RECENT UTTERANCES OF MR. MECHI.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 48, 20 August 1872, Page 3

RECENT UTTERANCES OF MR. MECHI.

!■'a! Fur me i'.h. ! t I Vi-N'i'ri;!-: !;o pr-L.'.)lt:h tiiab within another century ! \ (whii'h is not in tin; hbv.iry or a nation) our i 1 ;t< i■: u 1 oui i->..s will ho found studying in. their j : : lil»ri.riiM the soienthiy principles of agnculhare i enuii-ua!oil I>y Lieui;.:, Way, \ oeokier, Pl.tyfiMr, ; j and our other agricultural . Town ' . ! sewage vviil. not then lie permitted to ilow into our rive;s, instead of 011 our land. ho:' want of sokmi- ' tiii-. '.ruidaue.c, thousands of farmers have been, an I ! nr.! sli!l -•roping in tiio dark 1' >r tho id is: pro.habie ! path, an i have only now an-1 then found it, after I innumerable experiments, ion many of vvh-c'i have j I'l'-ui costly and unsu.-eessfu!. Our gre ilos.i • 1 on!; nral ji.iilo.-iopli'jr (iiaron Li'jh' 4) s i, ys (p igo'J.: | M > /.- r;i .l</i'tc"/!nn) - " Agriculture i i of ,-d! nidus- | I l t i t ! pursuits tiio 1 idlest in fads, nir.l c'.o pures l ; in ; | their comprehension. A fact .simply t de; us of its | c.\i it-ono---, luit experience ought to iulo.-Mi us -\vliy 1 it exist !•«. .Science docs 110 S reject I!;:n t,rn>hs <lis--5 covered liy practice, hut receives thcoi ; are ; never b.sputol by lior — but _ .are 0.-t<i.-ui:r.:<l find r.-;- s ; -,■>■. fi.iuL do,- their p oper import ;v■ . I further a;i- : 1 p!, :; ;i,! ion. Tim business of soieu-'e ;s to Re ok lor ; causes, and. like a !i -;ht, lo illu.niua'e. the surround- ; | in dark noss. Africa!cure is bnl.li an art an I a 1 j -oi'-iio:'. its soionu io basis embraces a knowledge j ' nf ail I.no comb.; urns ot Vegetable. Lite, of fciio origin i ; of tho elements of plants, and of the sources from i ; v'-dch thev derive their liourisnmen t. T run this . ; knowledge iixed rules are tonned lor the practice of ! tho art - that is, l\<r tin; ncce-siiy or ad-ran a.ge of i ail the mechanical operations ot tiio iaroi, l.iy winch ; 1 ho. land is prepared tor tiio growth ot plants, and ( i !i\- which limsu eiuses are remove 1 which ; exorcise an injurious iniluenoe upon them. Iv;- ! , p;-no!io«' ao"pure I in the iiractieo of tiiis art- can j ! never shmd in e-mtradietiou to i(s so'entiiic prin- , ! eipios, li.-oa.use tiio l.itter have l>oen deduced from ; j all t'no observations of expei'muc". and arc actually \ I an inu-i'oo; nal e:cp- o,?? : on of it. Neither can theory j j overscan I iu to practice, for it is merely j j t'no i hack of a cla-ss of ])i>eiu»:nena to their j j iillini'io cau.;cu." Aly ohjeefc ia addressing yo.i j ! ihi-i evonin ; is to endeavour to impress upm au''-i- '• | cuiturisLs the a and ne vssi'y oi tnisring I mo-'o t-o scioiii iiie [irim-iplos as a gut ie to prac-liee ! iu the ars of iillago, nniturini;. and the rotation «;f i orop-.s. Time will only porm.'t i:ie lo dri.v an outi lin-.', wh'ch must ho iilie.l up by a peidonal study i -lii.i rellecti j Cia'/'rcuon Pa t I i'/v.-c;'. j If 1 ask for a deiiuilion of the word onltivalion, I : >"i tol i liut it moans the disturbance tijioiirniiig i of ih m a 'til io a depth of "> inches, or the thickness ! of a fit mil / Mible, whie'i is the admittOvl substance , ! of rii" i",riti:>ii agricultural pio-c-nsf. but when 1 ask i why this particular deptH of live ineh--s (:u preteronce to 50. 10. or '2!)) has boon -ixe-.l upon, i can got : no salioiaotorv or scieuri'.i" reply, i presume it virusi: bo "hocau:;e a pair of hr.iycs ijomotimco fviir 1 foar) can ]>h)U-:h at that depth an acre per day. V.'e . can not call tilts either a seieni i!io or sat i-. ; i .ictory ex- : pia nation, if tlm roo's r.f pl-mrs only live ; i:,,-lios. and lind within t:r..t isp-io* r.mplo noorkli | men? t"r their pevfeet dovelopn e it, these *vould 1)9 | ! 