THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1886.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7649, 28 May 1886, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1886.

Parliament is now in session, and it is to be hoped that some little action may be at last taken to promote agricultural education in North New Zealand, where it is particularly required. They have got an Agricultural College in the other Island, and very properly so. It is a valuable and necessary institution even there, where farming in its various branches is pursued under conditions familiar to the British agriculturist. Even there, as in England itself, such an institution is requisite, because agriculture is no stationary science, but a progressive one, and in point of fact our discoveries' are no more than recoveries. So good an authority as Liebig has verified his assertions on the subject by abundant quotations from Columella, from Virgil in his " Georgics," and other Roman writers—showing that we have only come to know what they knew two thousand years ago, much of their knowledge in this, as in' divers other respects, having got lost or hidden away in the long parenthesis of barbarism between them and us. Certainly Aucklanders regard in no grudging spirit any opportunities of agricultural instruction they possess in the Southern part of this colony. But surely if the thing be appropriate there how much more necessary it is up here, where the climate is quite different, and where, besides the English crops, many of the high-paying semi-tropical products could be raised? But they are not raised because they are unfamiliar to our people. Even when by accident, or somebody's perception of their suitability, such exotics have been brought and planted here, there is rarely the skill to bestow the right attention and cultivation ; and then if there be disappointment, as under such circumstances not wonderful, the blame is laid on Nature instead of on the husbandman's want of knowledge. Every such disappointment helps to postpone a novel industry. Even when the suitability of climate and soil for growing a particular article is already sufficiently proved the public still look coldly on, as seen just now in regard to our tobacco-grow-ing, and there is neglect to encourage the establishment of a market. Our population hails from the semi-frigid I section of a temperate zone, and the chill still hangs about agricultural enterprise. We ought to be doing a great deal more in this way here than if we had emigrated to the banks of the Saskatchewan or the St. Lawrence. We are now in the second generation, and it would be well not to have the neglect continue into the third generations also. A good many of our statesmen have referred to the importance of this subject, but when the opportunity for action arrives it always drops out of memory. Sir Julius Vogel has now the opportunity. He does not lack a prompt hand; and we recollect his clear recognition in September, 1864, of the necessity for action in this line: —" There are obvious industries that will come to the front. Semi-tropical growths, such as fruit, silk, tobacco, and other allied products, must take firm and profitable root on this Island A Government at little expense may do much in the way of lending a prestige to its country's products."

There are several ways of calling up such industries in this Island, and one indispensable step, as Sir Julius can clearly see, is to provide some means of appropriate agricultural instruction. It is now acknowled on all hands that to render safe the progress of the colony, we must establish the rural back by creating a numerous population of small landowners. How immensely this change would be facilitated if we should turn to account the favours of Nature in this Island to enhance the gains of agriculture! There are scores of novelties of the semi-tropical class, any one of which, if successful among us, would bring large profits—some of them very great profits —to the husbandmen. And every farmer, no matter how small his holding, could devote .some little space to safe experiment of the kind, until his sons, or some of his neighbour's sons, returning from the Agricultural School, would bring information enabling him to launch out more boldly. Indeed, if once an Agricultural School were here, and its service demonstrated to all men's eyes, it would after a while undergo further development, and the time would come when it would send its peripatetic inspectors over the country to take counsel with each husbandman, answering his inquiries, and criticising and suggesting—just as has been done for many years in the provinces of the old Prussian monarchy by the paternal care of the State to promote agriculture.

Where so little practical attention has been given to these novel industries it would be presumptuous to dogmatise as to what particular ones would be specially suitable. We cannot, however, but express astonishment at the presence of that wonderful tree, the orange, not having been turned to

account long ere this, considering that it was introduced into the North Peninaula almost with the beginning of our settlement, and that it luxuriantly flourished here, and considering the great value in various ways of its fruit and flowers. There are no more delicious preserves than those furnished by the orange ; and, now when we are making jams and preserves from the orchard and garden fruits, why not marmalade also 1 For the manufacture of orange bitters and other tonics, the peel of the orange has within the last . few years come to have a great commercial value, and is imported in great quantities into "New York and Paris. Many countries export it, and a couple of years ago the best peel was worth ten to twelve cents a pound in NewYork. From a hundred orange trees, when ten years old, on an acre of ground, the flowers alone, when sold for perfume, bring £50. All scented flowers fetch great prices for perfumery. An acre of roses, or violets, or jasmin, or cassia trees, or geranium sell for still higher suras than the orange blossoms, and we are told * that an acre of lavender will bring as much as £300. The olive does well here, and this tree ought to be a favourite for planting. In the next generation when population has increased it will very likely furnish a staple to our commerce, and they say in Spain that a grove of olive is a gold mine above ground. The cinchona, or Peruvian bark tree, will be also of rare value to U3 if successful here. We believe there is no doubt of the 1 castor oil plant; and as seeds of these and other important novelties are now offered for distribution at the gardens in the Auckland Domain, settlers would do well to avail of the opportunity. Let us always bear in mind that we have facilities which did not exist some years ago for export to London and other great outside markets.