COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXII, Issue 15, 19 January 1910, Page 3

COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

KIRITAKI. Favored'by beautiful weather, haymaking has been in full swing since Xmas, and by. this time nearly every body has their winter fodder safely in stack or barn. Now the grain harvesting has begun, and on many farms may be heard—the clatter of the reaping machines, while on others the thickly standing stooks testify to th# suitability of the soil for oatgrowing, as well as to the industry and foresight of the farmer. Although the weather has been fine and very warm, nob to say hot, of late, still occasional showers have fallen at sufficient intervals to prevent anything like a drying up of the pastures ; consequently grass and all the . green crops are looking remarkably well. Unfortunately, the blight has once more made its appearance among the potatoes, but farmers quickly adapt themselves to new conditions and now after three or four years of this visitation, they would reallv be surprised, I believe, if it didn't! Local sheep men were relieved to learn that those rapacious slaughtermen were once more appeased and had graciously consented to continue to oblige their employers. Two shillings a hundred does not seem much to haggle over, but even at 23s per hundred I hear the men often average between £7 and £8 per week, and surely those wages ought to satisfy anyone. Farmers, at present are working from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. most days in the week, with perhaps a little shorter hours on Sunday, and I think it is very questionable if their earnings total anything like £7 per head. Suppose they struck for even a week—where woidd these dictatorial labor unions be then ? If farmers combined, as the labor men do, thev would hold the whole country in hollow of their hands —their's would then be the power to dictate wages, length of days, prices of produce, etc., etc. It is, perhaps, lucky for the other unions tftat they don't! ■'- However, "revenon a nos moutons," as the French folks say, though it Avas "mouton" all the time after all! Kiritaki society has been considerably augmented of late, as several of our settlers have visitors from the towns staying with them for the summer holidays. Mr and Mrs E. Grigg returned from their trip to Australia - last Aveek, but Mr R. Groom, avlio accompanied them has remained to assist his Avidowed sister in the management of her farm. Mr and Mrs Grigg report having spent a most pleasant time, but are hoav anxious to get to Avork on their section in the Piri Piri block. Coavs are ' ; kittle" cattle and require very careful handling as the settler found to his cost the other day. A neAvly-calved coav had been bi-ought in to the yard, but showed considerable disinclination to go into the shed. As a means of persuasion a stick Avas throAvn at the animal—quite a small stick —but it happened to splinter the frontal bone, with the consequence that a small portion of it was indented on the brain. The animal fell and Avas unable to rise, and of course, as the cause of the trouble Avas unguessed at the time various remedies Avere tried Avithout avail, and eventually the- coav was killed, Avhen a post mortem examination disclosed the cause of the trotible. The stick Avas throAvn without the slightest intention of harm, for these settlers are most humane in their treatment of their cattle, knoAving Avell that the coav, more than any other animal, responds to kind treatment, but it just slioavs lioav careful one has to be in dealing -with them, lioav easily an accident, resulting in the loss of several pounds, may occur. / As the date of the A. and P. ShoAv —our slioav as Ave call it — approaches, there is much inspection of cattle, horses, sheep, etc., to see if any can be found suitable for exhibition, and our thrifty houseAvives are looking in their store cupboards for samples of their skill to slioav in the Home Industries classes.