SHIPMAST LOCUST TREES AT KARERE

Chronicle (Levin), 12 September 1946, Page 8

SHIPMAST LOCUST TREES AT KARERE

IMPORTED FROM AMERICA TO CONTROL EROSION Some time ago the Government imported from tlie United States 1000 Sh ipmast Locust trees for the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council in connection with its research into soil erosion problems. The trees were plan.ted in various paris of the North Island to test the adaptability to different shades of climate, and a progress report indicates that most of them liave established theniselves fairly suceessfully. An exception was the lot of 100 planted in Wellington, only 20 surviving. It is thouglit that the dampness of the climate caused the liigh luortality rate. The remaining 20 have now been transfcrred to Palmerston North and planted on Ihe jiroperty of Mr. J. Callesen, at Karere. Mr. Callesen is a member of the council, and he states that early observations of the trees' progress in their new environment are cpiite satisfactory. Tlie new importations are intended for use in combating incipient ero.sion on steep faces of hillside country, and possess several unusual features which m ake them ideal for this purpose. Onee the parent tree is propcrly established, it sends out suckers wliicli sprout t'orth about one chain away. This is tlie means of progagation. The tree, which is of the acacia family, is generously provided with large spikes, which keep stock away. There is, however, no danger of the Mhipniast Locusts becoming another t'oriu of blackberry. Whcn-the suckers shoot up above the ground, the foliage which is palatable to stock, would be eaten off and although that sucker dies, .inother cjuickly comes up. The trees in llu'ir various pliases of' developnient are being'verv carefully watched. It is thouglit that planted about flve or six to the acre they will assist considerablv in overcoming troublesome erosion on steep hillside faces. "Kudzu Miracle Plant" Public interest in kudzu, described in Ameriea as a "miracle plant" for re ducing run-off and preventing erosion, has been quickened lately by the announcement that the plant has been suceessfully establislied in Siberia. Knrly reports of experiments in New Zealand with kudzu were disco„uraging, its failure to become fully establislied being attributed to tlie dampness and cohlness of thc climate. When reports of the successful growth of kudzu in Siberia were referred to him by a "Tiiyes" reporter, ATr. C. N. .Tohnson, a member of the staff of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, pointed out tliat Siberia experienees exeessively liot, temperaturcs in the summer. He thought that perhaps the plant had been establislied there as an annual. Experiments with kndz.li were still continuing at North Auckland where some two-year-old plants now had vines stretching over 80 feet. The trouble, howeveT, was seed which was not readily obtainable, he said. Kudzu .is a deep-rooted, vigorous perennial, leguminous vine that provides a dense covor of stems and broadleafed foliage during tlie growing season. It is deciduous and drops its leaves after the first killing frost of the winter. These leaves, together with the vines form a heavy laver of absorptive orgauic material tliat reduces run-off. It has been suceessfully used in most of the southern States of Ameriea and in the Philippines. American research discovered that kudzu does not grow well on wet soil, ; although it establishes cjuickly on river bottom soil provided it is well drained. It is so dceplv rooted that it will continue growing riglit through a major drought. It is not onlv good for reclaiming the soil and preventing erosion, but also it has excellent" grazing properties. The onlv drawbaek to kudzu, even in Ameriea, is getting it establislied. Tt takes from three to ffve vears to vield any large percentage of foliage. The plant grows from crown huds, and from lmds at the nodos of the vines. It has no undergronnd lmds. Tn Ameriea a spring and summer growth of 50 feet has been found to be not unusual.