A Trip to Motueka.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 3, Issue 14, 19 February 1892, Page 2

A Trip to Motueka.

[Bv Windier.]

Leaving with a pleasant companion in the evening--we found ourselves in a comfortable sulky drawn by a real smart trottef ""and heading lor Richmond at a good pace, when, we suddenly found the; road, instead of being Jouiit upon the level, was continued up * rather steep ascent for the nineteenth century, and wondered how it was that during the lapse of nearly two generations no better outlet to the country or inlet to the City had been provided lor settlers, farmers, travellers, etc., and while busy in my mind revolving a problem in figures calculating how many tons were annually carried over the hill backward and forward, how much extra horse-power was actually required in the haulage, how much extra wear and tear of harness it all meant, and last, but not the least, how much loss of time was included, and had alf these matters represented in figures, it suddenly dawned on me that 1 was also wasting time, as the good people in town and country had now an opportunity for securing a better and more expeditious way by forming a road round The Bocks, and I consoled myself with the reflection that on my next trip I would travel by the new road, and let me hope I shall not be disappointed. After leaving Jenkens' Hill the "nag" bowjed along right merrily, passing .t||pwell-kept houses, gardens, and .gj&\ pid Jocks with tluir concoaiiwihts, a picturesque littie stone Church' and a newly-built school which proclaimed the fact of our population steadily increasing, and 1 am sure very lew districts in the colony can boast of the healthy vitality that we find on all sides throughout tiie Waimeas for the area, though not large, is so well farmed by its owners that very little is allowed to waste. No better example of the value of small holdings need be looked for 7 than in this neighbourhood, most of the crops have been well saved, and, judging by the large number of ricks near the homesteads, their capacity must have been very satisfactory to the farmers, while, we were informed, that with scarcely an exception, every one is busy, and ail labour finding employment. Some of the young men have left for the North Island, while : a large area of bush land is being brought under grass finds plenty cf work for others. Nearly 400 bales of wool passed through the Wakefield Station, which means a marked improvement on previous years, while the birch-bark industry carried on there by the enterprising owner, Mr! M. Lightband, has, since his visit to Australia, received a greater impetus, with the result that he has exported over 1000 sacks of crushed bark for tanning purposes, during the last five weeks, where it is now permanently; establishing itself in the market. I am sorry to hear that owing to a development of gum in the process of making an extract from the |>ark, th. t gentleman has had to suspend opera-! tionr in that part of the industry, but no doubt science will soon overcome that difficulty. Mr Lighjiband is now in correspondence fjth the Railway Commissioners with 'ty view to; extend the .industry in another direction, and, as it means increased traffic for the line, more labour wanted, and; circulating a good deal of money in the district, we trust his application, will be successful, and the Commissioners will do all in their power to help him. Mr Lightband tells me that he saw in Australia an artificial mineral manure which was being exported to the Mauritius for manuring the sugar canes, which had the effect of killing the blight, and 1$ thinks it might be introduced into this colony for purifying our orchards, if so the remedy will be wortlj many thousand pounds, for, w|th qui* flue ocean-going steamerp, the fruit export with England and other parts of the world would become one of oin? most flourishing industries, and give an immense return to thoge who cultivated their orchards. As we passed IhpQugb Wairaea West we recognised old friends busily engaged axiong the woolly floods, or repairing fences, and the locality brought to wind au amusing fact which occurred some years ago when a firm in Havelock telegraphed to a then merchjuit. in Nelson to forward half a ton cheese, and to their aitonishmenFon receiving it with the invoice they wsre informed that with some difficulty the merchant had proved them Mr Best's cheesy, but \i was a Jjqnny per i\yw tyf«i \k% lit* flw*«)» I