COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 34

COUNTRY.

(Continued frovi Page SO.)

WETHERSTONES.

November B.— The Wetberstones Pchool was examined by Inspector Richardson on Friday, 29th nit. Nineteen were presented aud 18 passed, giving a percentage of 947. Our school has fallen away greatly. .Some year 3 ago there were 110 children attending, now there are only about 25. What is wanted here to increase the school attendance is •water for mining purposes, and then the population would increase, for there is plenty of ground, both alluvial and cement, that would . give employment to scores of miners for the next 50 years. FnuiT- growing— Several residents here have peach trees growing against one end of their house?. The beginning of the season the trees looked healthy and full of blossom, and showed signs of a large crop Since the bad weather tet in, however, there are no signs of fruit, and hardly a leaf on them, while the branches look black, as though they had been through fire and were witheted and scorched. Some think it was the lightning that did it, but my opinion is that it was the wind and hail. On some of the most delicate plum trees, such as the greengage, there will be no' fruit. The apples look right enough so far, but they are late. Even the poor humble bees are suffering from the wfather, for I have seen inauy of them on theTr backs, heels up, dead, Rabbiis. — There are a good many young rabbits about. The cats kill many of them. One young man told me that he saw hundreds of rabbits one day last week about the rifle butts. One would think that they would be scared from there, by the practice. It seems, however, that there is plenty of cover, both scrub arid whins, where they run teand hide. The rabbits are apparently like some human beings who think that the nearer the gaol the greater the safety. Weathkr.— The weather since my last has gone from bad to -worse — wind and rain, and sometimes, by way of change, mixed with hail and mow. October 28 and November 7 were especially noticeable thit way. On some days there was thunder and lightning. On the days mentioned [here were some very fierce squall*. The only day iif the fortnight we had no rain was the 4th iust , aud that day was dull and hazy. The last day of October 18!)6 commenced with rain and ended with snow ; the following day was wor»e— iu the luorniDg there were snow showers, at noon rain -and hail, afterwards rain, and tbe day ended snowing. The wind during the past fortnight has been strong from south-west to north-west.^ The lowest reading of the thermometer was 4ld eg. at 7 a.m. with frost, and the highest was 74deg at noon on the sth inst. The rainfall for October Was 7"soin.