COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9436, 6 August 1889, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OOR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

Hamilton, Monday. AiiHANGEMKNTS have been made for holding public meetings to resuscitate the sugar beet movement at Hamilton on Monday next, and at Ohaupo at 11 a.m. on the following day, Tuesday. Mr. Graham leaves to-day for the Native Court at the Thames, but will come back purposely for a couple of days next week to push on the movement. Last week, in consequence of paragraphs which appea red in the Hkkaj,d with reference to this movement, Mr. Graham rccoived an applioatioii from Pukekohe settlers, asking him to visit their district with a view to starting the movement there, but, unless deserted by the Waikato settlers, that gentleman is firm in hie determination to initiate the scheme in this district. The intelligence that something after all may be made out of the tow, which up to now has been destroyed or let go to waste, will be gladly received by owners of flaxmills. A Waikato ilaxmill own or has been offered £2 per ton for his tow, the purchaser buying up the material for export home, for paper-making purposes. The tow will be prepared and pressed so as to bo sent bv ship ill perfectly hard slabs, and will give a fair profit after first cost and freight. It will naturally occur, however, that in exporting the article a mistake will be made, as it might just as well be manufactured in the colony for use here, as sent home and imported back in the shape of paper. Surely there is capital and experience here to undertake this industry, and keep the money expended in the manufacture of paper within the colony instead of sending it home for what we can produce ourselves. Hamilton, as the railway and river centre of a large district in which there are many flaxmills, and witli its grand river foreshore available for factory sites and population of young people needing employment, lb just the place where such a manufactory, if started, should prove a success. The Borough Council, whatever elso may bo said of it, has always shown itself disposed towards assisting enterprise by liberality in dealing with its rivor foreshore, and to u

bona fide, undertaking of this kind would lease a site at little more than nominal rent. Cambridge, Monday. At the last meeting of the Borough Council a gazette was brought forward, containing a very interesting return of the cost, &c, of the_ various hospitals in the colony, from which it was pointed out that next to the Coromandel Hospital the Waikato Hospital was the most costly in the colony, in comparison with the average number of patients treated—that, in fact, where in other hospitals with the same average number of patients, the cost was only 3s per head per diem, in the Waikato Hospital it was 11s per head per diem. The Mayor, who represents Cambridge on the Hospital Board, was requested to take these statistics with him to the board meeting on Wednesday next, and to urge upon other members the desirableness of curtailing expenditure. The closing of the local flour mill is a matter of deep efc to the wheatgrowcrs of the district, iuii. .uw comes the unwelcome intelligence that Mr. Ridler, of Hamilton, has definitely broken off che proposed arrangements for reopening the mul in partnership with its late proprietor. Tamaiiere, Monday. The lambing season has now commenced, and the late dry fine weather has been most favourable for the newly-dropped lambs. Quite a slice of spring weather has got mixed up with our winter season or else the season is really going to be a very early one. The willows are in leaf, and grain and grass look green and moving. Since the recent raids by dogs among the sheep, and as such attacks would be most disastrous during the lambing season, some of our farmers have tried the plan of putting bells on a few of the sheep, and so far have found the plan a preventive, the ringing of the bells alarming the dogs. Ohaupo, Monday. Mr. Graham, if he visits this centre with reference to the resuscitation of the sugar beet movement, will be as much astonished as gratified by the change which has taken place in the public mind as regards the feasibility and desirableness of establishing this industry in Waikato. Many of those who were lnkewarn or even opposed to the movement as chimerical, have come to see what a sheet anchor it might have been to them, and would now gladly hail a renewal of the' terms ottered eighteen months ago here, at the meeting held in the Public Hall, namely, that the farmers should be called upon for no share of the cost or risk in the manufacture of the sugar, but that their part in the concern should begin and end in guaranteeing and growing the roots, and supplying them to the factory at so much per ton. Wheat has been more or less a disappointment, and oats cannot be depended upon when they have to compete with the amazing crops grown in the Middle Island. Oamaru and other parts of the South Island both potatoes and oats can be grown, and that, too, without manure, against which, with our heavy railway freight added, farmers cannot compete. A gentleman from the South visiting Waikato lately spoke of having seen an SCKJ-acre field of oats at Oamaru the yield of which when threshed gave 87 bushels per acre. Other crops were on a similar scale. The North, however, can afford to look upon such returns without fear or jealousy, for it has its specialities of climate if not of soil, and one of these is the Waikato specialty of sugar* beet production. Its distance from the sea on every side save it from the salt breezes, and where richer land on the narrower breadths of the island might grow many more tons icr acre of sugar-beets, they would be worthless for sugar production, for one per cent of salt in the soil means a loss of 5 per cent, in the sugar yield of the roots. This, then, is a specialty of which Waikato fanners should avail themselves and not rely altogether on wheat and oats and produce, into which the South can enter so favourably into competition with them. The capability of Waikato soil and climate—Mr. Watson's beets yielded 19 per cent, of sugar, and many others 14 per cent, and upwards—has been fully demonstrated by practical experiments, and surely a crop of "JO tons of beet to the acre at 17s or ISs per ton shall leave a large margin for labour and manure. There is no reason why, as in the caee of turnips, they should not be kept clean with the horse cultivators and singled out by machinery, and once the tops cover the ground the work of cultivation is over.

