The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1913. SAND DRIF PREVENTION

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 July 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1913. SAND DRIF PREVENTION

Settlers in and around Levin will note with special and personal interest a report issued by the .New Zealand Agricultural Department concerning experiments carried out to determine the best means of combatting the sand drift evil. The experiments referred to were carried out by Ihe Fields and Experimental Farms Division ol the Agricultural l)e|.arl meiil. The experiments already conducted show that t he procedure which had been found most successful in checking drifting sands by settlers in the South was the use of marram-grass and sea-lyme grass, and the sowing in ihe sand, on (he land side, of tree-lupin, gorse, and broom three members of the legume family. These not only add nitrogen to the sand, but, by reason of the foliage they shed and their decayed steins and roots, they provide the desired organic matter, ami humus is thereby created. A further stage in the work of reclamation was introduced by the Department. This consisted of cutting down the tree-iupin, broom, and gorse when these had served their main purpose of binding the sand, and planting on the improved area the annal lupins the white, blue, and yellow and ploughing these in when about four month* old. The burying id.' the heavy foliage and roots adds a large amount of organic matter to the sand, while IliCnilrogen-eon-lent is further increased. II has already been demonstrated that lucerne will flourish well after the tree-lupin, gorse, and broom have been removed, and potatoes, carrots, and parsnips have also done well. Ryecorn has been grown with equal success. With the introduction of annual lupins (for which the .Fields and Experimental .Farms Division of the Department is responsible) and ilie growing ploughiug-in of these a simple solution for the utili/.a : lion of sand areas is presented. The process, it has been conclusively proved, will gradually convert the shifting sand into a sandy loam capable of retaining moisture and of growing lu- ! guminous crops, the persistent cultivation of: which, under such conditions must undoubtedly quite transform the charactei of the sand and convert if into a valuable plant-growing medium. ACCIDENT JTsSI*JiAJN'CE. A paper laid before Parliament pursuant to Section 22 of the Government Accident .Insurance Act, UM)N, gives details of business done, by the accident insurance branch of the Government Insurance "Department (.New Zealand). I n it I IT' Government linsurance Commissioner says: "I have the honoui to submit my report on the business of the Accident Insurance Branch of the Department- for the year ended • > 1 sf December, l!)J2, together with the Revenue Account and Jialance-sheet. The premium income amounted to £2- r !,-")1-j, as against £20,750 in 'HJll an increase of £2,757. The rates were increased early last year in order to oiiver the additional liability imposed by the Workers' Compensation Act, 11)11. The, claims (including those in course of settlement at the end of the year) amounted to £12,01 (i, an increase of -£1,51!). The ratio of claims paid to premiums received remained practically unchanged, thereby indicating that the estimate of increased liability; upon which the increased premiums were based, was well founded. • The income from interest was .£•),- 21.9, an increase of i'-10-'! on

that for the previous year. The total expenses (including taxes and commission) -were <£7,269. The ratio of expenses 4 to premiums was IJU.9 per cent.,, showing' a satisfactory reduction on the rate for tlie previous year, which was 01i.2 per cent. The funds at the beginning of the year —i! 1.7,201. have been transferred to the Reserve Fund constituted under section 20 oi the Government Accident Insurance Act, in accordance witli the intention expressed at last year's report. The hinds at the end of the year now under review, amounting to ,£7,448, <o!is'r(|uently represent the excess of income over outgo for the year 1912. After transferring' the amount referred to the Reserve .Fund stands at The mortgages on properly have increased from lo .£(iS,iS4o, jind the financial position of the Branch is on a satisfactory footing."