A GREAT PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 16 March 1912, Page 8

A GREAT PROBLEM.

EEGRASSING CENTRAL OTAGO,

MR. MACKENZIE HOPEFUL.

The Hon.' T. Mackenzie, who returned to Wellington yesterday from a visit to Utago, told a reporter that the regrassing experiments in that province had .not inaclo as much headway as he had hoped for. In all, about eignty different varieties of grasses were being tested and many of the experimental areas had been teuccit iu so that it might be seen what the rest process would do. In some places, where ureas had been fenced in for Mate forestry purposes, the Minister remarked, the native grasses had grown up knee-deep and similar results were hoped tor in the case of the experimental areas, incre were some areas in Central Otago where the soil had been absolutely swept away by wind and water, and these would be very difficult to deal -with, ."in the' Mackenzie Country;" Jhe Minister remarked, "where the graseee are beginning to suffer a great deal we have been experimenting with a good many varieties and the experiments have nowbeen in progress, some tor eighteen mouths, some tor twelve, 'and some lor six months. Some of the grasses grow, but'will not stand the- frosts. Others have -grown and. stand the frosts welt. Considering the thing as a whole, the}' are making. not a bad show. White clover, for instance, is doing well and so are cocksfoot, phaluris,. some of the danthonias and some fescues. Then some of the introduced poas aro shaping exceedingly well. Altogether, 1 tiiniK. it can bo said that we. have lighted on some plant life that will improve the pastures of that country. Wo have not yet ascertained," Mr. Mackenzie added, ' how these grasses will stand feeding; that nils to come yet." ■ • In General Otago, he went on to remark, a much graver problem • existed than in tho-Mackenzie Country. Pastures had-been ruined by : over-stocking and indiscriminate, firing by settlers; the rabbit had done its share, and as a whole, little care had been bestowed upon the country. Mr. Mackenzie mentioned the case of one Central Otago run which,- in 1879, carried 75 thousand sheep. JSow it carried only 25,000. Another. area in 1879 carried nearly half a million sheep and now only about half that number. These were, perhaps, extreme cases, but tho carrying capacity of the country had been enormously reduced everywhere. The regrassing of. Central Otago was certainly a very great problem, Mr. Mackenzie remarked, but he did not dispair of something being done to improve a considerable extent of it for the reason that the rock foundation, consisting largely of mica and schist, was full of plant food. Over a great part of the land in Central Otago a thistle, known as the star, or winged thistle,, was spreading. It came early and made a splendid fodder plant. In some places it was an enormous aid to farmers and the more it spread the better. The pursuit of a steady policy of irrigation was another factor that would do an immense amount of good in Central Otago.