COUNTRY ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 17

COUNTRY ITEMS.

The establishment of a foundry at Queenstown is mooted. Fully 2000 acres will be under crop on the Q-lenham estate, Southland, this year. ' It has been decided to register the Tuapekd,' Farmers' Uniou ao a corporate body. 1 The Lovell'B Flat farmers are of opinion that poisoning small birds should be made compulsory by Act of Parliament. ! Messrs J, and R. Cuddle's new dairy factory at Maungatua is being erected as quickly as possible, I j and will be completed in a month. The dwelling house and store of Mr B. Paddon, storekeeper of Fortrose, was totally destroyed by fire on Friday night (16th). The insurance waa £250. Mr D. Lswrenee, of Tuapeka, who had to have a second portion of his finger removed as a result of ! blood poisoning, has now taken a turn for the better. Mr Pogeon, of Strath-Taieri, informs the Taieri Advocate that seagulls are dreadfully destructive to lambs in that district. He had in one season lost aa many as 400 lambs. The Tuapeka Farmers' Union have passed a resolution to the effect that the abolition of the sheep tax would be premature and detrimental to the beat interests of the country. A 4in bore to a depth of 600 ft has been put in on the N.Z. Agricultural Company's estate, Southland, in search of coal. A seam has not yet been struck, ! but the indications are favourable. • Messrs Shore Brothers^ bave been successful in their attempt to raise the Young American, which was sunk in the Lake Wakatipu about 18 years since. The boat is fairly sound, and ii to be used.for dredging purposes. A Horiot business man who has just returned from a vialt to Nenthorn is of opinion that if any man has anything good on hand he should stick to it in the meantime, as the Nenthorn is only a field of speculation, to wh'ch a novice should give a wide berth. Mr J. W. Hamilton, of Stratharran, Western district, was one day laßt week thrown from his trap on his way home from Eiverton. He landed on his face and hands, with the result that the right side of his face was badly out about thefiye.and his hands badly hurt. A hawker named Hamill had a narrow escape from drowning at theMataura Island bridge the other day through his waggon upsetting in deep water.' It was with difficulty he waa rescued by some of the men working at the bridge. About £30 "worth of damage was done to the goods he had in the waggon. 'The Mataura Dairy Factory Company have decided that a dividend of £5 per cent, be paid to the shareholders ; further, that gd per gallon extra be paid to milk suppliers so soon aa the company id in funds. The payment already" made has been 3d per gallon. The year's operations helve been of a Satisfactory nature. J ' • ' Tne 'Tudpeka Farmers' Union have decided to communicate with all known existing clubs in Otago suggesting a large agricultural'repreßentative 'raeetind in Dunedin during the Exhibition season. The object of such a meeting, it was explained, was the formation of a strong farming organisation for the better protection and advancement of the agricultural interests. ' " A "Wendon Cookatoo," writiDg on the frosted potato controversy, Bays :—" When a potato is once frosted it rots, but a very slight ' covering of lcoae mould protects it. If the earth is trodden firm above the tuber, the frost penetrates deeper. The' matter is practically exemplified by 'the severe" frosts last June, which destroyed many of my potatoes at a depth of Sin and even more where the grotind Was trodden above them ." At a meeting to consider the best means of dealing with the small bird pest held at Lovell's Flat last week, Mr Dunlop said he had procured a 101b bag of Messrs Donald Keid and Go's poisoned wheat and with it had destroyed on his place between 500 and 600 birds; All present put down their names for from one to 6ix 101b bags, and a committee ' was appointed to canvas the district in order to make ■the poisoning universal. ' The Heriot correspondent of a contemporary says that land for cropping has been keenly looked for this season, and although the prices ' asked for and obtained have not been quite as high as in some inBtances in your district, still very fair value is being obtained by the owners of the' soil. One pound pir acre and the fifth bag is the average price here, but it must he remembered that the land is good, and a good average crop is anticipated in every instance. I The Western Star reports that Miss Bell Gardner, i third daughter of Mr Gardner, Birohwood, met with | a nasty accident a few days since while riding through the paddocks near the homestead, I'he horse she was riding got entangled in some wire," and threw Mfss Gardner so heavily that she was carried to the house in an unconscious state, and for some days was confined to bed. We are glad to say she is n<>w about again. Or* Friday last the horae Mischief, a great favourite with Mr Gardner and his young mistress, unfortunately died from the effects of the injuries he received. Considering the comparative ease with which onions can be grown in New Zealand, it is extraordinary (says the Oaraaru Mail) that the consumers sh&uld fee asked to pay 6d per pound for the article, and at a senson of the year when they are supposed to be the most plentiful. While the retail price here is £50 per ton, Sydney quotntions show that New Zealand grown onions are selling there at £20, or 150 per cent, less than what the consumer has to pay for them here. With the advantages we possess for growing the vegetable, wo ought to be in a position to export a large quantity and have plenty for local consumption, instead of having to buy largely from outsiders. ' Mr T. J. Collins, of Heriot, who has had experience as a miner at Waikaia, has seen Mr Cockerell'a waterraising machinpry at work, and expre sses the opinion that the pateutee has made a valuable discovery and one that will be the means of urearthi> g vast treasures now entirely inaccessible thjough want of water. He writes :— " Ido not say that the present machinery is perfect, but I maintain that ho has discovered the principle which can bo very easily improved upon, and which can force wat er as high as 1000 ft with far less motive power than he calculated upon. For instance, with a waterwheel 15ft in diameter placed about 10ft above the soufca from which he draws his supply, he can fo'ce 200 in (mining measurement) of a permanent stream of water any distance from 100 ft to 80'tft high."