NORTH ISLAND LAND

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 17, 15 August 1928, Page 5

NORTH ISLAND LAND

DETERIORATING RAFIDL i. METHODS OF FARMING. WELLINGTON,- Last Might. A very large portion of. the l an <l in ithe North Island was deteriorating rapidly, declared Mr J. G. Eliott (Oroua) i n the House of Representatives to-night. Thia was due largely, he said, to the nif.vbods of farming employed by their Predecessors, who had the virginal fertility of the land.

The task of remedying former errors fell upon the present generation. This was to be doae by the liberal application of fertilisers phosphatic in character. These were to be obtained from Nauru and Ocean Islands. Between the years 1921 and 1927, 2,500,000 tons of phosphate rock were shipped from Nauru and, Ocean Islands. Of this Australia secured 2,000,000, tons, while New Zealand obtained only 495,000 tons. The maximum New Zealand could obtain ua ler the present agreement would ba a million tons, which would be Hbout half our requirements ia u few year* if the increased demand of re.;en: years

continued. Mr Eliott urged that every effort should be made to secure an increased share of the Nauru and Ocean Island products; not merely that, but no effort should be spared to secure new supplies of our own. He hoped the Minister of Agriculture would during the debate made a statement on the subject which would e ive the farmers every assurance that adequate supplies of phosphates would be available rto them.