, 4 December 1935, Page 8

PREVENTION OF SAND DRIFT

Some months ago reference was ■ made in these columns to the prob/km of preventing the drifting of | sand on the belt of country stretching from New Brighton northwards, along the coast, a drift which was threatening to damage seriously the farm lands adjoining. The proposal was to plant marram grass, which doubtless would stop the drift, but the dry condition of this grass in the autumn would create a permanent menace from fire to the valuable timber* plantations in the locality. It was suggested that a special type i of. lucerne might succeed in arresting the drift, and at the same time j prevent fire by its greenness if I reaped regularly, and also produce a big amount of hay feed. The reserves committee of the Christchurch City-Council, after making enquiries from experts, decided to experiment with a quarter of an acre of this particular lucerne —"Tivacata"—and enough plants were given by the owner to extend the area to about en acre.

The first of these plants, or "roots," were planted by unemployed labour a month ago, and the remainder later, and when seen on Saturday by "Straggler," they were growing Vigorously. As far as could be seen there was not a "miss" in the acre. Another interesting experiment was made by the caretaker, who planted sn the growing marram grass a dozen of the roots which were left over. These were also growing lustily in :the pure sand. On the farm of Mr ;A. H. Wheeler, the breeder of the :«ew variety, plants have kept their , heads clear of three to four feet of drifting sand, and, as in the pro- ! cess the crown spreads to an unusual | size—four feet and a half acrgss in leases —some idea of the grip the roots have on the sand may be realised. The efficacy of Tivacata to prevent drift of sand has been proved on Mr .Wheeler's farm at the Styx, and if similar: success can be secured at 1 North Beach it would be possible to turn into production an area of 2000 acres of waste land into productive farms, and at the same time remove a fire danger. Another two or three months will bring along the dry months of the autumn, and the real test of the experiment will be

then, but by that time the roots of the plants should be down sufficiently to withstand the hot weather. SKELETON WEED The "Sydney Morning Herald," of November 25 contained the following message from its Windsor correspondent:—"A truckload of wheat, grown in the Henty district, and bought by Hawkesbury district farmers for fowl feed, has been found, on examination, to contain a large quantity of skeleton weed seed. A public warning has been issued to purchasers of the seed to keep a keen watch for any growth of the weed on their properties, as once it becomes established it is difficult to eradicate." The Wheat Purchase Board has imported a quantity of fowl wheat from Australia, and it is understood that more is to follow, a precautionary measure in view of the comparatively small wheat acreage sown this season. The danger of seed of the skeleton weed being imported in this fowl wheat was pointed out to the Government some weeks ago, and an assurance was then given that every precaution was being taken to prevent such a happening. There win be a new Minister for Agriculture within a few days, and it would be wise if farmers' organisations pointed out the danger to the new Minister of these further supplies containing the seed of the weed.