TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1884.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1849, 13 May 1884, Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1884.

It was a cruel stal> that Mr Firth gave the farming interests the other day , at the. Matamata Harvest Home %M^filj st\lj%£ more cruel, ia^Br i

Mi 1 Firth has be on looked up to, not without some feeling of pride, as the pioneer of farming on a largo scale in North New Zealand, and as the sanguine advocate of wheat culture, lio told the Northern settler, and those of the South Islind also, that wheat must be looked to as the staple .agricultural product, and instructed us how to grow our crops and save them. Mr bVtli led in the van of agricultural settlement, and it is but natural that some little surprise, and no inconsiderable amount of angry criticism should have been aroused when he uas found to be the first to sound the note of recall, and to declare the struggle hopeless. Now, what are the facts of the case ? None can know better than Mr Firth himself whether farming operations, and wheat-growing especially, have paid or not at Matamata, and we, therefore, at once take his word for it that they hay not. None can gainsay his right to determine whether or no he shall continue to farm as heretofore. It is not the act, but the manner of its doinn, of which his fellowsettlers complain. Because one man determines to throw up the sponge, need he do it in such a way as to create a panic in the breasts of his comrades, or to deter others from joining in the cause % Yet this is exactly what has been clone. It is a cold cup of comfort to thp struggling settlor to sec the very man who has urged upon him the advantage aud the duty of wheat culture become the iirst to declare that it will not pay — not even when carried on upon a large scale, with ample means, and with all the appliances of labour-siving machinery procurable. It is small encouragement to the would-be settler to hear this dogma publicly and ostentatiously promulgated by the erstwhile vigorous apostle of wheat-growing. There is one crumb of comfort left to us, however. That is, that Matamata is not New Zealand — nor even Waikato — and that the management of the Matamata Estate is not the counter part of that which generally obtains on the holdings oi our settlers. If th^e criticisms appear hostile, the fault is not ours. In defence of the district, of the interests of agriculture in this part of New Zealand, and of an industry which avo must look to as the staple of farming in Waikato, it is our duty to look the matter fairly in the face. "We do not hesitate to say that with good management and average good land, wheat-growing can be made to pay, as it has indeed paid scores of settlers in Waikato, notwithstanding the exceptionally low rates ruling for wheat this season. That it has not paid at Matamata is attributable to obvious reasons. In the iirst place, the soil is not suitable for wheat culture. It will grow magnificent clover, turnips and grass, and probably, as it becomes iirmer and contains more humus, will grow an occasional fair crop of barley or oats. J-snt a generation or more must pass away before wheat can take ils plaeo in the rotation, of crops on the Matamata Estate. A writer in an Auckland contemporary, referring to Mr Firth's declaration that " growing wheat is simply exhausting the soil and setting little or nothing for it," asks that the proprietor of Matamata should put his balance-sheets before the public. This he is scarcely likely to do ; yet enough is known of the circumstances under which the -wheat crops of 1882 and 1883 were grown, to ronder any such disclosure unnecessary by way of explanation of the unfortunate results. In the last harvest, the crop of seven hundred and fifty acres of wheat was entirely lost, because when the wheat was ready to cut the heading machines which Mr Firth had ordered were not ready for use : though the ordinary reaping and binding machines were standing idle on the estate. These seven hundred and fifty acres of wheat were left for nearly three weeks to spoil upon the ground because the decree had gone forth that the crop was to be cut with the header machines and none other. Tn the harvest of the previous year the crop of no less than 1500 acres of wheat was lost, that time we believe through an exceptional cause — the unfavourable character of the harvest season. Now, with such a per contage of loss was it possible that wheatgrowing could have paid either last harvest or the harvest before, even on the best of lands % There is no need to ask for the production of books, no need to go further into the matter, to enter into details. Under such circumstances the longer a man goes on growing wheat the more he "is exhausting the soil and getting little or nothing for it." What we claim is that the failure of wheat-growing at Matamata shall not be blazoned forth as the result solely of low prices and dear labour, generally applicable to the farmer in New Zealand. Let the proper reason be given. Wheat-growing will pay, but the farmer must work with and not against nature ; he must either personally superintend the whole routine of the fai'in himself or, if he does not, give discretionary power to his steward or overseer to do so. Farming upon paper, by a set of hard and fast rules, may look all very well in theory, but it will not answer in practice. No one can object, it any mau chooses to indulge his fancy ia such pursuits, but ii he comes to grief it is right that be should be reprobated if he saddles the fonlt upon the wrong shoulders, and in doing so publicly damages so important an industry as th&t which may now suffer by Mr Firth's injudicious and ill-considered utteri ances.

