TO THE EDITOR.

Patea Mail, 14 August 1880, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR.

[Correspondents arc invited to discuss matters of public interest with fairness and brevity; this journal being an impartial medium of discussion and advocacy for all affairs relating to the County of Patea.]

DAMAGING THE CRICKET GROUND .

Sir, —“ Footballer ” wishes to know bj' whose permission certain cattle were allowed to graze in the cricket ground lately. I may say that the grass was so long on that portion which I had to plough, that it was almost impossible to get the plough through it. I asked Mr Collins, quite on my own account, if he would put his cattle in it for a few days to eat the grass down, which he did. I told Mr Collins he must shepherd them, in order to keep them from going near the cricketers’ ground ; which I must say he certainly did until yesterday, when I told him he could remove his cattle, as I had finished the ploughing. lam sorry that it has given annoyance to 11 Footballer.” I meant well.—Yours, &c., Fit ED COWI'IiN, Contractor for Ploughing, &c. Patea, 12th.

Sm, —A letter appeared in your last issue signed “ Footballer.” He is evidently trying to throw the cricketers off their guard by stating that the cattle which have been grazing in a certain portion of the ground lately have done more damage than the footballers have all the season. It was found, when the contractor went to turn up a portion of the ground with the plough, that the grass outside of the pitch was so long that he could not get the plough through it. I was asked by him to put my cattle in to feed down the grass, on the condition that I kept some person there to protect the cricketers’ pitch, which I did. The bole made in one corner of the pitch, about six inches deep, with no trace of the turf being trodden in, has, in my opinion, been done by a two-legged animal. However, I will put a patch of turf in at that place, in order to please “ Footballer.” Yours, &c., John Collins. Patea, 12th.