AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 545, 23 January 1868, Page 3

AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

To the Editor of the Ha wke's Bay limes. Sir —l don't like being troublesome, but your compositor, in my last letter, has printed “allotter" instead of “allottee" : making the meant ug directly the opposite of that I had written. Again, “Silk," amongst ike marketable products which might be produced in our climate, is omitted. For this branch of industry, the leaves of the Phillipine mulberry is the best food for the worms, as the fruit of the black variety is the most pleasant for the mastication of the owners and feeders of the insects. Bui Sir, I overlooked one. thing that I intended to mention; which is the cultivation of Sorghograss, (Sorghum.) otherwise Burra, or BouramiUet, as being likely to suit our climate, and to prove both useful mid remunerative. It is a very strong growing plant, yielding a great bulk of stem and leaves, and growing to the height of from six to eight or nine feet. In its green state it produces excellent food for cattle. It abounds in saccharine matter, and large quantities of very good sugar may be obtained from its expressed juice. The grain is the principal corn food of a great, part of Africa. It is extremely productive, fully equally to with rice. It is extensively cultivated in Asia, in the south of Europe, and also in North America tucceding well as far north as the State of Maine. I must, however, caution your readers against supposing that I expect all that I have written about to be undertaken at once, I have written to set other and active people, who are anxious for the welfare of the colony, thinking on these things. No advance will be made until an interest has been awakened in the subject.—l am. Sir, yours obediently, and formerly A TILLER OF THE SOIL.