GROWING WHEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 106, 28 September 1914, Page 3

GROWING WHEAT.

To the Editor. Sir, —We are tolil that we cannot grow wheat in Taranaki. Why not? Thirty years ago Mr. Mate, of Puiuiho, showed me ;<uid between the I'uniho pa and the beach tliat yielded 70 bushels to the acre. I remember the late Mr. Clui.ifc Messenger, of Otiomuii, who <toMi ime as he went into New Plymouth to sell wheat that lie asked the miller what price he was giving. The miller said 3s <W lK'ir lj(MiJhel : , tot Mr. Mtswaiger said, "It is quoted ill fthe at 3u 9d. "Yogi," the miller siiiu, "but that is for fowl wheat. "Well," Mr. Messenger said 1 , "mine is fowl wheat." "In that case we fan give you Us i)d." This goes to show tlhait in those days sec-ond-grade wheat was scarcer than' firstgrade in Taranaki. A Maori showed me an old mill site near I'uniho where the bluejackets from New Plymouth, with Major Parris as guide, found and destroyed 150 sacks of wheat. There is also a mill site at Warea. I saw the mill-stoncs there, and they were not badly dressed for wheat grinding. Back of Pungarehu there is another old mill site. When I came to Pungarehu, 33 years since, there were some nice crops of wheat about. Strange in those days, 1 never saw a Maori drink beer or ride in a motor. I wonder who taught them lhaso things? Even a noxious weed there was -rare. Aire these pmho of Hie blessings of civilisation? If we don't prow wflieat- in Tainanaki, let us not 1/ame the land and say we cannot. As a boy I heard two farmers talking. Sam said, "Jack, you have gut a bad crop of potatoes." "Yes," Jack said, "but I thank God at alfl," said Sum; "you can thank Cod for them. "You need not thank your own bad farming-." Some of us farmers in Taranaki expect the Lord to do a lot for us.—l am ,ctc., M. J. MacRJiYXOLDS. Opunake, 24/9/14.