King Country Chronicle Tuesday, May 26, 1925. LAND DETERIORATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2119, 26 May 1925, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Tuesday, May 26, 1925. LAND DETERIORATION.

The report of t-lio Special Committee set up tu deal with land deterioration makes very interesting reading to settlers in various parts of the North Island. The causes of land deterioration have been pieced together, and the whole position can be reviewed. Taking it on the whole, the report can be said to be reassuring.

The Minister of Lands set up the Committee with, the idea of making investigations as to whether the land 'was capable of being utilised in the future, or if it would be in the best interests of those concerned to give it up. In a few cases the Committee came to the decision that certain hill country was of such a nature that it would be better Ito abandon it, and a mistake was made in spending money in trying to bring it under cultivation. The report, however, states that the bulk of the country inspected is good healthy cattle and sheep country, and if properly bandied can be profitably farmed. The fact that there was a strong secondary growth told of possibilities in the country rather than impossibilities, and this is substantiated by the high carrying capacity of land adjoining the deteriorated lands where mistakes have been avoided in preparing pasturage, adequate fencing has been provided, and care has been exercised in stocking. The report lays pautioular stress on the necessity of icattle being used in destroying secondary growth and weeds after a burn. This is a fact well known to the settlers in the districts concerned, and the depressed state of ithe beef market has largely accounted for so much land reverting to a. state of nature. Few settlers have been financially strong enough to keep cattle when itlie proceeds from them would not pay rent or interest. Even if a settler has the cattle, it is practically useless to attempt to utilise them in clearing and consolidating the country unless proper provision is made for fenicing. There must be heavy stocking by cattle, interspersed with periods of rest for the land. This and fencing is again a question of finance. .The use of the proper grasses and clovers in laying down pasturage has been the one big mistake of those whose land lias gone back Ito secondary growth. This is freely acknowledged by many settlers, but the blame is scarcely theirs. Some of these men were practical and sucpesslul farmers in other parts of the Dominion, and used the same methods when they took up land in the districts investigated by the Commission. Results proved that certain country in the Taranaki and King Country districts required special treatment. This fact lias only been realised during the pasit few years, even by experts. If the land is to be brought back to productivity the right grasses must be sown, and top dressing undertaken. This again requires money.

The problem of high valuations is also deal/t with by the Commission. It is certain that before anything can be r done in bringing this class of land bath to usefulness the first movement must be in the direction of bringing the values/ to a productive basis. Where this is only a malt ter of adjustment between the Crown and the owner or occupier the problem is not so acute, but in many cases third parties are involved. In such instances it is not right to ask the Government >to make concessions or grants unless those similarly interested are prepared, to do their part. On his visit to To lvuiti some months ago the Minisiter of Lands was most emphatic on this point, and 1 rightly so. During the boom periods, high values were paid for goodwill, and money that otherwise might have been spent in improving the holdings went (to pay interest. After reviewing the whole position.

the Committee is of the opinion that the lands they inspected, with a fewexceptions, can be profitably aim ’ but finance seems to be the main solution of the problem. The experiences of all concerned lias and will help to obviate the mistakes of the past. The same difficulties had to he faced- in many other parts of ithe Dominion at various times, hut the occupiers of lands now affected have been hit particularly hard owing to a slump following the boom. The Minister of Lands has shown keen sympathy in the matter, and has staited that the Government will leave no stone unturned to find a solution of the problem. With such an assurance, and the reassuring tone of the report of the Committee, the settlers who have been labouring under enormous difficulties may now be enabled to look forward to the future with renewed heart.