LOCAL WOOL SALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7028, 17 January 1910, Page 3

LOCAL WOOL SALE

Tuesday, February 15th, 2 p.m. SAND DUNES STUDYING A NATIONAL PROBLEM A DAY AMONG WELLINGTON SAND DRIFTS. PRIVATE. ENTERPRISE SHOWING IKE STATE THE WAY. Of national problems demanding immediate investigation and prompt action none are of greater .importance than that of controlling sand dunes, tho natural protection of the. la ml fi-cmi the sea, but a menace of vast oonaequon.ee to adjoining lands it not effectively controlled. THE SCIENTIFIC ASPECT. Whilo private individuals—isottlers whose lauds have been threatened by wandering sand dunes—have been fighting tho sand encroachment ol •their farms for many years, with more or less success, experimenting and domonstrating Whore tho State should (havo shown tho way, it is only within the lost eighteen months that any real endeavour has been made by trie Government to solve the problem. True a report was obtained by, tlie Lands Department in 1903, and an inoperative Sand Drift Act has existed since 1907. btxt it was not till November, 1908, that tho first step ot any consequence was taken. This -was the appointment of Dr Cockayne, the noted botanist, to investigate the_ question. Owing to the retrenchment in the Civil Service the important work ot providing reliable data for State and pTivate activity in dealing with the-Band-drift question was stopped at an incroncuusive stage.' Dr Cockayne presented, in a vary nble and complete review the scientific slhlase of the subject, and there the matter rests, so far as the Government is iconcomed. DR. COCKAYNE'S REPORT.

The report of Dr L. . Cockayne., Ph. D wthich diicl .not receive the attention from Parliament its importante merited;, may be taken a a the first step in a, .thorough understanding of the subject. - It deals exhaustively with tfio fundamental principles whiijh. underlie -the considerations involvad.in the question of control and utilisation. of -the sand wastes of. New /ieaia.na. it was -stated, and this by a prominent settler representing a, farming constituency in the House, th'at the ve~ riort .was too scientific for utilitarian purposes. It is surely a truth needing So demonstration that a. sound knowlodge of general sraian.tifi.cr prin.cnpl.e3, 03 .well as of local conditions, is a. necessary preliminary to any attamp* to cope practically with the • sand drift evil. As Mr Kensington, aeorehaTy for the Department of Itods, writes in a preface to the report:. It is hopad that a subsequent report will follow dealing with the more specially economic aspects of the questianviz the methods of afforestation, who kinds of trees, shrubs, etc., to be used. w nd other matters of a similar-nature.' It is, therefore, sincerely to be toped that the good work accomplished by several settlers, especially those.o«.the west coast of this islacnid, will be fully dealt with by Dr Cockayne during the present, year as a first contribution to the economic aspect of the problem, the solution of which involves the utilisation' of «»» in the Dominion of over 300,000 =ores—of. iwHch nearly 93,000 acres are in the ■Wellington province—and WJuon is gradually extending. CONFLICTING OPINIONS.

So far as the discussion on the.problem has gone, by tho scientist on the one hand and the settler on the other, there is a conflict of opinion. This, it would appear, could easily be settled, by an experiment conducted by *he State, and one which would be of very much greater value than some experiments conducted at considerable cost on the experiment stations. Dr Cockayne, wisely, it would appear, contends that the most important con.sideration should be not merely the control of the dune aTeas but the making of them reproductive by means of afforestation. The settlers who have been fighting the moving ■ dunes have had the one object in View saving their farm lands. North of tho Manawatu river this has been . mainly' accomplished by means of 1 maram grass (tho lupin, utilised over twenty-five years back, having been discarded) arid south of that river by means of lupin, assisted a little by maram grass. In the case of Mr W. H. Field, M.P., and his late brother, the former member for tho district, the lupin has certainly done good work, and by Mr.W. H. Field it is , contended that the lupin will enable the fixed dunes to be utilised as grazing areas. This has yet to be proved! Tho Raaigitikei settler regards the shrub as a curse rather than a blessing. As to Dr Cockayne's suggested policy, afforestation has proved successful in Europe, waste sand areas having been converted by this means into valuable timber-carrying country. There aTe instances on Mr Field's •. seastaoro property at Waikaaae which demonstrate that even the npinus insignia will flourish, in, sianddrifts, though the .marine pine, pdnus pinaster, is the pine suggested by Dt Cockayne in the light of European knowledge. Dr Cockayne's policy is certainly the.most suggestive solution. Afforesitation is a (matter which the Dominion must deal with, and this without dolay, for apart altogether from the view-point of shelter, 1 timber is yearly becoming a scarce commodity. In the very country where sand dune fixation is a pressing problem shelter is most desirable, and the useless sand dimes could be converted into an immense individual and national asset by means of afforestation. AN INSTRUCTIVE OUTING. On Saturday a party of gentleman interested in the question of _ sand dunes in the Horowhenua district 'fisited tho property of Mr "\V.. H.

