THE BATON AGAIN.

HCt*^PIO&I»G EXTRAORDINARY

(Ft dm Oxlr.Owa Correspondent. .]

The Baton district has in its time beeil a famous goldfleld,- and it is belidVed bf thosfe tfho know the CotJfiti-T {Borough' lj tb&t Its liberal ; wealth hag hardly yet been toUdh&L- ! Gold is hidden in its terraced, re' quiring only capital and enterprise to bring it to light. Platinum and galena are known to exist, and coal q$ goßri- ijtttlitl haa been foiind. ThSse facts &tQ Knowii to M&hfi bui the Baton as a farming and bopgrowing district has not so wide' a, .. fame. , This season general &ne, £rops ftf botte bate been grown by the settlers, and sorii§ very reiuHrk»nle hop-picking records have been put up. The fame of Mrs Edmoiid IJromell as an expert hoppicker has reached the older distri^a. Hnd itian^ hare been ittcfedu-. lous on hearing of he* aygfage ol more than tity bushels per bay. Laßt week, however, all previous records were put completely in theshade. On three successive days Mr Justin McCarthy picked 65. 69, and' 83 bushels, and Mis Bromell 61, 64, and 74 husbela. Tho shortest day was of iy^ hours and the longest of 8 hours duratidn, aild id thd oliitliod of .a hop-grdwer of 24 years experience the hops were* as dleanly and as well picked rind as fully measured as any hB h&fl ktiowni Theae record t .Hies were njeasured up eadh evfiuing \vithin half ah. liouf of the cry of "No more poles!" Other pickers succeeded, in reaching high numbersj Several fifliefl being te/?Hbred) Snd the whole garden (that of Mr Edinond Bron.ell) was picked in re : markribly good time, the yield being much abo.ye.e'xpecisatidrig; .Af^er th.fi j)Uliing ol the iaßt pole cheers were given for the champion hop-picker of New Zealand, and the lady champion picker. It is more than probable that Mr Justin McCarthy's highest tally constitutes a record for the hon-gardenfi of the world;