BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 4

BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

DESTRUCTION OF GREEN-FLAX,

' ißy Telegraph—Special Correspondent.!" Feildlng, February 17. , .It is reported that the dreaded' grasifires have started in this district. One is said to have run'from Cheltenham icross 'the river, and', destroyed : 300 acres of Mr. M'Kenzie's grass, rand extended to the farms of other settlers round towards Colyton. . . - ( Palmerstan North, February 17. • Nearly a week ago a fire started in the flax in Mr. H. Aker's swamp,, at Linton,- said to have been caused by a spark' from a railway : engine, and this has' f toi-.the "fiaxCraw's swamp at Tokomanii v ; AlrMdy;a considerable area of green flax has bein. dMVbyetf.'f?'B?er 'S®'fifed' fighting the fire, and the flax indils; bfc longing to ;Messrs.; Craw 'arid np.vSeiferfc, have ifhe employees, to , reidertassis^nc9: 7 At present itne- men"'are engajS'd'-'diggmg arains and cutting lines ' through- the swamp to arrest the progress" of - the. : flames.'_. Should the-wind change\to .-the west Linton will, be in great;danger/.as tho fire may .spread- through'- tlio)township towarik the hills. - Settlers Satiirally feel great anxiety over the matter. .-■/*; Wanganui, February. 17.; Heavy smoke - is hanging over the town, and the whole district; causedby bush.fires!i. :■■■ ■ ; At Taihape very dry . weather ;still. continues, and the feed is becoming, rap idly/.burnt up. The river- continues a&normally low,! and is 3ft. 6in. l>elo\r the "zero" mark' at:Pipiriki, which" is supposed _ to. "show the lowest : level for safe navigation. By l employing 'the smallest steamers of the fleet the fiver servico /is being / maintained, - though: with very great difficulty.. The harbour,however, is not affected by the ' low. river. The, pilot and - Harbour ;Board'i; engineer were out : sounding on"the bar yesterday, and obtained a clear working depth of 16 feet at high' spring's.'.-In-addition' to the-above gratifying improvement in the port since, harbour. works started is a greater range of tide. Tho low . Avator level is; * restored to' what it should be, and Jis now. a foot lower than it was two'years' ago, the riso and fall at tho] town wharf, being "now 6ft. 6in:,' as : against-sft. ,6in. previously. -Periods ebb" andnow.are also, being'equalised;"-.Former-ly the ebb occupied 7 hours and the How o hours, but they , are now nearer six hours each way. ;- . ;i :j

' Bush fires in the back districts contmuo.to burn (says the Auckland /'Herald s To Kuiti correspondent), : r with the result that Te Kuiti and. the district for ,miles around is enveloped in,smoke. The grass is gradually, becoming, less . every day, which must result seriously for stock if the dry-weather, continues. : The smpke, combined mth: pumice dust, is not pleasant • for residents. The water supply is'short, and were it riot for the stream :which. flows through tho townshipj'the position.would be serigu's. A number iof cases; of dysentery have 1 been reported, and it is considered that they are due to the present climatic conditions. The country people are anxious about , the-safety of their stock; ' : Mr. J. Gleadow, Piopio, ! has been in . communication. with' the' Prime -Minister in regard to assistance in obtaining grass seed for iho settlers whose grass has been burned, .Sir Joseph Ward recommended that the; application be made to the Land.Board/. ' '