FAVORED HILL COUNTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17179, 8 February 1930, Page 11

FAVORED HILL COUNTRY

VIEWS OF ECONOMIST east coast sheep farms In his review of an economic study of East Coast sheep farms, Mr. E. «J. Fawcett, M.A., farm economist, attached to the Department of Agriculture, has some pleasing comment, to make in connection with the nature of the country over which his study was made. In introducing the survey, which was published on Thursday, Mr. Fawcett states:— “The district in which the farms under review are situated is broadly known as the “East Coast the counties concerned are Matakuoa, Waiapu, Waikoliu, Uawa, Cook, and Wairoa. This area is looked upon as one of the favored hill-country sheep districts in New Zealand. The nature of land is fairly uniform throughout, as is illustrated by the type of pasture which it carries. It lias all at one time carried English grasses, and although to some extent —and in some localities more than in others —the better type of pasture still persists, native grass has become the dominant feature over the greater portion and is steadily increasing. “In seasons of plentiful and welldistributed rainfall, ryegrass, cocksfoot, and white clover increase the proportion of high-class fodder availaide. Jt is evident that these grasses could be rejuvenated by systematic top-dressing, but it is questionable whether this class of country can bo held economically om a" large scale by the. use of artificial fertilisers. The use of heavy cattle, which is an integral part of the farm management of this land, tends to hold the better grasses and to clean up the country generally. Despite the skill • with which this living implement is used, however, cattle alone will not permanently hold ryegrass on country from which fertility is being constantly removed in the form of meat and wool. “The whole of the hill country of this favored district, in company with the rest of the hill country of New Zealand, is going through, or has gone through, what is commonly known as a “deterioration” stage from an English grass sward to a mixture of Engdish ami native grasses,, where eventually danthoiiia will be the dominant partner of the pasture association.”