The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, November 4. A PLEA FOR THE BUSH.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 554, 4 November 1881, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, November 4. A PLEA FOR THE BUSH.

SLasi) generally i.s increasing in value, jin-1 on the plains this may l>e specially {said of those few patches of bush that cover the lower spurs of the youthovn Alps. On the 24th of la«t month Messrs J. T. Ford and Co., of Christchmch, disposed of a quantity of wooded land, situated in iVol Forest and liiiuknpuka Uush, and tiic prices #ivon were very good The liirge.st section offered, con-sisi-hig of over 40 acres, brought no loss than £"29 risn ague, and in another instance the more righ;. of removing timber from tho land v a-3 purchased at £10 10s I'EU ACRE.

One mil?t'recollect also in estimating , these s iles properly, ttiab the bush sold is ni'inv miles from tho railway, nnd a good way from any grer.t centp'S of pojinlation. The timber, too. in these lociliiics is 1 iv no inoaus specially heavy, 'nut the purchasers doubtless recognised the fact, that bush is indeed scarce in Canterbury, u'ld tluifc those who can keep a few acres will be richly rewarded.

iYieuiiwJiil*', the greatest part of the IV.uln-ula people are end'avorin? to iiustiuy lierUag/B by ivzn -rsalessly x-iiliiii'4 Uiv\ h "ruing , ns n<? they can, rswry ncre in itjisli tTiry possess, v terly lieedles* of \iv\ lints ivhcii improved nvjll liive rendered it «f great vulu'. They want the land cl"»r.'i'l t> fe.!il thuv cattle, '-noil tvimt -wood the ax: j spires the .fire It is not alon > the lloss v>l , (U , titu'Wr x'.ut is t:> b.s regretted. A"i it isn weighty nrguluwitin "ft , .;*)! - of ivtilwiy-extension •; burn :it nlf mi 1 :tli« ii i'll t>t' our tow a with i!v.' capital l>:>"<rno!;nnro r.niiotp. It 'tinusfc l;o Vicool!oi:^ : l tli it "in spjmkInu; of btisli iv«.i iw.nw tii-.it w li-oii cnutains trous avsxi!'i'ltV'.' in ten)) r 01 , firtiA-ood. There nro 'urmiy i'loxisftii'la «>f acres of liifht sorul) mi Vμ tVniasu'lu that (exc-'pt tor ovn uM,int-.il.vu:-p.isc.i') are ■of no utility, and Uto s<.) n«r fioy iirc ckjiveJ nnd laid down in "IS y-i;s tin better for all.

We curTaMu v. nrgurnonts to prove thj absolute 11 ■(-s.siLy rf a part •of the bum in every b.iy standing, for other rejoin tluui that of the futuro v la>>. of ho timber, The beautiful g-reon hue which makes onr hills so attractive to tho visitor during certain seasons of tin year, an-1 the great stock-carrying capacity of the land, is undoubtedly ia a grout measure due to moisture. This moisture 1-5 certainly attributable to the proximity of bush, which attracts the rain clouds and shades the water when it falls, tints keeping it from evapomting too speedily. A groat ik-al of this moisture the trees exhale through their leaves, even in the dryest season of the year, and by this means, keen tho pastures in their neighborhood comparatively fresh in spite of the burning sun. When we advocate the total destruction of the small scrub, we particularly exempt that which b-MK'ticc!!!- nature has placed on the bji-iL'i-o oi the numberless creeks

that intersect our hill country, apparently for the express purpose of p eventing evaporation taking place too rapidly. In many of these hills, the disastrous effect of the wholesale destruction of the luxuriant veg tation which once fringed these streams, is but too apparent, and many a Peninsula farmer can tell the tale, that although he has more cleared land in grass than formerly, he can teed less stock than he usel to.

Another result to be div.id.-d from the total clearing of stoop wooded country is the increase of slip* The tree .roots bind tin- soil, and when the l>ll h is cut down and the roots rot, the vegetablemould exposed to the sun cracks find admits the rani in the w t seisin. Tho water soon penetrates to the bA rock, and renders it so slippery that the whole surface soil slips awny from it, leaving another space of bare stone, utterly useless for feeding stock. In one part of France a range of hills originally covered with bush, were denuded of the trees, and in a few years the results were terrible. As the roots rotted the soil slipped, till the whole rangi became nothing but a series of rocky precipices, and a fertile country once capable of supporting a considerable population is now n barren desert.

We would as;c settlers and public bodies to bear these things in mind, and endeavor as far as in their power lies to stop the present profitless destruction of timber. The time is not tar distant when even firewood will be scarce in certain parts of the Peninsula, and those who, in spite of the bad example of their neighbors, keep as much timber as tluiy possibly onn, will then reap the rich reward that their foresight deserved. Many persons destroy bush b .'cause they think it inaccessible, but they must recollect that every year communication becomes easier, and the time is not far distant when the hearths ot many of the Plains farmers will be supplied from the remnants of those Peninsula forests which have been so recklessly destroyed in the past.