110 11001oi >u to had fa :lt. but we know that iz is nos i ! s i, and that plants send their shoots uown nno tiie i subsoil several foot, especially if hi a suitable eon- | dirion, which is very raioly the case, beeause it has ; r.eilhcr been disturbed, aerated, drained, ov manured. ; j \\ hen I he ir, as I frequent!v do. taat n-gh tanning inures- tho barley crop. 1 smile and reply. " -'lix the ■ 1 ieh t>"-?oil with the pure uiunanured suhsoil. and • von v, ill i'\sn no hmger com plain of laid trotny - crons, which injure young clover ; but don t sow too thickly." Here is a striking instance ot the ; ta :e \ierived from more deeply distributing tue soil a'!■ I subs.ail. In the presence of , 00 ot my gue'rs, 1 | in July. !3ob. Fowler's steam-plough, with Cot- ' :rreave.'s suiisoil attached, operated uposi three I stretches of one of dry clover-leas. Tiie result war- - I that, a 1 fhough all the tield had he:n under goad and | ■ dieep cultivation, these stretches in jhe : early growth. <>£ the wheal crop as uiottgh tney ua 1 ; reoeivedi an extra dressing ot manure: sml for live • yetrs after all the crops on tnoso •le?]>-<t-st-nrbed ■ stretcltes s-howeti a manifest advantage. It surprises 1 me that this system of double or under ploughing ' pane furrow-slice covering the other) is noc aiore ; generally aclo]-.tcd with Fowler's plough, as was ' done on my tiel.l iu ISoG. ! ! lVnldi.il Wtfdlh. ! '• Thr.s the subsoil, considered as a field api"t : from tho arable soil, gives to turnips and. luerrne ; a certain quantity of mineral constituents. "\\' bero : • the nelds ha.ve a subsoil favorable to the growth of * I these plant-?, it is as though the arable sir. face . ; soil were doubled." We heir great complaints :

! a bout thin-skinned Land. V,"!;i>se fault is it? Mine j was wretchedly thin-skinned Jnn 1 thirty years ; j until I greatly deepened the staple by up i the subsoil under the ploughed lan 1, still keepni,' ; J the oH Bo'i uppermo.s!. By means the passive elements in the p!.mt-f<«>d in the subsoil beeame gradually active and available. !h iinwi 'o! cmr e preceded the subsoil distn-'ban-'p. Ail this has ' been and uilift bo pro'ita'oli. However tniica a : farm»r may be restrict.. 1 in his lease, tnere is never ; any liiiiil. as to the ijuauticy of .soil he - .n iv use ior ; the growth of his it mav bo ." JO tons per aere at a depth of.) inches, or 5:)')') tons per a:re at a depth of fit) ine ics. His jxnls, J'i : es, tithes, j taxes, &c., will b; no grevtcr on one than the other, but Irs crops wi.il Iw nnnvstakably in- J crease 1. mrs'c 1)3 used if the laud is not naturally drained. There are, of <;oU":v<, 10-.se, ; ] r friable 3 oi's that require compression rather than ; ' deep < 1 i.siirb't'i;?. laebi'j afcUehe.s the nanost iiu- j | portanee to deep tillagea.s an agri-ndtunil basi3. lie ; ' says in ,!/".»•/• cu d- 41 l'he a T 'ricultur..st has to do with the soil alone ; it is only through it that ; h<: is ab'e to o.: erei.se an immediate iuilueuee on , plants. 'J'he attainment of a'l ins objects in the j ' li'Ojfc couM-'ele a id pro'.itable inanie>', pre-supposes • I the exacr knowledge of the (dl'eriive chemical con- j < ; duio.i:, tor the iii'e <>i p'anfs in tin; sod ; it l urcher ; | pre-supposes perfect ac piahi'; nice with the f >o 1 of ' j plants. ail.l the ftjurqg Ironi ivL'eii it is derived, as j ! well as with i'>e means for rendering tno sod suit- i ! able fw their nutrition, combined vvich experience : an ! !-:i11 in e'.op'oring theui in the proper way, an.! ! ; at tiie right . in:-•.! i l"i\) If c »>Jhi'i/-l.) [ i ■■ ! ! Yiv. Jnme.s T. F >I's, a member of a well- < I known j i•) st>);i publishing firm, has published ; I a Ij<> ij Iv entitled " \es'er day with Anchors. ! ilvj lulls the following nnecdoteol 1 imclceray : , ! —Afner visiting tlie lulled blutes to 3 o;;-.are, i j Mr. Thackeray had ercpresse 1 cariosity re- i I speetwig American ovsters. 110 dono'.ed toe j s'orif.s liu had heard as to their Size. His llosloa i'rend.s had prepared a treat tor him. j Preparing six oi the very largest thai could | bo found, they apologised In* tneit' smailness j and promised to do bettor the tie:; tune. "I i I no: iced that he gazed at them anxiously, witn ;

