Developing Farm Land In The Tuatapere District.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 58, Issue 2, 20 February 1939, Page 147

Developing Farm Land In The Tuatapere District.

W. L. HARBORD,

, Instructor in Agriculture, Invercargill

r T~’HE various stages in the changing THE heavily-bushed land to good of heavily-bushed land to good pastoral areas may be studied in the Tuatapere district, which is mainly riverbed country with a rich, loamy soil, and which produces some splendid crops. The climate is moderate, and although cold winds coming from the sea in Foveaux Strait are experienced at times . it is seldom that snow is seen to lie except on the high country. Bush in this district consists, in the main, of such varieties as black pine and broad-leaf totara, and the district supplies a large amount of milled timber. After 'the sawmill has passed through a section of bush and left only the inferior type of timber, which does not interest the miller, the land is further cleared by means of fire. These fires clear away the rubbish left by the sawmill, and leave only the stumps and logs of the milled trees. Land Surface-sown. This bared, stumpy land is then surfacesown with a good mixture of grass and clover seeds. The surface-sowing takes place shortly after the fire has gone through, and allows a favourable strike of grass to compete against the weeds that are likely to appear. Grazing on this surface-sown land is then carried out for a number of years. The main idea in the continued grazing is to allow the land to lie for sufficient

time for the roots of the tree-stumps to rot. When this has happened the ground is stumped and logged up. A traction-engine with hauling-gear is installed in the paddock, and the logs and stumps, &c., are heaped for a further burning. In some cases a tall tree is left

standing and a block and tackle is fitted to the top. The logs and stumps are piled high about this standing tree trunk by means of the block and tackle. When completely cleared of timber the ground is introduced to the plough. Cultivation follows, and the first crop

planted is usually potatoes. This district is favoured by northern potatogrowers because of the comparatively virus-free seed produced. Potatoes grow

well about Tuatapere and afford a good means of cleaning a paddock. Following this the area is sown with a cereal —usually oats—and it is then finally

sown with a good mixture of certified rye-grass, &c. To bring his land 'to this stage the farmer has been put to a fairly large expense, and he should therefore consider the most profitable means of returning his outlay. By sowing an inferior type of pasture he will be subject to another early expense in that he will have to put the plough into the area within a year or so. If he sows a pasture of certified seed he is not only increasing his carryingcapacity but is saving expense by sowing a pasture that will be of a really permanent nature and will not need the plough for a number of years.

One farmer at least in the Grey Valley is now thoroughly convinced of the necessity for good consolidation of the seed-bed when sowing down grass. He noticed on the wheel-marks of the drill throughout the field that the strike of grass was very much better and the growth more advanced than elsewhere. He is now a confirmed roller.