COUNTRY ITEMS.

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

COUNTRY ITEMS.

Short newi paragraph, for thii column are lnrlted from correspondent! and other.. Post Cabos mar be mod. Mr J. Bjan, Waitahuna, is the successful tenderer for the new bridge to be erected at Murray's Flat. An Invercargill man, was nearly poisoned r few days ago through eating what were supposed to be mushrooms. . A squatter at Waikaia is said to contemplate importing heather from the Highlands for the purpose of taking the place of the departing tussock on his run. Ferrets are said to be doing good work on the bank of the Waikaia river among tbe young rabbits. Where the ferrets are numerous there are very few young rabbits. A specimen of the bot, or hor«e-fly, hai been caught ia North Canterbury. It was caught by a young man whose throat it had attacked. It became entangled in the man's whiskers, and so was easily taken. The Levels Boad Board bill of mortality among small birds this 'season (says the Timaru Herald) totals 20,455$ dozen. It is stated that this destruo- . tlon has made no appreciable difference in their numbers. There are 3311 entries for the Canterbury Bam Fair, to be beld to-day (Thursday), as against 2940 hut year. The largest numbers are — Hngllsh Lf-loeaters, 990; Lincolns, 840: Border Leicester^, 830 Tbe Southland Times Bays that during this summer many tons of fruit has been fed to the pigs in the Nevis district. The new Garston-Wevis road will bring the district; within two days' journey of Invercargill, and thui provide a market for the fruit. "Old Colonist" provides the Southland News with a weather record for the p>>styear. This shows tbat there were 59 very warm and calm days, 93 fine days, 49 windy and fine days, 74 cold, windy, and showery days, 63 showery days, 6 very wet days, and 31 frosty days. Noting the commencement of threshing in the district tbe Miller's Flat correspondent of the Tuapeka Times says that it is very doubtful if this year's 3 ield of grain will come up to last year'a ; to far, tbe stuff put through the mill has not by fully a third come up to last yea> 's returns, ■ Mr K. Jones, of Sydenham, Ohristohurch, has this season had a marvellous yield of pear? from one tree, about 17 years old, grown on his premises at Svdettham. Independent of windfalls, and those tbat dropped while the remainder wero being picked, be has gathered 8801b weight. The pear is known as " The Bishop's Thumb." The Waikaia correspondent of the Mount Benger Mail says tbat there are about 75 000 acres on the eaßt side of the Waiknia river with not a siogle rabbiter on it. There should be fouror five rabbiters on each of these runs except one in the distriot— that is, Mr Bain's,— and as this run is very high thera are virtually no rabbits on it. The Southland Times tells of a fight at Walkiwl between a ferret and a cockatoo. The latter drove the former away, but ultimately succumbed to its injurle*. The ferret returned on the following night, but met with a rat trap instead of the cockatoo, and it proved too much for him. A Waikiwi schoolboy says there are " swarms of ferrets about," he himself having found 12 in a hole. At New Plymouth two deaf mutes (Messrs Scott and Brown), through the kindness of Mr MacMabon and Professor Archibald, were allowed to have the opportunity of testing whether they could hear the reproductions of the phonograph, and, saye the Herald, " t;o their delight when the phonograiih was set in motion they heat d a bind playing a lively air, a thing we did not .upp<:se either ut them had ever heard before fn their livei." The profit on the yeai 'a trans lotions of tho Maniatoto Flour Mill Oomp.'.ny's operations for the ptst year is £103 19» 4d, alter puttu g aside 10 per cent, to provide for doubtful debts, aiid 10 per cut depreciation on buildings and machinery, amounting in all to £'iS'i 6s 7d. The n<-w machineiy Btill continues to give great at>t ! sfuction, a> d the flour commands ready sale. What is wanted to ensure dividends is a good supply of wh^at tu;d euific'er.t water power. In an article on bunny's n*turul enemies the Southland Tliiies says:— •• If we remembrfr right weasels and ferrets wtre first employed on anything like au extensive scale iv Mti lborough. Is there any part of tbat distriot whioh they rt claimed from tbe depredators? Or is there any run in any district that bat been cleared since tbe introduction of the natural enemy, without an increase of the pest on neighbouring runs ? The matter is surely Important enough to be thoroughly investigated even if It should cost a little mouey." The Mataura Ensign says that the Croydon Meat Preserving Work* are again ia (nil Wait, And e»oh

department Is in high pressure. The quantity of rabbits coming in is something enormous Fancy 8000 beiug a fair day's digestive capacity I Quite a small army of hands is kept iv mjtion at the establishment, and among tho wages earned it leaks out that tinsmiths, who make the t us on the spot, by working lo lg hours, at pergrosß, can make 20s a day. 1 hat is only one branch of the trade.