PLANTING SAND DUNES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2932, 5 September 1925, Page 2

PLANTING SAND DUNES.

THE RANGITIKEI EXPERIMENTS. In hi* annual report, the Director °I Forestry makes the following observations on operations at the Rangitikei sand dune experiment station:— “Extremely favourable weather conditions aided progress during flic year, when there were fewer frosts, fewer strong winds, and a much lighter rainfall than the average. The frequent formation of wind-channel's in the foredune which has hitherto hampered progress is now being stopped by the burning of the drift-logs on the beach, as there is no doubt that masses of these logs were the cause of this trouble. Sand-shifting, due ii! strong wnids coining at different periods from two different points, has been effectively met by means of two parallel scrub fences, 12 feet apart, with connecting fences at 12 feet intervals. Scrub fences still prove the most successful type; 207 acres were planted with mar-ram-grass at a cost of £2 10s. per acre. The marram “nurseries” for providing planting stock from marram “sets” continue eminently successful, especially in positions where fed by drifting sand. Another 10 acres of marram nursery were formed during the year. Experiments in raising marram-grass, silvery sand grass (Spinifex hirsulus), and sand sedge (Carex pumila) from seed not respectively with poor, fair, and good results. Sixty-nine acres were planted trees, and of the trees planted n* previous years, insignis pine still proves the most suitable. Natural reproduction of native grasses and sedges since the area was fenced against stock is even more pronounced than a year ago. The headquarters of the station have been removed to a central site at Tangimoana, where a small forest nursery has been established.”