Waitoa.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 410, 12 October 1889, Page 2

Waitoa.

[From a Correspondent.] The ground still continues very wet. and there seems to be little probability ot any low swamp land becoming dry enough for cropping before the season will be too far advanced. In fact I fear the season is not likely to prove a very favourable one for those who depend qu ' cockatooing/ foi n living. If Messrs l3al!ance, Richardson, & Co, who so glibly lay before Parliament the wonders and privileges of a holding in New Zealand of 50 acres (more or less) only understood the hardships and uncertainties connected with farming in this district.thoir pen anil inksketches would bo less representative of apecond land of Canaan than they now are in the published i*eporlx. It has been laining here, more or less, nearly ever}' day for the last four months, and settlers have had little opportuuity of getting in spring crops at all. Those who have put in any potatoes have done so at considerable risk of their never coming up, and acres and acres of grain crop have been much injured by the cold wet weather. There seems to be insufficient natural underground drainage about Waitoa, and it takes several days of fine weather to rid the land of water. It is a comfort (though it may be like Job's comfort) to know there is dry weather in store for us. It would be a real pleasure now to get a few really fine days to dry the ground. To increase the difficulty the late heavy wind seriously injured the prospects of a fruit crop from peach and plum trees, either blowing off leaves and fruit, or else turning the leaves black and bhnvelling them up like a fried boot. A greater d'sappointment, however, in the direction of fruitgrowing, is 'the continual trouble regarding the apple crop. The fungus seems to he an ever-abiding evil, and how to fight it successfully is the difficulty, I believe as aiule it is incmable in a tree when once infected, and is tranrmitted by the snp of on affected tree in the usual form of root giafling so much j in vogue in parts of this country. As in the case of <'i^pase amongst mankind, the conditions of so ; ' and climate have much to do with tho developement of the disease. Personally I admit I have not had a very wide experience in these matters, although I have tried various remedies, but find prevention tho best cv. c, and I am '

going to paint what few trees I have every 3'ear with ordinary whit© lead and oil all round the collar of the roots just under the ground. It does not hurt the tiee, and I have proved that it is a good preventive. If I plant a few young trees I pdnt them before I put them in the ground. One needs to experiment when trees of seven or eight year's growth rot sway at the roots. I think you 1 Morrmsville Correspondent in his report to you was having a quiet sling at Waihou and Te Aroha West the other day. He appears to know the exact line that divides his goodly land from ours, and perhaps it is a good thing to know that there is- no land 'over there' that watnts draining. The lOt small ratepayer he refe-s to may be poor light enough,, bn-fc that is nothing to bo ashamed of ;. ami I don't see that tho figure 2 in connection with one's name is any disgrace. Every man m a unit ia almighty space, and if over there in Canaanany individual can divide himself up to* count more, then I wilt yield to him as asuperior individual.