WIND AND RAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 7

WIND AND RAIN

WINTER SHOW AND RACING CARNIVAL

EFFECT ON WHEAT CROPS QUALITY OF FARM LANDS ® SCHEME FOR COLLECTING STATISTICS 1 '■ Interesting investigations into the effects of rainfall—and, later, wind—on the wheat crops of Canterbury, toupled with a survey of the relative quality of the land in Canterbury Province, are about to he undertaken by Mr 11. E. West, a well-known authority

on wheat research. Mr West acts in a consulting capacity for various flour nulls, and he is at present busily engaged equipping his laboratory in premises occupying the top floor of the Canterbury Seed Company’s buildings.

In order to facilitate his work, Mr West has obtained from the Lands and Survey Department two maps containing much useful detail. Each map is nine feet across, one covering the ‘area from Cheviot to Rakaia and the other from Rakaia to Waitaki, the two of them taking in the whole of Canterbury except Banks Peninsula and the high bhcep country backing on to the dividing range to the west. MAPS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST, The preparation of these two large maps was the biggest work of its kind ever undertaken by the department, for it involved the assembling of 35 to 40 different sectional maps. All the roads in Canterbury, irrespective of their importance, are traced on these two maps, as well as all the holdings as the land in the province was taken up and surveyed. The maps contain (except in the case of the Cheviot survey district) all the rural district numbers, starting from one upwards, which were allotted to areas as they were freeholded. Apart from any practical use to which it may be put, this information has a certain historical interest, in that reference to it discloses the order of priority of selection of the thousands of farms which to-day dot the plains. From this maze of rural district numbers Mr West hopes to obtain some idea of the relative quality of the land for wheatgrowing. Explaining his object to a representative of the Christchurch Press, Mr West said that a study of the numbers revealed that naturally almost invariably the best of the land was taken up first, and, as the numbers climbed into the thousands, the quality could be assumed to decline.

The early settlers were obviously shrewd judges of land, and the map reveals tha.t their judgment was not often astray, being as reliable to-day as it was when the province was founded. Thus one is not surprised to find .that near Clarkville, inland from Kaiapoi, where the land is very heavy, the numbers are low —round about 400. As the farms go back into the high country the numbers rise. There are naturally exceptions to the rule, for sections bearing numbers rising to nearly 15,000 are to be found near Kaiapoi. ' INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL. In addition to this survey of the different' wheat-growing lands in Canterbury which Mr West is thus enabled to make, he is taking steps to obtain all available data from 78 weather recording stations scattered throughout the province, as well as information about thoi quantity of wheat obtained from the j various district*; nnch this quality of the grain. Continuing, Mr West said that all information about the weather —the rainfall in particular—would be gathered weekly, collated, and put to practical use. Unde!' certain weather conditions wheat from various sections would be relatively poor or good. Thus in a very wet year the poorer land (higher 1 upper country) would yield a better grade of wheat than the heavier quality, lowernumbered land. Mr West explained that in seasons when an exceptionally high rainfall occurred on the lighter class of land (which required more - rainfall) there was no considerable lodgment of moisture, and consequently the wheat matured better. Conversely, on very heavy land excessive moisture had a tendency to lodge and militate against maturity. Accordingly, with the aid of ,the rainfall statistics and the maps giving the relative value of the various classes of land, a fair idea would be obtained as the season advanced of crop prospects in the different districts. INTERESTING POSSIBILITIES. Mr West said that his activities were not in ■‘the nature of research work. He ■was endeavouring to apply the pure research, worker’s data to practical investigation .and convert it into something useful. As time went on it was hoped to enlarge considerably the scopm of his present work. A start was being made with Canterbury this year and if, as he hoped, information of practical value to the wheat industry resulted, the rest of the wheatgrowing districts would be taken in. r >

On account of the varying rainfall in the different areas and the wide variety of soils, the work was a very big undertaking. There was, too, something which the scheme did not yet embrace—-a survey of the occurrence and effect of wind on crops and the computation of the necessary statistics. At a later stage it was hoped to include wind observation in the programme. Unquestionably nor’-westers had a marked influence both on yield and quality.',The scheme could —and doubtless eventually would —be applied to other crops as well as wheat. In shtfrt, it had great possibilities and was not really experimental, in that it bad been carried out for a number of years in the United States and in Canada, with appreciably good results. In conjunction with his weekly computation of weather reports and the allied work, Mr West is equipping his laboratory to handle all classes of cereal work. His equipment includes a complete smnll-

scale milling and baking plant. He is also installing a semi-commercial baking plant, with a capacity of 32 large loaves at a time; also a moulder and mixer. This plant is required for experimental purposes on a semi-commercial scale.