LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 17

LAKE COUNTY.

March 14.— At this time of year the state of the weather is of the most absorbing interest to a la»ge number of colonist*, and it is both easy and pleasant to record that up to the present the growing, ripening, and harvesting of the orops has been attended by the most favourable weather. There has been an abundance of rain all tbe summer, followed lately by a constant beat night and day seldom experienced at this oea:on. The consequence is that all crops have done exceedingly well, and the harveat, eveu if it Is late, has beea favoured by dry weathrr, and is, generally speaking, a very abundant on*. Indeed it may be questioned whether our farmers deserve the luok that has fallen to their share, as it would appear that they do not know— or do not want to— how to profit by the abundance of tbe harvest. It seems they are very muoh like our business men— they cannot get rid of the effects of the gold fields times of 20 years ago, when oats were from 10s to 14s a bushel, and wheat never fetched less thnn from 5i to 10s. It Is to be feared that a sad lesson is in storo for both, and indications have recently shown thnt a change is gradually coming on {Owing to the high prio m asked for oats and chaff by our local farmer* Messrs Uraig and Co. (Cobb and Co.) are now importing their oats from the Taieri, while there are tons upon tons in stacks and in bags in this dittrict. It is tbe same with chaff, and it is certainly a short-sighted policy to put labour and money into orop and then let it 11b to eat its bead off or rot. Tbe average yiel i per acre is as good in this district as in any ;other part of Otazo, and farmers ought to be able to compete with outsiders, to whose produces tbe cost of freight has to be added. It is the same with dairy produce and other bye-products of the farm. Butter at Is per lb is considered obeap, and during periods of scarcity it is Is 3d, while in Southland and most other parts of Otago the price seldom exceeds little more than a third of the amount. Bncon and hams are other items that are still luxuries dispensed at nothing less than lOd per lb retail, and so with every artiole of food, including groceries and tbe staff of life. For years past families have been driven out of the Dlace on account of the exorbitant prices, and business men would no doubt have been in a better position to-day had they reduced their prices years ago. As it is, many families and coteries of btohelors are procuring their supplies from Dunedin or ! Invercargill direct, and find themselves better served and at the same lime effect a very considerable saving in cash. Stolest Fbuit is Not Always Sweet.— The punt proprietor at Kawarau Falls has for some time been suffering from orchard thieves, and one day last week determined to give the depredators a warm reception When they made their appearance with their saoks the owner of the garden stole upon them with a gun loaded with wheat, and succeeded in scattering a fair sowing of the grain in tbe moot p-o-mising part of one of tbe thieves' body, and tbe victim is now waiting for a orop. His companions, like the valiant men they were, made off, leaving their spoil behind them. A few more suoh lessons might do much general good. ACCtDBNT.j— A man long and well known here as Bowland Pritchard met with rather a nasty accident) the other day by a fall from his horse. The unfortunate man is well advanced in years and a rather heavy weight. He fell upon his head and sustained severe internal injuries.