SOIL SURVEYS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3750, 1 May 1936, Page 2

SOIL SURVEYS

NATIONAL PROGRAMME DEVELOPS. "After many years, official recognition of the value of soil surveys has been obtained, and the importance of accelerating surveys In selected parts of New Zealand has received wide and warm support,” states the annual report of the Cawthron Institute. “Following on the co-opera-tive work of the Department <of Scientific and Industrial Research and the institute in the central territory of the North Island and in Taranaki, surveys were extended last year to cover a large area in the Ashburton county and in the Levels district, Tlmaru, where important irrigation projects of the Government are pending. “More recently, as a result of the financial assistance from the Unemployment Board, plans have been formulated for extensive surveys in the North Auckland and Hawke’s Bay districts. It is considered that in both areas Intensive development of agriculture is likely to take place in the near future and that a combined soil and land utilisation survey would prove invaluable in guiding development along the best lines. In the new programme for national soil surveys the Cawthron Institute will continue, to co-operate with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in the conduct of the work and will be responsible for the chemical side of the soil surveys.

“It is a pleasing feature of the new programme of soil and land utilisation surveys that no fewer than tour Government departments as well as the Cawthron Institute are co-operat-ing in the conduct of the work, and it is very gratifying that the initial soil survey work of the Institute, In the Nelson district., should have resulted in such great developments in a national programme of soil surveys.