DETERIORATED LANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 February 1929, Page 7

DETERIORATED LANDS

NOT DUE TO SOU, EXHAUSTION. (By AI.D. in “ Auckland Star.”) Quite a large number oT people in New Zealand, have learned the art of agriculture, and from them we do no: hear anything of deteriorated mini?. Very few erf those who are engaged in pastoral pursuits have interested themselves much about pasture management, and it is from them that the principal agitation about pastures comes. There is a deterioration manifest in pastures, and as a consequence in stock, but there is not any evidence of soil exhaustion worth considering. If, however, the soil deficiences arc actually the consideration, that is quite another matter. The South Island has not the problems of the North Island. It is true there was great deterioration in natural pastures of the southern island. However, that was due not to soil exhaustion, but to indiscriminate burning and infestation of myriads of rabbits. These causes removed, the natural grasses again began .to assert themselves. 11l another way the pastures (if the North Island will also reassert themselves if they are given the 'oppor-

tunity. It may he said that this is claiming too much. Experience and close investigation prove that the average landowner who has only recently come face to face with the condition of

pasture-deterioration, is at a loss in the solution of the problem. I'.ven those who do realise the seriousness oi

the position, and have some appreciation ‘erf the means to re-establish the pastures, do not always available themselves of that knowledge, for immediately there is a reduction in the number of sheep on the property they hesitate. It may be realised that there

never were sufficient cattle to do the

pastures justice. It may be argued if the land cannot carry the numbei already upon it, what then is to happen if more cattle are put upon it? Jt seems an absurdity to say the more cattle carried the more sheep carried, but that is, substantially, a fact. Where cattle are too few or wrongly applied, pastures cannot be kept clean and healthy. Beware of becoming over-solicitous for the condition of the cattle. Almost as soon as the objective is turned from wool to beef, money is being lost. Almost to think beef on a sheep station is wrong. Yet, ol

course, cattle will fatten for the market, and be turned off to make room for stores, or for the natural increase.

n the course of conversation, a station-

owner only a few days ago made this very frank admission to the writer. He said: “ T kept ofF a heavy stocking up with cattle until about two years ago, and now T know that at last I have found the right way. Paddock by paddock, each one in succession is cattled, until it is bare and brown. The cattle are stocked in large numbers, and they are used hard, so that tho v

you Id clean up each paddock comelctey. It. is necessary to give the cattle r.

little let up at times, hut they are.kept pretty busy. The sheep are shifted after them when the pasture has had time to spring. It comes up clean and sweet and in a good sole, as if it harl been resown, and sheep of all ages do well on it. I thought about drenchina the hoggets, hut did not. The sweet, clean feed keeps them in good health and condition.” That man has recognised the worth of rattling closely, of subdivision, and of shifting stock, and ho is becoming wealthy. It is mostly the younger generation that err. I was speaking to one of the older generation only to-day. During the war he had been general manager for several estates, on which he carried out the rattling policy. He, however, failed to agree with some of those in part ownership, and so relinquished his trust. Those properties rank among the deteriorated. Only a short time ago the owners informed him that the places had gone hack, that the pastures were suffering, and the sheep wendying. They asked what the matter was? The gentleman whose services had not been appreciated at even a fractional part of their value told them, rightly, that their runs would never he restored to good pasturage and to carry healthy stock without a drastic course, oif cattle.

There is nothing so misleading as the constantly repeating statements concerning soil exhaustion. Travelling over hundreds of thousands of acres of pasture land in a year, one realises that there is little or no soil impoverishment. Plow could there be such a condition when only the thinnest layer of surface soil has been exploited so far. It is not as if the. soil had been ploughed and harrowed and sown and reaped and turned over again and again. It has not been cultivated and that is the trouble.

The natural cultivator has not been employed. Dig bullocks and active steers have not been employed to break up the surface and to give the roots a chance to penetrate to where they can obtain nourishment. Year after year sheep have been eating into the crowns of the plants and padding over the surface until it is so consolidated that the roots have never had a chance to develop. Give such country a good rooting about with cattle and the grass will come again fresh and vigorously, for it is only in a root-bound condition.

It may he said that in many cases there in a deficiency. That may he so. for all the food may not he within •' reach of plants until the earth is stirred up about them and the roots are strong enough and long enough to forage more deeply for the required mineral content in the soil.

Fertilisers provide easy feeding for plants and develop the root system, hut the best is not made of the means to hand. Far from having exhausted our resources, we have not yet seriously drawn upon them. It is flic wrong use that is causing almost the whole of the trouble to-day. There are not any deteriorated lands in the North Island, but there arc deteriorated pastures for which the owners are responsible. Yet those pastures are by no means past repair, ai.ul that is being demonstrated 10-da.v. Naturally one cannot, make use of cattle without the necessary subdivisions. Watch the grazing stock and see what selectors they' are until pressed with hunger and confinement. Cattle live and thrive on rough herbage, but they do not to any great extent graze upon it from choice. The necessity must he forced upon them. Jt is not implied that there is not such a thing as soil deficiency. It has been proved that such conditions exist, but that is another matter that will he dealt with on another occasion. Meantime it is urged upon land owners, before any other means are tried, to use those that are at hand, and that ivill be in the majority of eases sufficient. I am not at all sure that the fertilisation of hill pastures is to he the success that is predicted. There will certainly be a reaction if the means of control herein advocated are neglected. Cattle must not he primarily revenue producing. They must be looked upon as agricultural implements. There may he alternating seasons ot leanness and of plenty, hut no mattei what deficiencies may "be demonstrated by animal life and by analytic tests, there is not u general deterioration of soil or of pastures that is not easily explainable and easily overcome by stock control and supplimentnry aids, as supplied in fertilisers and licks, where such are considered necessary.