OKAIAWA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVII, Issue 2954, 17 October 1891, Page 2

OKAIAWA.

(FBOM OT7B OWN OERESPONDENT.)

We are looking forward with anticipation to the concert on Friday evening next. Tbe promoters seem to be sparing nothing in order to make it a euooess. So mote it be. Okaiawa is not famous for many things, but; there is one that happens frequently which we could very well do without, and that is cows dying with tbe drop after calving. We are like tbe Pbaroah of Egypt, whose heart was hardened, and who suffered such dire punishment in consequence, inasmuch as there is scarcely a householder who has not lust one valuable oow through this scoul^j. Mr. Joll lost a remarkably fine an?Tial a few days ago, and the difficulty ot the present time is that to replace them with ordinary oowb means about a 100 per cent more than first' class animals were last year. Tbe sparrows, larks, et hoc genus omne, are playing havoc with the oats, especially small plots. As fast as tbe yonng shoots appear above ground these pests pull them up, so that paddooks which were sown with four bushels to the acre have the appearanoe of strict economy in the matter of seed, which, however, the husks, which thickly strew the ground, belie. A gentleman, whose veracity is unimpeachable, and who has also been accustomed to tee stoats, weasels, etc, informß ub that these pests have been seen in this vicinity. So, mesdames, look well to your poultry. I see the batter faotory at the corner of Normanby and Manaia roads is again at work. These factories don't seem to be so popular or so successful as farmers at one time sanguinely expeoted, and, strange to say, suppliers who live in close proximity have got rid of their dairy stock. Surely there is something rotten in the etate of Denmark. Is it the excessive amount of work or becanse it is nnremtmerafcive ? I have been told that Mr. Chong baß offered in some cases to do the carrying for suppliers in order to carry on successfully his faotory at the Mangatofci, on tbe Eltham Boad. The bakers have unionised, and have raised the price of bread— on account of the Russian famine, I presume. I am afraid, if they are not careful, we shall be oompelled, in self defence, to use what your Otakebo correspondent says is good only for fowls. We have been treated to arguments again and again. about the cheapnea of our produoe compelling us to pay a greater amount of interest on the National debt than we should have done bad wool, grain, frozen meat, etc, main, tamed a high price, and we are at the present time in this position :— Oats, dull of sale and very cheap; wheat, ditto; potatoes, a drug; bread, very dear. We have a new resident, Mr McDonald, of Manutahi, I believe, has taken the place lately in ' the occupation of Mr. Roskruge on tbe Ahipaipa road, three obildren of school age, so that tbe Bchool roll now Bhows between 53 and 60 names and tbe ory is " still they come." Now that the Egmont Show date is drawing near farmers are beginning to furbish their stock with a view to first orizes, and we have some remarkably fine young draught stock, " Geordie's," Director's, and Ohieftan's. First on tbe list is the progeny of Mr. Bremer's mare, whose name has slipped my memory. This mare is like Sylvia, of tbe Auokland Stud Park fame, mate her with a first, class sire and she gives you a prodigy. Mate her with any sire you like and yon get a good horse. Her stock are remark, able as prizetakers, taking generally a first and some times champion in their class. Then Mr. Wm< Innes, of the Tempsky road, has a solendid 10-months-old by Chieftain, a sire whioh is becoming very I much more favorably known, and will be 1 appreciated when he seeks new spheres of labor, many regretting that they did not utilise his services. Then we have quite a number of really good one to three-year-olds by the famous Direotor. Will the judges agree with oar verdict. Ah ! here comes the rub. Sickness has been rather puvaleritj many obildren being preolnded from attending school on account of oolds and other ailments. October 18.