CULTIVATION OF THE LAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3827, 4 June 1891, Page 2

CULTIVATION OF THE LAND.

ARTHUR YATES and COMPANY.

[From the Thames Advertiser,]

Dean Swift, who delighted in taking the oonceit out of Ruch people as Prime Ministers, Secretaries for War, generals, admirals, and other ruling men of society, was wont to say that the man who made two bladeß of grass grow where only one grew before, was a greatar benefactor of his kind than the winner of a battle or the hero of a campaign. And he was right—at any rate to a large extent, if not absolutely. Hence the paramount importance of promoting the settlement of the land and improving its cultivation. It is not only the Government who can do work in this connection. True, in the wiy, of keeping down taxation and facilitating to the uttermost the occupation of the land by persons capable of turning it to good account, the Government in any country, and .especially in a country like this, can do much, All that can thus be done, however, wculd amount to little were it not for the persistent energy ot persons who are interested as individuals or as companies in the intelligent cultivation of the land. In this connection the cultivator has to depend chiefly upon himself, though he is not without auxiliaries—helpful assistants. Amongst these the seedsman occupies an important place*. We mean, of course, the seedsman who uses the best means available to obtain the very beat seeds for all kinds of vegetable and grain crops and who takes pains to dispose of these in the best condition wherever he can find a buyer. Looked at in the light of the Swiftian philosophy, this man is one of 'She most worthy of the • factors that contribute to the material betterment of mankindi In this connection the old and hononrable firm of A. Yates and Company is well worthy ot specific mention. It carries on business not only in England, but all over Australia and New Zealand, Its inter-colonial vegetable and root competitions, which are as much within the scope of the man with the eighth of an acre as of the man with an extensive estate, do a great deal of good. They promote intelligent cultivation, and insure to the competitors who win, a double reward—namely, exceptional yields and liberal prizes; while even those who do not become prizewinners also reap an advantage through familiarity with first rate material and by the exercise of their best knowledge in the beneficent business of cultivation. A good many New Zealand settlers profited in this way last year, through the enterprising liberality of Arthur Yates and Company, of Auckland, and we hope that this and succeeding years will show increasingly satisfactory results. It may be said that in all this the prime motive of the chief factors is merely self interest, but what difference does that make if, at the same time, good is also done to numerous individuals, and through them, to the cause of enlightened cultivation. When Dr Johnson was told that a certain lady, famous in his day for her benefactions, did what she did through love of notoriety, he characteristically replied that he wished other women would emulate her: if they did society would gain, and therefore, it 'was beside the question to prattle about motives. And it is in this way surely, that we should consider methods like those we have been noticing for encouraging the enlightened cultivation of the soil.