SOILS OF WESTLAND

Abstract

THE soils of Westland are, in general, a sad-looking lot 'at the present time. Over large areas of the lowlands their native robes of timber trees have been taken away or torn to shreds. Some small areas have acquired a new flimsy garment of pasture or foreign trees, but large areas of flat and undulating terrace lands are a ragged quilt of rushes, ferns, mosses and burnt tree sturnps. Hills previously in tall forests now have a mass of small trees, shrubs and ferns without timber value. If the soils could speak, they would complain that they had been treated like gold or coal (which to a soil is worse than dirt). Gold and coal are .I inert, diminishing resources of only temporary value to Westland. Soil, on the other hand, has living components that give it powers of recuperation so that it can be used over and over again. It need not be a diminishing asset. With assistance from man, soil can increase its natural productivity and maintain this at a certain level indefinitely. Hence, the soils are potentially a far more important asset to Westland than gold or coal. But this is not apparent either to the resident of Westland nor to the visitor. Along the highways or runways they see derelict farms and wonder if the soils are inherently poor or whether the timber trees took all the "good" out of the soil. On the other hand, the abundant growth of unpalatable plants would indicate a potential source of productivity in the soils.