DEVELOPING SWAMP LAND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 57, Issue 3946, 21 January 1948, Page 5

DEVELOPING SWAMP LAND

AREA AT TIROHIA SETTLER’S SCHEME RICH DAIRYING LAND DEVELOP SOME 4000 ACRES Following is a detailed report on the potentialities of some 4000 acres of unused land north of the Paeroa-Tahuna road in the Elstow and Awaiti districts, the Te Aroha Sub-Province of Federated Farmers lent its support to a scheme for drainage improvement put forward by Mr R. W. Andrews, a farmer of the district and a member of the Thames ▼alley Drainage Board, at a meeting at Waihou recently. Both the report, submitted by an investigating committee of the elstow branch of Federated Farmers, and further explanation by Mr Andrews were considered by the executive, comprising delegates from the Te Aroha, Manawaru, Ngarua, Elstow and Springdale branches of the Federation. Mr Andrews’ scheme was for the reconstruction of Bancroft’s outlet drain, which at present runs north to an arm of the Awaiti canal, on a new line further to the west and following generally an old watercourse. This new drain, four miles in length, would give adequate drainage not only to the block under consideration, but also to a much larger area to the south for which drainage was at present inadequate owing to the condition of the Bancroft outlet and Endowment drains. The TOwtow branch had looked into the matter and had appointed an investigating committee, said Mr F. N. Cumming, and after a thorough investigation the committee had unanimously supported the scheme, this action being endorsed by the branch. The report, presented by Mr Cumming as chairman and Messrs R. W. Andrews, R. Stewart, S. Campbell, L. Young, F. P. Germann and H. Strange, was as follows:— Objects and aims of committee: To bring down a report on the productive possibilities of that block of unoccupied land in the northern Elstow district adjacent to the Paeroa-Tahuna road. Findings of Committee « The block in its present state is a suitable run-off proposition for a limited number of cattle. The excellent condition of some 40 head of wild cattle observed by the committee testifies to this. Higher country in the area is carrying paspalum grass and traces of rye grass, with swamp feed in abundance.” Six bores were taken to ascertain soil types and clay levels. They were: No. 1, 20 chains due east of Endowment drain at white bridge, peaty loam with clay at 10 feet; No. 2, in lowest area of block in centre of natural watercourse, running N.N.E., peaty loam for 11 feet, but unable to reach clay for timber; &o. 3, six chains north of Andrews Bros.’ northern boundary, 14 chains west of borrow-pit, eight feet of peaty loam but unable to reach clay owing to timber; No. 4, eight chains west of borrow-pit, 15 chains north of Andrews Bros.’ property, rich chocolate loam with minute traces of peat, clay knolls showing at six feet; No. 5, at Bancroft’s outlet culvert on PaeroaTahuna road, peaty loam with clay at 5 ft. 6 in.; No. 6, at white bridge on Paeroa-Tahuna road, peaty loam, clay at 10 feet. The report adds that the bridge is of the sill type, rated to carry 20 tons and thus proving the solidity of the pnTyntry In the case of bores Nos. 2 and 3 the committee was of the opinion that the timber encountered was resting on solid clay. 44 In no case could any of the soil types encountered in the area covered when test boring be M taw peat,” stated the report. “It is the unanimous opinion of the committee that this soil' will readily take English grasses if reasonable drainage is carried out.” The block as at present drained <«ould be described only* as a ponding area, continued the report, due wholly to the fact that the only outlet drains, the Endowment and Bancroft’s, were totally inadequate for draining the area alone, whereas they were expected to drain all the higher country round, in all about 6500 acres. It was the opinion of the committee that the -existing drains were, with adequate cleaning, capable of carrying the water from 500 acres. There was definite fall to the NNE. ia fact established by the line of

