LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24894, 16 May 1944, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Shopping Hours Sir, —In reply to "John Citizen," here is one reason for Saturday morning shopping. On Monday to Iriday I have to buy meat between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and' get only meat rejected by earlier shops. Also I often stand 10 to 15 minutes to be served —time badly needed for cooking. But on Saturday I do not have to go to work, and the household at the week-end is regaled on under-cut steak, lamb chops or perhaps flounder. Housekeeper. Searchlights Affect Ducks Sir, —-There is one matter greatly concerning those making a living from ducks. It is the nightly display of searchlights, which seriously affect the birds. To my knowledge, the production of eggs in this district has fallen to about one-third of the normal output since _ the searchlight _ practice started. This is causing a definite shortage of eggs and constitutes a very serious loss to one with a large number of ducks who has spent quite a sum to bring his birds up to laying pitch. Could not anything be done to adjust this matter ? Quack. Patumahoe. The Housing Shortage Sir, —As a temporary expedient, why not use modern mechanised methods to rapidly build a large number of cob, pise and adobe houses, mainly out of "mother earth," available every where right on the site? The cob houses are of puddled clay mixed with _ chopped straw and poured into position, like concrete, between timber-framed shutters or "forms." The pise houses are made of a mixture of stiff clay and sand, well rammed down into position between the shutters or forms. The adobe houses are built of large-sized, sun-dried clay bricks, laid into position without the need of timber-framed shutters.

In India they call such houses "kntcha pueca," and in the "mofussil" (country or rural districts) not only the houses in the bazaars but big, airy bungalows, occupied by high European and Indian officials, are "kutcha pucca." or made mainly of mother earth. In a lifetime sp°nt in India I found these houses cooler in summer and warmer in winter than brick or concrete houses. The roofs are either thatched, or shingled, or tiled, or covered with bituminised, impregnated fibre sheets. The chimneys and fireplaces are bricklined, but in New Zealand it would be cheaper and quicker to build them of prefabricated, grooved and tongoed concrete sections or components, as available for sale in Auckland. Needless to say, such houses are very cheap and rapidly built, if modern mechanised methods are used. Thomas A. F. Stone Serpentine Super Sir, —Mr. L. J. Wild's letter in the Herald makes one wonder. For Mr. Wild to suggest that a mixture of one part of basic slag to three parts of super is very closely similar „to New Zealand serpentine superphosphate betrays an entire lack of knowledge. The former is a rich manure. Serpentine super is just about the poorest. Serpentine is simply a "spreader" used to give bigger bulk to the already minute amount of super allowed. Its use is in place of lime, as used in the sodium chlorate and lime treatment, but with this very great difference, that all plant and animal life requires lime for growth, bone and teeth, and that after the removal of ragwort the lime in the mixture remains available for combination with small subsequent dressings of superphosphate. Serpentine is useless. As the originator of the sodium chlorate and lime treatment, and a farmer of nearly 20 years' experience and very considerable scientific and practical knowledge, I deplore the use of serpentine rock. It has elements which would effectually prevent the reversion of superphosphate, even if it had the necessary qualities of lime. As for manurial value, it has nothing to' recommend it. Let any farmer mix 2cwt. of finely-ground raw lime with lewt. of super and broadcast it over a marked area, and alongside this broadcast 2cwt. of serpentine and lewt. super mixture—he would very soon see which of the two his stock would make for.

Superphosphate by itself, if applied year after year, tends to, in fact does, acidify the land, and lime then becomes absolutely necessary to sweeten it up and restore plant growth. Most farms are deficient in lime, so for ordinary top-dressing, when done in both spring and autumn, two parts of lime to one of super will be found admirable when super is in short supply. The same mixture is quite good for soft turnips, rape and oats, but for swedes, a slowergrowing vegetable, half and half lime and super is excellent. >V. B. Caymt Alexander,,