A SOUTHERN TOUR (Continued.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 6

A SOUTHERN TOUR (Continued.)

Napier. I iiad only about three hours in Napier, and had only time to visit one small garden. This garden was situated in the centre of the level portion of the town. It was in the form of a square, and of about an acre in extent. Around the outer boundary there was a large border filled with shrubs and flowers. Inside this border there was a circular walk enclosing four grass plots. There wore four entrance walks to this garden ; they all led to a broad circular in fho centre which -was partly occupied with a rotunda or band stand. The garden was kept in very good order. During the summer evenings tho bands played here for two nights each week, and during those evenings the place was litealrly filled with visitors, the gardens being partly lit up by four lamps during this period. There is also a public botanic garden in Napier, bub from want of time I did nob see it. In driving to and from tho wharf to the centre of the town I saw some very fair crops of apples and figs. The latter were, as a rule, larger than those grown in the immediate vicinity of Auckland. Tomatoes also were pretty generally, grown, and I had tho pleasure of seeing two very fair crops. Conclusion of Tour. Now I have come to an end of the few notes made of a pleasant- trip through a portion of New Zealand. The trip altogether only occupied three weeks and two days, and during that time in seeing the different districts and the fertility of tho soils in some of those districts, I cannot help but wonder at what is called our depressed times. In »New Zealand we have got soils second to no other country in the world. Nob only have wo got first-class soils, but our climate is one in which most of tho grains and fruits of all temperate climates will flourish and givo handsome returns. Our climate, particularly that of the Northern portion of New Zealand, also borders on the sub-tropical. Lemons do exceedingly well. Oranges also give good crops, although the fruit is nob so sweet or well flavoured as those which are grown in countries which possess higher extremes of temperature. The grape v>ne also will grow and produce fruit of a certain quality. Now looking at all those horticultural, and agricultural advantages, New Zealand should flourish, and it is only a question of time and a little firmness on the part of the colonists in getting rid of our political humbugs who iiav# done more than anything else to ruin the country. When we place honest and good men in the position to rulo us, then New Zealand will take the first place as a British colony.