The members of the Tamahere Mariners' Club have gone thoroughly, intothe, |$£d '^uestipii,

publish in another column. Friday's gathering at Taumhere was sufficiently representative In its character to stamp its decisions as valuable, and the resolution arrived at may hi allowed to bo the expression of the opinion of a majority of the settlers. It is noc necessary that we should recapitulate the argu ments adduced ; they will be found pretty fully reported, and speak for themselves. Wholesale poisoning has not many advocates among the members of the club, who are by no means disposed to admit that the s>pariow, and (he lark too, for the matter of that, has no redeeming virtue-*. Tho particular means to Le adopted for thinning' the feathered pests have not yet boon decided, on, and wo do not doubt that some difficulty will bo experienced in nuking* the choice This aspect of tho question was also proiiy fully discussed, and many of our readers who were not present at tho meeting- may bo able to add their quota to tho sum of information already in the hands of the club. One or two other matters were dealt with, which wo regret we have not space to comment on in this issue. We refer to the development of tho frozen meat trade and the proposed alteration in the system of selling 1 cattle by auction. Both subjects are worthy of careful consideration, and that consideration we doubt not they will receive.

Our Alexandra correspondent's lettei is un.mnd.ibly hold over. "Echoes from the Cafe"' will bo found on the touith page.

Mr A nderson- a new settler, who ha-> purchased .i faun on the .Richmond ]>lock, Puko, piocecded thither with his family in one of Jolmson\ coaches ye^ter-

Mr J. J. Wilson, the new pastor forth" Baptist T.ibern.iclo, Cambtidgu, is expected to «mive ivuly next month. He will take up hi& dutius immediately on his Aim.il.

A concert in aid of the widow of the l.itu Mi J.unci Mc(-Jiiitl) will bo hold .it the Oliaupo school on Fuday evening m>\t. The ontertaininent will conclude witli a dance.

At the Police Court. Hamilton. yesterday, bofoie Mr 11. W. Nmtlicioft, It.ZM., no less tlian five iii-.t <>ttemlei-> wmo charged witti chunkennoss, and dealt with in the usual wanner.

Sir George Grey addressed a large meeting in the Gain->on Hall, DunerUn, on S.ituuUy evening. The addict was e-^en-ti.illy a lepctitiou of the Chiistclnuch speech. At the clo^e <i uite of thanks and coididence was earned by acclamation.

The weather during the past few nights lias been exceptionally cold for tliii time of the year. Baiometiical observations taken in Hamilton show tlwt the tempeiatuio on l ( 'iiday, Hntinday and Sunday nightb, icspectively, was 2F, 22 q and 23° Fahr.

The Rev. H. R. Dewsburjr deli veicd an iutei eating lecture on "Pi.iyci" m tt Paul's Wc-li'y.ui Clnucli, Cambridge, on Sunday c\oning, whou the clnucli was filled by a, vciy leinesontjtivocongiega.tion. The di&coiusc w,i-> one of much interest, and was listened to with &icat attention tlnoughout.

A meeting of the burgesses of the Boimigh of Hamilton is called foi to-niDiiow night, .it the Public Hall, to consider the .ulvis.ihleness of bm rowing ti',oo to liquidate the existing liabilities on tin- h.ill, and effect such alteration-, as will lender it suitable for b.mmgh oiKccs, etc.

To-morrow being the anniversary of tlie opening of S. Stephen's, T.un.iboic, thorp will be full chouil evening: sin vice at half past seven m the evening. The choirs tiikni!,' p.nL will nii'ct for invited piacticn nt li.ilf-p.ist inc. We .lie lequestcd to state that a 'bus will leave (TwyuneV. Hotel, llaniilton, for Taniaheie, at (i p.m. sli.up.