lor!: upraised ; then lie wliisnevei.l to me, with ' il look of ;n.\4'ui.sii, ' How shall Idoit r I j dos<nibod to bim t!ie simple proecby v/lr.ch j the freo-boru eiiizens of Amenc i were accus- j torn )! to a;;eomplisb susli a task. Ho seemed ; saii.stied that the thino* was feasible, selected ; t lu' smallest one ill the half-dozen (rejecting a , la one, ' boeuiv.se, be sai 1, ii> rcsemb'.es . tilt; ilio'b Priest's servant's ear that I'eter cut t oil'), and then bowed Ins head as if be wo:'e savir..; ga-aco. All eyes were upon bim, t) ; wale'i the effect'of a new sensation in the j person of a threat British author. Opening j his mouth very wide, be for a mo- j nnuii, and then nil was over. I shall never j forges tiio eom'o look of despair he cast upon ' the otiier five over-occupied shells. I brok | the poi'fect stiliness by asking him ho.v lu j ' Pre don ndl v /••rate; ill.' lie said, ' and a-, i jf I b id cjwai lo vu I .i fclhj i)aby.' <- | T i.vvs sctions or t.rN. Z. Institute, \ ox.. j i ;-i —j'.io first jraijor ia th s v -lumt: is by .Mr. J. ' l '. ' Ti'o.i'ix >11, F.lv.C.rk, of O and is endded " The j V,'p-.-ii-.! of tiie Miovi. ' 'Lin; writer assu.nes r,ii,-»t rasa- j kin.l iUvisi.ilu iato t'ar.-e gvoat i'a-uilii'S, viz: Oau.-a- | si ins. I'lo,te;oiiaav and X-'U'VoCS. l[e samv.s tlnit wu.lo , la : rM->n.:'-»li.ui llouris'tes hi ai! cn-uat -s, t :o ooasdcuciou j of Hie X '.;ro is suilod specially to the tropic.-*, auu taut t of f.'ae- C-iac.isian to '.euij>er:>.ie lutitu'les. M.c (. utt.'-tviniia ; p;'.,vi! til at tii.i jii'iiiiisu: toiS >at lis rn Itnha « a.-, ! aa -i'-aUy inhabited by tiie Ne-ro race, bu' pr-s-utiai? | ficiiitivs to tiie iuvoals of other was tve-nta-d-y , •iv M.-rau In" -Mou ; ;o!iaa liurdcs. who absorbed the are!i -,io ; iubabitaats. A*" siiettn of this mixed race i heujhr-ve.i ! west«" inl and peopled ;d lie brings forw.ird | the evidence of Maivo Polotoprore th-.r in tae thirceeaiU oratory a very coas-'deiv.bic irud" was earned on between liidia aad that Island in ladiaa vessels Another stream or'tie- stale r.u-e is suppus.-d to iiavc H )'.ve;l r-a-rwartl 10 '■■h* ;[•)'• accas which is ai.parentlv the base from which snran- t-ie Polynesian rac-. That Indian vessels hars \'isii>'d Polvnes'ia. if not New Zealand, in ancient ti-nes. <"C»I1. cvideiit from tiie f:ict of auan.iqae Indian sliins j beii b' iii'* found some vears aar<) in the interior ot this . island Cok-nso.* The bed, or rather the crown or j i uoncr vase, which ia all that ronia.ns of it, hears an in- j j iViption in ancient Tamil ckaraftei'.s, wh'.ch ! rims interpreted "Mo hoyidm U.ik's *3'nip's 2ied " L !; s ;v ic o reaiarUaide that the nair.es of pi,ices in Ma-.U----j ■.j-asear are sometimes identical witi t!nne iti Ne.v Zealand. According to rlii< paper, the M iorie< are a, .nixed race, nameiy Mongoiuuis, wdh a cnsideraWe admixture of Nc.rro blood. To quote the writer's own Wo'rds: '-The Ma-rrie- are a cross whose uiflaiUM are I Soaih Indian uf tho ohlest class. They arc a;so aivaci.-d ~v .. n archaic connection with some of the lirst oilsn-jots i <f the Tnibef m and u!tra-Cra>igetic r.-,ces, to wuose 1 Mhvsso'rnoaiv there is a striking approximatio'i in many i Itidiviifiial idaov's." Tae writer being an old Indian. I m* had rare advantages ia this inves'dMtio.i, and ! bri-.v.r- an abond mce of cthnopfriph.e d. ii\ noloyie-al, and ! iorj to bear v.pon toe suljeci.