ARARATA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, Issue LVIII, 4 November 1909, Page 6

ARARATA.

(From a Correspondent.) Docking is now well over, and the percentage of lambs is fairly good, considering the rough nature of the country on which many of the flocks of this district run. I "heard of two lots tallying out at 100 per cent., but generally the figures range from 80 to 94 per cent., this in most cases slightly exceeding tlie percentages of last year. For the past fortnight there has been no growth of grass and pastures are looking bare in place of the | flush of feed that was anticipated. The shortage is due to the recent cold gales, which, besides cutting the grass off, have dried the land to an extent not conducive to a speedy revival of growth. „ , , . , The Tongahoe .Valley road is dry again, and in a good state at present for stock movements, but the lana slips of last winter still retard the traffic of vehicles. The slips have certainly been abnormal this year, due mostly to excessive rain storms and partly" perhaps by the • effect of the new cuttings recently made m widening the road, thus weakening tne support by which these places were formerly held intact. Ever since the first heavy rain of about the end or July, every succeeding storm has brought huge obstructions on to the road, tha* either .rendered it entirely impassable or made it risky work to negotiate, until the man with . the shovel and axe came along and reopened the track. With the advent of the dry weather the bogs have disappeared, and damaged fences are beini renewed by their unfortunate owners, before the droves of sheep from the.back country commence pouring out for shearing.