PLANTING OUT GULLIES

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 10

PLANTING OUT GULLIES

'A T a time when some emA phasis is being placed on the need for planting out nonarable gullies in the Kowai County and Teviotdale areas of North Canterbury, more than usual interest attaches

to a planting policy practised over a period of 20 years on Murray Downs, near Amberley. When the property was purchased by the late Mr Douglas Cox in the early 19405, he

continued to plant out pinus radiata year by year, following an initial successful planting by the former owner, Mr G. M. Dixon, now of East Eyreton. Today, steep gullies, which would otherwise be very low producing, are growing thriving plantations. With current opinion in favour of more planting in the district, the Murray Downs plantations are comparable with a pilot scheme. The late Mr Cox, whose property is now farmed as Douglas Cox Ltd., began planting out from a long term point of view, but some of the benefits have already materialised. The property is now well endowed with shelter; excessive run-off with consequent slipping has been halted, and the arable areas, because of the shelter, are more productive. The establishment of plantations on the clay soils of these gullies has not been easily achieved. In dry years up to 50 per cent of young trees have been lost, but given a good spring like the present season, the trees get a good start. Mr B. W. Bodie, manager of Murray Downs, believes that because the property faces the seaward side of the hills, trees are somewhat easier to establish than would be the case in gullies which receive the brunt of the hot, dry nor’-westers. To date, 80 acres of gullies on Murray Downs have been planted out. Pinus radiata has been the main species, but arizonicas and macro carpa have also been tried. The largest planting on Murray Downs was carried out about 1953, but the annual planting is generally of about 4000 trees, with most of them being used for filling-in gaps and pockets of ground where establishment is slower. The photograph above shows planted-out gullies in the foreground and middle distance, with Teviotdale in the background.