BREAKING-IN LAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 143, 5 April 1940, Page 5

BREAKING-IN LAND

USE OF MACHINERY it PLANS FOR LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT At the meeting of the Bay of Plenty Primary Production District Council on Monday Mr C. R. Taylor, Department of Agriculture, acting-secretary of the Council, read a letter from the Director of Primary Production regarding land clearing by machinery. The IgUer was as follpw s !— "Numerous enquiries have been made concerning the use of Public Works machinery for the clearing of farm lands. A scheme is operating at present at Wcstport, Ohaktine and Raetlhl, whereby country that has been cleared of unliable timber, but is covered with blackberry, stumps, logs and heavy undergrowth, is cleared for £5 per acre and double-disced for £1 10s per acre, cash in advance« "The clearing work consists of removing all stumps and logs, placing them in windrows five chains apart, filling-stump holes and removing all smaller roots and debris, so that the land can be ploughed and cultivated. Self-Supporting Scheme. "The foundation of the scheme is that it should be self-supporting and no subsidy is to be paid by the Government. The Government is prepared to consider extending the scheme to other districts where the prospects for the economical use Of machinery are sufficiently encouraging and where a guarantee cart be given for the clearing of 500 acres or more at the cost quoted above. "Probably this scheme could be further extended to deal with country which is at a better stage of development and the charges reduc cd accordingly. If the District Goun. cil desires the National -Council to make representations to the Public Works Department, it should provide reliable information on tlie extent to which farmers are likely to make use of tlie scheme.

Profitable Method. "The National Council' feels that development of land already in hold ings, offers the most promising and profitable method of bringing further land into effective production* The type of improvement worlc the Council has in mind is clearing of scrub, stumping and logging of land already in grass, improving access to back parts •of farms to permit of top-dressing, surface draining etc. "It may not be possible to enter into this work on a large scale immediately, owing to the limited amount of suitable machinery available but it should be possible to develop some exploratory projects. Therefore if you deem .it worthwhile, make enquiries in your district as to areas and class of work, which could be attempted and arrangements will be made at this end for the matter to be taken up by the Public Works' district engineer." Result of Investigations. Mr J. L-. Burnett, who was a. member of the committee elected to investigate the position in the district, said the committee had two objects in view. One was to concentrate the machinery in an area where it would not be necessary to . shift it unduly and the other was ; to use it advantageously on land for immediate production. ! The committee had selected two areas on which the machinery coulcß be used. The first was in the Nuku— hou Valley and the other was at: Manawahe. The latter location was inspected, as being the more likely of the two, and the committee had discussed the matter with the settlers there. The result was that 500 acres had been promised for break-ing-in. i The financial aspect had also been, discussed with the farmers and most of them were willing to meet the whole cost themselves. The farmers realised that to stump some of the country would take them a lifetime and the use of machinery was their only hope. The committee strongly recommended that the Council forward 1 an application for the immediate use of the Public Works' plant. Once the machinery was in the district, said Mr Burnett, there would be sufficient work forthcoming to keep it there. It was moved and seconded thati application be