TAPANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 17

TAPANUI.

August 14.— The dairy factory will soon be telablished here now, and it should be a successful venture, as all the requirements to make it a success are to be found, including a capital railway and suitable land for pasture, 'ihe busa land here, when the scrrb and rubbish are burnt off and it is surface sown, cannot be beaten for trrass-producing purposes. The site chosen for the factory is close to thp. Tapanui railway si aticm. and I hear that tenders will shortly be invited for the building, and as most of the shares have been disposed of things should go ahead smoothly. Tile Draining — t o meet the train at the Taganui railway station and see the truck loads of tiles that arrive gives one an idea of the quantity that are imported into this district, and of the money that is sent away for them. There is a local maker here, but the supply does not appear to meet the demand for them. There is no reason why every tile should not be made in the district and the money spent here. The materials are as good ac those elsewhere, and the facilities are as favourable also. As the farmers seem .to be realising the Importance of draining, the quantity required will increase every year. Mutter. — This being a grand district for dairying purposes, we should be able to supply of good butter all the year round, and yet if one noes into a store and chooses a pound of butter at random, the chances are that it is possessed of a turrfipy flavour not at all agreeable to the palate. Is there no remedy for this ? Ib there rio other winter food than turnips, and if not, is there no ether way of feeding them to cattle so that butter will not taste like a maßhed turnip? There is some really fine butter made here, and if one can make it, why cob all. ■ Settlement.— The bush land that was opened for settlement some time ago has all been taken up, and where the bnshman was lord the settler is now arecting his barbed wire fences and clewing his section ot the scrub that the bushman and the bush lire have left. Tapanui bnsh is> a fi«p example of how timber can be wasted; for in the old days fire aMer fir devastated the bush until thwsan.d£bf pounds wort;

■of timber that would be of immense value to the district now was wantonly destroyed, i However, the settler 'is in possession now, and one will soon be able to walk through some of the finest pasture land In New Zealand, where not many years ago the bushman had to cut his way with the axe. There is a quantity of land still unsold— both bush and open terraces— along the mountain foot, and if this were opened it would be readily taken up. Some 600 acres are to be opened for settlement some time in the future, but when no one can tell unless he be a prophet, for the motto of the authorities in regard to land seems to be " hasten slowly." Some folk are greatly exercised as to what will be done with the rough mountain land if all the good land is sold, but as the only use that is being made of the mountain is as a place to spend Government money on in poisoning rabbits, I don't think it would be any the foot B of it ° g 20 Or 30 Befctlers scattered along the Scholastic— Our new teacher, Miss Duncan, has been very unfortunate since her arrival, for she has teen suffering from a severe attack of brain fever/ ana although now nearly recovered' it will be some time Dftiore Bhe will be able to resume her duties.