ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 23 August 1917, Page 46

ON THE LAND

In his annual report,, the Commissioner of Crown! Lands in Taranaki states that during the past six months the Crown has acquired by purchase from the Native owners of the West Coast Settlement Reserves over 14,600 acres in the Opunake, Waimate, and Kaupokonui Survey Districts, known as the West Coast Settlement Reserves, most of which is already held by tenants under the provisions of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Acts. As “The Native Land Amendment Act, 1913,” confers on the tenants a right of acquisition of reversion from the Crown either in feesimple or under renewable lease, it is anticipated that the majority of them will in the near future avail themselves of securing a title under either tenure direct from the Crown. The proposals for dealing with new lands in Taranaki during the coming year include the offering, chiefly for discharged soldiers, of an area approximately 20,000 acres, partly in the Waro Survey District, and in other localities in the northern end of the district. In the south part of the district about 600 acres, recently acquired from the Native owners, will also be offered for selection in suitable areas. The stem eel worm pest, which has lately manifested itself in lucerne plots at Werribee (Victoria), has been known for a long time in Europe on account of the damage it does to onions, oats, rye, clover, and lucerne. For the guidance of settlers in the affected district, the Victorian Water Commission has published a circular, with directions as to the means that must be adopted to eradicate it (says the Melbourne 'Age). The worm is not distinguishable to the naked eye, but under a microscope it is seen as a slender white worm one-fifteenth of an inch in length. It reaches maturity in 14 to 16 days, and thus in favorable circumstances a new generation may be produced every month throughout the summer. It grows on the inside of the stem of the lucerne plant and uses the sap which should nourish the plant, causing a discoloration. Settlers are advised on the discovery of affected patches to pile straw on the lucerne and burn off. Other advice in the case of large affected areas is to “starve” the worms by growing crops that are immune from attack, such as pease, barley, potatoes, maize, and certain grasses. Where the pest has secured a firm hold a course of treatment extending over three years is recommended by the Commission before lucerne is again sown. This treatment involves bare fallowing ploughing, sowing with immune crops and burning the stubble after harvesting. ——.— It is well known that red clover will readily grow on some acid soils where other legumes, such as alfalfa, will not flourish. The reason for this is not understood, and the State experiment station has determined to secure accurate and scientific information on this subject. If red clover will grow on these acid soils, will the nodule-forming bacteria that reside in its roots fix the nitrogen of the air and so increase the soil supply of nitrogen as well as if this soil was limed ? It seems to have been pretty well established that the liming of acid soils will increase the growth of clover, but if this is not true in all cases it will be well to have complete evidence before we are committed to the extensive policy of neutralising all the acid soils that predominate in some sections. We shall await with interest the result of the investigations to be made by the station with several different types of soils, for the supplying of nitrogen and organic matter to the soil with the least labor and expense is a matter of too great importance to warrant hasty generalisation. Notwithstanding the great importance . to soil building of the free-living bacteria and the nodule bacteria or legumes that have the ability to gather nitrogen from the air, our knowledge is very meagre as to how these bacteria actually do their work and what is the relation of soil acidity to the apparently different types of bacteria of the several legumes. It is a matter well worthy of scientific study, and it is to be hoped that such study may develop a practical application. . . . .. . , .