DETERIORATED LAND

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6543, 27 February 1928, Page 10

DETERIORATED LAND

INSPECTION BY MINISTERS. NECESSITY FOE FERTILISERS. The Government is concerned with, the'problem of how to deal with the large areas of deteriorated land in Eaglan and Kawhia Counties, and other areas in the North Island. Rcccntly the Minister of Lands, Hon. aJ D. McLeod, and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon, 0. J. Hawkins, together inspected much of those areas. In stating his impressions of the inspection. Mr. Hawken said frankly that when the original capital value of this land was added to the cost of breaking it in, the total was much more than the land was at present worth “Consequently," he continued “a certain amount of the capital value must be written off. Though a great deal has been, done in that way already, the process of. depletion is still going on, and will proceed until this land reaches that price which will enable a farmer to work it." 'Of course/’ continued the Minister, “improved prices for stock, par ticularly sheep and store cattle, have been a great help to the settlers. There is no doubt that throughout this country, in fact, all the parts I visited, it is absolutely necessary to keep on the land a considerable proportion of cattle among the livestock, as they keep down fern. 'I think there is only one possible way of bringing this land back into a proper state, that is by the use of top-dressing Tho land responds to fertilisers, but the difficulty of settlers lias been their lack of sufficient margin over expenses to provide money for this necessary improvement. A great deal will be farmed again, but only by men who understand it. Some is being taken up now but on very different terms from the past. Tho great bulk is Crown land, though there is some native land in the deteriorated area." The Minister suggested that the tremendous advance in road facilities during tho past six years was another favourable factor in the situation. This was due to tho altered method of maintaining and building roads which the Highways Board policy had introduced.!