A FEW WORDS ON AGRICULTURE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 224, 29 July 1879, Page 2

A FEW WORDS ON AGRICULTURE.

To tk Editor of Ik Wauuiupa Daily. Mastorton July 25th, Slit, —It may be interesting to some of your readers these dull times, to call their attention to a few remarks of mine relative to the tilling of our soil, and other matters in connection therewith, It may not be generally known what rapid strides we are making in agricultural pursuits as compared with past years. As far as I can glean, we have this year within a radius of five miles of Masterton some two thousand acrs of land in crop and to be put in crop—probably more,—the yield from which if wc have a favoralbe season, and under ordinary circumstances should be 00,000 bushels, Large as this may appear compared with the past, we are even yet in onr infancy in agricultural pursuits. When we look around us, aye, even at ' our very doors aud see the thousands of acres of virgin soil that have never yet been exposed to the rays of the sun by the plough, I say that it behoves those interested to be up and doing, more particularly in these times of general monetary depression. When our staple article of production—wool—is at such a low price and the most that can be produced from our pastoral land in its native state appears to be about one sheep to the acre which at present values would realise the handsome income of 6/6 per acre, including carcase and wool; now that we are on the eve of direct communication by rail with the City of Wellington, it behoves the settlers of this district to strive, if possible to shut out our Southern neighbors from the Wellington market, Of course, I know there are some people who will pooh-pooh the idea of attempting to compete with the South; but I would beg to inform them that we have tens of thousands of acres of land in this Wairarapa Valley which, as I before remarked, have never yet seen the rays of the sun, and which are equal if not superior to the holdings of our Southern neighbors of the Middle Island, There has of late been a great deal said and written about the rabbit nuisance,

but, Sir, there is only one way to my mind of getting rid of these pests, and that is the plough. Clean the land and utilise it and you may wish good bye to the rabbits for they will go; but we must be all of one mmd and set to work with a will. Of course my remarks are not altogeher applicable to hilly country, but even . there, •! you destroy their cover by clearmg the land, tho rabbits will become less. i itls ™, be ho P e( l also that the high pneo of labor will shortly find its proper I level, so that we may have further inducement to take up agricultural pursuits. Hoping these few remarke may be of some interest to your readers,~lam, <fcc. r Speed the Pimw.