BEET CULTURE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10012, 10 June 1895, Page 4

BEET CULTURE.

Sib,—la a reoent issue of your paper I a notice a letter signed by Mr C. B. Hoadley c Inqalliog as to tbe illtterence of our toll ' and clima.B as compared with those of TenterficW, New South Wales. Tenter- <» field is situated north of tbo New England » tableland, the climate of which I. remark- B ably similar to that of New Zealand, particularly the Hawke's Biy distriot. Tbe <- temperature there Is liable to very sudden 8 variations. I have on moro than one J occasion noted a variation of 25 degrees ' within 24 hours. In that respeot it ls « singularly like parts cf Now Zaaland. E " The rainfall normally would about equal that of Hawke's B_y. As regards tbe soil It is somewhat patchy, hut the greater ] portion is lv its growing capacity equal to ' what would be regaided In New Zealand as good soil—capable of yielding from 10 to 15 tons of potatoes to the acre, the latter of course only in the best patches. Daring tbe first six months of my resl*. deaae in New England I was very mnoh impressed with the similarity of the soli ond climate to those of this colony, so mnoh so that I wrote a series of articles strongly advocating the cultivation of products and plants which thrive exceedingly well In New Zealand, but attempts to cultivate which In some parts oi New South Wales had not proved successful. Tbe flax trade was then in the "boom" stage, which led me to observe that tbe river flats and low lying lands were particularly adapted to the growth of phor* mium tenax. Since then my expressed opinion has been proved to have been weU-fonnded. At tbat time the Government and the agricultural societies were offering special prizss tor the cultivation of the sugar beet, bat very few specimens were entered at the societies' shows. Those that were entered, however, were of excellent qnallty, and fally demonstrated the suitableness of the district for beet culture. To Eum up, the climate of the Tenterfield disttict is vory similar to that of Hawke's Bay, and the soil may be classed as of aboat equal capacity. Sugar beet should he as successfully caltivated here as in New South Wales. It must be borne in mind, however, that the results mentioned in the Australasian paragraph quoted by Mr Hoadley as having been obtained at tbe Teuterfield station, greatly exceed those obtained by otber growers iv that district. In the former oase special experience had been brought to bear on the beet cultivation ; and the resulb showed that in tbis, as in every, thing else, experience is indispensable. I hope I have furnished at least some of the information required. I cannot elve from memory the mean temperature or annual raiofall, but they struck me as bslng remarkably like tho.e of New Zealand.—l am, &-., Alex. Bailue. Pahiatua, June 7, 1895.