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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5147, 17 February 1888, Page 2

It has. been the fashion for many years to assort that Hawke's Bay is not an agricultural district. This assertion is made not in the sense thut the art of agriculture is not practised here, but that tho district, i'rum a variety of causes, is not fitted for

agriculture. In proof of this it has been pointed out that it has been tried by several sot tiers who have had to abandon it in favor of grazing. The cultivation of tho soil, in fact, hu.s not paid, either tho crops having failed, or the market being unremunerative. Our flour mills arc consequently silent, and their ruins bear testimony to tho dominion of sheep. Whether the kht season has been peculiarly favorable to imiiu crops, or whether v, better knowledge has" been obtuiiied of tho peculiarities of our climate and soil, wo know not, but this is certain, that a largo extent of grain has been grown and harvested. Wo have noted from time to time shipments of barley from this port, v circumstance (hat has not ooourred for many years ; and wo have also been shown samples of oats .superior, as we have been

übsureil, to what has been grown "down south." We are now informed that fortyfour acres of barley have just been harvested on the KuKimu native reserve, with a yield of no less thuu S'2oo bushels, or over 72 bushels to the acre. The crop was sold at two shilliugs por bushel, so that the gross return from the forty-four acres was no less than £320. This it must be allowed is a

most satisfactory result, and points to the probability that tho rich lands of the plains can be put to better use than grazing.

Ii- the best way to preserve peace aiuontrst nations is to bo fully prepared for war, then uotluug can be of a more pacific nature than the ntfwe "we have tVcm Europe, Wo ought

not to be in the least alarmed at the massing of troope on the frontiers of Austria, Germany, and Russia, nor of the inspection of the French defences on tho borders of Italy, to sco that everything is secure. Nothing hue apparently been left undone by tho continental powers to put their defences in order, and to assume a bold front towards each other. In spite of theso so-called best evidences of peace, there is an uneasy feeling in Europe, and no wonder. Willi somo three millions of men under arms, in the different armies, it is difficult to think that peace will bo maintained when tho season allows military operations. Russia has, we are told half a million of men on tho bank of the Dneiper, and the ordinary taiffie of her southern railways has been suspended to further tho transportation of troops. Notwithstanding tho opinion of our AgentGeneral that the peace of Europo will not be disturbed, the signs of the times aro not reassuiing. To add to the genoral uneasiness comos tho news that the condition of tho Crown Prince of Germany is less hopof ul, and should his death occur it cannot but have a most important effect ou tho political situation.