RECLAMATION OF SWAMPS

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16751, 18 March 1926, Page 8

RECLAMATION OF SWAMPS

WAIKATO PEAT AREAS

PUBLIC INTEREST AROUSED

(By "Practical.")

x A visitor coming to Hamilton by rail is not favourably impressed by the great areas of undeveloped swamps seen on all sides. Approaching I lie town on each and .all of the lines converging at Hamilton one sees these unused swamps. Most of the swamps are peaty in formation, and the peat is deep. It carries a stunted vegetation of li-tree, fern and other growth common lo such types of land. In most places rushes may be- seen, and here and there flax.

cattle on to it, and keep them there for a few days by feeding out hay and rools to them. Surface-sow Hie following mixture: Yorkshire fog 15 lb, cocksfoot Sib, timothy 31b, lotus major 31b. A cheaper mixture would lie: Yorkshire fog iilb, lotus major 21b. Tho grasses will establish when Hie surface has been consolidated by the beasts' feel marks. The. lotus major and fog will spread rapidly and provide a fair amount of feed. A manuka succession usually takes place, which should be cut, and permanent grasses such as cocksfoot should be surfacesown. When the peat is well consolidated an attempt should be made to get the land into permanent pasture by sowing the mixture recommended for alluvial areas given below. Peaty Alluvial Areas. In many places the foundation silt of Iho swamp is covered with 2ft to uft of loose silty peat. The first step in grassing such areas is the consolidation of the pent. When the area is drained the surface covering of rushes and low manuka should be burnt off and the land ploughed and sown in a temporary pasture of Italian ryegrass and red clover (as mentioned later for deep peat land). In about two years the peat will liecome more, consolidated and the land can be sown in a permanent mixture. Cocksfoot is one of Ihe most valuable grasses under such conditions, and should form the principal pari of the feeding. A general mixture should be somewhat as follows: Cocksfoot 151 b, perennial rye 8, timothy i, crested dogstail 1, Italian rye 3, alsike clover 3. red clover 2, white clover 1, lolus major 1. Total, 381 b per acre. Flooded Areas. There are large areas of land in the lower Waikato district subject to flood water during the winter months. Species of grasses and clovers useful for such conditions: Meadow foxtail, poa trivialis, florin, paspalum dilatalum, etc. Poa aquatica: A coarse grass suited to wet areas. Occurs in certain areas subject lo flood by Waikato River. It throws a great amount of feed, which, however, is coarse and brittle and little suited to dairying. The young shoots arc fairly palatable. When sov n it takes complete charge, and it is wise not to sow it.

The development of the swamp lands of the Waikato has been a more or less slow process, but the lands after being reclaimed have proved some of the most profitable areas brought into occupation. Some of the best dairying lands of tho Waikato, and in fact of the Auckland province, arc reclaimed swamps. The best of luscious pastures are seen on these lands to-day, and the Waikato may justly be proud of these areas, which but a few years ago were idle wastes. The reclamation lias usually taken place gradually, and adjoining dry upland has aided the process of development. Where a settler possessed a holding with upland as well as peat he could break In the swamp more easily and cheaply. The usual practice employed was to grass and crop the dry land. Stock run on the pastures had access lo the swamps in which drains were cut. Seed was thus carried on lo Hie swamps, and with the drying and consolidation, due respectively to draining and slocking, a grass sward was thus induced. Hay cut on the dry land and roots grown and fed out on the swamp assisted the seeding of the area and also helped consolidation. All these practices combined brought the swamp into grass.

In the early days of big runs and plenty of run cattle much good pioneer work in swamp development was thus carried out. At the same time the run-holder got a certain amount cf feed off the swamp. It also gave the stock a change, which was very bi ncflcial lo them. Systematic Reclamation. At a later period the great value of the swamps was more highly appreciated and certain areas were systematically drained. This was the work of an engineer usually, though it must be said to the credit of many of the earlier farmers, who fortunately had had experience in the Old Country, that they tackled many swamps and achieved substantial success. To-day one may see such areas in good pasture, and actual testimony lo the soundness of their pioneer work.

Glyceria Fluitans: A most valuable grass on flood areas, but the seed is at present unprocurable, its leaves are a dark green in colour, sweet to the taste and much relished by cattle. The grass will stand weeks of flooding and under such conditions takes a floating habit on the surface of the water. When the water subsides this grass assumes again its land habit and throws a great deal of palatable herbage. It does not thrive in stagnant WLler.

