The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1878. CROPS AND THEIR MANURES.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 954, 3 August 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1878. CROPS AND THEIR MANURES.

Equal and exact justice to all men, V Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. " ' * * * • * ■• * Here shall the Press the Peoplk's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain*

In these go a-head days farmers are not behind the rest of the community in inventive genius. New machines for Hie saving of labor and tlio better harvesting of erops, are constantly being brought before the public, and though, as a rule, others get the credit, nine times out of ten, the invention has originated from the suggestion of a practical farmer. in the rfame way larger and better

crops have been secured. By ex- ' perieuce timl careful attention to the has secured a much his neighbour, and so inspired hiiu in his turn to aita{|i,v like, results. Latterly, howeyer|llsino%tn chemistry has been brought in|o operation for the purposeNfbf analyzing different roots and grainy ; to tiud what food they consumed, it has been a much easier task to raise a large crop at a small expense, than in former year . "Tt"slaiid§ T to YelftWiplhat if a crop ofpotatoes be planted iu a-soil that contains all the chemical propor-•,tibM'Tol?%:etliiig-ifi?as3J-a--pooi,Tetiirn' will be; the result, whereas/Uad .grass been sown „ ifi. wpuld , have beeii otherwise. •Again,' ifafl manure been put in containing the chemicals necessary i6r feeding- dad nourishing the wheat/ the extra crop would j have more than paid the outlay. If tarnVers/ would I pay more! attention to tnis/we should 4 haVe fess grVmblirig 'about if bad,(iCrqpSj.aiijd it would be more r satisfactory for both grower and .(consumer* ~.. , ; ,..., . ~_.. ■. . ; ~■ .We. understand tliat there are I now houses in tow* prepared to 1 supply special manures for different orops with analysis, and this should guide the farmer as to the quality and value of the article before purchasing.

The question of fencing the lines of railway in New Zealand, is one which calls for early consideration ?t the hands of the Legislature, and sorely there should be.in the Assembly many who can sufficiently appreciate the loss which the present system ;inflicts upon settlers, to enable them to. become doughty champions in the, cause of their fellow colonists. The accidents of this kind which occur are far more numerous than are ever brought to ligjit. Happening i\i r far away districts they" become known, if at all, so late after they occur, that! they ;are passed by with, out notice by the Press. Yet ihey press very heavily upon the settler. A. case which happened only recently near Hamilton, is an instance in pqiiit,.j'Vhere .* farmer living near township witli mtlk, had two of his milking cows destroyed,, and not only lost liis cattle ' but a considerable portion of his business before he could, replace them. I'his, however, is only one out of a full score of instances that have'occurred since' the' line' was opened. And what makes the greviance all the more unbearable is; thatinmost instances the fee simple of the land required for railway purposes has been given free of charge to the Government by the very settlers whose property is now endangered by the' workiug of the -tuifemiad linp.ft Iroie,_iM*«gl*fc-«M>o<>-j

the colony a large sum;to fence in the Hues, but a Government lias no more light thau an iudividual to carry on its undertakings at a danger and a, loss to a portion of the community, and in opposition to the use and free enjoyment of land held from itself, ; for the mere object of saving the, cost of fencing. Nor is the present unfeuced state of the lines a danger only to the property of the settlers through whose farms they pass, but to the travelling public ?b. In the case ot .'Mr Shirley's : ' steer a few days since run into on the line near Rangiriri, the Auck--land ' Star' endeavoring to find excuses for the engine drivers says : t—"We are not aware of any instances- in which engine-drivers have intentionally destroyed cattle, but on the other hand have witnessed uniform care and every exertion put forth to avoid collision with cattle and horses. A driver knows well that running over a large beast is attended with some danger to him-r self sand the train. It is not fair to lay all the blame and responsibility of cattle killing on the engine drivers, who are bo nd to time, and ought to have a clear road." Some dny, perhaps, when instead of the unfortunate beast being killed, a train is thrown oft' the l : ne and injury. to human -life and limb the consequence we shall have more attention paid to the matter. That the engine driver should " have a cle«r road," all will admit, but the Government which works the line at at a profit,' is the proper party to provide for this by fencing the lines and not leaving theni as now, t > pass through settlers' paddocks and across and through open ground unfenced on either si ie. It is said that the cost to the Government of fencing the lines at present constructed in New Zealand would amount to a sum of £300,000, but this is no reason or excuse why a wrong should be inflicted on the public. It is a fair charge o'pon the department, and should~be provided for by the colony which benefits so largely by its railway scheme, and which has received from the settlers in land required for railway purposes, given free of charge, far more than the amount it would require to prevent the gift becoming a continuous and serious loss to those who made it.