CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4022, 27 January 1892, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Irrigation. [to THE EDITOR.]

Sir,—ln perusing an issue of youv valuable paper dated December 30, 1891, I notice that you referred to having paid a visit to the " Swamp Nursery " of Mr Tajler, and that you ' expressed agreeable surprise at the J prolific results acoruing to a thorough c system of irrigation pursued by that 1 gentleman. Now, m a resident in a ' district (Penrith, N.S.W.)i where the ! conservation and utilisation of every 'drop ot water is considered a positive ' essential, and ns one who, as a resi- ! dent in yonr midst for a number of ' years, lias had opportunity of judging ] as to your requirements in this direc- : tion, I would like to make a few remarks on this. important subject. ' First then, I might say, that irrign- ' tion is entered into in a most thorough ' manner here, not so much, as is popu- ' larly supposed, because our climate is such that nothing would attain maturity and excellence without this ' aid, but because of its. utility, and ' the magnificent results . attendant upon its employment in comparison with those attained from cultivation in which assistance of this. kind is not afforded the different varieties of produce being raised, And it does not matter whether it is fruit raising, corn growing, grape cultuie, or in the wheat or oat fields whero irrigation is utilised, that crops so raised are invariably notable for the luxuriant growth, and the wonderful maturity which they evince, The first thought of the farmer and the orchardist here is the suitability af the land on which he. proposes pursuing'his calling for irrigation purposes, and it is surprise ing the labour that is utilised and the money requiting to he spent in a great many instances in bringing this desire into effect, Since my residence here I have had ample opportunity afforded me of visiting a large number of the agricultural holdings in this vicinity, and in many instances the difficulties which have been surmounted for the furtherance of this object have struck me with wonder and pleasure. In the majority of these cases wells have been sunk to a great depth and powerful machinery has been employed to pump water into tanks erected on scaflolding to a sufficient height for the purpose of getting elevation for a high pressure supply, and miles' of pipes""bave been thrown out in all directions so that an equal distribution of the refreshing liquid may take place. It is not absolutely necessary that this should be done—oranges and grapes, and wheat are grown with fair success upon lands only watered by the ordinary casual rains, as in the Wairarapa district—but the successes attained in thus leaving these products to their own resources, are rendered infioitessimal when compared with the , tremendous crops of every description derived from land where irrigation is used. And if agriculturalists are so I convinced that a constant flow of water is beneficial, and more than beneficial, and are willibg to expend comparatively large sums in bringing it into 1 practical utility, how niuoh move . should you, who have an inexhaustible supply within easy reach (the Landsdown reservoir) take advantage of the , faot to benefit not only your garden* ( loving townspeople, but the farmers of the whole of the surrounding dis- , triot as well. Some people might be I inclined to question whether the final , result would justify tho primary ex- ' pense, and rightly too. And I'say , emphatically it would not I under ex- \ isting conditions. But, I have no J hesitation in stating that, were certain j other projects entered into, ■ projects , which must at present be looked upon ! as foreign to the minds of residents in your locality, your district would be- . come one of the richest and most im» j portant centres in the three -islands, t 1 refernow to the propagation " may be termed the" grape industry " , in your midst. I am aware that you I have frequently advocated the advautages to be derived from this source, and my experience of the last t nine months satisfies me that if the _ cultivation of vines were prao- , tically pursued in the Masterton, and ' indeed the whole of tho Wairarapa district, surprising results would ac- , crue. I am well aware of the success whioh has attained the efforts of 1 several gentlemen in your midst in ' this direction, and the lusoious crops which their vines have yielded them | year by year, and I say fearlessly r —and hopefully too-that a ' hotter place in the Wairarapa for ! this purpose it would be impossible to ' find. Your.soil is richer and more t suifablo for the purpose than that in which the grapes of this locality are grown, your market is near and the fruit a very desirable one, the manufacture of pure wine would only he a matter of time; in fact the advantages ■ cannot be over estimated, But you must have irrigation, Gf course the aid given by Government here to projects of this kind give them an impetus of which your district has no conception, You have no Department of Agriculture,]as we have, with men at its head deeply versed hi the ethics of successful farming, tho destruction of inimigal'paraaites, and the importation of 'new varieties of plant life of eyery description which it is .computed will' thrjve in this or that locality: you haye no oijicial Agricultural (japtte from which inay be gleaned information pot otherwise to be obtained; you haye nq national prizes, as are in vogue here, for the best orchards, or gardens, or small farms, or large buildings, All your money has been sunk in the' construction or extension of unprofitable railways. We have our fail share ol railways which do not contribute their quid pro quo to the revenue, but luckily our farmers and orchardists can never pcouse their constitution of neglect or lassitude. But I am afraid I am wading into your space to too great a depth so I will conclude shortly with 'these" few remarks;—J p thoroughly convinceUfhat irrigation would justify the expenditure of large sums of money in the Wairarapa, (1) If tho grape industry were thoroughly, entered into. (2) If the cultivation of garden fruits and vegetables of every jjesorjptiofi received greater attention, (and I rujg'ht' say jiera' that there, js an jllfmiiable market in fjydney" fpr ftpn'lespfall'vsrietie?, peaces, gtp,. in fact any thing, in the way of j'ruif that will beat', -fUd .'week's youroey ; while onions and potatoes, especially the former, seldom fail to find an appreciative market,) (8) If a greater rjf.corn, (Indian),is gwn, ' (4) If 'an increase in'wuu« C. f fIV ", T descrinjiipn jo Hkejy to improve your stock (if no.t'senij if on to us, ye cap do witji any amount of it), '(B) Jf you'r wheajt and oat flelils are required-to ftjprease in' prod'nctionß"' threefold! (0 ji those dry apd ari(j plains of yours would benefit you by. beajirog'a proli6e harvest of any description, (f) > i.lfit would assist to populate your , district and increase the prosperity of

every man, woman, and child thoreiui Let me conclude shortly by saying that in my humble opinion it would eventually accomplish all these things.— I ara, etc., fEROY 0, FItEETII. .Km Hospital Drusa. . (To THE EDITOn) 1 •

Sib,—l read in your columns the letter of Mr Eton, showing that although he was the successful tenderer for the hospital drugs for the paßb year, and therefore cut down to the contract prices, the' opposition chemist, Mr Mason, still recoires tho hospital patronage at the full prices to nearly double the extent of the orders given to tho contracting chemist. Although every member ot the publio must sympathise with Mr Eton, I would like to point' out to him that it is useless to hope to obtain fair play so long as the administration of the ancient moss-grown clique continues, to the detriment of everyone, except themselves and their pvotegse, Mr Mason, who seems to get the custom in spite of another chemist's tender being accepted. Crab-like, tho lot of them cling tenaciously to the shell which must slowly and surely be cracked up by publio opinion and then, but not till then, will Mr Eton and other members of the general public get that justice which is denied them by a series of fossilised minds which in savage and therefore more enlightened lands would long since have become a subject for the poleaxe as an encumbrance to society in general. Thanking you in anticipation, I am, etc., A Ratepayer and Eesident, [lt appears to us that the question ot prescriptions and drugs for a Hospital should.he relegated to the responsible medical officer, and that tenders for such supplies are an absurdity, The intrinsio value of drugs is as nothing compared with the skill and oare requisite for their preparation.—Ed. W.D.]