TUAPEKA WEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2083, 25 January 1894, Page 23

TUAPEKA WEST.

January 23.— The weather of late has been very hot, and is bringing the crops on rapidly. There are promises therefore of an early harvest. The grass harvest is in full swing just now. There is great competition among the reaper aud binder machines. The makers are trying their best to perfect a machine capable of binding grass, but it is a difficult job to bind the short grass. The Massey-Uarris machine has done some very good work. It has bound some grass which could not have been bound by hand without special bands had been provided. The turnin crops are coming away nicely and promise to be" very good. There is every indication of there being an abundance of feed for winter, as the grass has been so plentiful this summer. Shearing is about finished, but I hear of a great decrease in the numbers of the sheep on account of deaths owing to the severe winter and scarcity of food, which was felt veiy much by some stockownerß last winter. However, this summer has been everything that could be wished for, their being plenty of rain with occasional hot days. lam sorry to hear that the Hessian fly is making its appearance again in the wheat. Some farmer* are complaining that it is playing havoc with their crops, but I have not seen it so plentiful as it was last year. The small birds are very plentiful, and are playing havoc with the early crops. They are becomiDg year after year a serious pest to the farmers. Although all kinds of poison and other means have been used to keep them down they still continue to increase. What is to be done is beyond comprehension. The farmers can keep the rabbits in check, but the small birds beat them.