SOIL SCIENCE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 6

SOIL SCIENCE

RESEARCH; WORK

:'•■;/; iA. NEW DEPARTURE

'■';.'.'■'A ''■ soil 'reconnaissance; "division/; has been', formed iri . conneetioii with th» geological survey branch ;of ; the ;Departmont. of Scientific 'and industrial ■Research. -V;':* \':'-fV-r':- 'V:''r':'.'-'SVy ''■'■'-:

-.',' In announcing ; this new .: departure / last ': night,' the^Minister 7; in f Charge :of the;,; Department :. (the V Hon. G.; "W.: Porbes) said the'division'i^was^^ being;: estabiisKed '/.in!-.'order.;to promote '■ 4 !ur-v ,ther ; investigation'ss of , New ; Zealand soils,swhich bad-a'^^distinct bearing on ■ the pasturjes * that ;giew on" them. Ar- •: Tangenxents h^jbeeiimVde for:Mri:T.; Rigg," ;• .of;. the?; Cawthrpii:: Institute^•'■'•who, had;;;already carried jout: .considerable v soil purvey JworJ:^ in ithe Nelson district,^ tO:.superyiße; tKef'r survey.'which). wo'ui<S be|unclertaken: in the volcanic; areas pjf the; North; Island;"; by ; .bfficexf of ;; the ?' Geological ;\ Survey;! /.Branch. These-offleers: already; ,had; gained experience ;.of the nature^ of; the problem, by aiseries of;;ihvestigati6ris;c6nduct r/ ed .during the; past year> .and ; pre^i-' pusly in the •■■: Bang Country, Eotofuii, and-Taupo areas.-;i.; ,'■;';; .■ ■;'•■"■ - ■ ;.;.'; 'i.^/ ;-t ; '.: " Work already.undertaken,' 'said Mr.' Forbesl'^'has- shown ;that:th6re ; is';. ;a;':dktinct';re^tiba'-tetw^en.;Vthe^Vßpil;-'-' material,' "bbthCon ..the I surf ace,;;,and" in.-1-' the lower strata,, and the ,incidence of \ stocki,;and.; unthrif tiness. The estaV r' lishrnent; of the •■■Soil:: Reeorinaissanc^ - Division .will-enable workin this' area to "b'e1 pushed: ; forward more,:,, rapidlyj ■ and in /consequence it-.wiiL serve as ;a ' useful;guido to the:land^settlement at C; present taking, place pn this class of; country.' The ■. 'will-;al-; low of 'soil sample!s;cpllected..in;the'field being! mechanicallyiand Chemically.'"ex- .< ammed;in'the?laborat6rics.6£.tu'e Caw- : thrba ;.;; Institute,); v and'^ :ot>-:} ultimateV analyses of ithese.beirig lout iii they Dominion Laboratory:; 'VO;; '::': :■■. Xv ;''^v'^Tne;;propbsed-;B'nrvoy.j'i^V.'give'.itho--''' skeleton or jgeneral picture', on : which.'---', may be. superimposed.;by. the Department of Agricnlture. or chemists at-; ' tiiched to. fertiliser^ companies. ;detail soil analyses of smaller localities -.where factors such as resorting of materialcan be taken into account. However, the reconnaissance may bo expected to indicate generalisations in regard to manurial treatment over wide areas. WORK TO DATE. N "The- work' to date has already indicated the soil characteristics of the Mairoa and the parts of Ngaroma on which bush-sickness is not likely to be met with. Local showers of andesitie ash' should offer an explanation as to why the soils at Horopito are healthy, and similarly the neighbourhood of the Houto Prison Farm, where there is also a slight admixture of, water-borne greywacke. The new method of approach to the various malnutrition problems has arisen out of the plotting of the limits of ,the 'various showers by Mr. L. I. Grange and'the analyses of mineral content of pastures by the officers working iv conjunction'with Mr. Aston."