SOIL SURVEY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16186, 24 July 1923, Page 8

SOIL SURVEY.

! LAND VALUATION BASIS. SUGGESTIONS BY AMERICAN VISITOR. (Special to the Hcralil ) ’ WELLINGTON, this day. Valuing lands on the basis of scientific soil survey is an interesting suggestion made to New Zealanders by Professor Shaw, Professor of Soil Technology at the University of California. He is returning to America, having visited Australia, where ho observed that there were cases of revaluation that' had cost the State thousands of pounds. This was due to the fact that land was sold to settlers as lucerne land, and the settlers, partly through poor methods, failed to grow lucerne. He saw- a dozen tracts in the same neighborhood that grew very good lucerne, but settlers took the State to Court, and the Judge, who ha said was a. justi Judge but not a soil expert, gave heavy damages in the form of ro-valutions or remissions. That was in New South Wales quite recently. That could surely have been obviated by not selling the land with a crop label <m it. “I;believe that a systematic soil survey of the lands of New Zealand would be an exceedingly good investment, both for the Government and tho people,” said Professor Shaw. ‘‘lt is a big, slow job,” but it has been carried out in tho United States, Japan, Denmark, Germany, and bolero the war. You can work out from their experience a system that Would be applicable to local conditions, ..starting with a reconnaissance of tins type of soil survey With a carefully derailed survey when you resume any new blocks of land. Ido not suggest a chemical analysis. It is relatively valueless, and requires an exceedingly detail'd study, but it is the physical feature, of the soil, particularly tho sub-soil, with which your survey would be concerned. Here is an example of its efficacy. After being there two years two settlers from Durham came up to town to settle an argument between them. One of them found a distinct line through his crop—on one l side a good head of and on the other a much poorer development of the head. His, version was that there were two distinct types of soil there, and on consulting the map without the help of any departmental advice he was able to- convince his neighbor his deduction was quite logical apd correct.” As for New Zealand conditions in regard to ,the sterilisation of land, Professor Shaw remarked,: “Many of our problems fore quite different from yours, but there 5s a lot to learn from you. Some of bur coast lands could be profitably used in the same manner as you are doing, as I saw in my tour of tho North Inland. We could geti the brush off those bunds if wo adopted your method’ll, concentrating cattle in fairly narrow, Inputs in range country, but it is yourf handling of land settlement that attracts me most. I have been reading with keep interest the Parliamentary proceedings in regard to soldier settlement, land settlement, advances to settler si fond loans to farmers. You are decided}!/ ahead of us in a great many of thosef'activities.”