Reclaiming Sand Areas.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 13 August 1913, Page 2

Reclaiming Sand Areas.

Important work is being carried out in the South Island by the Fields and Experimental Farms Division of the Department in the reclamation and utilisation of sand areas. The procedure which had been found most successful in checking drifting sands by sertlers in the Southwas the use of marram-grass and sea-lyme grass, and the sowing in the sand, on the land-side, of troe 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 stems and raots they provide the desired organic matter, and humus is thereby created. A further stage in the work of reclamation was introduced by the Department, This consisted of cutting down the tree-lupin, broom, and gorse when these had served their main purpose of binding the- sand, and planting on the. improved area the annual, lupins—the white, blue and yellow—and ploughs ing these m when about -four 4' months old. The burying of the heavy foliage and roots adds a large amount of organic matter to the sand, whilo the nitrogen-con tent is further increased. ■■:'■-

It 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 Kye»corn has been grown with equal success With the introduction of f.nnual lupins (for which the Fields a»d Experimental Farms Division o£ the Department is responsible) and the growing and ploughingMn of these a simple solution for the utilisation 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 leguminous crops the persistent cultivation of which under such conditions must undoubtedly c^ite transform the character ot the sand and convert it into a valuable plant-growing medium.