Scarce as pheasants seem to be in the W.iikato basin, we understand that pood spoit is to be obtained acioss the Makaninat-A in the W.ntetunn. valley. On S.itmday List a gentleman fiom Te Awalimtu b.x^ed 1(K brace by lnmself. It is not burpiismg to leain that he intend^ loturmnjj with his pun to that y.ut of the country.

A correspondent informs us that ho lu<» rccived intimation tlnough a pi is cite source that the coiumeicial community of T3elgmm have bubscubed upu.uds of £2000, for the pmpo,e of sending :m agent to New Zealand, with a view to opening up a ti.ide between the two countries. It is understood that the lepiesentative id now on Ins way out to the colony. Tenders for Mr ; Hewitt's new hoise lu/aar closed at Cambridge on Saturday evrnmg last. The Cambudge tenders woie .— Caiter, £17S (nccepted) ; Miller and M.icfarUne, i!lS!); Woitlnngton, €")17. r rhe lowest Auckland tender was £48!). The main building is to be iinibhed in sik weeks. Tenders for the other work, such as gate-, yard, &c, will be called for iiniuc-

diaicly. The Kiliikihi Town Board we are pleased to notice, ib determined to put its stieets in pioper condition before tlie winter sets m, and has now .staited the evpendituie of a considei able amount^ of money in cairying out the icqmred implements to the town. A huge nuniber of streets «uc now in «oui«-oof formation, and some have been well gravelled, and other requhements such as chaining, footpaths, &c, aio not being overlooked. The boaid is evidently alive to the increasing traffic of the town and ib doing well to provide toi it. The building trade is at present flourishing in Kilukihi, and on almost every spaie allotment in the town a buiHing of home description ib being erected. A laige number of new residences, as well as shops and business piemises, are going r.p, and before long the town promises to present an appearance which will rival some of the olderaud more forward settlements of the distiict.

Good progress is being made with the npw Constabulary quarters at Kihikihi, and it is expected that by the end of the next month all the property and belongings, with the men at present stationed at Cambridge will be settled at the new head quarters. The site of the new bariacks has been well chosen ; and whencverythmg is in older, the buildings erected, and the grounds fenced and laid out, the Constabulary quarters at Kihikihi will be quite a feature in the town.

The swamp road between Cambridge and Te Awamutu promi&es to be in much better condition tins winter than it has hitherto been, after a few weeks of wet weather. The crown of the road has been rrased considerably and well fascined underneath. A good coating of coarse gravel would be found very serviceable, but there is no suitable material convenient. The boards interested evidently _ zecognise the importance of keeping this road open throughout the year.

Mr John Coleman, of Gisborne, has wired to fcho Secretary of the North New Zealand Farmer's Co-operative Association, stating that he had placed 700 shares in that district, and asking for a short exton* Hion of the time for receiving applications. In consequence of this request and other similar ones from the out districts of Piako and the Waikato, the question of the advisability of doing so will be discussed at the meeting of directors to-day, and as the requesjt is a very reasonable one, it will doubtless tye acceded to. Jhe following special messages to ,the JtVaes Association, datjed iLcy^kn^May 11th, havebaijn published :— Th ( p lon^c has arrived w.ith"ljer ineafc in splendid con^i&cm.'—lt a? ,th'a,t $aps Wolsale'y , will. w/Ooj;obe,r next, iead a forpe of ten thousand men to the jrejiet oi Khartwni.— Madagascar is willing to code the Isla^S on its coast to Franca, undto pay*n indemnity.—Lord Eandolph Churchill has become reconciled to his s party. —Mr Heaton, of Pydney, urges the formation in Jjondon of an anti-Recidiviste ; Society.—, , The Abergeldj^'s- oajgo,ol: frozenraeat

Tiie new Tamahere school was opened yesterday. Thirfcy-fcbreo children turned up, and the" teacher, Mr laemonger, expressed himself highly pleased with the prospects ot the school. The natives at the Tan-where settlement are anxious to send their children to the school, and the, teacher is willing to take them, but in that case it will be necessary to obtain the services of an awt-tant. Piobably the committee may t.iki) steps to consult the Boaid of Education on tho subject.

