Temperate

Zone

White Settlement Possibilities in Central New Guinea

By P.B.

rtERE has been considerable discus sion concerning the possibilities of large scale white settlement on the high plateau lands of Central New Guinea. During a recent visit to Rabaul I found interesting facts concerning the above areas in the official files of the

Department of Agriculture.

The plateau areas under discussion are presumably the Bulolo uplands, the plateau at the head of the Purari River, embracing the Mt. Hagen. Chimbu and Bena Bena districts, and the high coun try in the Upper Ramu River area.

Of these areas, the Bulolo uplands, it is authoritatively stated, are unsuitable for agricultural development for many years, owing to the mining activities.

The Upper Purari areas have given us little useful agricultural information to date, and apparently it will be some time before they will be opened up for private development.

The T.N.G. Department of Agriculture has for several years maintained an agri cultural observation post at Aiyura, Ramu, about nine miles from the Upper Ramu post.

Aiyura is typical of a great deal of the surrounding country and is at an ele vation of 5,875 feet above sea level. Crop production experiments and daily meteor ological records have enabled the De partment to compile a series of definite

figures on the subject. A large selection of crops has been tried out, and in many cases excellent results have been forth coming.

In one case, 500 lb. of potatoes were gleaned in 21 months from the planting of 40 lb. of tubers. A still better example of the soil's productivity is seen from the production of 1,112 lb. of potatoes from 75 lb. of seed. The area planted in this case was one-tenth of an acre.

The meteorological data for this area is of interest. The rainfall is moderate and evenly distributed, the humidity is fair, and the temperature range truly temperate. The following figures for Aiyura have been set out in table form for ease of comparison and are compared with corresponding figures for the Bulolo area:—

The above comparisons are enlighten ing. Aiyura, and presumably much of the surrounding country, has a climate which can be described as nothing less than temperate and with its evenly distributed and moderate rainfall should be suitable for many crops hitherto grown only in

the higher latitudes. Bulolo compares favourably with Aiyura, except for its slightly higher temperatures.

If these figures, pertaining as they do to two widely separated points on the tablelands, are in any way indicative of the general conditions throughout the whole area, there is certainly an ex tremely fertile and useful future for the pioneers who may develop these parts, when they come to be exploited.

In passing, it is of interest to note that the reaches of the Markham Valley hold enormous tracts of extremely fer tile land, especially so on the higher shelf levels. It is a great pity that the proposed Salamaua-Wau road is not tak ing the Markham Valley route, as was once suggested. Although a road has al ready been built, several miles up the

Markham Valley, from Lae, the large amounts of new land capable of develop ment, which would have been made available by the introduction of a new through road, would have greatly in creased the assets of the Territory, Appar ently the Markham route would have cost

Date of observation Aiyura (Ramu).

Bulolo. 1938.

Height above sea level 2200 ft.

Average maximum temperature 87.5°F.

Average minimum temperature 67.5°F.

Extreme maximum temperature 95.2°F. <Jan.) Extreme minimum temperature 57.9°F. (Aug.) Monthly mean 77.4°F. (Apr.) Mean humidity (9 a.m.) 78.2% Extreme humidity Minimum humidity 86% (Feb.) Rainfall, monthly average 4.45 in.

Rainfall, extreme average 8.65 in. (Jan.) Greatest fall in 24 hours 2.48 in. (Nov.) Greatest monthly fall since 1933 .. . 26.39 in. (Jan., 1934) 11.45 in. (Mar., 1931) Least monthly fall since 1933 0.85 in. (June. 1931) Average for 1938 53.48 in.

Annual average since 1933 55.62 in.

Monthly wet days, average 12.2 Cloud average 6.2

little more to construct than the now accepted shorter but more difficult and less useful route.

According to the mining interests, the golden present is a more important con sideration than the productive future.

Perhaps they are right.

Mr. lan Maclean, dental surgeon of Rabaul, whose premises in the W.R.C. building were destroyed by fire at the end of August, arrived in Sydney in Sep tember to obtain a complete new dental equipment. He will return to New Guinea this month.

Mr. Andrew Ker has resigned from the New Guinea Administration and has re turned to Australia. He was a clerk in the District Services Department for some years and recently had been sta tioned at Wewak.