PEAT LAND AREAS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23284, 1 March 1939, Page 14

PEAT LAND AREAS

PROBLEM OP' DRAINAGE SETTLERS' DIFFICULTIES MINISTER INSPECTS DISTRICT [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Tuesday The possibility of converting thousands of acres of peat land into productive areas under scientific treatment was discussed with the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, when lie was approached by a deputation from the. Woodlands Settlers' League at Hamilton to-day. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, introduced the deputation. The speakers were Mr. W. J. Bridgrnan, president of the league, and Mr. It. Maunder. Mr. J. M. Allen. M.P. for Huuraki, was also present, with members of the Waikato County Council. There was a pressing need for the settlers to be relieved from the burden of the drainage rates, said Mr. Maunder. For 30 years or more there had never been any really scientific method of draining the peat lands. Drains had been put in in a haphazard way from time to time. The peat was like a sponge and the difficulty was in dealing with the layer of clay below. Under the present methods the water ran out and after any degree of hot sun the grass was soon burned up. Experiment on Block

"There is need for more scientific treatment;" said Mr. Maunder. "I am sure these lands will be of great; value if your department can co-operate with the Department of Agriculture in experimenting on a block. With your practical mind and knowledge of nuy;hinery something can be done. Peat lands have never had a chance, and we feel as individuals we cannot do it. We are paying such a rate that it is crippling us and a number of people will eventually have to walk off the land."

The Public Works Department was at present engaged in preparation for a demonstration in tho West Coast of the South Island next month, said Mr. Semplo. He did not know just what type of machinery would be necessary to deal with peat land, but it seemed obvious that to put in drains indiscriminately was not tho way to deal with the problem. Drainage Difficulty "The area must be drained, but you also must have water there to percolate right through," said the Minister. "Itseems that throughout the country there are tens of thousands of acres of land going back to swamp in the winter. There arc thousands of acres where farmers have been working themselves to the grave and leaving the problem for their sons." The Minister said he would await the result of experiments and would consider the matter as one of importance to the Dominion's production. He later made an inspection of the peat lands in the Taupiri drainage area.