Submitted by admin on April 22, 2009 - 21:09
Early Self-contained Arable System
The early European settlers who came to New Zealand last century were familiar with agriculture as practised in their home countries and followed similar methods here. Broadly speaking, their system was a self-contained arable one, including areas in grain, with roots as a supplementary food for stock, and some pasture. Oats were grown as feed for the working horses and a little pasture hay was made. The pastures were of nondescript type and usually deteriorated rapidly. No fertilisers were applied. The following statistics relate to farming in the Auckland Province in 1855 and give some idea of the system followed:
Area fenced | 43,761 acres |
Wheat | 1,224 acres |
Oats | 2,108 acres |
Potatoes | 2,124 acres |
Pasture | 19,662 acres |
In many places this system was not a success. The cash cropping and continued cultivation inherent in the plan depleted the supply of plant nutrients and organic matter in the soil, and declining fertility frequently resulted. Where the natural fertility of the land was low, production could not be sustained at a profitable level. Towards the end of the century it became known in New Zealand that artificial fertilisers were in use overseas and were proving successful in replenishing and building up the supply of plant nutrients in impoverished and naturally infertile soils. In 1904 the first fertiliser trials in the Waikato district were laid down by the Department of Agriculture, a phosphatic fertiliser, basic slag, being used. Excellent responses were obtained and a new era in farming techniques was opened up.