PORT ALBERT AGRICULTURAL UNION

■ :■„ The second meeting of memberswas held Mr. Shepherd's ■.'farm, on Jan. 20. Most of; •those present oni theformer occasion attended, and from the iiiterest k evinced by them, we' -believe that the society will succeed and do much good in the settlement. V ■ After tea, the chair was taken by Mr. Pettet ■and the minutes were read and confirmed. The intended Exhibition on March-market day was considered, and various details de \cided upon; the further carrying out of the •arrangements are entrusted to. Messrs. Judd, Chapman and Marcroft as. a committee with "power to add to their number. The Show is to be held in Market-sfreet opposite and contiguous to Mr. Cottle's house. Intending exhibitors are requested to give - notice to'the Secretary of their intentions prior to Feb. 22. ' ; All descriptions of livestock, fruit, flowers andgvegetables will,ube admissible, arid from present appearances we augur favorably, and believe it will be an unusually interesting occasion. Tho judges will be chosen on the day by the exhibitors. v ' '■ . . Mr. R. T. Jones was admitted a member. The further proceedings were of a conver sational character, and pur limits will not allow more than a few jottings on the sub ject of Crops. Mr Chapman found potatoes, onions and turnips to flourish best in a fine black soil, formerly flax, ti-tree, and koromi kau, especially where sheltered from the wind. Mr. Marcroft had good potatoes on a strong clay land, but they had done best on a black shaly[soil; peas had been very prolific on the same^but tiie reverse on the heavier kind, he believed that drainage was thefgreat de sideratum for sweetening and tempering the soil. Strawberries do not succeed on the black soil. A mixture of strong and light soils was best for turnips. Mr Legge found wheat|did best on a iron grey clay land; their wheat had been on too low and damp situation : his onions had suc ceeded well on a black, heavy soil, having a substratum of limestone. Mr Jones believed apple-blight might be cured by putting a mixture of salt and sul phur into the earth round the stem of the tree. He alsogsuggested that a premium should be offered for hawks' heads, and a member of fered to give Is. each for any shot within three miles of his place. Mr Collinge believed the best thing to raise was grass seed on the clay soil, his had yielded at the rate of 16 bushels per acre. Mr. Pettet had some tares, 5 feet high, and thought they would do well here generally. They were pronounced as profitable and good for cattle.

CHURCH OF THE ORUAWHARO.

JFor some time past a very peculiar, almost undefinable feeling has obtained here with reference to church matters; owing partly we believe to a little excusable delay in produ cing details of past doings, but more still to an intermittent external interference, encou-

raged by a very small amount of—as we think . —misguided sympathy from within. Perhaps - the unorganised state, of our church encoura ged this interference primarily, being, as we have hitherto, without a spiritual home. This requirement is however at length in course of being supplied, when no doubt things, will take a-sufficiently practical shape to'convince !bbkers=on, that .the Christian, unsectarian; Church -On' the Oruawharo is a permanent,; ■■ .■:/.■.■■ '■ ' .t-. 'I .' ■■ ■■~ " :' ■ ■ !

peace-loving and united body; having within its pale the,elements^of strength and?, future success—true hearts, bound together by mu tual esteem and religious principles. It was we believe, ,1o show to all interested that this unity was not imaginary that a meet ing was'held on Jan. 25, at Port Albert, by general invitation and notice, when after the most unmistakable evidence of unity and cordiality'jin the proceedings," the following1 resolution was unanimously adopted. Resolved-*-" That this meeting having" had submitted to its consideration a statement of contributions and disbursements connected with the formation and establishment of the Church at Port Albert, this meeting-expresses its entire satisfaction with the same, and also to the cause that he, with them is seeking to establish, viz. the formation of a scriptural un sectarian church." , ; The following is the statement referred to, Receipts —Per Messrs. Mason, £4 6s 6d, Stevenson, 13s l^d; Sisam, 4s 6d; Beecroft, £11256 d; Symonds, 7s 6d; Schofield. 4s; .... £1 7s 6d;.... 6s 11 $d; Goodacre £.4 10s; 12s 6d; Collection at Spurgeon's, ( less £11 expenses,)>e26 Iss I Jet; total £41 0s 2*. Disbursements— Hymn Books, L 1 0; Bell and carriage, 18s; Wood, Ll6 10s; balance in hand, LI3 12s 2sd. Total, L4l 05.24 d. It is only just to remark that the Kev.fS. Edger being distant on a visit, was not cog nizant eitherof the.meetingj.nor ofthe_above remarks. '" ' *'■''. - ,