Field, M.P., at Waikanae";' in order to investigate the methods employed by the member for the district (in continuation of the good work in this connection initiated by his brother) in checking the movement of drifting sand dunes. The party consisted of 'Messrs G. Watson (chairman), 11. G. Richards, J. McLeavey, J. Prouse, and AV. Tomsitt (of the Horowhemia County Council), Mr Tomsitt also representing tho O'taki Road Board, and j Messrs 13. R. Gardiner (Mayor), G. j Cameron, E. S. Lancaster. H. C. I France, and P. Arciis (' ■' Levin jßoromgh Council). Mr Ti '.). v.-:i-;_as-sisted by his farm mr. -.",■ -. ',,atson, in explainim; ' ■ '■ ■ ;nB objective of '<r. • ■ -..-- - arata added gre.-,' .' !.■ .!.. -■■':■■' -'& of tho day by j ' :•:.-. '•■■.:■. . -.larks in tho loca' ,:,..-::u ' . .-.tirrmg ovents i: .!.>■ v::;.s v.':/:; '. v .is the scene o! .■• ;•• i!" n : --iportant native I- :\'v:, i.i il-..- > -y's histoid'. a jlat-I":'::; u l .' "./.-' :.'.-;.ment. Mr Parata *:;., i-i-o able to throw some light on the sand-drift .problem. He mentioned tho fact, well enough known to local settlers, but interesting to those studying the matter from a distance —that the cause of much of the sand movement was tho hills being too heavily stocked with cattle in the past, cattle having followed tho wild pigs, which for many a year was tho main food supply of the Maoris of tho district. The cattle broke away the light covering to tho sand bills afforded by tho native grasses, and with the exposure of the sand a drift, rapidly set in, and what was onco a hillock ■ covered with herbage became a moving sand dune and a menace to the better land behind it. Mr Parata also show-ed where a good stream, the Kukutauaki, which was the natural drain of much of the territory through which it passed, had disappeared—covered up by the encroaching sand. . SAVED PROM THE SEA. Tho sand-shifting areas of the Manawatu which are attracting so much attention at the present time extend from Xena Kena—tho point on tho coastline nearest .to Kapiti—to tho mouth of the Manawatu. Along this interesting coastline, including some of the finest stretches of sandy beach in tho Dominion, there is a rich field for the investigator of the sand-dune problem. Tho striking cases of sand duno reclamation "are afforded on Mr Field's property. -"This -progressive settler is doing much to elucidate the problem, but over tho larger area local bodies find themselves without power to soto land from sand encroachment, and had they tho power they have not the funds. On this particular paTt of the coast a very significant thing is taking placo. The sea is receding before the sand dunes. In some places the high-water mark has within a few years extended outiby at least sixty feet. In the case of one property Mr Field says tho area increased by this means by at least twenty acres. LUPIN v. MARAM GRASS.

I The first demonstration on Saturday intne checking of moving sand dunes was at a southern corner of Mr Field's property, at the mouth of the "Waikanae river. Here admirable work lias undoubtedly been done. It has becn> more in the direction of planting the lupin from the seaward side of the dune and allowing this quickly-growing plant to creep up the surface. On steep faces. on tie landward side the lupin is not in evidence,, showing that the maram grass is distinctly superior where the sand movement is rapid. A fact overlooked in regard to lupin —which the work of Mr Field does not disprove—is that it is practically useless where there is any rapid movement in the sand, or on what is termed the wandering dune. Lupin in certain positions is one of the most important of our sand-controlling plants, but in those localities where it is necessary to arrest the actual drift of sand lupin is practically useless, 'owing to the fact—'and one of the most important .facta with regard to plants useful for this particular purpose—that it beoomes covered with the advancing sand, instead of rising with it, as do all true sand-resisting plants. The lupin does remarkably well at Waikanae, and has certainly rendered good service in staying the sand encroachment. It dies away after a time, but young plants rapidly spring up to take the.places of '.' the parent,, and thereby extend the lupin area. The mature plants thickly cover the sand with dead •vegetable matter, which assists in making a good seed bed for rough grasses and weeds —the native danthonia," the ever-present Yorkshire fog, cape weed,/ ©to. Mr "Field intends planting cocksfoot, which, ho believes, will thrive in . this environment.

