WAIKAKA VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2111, 9 August 1894, Page 23

WAIKAKA VALLEY.

August 7. — The unfavourable weather experienced for a few weeks before the first month of winter induced many to fear that the winter would be severe. These fears have fortunately not been realised, the winter having been a fine open one, proving again that however accurately some may forecast the weather for a day or two, the problem is too complex to solve for any greater length of time. During the last two weeks especially, the weather has been very favourable for expediting the usual work of the season. The ploughing is unusually far advanced, although a large area had to be turned over, and it is probable that by the end of the month it will be finished on most farms — excepting, ,of course, a small area under tin nips reserved for late feeding. Oats are piactically the only cereal grown here, and there will be at least the usual area sown. The sowing was commenced on a few farms last year during the third week of this month, but it is seldom that our heavy loam is fit for harrowing till shortly after the end of the month. There was a considerable area under turnips, which were a fair crop, and drafts of fat sheep were sent occa» sionally to the freezing works. Stock of all descriptions are in good condition. Sickness. — A few, families have been suffering during the last two or three weeks from the influenza: epidemic. It has been of a somewhat severe type, although no serioas terminations have occurred. At the present time the trouble is seizing others. It has often been asserted that sufferers from influenza have been giving that name to a bad. cold, just as others use the vague tenu "indisposition" to denote illness of any sort. Once, however, let a peraon experience the debility and langour which are two of the symptoms of influenza, and he is ready to confess that he was very much mistaken in associating the two ailments. It may not be out of place to mention at this time, seeing the prevalence of the epidemic and the fatal termination in a few cases, that great care should be taken to ward off cold until convalescence is complete. In this, as in other trouble*, it is often the apparently .strong person who succumb*, and one cannot too strongly condemn the foolish practice some indulge in of boasting that they were never a clay sick in their lives. The man who experiences an occasional illness usually tak< s care of himsolf ; not so the strong man— he is anxious again to be able to say that he was never, except for a short time, oft work, the consequence of which is that a valuable life is sometimes lost.

Arhour Day. — This day passed away like any other day. It is true members of the school committee turned out to assist and encourage the young people to beautify the school ground, but the district generally kept on the even tenor of its way. Plantations suUicient to shelter the homesteads were made in the early years of the settlement, and plantations for shelter for stock will probably not be thought of until means are devised to considerably reduce the numbers of small birds.