THE ROTORUA DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19736, 8 September 1927, Page 5

THE ROTORUA DISTRICT.

MR. B. 0. ASTON'S REPORT,

FARMING POSSIBILITIES. PASTURES ON PUMICE LANDS. In the latest issue of ifce New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Mr. B. C. Aston, chemist to thfc Department est Agriculture, publishes a saosrt valuable aad iat«iesting report on *oii conditions an 4 farming prospect* of the Rotoraa dlrtrwi. Mr. Astoa ha* ior many yeaz* been eiiigaged in a scientific survey of the pumice toils, «nd » recognised aothorit.y tax this gnbjeci. The thorough nature of his investigations and the soundness of his conclusions have won for him a. high reputation among tbe greateit authorities in the world, so that what ha says must command respectful attention. In dealing partictdarly with th* pumice soils a? the Rotorua. district, Mr. Aston says: "It cannot be denied that these iacdi? which are not already closely settled (such as are those in the Rotorua Lake basin) are cheap compared with other land 3 si similar productivsneae in the North Island. The soil is such thai with few exceptions it may bo worked in all weathers. It ia comparatively accessible, and service motor-ceacheE pi/ . with great regularity throughout the year and connect with the railway warvioea aft the Roiorua raii terminus with the East Coast Railway and with tha Napier Sailway terminus. Throughout, the North Island there are many instances of fertile lands with poorer means of access. The Health of Stock. "The climate may be claimed as one of the best in the world, and although the rainfall is high the water ge&s away remarkably quickly through the porous soil, so that except in one respect tins country is an ideal one for both man and animals. The freedom of locally-raised stock from tuberculosis has been noied, and the writer believes this feature also applies to the human population. The absence of tubeicle is, indeed, so remarkable as to prpmpt inquiry as to the cause. The writer—in many analyses of the natural waters of this district, whether surface water or those from springs or rivers—• ■ has always found an excess, of dissolved silica to Le present in, the. total mineral matter left after evaporation of the water, and it is an interesting fact that silica is used in medicine as an alleviative of some forms of tuberculosis in humans. Most herbs contain considerable quantities of silica, and it is found on analysis that those herbs which are used by the country folk of Middle Europe for the cure of tuberculosis contain the largest percentages of silica. ' The health of stock is remarkable in yet another respect—freedom from bonenutrition troubles. Disease of the bones often occurs in certain districts of the North Island in certain years, especially in milking-cows.. The absence "of this trouble on the pumice lands seems to show that the amount of the bone-making minerals in the soil and pasture never sinks below that required for the production of healthy bones in the animal. A very small' amount of phosphate is shown to be present in the soil by methods designed to estimate the available or the total phosphoric acid, and this is another fact that requires- an explanation. , incapacity of the Soil. "Clovers thrive amazingly on all tho pumice lands, and the clover is a plant which likes phosphates and potash' to be present in the soil in good amount. But available silica has the faculty of making phosphates more assimilable by the plant within the plant, so*that if silica is available in the spil and is taken up more freely by the plant than is usually the case, the plant may be enabled to assimilate more phosphoric acid than it would otherwise. It is not to be denied, how- ": ever, that phosphates are destined to play , an important part in the development of'_ this volcanic country. "Phosphates improve the carrying capacity of all types of soil by increasing the quantity and quality of herbage per acre. The fact that this soil-province is situated, j comparatively near to the great phosphate receiving and distributing centre of Auck- » land City is another fact in favour of the pumice land as a whole. ® "In connection with the coarse grades of pumice, for anything coarser than a " silt it is best to keep the soilreaction acid, which inhibits the use of such alkaline dressings as are sup- - plied by most forms of lime. There is no doubt that lime will hav6 to be distributed on many North Island lands in increasing quantities in the future, but on the coarser pumice lands it will not be L good practice to apply liine for very - many years ; not only is lime now unnecessary, but it is even harmful. Thus another point in favour of pumice lands is that the expensive practice of liming may be dispensed with. The three fertiliser ingredients—nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid—are arranged thus in the .order of their cost. Nitrogen is most expensive, potash comes next, and phosphates are the cheapest per unit. Now, all pumice lands, even when nnmanured, grow clovers and leguminous plants freely, thus providing a useful method of supplying nitrogen when the plant-roots decay in the soil or a leguminous crop is ploughed in. Potash is already abundant in the soil, so that the only ingredient to be supplied is the phosphate, the cheapest of all three fertilisers. ' i Horticultural Plants. "Pumice soil is one of the best for rais* ing horticultural plants from- seed or cuttings. If has a peculiar character which may be termed a frothy porosity, which is unequalled for establishing young plants. All kinds of horticultural plants, " whether herbs, shrubs, or trees, could be raised in this area, and supplied to less fortunate localities as very hardy, well-rooted plants, with an abundance of fibrous roots. The Rotorua Sanatorium gardens well demonstrate the horticultural possibilities of the district, for the abundant rainfall, porous soil, and genial climate have certainly here produced wonderful results. • "The forestry possibilities of the pumice country are now fully recognised, and commercial organisations are following the. lead given ,by the Government "by investing large sums in establishing exotic plantations. The artificial growing of flax is one to be experimented with in the future. The soil seems singularly suited to the growth of Phormium tenax. "Poultry and pig farming are capable of great development. The pumice' lands are adjacent to the Bay of Plenty, which grows maize to perfection. Clovers, artichokes, peas, and other legumes grow 'well and make excellent food for pigs. Bee-farming is likely to afford an excellent side line to the farmer on country where clovers grow to such excellence. Differentiation of Lands. "Why, then, with nil these advantages* do the pumice lands lag behind in farming development 1 It would seem that there is one main explanation—the fear of ' bush sickness ' is the deterrent to a much closer settlement, and the absence of any authoritative guide, with reasons, as to what is 'sick' and what is healthy country, results in the whole area receiving the same stigma. It is the aim of the present soil survey to differentiate lands of varying quality, mapping. and applying appropriate names to each type, j Eventually it is hoped tc pubiish a.msp which will without any doubt set ™wn >. the definite areas which,. together with the relative dMofjan hsalthiness for ruminant stock which type of toil exhibits. Tk ; g^ 3j feXSSwfe