The adjourned annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Hamilton Itoad Distiicfc was Hold on Satin day, at 2 a.in., at the office of the board. The balance bheet for the year ending 31M; ]\ larch, 1881, was lead and adopted. The receipts for the year, including grant under the Roads and I3i ldges Construction Act, and donations for the now road to Colonel de Quincey's, £400, and «150 fiom the County Council for luani loads, amounted to £S()G 19s lid,; expenditure, £831 10s 3d ; balance in hand and at the Bank of New Zealand, £45 % Bd.

Mr Lewis O'Neill, Claudelands, has received from Mr Skey, the Colonial Analyst, the analysis of three sugar boots which he forwarded to Wellington a week or so ago. Mr Skey lepoits as follows :—: — •' These are well-shaped roots of even size, about 21bs. each. The amount of sugar is o*l4 per cent., taking an average cut out of each." The last lot or roots forwarded by Air O'Neill yielded 7 "41 per cent., a fact attributable to the imniatuiity of the roots. In Europe 4 per cent, of sugar pay-,, while in (iermany, with a yield of 8 percent., shaieholdeis leceive 30 per cent, dividends, when the mdnstiy is conducted on the co-operath c principle.

A large and influential meeting in connection with the Noith New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association' was held in the Public Hall, Warkworth, on the Gth hist. Mr Nathanial Wilson (in the chair) said that he hoped the district would consult its own inteie=ts, and support the association, winch he considered would he of very great benefit, not only to the shareholders, but to the whole colony. Mr Grant, the agent for the association, , then explained l the piinciples and objects of the association to the full satibfaction of tho meeting. He showed the many advantages to be derived from the association, and replied to a numbei of unpoitant questions put to him by the meeting. A large munbei of shaies'were taken np. and a htroncf committee formed to canvass the distiict. Votes of thanks were passed to tho eh urmaii, and Mr Giant for his address. — Heiald.

In view of the possible removal of the (io\ eminent powdei magazine from C.imbndgo, the town boaul sent the following communication to Col. Lyon on the matter :— Sir,— lt having boon lepovtod to Div boaid that it in the intention of the Government to remove the powder niaga/.ino fioni C.unbiids>e, and the .stoiekoepeis heie having been in the habit of stoning their bin plus po« dor therein, the lenunal of' the magazine at present is to ))laco this town- 1 slnpm \cry gioat d.ingoi, and put it to gicat inconvenience. Om board will feel obliged by j our xugitig upon (ToveninuMit to allow the nuiga/.ino to lcmain as it is, until .some aiiangement can be entered into for the election if a suitable btoi ago place for the townsbip. Trusting it will bo within your pio\ nice to comply with our lequebt, andgivothe boaid a fa\omable leply at youi cailicst convenience. — I uave, &c, J. P. Thom^o>, Clerk C.T.B. A reply ha,s been loceivod to the effect that no m&tiuctioiib have as yet been given for the removal of the magazine, and that btorekeepeis can u&e it as heretofoie.

A most interesting football match was played on Sydney Squaie, Hamilton, last Saturday, between the two schools on opposite sides of the liver. The West bide were far heavier, and consequently lather penned their opponents, but the latter played a vci y plucky game and earned the ball into their opponents' terntoiy far oftener than might have been expected from a compauson of age and si/e. In fact the match was decided only in the last minute by a touch-down obtained by John Edt\ which was not converted into a goal. Hamilton West thus won by two points to nothing. The game w.u veiy fast all tlnough, and showed in c\ cry department a great impi o\ ement on last year. The best player on either side was undoubtedly Col'ni L'J Quesno; M.utyn and Hairy Hume weie close up, while Napier Muuay .uid DickScddon also distinguished themsi'hcs, both in iiinuing and kicking. Scdclon, in paiticular, is the making of a very promising back. Felix Nickisson did some hue coll.uing, though the most workmanlike peifonnance in this lmq was Hai 1 v Hume's. In conclusion, while those we have mentioned appear to us to have done best, tlnne ueie many who lan them close, and m fact no one blinked Ins duty while almost all played well. Another few yeais ought to see Hamilton better represented than it is at piesent in football if the youngsteus continue their picsont improvement. Messrs Yon Stunner and Gwynno were kind enough to act as uuipnes. As a word of advice, we would recommend school teams not to talk so much, but to leave the management ot the match to the .skippers and umpnes. Mes&is Seddon and G-audin captained the iespective teams, who were hospitably onteitained by Mrs (4audin after the match. , Footballers 'twill please iemember that there will be a piactice match every Wednesday as well as every Satin day through the season. Note, 4.30 on Wednesday. '

