IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BT i'ELEGRArH—SrECIAt. CORRESI'OXDEXTS.) ~ _« v.. . . AUCKLAND. . I January 20. ! The dry, weather which has set, in is now 'affecting,,the ...pastures to some extent,,, and on tho .highlands grass has been so [dried up tliaf dairyT.cbws fro 'giving' less milk. This lias been' 'noted jn the Waiuku district in particular',but; all over the' province the effects pf-;.thd' t dry sen son are becoming more or less: noticeable,! while in some-of, tlie districts tlie?--caterpillar' pest' is conimdncing to .make- itself'?felt. . Naturally the drying up of grass, jVistures: will mean a decrease in the butter outputs, ljut several agriculturists' who were iii'stown yesterday, and were approached fofe'-infornintiop, say that so far the sitiiatjo#h(js not taken on a very serious aspect, . aim; tlie feoiintry can still 1 stand n' fairly long period without rain. One prominent farmer said that in Auckland a really dry. season - was sometimes a blessing ill disguise... because the drying up of the soil gave the. grass a rest. Jni a year when there 'was;. no , lengthened ' dry 'period the vegetation..got,ho'rest whatever, 1 the climate being so rnfld-that growth continued 'al}-' the .to. a certain extent, whereas., in the .Southern 1 ,-' pa'j'ts of 'New Zealand the..frosts of winter-gave the soil the needed period of inactivity;- J • ' -. 1 •' '•'' , NAPIER. ; . '■ ;. . ..- January 20.'That« portion; of the Olrig estate, which; under. -"tKoi Jjaiid ;of the , Government, has changed, its.:'titla..to .Mangatahi, is now. showing all the' .outward signs'of progressive settlement;-. The twenty 7 tw : p selectors who were successful., at ',tlie ballot are se.ttleni.of .the. right- starhji,. ; and i have already considerably changed., tjie'-ftice.; of tho. country. At- .the lower end. hflthe estate the Government have •placed portions of; tho. old homest-cad buildings, have been turned,to the best advantageras .clwolling-places. , At- tho upper ond : building purposes was carted under conpdc'rablq difficulty from;the Koreru, sawmill, wh'ich-chas recently been purchased from' Messrs., Smith Bros, by Mr. R. Holt," of Napier., . Here (juaijit detached .rooms, show that:moro.is,;(:p follow-in-tho'building line. Tho settfqrs'..-liavo' lost no time in turning their-leaseholds'to good agricultural account, but misfortune in their first ■year to face,a,dry."season and a fall in wool.. They, arc,'; however, a go-ahead lot, and the majority ar'b keen farmers, who express thoinselves'well;, "Sfitfsfied with their different bargains., .'Tho,Sections vary in area from 150 to 800 acres; during the present .'drought those teniints ,witl|.: a -good water supply are distinctly; eriyied by their less fortunate neighbours. .... - Councillor .M'.Grath has given the following! notice of'mbtioji. for tho next meeting, of tho Borough. Ctjii)ii?il" That, owing to Napier a''jippuliir;'tourist and health resort; the I'ounst Department be again requested to^ establish in Napier." • Tho first. step towards the. Napier breakwater wharf, Extension was made on Saturday, whoii, the. Ferro-Cpncret-c Company of Ltd.; contractors for the work, ordered iiOOOjtbns. of cement from the Wilson Portland Cement Company, Auckland.