COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 771, 10 December 1886, Page 14

COUNTRY NEWS.

KAIKOURA. A

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] The weather here has been rather bad during the last few days, and in consequence shearing ha 3 been considerably retarded. It is said that the cold has killed a good many of the newly-shorn hoggets. Rain was wanted, but we have had too much of it. The gardens have benefited at the expense ©f the shearing, and are now looking fresh and green. Strawberries are ripening early, and there is a plentiful crop of gooseberries, which are selling in town at 4d a quart. The crops are rather late, and I am afraid will not turn out so well as might have been anticipated. Potatoes are looking well in some places, and are now being dug. Last year a large quantity

of potatoes, was planted, and a good-crop-was - the- result. The fa*mers«ihertigkts they would make a good thing out of it,, and so kept back their- crops, refusing; good offers for them. Then they wouldn’t sell—now they can’t.

i The Kaikoura Racing.-Club have hour-: issued"their programme, and a very good! one it is. The local racers have been in training for some time past;, and there isevery promise of the “ meet ” being a . good one. A good course has - beeu secured,' and the Committee have done all their power to make • the affaira success. The old ! course at South Bay - was not' by any means good;, and was- even dangerous. It had one solitary recommendation—it was near-town. The new. course is a littledistance from the- township, but isin every ways superior- to the old one. Of course there are grumblers -declaiming: against the new grounds,-, but somehowthey, seem to be in a hopeless minority. The best part of the affair is that no onesaid a word' against the change till the whole thing was arranged,* and then didn’t our pro-bono-publicos. com© from: under their-biishela !: Some interest hasbeen aroused in Kaikoura about having sports on New Ybar?s Day. One party wants to have horse races and'sports combined’on.that date, but another-equally strong wishes to have athletic sportsonly. The latter- contends that itr is* sufficient to have two race d&ys in the year—New Year and Queen’s Birthday that ladiesand children cannot-very well attend the horse races- with- any amount of pleasure ;. and'that an effort ought tobe made to do away with the- horse.. racing in connection with athletic sports,, so as to raise the tone of- the proceedings to some extent. The opposite party says, that-the combination has*been> carried on for years, and 1 has always given satisfacthat horse racing is needted to makethe affair-a success apd that there are. many farmers’ sons who would like to. try their horses in such raoes. Of course,, the arguments for both sides can. be answereddn various-ways ; ; but there is a strong feeling that the hybrid sports, should be done away with. Fi>r my part I don’t believe in these “ Neuters always midway, steering,. Neither fish, flfesh, fowl, nor good red herring.”

The “sports and rases ” party have appointed a committee, and are busy collecting; subscriptions*. The other party will most likely hold sports on some future date. .

There was a fire here on the evening of the Ifith. Late in the evening, the roof of Mr W. Brough am?s house was discovered to be on fiire near the. chimney. As there were no appliances handy, all efforts to subdue the flames proved unavailing, and the building, waa totally' destroyed. It was insured in . the New Zealand Company’s office for L 250. Moat of the furniture and godds in the house were saved by the efforts of theowner and those- who came to his assistance. Mr agent for the Insurance Company, is now calling for tenders-for the re-erection of the premises*

I hear that the Chief Postmaster at Blenheim contemplates altering the:mail service between that town and Kaikoura. At present the mail leaves here on Thursday morning, and so is not able to catch the steamer from Picton to Wellington. It is now proposed to send the mails hence on Wednesday mornings, and so catch the steamer. If this can be arranged it will be a boon to the Kaikourites.

Mr C. F. Man, late of the Waitara Works, Wanganui, ha 3 recently settled here with a view- to establishing a fishcuring industry: He also proposes to tin meat on a small scale. This should pay, and it behoves farmers to give Mr Man every encouragement. Tinned Kaikoura meat sent Home last year realised a very good price indeed. There is no reason - why fish-curing should not also be orofitablo.

The flax dressing, industry is getting a footing here. A considerable quantity of flax was sent to . Wellington, by the Wakatu on her last trip. Messrs Cook and Boyens. inventors of tho spring sash lifter and lowerer, have sold a third share of their patent to Mr G. F. Bullent They deserve credit for their invention, and now having so energetic a partner as Mr Bullen their industry will soon bring the reward it so. well merits.

The s.s Wakatu had a rough passage down from Wellington last week. She was “pegging away ” from morning, till night against a heavy head sea which she encountered at Cape Campbell. The Kaikoura County Council met on November 24th and re-elected Mr Walter Gibson as chairman. There were a good many complaints about the state of .the roads read at this and previous meetings. The Council are at last doing something to mend matters a little. Seme ditches which have been left for five years to \ take care of themselves are to be seen to, and various parts of the road are to be repaired—nil desperandum. It’s never too late to mend.