AGRICULTURAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1054, 13 January 1883, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL.

INTRODUCTORY. Since we took possession of this paper we have left nothing undone to make it as interesting to our readers a? the means at our disposal enable us to do. Various suggestions have been made to us as to the best way of con ducting it. One would like to see it go in for scientific information, another would like to see mining news in it, another would much rather tales and light reading than such dry stuff as leports of Road Boards, etc., and so on, till the heterogeneity of opinions becomes bewildering. It is therefore evident that we can never succeed in pleasing every body. Such a thing is a moral impossibility, and consequently there remains for us to do but one thing, and that is to make the paper interesting to the classes who support it best. To the business people of this town, with few exceptions, we owe nothing. In other communities the people take a pride in the local paper, they pot everything in it* way they can, and frequently advertise in it more extensively than they leqnire for the purpose of keeping it in existence, because they know that it is good tor any district to have a paper ot its own. Let any body take up any of the small papers published in any township in New Zealand and he will find it full of local advertisements. There cannot be any greater necessity for advertising in other townships than there is here, and we think that this paper deserves support as well as any of them. It has done its best to push the dislrict ahead, and success so far has been the result whether it will get credit for it or not. There are many willing to admit that we have done good, but there are very few coming forward to give us any substanDal recognition for it. At any rate the business people, with few exceptions, are not doing it. We have not much more than a column of good local ad- | vertisements, and we defy any town in [ New Zealand to produce so good a j paper as this on the same amount of local support. The fact is this paper is far too good for the amount of support it is getting, aid this shows that if it got the same support that it ought to get it would be even better still. When we took possession of it there were only five columns of reading matter in it, now we give ten columns each issue and sometimes 12 and 14 columns. But it is useless to expect the majority of the business people of Terauka to support anything that is not putting money directly info their own pockets. There are several firms in Timaru that contribute more towards the support of this paper than the whole of Temuka put together, in fact only for Timaru this paper would not be in existence 24 hours. And yet when the necessity arises we defend Terauka against Timaru, we stand up for it and advocate its cause on all occasions. It looks a very unbusmess-Hke thing to do so, but we do it, although it is not usual with people to advocate the cause of

their worst supporters against their hast ones. Our worst supporters are the Tenn.ka people. The farmers in the district are treating ns well. We have nothing to complain of as regards the majority of the farming community. A short time ago a firmer paid us a visit. He wanted to insert an advertisement, and there was another advertisement which he said he would want in a short time. Having ascertained the cost of both advertisements, he handed us a cheque for the amount, and in eluded in it the subscription to the paper for the past year, and also tor the next year, adding that the paper was doing its best to advance the district and that he felt it was the duty of everyone to help it, And that farmer is one of the most enterprising in the district. Anybody curious to know who he is will be told at this office. Now the class he belongs toareamongst our best supporters. We have scarcely ever asked a farmer to take this paper since we took possession of it who rerefused us, and consequently we think they are the we ought to consider first of any. We have resolved to pay particular attention to the interests of the farming community, and with the view of becoming thoroughly conversant with their requirements, a member of our staff lias undertaken to visit every farm in the district. By this means we shall gain an intimate knowledge ef the requirements of the whole district, and when any question arises we shall be in a better position to discuss it. The following is the report supplied by our travelling reporter ; The Opihi Bridge. I should like very much to preface my

