COUNTRY ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1987, 24 March 1892, Page 21

COUNTRY ITEMS.

Short newi paragraphs for this column arc invited from corre>•pondeuls and others Foit Cards may be used.

Mr Sharpe's flourmill at Balclutha will shortly be converted into a- roller mill.

The season for shooting ducks, native game, &c, opens on the Ist of next month, and closes on the 31st May

It is stated that a freezer is about to be erected at Half Moon Buy, Stewart Island, in connection with the fish industry. The representative of a leading Dunedin produce incrchant was in Gore on Saturday offering 7Ad per lb for good salt butter. A pine tree measuring 12ft through was (according to a North Island paper) felled the other day on the Oroua Coal Creek Block.

Mess Beprg Bros., of Hillend, had this year between 800 and iIOO acres under wheat and oats — all a good crop. It is all in stack. While "skylarking" with a friend at Gore the other day Mr William Pollock fell and sustained a simple fracture of one of his legs. The crime of sheep stealing js reported to be common in the Rangitikei district, while several farmers in this part of the country have had their flocks lessened in a mysterious'manner.

At Chatton one night last week, one of Mr John M'Cartney's children had the second and third finders of his right hand badly crushed between the spiked iron rollers of the chaffcutter. If the large area of land in Southland now falling buck into the hands of the Ciown be wisely dealt with (says the Southern Standard) an era of unexampled prosperity is in store for the^settlers. The Southern Standard says that of a draft of lambs belonging to Mr William Pryde, of Malaurn, a number were rejected as lambs at the Mataura slaughter yards because they were 6Slb in weight. A farmers' co-operative association^ in process of being formed in the Oamaru district. Already 200 shares have been taken iin, and it is proposed to call a meeting at an early date in connection with the matter.

The North Otago Times of the 18th says :— " A few crops in this district are not yet in stack. They are late in ripening, and this, too, was delayed by the spell of wet weather. It is many years since crops were cut so late as these in the' Oamaru district."

Mr J. D. Ritchie, chief inspector, in a letter to the Canterbuiy Press mentions that there has been a veterinary surgeon attached to the Stock department for several years, and is at all times available to give advice, and if necessary visit and advise any stockowner. ThePahiatua Star says: — " There are cows and cows, but the cow weheardof in the Tenui district wants beating as a milk-producing machine. .Her yield for several weeks atter calving was llgal per day — six in the morning and five at ni^ht. We can produce witnesses to prove this statement."' . On Saturday as Mr T. Healey was hauling Queale's threshing mill across the bridge at Djpton his horces took fright, and while he was trying to keep them under control his feet got entangled with the reins and he fell and a wheel of the mill passed over his right ankle, crushing and bruising the joint severely. Five well-known sheep-farmers at Poverty Bay were lately fined LI and costs for exposing sheep infected with lice for sale in a public yard. One of the accused, whilst pleading guilty contended that at this season of the year it was almost impossible to keep sheep free from lice, and that it was rather hard, when he had dipped his sheep, that he should suffer the same penalty as others who had not dipped their sheep. Dr Cartwright writes to the Woodville Examiner re dehorning rams :— " I keep a few sheep, I have been greatly annoyed at the rams fighting. Last month I picked out four rams with very large horns. I cut them off as close as I could to the head with a very sharp saw. They have all done well ; did not lose a teed. I know it has completely stopped their fighting. One pair of horns weighed 4Mb. Total weight of the four pairs, 15|1b." " The Oamaru Mail draws attention to the dangerousness of the old ford near the bridge at Maheuo. It has been so much altered by the late flood that there is now a depth of several feet of water where there was a shelving bank, into which those who do not know the change mi^ht plunge and come to grief. Already accidents have been narrowly avoided. One of our settlers, 911 a recent dark night, was just about to plunge into it when he was made aware of his danger. Writing of the rainy weather the Timaru Herald says :—" The effect on grass and turnip lands would be beueflcial, and there promises to be an abundance of winter feed. The rain would have rather a serious effect on stacks that were unthatched In the case of one grain-grower we jieard that he thatched his stacks on the southwest side only ; this would be little protection against a rain which was coming from the northeast, as was the case during the last few days." It has been suggested to us (North Otago Times) that as sheep are over-plentiful in Australia, where they are selling at a shilling a head, it would pay some enterprising person to load some of the Union Company's steamers with a portion of the surplus sheep stock of the Australian colonies and bring them over to New Zealand, where there is an unusual scarcity. We give publicity to the suggestion, without being able to give any exact information as to how such a speculation would " pan out." Horse-breeding must be conducted at very small expense in some parts of the North . Island, judging by the following report in the Bush Advocate, Danevirke : — Mr Bierre must be congratulated on having held a very successful sale, of horses on Saturday afternoon. Every lot, about 80 in number, was quitted at an average of 30a each, which for a mixed mob of unbroken horses must be considered a fair price. The natives are so satisfied with the result of the sale that it is likely they will prepare for another one to bo held in a few weeks.

Mr Honry Bennett, of Buckland farm, Awahuri, has (says the Wellington Mail) just sent to London a consignment of 24 tons of apples as an experiment. The fruit requires a good deal of labour in packing, as the apples have to be carefully selected so as not to be bruised in any way, and each one wrapped in tissue paper before placed in the boxes. This is the first consignment of apples that has been sent from this part of New Zealand, and it is to be hoped it may turn out a success, not only for Mr Bennett's sake, but also for the fact that it may open up an outlet for the great quantity of apples grown in this district. The plutha Leader tells of a peculiar accident by which Mr Greig, of the Glenoniaru sawmills, lost a valuable horse. A heavy log was being brought from the bush to the mill on a lorry drawn by two horses. On reaching the brow of a pretty steep decline the brake was applied. This brake was fastened by a rope. The rope broke, and the lorry dashed downhill, going over the rear horse, which escaped with a few scratches. The flango of the wheel of the lorry struck the leg of the leader, breaking it, and the horse had to be destroyed. The surprising thing is that both horses were not completely mangled.