i ft has been contended 1 that the lupin will harbour rabbits. and though. traces of them were to he found several members ,of tho party qualified to speak on tho question expressed the opinion that the pest wias not by any means as numerous as on the better country ion the flat. Tho lupin had made such good growth—in some cases it had attained a height of six feet in

two years—that it was impossible to force a way through it. A GOOD DEMONSTRATION. Lying between' the sand dunes at this point was a striking demonstration of the value of the sand dune reclamation work. It was a drained swamp about a hundred acres in extent, half of which is occupied by a Chinaman's garden. . If -size may be taken as a criterion tho plants were fit for exhibition in any company. More healthy, vigorous plants it would be impossible to sec, and included in the crops was a fine plot of potatoes. The garden was the admiration of all the party. Yet bad it not been for tho lupins this fertile area would by now havo been a desert. Right amonp the dunes some wellgrown pinus insignis marked tho private burial ground of the Field family. AN INTERESTING AFTERNOON. After being entertained at luncheon at Mr H. Parata's £ood accommodation house at Waikanae, the party wclro driven to Mr Field's homestea/1 property higher up. Here a most enjoyable and instructive afternoon was spont. Tho' locality is historic. It was a. great Maori camping ground in bygone days and the scene of many . native tribal conflicts. Mr Field told ' how a few days before, in levelling a moilnd, several skeletons were unearthed. These wore re-interred, but 1 a moro made of whalebonie, was preserved. This and a numbor of native implements, including a woodten decoy duck, discovered oil the farm, were inspectcdj and then from a good vantage paint 11. Parata pointed out the scenes of several events saored to Maori memory in which his father was a participating chief. Ho also showed at this time the atroam which the rsand drift had obliterated within twenty years. Some good work 'being done by Mr Field in preventing further destruction by sand drift in the hills formed of sand, but carrying fjood herbage, was then inspected. It will be interesting to .follow this experiment and see whether the lupin will confine it- • oelf to the sand area, being reclaimed. J Tho bea.cli, was next visited, and on ' tho way Mr Watson, explained that > tho property was being seen at its 1 worst. Li the iwintor when other farms I were short of feed the, stock in the warm sheltered flats between the i dunes were rovellingin good herbage. ' The sand dnno reclamation at 'this point corosists of lupin cultivation, the 1 principle being again followed of ■ planting at the fiotot of the dunes on i the seaward side, and allowing them i to gradually make their way up the dime.- Right en the apex of owe dune • is 'a ngaio tree in a flourishing condi- , tion though some iof the branches are ■ embedded in sand. ■ Here the native . sand grass, spinifex, which .hais a i oreeping habit, is doing good work in i fixing the sand. . AFFORESTATION. ■ During the return to the homestead, ' Mr Field pointed out a paddock with a very good bottom in which cocksfoot ' has a very good hold. Here and there, at the head of sjullies, plantations, principally of pinus .insignis, are being established, and near the ■ homestead a belt of pines, wattle and . bluegum trees is making isplandid, headway. Some fine willows aire also growing here and there. These facts . prove conclusively tll»at afforestation ', of samd aountry is a' practical prtopoisi- . tkra and proof that Dr Cockayne's ' suggested policy is not'only a solution . .of the sand-drift problem,. but an ex- ' cellent means of profitable.'utilisation of such country. ! A PROFITABLE DAY.

two years—that it was impossible to force a way through it. A GOOD DEMONSTRATION.

The members of the party partook of the hospitality of Mr and Mrs Field before leaving for their trains, all agreeing that the demonstration of Mr Field's work in. controlling sand dunes was both instwiictive and interesting,' while the outing , was a thoroughly enjoyable one. •