AGRICULTURE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5488, 16 October 1929, Page 3

AGRICULTURE.

PROBLEMS ON THE PLAINS. INVESTIGATIONS BEING MADE. Very important work is now being undertaken on the Hauraki Plains by the Department of Agriculture, which has, at last, heeded the numerous representations of settlers to station an officer in the district for the purpose of conducting experiments and investigations into the various problems of agriculture peculiar to this country. Mr J, Shepherd, late of the Weraroa State Farm, Levin, has been appointed to commence the work. Possibly he ! will continue it, but it is certain that the work will be continued. Mr Shepherd was instructed to take up his f residence in Paeroa, but the inability to secure a house made it necessary for him to reside at Thames. As yet Mr Shepherd is only getting his bearings, for his instructions and his observations have shown him the complexity and greatness of the variety of the problems to be tackled. The deteriorated grass country in parts of the coast area presented itself as the most serious problem, and a start was made a few weeks ago on experiments designed to ascertain the effects, if any, of alkaline influences in the soil. Experimental plots have been established on three farms, £wo at Pipiroa and one at Kopuarahi, and here top-dressings of various fertilis- || ers and chemicals will be tried. When the representative of this paper found Mr Shepherd last week he was engaged in searching for the eggs of crickets. The problem of the plagues of crickets and wood-lice is I being undertaken by the Government entomologist, and some weeks ago Mr Muggeridge visited the Plains to collect cricket eggs for the purpose of having them hatched so that the life || circle of the insect could be observed, v A further supply of eggs was required, hence Mr Shepherd’s search. Very little is known of the life of the cricket, and this information is necessary if steps are to be taken to exterminate the pest. Possibly the most vulnerable time is the egg stage, for considerable difficulty was experienced by Mr Shepherd and the representative of this paper in finding any at all, " just as difficulty had been experienced by the Government entomologist some weeks before. It is thought that possibly ciickets fly at some stage, and it was significant that eggs were very difficult to find where the crickets were knovzn to have been the thickest. Cficket eggs are cigar-shaped, about a quarter of an inch long, and vary in colour from pale-slatey-blue to brown, and then black, according to age. They are laid on the surface of the ground and are covered over, so should be found quite near the surface. ® In conversation with Mr Shepherd it was learned that there is hardly a problem or difficulty experienced by Sr- | Hauraki Plains farmers in matters of I agriculture which will not be investir gated. Obviously this will take time, / and results cannot be expected at once, but it is very gratifying to Hauraki Plains farmers to know that the job is being undertaken, and by a man who has a thorough grasp of his subject.