COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 19, 24 January 1911, Page 4

COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

[own correspondents.]

UMUTAOROA.

A now- settler to our district is Mr A. Anderson, wiho took up his residence a few weeks ago. Two of our old settlers, in the .persons of Messrs Featherstome and' Bramald have left this little community to try their luck in the Taranaflri district. Mr Eergusoai, our esteemed £whoo;I----master, is at present awav on -a holiday. I hear that Mr Stewart, of Piri Pi-ri, will shortly become a .resident of this progressive settlement. Dicing the past few days this district Has been enveloped in smok< as the result of bush fires in the immediate neighborhood. Owing to the dry nature of the weather the anii'lk sup-ply .at the loea'l factory has suffered considerably. Ouu Sunday morning ,a fall of 300 gallons was recorded, a fact which has caused a. good deal, of comment iamon<" the farmers. ° 'Jihc public school will re-open on February 6. Mr O'Connor is now busilv ed shearing his flock of lambs. - ° & The farmers of this district are now hard at work cutting and storing ha<v tar winter 'requirements. .Several good crops have been harvested. During the past few weeks several picnic parties have passed tlrrauo-h. here en route for the Ruahine ranges. Tins resort is 'becoming increasingly popular among the residents of your town -and all' speak very highly of the beautiful scenery. I 'hear that eleven sections at the foot of the JRuah'in© ranges aire to be thrown open for selection earl-v in Miirch.

We arc all keenly interested in the J)annipv,m-ko Show, and the majority or the settlers Lavs signified ' their intention of being present.

MATAMAU.

Advance Matamau! "We arc proceeding apace, as to shall in the near future be having, two churches in dtir midst, the contractors having made "1 ' sta '"t with the Presbyterian Church Ihe Cluirch of England is also about to erect one at an earlv date. I hear that we are'about to lose the Kev. Mr Kear, who has been conducting services here for some two years, and who is now about to visit England. The ladies are sparing no pains to give him a hoartv send-off, which takes the form of a social in hall on Friday night, 27th inst. The continued dry 'weather is having a depressing effect in and about this district, especially on the dairying, as the feed is not only getting dried up but in some cases'going off altogether, and coupled with the scarcity of water in a great manv cases, this is having a, serious effect on the milk yield, which is falling off considerably.

At Raumati, beyond Matamau, the settlers arc not only suffering from the effects of the continued dry weather, but are also having in some cases to suffer further losses from bush fires, one having lost a quantity of grass seed, and others are havin<>thcir feed burned off, and in some cases the springs and creeks are dry altogether, and the stock has to suffer accordingly. The main topic of the dav is our sports, which have been looked forward to by all as the coming event of the season.

NGRSEWOOD.

A final Temiiuder to readers in this and the sanrroimd'.ng district of the Gymkhana to-morrow. Tihere is some form of competition or amusement for all who attend, old or voiuig, male or femialc, .and all are 'consequently assured of a good time.