RECLAIMING THE SAND DUNES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2196, 8 July 1914, Page 12

RECLAIMING THE SAND DUNES

BIG 'AREAS OP- , WASTE LAND

"M'i'i...WHAT;iiUROPE DOES ■", '/.'hero,, are,.,nearly 300,000. acres of shifting [sand dunes in thu -North island, the greater part ot ulrteh might bo turned to profitable use. Largo Btrctchw of ..dunes: ard'onHhe" wes't ciiatt c/l-tbp.North, Jslaud, and their .possibilities, woro dealt 'with , by, l)r; Oockajfie in'iin interesting repbrt'somo' years back:., ■", y ;. ;'. ~ :. fje: ni<jyeincnt 'iulunj of. the. coastal I , ! 9 ? , ■.■ r "- jwiiits, .ojit, is a national concern, sineo through 'their odyajjeq' iuucli valuable, land has.been ruinod in Ihp past, wjiilo. .yearly further destruction takes, place, tlio evil at tlio Kam'o litilo becoming iridio' difficult' to suppress , ..' Such 'depredation'," confined effjf/is-to aiimited and little-visited area - and appearing to be tlio affair merely'of :i he few' v.li'oiii ft ■ affect's is apt to V<J,verlbokfid; while' tlio comparative/ slowness 'of tends to. inako its ■ extremo' importance.' for mischief underestimated. Nor is it generally known liow large an area "n New Zealand is occupied T)y thwo moio or less moving sands ami virtually a desert, but wlueh'"jii(lg'nig" t'rom the experiences of; Ktirope, might be rendered not only,harmless, hut a sourco of wealth to the nation. Itoughlv spenkiin', there arc* in tho North Island 'JfJO.fXHJ acres and in tho South Islnnd 24,000 acres. Figure.-.■ sneli as tlieso bring home at onco the importance of the dune question. This has indeed to som<? extent Iwen recognised by tho passing of the Sand Drift Act of 1907. Also, a bonus h given, to such lessees of Crown duneaieas as ])lant them with certain specified plank, hut this arrangement as now oxistiiiir is not likoly to load to anv useful results. ..'.:.'... ' :/.Protection of Coast, , , *:, In JGuropo'.lho cuUuro of <]unes has been in'Vourcss for nioro than one hundrcd;yoars.-;; ,'i'herc tho Hrst object js not rc'.-laiiintion at nil, but the protection 'Hiis is a matter which" a's'v'et Ihas received little attention , 'in.'New Zealand, nor has ex-ainiuatioiiiip-td' tli'e present revealed «ii.v pressing "need for "action. At the same time,' tho sea does niaku encroach-" nients, as af the Ocean; J'eachrDtinodin; at various points on tho coast'of western' Wellington; near New Hrigii-" ton. Canterbury; and elsewhere. Clo?c----l.v bound up with coast ■ protection is tho obstruction' of waterways. Tliiu is exemplified by tho bars of rivers and estuaries, which, although mostly of marine and Iluviatile origin, "aro ftrcngrhenod by sand from tlio dunc3. Sandspits crowned by , dunes also bear nn important relation to harbours. As lor the dunes themselves, the damngo they do is twofold.. On tho.ono hand, at their extremo landward boundary they bury good ground quite free from s:ind. adding it to the duue-arca, anil, on "tin , other, they overwhelm u. great, deal of fairly good low-lying land nithin tho duiio-areas themselves. UeBiiles fertile soil, Valuable ilax swamps arc fillM and ileHroyed. Also, wati-r----cenrues are choked or diverted, and the drainage 'of tin , neighbouring', rouiitry. h iii'ncli impaired. , , '."'.'.'.'..'„ . finally tin , dunn-nrea* .''heiiiselvevv, jio\y '.iiniily diverts njid always a nienfier- to tlio. iieighlioiiiing val'iaWe''land, cvi-h 'ivhfii' siipprtsi'd to lie cheeked Iry Bhdl<;i'rSliii)s. 'fiiinuld he roelainu'd and iniide pi'oiliietive by affiireslation. There is K'belief'aii'iou(*Ht'many that'sea-spray i>; 'hltoii % 'i'.» r jijltagjtii.istie, and that nfr(tf("itnt!'ju, "uer.r lin- rliore at any rate, is iinpnssilil< ; . Such forget,' or do r.ot ktii'V,' that natural coastal forests, , r.<;i\ ( ; ven ! I'llliK , ' filio.st«. cxiM Mi NVw /niliifnl.' 'and, "thai various I roes and Blinibs (lioluttaltaua,*Chatham Island

