SCARCITY OF WATER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 723, 12 October 1859, Page 5

SCARCITY OF WATER.

To the Editor of the. Lyttelton Times,

Sin,-^The scarcity of water in Lyttelton has lately become a serious fact, and would have. been apparent, much earlier in the year liad it not been for the wells sunk in different parts of the town by the Provincial. Government. These, in ordinary years, would doubtless have been sufficientfor the use of the inhabitants, but the long run of dry •weather, and the constant demands made upon.the wells from day-break in" the morning render them nearly all dry hy noon' in the day. AhposHhe only resource left has been the spring in the Hawkhurst road (commonly known; as Salt's Gulley), -where in ordinary times there is a running stream all the year round; latterly, however, the constant throng of men, women,;and children from almost every part of the1 tbwn;;ahd the prolonged absence of rain'have tended to exhaust it early in. the day, and so soon as a little water has accumulated, iivi the JioleV, it is again.visited during all the hours of the night. . :v;:

.This is ; a.very; pitiable state of things, and I am glad that the -Government is about to take steps to remedy, it. Till success is achieved under these means, we niust' needs take the deprivation in the test way we can.

My object in troubling you with this communication is not to brood over a grievance which unhappily does not require a newspaper to bring it to light, but to suggest a means of supply which has com,e under my-notice, and by means of which an almost' inexhaustible quantity of water may be had at a trifling outlay. r .

In the Hawkhurst road, on a piece of land next to that in the occupation of .Mr. Dale, is the source •of the water to be found in the gulley. The opening is on the side of the spur, some height above the bottom of the gulley, down to which the^ water comes trickling in a pretty1 good stream; but by the time it has run 100 yards from its source, I should think that at least three-fourths of the water is absorbed by the ground or otherwise wasted. The means I wish to suggest for -its ..preservation would be for a small cistern 'to be made at the spring, and from this a' pipe:to'communicate iwith a large cistern, bricked and plastered, to be made at the corner of London street and Jackson road. The pipes would have to be laid on the hill side and some- distance above the bottom of the, gulley, or tliev^would soon be put but of order by' the great body of water, forming a small mountain torrent, that rushes down after -continued • rain. 'It would be quite out of the questioiv to meddle with this spring during the present scarcity, as commencing any works and spoiling the water would be cutting «bff the very last resource left to us. ,: . -

This suggestion is made at the present time in order that it nmy, if deemed advisable, be acted .upon when water,is procurable from other sources; and thus the dread of another calamity, like that Xyttelton is suffering from at present'may be prevented

E. E. WRIGHT.

CHEVIOT-MERINO SHEEP. To the Editor.of the Lyttelton Times.

Sir,—Would you oblige by publishing the following extract from r the- 'JLaunceston Examiner,' Tasmania. The cross of Cheviot rams with Merino vvres, I am sure would' be beneficial to the flocks of this prbvincerdepastnring on our mountain ranges; and better adapted for the cold, wet country south -of Dunedin, than.thepure Merino. : '

' I ai}i,;Your's obliged, - ' ! ' GNILWOD. Rakaia, Oct. 10. , . . • (From the • Ltranceston Examiner.') Thotfe gentlemen who purchased the Woolnorth raras of this -cross at the show of tho .Northern Agricultural. Association last year will he glad to learn, from the- following-letters, that the wool stands very high in the estimation of the best authorities in Eng'and. We uiiderstaiulr.iVom Dr. Grant that there were two samples sent—one of Cheviot-Merino,'and one of Leicester"Merino, iv order to ascertain theirTelatiye value. The fleeces were only of lOmonths'-growth, the. animals being September lambs, were shorn in January, an'l again in. November: The name care was taken in the breeding of both, and they were a fair average sample of-their respective breeds whea attention U paid to purity of blood on both sides." '.",

With regard to the Cheviot-Meriub, it is obviously upon the nest cross those who are in • favour-of cross-bred sheep must depend for a general flock; and as : itappearsHhat the wool is not deterioiated in value, even in'- the first cross, we shall have in the second cross, ','more closeness and finer quality without diminishing the weight of fleece," besides, tne additional advantages over the pure Merino of very considerable increase of carcase, greater aptitude to fatten, .and a much hardier nature. By always breeding from half-bred Cheviots we might, in course of time, establish a new type-pf,sheep, viz., *' CheviotMerino of the. second' class,"well adapted to the Australian •colonies, inasmuch as, it "combines , the requirements" of;the "Euglish market for wool, anii'of the colonial market for Tnutton." ' '■-'■:';- ';: :-';'-; ';"; :; ■■" " ■ "'•'•' ■'

(Copy)

"13 Gresham-street, E.C., London, "lith May, 1859.

• "Sir, —I got your-letter, per. Star..of. Tasmania, and this morning the samples of waol, which I have shown.to two.woolbrokers, from one of whom, "Hughes, I will send you a certificate.' As to tho Cheviot-Merino, which is the very thing wanted, if- the ewe^wool '■. is anything^ .long and strong (for Tiogget is hardly a fair sample) you had better stick to'this wool, -and not seek to get it finer, for what you gain will be very little, and you may lose.in the carcase, weight of wool, and iStrength of fibre. In thw view the brokers .quite agree, and particularly if the sheep with one cross.are.hardier, earlier in ' coming to maturity, and rear lambs" better, the argument has more force. I strongly recommend you-not to seek anything better than the hogget wool you have sent home ; aud if you wash it clean you will be satisfied -with'the result. The Lei-cester-Meriuo is rather too much like what can be grown in England, and is not worth so much I should say by 3d. to 4d. per lb. The bth»r sample (Cheviot-Merino) would, I think, bring from;ls. lOd. to Is. lid. per lb., which is as much, or .more, than any but priine'flocks .of Van . Diemeii's Land would briug at these sales.

(Signed) •« F. A. DdCroz."

• Report on Cheviot-Merino wool—no .better opinion in London, aud Jacoiub confirms it. . ..-..,. i

(Signed) " Dalgety and Co."

(Copy.)

" 10 Basinghall-street, May 18. "Dear Sir,—l have carefully examined the samplo bundle of wool from your i'riend Dr. Grant. I consider it very good combing, and the condition very satisfactory, mid well suited to the wants of this market. More closeness and rather finer quality would be desirable, if it can be obtained without diminishing the weight of fleece; the condition is of great consequent to our buyers, and in this respect it contrasts very .Javorably with most other brands from the colony, which are this year in wasty condition. Your sample represents a good sound healthy wool. ■ ••

" lora'yours trnly,\ , ■ . . • -♦•.Henry T. Hughes."