WANGALOA,

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 17

WANGALOA,

October 17.— We had begttn to think with the poet thai " { glboib'y winter's noo* awaY but we were mistaken, for it started to rain last Sunday night and kept raining steadily up to Monday night. Everything at the time of writing looks very wintry, while the air is '• gae cauld." Lambing commenced in this district very early, and it is pleasing to see the lambs looking so strong and healthy after all the bad weather some of them have come through. From all quarters I hear that the percentage is likely to be a good ene. Farmers are pretty well forward with their work, and most of the seed has been sown. Some of them are preparing the ground foi green crops. Roads. — In my last I spoke of the wretched state of our roads. I am sorry to say that they have not improved so far. The expedients adopted by some of the farmers who are catting away their grain just now bring to mind the good old days when the bullocks and the sledge were all the go, and when there were no road ; boards, no county councils, and indeed no roads, each one having to carry a spade with him to make the road he intended to travel on. We have now both a county council and a member to look after our roads, but neither appear to take any notice of the deplorable state in which they are in at the present time. Farmers carting their grain have', as in days of old, fco carry a spade With them, not, however, to chip out a flax bush or level a hillock, as was formerly the case, but to do their own surfacing. It is very hard that the farmers of this district should be iated year after year to be treated in this way. It is high time they took concerted action to let their grievances be known, dome of tho main roads in this district will, in parts, very soon be covered from side to side with gorse. The rapidity with which the rabbits and small birds are increasing is the subject of general remark ; but how can it I be otherwise when farmers allow their gorse hedges to grow from year to year without trimming them, the natural consequence being that they spread all over the place, providing a breed-ing-warren for the rabbits, and the best of nesting grounds for the small birds. Oor School. — Mr Inspector Taylor examined the school here on the 12th inst. The results of the examination were very satisfactory, and reflect great credit on the teacher (Miss Thompson) for the manner in which she has performed her duties during the year.