Farm and Garden.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 811, 15 February 1868, Page 4

Farm and Garden .

The progress of agriculture in any country is a si<m that people understand the value oi property and the peaceful enjoyment of it ; that they have no wish to fight among themselves or with other nations ; whilst on tincontrary, those nations who do not practice the art of agriculture, but contiaue to follow the pastoral life, are far inferior in tin point of moral worth and bodily comfort to those who cultivate the earth. Thus in A rabia, the people who are descended from Ishmael, are of two classes — the one called the wandering Arabs, — the other the settled Arabs or Bedouins. The former, we are told, live mostly without government, without law, and without society; theft aud robbery are allowed by their chiefs ; they have neither bread nor wine, neither do they cultivate the ground, while those who are settled and apply themselves to the cultivation of the earth, to trade, and the raechauic.il arts, are distinguished for justice, temperance, and humanity. Likewise gardening, which Lord Bacon denominates as " the purest of human pleasures," is one of the earliest proof.3 of civilization, aud it is only amongst the most brutal und degraded races of savages that gardens are altogether unknown. It is our intention to devote weekly a portion of our columns to this interesting subject, interesting to this Colony and Province in particular, because we are blessed by Providence with a temperate climate and fertile soil, and it will be our own fault if we neglect to put our shoulders to the wheel and keep the character we already have of being " The Garden of New Zealand."

We shall be most happy to open our columns for the discussion of any subject connected with the agricultural interest, and we do hope that the country 'settlers will assist us in it, for by so doing they will likewise benefit themselves. What one may not know another may be able to supply, and by making our journal the medium of information the whole community must eventually be benefitted. Whilst on the contrary, should indifference be shown, the knowledge gained by experience is hidden in one breast, and the progress of the place consequently retarded. We therefore repeat that we hope our country friends will assist us in our endeavours to assist them, and will communicate to us any information that will be likely to benefit the agricultural community. Or should there be any, who from some cause or other not known to them, fail to succeed in any of their farming operations, we invite them also to communicate with us ; and if we are unable to answer their questions, some one* in the Province who has overcome those very difficulties, will, we feel sure, be only too happy to impart through us their knowledge and experience. By this means, not only will one be benefitted, but numbers who read the newspaper will also gather that knowledge, which perhaps could not be obtainable in any other manner.