As much of the earlier development was along the edges of the swamps and the reclaimed land was enlarged by penetration into the deeper peat areas, a point was reached generallj at about 15 feet, when the peat got 100 deep to carry a satisfactory paslure.

The drainage engineer confined his operations mainly to areas such as these. However, in some cases he went into deeper peat, though lie was in most eases unaware of the depths tf peat at the many points over which the drains were cut. In a word, drains were cul on areas where not much exael information was available as t> depth of the peat. The. contour of solid bottom on which the peat was imposed did not worry the engineer much. To-day we And that Ihc engineer is much concerned with finding the depths of peat at a sufficient number of points to plot the area section as il were.

The Deep Peat. This is a problem for the engineer and the agricultural experts to-day. When the peat is deeper than about IS feet, or at the maximum 20 feet, a difficult problem is at once presented. Consolidation is essential before it will carry a good sole of grass. Moreover, the drainage problem is a much more difficult one. It is really a matter for experiment. Some favour burning, but this should be avoided if possible. However, much counIrv containing deep peat has been tackled in this way. Where timber is present the surface becomes very difficult for grassing, and later for running slock. Great care is necessary where burning is attempted. It is practically impossibly to get data of a reliable character in New Zealand concerning the shrinking of peat during the processes of draining and reclamation for farming. Enquiries made at Ruakura Government Farm seem to point lo Iho fact that a foot of peal produced about five inches of soil. The period taken was some 10 to 18 years, during which the swamp was being drained, consolidated and grassed. There arc large areas of deep peat in Waikato, and there is a widespread desire for them to be tackled. Farmers and town folk alike arc anxious for this work to he undertaken. It is undoubtedly a matter for experiment. In this connection it may be of interest to give some information based on sound experience of farmers and the Government experts of the Department of Agriculture. Their joint results are embodied in a pamphlet issued by the Fields Division of that department. It should be studied by farmers and others interested in swamp development.

Breaking In Processes. On undraincd peat .swamps the surface covering consists almost entirely of rushes. After draining the rush growth is usually replaced either by fern or manuka, both of which successions should he avoided if possible. Afler draining Ihe surface covering of rushes should be burnt off. The firing of Ihe rush covering should never he done in the. summer owing lo Ihe danger of burning the peal, which exposes the stumps under the surface and leaves Ihe surface very uneven ami sometimes with deep holes. The surface is now 100 snt'l lo plough wilh horses, but if a tractor is available the land should be ploughed and consolidated by rolling, and sown down in the autumn in a temporary pasture of Italian ryegrass and red clover —Italian rye 301 b, red clover .'ilb, white clover 21b; total, 3011) per acre. Consolidation should be carried out by heavy stocking, first by sheep and later with cattle, and the slock should he maintained on the area as long as possible by feeding out hay and roots. In most cases ploughing is at irrst impossible and surface-sowing is the only possible way of bringing the area in. ' After burning, try and consolidate the area by driving a few young

Paspalum Digitaria: Throws a considerable amount or feed in tlie summer, which is very palatable. II grows freely throughout the. province and may be seen along the Waikato River and in the numerous islands in its course. It will live for six months unter water. The plant must he propagated by means of cuttings, as the seed does not germinate well. Many of the areas subject to flood water in the Auckland province present grea't difficulties in successful grassing. The Hood water is often stagnant, and hence unsuitable for the establishment of glareri.i iluitans. The best results seem to have been oblaincd from the surface-sowing of meadow foxtail and lotus major on the rough uncultivated swamp. Large areas of this land, subject to flood water, will only bo successfully grassed after the flood water his been excluded by stop-banks and arrangements made to pump out the natural surface water in the winter months. Alsike, red and white clovers should be included in all sowings on rich moist land. Lotus major should be sown on all rough swamps. It is a valuable plant for the primary conversion and consolidation of freshlydrained swamps. Seed should germinate SO-90 per cent. After the swamp has been drained the tall surface vegetation should be cleared and burned. The area may ho surface-sown after burning or ploughed and sown down in t lie ordinary way. On areas that have only recently been drained ana are still in a fairly w-et condition surface-sowing gives the best results. A suitable mixture of grasses and clovers for general conditions would be as follows: —Perennial rye 101 b, Italian rye 3, crested dogslail 1, cocksfoot 8, timothy i, meadow foxtail 4, poa trivialis 2, red clover 2, alsike clover 2, while clover 1. Total, 371 b per acre.