DIPTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1935, 26 March 1891, Page 17

DIPTON.

March 23.— We had pretty gaod harvest weather up to about the 17th ot this month, and good progresß was made, although some patches are still to out and much is out in stook. Since the I7th the weather haß been bo changeable that little could be doce. Saturday was really wintry, and on Sunday It blew a regular hurricane lam afraid any grain not previoubly cut will be worthiest). The bum of the threshing mill has been heard for the last few days, though pretty intermittently owing to the wind. We have two milli in the district at present so that should the weather take up a bit it would not take loDg to knock most oi the grain out, aa there is not so muoh to thresh as formerly, there being more land down In grasa. Sheep are the order of the day at present, being in greater demand than money itself. Go where you will you find inquiries for them, and great numbers have changed bands of late at very satisfactory prices, almost as muoh being obtained for stores as for ptime fat stock. How lone this will last goodness knows. I have no doubt however, but (bat sheep-breeding will prove a. more

permanent thing than the grain-growing has, as w have certainly a better market, and even though competition with other Countries is pretty keen, we can fairly hold our own, and there teems to be plenty cf nutlet ( understood we were going to have monthly sale* here, but I see another is advertised for the SOfch ■ t>t. , which will mabe two for this month Surtly vie are advancing apace.

Angling —The fishing season is drawing to a close, and those who indulge in the gentle art are becoming keen on the soent, taking advantage of every available opportunity. As the river is very low the merest tyro meets with average success, whioh leads them on to greater exeition, such is the subtle influence of the craft. Nothing very startling in individual weight is being taken in this distriot, but collectively some pretty heavy baskets are being made, and there is no doubt but that the spotted beauties will have a rough time of it between this and the 31st inst. Some fields of oats on the Pomahaka Flat are expected to average 90 bushels to the acre. Mr James Watson, who has been 15 years in the employ of Messrs J. and I. Meek, Oamaru, has purchased the Walk&ia flour mill. " - - - A Lumsden settler says his oat crop will go from fiv* to seven bushels an acre over what could have been got if the season had only been an average one. A five-year-old child of Mr Hugh M'Faul, Tokomalriro, came in contaot with a reaper a few days ago, and sustained a terrible gash at the baok of the head, extending round the right ear. It is doing as well as could be expected. In noticing the death of Mr William Billot, of 'Nevis, of inflammation contracted through crossing sheep over a river, the Cromwell Argus says that deceased was a sturdy specimen of the Border Soot. A native of Toftholm Liddesdale, Boxburghshire, he never for a single moment, till the day of his death, lost one lota of his personality and nationality. . • His personality was strong, ' determined, and thoroughly original; and this in itself helped to irake his oharaoter striking and somewhat different from most people. He invariably took an aotive interest in all school affairs, and in more than one school oommittee acted as secretary. ... To him in a great measure are the Nevis people indebted for obtaining a road through from their township to Garston.

The temporary stoppage of through traffic consequent on the re-erection of the Cromwell bridge, says the Argus, perceptibly affecting the hotel trade, and has the effect of piviug a rather deserted aspect to the Cromwell streets.

Messrs Joseph Hayden and Thomas Howe, two Canterbury settlers, are about to pay a visit to the Home Country, one of their objects being an investigation into the existing arrangements for the sale of Canterbury mutton at) Home. The Tapanui Courier bai been shown a credit note for rabtits sent from that distriot to the Woodlands factory. The gross returns for the 161 rabbits at 2Jd amounted to £1 16s lid, but the railage came to 10s lid. Babbiters would, under these oircumttances, be largely benefited by the establishment of a local factory. At the Gore B. M. Court on Friday a charge of neglecting to destroy rabbits on the property of the Scottish and New Zealand Investment Company brought against the seoretary was dismissed on the ground that the information should have been laid against the company. Alexander Cameron, of Tuturau, was charged at the K. M. Court, Gore, on Friday latt with a breach of the Babbit Act by having failed to take sufficient steps to destroy the rabbits on his property. Mr Cameron was undefended. He said he had done all he could. He had put In a mile and a-half of fencing to divide his land. He was at the mercy of the court. After hearing the evidence the magistrate fined the defendant £2 and costs. Ihe Taieri Advocate apologises for having stated that there was trouble between the two dairy factories at Henley, and that one company had been taking oredlt for prizes awarded to the other company, and explains that the Cranley factory has never yet exhibited, so there cannot possibly have been any dispute about prizes. At Skippers on Friday a miner, named Matthew Harney, while working in the Phcenix mine, bad the thumb and fore-finger of his right band blown off by a charge of dynamite exploding whilst charging a hole.

Mr Walker has just completed about six miles of fencing on his Mason Bay run, Stewart Island. He has about 15,000 sheep on the ran. At Fortrose there are some heavy crops, a oouple of whioh are estimated to yield 100 bushels of oats to the acre.

Diving operations for silver at the wreck of the Tararua are about to be resumed.

A severe frost was experienced in the Waltakl district on Thursday, destroying many tender plants. Threshing in the Ngapsra district is pretty well completed, and shows very poor results. While driving home to Mataura on Friday afternoon Mr William Allison was thrown forward on to the names, through one of the horses becoming restless, and sustained a painful injury to one of his eyes.