PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 681, 14 April 1923, Page 7

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

INTERESTING LECTURE,

RECLAIMING SANDY WASTES,

An interesting and instructive lecture, dealing with lire reclamation of sandy country for productive purposes, was delivered to a large attendance of members of the Palmerston North Philosophical Society last night by Mr P. E. Baldwin. The president, Mr T. It. Hodder, presided, and introduced the lecturer in a brief speech. Mr Baldwin mentioned at the outset that his lecture dealt with the bringing into profitable use of the sandy country along the west coast, particularly with the very large area of land stretching from Taranaki to Pr/kakariki, which presented in contra distinction to other areas in New Zealand certain peculiar characteristics with regard to climate, soil and drainage. Consisting of two classes of country, in large part it comprised hills and flats covered in their native state with manuka, scrub and fern which, when the former was removed clothed themselves naturally with the poorer and more useless grasses — sweet venial and donthonia predominating. The balance of the land comprised swamps carrying a dense growth of flax, koromiko, toi and nigger heads.

INFLUENCE 1 OF WINDS,

The area was subject to violent winds of long continuance, and practically all the hills had been shaped by them. The soil was very sandy, ami recent analysis showed that it contained all the soil constituents, although lacking any appreciable quantity of nitrogen; moreover, it was sour, and in its natural condition there was a dearth, amounting almost to an absence, of humus. The soil, too, had the great disadvantage of blowing badly, the main agent in the formation and increase of sand drifts being the winds.

With reference to drainage, the lecturer staled that one outstanding characteristic of this was the closeness of the water-table to the surface. In many parts of this land in winter it was less, than a foot, and what was further noticeable, and a very extraordinary phenomenon, was that, even on the higher levels of the Hals, and where there was a distinct fall, the water-table was almost as close on the higher levels as on the lower.

IMPORTANT FACTORS,

'I hose were the factors with which they had _to deal, and the best methods of obtaining' success in developing this land were drainage, shelter, prevention of new drifts, the clothing ol the formed drifts, the amelioration of the soil so as to develop its natural fertility and increase its productiveness, the destruction of pests, especially rabbits, and proper stocking. He ascribed to drainage the most importance as it was the most essential improvement, as, until the water-table was lowered on the flats and in the swamps to at leasttwo feet in winter time, valuable grasses would not grow. The general benefits of drainage were an increase in root run, a warmer temperature and a favourable environment for soil organisms. The particular country with which they were concerned was so water-logged in winter that nothing of any value could bo grown until deep drainage had been provided through the main drainage outlets and the numerous subsidiary drains. Much money had been wasted, because most of the dra ins passed through the swamps. That might answer in some cases, but not in this country where most of the swamps were the result of seepage from the hills, The drains, to be most effective, should follow the hills.

The lecturer then touched on the question of shelter, remarking that two reasons emphasised its importance in the class of country under review, namely the prevalencee of high, and very often cold, winds, and the tendency of the country to blow.

SHELTER BELTS

The shelter belts should be at short intervals one from the other, proportioned to the height of the trees, otherwise huge sand drifts were induced, such as were to be seen on the Foxton line between Mimatangi and MotuLi, With reference to the clothing of formed drifts,.the lecturer said the work of the modern practical man was an entirely now departure. The old system was to provide some effective obstruction to the wind, and marram grass was the mainstay; it grew in pure sand and was not cut by shitting drifts. After frost, stock would eat it. and when thoroughly established, it provided shelter for grasses to acclimatise themselves, most of which were, as a rule, of the poorer variety. The modern system was to sow with cocksfoot, clover and crested dogstnil, just as ordinary laud was grassed. The speaker had grown lucerne readily on sand drifts as liigh as 100 feet. One of the difficulties to contend with was to keep stoc k off until the grass was established, but cut manuka laid over the drift acted as a groat protection in this respect, The question might be asked: Was the land w orth all the trouble he _ had described? Anyone who bad farmed it would, said tlie lecturer, answer in the affirmative. The laud had many advantages; even in its unimproved state it- was extremely warm ou the ridges and was usually provided with considerable natural shelter. This land would grow lucerne as cheaply as any other, and it produced splendid root crops: in favourable places the speaker had seen maize, sorghum and oats as good as those grown on the rich Kairanga lands. The results obtained from tins sandy area were astonishing. As one instance, the speaker cited the case of the tests of milk from cows at Bainesse carried out by the Wellington Corporation. _ These showed that the cows gave the highest cream test in competition with animals from the suirounding alluvial land. Several questions were asked and answered at the close of the address, and the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote ol thanks,