ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1095, 6 April 1911, Page 8

ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

THE COUNTRY ABOUT EAETIHI. Our travelling correspondent writes as follows of Raetihi 'and district:— "The settlers have :' a • considerable amount of faith in the future of Raetihi. It has certainly progressed a, good deal fcince I was. there four years ago; I noticed a great improvement in the look of the country. They had a had time with lo" fires a short time ago. with the result that a large quantity of the logs have disappeared. The farmers were complaining of being short of water in some places. On the whole, they had plenty of ited. 1 saw there certainly the finest crops of turnips and rape 1 have come across this season. The settlers are now' beginning'to. stump'and clear, their land. The, settlement is now some eighteen years old. 'One paddock in particular, oii the Vnlley/.Koad, had a truly splendid tract of turnip. ' A little further on the. same ioad'l saw a small patch of oats—a really ■ nice crop it was. If there are a few..things, more than others whiMi they can. produce -'at. Raetihi. they are potatoes, cabbages, : aud cauliflowers, the two lastnamed'with splendid big clean heads, hot ■riddled by the 11 y liko they arc in tho lower country. ■ • ■ ■ ' "At the R.aetahi show last month thsexhibits of- produce in the Drill Hall wero a great credit to the farmers, and as good 3,s anyone could wish. Mangols and carrots,'as well as' all' roots,were excellent. Those farmers who send milk to tho Rao-, tihi dairy, factory told me they were well satisfied with the season's operations, though the very dry weather was making itself''felt in the, flow of. milk. The .flat's, in the vicinity of.the town wero exceedingly heavily timbered, and, as in earlier years, the seasons, were not good for burning off th 6 felled bush, a great deal of timber was left in the. paddocks. The set tiers, were, dreading wind springing up. It. would have fanned into a.serious conflagration the smouldering logs and stiimps all over tho district. "From what I saw of the capabilities of this country, I should, say in years, to. come, and when the. light soil becomes more consolidated, it will become a verv fine agricultural district. Already it is neconiing an important stock ccntTe, and . the salei held are. well supported. At, times the auctioneer's have 'difficulty in yarding the stock- offering. There is a very 'large"area of land from which tho timber is now being taken by the saw. m.iils. M'hei t't.is is. cut out and the. land laid down in grass it is bound to etlll further increase the prosperity of this rapidly rising district."

At the annual meeting of the Timarn liranch of the Farmers' Union, Mr. Wit-hell stated. that sterlings weyo deceasing, and said he believed this .was o.wiug to the fact that boys collected and sold the eggs of these birds, sandwiching them in with the eggs of other birds so that they were not noticed by fhe-.buvers (savs the , "Timaru Herald"), starlings were protected; they were very useful birds in clearing the ground of caterpillars, and he had never heard of them doing any harm. The meeting decided to ask tho local bodies who buy birds' eggs to see that no starlings' eggs are purchased.

TO. DAIRYMEN AND FARMERS. Dairy factory managers and farmers should bo interested to note that Mr. Albert J. Parton, formerly of Masterton, has acquired the business of Mr. J. 11. M'J.eod. general plumber and tinsmith, of Carterton, together with his interests in an especially improved cheese vat, tho patent, rights of which have been applied for. The firm deals extensively in all farm and dairy factory requirements, and will be pleased to furnish particulars and estimates on application. ALBERT J. PARTON, CARTERTON, 'Phone CD. *