HYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 13

HYDE.

The disastrous winds of the 15th and 16fcli were not so destructive to the cereal crops »s wan feared, and now everyone ia busily occir pied in reaping and gathering in the well-earned results of their labours. Fmit trees, however, have Buffered considerably ; and, iudeed, it mu%t evur be so until a very great amount of artificial shelter is grown. This indußtry cannot ha undertaken vory well by private iudividuals unless t'iey,are possessed of a very considerable amount of capital, as the prevailing winds prove a very serious retarding power about this time of the year. This, combined with the fact that four or five years must elnpso before anything productive can be_ expected, makes fruitgrowing a rather serious undertaking for the poor man. That this industry, however, ia destined to become of great importance in the district is undoubted, aa no other part, in my belief, could excel Maniototo (if shelter were provided) in the luxuriance of her fruit crops. It in somewhat astonishing that advantage of the Forest Tree Planting Act has not been taken in this county as yet. We are here situated without a forest tree of any kind, except, indeed, a few plants for ornament of the eucalyptus family. It is a matter of some surprise that the Government of this Colony, viewing the prospective agricultural settlement of the whole of this widely-extended and treeless district, have not made special provision for the cultivation and growth of forests where fencing proves the most obstinate and expensive drawback to the taking up of the land. Very suitable areas on the Maniototo Plain present themselves where extensive plantations might be worked with a most highly remunerative result, and it would be a very laudable action, and one which would meet with universal approbation, if our Gounoil were to take the initiative in th 9 matter. It is a branoh of industry whioh is daily becoming a subject of great national importance, not only as regards Great Britain, but also in the Colonies nnd India. Science has proved that the cultivation of trees and shrubs exercises a most benign influence on the climate, and on the health and death-rate of a country as well as on its prosperity. In parts of this country where agriculturists are carrying on a warfare of extermination with the forestß in which grows timber sufficient for agricultural purposes for hundreds of years to come, are the demolishes fully alive to the terrible work of wanton destruction they are engaged in? The subject of tree-planting is one which should recommend itßelf to our farmers, as it will prove itself not only to be actually more remunerative than anything else they can grow, but for every acre successfully grown- they will receive from Government a L 4 land order. Thus persons planting 10 acres would be entitled to a land order to the amount of L4O. I believe this to ba the correct interpretation of the clause relating to this subject in the Land Act. Mining is at a temporary standstill for the want of water ; but no doubt it will ere long resume it« wonted busy character. Tho Minister of Justice, on his visit here, condemned the ridiculous little structure dignified by the appellation of courthouse, as most unsuitable. In vulgar parlance, there is literally not room to swing a cat in it, and how Mr Warden Robinson can endure the stifling atmosphere in this confined space I will leave scientists to answer.

Mr Walter Inder held his usual quarterly sale of stock, &c, on the 9fch met., but no very spirited purchasing characterised the occasion.