HAURAKI PLAINS SOIL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4433, 28 June 1922, Page 1

HAURAKI PLAINS SOIL.

EFFECT ON THE STOCK. INSPECTOR’S OPINION. Subsequent tp the discussion at the last meeting of the Ngatea branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union additional correspondence was received at a meeting of; the branch on Saturday. The director of the School of Mines advised that he could not carry out its soil analyses within a reasonable time. The best and cheapest plan would be to get the analyses made at the Agricultural Department’s laboratory. The following letter was received from the Instructor, of Agriculture, of. Auckland, Mr. T. H. Patterson: “I believe a number of analyses were made a few years ago of peat soils in this area by the chief chemist in this department. As far as can be ascertained there is no injurious substance in the peat to cause the cattle sickness you speak of* in your letter. This matter has received a good deal of attention • from, officers of this Department, including Dr. Reakes, Colonel J. Lyons (chief veterinarian, Auckland), Mr. Green (manager, Ruakura farm), and myself. We have made several visits of inspection tp the Plains. The consensus of opinion among the veterinarians is that the trouble is due to parasitic and dietetic causes. The mortality among the stock is, as you are aware, greater on the Plains than on the higher country. The scouring among" the animals is due “to the infestation of parasites” (Col. Lyons). It is not, however, the sole cause. "From the agricultural/ point of view I am convinced that dairying will not be a complete success until the area is adequately drained, the peat area is consolidated, the soil limed and manured, and sufficient winter feed provided to keep up the strength and condition of the animals during the colder months. Generally

speaking the land is rich, and it is a process of time even after the drainage engineers have done their work until (he land becomes free from surplus moisture, dry,’ and consolidated enough to receive lime and manures to produce satisfactory results. “As each year goes by there will be slow improvement because of the systematic drainage already established on the Plains. On many of the farms I inspected I found, that further drainage could be effected without very large expenditure and bring about considerable improvement. On portions o l f many farms '"field pipe drains, underground, though fairly costly, would be worth considering. Among the farms I have visited during the last couple, of years are Messrs Phillips Bros’, and Hayward’s, of Ngatea. The names of others I cannot just remember now. “Incidentally, I might mention that the trouble among stock which you refer to does not occur to any extent on the side of the river at Ngatea where the soil is of a cl|ay formationMr. Hayward-’s experience bears this out. “The collecting of soil. samples,” concluded Mr. Patterson, "is done by an officer of this Department, as the work has to be followed up pretty closely. I do not think it necessary, in view of: the systematic inspections that have been made of the Plains, to make further soil analyses, but the advice tendered will mitigate the trouble referred to, and as the drainage improves, and with it the farm practice, the difficulties now met with can be overcome.” Mr. Hayward said the N.Z. Co op. Dairy Company had sent Mr. Bertram', who was going to go into the matter. Mr. Bertram had taken away a sack load of soil for analytical puiposes. Mr. Andrews said the inspector’/: letter was practically the same information as was given by another man some years ago.