THE NOT SO GOOD EARTH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 952, 8 November 1957, Page 11

THE NOT SO GOOD EARTH

Sir.-Apropos of "Sundowner’s" note dated September 30, I wonder if, were. he a dictator interested in land problems, he would treat control of land deterioration in the same way as control. of gorse? Admittedly, the problem is a greater one, in all its facets, than that of invasion of good land by gorse. The high country farmer, on whose land erosion is most noticeable, is faced with less secure tenure, higher costs and a stiffer fight against the elements than the foothills farmer. His income is, perhaps in a less suitable situation than one where farming is more diverse. But considerations such as these should not prevent this nation from making an attempt to halt further deterioration and bring the land back into a sate condition. i understand that in Italy the government instituted what appears a most enlightened land policy many years ago. All land was classified. Farmers on that land which was considered to be in a dangerous condition, with respect to erosion, were placed under compulsion, very similar to that which "Sundowner" suggests, to improve their land. What progress has been made with this I cannot say, but the scheme is sound. Farmers may argue that theirs should not be the onus in land improvement. Much eroded country is leasehold and a good deal is owned by absentees, not even living in this country. Landowners, farmers and the nation should shoulder responsibility but every case should be taken at its merits, The damage is done now, and was accomplished, primarily, by the first fires lit in a vegetation already unstable with respect to climate. Further fires and over-stocking by sheep, deer, chamois, goats and rabbits have aggravated the situation. Perhaps there is no suitable native plant acceptable to sheep which can expand on to steep unstable slopes and hold the hillsides together in a harsh high country environment. What a pity that manuka is dying out at the- hands of sooty mould. If we do not do something soon about fencing off the scarred hills, reverting to utilisation of lower country by better farming methods and getting some, any, kind of plant cover on to bare shingle slopes, we will be faced with the very much more frightening prospect of fighting uncontrollable floods on the plains. Engineering works in shingle-choked river beds seem a poor second to water control by vegeta- tion in river headwaters. The answer seems to be that we, as a nation, must quickly spend a great deal of money in research and works to salvage what we can from the mess before it is too late. Farmers who do attempt to improve their land should

be given every encouragement but the good of New Zealand should come first.

C. J.

BURROWS

(Christchurch).