bucolic investigations with something worthy of my subject, but at the present I find that my will and my capability do not run in harness well together. I shall therefore content myself with a description of things as I find them. The Opihi Bridge is the first object to attract attention. I see that the old part of the bridge is proclaimed dangerous for heavy traffic. I do not think it very safe for light traffic either Some of the planking is worn off and is not altogether over safe. Yery little outlay would remedy this evil, and I should advise the Road Board to look after the matter before any accident occurs. The new part cf the bridge has been constructed differently from anything of the kind I have ever seen. Instead of the planking being laid transversely, as is usually the case, the exactly opposite course has been adopted, with the result that locomotion on it is both difficult and unsafe on a frosty morning. Probably the engineer who des'CJived it had very wise ends in view in laying the planks lengthwise, but what his object was is a mystery to me. I am told by experts that the timber will wear much quicker as it. is at present, hut. this brings a little anecdote to my memory. There was a great deal of engineering learning wasted on this bridge, and amongst those who expended a good deal of brain power on it was one whose plans were not adopted. This gentleman fold me that the bridge as it is now constructed would be swept away before the end of the year. It is now the best part of two years since he told me so, and it is still standing, so his prophetic words have not, yet been fulfilled and they are not likely to be. Unless the comet shakes ic I see no other danger of it collapsing. The Arowhenua Hotel. At the end of the bridge, at the junction of the three roads leading respectively to Timaru, Pleasant Point, and Temuka, is the Arowhenua Hotel, of which Mr Leonard Tombs is proprietor. I am a better judge of hotels than of bridges, and therefor® have less hesitation in giving ray opinion of them. The one in question is a very snug and comfortable country hotel, and has all the appearance of being kept in that scrupulously clean and tidy way for which the hostess is so well known. Considerable improvements have been effected in it sine- it came into Mr Tombs’s possession, and its surroundings, as well as itsdt, present a much tidier appearance. A plot of ground has been fenced in, in front of it, where a very nice garden has been made, and altogether much care and attention has evidently been expended on it. At the other side of the road is a good stable, which, no doubt, travellers often find a great convenience. My intention was not to stop here, but my horse took it into his head that ho had gone far enough for the time being, and no amount of argument could induce him to move a leg further. Jumbo is a very intellectual horse—a horse of mind—and does not believe at all in hard work. He has got an idea into his head that I ought to have business to do witii every man, woman, and child I meet on the way, and that 1 ought to turn in at every gate, and although 1 use very convincing arguments to dissuade him to the contrary 7 , nothing will persuade him that he is not right. The fact is, he knows very well that while he is arguing the question he is relieved of his hard work, and as his hide is pretty thick he does net mind very much my remonstrances. On the occasion in question ha felt convinced that a little respite from the troubles of this world was necessary. It was this which induced me to make a minute examination of the hotel, and it is to his forethought that Rowe the description I give of it. After a short delay I was in tie pigskin again (all saddles are pigskin), and felt in a much better mood. A delightful soul-inspiring fee!ing\stole over m«, and I actually heaved poetry- extempore off my breast. Here it is : The Opihi. Roll on Opihi Thy course to the sea, My word The dry earth Has an ale house in thee. Oh, were thou but beer, What hearts thou wouldst cheer, And oft make Poor heads ache Each day in the year. Oh, were thou but wine, And thou were all mine, I’d care not Then one jot, For Jones and the fine. Oh, were thou but stout, By Guinness sent out, For the Leader’s Dear readers I’d immediately shout. If the whisky grain, Thou could’st attain Our beak might Then sit quite Till the evening train. I have mentioned that my horse is an intellectual one, and I hereby undertake to prove it. No sooner had I given utterance to the above verses than he se* off at a quick pace and was not long in shaking all the poetry out cf me, Hdid so, I am sure, because he knew if he had not disturbed me he would net be able to carry the load of poetry which 1 would heap upon him. The Arowhenua District. i A few minutes bnught me to Mr W. Frew’s farm, It contains 688 acres of ex-

Calient land, and is divided by well-kept gorse fences into fourteen paddocks. Hare may l>e seen splendid seconl and third year crops of wheal, second to none in the dislrict, which is suffic'cnt to sliow the quality of the laud. Mr Frew has made great improvements during the last couple of years, and in a short time he will have as nice a residence as there is on the road-side between the Rangitata and Timaru. In front of a very tidy and compact cocago, lie has laid out an extensive garden, which has been planted with a great variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and when they grow up they should, from , the way in which the ground has been planned, present a neat appearance. The handsomest gateway I have seen in the district opens from this out on to the main road to Timaru. Not far from the house is a very largo stockyard and outhouse, and order and good taste seems to pervade the whole establishment, In the immediate vicinity of this, Mr John Fitzgerald farms 165 acres of capital land. It is divided into seven well-fenced paddocks, and water is supplied to it by sink ing pumps about 15 or 16 feet deep. About the house is a grove of blue gums. I may ns well make a few remarks on blue gums here. They appear to have been very popular in yards gone by, as they are to be met with all over the district. Some farmers, are getting tired of them. For six or seven years on ei'her side of a bine gum, nothing can grow. It swallows up all the producing properties of the soil and loaves it absoluty barren. This of course is ruinous on small farms, and in my opinion, the result will be that the blue gum will be wiped out in course of time, when land becomes more valuable. The blue gums around Mr Fitzgerald's house are 14 years old, and have been grown from the seed, Mr Fitzgerald has also planted apple, and other fruit trees around his house, but has not taken proper care of them. On the farm is a good granary and outhouses, and a good sheep yard, with a race for classing sheep. Besides this farm Mr Fitzgerald lias a leasehold farm of 172 acres on the Levels Plains, about 2 miles away from his homestead. He has also a considerable area leased for cropping, the extent of land he has under crop this year being about 600 acres. On the other side of the road is Mr Gaffney’s farm of 350 acres, divided into 14 paddocks well fenced with gorse and whitethorn. On this farm he has grown this year 160 acres of oats, and lie has besides 350 acres of wheat on the Levels Plains. (To be continued.)