Hir.vrLY, Monday. On Friday evening last a large gathering of the inhabitants took place at the Huntly Hall, for the purpose of bidding Mr. and Mrs. Boswell good-bye on their leaving Huntly. Mr. Moran acted as chairman. Mr. Boswell, who has been residing in Huntly some four or five years, has made himself very popular through his affable and agreeable manner of discharging bis duties as postal and station master. The people, therefore, thought of recognising him in some substantial way, on his leaving the district. The presentation consisted of an address and a marble clock, also a tea and coffee service to Mrs. Boswell. The evening's entertainment commenced with a concert, several gentlemen rendering some good songs. The accompaniments were ably executed on the piano by Mr. Skellern. After the concert Mr. and Mrs. Boswell were asked to come on the platform, when Mr. Ord read the address, which was as follows :— '• Huntly, 2nd August, ISS9. Mr. John Boswell. Dear Sir, —We, the undersigned inhabitants residing in aud around Huntly, having heard that you are about to be removed from amongst us, do most sincerely state we deeply regret that such should be the case, as, during the number of years that you have acted in the capacity of postal and station master, we have at all tinies found you to be courteous, civil, and obliging in the discharge of your duties. Trusting the change to another place may be for your pecuniary benefit, we now big that you will accept, on behalf of yourself and Mrs. Boswell, the accompanying gifts, not for their intrinsic value, but for the respect and high esteem in which we hold you. We now wish you God speed, and hope that whatever sphere in life you may happen to be placed in that you may be happy and prosperous. (Signed) John Ord, on behalf of subscribers." After the presentation, the Hall waa cleared for dancing, which was kept up with great spirit until an early hour in the morning.

[BY TEI,EG-nAPII.—OWN" CORRESPONDENTS.] Hamilton, Monday. The following tenders have been received for adding another thirty feet to the width of the South Auckland racecourse at Claiulelands. Improving curves and filling in :— Carthy, £1S ; Oones, £14 10s ; Dellicar (accepted), £12 10s ; one informal. Some forty people have accepted invitations to the dinner to be given at Gwvnne's Hotel to-morrow evening to Mr. J. M. Gelling, the late town clerk, on the occasion of his leaving Hamilton for the Kennadecs. The occasion will be made can opportunity to present the farewell address from the Borough Council. Paeroa, Monday. At the County Council meeting on Saturday Mr. Kenny's (county clerk) salary was raised from £160 to £200.

Tlie Australian G-oldmining Company's new plant is to he opened formally on Wednesday, when a luncheon is to be given. Mr. C. M. Corhett is reported oufc of danger.