MANIOTOTO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1605, 26 August 1882, Page 13

MANIOTOTO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Hamilton, August 19th.

The winter is gliding rapidly past, and the days are drawing out pleauanily, the gradual change relieving us by breaking the monotony of the long winter evenings, as well as somewhat interfering with the usual tirno taken up by lovers of card-playing, whose wellthumbed packs will ere long be consigned to the process of cremation, after distinguishing their royal truwpß as "kings" and "queens" of thh wintei'g special campaign of whist, cribbage, and euchre, that trio of games being tho usual "bill-of-fare" to upcountry players. - # The weather has been most changeable since my last epistle, heavy mists of the fccotch pattern at times obscuring both hill and plain, whilst the mountiinp, «re beiru dismantled cf their Scotch " plaids," once more revealed the Alpine regions thiciriy covered with snow, a sight that ia alwa)S welcome to the adventurous miner, who relies considerably on the snow-fall for [his supply of water during the summer months. , , , Jack Frost's nocturnal attacks have somewhat impeded ploughing, and as the superabundance of moisr ture with which the soils and subsoils are absorbed tends still further to attract the hostilities of the "iron king," double-furrows have been somewhat late in putting in an appearance this season, and wheat-sowing has also been somewhat retarded in conbequenco of the sloppy state of the ground. I hear a good deal of "small talk" on the subject of agriculture, but " farmers," in the thoroughly practical sense of the term, aie few and far between in her Majesty's Maniototo dominions. What sj stern may be the most desirable to our soil and climate is still to be discovered, 1 presume. The word "grazier" should, I think, be substituted for " farmer " in many c»Bes, and. even some of that class have an insufficient supply of fodder and turnips for their flocks and herds, some of which look in anything but a fair condition, notwithstanding the open winter that we have had. Over-stocking is always attended with loss ultimately, and after Borne of our graziers have paid for their experience they will find it out to their own cost : and should the approaching spring be a severe one, illustrative of what I say, will, lam afraid, only be too true. Most of our farmers can handle the plough, and in some cases very well, but the system of farming in order to retain the virtue of the soil and improve the value of their land seems to many to ba an agricultural enigma somewhat difficult of solution. Therefore I say to all our farmers : Obtain the best works on agricultural topics, read them well yourselves, and see that your sons read them also, for without theory combined with practical experience the mind is a,jt to get too much into its own groove or channel, and your labours will not result progressively in propoition to your expectations, but rather retrogress into the unsatisfactory climax of "bogtrotting. The recent successful shipments of New Zoalaud frozen meats augurs the happie3t results to the most sanguine stock-raiser, from the squatter to the

"cockatoo," and the surplus of our supplies of sheep and cattle are no longer likely to be a drug m our own market, but a boon to the "upper ton of the MothTr Country, as well as a blessing to her sons of toll, the working classes. Tnanksto science as well as to those gentlemen whose plucky and spec ulative enterprise prompted them to venture »eir law* 1 } and stock in so desiiable a speculation, and which 1 trust sincerely, may result in a coincidence to their own most successful expectations, as well as to the universal benefit of our Colony. m \u nn Mining seeiui to be in full swing both at Hamilton and Sowburn. The latter somewhat suburban township recalling to memory the words of Uoldsmith - " Sweet Auburton, lovlii'st village of the plain —for it lies so charmingly secluded and sheltered in its own little glen that it looks the perfect picture or peaco and plenty ; and as it is the happy hon-poB-80S30r of either a public-house or a police station, its rural innocence is remarkable, the occa'iotml vibra tiou of a tom-cat here aril there aloue brtakmgthe uilence of the " sma' 'ours." The Victorian Company of the Sowburn n'joice in postOiSing one of the finest water-rights in tho Colon: , and their race commands a considerable ariM ot auriferous ground. They ura likely to be a strong mining Company for many years to come. I regret to say that Mr David Biird, who met with a serious accident now considerably over a year ago, sustaining a fracture of the thigh whilst engaged in Hluk'iiu, hus not been able to work since at iivinin',', but I hope before long to see him at his favourite occupation. The ttock and Pillar is well coated with snow. I was out on these mountainous regions n t l^ng since. The snow at the least avuraae depth taking me above my knee legginga, and in the gullies I sank periodically to my belt, l.lme had cousiderablc experience on this range, as my earliest recollection cf its moors date back to the year }860, wken I was but a youth in my teens ; so that at the least, much lespected' Mr Editor, you have the honour of hearing from one "old identity," though hois notqui'c aa oct >genarian. I am informed by one of the firm that Messrs Udy and Nicholls have purchased Mr Kinsman s sluicing claim, which adjoins the Star and Garter Compmj 'a, on the big hill, Hamilton. To avoid any mistake as to " names, ' Mr Nicholls informs mo that they havn christened tieir property the Rose of Cornwall c'aim This property, I hear, has changed hands, together with the working plant, at a fair market figure; and I trust may succeed as "a flowery" speculation, and, unlike the " Last Rose of Summer," I hope that it may never be left "to bloom alone." On Friday evening, 18th ult., we experienced a gale of hurricane violence, the wind starting from N.W., and gradually veering round to S.W., being accompanied by squalls of hailstones that made our iron roofs resound as if the whole legion of military French drummers wero doing the kettledrum rollcall with a vengeance. I trust it may be no prognostication to the additional warcloudu at piesent hovering over Europe.