CLEARING LAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 105, 31 October 1939, Page 6

CLEARING LAND

MACHINES WORK FAST

FINANCE FOR FARMERS

Land clearing by heavy machinery has been carried out in the Buller at an average cost of £6 an acre. Financial details of the experiment Jo ascertain under what conditions land' clearings by machinery could be made a profitable self-supporting industry were given for the first time by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) after he had seen machines working on a 20-acre block at Nine Mile, states the Christchurch "Press."

Work on this block, which fell into disuse more than forty years ago, was started at 4 a.m. on Friday last, and the clearing was expected to be finish^ ed by Saturday night, and on Monday, after manuring, the ground was to be. planted in potatoes, turnips, and mangels.

"It may generally be assumed that the method of clearing is successful and the demand for the work seems to prove that the cost is well within the economic margin Jfor profitable farming," said Mr. Semple. He explained that the average cost of £6 an acre applied only to a class of land already developed, and did not provide for the complete disposal of stumps and logs which are left in windrows five chains apart. Additional costs might also be incurred from mole draining and the removal of large stumps too difficult to extract by ordinary clearing methods. These additional costs were a matter for the judgment of individual farmers, and 'if they required the work undertaken it could probably be done with the plant available at a cheaper cost, than any other method.

The Minister said that the finance was arranged under two headings— State Advances Corporation loans and cash payments by settlers. The State Advances Corporation loans were arranged on the advice of a committee composed of a representative of the Public Works Department and a representative of the Corporation.. This committee recommended advances of approximately £10 an acre for clearing and laying down pasture, including top-dressing. Of this amount approximately £5 10s an acre was allocated for land clearing and discing, and the balance^ is.to be expended by the settlers under State Advances supervision in establishing permanent pastures.

Where the . settlers paid cash, the work was valued by the engineer and payment in advance was made tor clearing and discing at an average price of £5 10s an acre.

Approximately 400 acres have been arranged under the first method, and 150 acres under the second, or cash, method.