SAND DRIFT DANGERS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 June 1910, Page 2

SAND DRIFT DANGERS.

A LftVfN MAX'S INVESTIGATION'S. SOME SOITX7) ADV.TOE. A lonjr-esfcablish&cl -and obsorvnnlfc, citizen of Levin 'has suppliodi " Tho Chronicle" with the .siibjoinod article 'on film (Inrifxei's of tlio ssvii'tl drifts and tlVo.best liipaiis for coping witili tliem :—

Tin's is a voxel! fpips'tion, not <lefinitelv solvml, ami it is n question open to criticism. But Me more correspondence tlmt is brought to liwir on tlio best methods to clieclc the inroads of tho sand, the better, •is it should be tho menus tof mssistina; the local bridios and t<he Oovornmenlt to solve the difficulty, Willis lwlnins them to ■decide on fflinp definitiS' schome. As it i? it is a munofe to the town and, tho whole district. Tf t!>*» sand drift is nII'HVO-d to ■continue for inother do-

••a'V cr two, drifting a\\ the same rate- that it has done during the nas'.t five vcirs. then there \\'\]] not be a single hill left between tlhe sea "OT-'t r>ml tlvii Hfivowhenua lak<;. T" fi'ct, the lnk» will be a thing of Mie lvist. Ca.t+ln and rnbhits ar« I'vrirelv rf>.t;poii.si.!de for ifie rmiid of iihe .<">. nd drifts. Tli" vili'iit.s nre on the in-rMwasp. as is <-iiowii l)v the number of bun-oi , ' < ; on l -l'o hills fid mining t-li." TToki.T ! *i'WH. A few veirs wher , * l l;oro "'"S one li'iJTCM' ro-rVIV i.h'Vf , . n i'f n 'I--*™-!. This is "■oiiifr on '1-iv '"ill nif" ,l '!.. vo.nr ,'ifter venr. Tlum 'he hir' vn c,nf;}lr> n->> nbm'i); in <j«arch f -f destrnvin.ff Wi.e •Mi'loi-rrrowth. b''".nl-in.fr down bnnks ■Hid lnnl-pitr ,n wnd opeuiii" - for 't'b» wi"d fo et-irt a newsnnd • 7 v!fl. ji.mi -Uii> f!overn'"ent. ,:ie'iiiire the hind nothing ran be do n<?, V'vond w.iteh'in«r +h»'>iiK-:inds of norei "f (rood <rrn/,in(r Innd hocoming a h\Mr(\ snnd dcpprt.

There has been « r>-rp,ol- of "orrosiviildeii""" nn t'"' b»"t methwlq nf decline with sand drifts. The first, thing tot is +he position and na'ture of tlie land to bo dealt with. For instance, from the Ohau to the Wai win stream, would be one section: from the WaiwiH • stream to the Hokio stireann woiiild. ! >" tin; second sfction; from tlio Hokio strewn to the next .stream (nonthw:ml) would , be another spc-t.io-ii. Streams lake a very prominent place in the ret'km.nJtion of •ill .<?.aml drifts, us thev are ppinmnnent stops, and therefore make the work of I'pfl'-iiinnig much easier. A<s n part of all the sections can be ''>.al<- with .•>+ +b.p same time, ca.re «h i ould i be taken in comnipnelno; inerntions to start on the north .side of tli" p.trenm. working with tlw prevailing wind, in .an p.i.iterly diiwt.ion. The area* to be. pla.'iite:! should be thoroughly fenced flcaiiiKb nil stock. The sn'eat question is bow and what to pbmt to give tb? best, results.

Tlib marram irrass and lupm have 'ioHi liee.ii pir«"'«n to bo "TioTl sand redaimers. Of the two T prefer th) lupin, ms T consider we can get better results with it hereafter. Wo venuire sometbiii<rinoro-Ih.nn merelv rpcljviinino- the land: the \wk if possible di ; oul<l be m.ide piwllicHvp, and to gain that object we must turn our a.ttenrtiion n planialion nnd the tm«* suitable trees for tlio purpose. The lupin, after the first, vpfir. will h« .ciifTicienllv .ndvnnced i'i iiei<rht fm give shoW-r and M-armth to "II oth»r trp'«! in their e.ariv wnaev. and when the trees Wn •-versrown the lupins they will Ulumi '•« F.uffif-iently hardy t«" resist thr» "ales, the lupins at all times nlhording shelter and protection to the roots of the ti-Res from tho coW winds in the. winter, nnd tlie hot raws of f he- sun in .summer time. If we stmly our natural forest we will find •in abundance of undor<?imwfh which Nature has provided "for the kimrs of the forest; nnd for s,ic■w.shil |)laniting we must Iropp <is 'teai- Xat.nr ( > ■;..<; possibli-. The copfosma (.tnuoata) is r> lfirdy ev>r"reen shrub, and will do well fmnsit i.sa.aii'ati\'e of the \r\v Zealand slio'rcs. Tfc is easily '■ultmvtfvl. nnd usually t-o th« 'wiHit fif ten feet, and is well •ulnnlfed fo7- the foroprolmid of ■rork. The ngaio and the karaka ■1V(« lHh ,rr,;y] s ,, a v();]fii/ {~.,,g f. nn ,j pliable for the ».iriw*». Auriciri'.. I'A-celfn uiif'oubitrvllv the b-m', ti'ee for tTie sea coast, and at the same time it is the. graindiest tn-o ;n eultivation ; hut unfontunatly \l ;s too expensive for extensive plantMig. ]\« doubt there «re many oHier varieties of trees and shrub's siiiH■ible for this piirposp. All trem ami shrubs should be planted oTose enough to force the growth upwamcf, and ; i.s time goes on it it sim.plv the survival of tho fittest.

Oiumj .<i goo-1 belt of trees was prt'Moli.shed of t<Mi or twenty chains "••en. y flio foreshore, then fchei« won If I Uβ no tliffionlty in co-piiif? u-ifch the inland .nrras. At PruknkariW nnd Kxipiti Tsla.nd the <tr«i«j are exposed to the fnH force of .the westerly -frnloe. ;mtl still they survive and mnke headway. From On-oe li/ffmont northwards, trees are to h* seen growing on tlio son coadfc and doinff well, flnd thev are also eviwKod tn the gales off the sat. This is fl. duty we owe to a.iwl. is Wie arcnmen-t Ifilwifc oni»i bo bronght fonvarrl in fiir+.Jiorijioscheme. Pifo'hnihiy thrr* <ar* /Mf-hors ni our m\M who Imlrl view«< on this onp«f.ion. T,f .c 0 , rfihov '•''oiil'l triv« publicity M +,l T (.ir ,vv s 'Uii-oiipjh th« onlimiDß of this napw