Soil Survey of the North

Northland Age, Volume 5, Issue 5, 1 November 1935, Page 4

Soil Survey of the North

Unemployment Board Endorse Scheme and Offer Financial Help At the conclusion of the Electric Power Conference held at Ohaeawai last week, Mr. H. N. Taylor, who is to superintend the making of a soil survey of the North, addressed the meeting on the reason for and advantages to be gained by a soil survey.

Part of the cost of the survey is to be borne by the Unemployment Board, and in a Press interview the Minister of Employment (the Hon. S. G. Smith) referring to the subject, said that soil surveys and analysis did not at first sight appear to have much in common with unemployment relief, but relief works as commonly known were only part of the board’s functions. By force of circumstances this branch of the board’s work had had for a considerable time to be given first place in the board’s activities. Now, however, the work of the board had widened enormously, and much attention was being given to the long-range branch of its work by opening up new or expanding existing avenues of employment, particularly in co-operation with Departments of State.

Accordingly, when the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research some little time ago suggested to the board that good results would attend the carrying out of soil surveys in the Hawke’s Bay and North Auckland districts, the board investigated the project closely to determine its potentialities from an employment point of view. Apart from the immediate and direct employment made available for scientific workers on this very technical type of work, there are the possibilities of close settlement, resulting in a larger number of families being permanently absorbed on small holdings and the fuller utilisation of both the areas mentioned.

The board finally decided to endorse the scheme, and asked for a report from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research as to the manner the survey would be carried out, the objectives it could be expected to reach, and when the board could expect results when its grant was made available.

Classification of Soil Types The information obtained by the board made interesting reading. It showed that the ground work of land utilisation surveys which are to be made in Hawke’s Bay and North Auckland will be the soil surveys. The broad soil types will be recognised and mapped on a scale of a mile to- an inch. Mapping will be attempted at such a rate as to cover these provinces in one year. The soil types will be classified in the nature of the soil itself, i.e., on the characteristics of a vertical section showing soil and subsoil. Soil types thus mapped will have a definite relation to their productivity. In Hawkes Bay, for instance, it will be

found that all the farms on one soil type carry, when well farmed, only one ewe to the acre, whereas those located on another soil type carry when well farmed, say, 2i-3 ewes per acre. More detailed mapping will be done in orchard areas, as small variations in climate not taken into account in the general survey may determine that fruit can only be grown cn parts of a broad soil type. Farm Management Using these maps as a basis the agricultural officers will compile farm-management data. This worK is being done by officers of the Department of Agriculture. Much preparatory work will be done from Wellington, such as construction of valuation maps from the records of the "Valuation Department and the compilation of farm statistics (carrying capacity, etc.) as supplied by the farmers to the Government Statistician. An agricultural officer will be stationed in the field and will visit a number of farmers to obtain information on farm management. This work applies to sheep and dairy farming. For orchard studies reliance will be placed on other officers who are trained in that particular branch oi agriculture. The argicultural surveys will run concurrently with the soil surveys.

The objectives of the soil and farm management surveys are to assist in further land development and to help established farmers. The first objective is of course the one that directly concerns the Unemployment Board, though the second does tc some extent, for if a farmer can use better methods and grow additional crops and carry more stock he may be able to employ more labour. Use of the Soil The soils of likely types will be eramined to ascertain whether they are suitable for the extension or estabishment of : (1) dairying ; (2) orchards and small fruits, nuts, etc.; (3) tung oil, tobacco ; (4) certified seed ; (5) a wider variation of crops, e.g., linseed, feed barley, etc.

For most of these, certain soil and o climatic conditions are necessary for - successful growth of these plants, e The orchard man will examine trees d already growing on soil types and ret port whether their yields are sufficiently good to encourage further planting on that type of soil. a The second objective is realised by , sorting over all farm knowledge. The j experience already obtained by offic--3 crs °f the Department of Agriculture. “ together with the farmers’ experience and suggestions which will come out of the survey, all go to the making , the story as to the best farm management for a soil type. r tt is thought that some results can j be expected by the end of March, , 1936. Reports will be submitted on : ; (!) The improvement and extension i 0± ’ the growing of citrus fruits in , North Auckland ; (2) the improve- . ment and possible extension of the i orchard area in Hawkes Bay, with i particular information regarding small fruits. It must be borne in mind that the objectives of the survey, particularly those included in the second objective, cannot be realised till the data is finally gathered together at the end of the survey. Still Evolutionary The soil survey as now being developed in New Zealand is still evolutionary, every endeavour being made to relate the nature of the soil investigations towards the maximum use of our land resources and towards new uses of these same resources. The officers engaged on the work are simultaneously with the purely soil investigations seeking every possible collaboration of effort which will direct and utilise the soil knowledge to better advantage in some phase or other of farming. “It is expected,” said the Minister, that the total cost of the surveys will be £3478, of which £1650 will be required during this financial year. The board is making available £ISOO oi this year’s expenditure. A condition of the grants is that the’, scheme is to be supervised by a committee of representatives from the Unemployment Board, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, arid the Department of Agriculture, and that the results will be taken into account for land utilisation purposes.” 1