RE-GRASSING BALD HILLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 686, 10 December 1909, Page 10

RE-GRASSING BALD HILLS.

|^?|pS;/:':AN; ; EXPEREUENT.'ftf:>;' ■/ ;),<itiA sort J of .-i'.'hair , '-Jseems to beiurvicgentlyr'*neede<l;.;inj New.'Zealand'to euro'-the :S|Doldttess v ; o£;'the: hilltops'on large- areas of our :? pastorar,-coutitry, and/.tho"; Hon.IT. Mackenzie i; B hastMt to/devise :it'. v :flX<) ; htts N ikoided' >;:tp;enclp|Q ivkrious areas; of 25: acres for tlie- fol-', v^^'V; 1 :-'; ..':<-.,/•. .-■ "■ W v iSdertttiniiig; the.extent. l to which" "Nα--.-. ■ again: by protection. l ! ;;:r" ■';s (2)/.Where,'thisvdocs'i'ndkwbecurr.'--'testing'' i;);^bo|n;.nativo\an(l; ; inl;rpducedhgrttsses. :'.;:■//.■.'-... 'fK'/.vlt.iista'.firniSjbelief ofismnp who have, studied ; ¥",tKe>;'que^ion''7o£'.regrassing.-the ,, hill3'tliat, _ "if V/ p«rin : (entVaM%.cl.psed < ,Bgwnst''atoclc,:.thi grasses ri.'pest.'jjsijitdit ■ to .''the.pffsition :: will.' thrive and their own un-; ill;aidW;Cttctidh-.renew-;ttp?p^sturei.;v-:lt,seems to' Site ;;ql«!ife':thq*Vthe':'Mfnistor's idea of 'what, tho ifjipropoEedytest'should'-coyor inoluUcs.this point. ;.;:The;'peculiar::d:fflonlty/wliicli 'attends ; iho re-. ; :'..'newal-.of !.:typical : .Killipasturp : :consists in: the. ifcfact Kthaft'.ploughing.-i.is :.hnprncii.cable,-;and; the' is: ;6f.-pnrchased,sk(l is .''expensive f- other'jldrawbacks 'that make "Us, .adoption', of ':;\ dpubtful;! valne.K' , Year.'iafter :yeari'tfii. stock. Jii/grazing.ion 'the;. : hills,':.;pay,'.theiri nttefltipiis' to ;;?tbbse : ;pvarioties,.t6f ; ; ; grasses;i-, 'and . otho? ,*plants : : ':TFhiph' i; th6y;-life,'best,.-and :it .thus often. hap_- : ■i/f ".'i>Bn!s'vihttt f;;noxious;wee<ls-'grpw- tip unmolested-: and"slicd! K:their ; -62«1..;: Thus;. 'fit. ;;V'gradually;-gpes ; .(Untlervby'the", attention' which : !■''■';■«■ ■':,'■ '■•'"■/■■■. " v ■$ 'i'KeTfirsp'.tho-.iprSiess/i'v ShVit';out .-'the; .'stock. i ! .'iet'tuei*;fit;';nnd7 : tGe. tjnfitj.'fight 'fpr^extsWaco. ;: finhandicapped, ; :'an'tl. In 'the ;ehd> tho ..fit. will.' '$ : ; Atv least,';; the ; ;.theorists ■ say? ;eo, '?' Rti ': p-tost.-will '-\e\\ z,i\':- ';'v ? .-:V' ';■■'■? '. '■"''■', Kj!,;;Thoss;;svho:"-ha>o;/no :faithvin' r this" : theory i.iii'pmtend'thdt if the stock is'kept.olTaiid seed-beiuph;-a r:'will'bec!>ine''a Thisunproin-" '.^isiiigVpicture:loses: soriUj.,.of '• its"darkness.when. ;;:' .it,- is '•■ considered >thatVprobably'--these)"- weeds ••.nl-ft'readyi'produce,,-.their'.";.seeds,/ even' 'withput;', the {:.jolosing'iup;o,f ; ,tho,;areas,-because'the stdck',does< '.yitot'.eatlthena'-dojyh,'"■'■nhd-'"therp-'would, bo no :grws^resulting: from i ; itho;.closing;',.pf; , the -inrbqs.' :.'<:." ...,'■■'; : of ■ vieiv : dn it- is well 'that..the , matter' is 1 .tovbe;:prpp|rly/-tested, ; '"Thq,;clbsing■..■• of -the' -iVpastjires,'as Suggested;;does not (strange to say) ;!;diminishjthp'grazing. are only ;.'!■ closed ■'afr i ta'LcpriTenient,;porio(l. of .the :year, in vjNtitrie^td : allow th'bm ■. to : J;(sMd.';-V;Then^.they i rnfe.Hhrojrn:..op'en:--ogaih'; 1 -an"d i;/tKe": stock ..is "admitted" "tqv oat: down .the ;'acc"umu-g-lated -growth—a ,fine thing in a .wctautumn— :;'■ and;'; ;:faUen .^seeds :l into, tho : 50i1. , : ;:,:;Av'gb6d;l-.c'fpp;'.iof ; ! grass' , coming ::^spring;isiiexpected:to:i'esuit:froni the se^sown; i i:6eed./-'nj'; ; /s.v;'; i :.'- : fv ■ : ','"; : '.'/'-'i:'-' ■ .'■'■ ■•.:■ l-'l'd^lt";is i'M ll;b'e !; ;hopeil//that .ihp 'test -.will.r-be s.conductedfiimckly. of year is. right <i';for..a::beginning.f:"With : /prpper;expedition: there; yi;,is^nP.r'ieasoi/why , , the of -New , ; Zealand', ;;,j6hpuld-nptj',in twelve ; inonths' ,J ■ a i' i 'rililiaSle^p i rinted.';- : account ; '';.'ot-tiid : esperimeut,. .•f.Voftthat,:'; if 'Uliete "|; is, in ,, tho!. uotiou, ;':..they!;may '>tho.:".year.;.l?ll. - : :"':, [ ?: : ;-':- ;; ; Jwhich"; suited.vto.Myianpu's./soils' and: fthills ■ in . -'Central 'Qtagb-- from';;whioh ; tho ;thiu;surfaco of SSspil,'{accumulated ''.has.beett:scraped'and gashed 1 away\'by.the;joint ■ti action !pf;gfaairig land rain;? anil '.the;barescoria ftjs'^pajit^recpyery^The';test>may u ; show,:; how-: ';";>verj whaf Tarieties'of-grasses (probably native)" £i, wer'best -hold.-the..remaining soil "tp-;'V;gethev,::;aiid-Stilus;savo.;,otber; ..lands'..frpm.-.a', ''-'('similar-. .-K:y;:;'- V ;'^'! : ;<' V; ; ; ss:';' : :!?enerallyJ';Sp'oalcing;'' the": "experiment v.is ■/■noil tholßimutakasiiyears-ago; ex-i ji'-p'eiimenta'rpf ;-'avsiinilar' icharacter.-were begun, J* but ;:theV-resnlts •dp ..not: anpcaiv to - have] ;been n:''of :niucb.'Talucv£/;; : : : :,K V; : ; : u-)ii^v : :-"/^: ; &■£,£«,-.