CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5148, 5 October 1895, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

"UP THE LINE,"

[ifi the i'.imioi:.]

Sin,—lf your esteemed Wellington Correspondent, " The Ancient Mariner," had made his notes before he went into Mr Slight's comfortable hostelry instead of after,die came out, he would probably have been a little more explicit and correct in his description of what he terms the "sand plant" at Paikakariki. The growth he refers to is " Lupin," a plant which attains a height of six or seven feet, and which will strive and thrive on the most barren sand-hill one can possibly imagine. At Paikakariki, for instance, Mr Slight has succeeded in a wonderful manner in covering the drifting sand with this nourishing shrub, and no doubt if be now, as a sequel, follows up the first good step by occasionally cutting off the tops of the lupin and letting the vegetable matter lie and rot, a gradual coating ot fertile earth will follow.

Mr Slight is not the first who has tried to cultivate lupin nt Paikakariki. The former attempts, however, failed owing to the plants having been set on the outside, or seaaspect, of the sand-hills, whereby the sand drifted away from their roots, instead of being started from the inner-side of the terraces. Any Waii.inipa settler who possesses irreclaimable sand on bis property, would do well to communicate with Mr Slight, who already has been most obliging in diffusing information on the subject of lupin. That trip lo Otaki, by the way, appears to have been rather a memorable one for your correspondent, judging by the details be furnishes of bis experiences. At Jobnsonville be seems to have tasted pure water for the first time in bis life, and he goes into raptures over the sensation enjoyed in his initial experience of tlio new beverage. Still, I admit the worthy Station Master there does set an example in the excellent supply of cool drinking water he keeps always on tap, and every regular passenger on the Mnniwatu Line, generally waits till lie gets to Johusonville before ho seeks a restoring draught. A pinch of lime thrown into the water-butt each day, is the secret of the line flavour of this special spring refresher.—l am, etc., Mttstcrfon, 3rd October.