New Zealander’s Thoughts On Returning Home
SOME WORLD PROBLEMS Three vivid impressions remain with Mr. G. H. Holford, of the Department of Agriculture, Wellington, followng a gear’s trip abroad in which he visited America, England and Germany. He summarised theso at the conclusion of au address to the Palmerston North Rotary Club yesterday. The first was the great devastation of land in America. In this connection ho observed a great difference in the attitude toward this problem in the older and younger countries from the aspect of soil conservation. He had met Dr. Dennett in Washington, who was bead of the soil conservation organisation. This official told him that of the 1’,000,000,000 acres of useablo land in America 1,000,000,000 were damaged to a certain extent and no less than
300,000,000 acres had gone into dust. At Uhe same rate America in 100 years would be completely devastated.
The dust bowl impressed him that the question of the conservation of soil, the basis of all life, was most important. Just a year ago he had addressed tho Royal Agricultural Society on the subject in New Zealand. The process was going on here, too. In England one found rounded hills in contrast to the younger countries and there the whole attitude to conservation was totally different to that in the newer countries.
The second was the question of erosion or the loss of the skin of the •oil. It was said that America's skin was being washed into the sea. Here it was the grass that was our life blood, 90 per cent .of our exports depending on the grass. It had been most interesting for him to attend the world conference on grasslands and it was rather fascinating to think that a world gathering should meet to consider such a aubject. Grass had allowed the development of the hoofed animals. Wo had 10,000 varieties of grass and in this country it had been exploited perhaps more than elsewhere.
The climate had been to our advantage, although we were not making so much of it as was Holland. Clover brought nitrogen from the air in a way which none of us understood and yet he had seen in England a plant costing millions of pounds constructed to achieve the same purpose. Thus we had in grass the most important living thing. America had now set qp an organisation to try to increase the grasslands. Friendliness Among People
The third impression that Mr. Holford had brought back was that wherever one went there was a friendliness among the people themselves. Ho retained a very vivid memory of a gathering on a farm on the outskirts or Berlin. Everyone was only too pleased to exchange ideas. It seemed then a great problem for man that although he was able to conquer the earth, make , fertilisers and such things, yet he seemed to be going to destruction because of want of control in higher spheres. All over the world there were people who wanted only to be left in peace to live their lives. Friendliness was within all countries, inherent in the people, who unfortunately could not give it expression because of the people higher up.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 161, 11 July 1939, Page 5
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531New Zealander’s Thoughts On Returning Home Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 161, 11 July 1939, Page 5
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