A SERIOUS PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 146, 21 June 1916, Page 12

A SERIOUS PROBLEM

RECLAIMING THE LAND.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS.

One of the most serious problems facing the Government and the settlere on the West Coast is that relating to the big sand drifts. All along the'coast lies a strip of sandy land of considerable width, interspersed with swamps. This sand in the course of ages has been gradually won from the sea, chiefly by the action of the silver sand grass, spinifex hirsutus, which.forms a continuous foredune just above ; high-water mark, and which is gradually, moving seaward as it seizes and holds and consolidates the sand which is blown up from the sea by, the prevailing northwesterly winds as the tides recede.. In some parts of this coastline [Several feet of land is thus taken from the' sea and added to the mainland in the course of a year. PROTECTIVE MEASURES. Before the advent of the pakeha ai/rf his cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs, the sandy land of the Manawatu coast Had become covered with native grass, and other creeping plants, and in some spots by native' shrubbery and bush of considerable area. By the action of stook and fires the surface of the soil and vegi- < tation have become disturbed and ijsse.' drifts have gradually developed. These drifts have become neglected, and grown into moving areas of hundreds of acres, covering for all time much rich swamp land. Recently the Government has checked the evil higher up the coast by" planting considerable areas o£ drifting sand along the Rangitikei coast, and Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., and other settlers have successfully treated extensive drifts between Paekakariki and the Manawatu River. The plants which are found most effective for this purpose are the marran grass and the tree lupin. It is to be deplored, however, that in many parts of this coast, particularly on Native, laod, drifts are allowed to spread without let or hindrance. Mr. Field has for years past been begging the Government to take up and reclaim drifting sand areas, and conduct experiments which will be a valuable guide to private owners of such land in the future. ■ ' TO EMPLOY RETURNED MEN.. In an interview with a Post reporter, Mr. W. H. Field; M.P., suggested that . suitable light work, which would be of great advantage to the State,, could bo found for returned soldiers in the direction of reclaiming and planting of sand drifts and other sandy, land along the Manawatu coast. There was already a large extent of Crown land between the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers which could be used for this purpose, and south of the Manawatu there were areas ,of considerable extent which were not receiving attention from the owners, principally Natives, and these blocks should also be taken and planted. Mr. Field has been successful -in reclaiming with j marram grass and lupin practically the' whole of his sea frontage of about two and a-half miles, and he has also established plantations of trees in sandy land with excellent results. It .has been amply proved that Pinus radiata (generally known as Pinus insignis) and other pines will thrive and grow fast into timber on our sandy! coastal lands. The establishment of nurseries and the planting of young trees, if the policy were developed on a large scale, would give employment to a very large number of returned soldiers. The work was easily learned, and the final result to the State would more vthan justify the initial expenditure. : THE VALUE OF PINES. ' Mr. Cockayne, Government Biologist, some time back contributed a valuable article to the Agricultural Journal which dealt exhaustively with this subject, and his advice may well be followed. The success of the Government's tree-plant-' ing policy in the Rotorua district by unskilled labour should encourage the Government to extend its operations to the wast© sand dunes. Pinus radiata produces good quality timber in about thirty ■ years, and in addition -to the timber the shelter which belts of these trees on the coast afforded from the prevailing westerly winds along the Manawatu coast would vastly assist farming operations on the land in the lee of such shelter. A magnificent example of the success which will attend the planting of pines on sea coast sand is to be observed on the western side of the railway line between Foxton and Himatangi, where the Railway Department years ago established plantations to prevent drifting sand from covering the railway line. Not only was the undertaking entirely, successful in holding the sand, but the trees have now grown to/such a height and size as to be fit for the sawmill if it were deemed advisable to convert them into timber.-