WHAKAMARAMA NOTES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13770, 13 October 1942, Page 8

WHAKAMARAMA NOTES

BOISTEROUS THREE MONTHS FAIR LAMBING (From Our Own Correspondent) The three months just passed were tfc.a wettest and generally the most boisterous experienced for many years. On the whole they were not exceptionally cold months, and that fact alone has been a big factor in helping both dairy herds and sheep on into the spring. Grass is now coming along fairly well and, given a continuance of the present weather, there should be ample feed around shortly. However, farmers should remember that there will not be a continuance of these conditions. Fertiliser bins are about empty; at least fertilisers are extremely hard to get, and so to balance matters there should be a culling out of stock. Such culling should also assist in balancing the shortage of labour and should further assist in balancing the books at the end of the season. At the present time herds are reported to be doing fairly well and sheep men report a fair lambing percent-

age. There has been some considerable sickness in the district, colds, influenza and so on, but fortunately nothing of a serious nature. In fact, the district is noted for its high standard of health and invigorating air. The first call of the shining cuckoo was heard on September 25, rather later than in some previous years. Birds can now be heard calling from early morning until late at night. Some few weeks ago a farmer's household was very much surprised and also delighted to find a blue mountain duck appearing quite at home among the farm poultry. The strange and also very rare visitor made no mistake about bossing things and appeared quite at home. Its stay each day did not last more than an hour or two and the younger members of the household were rather disappointed to learn that the bird also regularly visited a neighbour. Twenty years ago the blue mountain duck was fairly common in this district but now one has to go to the more remote bush streams to find it. Clematis does not seem to be as plentiful as in some former years, although several visitors have found sufficient within reach to take away some fine clusters of the beautiful and rather fragile blossom.