BURNING OFF.

Dunstan Times, Issue 307, 13 March 1868, Page 3

BURNING OFF.

'. The following article we take from the " Bruce Herald " : " If we were asked to point out the chief causes of the deterioration of our native pastures, on what are now called the ' old' Hundreds of Otago, we should certainly put first on the list the practice of burning off. In the earlier days of the settlement—the 'good old times' of Otago, when diggings were unknown, and the fern stood so thick in the gullies that its matted top would boar the weight of a man—these old Hundreds fattened cattle to prodigiously heavy weights. Spear glass and anise were found then in abundance, and, with a larr-e number of the finer grasses, formed a very different pasturage to what we see to-day upon the same hills. Now, over thousands of acres the smaller grasses and anise have almost entirely disappeared, and are replaced by the daisy, cotton-weed, cranesbill, &c. ; or, in the case of fern land, fern alone is left. The few straggling plants remaining of the broad cattle grass will be found closely cropped by the half-starved cattle which find the greater patt of their sustenance among swamps, and on the banks of creeks, or on the bottom of gu'l'lies. We refer more particularly to tracts of country where high fern and tutu have predominated". The prevailing impression seems to be that these lands have been overstocked, but we think that, upon examination, this will not be found to have been the ease. We can hardly cite a better case in point, or one more familiar to the readers of the ' Herald,' than that of 'he Hundred of Waihola. Tn this Hundred the acreage available for commonage up to the year 1865 was certainly not less than 60,000 acres, and the returns never showed more than 2,500 head of cattle and 2,000 sheep depastured. Yet the pasturage had in 1565 deteriorated to such a degree that the settlers began to sell off their cattle, or to remove them to other Hundreds or runs where better feed was obtainable. The presence of sheep depasture! on the same ground as the cattle was reason enough, certainly, why the latter did not thrive ; but the dying out of the feed where no sheep had been running. stDl

remains, to be..acc.oun r tcd fur.- This can .only be attributed to the pernicious practice 'of repeated burnings by the settlers ; and •it is our firm conviction that both settlers and runholders are losing annually to this country thousands of pounds worth of pasturage, by unreasonable, injudicious, or too often Tepeated, fires. Many an aero was better worth £1 for gTass some years ago than it 13 now worth five shillings. Very few people, in burning off, consider the after effects of the fire. In the first place, if the ■ground be Very dry, and the herbage high, the heat of the fire will be sufficient to destroy the vitality of all seeds lying upon the surface, and will also kill the finer grasses at the root. If the surface soil be mixed with small rounded gravel, the effect of the heat is augmented. We have seen patches of country with this description of surface soil lying perfectly sterile after repeated fires.' Another result is, that the surface 'soil becomes parched from exposure, and should a dry season ensue, such grasses as do spring are small and scanty, from want of shade and shelter. If burning be done very late in the autumn or early in winter, the young grass is nipped and often destroyed by frost. The proper season for it is August or September, with a gentle breere, and the fire should be as far as practicable back up against the wind. Country covered with high flax is often purposely burned at a season when the succeeding young shoots will be frosted down. Flax may be almost killed out by this treatment. Again, when grass land is heavily stocked soon after burning, the 'herbage generally, and tussocks being so much smaller, and entirely succulent, it will be eaten down very bare, which will tend still further to allow the ground to become parched ; in fact, the grass never, as t is commonly expressed ' gets a chance to rise.' Our farmers know well the folly of stocking their grass paddocks too early in the Spring, and some Runholders allow their country to lie unstocked for six months after burning, for the same reason. Unfortunately this course cannot be adopted on the Commonages of Hundreds, whence ■it follows that on Hundreds burning off grass lands should be repressed as far as practicable. It is most desirable that the Wardens of our Hundreds should endeivour to enforce that section of their Bye-laws Which forbids promiscuous firing of the herbage. There are many cases in which burning is absolutely necessary, which are sufficiently obviuus to require no mention. In the case of sheep on grass lands, when the burning and stocking are properly managed, a great improvement may be eilected in the pasture. We are of opinion, however, that on parts of Huns or Hundreds, on which cattle alone arc depastured, burning, except in the first instance to render the feed accessible to the stock, ■s at all times positively injurious. Where tracts of Hat grass hind, free from Tutu occur in proximity to ri ges on which that plant abounds, firing the grass land is sure to be followed by heavy losses of cattle from Tutu, especially in a cold Wet Sj-riur. It is to" be regretted that greater inducement has not been offered to our Squatters to improve the pasture of their Runs. "Investigations of commissions in Victoria and IS'ew South Wales have shewn that in both the; o Colonies tho depasturing capacity of the Huns in proportion to their acreage, is yearly decreasing. Doubtless tins will soon be found to be the case also in Otago. A clause in our Waste Land Act allowing our Squatters compensation for improving depasturing capacity per acre on their Runs being thrown into Hundreds or their leases otherwise cancelled, would, wo believe, work beneficially for the interests both of the Kunholders themselves, ami of the Settlers who succeed them on Hundred. Almost all the English indigenous grasses will vegetate and thrive .well in this co -ntry, if sown on the ashes of the burnt herbage immediately alter fires ; White Clover and Cocksfoot spread most rapidly, and once lirmly established, aided by the trampling of stock, will kill out and supplant fern and tutu after a few years. Oi late the most intelligent of our settlers have begun to give their attention to the improvement of our native pastures, and all that has been attempted as vet by them seems to point to ultimate success. We trust the Tukoraairiro Farmers' Club will give the subject the consideration it really merits. The ventilation and discussion of the subject .alone could not fail to be followed by the best results."