ukoakoj etc., grow even on cliffs subject ■to constant wetting with sea-spray. ' The best-known and always-quoted example of afforestation is that of the dimes of Claecony. in France. Here tbi> justly celebrated Brcmontier, during tho closing years of the eighteenth century, using methods which havo sinco been modified and impiwed, covered extensive areas with the maritime pine, which have yielded largo qualities of turpentine More, important still, because tho work has been nooniplishod in the faco of greater difficulties, has been the afforestation of the German dunes. And it must be" impressed upon the reader that tlio climate of North Germany is Jiov in this sanio category with ours, since thero the severe winter forbids tho uso even of gorse, let alone treelupin and many othr plants which are hardy with us. It is recognised by all authorities on dune-reclanintiou that n close covering ,of trees gives tho most permanent stability to the sand; its establishment is tlio final goiil. Forests havo been established for many years on various dune-areas, in Europe. In Germany, generally speaking, marram-grass is usedt'only for tho forcduno, whilo immediately/in its lee the planting of trees takes place without any preliminary fixing by sand-binding plants; but tho sand is lirst lixed by a. network of sand-fenced Jjo, too, in France extensive forestiiiroas, gained not by planting butby rowing seals, extend from just boliiiid the forcduno inland. .. . ~ Experiments Needed. ... So far as Now Zealand is concerned, no "trcc-plantinu of nioment has beeu cnrried ; out- under dillicult conditions. It> is true: that in many parts plantations havo been successfully formed on the'-elder l dunes and hollows at some distnncofrom the sea, as in tho neighbourhood of Foxton, New Brighton, and elsewhere ."'".At Ocean IJeach, Dunedin. too; •Irecs-arc growing very well indeed in fairly closo proximity to tho'shore. But i.iitho nbsenco of definite examples of the inoiol diflicnlt planting of trees Upon the jtfdw Zealand dunes, it must bo understood, says Dr. Cockayne, that what follp.nn regarding dune-afforesta-tion isrltorvbo considered suggestive rather thill:! definite. Before aiiy extensivopldnting is attempted by cither the '.Government or privato enterprise, experiments as to methods, and in somo cases as to trees, will bo required. So far as dune-afforestation in general goes, apart altogether from tho trouble witlr.indvSflpsiind, tho climntio difficulties' nrp usually very considerable, and those increase as tlio shoro is noarcd. Succosspe-at : a distanco of;a milo or nioro from {ho sea are no. inensuro of what' can.bo"accomplished in tlio intervening .space. Nor can tho experience of a fairly .sheltered shore or a specially moist climate, guide tho would-bo planter of,'an average New Zealand dune-area. Tho fear so commonly expressed that dunes provide too poor a eoil for trees may bo dismissed at once. Heduco-tho.'forco of tho wind, arrest tlio moving: sand, and a surprising number, of, trees and shrubs can be grown with ease. Even the present experience of ■.NeW-Zealand, notwithstanding. tlio "sraallThinbiiUt of dune-planting, supports this'&6,<iertiou. trees of many kindsj- hardy Australian acacias, cuca- • lypti,. various willows and poplarsj to.gttbeiv -with: many other aborescout prai)tCtletai)p(l further on,. are grpw[•in~- excellently oh apparently pure ■sand-iff» various parts of tlio Dotnin- ' ' : ;V.."rtiQSt important distinction to be drawrrin arranging for sand-planting is ■between- tlioso species \vhi?h can toler- «&." sea-spray and tlioso which cannnt ~?lo"'sev "Tho* former arc obviouely suited for planting close to the shoro behind tlio shelter of tlio foreduno, nnd also in positions specially exposed to uolent salt gales, Mich as those- of Tarauaki.. Spray-resisting trees in sliort arc esneeiallv important as shelter-holts, behind;'which will cotrio (he ordinary sand-toleratinc trees. Commercial Value, That which lias been nlrcady stated regarding tlio danger of