DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1113, 21 February 1872, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

[fSOM OUR OWN CORRBSPONDHSnr,] :'. " ■■■'■'. : „...'.; ;, /Februat^^''" j Since your correspondent laat^wrote you, he has made a long country tonr^f^ both north and south of town; some 60 miles the one and 80 the other. He has I thus had a good opportunity of observing:' I the effects of the late extraordinary dry weather oh the crops and the country generally. As a rule the; crops are very irregular, some very *hbrt.iSfia others a ifair average. On ridgy land in some places, oats are almost a failure ; potatoes and turnips are generally bo, and . wUl<. ;come to little or nothing. Wheat is short in straw, though heavy in head, with fine firm grain. The drought had a singular effect on the rivers, nearly; all of which, not deriving their supply from" the, -mountain snows, have stopped ruhhirigl' ; The Kakanui is a there dribble ; and the Waihemo is stopped altogether, and only \ exists as a series of waterholes ; Pleasant River is in the same state ; the i Waikbuaiti rivers are dry j the Taieri is a shallow stream about twelve feet -wide-; while all the smaller creeks are quite dry. The settlers have been put to great straits, having to drive their stock to water, or water to their stock, sometimes for a distance of three or four miles. The Clutha, on the other hand, has been running pretty high, the heat having a contrary effect on that noble stream, which has its sources in the glaciers.. The* roads have a most singular appearance^; there is a narrow ridge of stones in the middle, the wind having blown all the smaller stones away and left only the big ones, over which it is most disagreeable, travelling, while the Bides are long lines of dust, pounded clay, &c., from f bur to eight inches deep, on which waggons /and : other heavy traffic make their "way, the heavy feet of the horses come splash, splash, just as if the dust were so much water, and raise aHhick cloud in which the waggon moves slowly along. All this is now very happily changed. Monday of this week was a very wet clay, and a good many showers have since fallen, the temperature is loweri and every thing is now more comfortable. No damageliiai been done to the cut crop by the rain, and the harvest has not been suspended for longer than a few hours. It is sup. posed, however, that the rain has come too late to save the potatoes, so that here we will have to depend on? imported ;ones for the rest of the season, and already an enterprising produce merchant: has announced that he has made arrangements fora regular supply from Warrnambool. This is like reviving the old times of the big rush again. ; : . The Education, questioli; has been Oifce more revived, and is undergoing discussion by numerous letters in the public prints: Bishop Moran, in a '•.Pastoral,'? made his usual tirade against pur system, which has called forth quite a crop of letters and leaders, in which it must be said the bishop comes off second best. He has replied in a letter to the Times, hut which is merely. a series of denials of what others' have said and counter-asser-tions on his own part. lie concludes f by proposing a plan of his own to meet Hie difficulty, but he will have to explain before any opinion can be pronounced as to its workability.' The City Council had a grand field day on Wednesday, on the Gas question./ The debate arose on a report from the Committee which had been appointed to consider the matter, and they recommended the Council not to purchase the 'prweiit works but rather to erect new ones, altogether. But, though, the Mayor did his best, in his f, 'usual brow-beating style, io bring about a decision, the debate, has been adjourned for a week. The Cattle Market erected by the Council some time ago, and which had hitherto remained useless, was on Wednesday opened for the use of cattle dealers land settlers. The Mayor made a speech on the occasion, and 70 head of cattle. wbre then sold. The Cargill Monument has been removed from the Octagon, and a patty, of prisoners are now engaged removing the very ground on which stood, with ;t¥e view of carrying the street right through, and so join George and Princes streets on * the same grade, ' -„ I believe that Fern Hill, the Bplendid mansion erected by thetlate John Jones, Esq., has been secured by the Government as a residence lor the; Go vernor during his stay in ■ Dunedin. The furniture, internal fittings, ; &c." , are to he taken at a yaluatiqn. This looks as if the Assembly might meet Here after all . ' : The Italian: Opera Troupe conclude^ the season on Thursday r evening, ilui night a benefit was given ib Signor Coy* The season may be considered as a success ■ in every respect The performers sues ceeded in pleasing better as their acquaintanoe with the acoustic properties of the Theatre, improved, and they were, as a rule, rewarded by crowded anii; appreciative audiences. The troupe left eSrty

this morning for Melbourne, by the s.s. Rangitoto. The last Escort brought down 13,2770z. The miners generally are rejoicing over the advent of rain, which will put an end to then? enforced idleness.