A Hint to Agriculturists.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 93, 21 April 1887, Page 4

A Hint to Agriculturists.

We learn from reliable sources that the Government of South Australia has entered into an agreement with an English company for the transformation of part of the great " ninety-mile desert" into a flourishing and productive district. This is in itself of great interest to the inhabitants of that colony, but when it also transpires that the object of cultivation in view by the Government and the contracting company i 3 the cultivation of the wattle over the large area of 30,000 acres, it becomes a matter of much importance to all persons dwelling in this part of the world. It was announced some days since that Mr Geo. Chaffey had arrived in South Australia to make the preliminary arrangements for carrying out the great irrigation scheme of the firm he represents,, and this news,coming along with that of the leasing of the waste land for the purpose just mentioned, shows such faith in the continuance of the commercial value of the; wattle that our larger landed proprietors will do well to think, over the same. The gTeatdrawback to the cultivation of this tree here seems hitherto to have been the feeling that its barkasameansof tanning leather will some day be superseded by some other process, but.thatthis.is little to be feared we are assured by the best authorities. Should, the operations of. the company we have spoken of be successful (and there is every reason for supposing that they will), we shall see in all probability other blocks in the vicinity.of the 30,000 acres taken up with- the -same cultivation. It is -nob an unwarrantable stretch of the imagination to look forward to the time when the export of wattle baik will rank with that of wheat and wool, as a staple product of the colony. The annual gross returns from the Company's trees, after allowing the usual time for the first section, planted to become ready for stripping, is calculated to be about £70,000 to £30,000. It is not to be expected that such a large production of bark will affect the market, as we are informed that London alone is able to take all that is likely to be produced in these colonies for' many years to come. A condition in the contract between the Company and the Government gives them the right of purchasing the land at 10s an acre. Considering that the waste land to be planted must first be iFrigated, surely we in New Zealand have got, :o use a common expression, " the pull over I: those planting the trees in Southern Australia, for we have plenty of waste lands already, irrigated. It is to be hoped that the good example set us by the South Australian Government in eneourasrine the growth of this bark will be followed" by that of New Zealand.

The R.M.Courtdidnoti?ittoday,His Worship the Resident Magistrate being absent in the Waikato. As the Court has finished sittiu? at-Hamilton, there will be nothing to prevent next Thurr.doy <=eeinq t.he usual throng of lawyers and debtors tit'che Police Court building?, l / ■'

So far no intelligence has been received from the other side regarding tbo whereabouts of Forwood, the solicitor, «vl<.o is wanted by the Auckland Police Department in connection with certain charges preferred aguihat. him by the '•■•natives. Of course * -cry prompt action cannot bo taken, <xs all such cables have: to be forwarded to Wellington, from which place, after the usual red tape business has been gone through, information ia despatched to the other ?ide. This affords ample oppertunity for the relatives of any per=on who is wanted to communicate direct with them, in order that they may depart for " fresh field 3 and pasture? new."

Nothing further has been discovered re garding-the. fate or Donald Grant, who wandered from the Refuge over a week ago. .-. : .

At the Board of Education meeting on Friday next Mr Cooper will move :. " That the resolution o£ tho Board dated 12th December, 1886, prescribm? certain arrangements for the teaching of temperance in the public schools, be "altered by the omission of the words • at the.discretion of the committee.'"

The Indnslrial Association holds a Special feneral meeting this evenine at the Wynd am-street rooms, followed by an ordinary general meeting. The subjects to be brought forward are of <?reat impcrtar.ee to all who are interested in tho e.ve!i=icn of local industries, ar.d it i= to be hcpetl chat membess and their friends will fin the rooms,

The proposed bill to secure earlier and uniform cbsir,? of shops'wa- under the ccnsidencicn ct the subecmniittee, who met on Tuesday nufhi j.t Mi Kin? s, cbemi't Queen-street. draft copy was finally adopted, and will be presented to the gene-' ral coir.n-.itiee next week for final revision arid adoption; The committee would be glad to hear from every centre of population in the colony, if any interested,which nearly every retailer in the colony is, would communicate with the Hon. Sec. Mr W P Ogilvie, Victoria-street West. We hope that the newspapers of other districts will assist the movement by copying this inti-

