The Otago Witness WITH WHICH IB INCORPORATED THE SOUTHER MERCURY.'

Otago Witness, Issue 1630, 17 February 1883, Page 18

The Otago Witness WITH WHICH IB INCORPORATED THE SOUTHER MERCURY.'

SATURDAY, 17th FEBRUARY, 1883

Once again a cargo of New Zealand mutton has been placed on the London market in splendid condition, and has been so well appreciated aa to command, for at least a portion of it, the highest price yet paid by the dealers, who will still, no doubt, obtain a good profit from the reraileis. So excellent a price as 7-a-d cun hardly bo expected for tho whole cargo, but if. it even averages 7J the shippers will get a splendid return on their shipment!). A letter recently published in our columns pointed out that the practice of consigning io small lota to several different consignees militates against the sale of the respective shipments to the best advantage, as the market cannot be fed so well by several hands as by one. Yet, notwithstanding this obvious disadvantage, a part of the Sorrento's cargo haa been Bold Id per lb higher than that by the Garonne from Melbourne. If we can continue to hold such a vantageground as this by sending only the best quality of mutton Home, the trade from iiew Zealand must be established on a permanent and most satisfactory basis. The Dunedin's cargo will not reach Home till April, to be followed by a cargo by the British Queen in June. These shipments, if not sufficient, alternating with others from Melbourne, to supply the market fully, will at least fairly test the public taste, and we have no fear that we shall suffer by comparison with meat from Victoria. There is very little reason to doubt that the London market can take all we can send for some years to come at remunerative prices. We oannot, of course, expect to obtain so much during the summer months as in the winter, but there is an ample margin, at present ratea of freight, for such a trade as will greatly stimulate production, and give the utmost confidence to breeders and graziers in stocking up to the full carrying capacity of the country. The prospects of the New Zealand sheepowners and the agriculturists were never brighter than they now are ; snd all we have to do is to arrange for a constant supply of tonnage to oarry our surplus, which is likely henceforth to increase considerably year by year, by means of winter feed, and

killing at an earlier age. We are informed by one largo landowner that, with a certain market, he can turn off double the number of fat aheep annually from his land that he has heretofore been able to do, and this is doubtless true of many others. The result of the Sorrento's cargo, then, will be a great encouragement to further efforts to cope with a trade which promises to reach moat important dimensions.

One of the strangest bits of news wo have ever received waa contained in one of our Wednesday's telegrams. On Tuesday last the trains, both morning and evening, between Waverley and Nukumara were actually stopped by caterpillars. These insects swarmed on the rails in such countless numbers that the wheels of engine and carriages ceased to move, doubtless in spite of a good deal of puffing and snorting. "-The officials had to sweep and sand the .metals before the trains could proceed." It is often asked where all the pins go tj ; but we might almost be pardoned for asking where all the caterpillars come from. We daresay some of our minute philosophers could tell us all about it ; but it is enough for our purpose to know that New Zealand is liable to be ravaged by plagues of insects. Come from where thay may, there they are, and all the philosophers in the world could not destroy them before they have (eaten up every green thing that comes in their way. It is thus, so to speak, that these small creatures, individually contemptible though they be, accomplish their destiny, and lay waßte whole districts, ruining the hopes of the farmer. An insect plague is really a much more serious matter than most people suppose ; and we have no hesitation in saying that the acclimatisation societies, much as they are abused, have performed an invaluable service to New Zealand. Suppose, for instance, that the Taieri were attacked by caterpillars when the grain wa3 in the ear, but yet soft and succulent, what would be the result? Why, a greater loss than would be sustained from the small birds in half a century. The sparrow and green linnet are, we admit, sometimos very troublesome ; but we repeat what we have often staged, that there is every reason to believe that what they consume is nothing in comparison to what they preserve. The small farmer in the neighbourhood &f bush is apt to suffer, but the country on the whole is an incalculable gainer by the presence even of these two much-maligned birds. Of late we have heard very little about their depredations, and we sometimes fear, now that the law has been let loose against them, that the war may be carried rather too far for the good of the Colony. It would at any rate be well not to forget that the caterpillar still dwells in the land, and that he would soon show himself in force if we were foolish enough to try and exterminate his natural enemies. We are thoroughly convinced that soft billed or purely insectivorous birds would be quite unequal to tho task of keeping down our insect pests. The sparrow, in particular, is an invaluable little fellow, though it is quite true that he levies a pretty heavy toll for his services. The question, however, is as to whether he deserves it ; and we imagine that, after a careful balancing of the account, the question must be answered in the affirmative.