RAGLAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1919, 23 October 1884, Page 3

RAGLAN.

A«niC!ULTURAL rROSI'KCTt?. Our agricultural prospects are at the present time pleasing and cheeiful in every way. The genial rains which have been our poition during the past foifcnight, have given to all growing crops a a healthy appearance, gi\i"g giowers just reason to anticipate a fruitful harvest. We are also likely to have plenty of grass this season, and this will have the' effect of enabling gra/ieis to bu iv a position to keep on hand thensurplus live stock until the ruling prices improve a little. I must, however, modify my glowing assertion with reference to our anticipations by stating that in consequence of so much lain mo^t of the tobacco seed sown list month has rotted. There is however little doubt but that the seed sown this month will do better, and producers will then see that generally speaking there is not much gained by sowing too early. A m.ittci which appeals tobes°cunng a con&idei able amount of attention from laudowners here, is the probability tint wattle may be grown successfully and with much profit. Its value in the home market just now is about £14 per ton and it is considered that at this price, after deducting commission, and necessary expenses, a fair margin of profit would still remain to the grower. There is ccitainly in this district plenty ot second-class bnd, and also a deal of unploughable country which might be successfully utilised for the production of this com modity, and if the silver wattle is planted it will last for many years. Although the tanekaha baik is now woith in London £S per ton ; it is not estimated that it would at this valtuoffer a fair enough compensation io. the destruction it would come to such a valuable timber, and for this leason alone there is not much likely to be collected. To any persons inteiested in | what might yet be done in utilising with small tiouble and much pecuniaiy profit, many of our native pioducts, let me commend the study of Consul Griffin's " Resources of New Zealand Iv it they will be told how the gcatcr portion of our waste land, might be pio fitably made use of, and an addition thus made to thi'-ir own as well as their country's levenue. DEVTII or AN* OLD CIIIIF. Mohaeie, a chief of the Patnpo tiibe, who for a penodof 3> years has held the respect of both the Euiopcan and Maoii lesidents in Aotea an 1 Kawhia, pa-scd to his icst la<*t week, lie h,<> always been lema.kable foi Ins ch.uaotcr as a peacemaker, and no doubt he w ill now g.iiu his reward. A Luge numbei of persons of both laces attended to pay their last lespects to the deceased, some of the Maoiis coming a long dis tance. NATIVh SCHOOL AT KAW HI A. As the icsult of the agitation which has taken place amongst Maoiis and Etuo peans for the establishment of the above institution, Mr \V. ljuncan h.is been informed, though not as yet officially, that the wish of the agitatois is likely to be gratified. No difficulty now exists with regard to the site, and after the close of the session, matters will no doubt veiy soon take a piactical tuin. A school for both races is much needed, and no stone will be left unturned to bung the move ment to a successful issue. IIAffHV STONi: It is almost a ceitainty that sooner or later this ai tide must become moie extensively used that it is now. Mr Wyhe is having a small hall built of it by Mi Ferguson, who speaks in high terms of the quality of the stone for building purposes. It is easily woiked and is impervious to the action of the weathei. Its quantity is almost unlimited, and if the Government will only giant an endowment in the Wainjraio block for the erection and maintenance of a whaif, then we may expect to see laige lots of it being expoited, when the facilities for shipping will thus be made so much better than now. I believe the chief reason that it is not even now laigely used is that a large enough stoi k of it is not kept on hand in Auckland. By this leason a builder, howevei anxious he may be to nse it, lias to wait until it can be qnanied and bi ought from Eaglnn. rJln->r Jln-> of coui>o nrnst seriously militate a«ainst the success of its sale, and the public may ie>t assmed that when this defect is reined u d it w ill soon woik itself into geneial favour. BO VI) WORKS With the piospect of tine weathei before it, the Kaiioi Road Boa id is vigorously pushing on some lmpoitmt works. Principal amongst them I notice that there is a largo cutting being made near Mr Dunca'i's Ruapuke pioperty to form an approach to the Waunaou bridge. Some veiy necessary impiovements and alteiations aie also being made to the Ruapuke and Waitomotomo road. The Te Mata-Aotea load is nho to receive some attention. Anew bridge is also to be built to its order, bj Mr Ward, ovei the Kauioa Cieek Every year a manifest impiovement takes place in the eharacun of our loads and before many yeais it will be easy to drive a bujrgy to almost any pai tot our distiict. When it is con^uleied how rough much of it is, and what difficulties have been expei ienced by our load boards in the laying off and foiming of our loads, great cieait is due to them for the way in which they have overcome the obstacles. It must have entailed on the vaiious members a large amount of work, and seeing that they receive no compensation for then services, and very often incur much unjust censme, we should feel thankful to them for giving us their time for the duties.— (Own Con espondent).