| Weekly Review No 370 (1948) Agriculture, Aerial Topdressing: The RNZAF has a new use for a wartime Avenger torpedo bomber. At Ohakea Airbase a container is filled with a ton of hillside superphosphate in a test to see if dropping the fertlizer from the air can improve pasture growth and stop erosion on hilly, inaccessible farmland. Tests are carried out on the runways to check the density of the fertlizer when dropped from various heights to give a basis for the coverage per acre. 02.05 Motoring, Disabled Drivers Special: Mr John Clare, a disabled ex-serviceman, has found a way of escaping the confines of hospital life. He has modified his car with steel roof supports, a pistol grip on the gear lever to work the clutch, a small handle on the right of the steering wheel as the accelerator and a second lever as the brake. 03.40 Taranaki, Drilling for Oil: The oil wells on Motoroa Beach at New Plymouth have been produced small quantities of oil for many years. Now another derrick has appeared on the beach and workers assemble the heavy machinery to start the drilling 3500 feet down to the oil-bearing strata. In the meantime, production continues at the old wells that largely run on antiquated machinery. At the refinery, 2000 gallons of crude oil are handled every week, producing 400 gallons of 72 octane petrol and about 1000 gallons of distillate, kerosene and diesel oil. The local Taranaki fuel is in hot demand from motorists, farmers and fisherman. Duration 07.54
|
