APARIMA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 17

APARIMA.

Febbuary 22.— We have had a remarkably tempestuous and disagreeable summer. High winds and heavy rains, often in combination, have been very frequent. Days of calm and sunshine have become rare indeed. The farmers have had a hard task in trying to secure their seed grass and hay in good order, and success has not in every case crowned their efforts. The cutting of the grain crop has been commenced, and harvest will soon be general. The twine-binding method is much in vogue here, and maunal labour is pretty much at a discount. Iv agriculture, as iv other industrial occupations, it can now be seen that tbe products of inventive genius are fast causiug would-be labourers to experience how hard it is " to have no work to do." I am inclined to think the average yield of the grain crops in this diotricb will be less than usual. On the terraces, though there are some really good crops, there are many on the light side. Then on the river-land farms, where returns are generally heavy, the yield will be seriously diminished by the effects of the recent flood, which has done far more damage than was at first apparent. Some fields of stuff will scarcely be worth threshing, the heads of corn being only partially or not at= all developed, while many others are much injured. The harm done depended chiefly on the stage of growth which the crops had reached at the time of the flood. A second growth is also complained of among oats.

Nuisances.— The small bird pest has become a very serious consideration here. The birds play havoc with the crops from the first, picking much of the seed sown, and tearing up the young plants ; and now they are forestalling the farmers by threshing the oats before they are cut. They are less easily tempted to take poison now than formerly. Like their fellow-colonials of the (jenu s homo, they seem to btcouio saucy in times and in a land of plenty. Poisoned groats nave been used with marked success in some cases, but not so in others. Something more enticing still is wanted. Captain Raymond, of rabbit-poisoning fame, is now resident among us in charge of the Ermedale estate. Captain Raymond to the rescue ! The Acclimatisation Society is held in considerable odium by some of the agriculturists. Though the society has stocked our streams pretty well with fishes, yet this does not nearly compensate for the loss involved by the introduction of destructive pests.— [lt is only fair to state that the society is not responsible for tho introduction of rabbits or sparrows. The latter are the descendants of five liberated by a ship captain at Lyttelton. — Id.] Cricket.— The return match between tho Fairfax aud Limestone Plains Cricket Clubs resulted in a nine wickets' win for the former. M'Kiuuon, Saunders, and Guttery for tho winners, and M'Keuzie and Taylor for the losers, all bowled well. M'Kenzie was top scorer, though Collins and othera showed sounder batting. The game was played near the township of Calcium, where the only buildings are not : he customary hotel and blacksmith's shop, but a Presbyterian church and another neat and substantial edifice, which appears to be a town hall waiting for the town to grow. At Fairfax, on the 18th, the local men defeated a team from the Jacob's River Club by 31 runs. The ground was sloppy, and the scores were small. Guttery and M'Kinnon shared the Fairfax bowling houours, Mac doing the " hat trick." 8011, M'Dougall, aud M'Laughlan (subs.) for the winners, and M'Williams for the visitors, were the most successful batsmen.

Tk.uk Arrangements.— An alteration obviously needed has beeu made in the time table) of the Western district trains, much to the satisfaction of most persons hero, though perhaps to the chagrin of some Invercargillites. Our evening trains now await the arrival of the Dunedin express at Invercargill, except on Saturdays.

Fikk. — On a recent windy day, while a threshing mill was at work on Mr D. Collie's farm, Fairfax, a spark ignited the straw, wtiich along with a number of oat sfcucks aud the mill elevators was burned. Tho bullocks were fortunately at hand, and tho mill was hauled out in time. Latest.— The weather has improved.