dislumiiig tlic plant covering of the aunos applies also to artificial duno forest. For this reason bonyj authoiitici. loos uiwn duuu forest as ii piotccting but uot-tommcr-cial forest., It seems to me, adds Dr. Cockayno, that tins tnay Iju quiio trm-, so_ ia'r'as New /(.'uiand ie concerned, with' rogiird to forest closo to tin , shore, but when it comes to our wide duneareas extending for eoiiif miles inland 1 can see'no reason, unless the dilliculti: , :) of establishing are tou great and costly, why tlio commercial should not be thu jnaiu aspect. Leaving tins aside for tho preJint, the demand for dune plantations near towns, etc., and on the public reserves will increase, and iv knowledge of the suitable, trees to plant and methods of plantinu is distinctly a desideratum, l'lio average owner of duna land knows" nothing of rcclamaiion inetboils; and even in the light of this report (whatever that may be worth), or with the , experiences ot others, bo is not convinced that his land would be amenably to treatment. Nothing but oculni" demonstration, or the .stimulus of a , general movement towards dune reclamation,' would ninko lii:u take action. Ami'in"some respects this attitude is 'not. unreasonable. .Much of tlio dimu 'planting in' Now Zealand is unconvincing, much'that has been successful enn-"n-:ns"tlic easier areas, whilo ns a rub the dune complex—i.e., tho crucial point of the whole undertaking—has not been dealt with at all. As lor foreign successes, it .might be said: "They are a lung distanco awav, while iho conditions may not be identical with our*." Dune reclamation, tlio world over, has bten considered rather the work ot tlio Slate than of the individual, Tho labcur involved n too vast, ami tlio in- i teresls too diverse, for it to ho undertaken by privato individuals, Thn most such can attempt is to make their holdings secure for the timo being. Caution Ursed. Now, In a matter kucli as this, it seems to-me the Government should pro.cwd;witU'.^i; oat cautiun. Too littlu is knowii./i')J;iirjli".i!i tho capabilities of our d.tiile.:;irC!ts,nfor improvement to predicate •an-efisv success, while still less is kho'wii;'• a».•J^the cost of such an underthis barren land bo turned even were thu coat greater;.~tJfjiJJ that-'of alforcstation genwould cry aloud lor its accoinpt»imcnt. Hut e\cn a. pioI'oiind liiioWdgo of ordinary all'oiestatioa.lttetli!ft3t, and their expoiue, is of 'uo;,nigiHeitE*with regard to . planning wurk on *<;h& dunes. Before iifforoula-'lioii'-*6"ifn: experiments as to iis feasibility should be carefully carried out, and, along will) such, oilier experiments;, showing various methods of. duno rcclamatijii and their cost. Theso would serve as an object-lesson for those'who live on the dune areas. Experiments &uch as tljpse are of equal importance With any that can bo dc,signed, on.,iho experiment farms, and they havo the merit of being eminently practical. If thoy bhotild show the best and cheapest methods of stopping snuddrift and checking wandering dunes thoy would pay handsomely. 'And if they should sliotv, further, that the present Crown lands, wastes of sand as they arc, can, bo' turned into forest, which will not only be pecuniarily remunerative l)iit Will break the sea wind for iniles"iilon!£"lhe shore, then would tlio cost he'returned a hundredfold. . "Jjegarding tlio site for such expori-■iiH'lil's,"'-'ad(ls Dr. Cockayno, in eoiiiluding hi«"r'( l piii't, "1 have carefully I'ou.siiTi'irt'd'lliP i|iii'stinii, and with a knowli'ilgc o( most, ol the dune areas. My -opinion is 'that the dtincrt in tlin bourliood ol'.lio'in, Welliii«t<in, aro sprcially suitable, sinco they could bn easily visited by those intensted, pn , - sent siifiicieut dillioiiltii's, and are typical of widp areas. If experiments were 'Cdiiteinpliited elseivlicn , , under a difi'er- ■ cut climate. I would the dimes in tlio neighbourhood of Wundhill, Auckland. Iliilh these alias aic, I bclicvo, Nutivo land;"