AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 56, 27 January 1868, Page 23

AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times. SlH —I don't like being troublesome, but your compositor, in my last letter, has printed “ allotter" instead of. “allotted': making the meaniug directly the opposite of that I had written. Again, “Silk, amongst the marketable products which might be produced in our climate, is omitted. For this branch of ttidusfry, 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.

But Sir, I overlooked one thing that I intended to mention; which is the cultivation of Sorghograss, (Sorghum) otherwise Burra, or Bournmillet, as being likely to suit our climate, and to prove both useful and 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 com food of a great part of Africa. It is extremely productive, fully equally so with rice. It is extensively cultivated in Asia, in the south of Europe, and cdso in North America succeding weu as far ,torth 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 ofthe colony, thinking on these things. No advance will be made until an interest has been awakened in the subject.—l am, Sir, yours obediently, andformerly A TILLER OF THE SOIL.