TOKOMAIRIRO.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1026, 23 March 1894, Page 6

TOKOMAIRIRO.

[From Our Own Correspondent.]

Leading-in was rapidly advancing to a close last week when the rain put a stop to all operations. / By the end of fhis week, however, work will be about finished up for another year. The harvest has been a remarkable one with us. The «rain was awkwardly laid in most cases by the gales which at intervals were experienced, and cutting was in consequence confined as a rule to the tedious and slow process of cutting one or two, or, in fortunate and rare instances, three sides. When the carting in commenced it was very soon evident that the lost time would soon be made up, as the drays tuade a great gap in the paddocks in astonishingly — not to say alarmingly — fast time. The secret of the latter lies in the fact that the crops were unusually light as regards bulk of straw, as light, if not actually lighter, I Relieve, than ever previously known in Tokomairiro. Still they may not run so badly on the whole, as many farmers were wont expressively to describe their stuff when stacking as " all gra;n and no straw." The quality generally should be very fair at all events. The extra shortness of the straw, together with the manner in which it has been twisted about, meant of course a dirtier job in harvesting, so that the ptnbble may be expected to give extra good feeding and give sheep a strong start for commencing the turnips. The latter crop is an unusually heavy one generally, the season having just nicked it as a favourable one.

The price of threshing is to be the same as usual hereabouts — namely, 8s and 9s per 100 bushels for oats and wheat respectively. Although the mill-owners of our county complain of there being far too many mills about to make the game of threshing a profitable one they manage to " lay their heads together " very wefl and the farmer finds no consolation in the keen competition that rules to get threshing. But I think this only applies to the Plain proper, including Milburn to the north and Lwells Flat to the south. About the Waitahuna and Mount Stuart parts I hear they have " all prices." The men's wages are, as usnal, the modest 8d an hour and tucker.