TIKOKINO.

(FROM OOE OWN CORRESPONDENT, ) Match 4, 1896. Yon have already bad a list ot tbe ' places destroyed In the BlaokbutD, Maka- ' retu, and Asbley-Oliaton districts, sent • in from yonr Waipawa oorrespoudent. Mr Worsnnp'a woolehed and hay were ' barnt on Sanday night. The fires at ' Blackburn ran completely through several ' properties, and althoußb iv some insbaocea 1 tbe loss entailed baa been rather severe, the old eaylDg, " It's au ill wind, &0.," in ' others have bceu verified, for a lob of 1 rubbish has been cleared away or a 1 "splendid burn" hi>s been the result. At ' one time the Blaokbnrn school nnd several residences, which have escaped, were in 1 great danger. Variable winds in some ' casea did damage and ia others proved 1 a safeguard, Mr Anderson wes nntortuuata in losing his grass seed, trap, ' &c. Some of the settlers only Bent their ' grass seed away a short time before the ' fires swoopsd down upon them, or it 1 would certainly have been destroyed, They consider themselves iortnnate in > having removed it early. The fires ara ' still burning briskly in the Hampden 1 bnsh. There seems to Do ao prospect of rain yet. ' A sharp and sudden shock of earths 1 qnake was felt bete at 2,5 p.m. on ■ Monday. Tbe codlin moth has attacked both 1 peaches and plnms, besides apples, in this ' disttlct this season ; the apple crop is a > complete failure. 1 Tbe Hampden sawmill baa been removed to a more central site (opposite the p township) where ib is now in conrse of 1 erection. It is expected that work will 1 ba in fall swing again in about a month's ' time. There is also some change in the 1 interest of the mill, as besides Mr Rathbone, Messrs M. Vesty, S. Vesty, R, Parkinson, and G. Patklneon, jant., have li entered into a joint partnership in the ■ concern.