The vandalism of tourists an^#SHl has often been commented nm*& latest instance is at WaHaU^, 1 ™ One of the great attractions of tW R « I wonder has been that some fine fa^Wfl may be seen on the joumeyihroiigS^sp There is also a fine group of these'■ ti£sH the top of the Falls. Inforßmti o^# however, been received in'"tom t {dl t|B| kauri bush at the Palls waa fi^.M last Thursday or Friday, and 'Wil^ burning vigorously for several <U *& present the fire is in what is knvl %f Kelly bush, but unless the rain ■^Sgft.'B in sufficient quantity to quench, the fW there is no telling where the !woAslf vastation may end. The bknty $*%■ Falls will be considerably lessened L« m§ surroundings are turned into ie-w^W-whitened trunks with leafless brablll During the holidays several parti«*P known to be camping out in tfacj'ftyjjjfl suspicion has rested upon one paSisi company. It is to be hoped thatflcharge will be sheeted home, ami a L*& penalty inflicted. A settler who arrhSpi town this morning states thatafifebajuP-' bnrning in the bush for nearly a montj!'!'' he is almost su,re that the fire now in re^fis the same <$ie. Should suchpirilgMffi the case, considerable damage must'ys| resulted ere this. It will also be imncSM under such circumstances to 3iscot|^B originator of the fire. \ The fact that very few bn Miics \Jm ; have dropped out of the TelepicVc-;^'! | change this quarter is regarded as av-nfn improvement in trade. ' *' There was no performance at the'^Jf cultural Hall last night, a3 it has bnafH solved to close the " show " for a fewds *? in order to allow of alterations being^S in the stage, &c. The performance ay^ff resumed on Saturday night, when a">';i company -will appear in a spectacu^SiS tainment entitled "The CrimsonCircfeaJ Mr James Scutt, London House, y$M and Nelson streets, writes that h"e is iiiS person that purchased the D.LC. r ßsj{juj in our last nighfc'3 issue ; but havWii solved to relinquiah his business, his g^ji sale is still proceeding, where notS charitable institutes and other lar<*e W can procniie real,bargains, but all d^ purchasing,drape]gipr clothing will fitg'j cheapest market'ih^iAuckland. , We understand that the members oft late Orchestral Society intend to'gw concert, the proceeds of wMchwi applied towards procuring a smtahSfli monial to be presented to Mr Ci'Hei® recognition of his valuable services ail& HerrSchmitihascorisented to c6nduct,i we are confident, that the concert injiS great success, both." musically and fij cially. . :'i- :'i Constable Foreman brought to trarai Tuesday evening bythe Kaipara trauiflj men named Watson^ Grey, and WalliiM men were remanded for 8 days fsßl Helensville Police Court on the: cfißti stealing aparcel from the railway can™ value £8, the property of Mr Pond,' taflpk Newton. It seems that on Monday jlsf Pond left the parcel in the carriage;! these men were stated to have removal Constable Foreman came up witbMff in the bush near Kaukapakapa,aM| some trouble arrested them. Jpelp Walker, who was in Helensville, assfcpj convey,thg men to town. ;■?;,;> For the last few days Detective DobS been hunting roundihe gum camps Bejp Auckland and Riverhead for a man nan John Duncan, who was wanted on I charge of stealing 201b of gum and'al ring from the dwelling of Charles SpraSl Brigham's Creek. Doolan visited a nu:r.'j of camps, and ultimately ran his mm earth at Henderson* where he had jusirfi a small cottage, and: was setting 'thi^f order when the: detective. arrived and i mated; that a paternal Government SI ready provided free board, and lodgingf.S him elsewhere. Owing to the manhStiß changed his clothes and moved abonjf^ tective Doolaii experienced some troulMS tracing out his wnereabouts., He, howp recognised the man'sdogontsidethecoSß and at once concluded that the bm caged. Duncan appeared at Coarfil morning, and was remanded until-is Tuesday. ,' 7, ; . >{M Dr. Lynn's illusional entertainment at I Opera House was thoroughly enjoyed Ii night by a large audience, whose" pleas and mystification were, complete^! performance included! the basket tri(i| which the doctor's ;" little boy*'-fa|i gentleman in evening dress—is imnjprid a basket set on a table on the stage iai view of the audience, and on the'^lMwi raised almost ■ immediately '-^hI&M found; to hava disappeared, j The||j of the disappearing bird andSMsjj was also very neatly p^™S and the feat of " the Vankhing hd. which closed the performance, iai%"s, perfection of Dlusion. These,, as'fim were all the tricks, were received'iwrajS thusiastic.applause. Dr. Lynn's rTgn|ia has lost none of that cunning whictt'm entrance wondering audiences inl^to and his stage " business," in the^li&K funnyisms and by-play, is deddediy:«i than has ever been seen here. Mick Mpnnock, the Auckland sprich has been disqualified at Ryde,, If ew:. S» Wales, for starting in the Sheffield'^ cap from the wrong mark. To-morrow, at 2 p.m., Messrs Vaiteli Douglas, land auctioneers, ofsSh<ffi« street, will sell at their rooms somesf? valuable properties, 'compriMiif,' a b1" brick dwelling-house in Princes-street,^ ated just opposite the Parkeiitranct; the freehold and leasehold properties <|P Hokianga Sawmill Company, inducfflfl mill and, machinery complete ; andsuai handy little 12 acre farm at Mount Ate Ttie whole are desirable property* should command aready sale*