LOWER MATAURA.

Southland Times, Issue 1317, 4 October 1870, Page 3

LOWER MATAURA.

BEBIOUS DKSTBUCTION OP GBOWINO FLAX BY FIBE. (TEOV. OTTtt OWN CORBE9PCNDEWT.") While we have been congratulating ourselves upon the accomplishment of reunion with Southland, and indulging in renewed hopes of seeing the Mataura bridged at M'Farlane's ferry, a serious loss has befallen the district— none the less grave because not generally appreciated. Some of your readers will be aware that the portion of the Tuturau Hundred bordering on the Mimihau Biver, and extending for four or five miles north of it, is (or rather was) for the most part covered with heavy flax, fern, and tutu—- the flax being of re- j markably fine quality and luxuriant growth ; in fact, it might be called the finest flax-field in Otago. The Mararua j and some other smaller creeks running through it afford ample water power. "When the chance of flax becoming a staple export was no longer a speculative .uncertainty, the greatest part of the finest of this flax land within a moderate distance of water power, was bought up by various parties with the view of ultimately erecting mills upon the purchased sites. Two mills are already at work, those of Messrs Shanks and Messrs M'Lean, and great hopes were entertained that several more would be started this summer, and that this district would become a busy centre of the flax industry. To a large extent these ex pectations are doomed to disappointment. Early on the morning of Sunday, 25th, a fire arose at the head of the valley on the leading ridge between the Mararua and Wairakeka watersheds. By afternoon of the same day it had pushed half way down the valley, and steadily advanced onward spite of the efforts of Messrs Shanks and others through the night. On Monday morning the breeze freshened, and the fire swept rapidly over the whole of the 500 acres recently purchased by Messrs Calder and Watson, and onwards over Messrs Shanks's land, destroying almost all their best flax on the south aide of the Mararua. Mr Robt. Shanks's house narrowly escaped the fire — a sudden shift of wind seconded the efforts of the beaters. While I write, smoke may still be seen ascending from small nnbnrnt patches. Messrs Aim and M'Lean, by great exertions, managed to arrest the fire before it reached their flax-land. Had they not succeeded in doing so, the whole of their flax, and also that on sites belonging to Messrs H. L. Squires and Brown, Ewing and Co., of Dunedin, must have been sacrificed. As it is, over 1000 acres of magnificent flax has been ruined, for flax once burnt never recovers its former luxuriance, and the large quantity of grass land that has also been burnt will leave the ran overstocked, so that the cattle will not fail to destroy the young shoots of the flax when it grows again. Independently of the loss of flax, a great _ «eai«ity of- feed will restdfc, as. the Hundred is already overstocked, and there is also great risk of heavy losses of cattle I>y tutu. The origin of the fire is as yet a matter of conjecture, and will most likely remain so — probably somebody pighunting or some one smoking, threw away a match, and we see the sad result. It is to be lamented that more sympathy and activity was not displayed by the neighboring settlers. If, on Monday morning there had been a good turn-out to beat down the fire, all Messrs Shanks' a lobs might have easily been averted, and nearly 1000 acres grass land saved from the fire besides. Politically everything is very quiet — no candidate for the forthcoming election being talked of as yet. A petition to the Council is being signed, asking for an alteration of the boundary of the Mataura Electoral Dis- , trict, so as to exclude Tapanui.