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THC SAND DRIFT PROBLEM.
Ia part 7 of vol. 6 of the Forest Flora of
New South Wales, Mr. J. H. Maiden,
F.B.S. devotes a chapter to the coasuler
ation lo the sand drift problem, which ia
stated to bo' of national importance in New
South Wales, but whick abo exists and is
increasing in Western Australia. It ia
therefore desirable that" readers should
learn any lesson available from the mother
State. In stating the question Mr. Maiden
expresses the opinion that the sand drift
problem is a forestry rather than *n
engineering question, and shows that tn
-France it has been placed under the Forest
Department. Most if pot all maritime
countries have to face the problem of chitt-
ing coastal sands, but New South Wales
has an interior problem as well. In new
countries the native vegetation bas usually
reached a condition of equilibrium more or
loss stable, in regard to sand, and the 6and
does not drift j but when settlement takes
place, the passing of people, of vehicles, tho
moving of saud to make roads, and the
browsing and trampling of stock upEets the
conditions and under the influence of wind
the sand starts moving inland and over-
whelms large areas cf fertile land, veget
' ation, and 'buildings. Various examples of
the need - for reclamation works tn New
South Wales are given but we have local
evidence at Geraldton, Fremantle, Bunbury,
Margaret River, Karridale, and largest of
all on the coast south of th« Warren. Con-
siderable space is devoted to the various
methods followed with success in France, i
Victoria, and South Africa ia stopping:
«and movements and rendering the waste1
area productive for forestry and pasture.
These arö to» long for reproduction. The
most valuable method is tho planting of
marram grass, followed by trees.
The eecond part of the paper is devoted
to a discussion of the more difficult problem
of how to deal with the moving sands of
the dry interior. The main causes are!
stated to be droughts, overstocking and
rabbits. The article is both informativo '
and suggestive, and is a valuable contrib-1
utton to economic literature. J
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