The Advance, Dodd, 'from hence, reached Auckland on Jan. 12,' with 195 boxes gum,; and 6 bales wool. . : The Advance, 25 tf tons, Cheshire, for this; port left Auckland on the 18th', with 2. tons flour, 16 bags biscuit, 2 pgs provisions, 2 tons rice, 1 ton sugar—Mariner; 6 tons flour, 2000 bricks, 35 bags salt, 26 pgs sundries —Brown, Hall, &Co ; 5 tons flour, half chest tea, 54 gum spears—Heath; half-ton flour, 25 pgs. —Bradbury; half-ton flour, 16 pgs. groceries —Judd; 1 ton flour, 24 do. —Macefield; 22. pgs provisions—Co-operative store; 44 pgs, sundry owners; \\. ton flour, 7 pgs,—PDodd Arrived here on 29th all well. Launch. —A vessel built for Mr. Russell of Fort-st, by Messrs. Holmes, was launched" from their slip on the North Shore, on the 16th ult, MrsJßussell performed thefceremony of christening, giving it the name of the Henry Havdock. The launch was perfectly success ful, and was followed by a treat to the work men. The following ar.e the dimensions of the new vessel: 37 feet keel, 13ft Gin. beam, sft. Gin. depth of hold, 30 tons builder's mea . surement, 43 feet over all, and about 20 tons register. She is intended for the Kaipara trade, under the command of Capt. Dodd. The Havetock left Auckland on the 23rd ult, reaching Port Albert on the 29th, with stores for Cray, Marcroft, Hindle and^thers.l^ Both vessels left for Paparoa, Wairoa, &c, on Ist. ; We expect that the Superintendent accom-; panied by an eminent engineer, will in a few weeks visit the Hotea, with the view of con-, strutting a; suitable bridge. It appears that the works will require to|be of anjextensive : character, about 160 feet span and considera ble height, the water rising during freshets,, 17 to 20 feet; until the bridge is built it will be impossible to get that way to town. Since our last we hurried to town, and after walking two days, and upwards of 50 miles, we found ourselves but 14 miles from Port Albert II! So we were informed, and all for want of the Hotoa. rqd.d and: bridge., .

Printed by Samuel Johnson, 9, Market-streefc Port Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. Agents.- Mr. Boot, at Smallfield's, and Mr. Chapman, Queen-st, Auckland; Mr. Hook,. Paparoa; Mr. Haines, Matakohe; Mr. Dennison, Mangawai. London: Mr.'G. Street, Corrihitt, omd Mr J. Brame,' 9, Haitott . Garden. , ,', l ' . . ' » '- ! J

THE ALBERTLA^D i GAZETTE



New Zealand Insurance Compy** FOR FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE. CAPITAL.fi £250,000. GEORGE P. PIERCE, Manager, Corner of Queen <Sf Shortland sts, Auckland. * ABIN AND .GRAHA~mT AUCTIONEERS^ And General Commission Agents'^ New Zealand Auction Rooms, . N.Z. HOMAS H. MABIN, * (of^ABOVE PIRM,) ' J-K Notary Public, Adjuster of Averages, ' Agent for the Royal Fire and Life Insurance Company, Royal Insurance Offices, Auckland. ( \ * *npHE CHRISTIAN CHURCHj JL ON THE ORUAWHARO,' N. Z. Formed on Unsedarian Principles. Friends in England who sympathise with this movement, and desire to increase the efficieh- A ey of the Church, at present struggling- against ' great difficulties, can forward any aid through Mr. Coxeter, Abingdon, Berks ; Mr. Milligan Kimbolton, Hunts; or Miss Edger, Uxbridge' A. G. B A RT L E TT, f22 years with . Brockharik and \dikins, Cornhill, London^) . CHRONOMETER, I WATCH AND CLOCK MAKER, « Near the Post Office,, ; Princes Street, Auckland^," JAMES COUPLAND, SETTLER'S HOME AND ALBERTLANDERS' HOUSE OF CALL FROGMORE COTTAGE, COBUItGH STREET, AUCKLAND. Board or residence by the day orweek. Negociations conducted for the sale of Gum or any other kind of produce. Commissions; for every description of goods executed at moderate rates: t CRUIKSHANK, SMART & Co., v IRONMONGERS & IRON MERCHANTS, IMPORTERS OF AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, SEEDS, ET,C, Wine,and Spirit, and General Merchants,, AUCKLAND. TJIDINGS AND DOWDEN, > ' AUCTIONEERS, AND COMMISSION AGENTS,. < ~ QUEEN STREET, AUCKLAND., {£?=• Our.scale for Advertisements is 2s Qd.for not exceeding 8 lines, extra per line 3d. thefrst insertion. After insertions at half-rates.