A curious lecture was (says the London Con csptmdont of the Otago Daily Times) deh\ ered at the London Institution by John Ruskin. The subject was, " The Storm-cloud of the Nineteenth Century, a pheuouieuon winch Ruskin declare-. lias not been been in the world befoie the piesent time. Whenever the plague wind blew for 10 minutes thesky was altogether darkened, audit blew indiffeiently fiom all quarters of the compass. It always blow tremulotihly, giving the quiveiing leaves, an expression of auger as well as dustier. Its hound was a hibN or a whistling as on a flute made of a file. It polluted the character as (veil as enhanced the "violence of the storm. The gloom was Manchester devil's, daiknoss, sulphurouftchiimiey-pot vomit, and blanched the sun instead of reddening it, as a healthy cloud does-. Rnskin has noiespect for the scientific explanation of this phenomenon, nor indeed of any other phenomenon. An anemometer gives no information except as to the strength of the wind; and this shows the silliness of observing the sky with machines instead of with eyes. What was the use of telling us that the wind was strong, when they could not tell us whether it was strong medicine 01 a stiong poison ? In wholesome weather the .sun wan kept out of sight by a cloud as by a tree ; but when filthy, mangy, miserable plague winds blew, the sun was choked out of the sky all day long. If they wished to nee how the sun looked through a plague-cloud, let them throw a bad half-crown into a basin of soap and water. Ruskin himself has an opinion as to the meaning of this plague-cloud, and it is woithy of a Hebiew prophet or a Roman augur. For the last 20 years England and all foreign nations either tempting her or following her, had blasphemed the name of the Deity deliberately, openly, and resolutely, and had done iniquity by proclamation— every man doing, by the advice of his superiors, as much injustice to his brother as it was in his power to do. In such moral gloom every seer of old predicted physical gloom, saying, " The light shall be darkened in the heavens thereof, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." What was best to be done? Whether they could bring back the sun or not, they could assuredly bring back their own cheerfulness, honesty, tranquility and hope. They might not be able to say the winds, "peape, be still," but they could check the insolence of their own lips and the troubling of their own passions ; and all that it would be extremely well to do, even though the day were coming when the sun should be aa darkness and the moon as blood. But the paths of rectitude and piety once more regained, who should bay that the promises of old time would not stand (?ood— " Bring ye all the tithes into my storehouse, ana prove me now, herewith, saith the Lord trod, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be teonf enough to receive it." Kuskin's sermon is a very good one, though perhaps it is not logically deducible from his text;

Mr John Knox will sell at the Hamilton Mart, nn Saturday next, a choice lot of household fumUure. r Yes !It is certainly true. Ask any of your friends who have purchased there. Garlick and Crah'well have numerous unasked for and very favourable commendations from country customers on their excellent packing of Furniture, Crockery, and Glass, r &c. Ladies and gentlemen abo^t to furnish 'should remember that 'Garble apd £ranwell> 'is tub Cheap Furnishjnsr -.Warehouse _ of Auck-. land. Furniture to suit' all' classes 5' also. -Carpets, "Floor Xloths and >ll t House- Ne.ce?i/ saries.' < ( If yo'^new houso ,is Ja%x\y. iM}ma,\or, s.ydu)are j going' totget^niarrieu&>^ittG*jHck^andj.

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