DENUDING OF THE BACK COUNTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20983, 11 March 1938, Page 13

DENUDING OF THE BACK COUNTRY

To the Editor or " The Timaru Herald ” Sir, —In to-day's issue of your journal I notice a letter by “One of the Other Wise” criticising Mr Burnett’s statement. I have not seen Mr Burnett’s letter, so I cannot say what it was about, but I do take exception to "One of the Other Wise’s” letter, in that lie says “that the various holders of Mackenzie Country runs that are held by men trained under Mr Burnett are not careful with fires.” Now these men were having it constantly drilled into them, the danger of fire, especially in a dry season, and I have never seen a fire lit by them burn for days, and a match is never dropped after the month of October. Our usual burning months are August, September and October. If the weather is suitable the burning is generally done by the end of September, and if there is danger of a tussock fire getting away, a match would not be dropped. Now, as any sensible man with brains knows, back country has to be burnt periodically, that is, in rotation every third or fourth year, to give sheep n chance to get some fresh burnt feed, because unless they get burnt feed they are not in the same class as sheep on burnt feed. Let "One of the Other Wise” try for himself, putting sheep on burnt feed and others on dry long tussock that all the goodness has gone out of, and see which is the best conditioned and best wool sheep. And as for fires raging this year for days, I did not see them, and I was in the Mackenzie for most of that time and can command a good view of the country all around. I will admit that country burnt in the summer, and especially a very dry summer, will take years to recover. It is a lot of nonsense talking about lighting fires to move sheep, and that is never done, as it would be absolute folly to do so, in the fact that there would be the danger of the 'fire going ahead too strong and catching the sheep, if not dogs and human lives, and I do not think any run in the Mackenzie Country is mustered without sufficient men and dogs. If the Public Works Department prohibits the burning of grasses on the runs, there is more likelihood of the runs being abandoned than by burning judiciously. I have seen floods take vegetation away -by the acre and not. on burfit country either, but on country that Are had never been on, so I do not think that “One of the, Other Wise” has had much experience of the back country. I have had well over 30 years of it and hope to have another thirty without abandoning my run.—I am, etc.,

MACKENZIE RUNHOLDER. March 3.