NATURE AND MAN

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 10

NATURE AND MAN

National Needs THE BOGEY OF “MONEY” (Edited by Leo Fanning.) Frequently when some intelligent New Zealander mentions the urgent need of action to save natural assets of a value too important to be measurable in terms of money, somebody —much less intelligent—yelps: “Where is the money to come from for the work?” This kind of “ fat-headed istn ” has caused immense loss of wealthyielding surface, and similar ruinous inaction continues. For example, parts of Egmont’s forest mantle, on which the welfare of Taranaki is dependent—are endangered by lack of fencing. Browsing animals—including domestic cattle —are invading the sanctuary and destroying the undergrowth which serves the double purpose of breaking the force of destructive winds and ensuring replacement of trees which die from age or other causes. It is another poor case of “money.”

The right attitude was well stressed by Mr. J. E. Strachan at a recent conference in Christchurch for the purpose of urging the Government to undertake a comprehensive afforestation and tree-planting programme for the whole of Canterbury in co-ordina-tion with its irrigation projects. He insisted that the question was not one of money but of the actual wealth of the country. “We are passing through an era of sinful exploitation of our wealth,” he said. “In this consideration of the money cost of immediate works we are losing sight of the. fact that, we have been exploiting our wealth at a prodigious rate. We have -been bankrupting ourselves to turn our resources into money. We want the whole community emphasising the need .for afforestation and insisting that it be done.” “A drastic change in our national economy is needed,” said Mr. Buckingham, a member of the North Canterbury Advisory Committee. “It is important that we should turn our attention from agricultural and pastoral production to .forestry. A gradual changing of our marginal lands to forests would ease the tension in the markets for other primary products. The change would be only common sense. ’ ’

REMNANTS OF BUSH.

An active member of the Forest Bird Protection Society has pleaded for the saving of clumps of native bush which have been left on many hilly farms. At present stock wander into the beautiful woodlands and make a clean sweep of the undergrowth with teeth and hooves. He declares that in cases where the owners cannot afford to fence the bush, it. would be good national enterprise for I In 1 State to take action. Surely it is better to spend some money rather than lose bush which could be a permanent asset of beauty as well as a regulator of flow of moisture to lower levels. He referred to a Taranaki farm which had a good stand of rewa-rewa (known as “native honeysuckle”) noble trees, which serve also as feeders of native birds. The owner allowed cattle to forage in the bush so that they left bare ground between the trees and loosened the surface.

A sad sequel came last year when a. fierce south-east gale roared into the unprotected forest and uprooted some of the biggest trees. “Money” again!

SPARROWS AND THE HIGHWAYS.

IL Guthrie-Smith in “Tuitira”, has

some pleasant comments on the com mon sparrow’s ways of making a living. Here is one passage:

“A chief reason for the choice of man’s highway as his route of migration may be found in the sparrow’s relation to and reliance on man. Passer Domesticus is his name, and passer

domestieus is his nature. Of all wild creatures that utilise our roads in New Zealand, none take advantage of them in so great a measure as the sparrow. He knows, perhaps, instinctively, certainly through the experience of the older birds, that it is by the work of man’s hands his race principally thrives; that it. is man who provides for him shelter plantations, building sites and food. The manbuilt road by which he moves is indeed in itself a provision house. There arc to be found on its horse-droppings containing undigested oats, foodstuff thrown down by travellers, wheat, barley and grass seed fallen from sacks. On either side of its white sinuous line, so conspicuous from above, so markedly dissimilar to surrounding surfaces, extend tilled earth and land in crop. Like the bee-bird, which guides the hunter to the hive, the sparrow in striking and following up a road foreknows the benefits that will accrue to him. Maybe in the neighbourhood of townships, between village and village, the sight of travelling sparrows is too common to excite remark; they are merely specimens of the most common bird in the country. On the far inland up-country roads of New Zealand, however, where ten or fifteen miles may intervene between homestead and homestead, travelling parties cannot but excite attention. During autumn it is impossible on the roads of the interior not to observe and not to wonder over these roving bands moving in search of winter quarters. It is hardly too much to say that there is developing in the sparrow something in the nature of an annua] change of residence—a summering in the country, a return during winter to a town, fo a village, at least to a large farm-steading.”

White-eyes also like to spend the winter in cities, towns and villages. In Kelburn, Wellington, during the late autumn, winter and early spring, one may see many chaffinches, yellowhammers and goldfinches in residents’ gardens. As the weather becomes warmer, they scatter for their nesting. THE COLOUR OF LIFE. Would that we might for ever stay The rainbow glories of the world,' The blue of the unfathomed sea, The rare azalea late unfurled, The parrot of a greener spring, The willows and the terrace line, The stranger from the night-steeped hills, The roselit brimming cup of wine, Oh for a life that, stretched afar, Where no dead dust of books were rife. Where spring sang clear from star to star; Alas! what hope for such a life? —From the Chinese of Ssu K’ung T’u A.D. 134-908.