Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 14 August 1942, Page 2

Readers Write

It is just 40 years since the writer blundered on the way to make a success of farming the many soils of

NORTHLAND IS FARMING PARADISE

Northland, I gave demonstrations of what could be done with outstandnig

growths on different classes of our Northern soils. Last year, and this year. Mrs Henley and son grew what must be “outsize" turnisp on leached out land. (I will forward you two samples for analysis—one before my treatment and one after.)

In the early stages of growth the crop was inspected by Government Agricultural officers, who were surprised at the fine growth there, giving evidence of a good crop. They remarked: “You must have manured heavily." We used one cwt of super per acre and three-quarters cwt of lime per acre, plus elbow grease, i.e„ correct working.

On 12 acres, when ploughing for the crop, we found four anaemic worms. Today there are wriggling worms by the million. One specimen of turnip reached the extraordinary leaf-spread of Bft, the bulb being lft lin in diameter.

One ton of lovely disease-free carrots grew on a small patch; cauliflowers up to half-cwt (leaves included), outsize cabbages, and a very heavy crop of peas. Is this not proof enough that it is (he man who is at fault? Northland is no place for a lazy or shiftless farmer, and the time is long overdue when it will be a crime for the Northland fire bugs to light fires. You have the making of a veritable Garden of Eden in Northland, yet all around we see the despoiler’s work, leaving stark ruin on what must have been one of the world's beauty spots. The work of destruction and erosion is still going oh.

Mr Editor, in my opinion, we should be ashamed of our stewardship of our wonderful heritage, instead of holding a Centennial Exhibition, which only showed very clearly (to my mind) how we have ruthlessly exploited every conceivable item that should have had due consideration before wholesale destruction.

No man should have the right to deface and sabotage at will. We import figs to the tune of over £IOO.OOO per annum, yet from land a friend of mine bought for £1 per acre, he gave me a few figs off one tree—a kerosene easeful ! Poke a fig stick in anywhere and you have a tree. Great nad natural medicine. The same friend, by the way, had forked sticks under his peach trees to keep the weight of fruit from breaking the branches

A letter from my daughter at Haifa in, just received, says: “I have a wonderful crop of lettuce, and all vegetables are doing well.”

There is no reason whatever why we should not have huge canning factories for vegetables throughout Northland, and we are prepared to show what can be done on land supposed to be worthless. We require one man to help us out as my host and myself are both invalids. I grew Lotus Augustissimus at Ngawha sft 9in in length and no manure, yet the surrounding land is a “no-man’s land." —W. P. SEATON < Kaikohe).