Research in the High Country

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22507, 15 September 1938, Page 10

Research in the High Country

During the last fortnight; it has appeared that a large block of North Canterbury high country has fallen ouf of control, that a rich Marlborough property- could find no bidders at auction. Sand that a pest Of unascertained severity is abroad in the southern tussock lands. Emphasis is accordingly placed • upon the demand of-the member.for.Tpnwlca,' Mr T. .D.. Burnett,

for a commission of inquiry into the deterioration of high country pastures. The Minister for Lands has cited the findings of the Southern Pastoral Lands Commission, which reported in 1920, as if they furnished a sufficient answer. It is now hardly necessary to repeat that an inquiry of 18 years ago cannot adequately cover the problems of .ugh-country production to-day. A caterpillar which seems to be responsible in some measure for the destruction of tussock is known to scientists only as an unstudied menace. But this is only a single and perhaps a slight illustration of the insufficiency of the commission’s report to-day. Appointed on April 1. 1920, it was required to report by June 3C. That it had so short a time to investigate, consider, and report is enough to justify Mr Burnett’s comment that the commission dealt with effects rather than with causes. Yet it found no difficulty in concluding as. follows: “ Although lowland farming in New Zealand “ has made great strides forward, that of the “ mountain sheep stations has not merely shown “no advance, but has gone backward.” And on regrassing it said; “Very little, perhaps “ nothing, is known for a certainty regarding “ the actual regrassmg or improving of depleted “ and deteriorated lands, and in order to ar- “ rive at any just conclusions several years of “ well-considered experiments are required.” Other recommendations were brought forward, to the effect that rent on areas spelled by leaseholders should be abated pro rata, that periodical inspections should be made of high-countiy pastures, and that a properly equipped research station to investigate grassland problems should be established. No government has seen fit to implement them. The information that the depletion of tussock lands is a matter in which the Plant Research Bureau will interest itself is welcome. But it is not enough. More than grassland problems affect high-countiy sheep men. Their general economic position is unsatisfactory. Without definite knowledge it can only be suspected that the losses recorded in high-country production, the necessary complement of lowland farming, are considerable during this last year. Every aspect of highcountry station management stands in urgent need of investigation.