natural watercourses from the Endowment drain to borrow-pit at the foot of the Waihou west stopbank. The committee in summarising its findings stated that it was of the opinion that an area of at least 4000 acres of fertile swamp land was being wasted as a ponding area for higher country when a drainage scheme could readily be applied to make the whole block economically productive. The cost of such a scheme would be negligible when compared with the potential productive capacity of the block, and the scheme would also have a highly beneficial effect on the surrounding land already being farmed. In view of the world shortage of food and the national shortage of productive land, the committee recommended Federated Farmers to use all its influence to further the conclusions reached by the committee. Nq Deep Drainage The scheme did not require deep drainage, and deep drainage was not wanted in soil of the type in the area, said Mr Andrews in opening his address. All that was required was to lower the watertable from the present 18 in. to about 2 ft. 6 in. and consolidate the country slowly. If deep drainage were used the country would dry right out in the summer and be useless for most purposes. The land at present being farmed in the northern Elstow area and on the western side of the Waihou river at Tirohia had been classified by the Lands Department as useless, and yet much of it was now good dairying land. Ten years before much of it had been so soft that it would not bear weight, yet today a horse could be ridden over it as a result of the application of proper methods. The outstandingly successful example of peat land farming was the property of Mr J. J. Shallue at Tirohia, on which the owner was steadily pushing grass out into the swamp and building up a substantial top-soil on a slender freeboard. Mr Shallue’s farm, remarked Mr Andrews, was actually on much deeper and more raw peat than that in the block which it was proposed to improve. It had been stated by the Lands Department that there was not sufficient fall to drain the area to the Awaiti canal, but Mr Andrews and his brother, Mr G. R. Andrews, had had a survey of the area made at their own expense and were now prepared to say, without disclosing actual figures, that ample fall was available. Part of the area was really deep peat, a portion of the bed of the old Awaiti lake, and a bore could be put down 70 feet without striking bottom. Naturally that could not be farmed, but a waterway could be constructed through it. The Lands Department had originaily discontinued the projection of the Awaiti canal to the Paeroa-Tahuna road on the plea that the country would not take a watercourse, but almost immediately afterwards had constructed Bancroft’s outlet and the Endowment drain through the same country. Further, Bancroft’s outlet was only 18 in. deep at the Paeroa-Tahuna road instead of three feet. The drain had then been deepened but not widened, and the inevitable result was that in the softer country at the northern end the banks had squeezed in until the present channel was not much more than 9 in. wide at the bottom. It was ridiculous that the volume of water collected from 3000 acres in the bor-row-pit at the southern end, an excavation 16 feet wide, should be expected to go through this channel.

“ With five to ten years of grazing on a reasonable tenure that country would be good dairying land if drained,” declared Mr Andrews. Mr Shallue had wintered the whole of his stock on his peat country the previous winter, and in November an expert of the Soil Conservation Council had made a close inspection of the property and had been delighted with the manner in which it had been brought in. Drain on Clay The suggested new drain would run on a clay bottom for two-thirds of its distance, said Mr Andrews, and would follow what was believed to be an old bed of the Waihou river. He scouted the Lands Department’s suggestion that the Endowment drain should be deepened, pointing out that the drain now ran along what amounted to a ridge and would need to go down 10 or 12 feet before any real relief could be afforded. The country which he and his brother farmed at Elstow was still marked on Government maps as useless, said Mr Andrews in citing further examples. Ten years ago no one could walk across the country in winter-time, yet

last winter 260 head of stock had ■stayed on the property and not a scrap of hay had been needed. Absolutely no trouble had been encountered through peat sickness. The further possibilities if the area were drained were limitless, concluded Mr Andrews, and tremendous relief would also be given to the land further south. In his opinion development of the district had been held back ten years through lack of adequate drainage. Committee Congratulated Speaking as a member of the Federation and not in his official capacity as chairman of the Hauraki Catchment Board. Mr H. M. Corbett said the area under discussion was similar to a number of others which needed adequate drainage for 12 months of the year. He congratulated the committee on the thoroughness of its investigations, and added that attention could be given to the most suitable tenancy for land requiring this special development. The country could not be let to be farmed on hit-and-miss lines and would require special care. He was convinced that eventually a more satisfactory drainage scheme would be evolved for the whole district. After a further brief discussion, in the course of which delegates expressed their support of the scheme, it was decided to forward the matter to the Waikato provincial executive with a request for its favourable consideration and support when called upon to give it. Mr A. J. Lowry mentioned the , possible effect of improvement on the lower reaches of the Piako river, but delegates took the view that in this particular instance there would be little change from r the present situation owing to the distance of the block from other land likely to be affected.

CROWN LAND AT SPRINGDALE NEW BASIS OF TENURE Subdivision of the notorious Taka-pau-Rerekau block of Crown land at Springdale, and-granting of leases on permanent tenures, has been announced by the Commissioner of Lands, Hon. C. F. Skinner, following strong recommendations from Piako County Council regarding infestation of the block by noxious weeds. In advising Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P., of the department’s decision, the Minister said the position was somewhat complicated by the fact that the Thames Valley Drainage Board urged that a drainage scheme incorporating the block should be put in hand, and pending completion of investigations regarding this proposal there was some difficulty in deciding on the best utilisation of the area. A survey disclosed that the cost of the proposed drainage scheme would be very high and would serve only a limited area. For this reason it was considered economically unsound and the expenditure of State funds could not be agreed upon. In the light of this decision it was agreed that no good purpose would be served by allowing the Takapau-Rere-kau block to remain indefinitely on temporary tenancies, and accordingly in was decided to subdivide the land into five sections, which would be made available for selection on permanent tenure early this year. When they secured tenures the lessees would no doubt be more inclined to undertake the work of improving the sections, and this should ensure that adequate measures wore taken concerning the control of the noxious weeds which were causing Piako County Council concern.