ACTION TAKEN BY BAY CONFERENCE

Northern Advocate, 24 March 1949, Page 4

ACTION TAKEN BY BAY CONFERENCE

IDLE LANDS SURVEY

KERIKERI, Thu. (Sp.) .—Definite action on the survey of idle lands was taken yesterday in the Bay of Islands, when a conference convened by the Bay County Council was held undei Mr H. T. Atkinson’s chairmanship at Kerikeri. It was decided to set up a central county executive to which will report a series of sub-committees, corresponding in number to the ridings in the county.

These sub-committees will gather the required information in detailed and comprehensive form, and the executive body will collate it in such form that further recommendations regarding any particular area may go forward. At yesterday's conference, the chairman asked each organisation represented to air its views in general through the delegates present. ORGANISATION SET UP Their opinions were unanimously and strongly in favour of the opening up by the state of new farmland, most of them preferring not to particularise at this stage but to emphasise the general need for a national or mtei - national viewpoint. The contention was frequently put forward that there was still a great deal of land highly suited to various forms of farming on sound economic bases. Organisations represented at the meeting included the Bay of Islands County Council. Federated Farmers, RSA bodies, the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, the Bay of Islands and Kaikohe cooperative dairy panies. the Waipapa and Kapiro Settlers’ Association. The first resolution concerned formation of the county executive, which is to consist of two county council representatives, one from the Federated Farmers’ branches, one from the three main RSA groups, one from each of the two dairy companies, and the MP for Hobson (Mr S. W. Smith). MAIN WORK BY RIDING GROUPS These seven will be appointed by their own respective bodies or groups at the earliest possible moment. The motion to set up such a central executive was moved by Mr IT. F. Guy. of Kaikohe. and was carried unanimously by the 25 people at the conference. Also unanimous was approval of Mr S. W. Smith's suggestion that the riding sub-committees should consist of the riding councillor and Federated Farmers and RSA representatives, with power to co-opt. The riding sub-committees will begin their work as soon as possible and will, in fact, do the spadework of the inquiry. On them will rest the main responsibility for gathering the information and for its accuracy. The conference itself, including general remarks bv delegates, was over within 00 minutes. Waipapa and Kapiro ladies served a luncheon in the hall and the whole party motored six or eight miles north to inspect the Kapiro “experimental block.” KAPIRO BLOCK INSPECTED This area, which adjoins the east coast slate highway at what is locally known as “the Waipapa straight.” consists of 43 acres of ironstone country brought into grass nine years ago^

It stands isolated among tens of thousands of acres of wasteland—gorse, hakea australis, manuka scrub and other rubbish. Those 48 acres are a virtual oasis in a desert. Brought in by the state as a purely experimental area and now farmed profitably by Mr A. W. Hodder, they carry milking stock summer and winter—and the stock average well over 3001 b of butterfat. Thirty of the 48 acres are almost pure ironstone, the remainder being not so concentrated. The whole is elevated and exposed to winds, having no natural water in the immediate vicinity. Mr Hodder uses a G2ft bore to water his stock. CULTIVATION METHODS The land, which now carries a splendid sole of English grasses into which paspalum is now coming boldly, was in gorse up to 10ft and 12ft high. It was disced, the gorse burnt over, then grubbed three times in four years, limed at the outset but never again except for two or three experimental acres, dressed with serpentine super at the rate of ijewt per acre annually, except when wartime troubles forced abandonment of manuring for one season and reduced it to tewt for two other seasons. The gorse was grubbed the first season on contract at 22/C per acre. That was 18 months after the first discing. Fourteen months afterwards, it was again grubbed by contract at 5/- an acre. A year later, day labour was sufficient to clear the last remnants, and the labourer was able to do 20 acres in a day. LI MIN G EX PE RIME NT S Mr Hodder farms 35 cows and keeps them on the land throughout the 12 months. The paddock seems to thrive on this heavy stocking. • Not long ago, four separate acres were chosen —unrelated by drainage slopes to each other —for liming experiments. On one, five tons of lime to the acre were spread; on another, three tons, on another one ton; on the fourth, half a ton. It is not possible to see any line of demarcation between any of the areas, nor even between the edge of the fiveton acre and the land adjoining it which has received no lime al all since the initial dressing of one ton per acre nine years ago. Further, Mr Hodder declares that the cattle have shown no preference whatever for any special portion. BREAKING IN NEW LAND A mile or so north, a contractor is ploughing and discing 500 acres of similar ironstone land for the Department of Agriculture. No root crops are to be grown, the grass going straight in. In all, there is an area of 3300 acres at Kapiro on which the state plans cxperi ment a 1 work. The various delegates were impressed both by achievements and intentions regarding the Waipapa ironstone land. Some of the “gumland farmers" were frankly incredulous regarding different methods, not a few of which were declared to be absolutely contrary to established belief and practice. Notable in this category was the elimination of gorse. Purpose of the conference delegates' visit to the ironstone area was purely educational, the actual arrangement of information for the idle lands survey being left for the proper sub-committee to complete.