CENTRAL OTAGO AND LOMBRADY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 52, 26 April 1895, Page 16

CENTRAL OTAGO AND LOMBRADY.

HE II ON MR CA DM AN, Minister of Mines, has made a tour of the Otago goldfields, and has given his impressions to an Otago Daily Times interviewer. Confining himself to his own subi ject Mr C adman commented on the absence of the timber required for mining purposes. " The first thing 1 noticed in the interior was the

absence of trees. Having lived in a district all heavily timbered for the best part of my life, the absence of trees in the whole of the interior of Otago naturally impressed itself upon my mind. I don't think I have ever seen so much land in my life before without timber growing on it, and I certainly never saw so many rabbits in my life before. The total absence of timb?r in the district naturally made me think that the question of forestry should long ere this have been considered in Central and I am fully of opinion that no time ought to bo lost in starting something of the sort now." The well-timed words of the Minister should be taken to heart not only in Ltago but elsewhere in New Zealand, and by the Government of which he is a member. An outcry will yet be raised in the Colony against the wholesale destruction of our noble forest trees, and the almost criminal neglect of this generation in the matter of tree plantation. Indignant protest against neglect will not, however, make forests spring up like mushrooms. Care should now be taken to have a country well timbered from noith to south. The remark of Mr Cadma.n about the number of rabbits in Otago Central reminds us of what Bishop Moran sail to a Dunedin Star interviewer some years ago. " I must say that to me it is a melancholy reflection that up there we have a most

magnificent country lying comparatively idle, employed for nothing except wool growing and rai ing > ordes of rabbits, and yet capable of carrying tens of thousands, of j people and maintaining them in comfort while, at the same time, oar young men are goinjj away because they have no opportunity of making homos for themselves. It seems to me monstrous." His Lordship has ever been enthusiastic in his ideas about the capabilities of the interior of Otago, and few know the country better. "It was my opinion," Dr Moran said on the occasion referred to, " from the beginning of my know'edge of the districts that the Otago Central should have been the first railway line constructed in this part of New Zealand. . . . I have travelled far and wide, and some of the finest fruit I have seen in the world — pears, apples, peaches, and even grapes — are those raised in Central Otago. In Butcher's Gully and Conroy's Gully, near Alexandra, grapes ripeu in the open air. There are capabilities of comfortable homes for multitudes of people who would be content with growing fruit and vegetables, and raising fowls and so forth." It is interesting to recall the words of the Bishop just now. An Australian expert has visited the same country and commended it in almost identical terms. Dr Moran, in the interview referred to, contrasted, and favourably contrasted, Central Otago with parts of Italy. " I may further remark," he said, " that in travelling, as I have often done, between Cromwell and Wanaka, and Cromwell and Htwea, I have been struck — and this occurred to me at the very first — with the wonderful similarity between that district and Lombardy, and the thought has occurred to me that the industries which have made Lombardy to flourish might do the same for the districts I have referred to. Lombardy, as you know, is extremely cold in the winter. Piedmont and Lombardy are under the Alps, and as cold in winter as Siberia. But the climate is very dry, and this, compared wrth bountiful irrigation, makes Lombardy what it is ; an excellent place for the growing of fruit and a good quality of wheat, and altogether a flourishing place. The very same natural advantages exist in the country I am speaking of, and in a measure there is a likeness between the two places, and it always appeared to mo to be so." An opportunity presented itself this (Wednesday) morning of conversing for a few minutes with his Lordship, who, as our readers will be glad to learn, is very much better than he was a few weeks ago. The venerable Bishop warmly expressed his thanks for the kindness and sympathy shown him and the congratulations sent on the occasion of the anniversary of his consecration. Referring to the movement in Dunedin to have a lecture from Mr Bragato, the Victorian expert who, by request of the New Zealand Government, has visited this Colony in the interest of fruit cultivation, his Lordship said :—": — " lam delighted to hear that an expert un the fruitgrowing iniu3try is about to deliver an address in Dunedin on the capabilities of Central Otago in this respect. I hope that all who can will assist at this lecture, aad all who cannot bs present will read the published reports and stuJy this most important question For four and twenty years, from the similarity it bore to other great fruit-producing countries, I hav\) held that Central Otago possessed peculiar advantages for the vine and other fruits, particularly stone fruits, such as peaches and apricots. I was often surprised to witness the apathy of the inhabitants in reference to the mines of wealth lying at their feet unworked. I am glad to see that a change has come over the population and that an effort is now being made to turn the resources of this valuable country to account. The conviction that the country has great resources has always been my reason for strongly advocating the construction of the Otago Central Railway, which I hope v now within measurable distance of completion."