COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8683, 28 September 1891, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.J Hamilton, Saturday. As might have been expected the raising of the price of meat by the Hamilton butchers so much higher than the advance in fat cattle warrauted has had the effect of inducing _ healthy competition. A fourth butcher's shop has been opened where meat is retailed for cash at a trifle over the old price, and similar to that in other Waikato townships. It is time that the police interfered in the matter of a bull stag at present roaming about the streets and suburban roads of Hamilton. On Thursday at dusk it stuck tip two young ladies of the hosintal nursing stall between' Hamilton and the hospital • who were returning from Hamilton, and besides keeping them out in' the heavy rain, caused them to return to Hamilton. It lias been a danger and nuisance to the public for several days past. It was bought at auction by a settler living a little beyond Whatawhata, and left behind by him in driving it home with' other cattle. There is a heavy fine foi leaving bulls and "stags" at large, and the police, it is to be hoped, will institute pro cceriings forthwith if it is not removed 01 destroyed. * r

Amongst other results of an early spring is he return of large shoals of mullet to their isiittl haunts tin the shallows above the ,rallic bridge. ' One hundred and ninety of Jioso fish .were counted 111 one shoal above the bridge 011 Thursday morning; and yesterday Air. John Wright, who has been so successful in netting them in'previous years, and amongst- them netted the large trout, 11 painting- of which is in the Auckland Museum, was yesterday preparing his nets for the fishing season. i'hey are far more abundant than they have ever been before, being usually seen not more than ten or a dozen together. The attention of builders_ in Auckland having been called to tenders invited in tins journal for the erection of two new wards to the Waikato Hospital, it is as well to remind them that tenders for the work, which is a large one, must be sent in by Friday next, the 2nd October. Plans and specifications are to be seen at 'the Hospital's oOice, Borough Council Chambers, Hamilton. Mr. T. 11. White is the architect.

OiiAuro, Saturday. A mistake appears in a paragraph of Thursday's with reference to the new sawmill being erected by Mr. Ilusabs. It is stated that Mr. Kusabs is about to erect a " small" sawmill. It should read a "second" sawmill here. The new mill will be anything but a small one, the engine being one of 14 li.p., working three saws. One of Mr. Kusabs sons is now in Auckland getting ready the machinery for transmission here. Otorohanga. Saturday. People here, and especially the natives, are complaining loudly of the inaction of the Government in not pushing forward the investigations and decisions of title to native lands. The Land Court here has discontinued its operations for some time past, yet the native owners are anxious that business should be proceeded with, and that they should be placed in a position to deal with their lands either by sale or lease. The country from this cause is beiug kept locked up, profitless to its present owners and to the colony. Some time since the natives here petitioned the Government to employ the services of Judges Barton and Yon Stunner, with whose practical and business-like dealing with a - re-hearing case they were well satisfied, to enter upon the work of clearing up the numberless cases which have been left unfinished in this part of the country. WAIUKU. The district has been favoured with some beautiful weather during the past week, nice genial showers having frequently fallen. The grass is growing very rapidly, and the crops are looking well generally. " The lambing season is nearly over, and the percentage will be larger than for many previous years. '...."* . Wiuuku is going to have a creamery. It is for the present at the cheese factory, about three-quarters of a mile from the village, in the Waipipi road district. - The boiler came to Waiuku by the s.s. Manukau on Wednesday. hist. Operations have commenced, and it is expected ;that ,ic, will start within a month. At a meeting of those interested the following working committee was appointed, viz. Messrs. Hosking, :W. Flavell, Manning, Upson, Pickard, S. Currie, McFadycn, J. T. Lang, and A. M. Burriball. Mr. Manning was elected chairman, and A. M. Barriball secretary. The committee intend to push the matter. The news of the somewhat sudden death of Miss BischofF, sehool teacher at the Wade, which, took place on Friday last, has cast a gloom over the whole district. The deceasod lady was the eldest daughter of Mr. 0. F. Bischoff, an old and highly respected settler here of between 30 and 40 years. It was the intention of the deceased lady to retire from the teaching at the end of this year, and come home and reside with her aged parents. The deceased has been teaching under the Board of Education for about 20 years. The funeral took place on Sunday, September 13, at her parents' residence, Waiuku East, at two p.m., and was followed by. a large concourse of settlers from all parts of the district, showing the respect in which she was held. On arrival at the Holy Trinity Church', of which the deceased was a member, the coffin was taken into the church, where the Rev Mr. Roper read a portion of the burial service, after which it waa conveyed%,to its last resting-place, where the service was completed, and the surrounding friends and relatives dispersed for their homes, leaving an old friend behind.— [Own Correspondent.] .

DAIRY FLAT. It may interest vout correspondent ("Inquirer," Dargaville) ' and others of your ; readers to read the-foliowins* particulars and ! description of this ; districts—Dairy Fiat ' school and post office are about 13 miles by | the main road from, Birkenhead, which makes it within easy riding distance of ' Auckland. :; Anyone can leave . Dairy Flat ■ I school 011 horseback at 6,30 a.m. and arrive :j in Auckland by 9 o'clock. There are two outlets ' for produce—the. Wade, which is ! six. miles .'"north." of Dairy Flat, and Albany (Lucas' Creek), which is about' fouKor live , miles south of Dairy Flat. There is regular i steam communication to both of these places,

and some of the settlers use one outlet and others the other, according to which is the handiest to them, as the rate of freights are about the same from each place. . Soil: Taking the school as a centre, the soil around is of a very varied character; part of it is open scrub land of poor quality, mostly gum land, while a small portion only is bush, but there is also a considerable quantity of land of excellent quality, being mostly a heavy loam on a limestone bottom. It is well suited to the growth of grass and cereals. There are at present a large number of sheep kept in this district and they appear to do well. . , As a whole, this district is well watered by numerous streams, but there are a few places on the limestone land where good springs are rather scarce. It is somewhat surprising that a district like ours should remain at a standstill'for such a long time as regards the number of permanent settlers resident here, and the more so when it is remembered that the Dairy Flat school is within twelve milesin a direct line from the centre of Queenstreet ; but this is partly accounted for by the fact that since the construction of the East Coast Road over what your facetious contributor, "A. Tramp, Esq.," described not inappropriately- as "the Heaven forsaken Okura Ranges," the few travellers who come through our district mostly pass us'' by, taking what they think is the near cut for the north via the No.th' Shore and the East Coast Road to the Wade, when in reality it is considerably longer than that from. Birkenhead via the settled districts of Birkenhead, Mayfield, Albany, and Dairy Fiat, the distance this way being IS.?: miles; but, £."r. Editor, we are taxed to keep up this East Coast Road, which we never use, while our proper road is sadly neglected. Anyone wishing to settle near Auckland (especially if fruit-growing be the object, for which the district is admirably adapted) may do worse than coming here. At the present time there is a quantity of absentee land in the market for sale cheaply, and much of it is well adapted for settlement, and must be taken up ere long, as the more favoured spots near the city are nearly all occupied.—[Own Correspondent.]