AMBERLEY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7793, 25 February 1886, Page 6

AMBERLEY.

[PEOM OTJB OWN COBBESFONDENT.] Harvesting in thi3 district may be said, to be at an.; end, although here and there a little may be seen still unsecured, and so it will be, I daresay, until a steady rainfall reminds the; farmer that for this season harvest weather is over; and this year, as far as saying,,the cereals.have been concernedj the weather could not have been surpassed. : The samples I have seen are good; they could not well be otherwise than' dry, and prices are ruling higher. Some of my farmer friends are very jubilant, others equally downcast. This will always be the case, as the weather that suits one farm does not equally favour a second. However, I think all are unanimous just now in their hope for rain. It has of ten'threatened, but it does not come; on .one or two occasions we have had slight falls, but the wearer of a white hat might have almost counted the drops. It is now blowing from the north-west and looking rather cloudy, and; this may come to rain. The want of it is becoming serious to the owners of sheep, for stores are almost unsaleable at <any sacrifice, but one farmer told me that.he had keep, and should retain it until the prices were lower, when he should purchase. What his idea on this point may be. I;.do not know, yet I should have thought rpresent prices would admit of a liberal, margin in the future. Turnips are very scarce, and, therefore, fat sheep I should think must improve in value. Matters are very quiet in the township of Amberley,,'too much.so even for,the Salva-ti tion Army, who sent-us, a small,-detach-ment here, but after a two.days' sojourn they beat a hasty retreat almost unnoticed. We are too quiet and orderly for them. The Wesleyan,congregation of this dis-. trict are about to lose' the services of the Rev J. Rapley, who has been transferred to Malvern. All agree in speaking of him as a hard-working and zealous minister, who has laboured untiringly for the last six years in his vocation a 3 Home Missionary within a radius of 30 or 40 miles; and no doubt his absence will be much regretted. The ladies of his congregation, who are ways. ready in a good cause, are busily engaged in making preparations for a bazaar, which is to be held shortly before the departure of the reverend gentleman, who leaves early in April.