A FERTILE DISTRICT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 252, 14 January 1928, Page 23

A FERTILE DISTRICT

VERITABLE BAY OF PLENTY DEVEOPMENT POSSIBILITIES FEW apparently realise tlie great possibilities for the further development of the natural resources of the Bay of Plenty. Yet, there is every evidence that the district Ls on the verge of a substantial move towards increased produc-..,.. tion. /•

TV tie near future the district -will 1 be linked up by direct railway ith Auckland, and. In addition to *7-, within a few hours of the main « Zetland markets, farmers there be enabled to land manures and utier farm requisites at considerably reduced costs. Tie Bay of Plenty was one of the irliest settled districts in the DorainIts mild climate and stretches ,t rich tillable flats early proved it a tlstrict well worthy of exploitation by the farmer. Even when Auckland L. only a small village we read of he arrival of kumeras, pumpkins, ■writers and other farm produce from down the coast." To-day dairying has superseded sheep and cattle raisin* aa the principal industry, while maiae-srowing Is also a substantial aide line on many of the farms. Practically every branch of farming can m curried out profitably in the disrict and the question is really one of costs and marketing. It is spec.ally suited for fruit-growing, and citrus fruits such as lemons do admirably well. Yet in spite of their possibilities Bay of Plenty farm lands need men who Know their job. The district has seen many failures and disappointments, especially during the past decade. Much of the land requires special treatment and, tackled with ordinary methods, has sent many men to the bankruptcy court, while few have reaped rewards commensurate with the labour and the capital expended. This, of course, refers to the lighter terrace country—and the untillable lands. To-day, the district is one of contrasts. Rich highly-productive flats lie between areas of poor hills, cleared once perhaps, but now rapidly going back into scrub and fern. Much of the hill country adjoining the low-lying stretch along the coast should never have been touched. A good example can be seen near the roast, just below Opotiki. and in the Waioeka, the country alongside the new road through to Poverty Bay. Simitar areas are to be found in the King

Country, Taranaki and down the West Coast of the South Island. Under present-day conditions with the costs of fertilisers, etc., as they are, it would never pay to handle that class of country, and the quickest way out of the difficulty is to abandon it. There is too much land in New Zealand capable of enormous development to make it profitable to play about with poor untillable hills, carrying only a thin layer of soil. Hard as it may seem the time has come for holders of this class of country to admit their failure and make a fresh start elsewhere. Of course this is not referring to country that will stand fencing and stocking with cattle in order to keep down the second growth and bring the pastures in. That, however, is sufficient for the poorer class of hill country to be found in the Bay of Plenty. The district comprises large areas of tillable country capable of enormous development. At the back of Whakatane, especially, huge areas of rich ploughable flats are being only partially worked, while the properties, on which higher economical production could not be brought about, are well in the minority. It is on this class of country that great development will be registered within the next few years. The linking up of the railway between Auckland and Taneatiia, providing cheaper fertilisers and giving accessibility to a good larket, will do much to make this possible. Bay of Plenty flats have been kept back over the past decade as a result of land bought in at high prices, embarrassing holders and leaving little surplus cash for the working of the properties. Many farmers have been so involved that they have had little recourse but to allow the property to deteriorate until they finally went out. The effect of these times, however, is gradually passing away, and already there are signs that the Bay is passing into a new era of prosperity. Among the dairymen there is a decided move to higher producing herds, while everywhere greater attention is being paid to pasture improvement. As a result

of top-dressing much of the easier hill country is being brought back into profitable occupation, and, where only a short while ago scrub and fern predominated, lamb and bullocks are being fattened at a profit. Yes, it may truly be said that to-day, even many of the older Bay of plenty holdings are only being partially farmed. Yet, many farmers have recognised the need of more scientific management and applied it with a resultant profit. Following in their lead, Bay farmers, generally, must within the near future do much to make their district one of the most highly productive in the dominion. LIME IN THE SOIL WAYS OF LOSS No soil can produce healthy and abundant crops unless it contains an adequate supply of lime, and therefore the question of liming is one that should occupy the attention of farmers. A dressing of lime becomes exhausted in several ways; it is soluble to some extent, and is washed out by rains; this is proved by its presence in drainage water off farm lands. Prom a plot at the Rothamsted Experiment Station, England, as much as 2501 b per acre has been found in the gauge that catches the drainage water. In addition to that source of loss, lime is used up when it acts on the soluble phosphate of superphosphate applied to the land; it has the valuable effect of causing the soluble phosphate to revert, and, while precipitating it in a very fine powder through the soil, it saves the phosphate from being washed away. When sulphate of ammonia is applied as a fertiliser a portion of the lime in the soil combines with the acid of the nitrogenous fertiliser, and this is no longer available. On considering these ways of loss farmers will realise that it is essential on most soils to apply every few years a dressing of lime to maintain fertility.