Deteriorated Lands

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 156, 28 March 1939, Page 11

Deteriorated Lands

Sir, —There are several causes why so much hilly country of the Dominion has deteriorated, some of which are as follows: Badly felled bush, felling more in one season than can be kept in order, felling larger areas and not fencing. (When I say large areas, that is in proportion to size of the holding). Insufficient capital is another cause. Fifty acres well felled, burned, fenced and properly sown with good seed is better ultimately than 500 acres badly felled, unfenced and badly sown. There is another factor and an important one, sowing seed of low germination and full of impurities. Unless bushland (even if well burned) is sown in good seed second growth is bound to get the upper hand, as there is not the sole of grass to encourage heavy stocking, which is essential. Of course there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of acres which should not have been felled. The only way is to set up a smail commission of practical farmers (specially those who have farmed such country) to go thoroughly into the question and advise what, land is capable, at not too great cost, of improvement, and let those areas be at once taken in hand. I think, too, that every endeavour should be made ultimately to make such land pay for improvements. It is a big question, but, big or little, must be tackled and without delay.—l am. G. McGREGOR. Banana, March IS.