DRUMMOND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2152, 23 May 1895, Page 22

DRUMMOND.

May 18.— We h<wn had a very mild open winter in this part of the country go far— very little frost, and no snow e«>pt to the extent of covering the low iange3 of hills by which we are surrounded, and clo'hing the Takitimos and other mountains in the distance with a mantle, which, to judg* by appearances, should last them all wiuter unkss the fashion take;* a sudden charige. Indeed we have had tn eh a steady riownp ur of ruin within the last week tint a laige quantity of the snow has dis tppeared, aud the Aparima and Oreti rivers have for the lust few d+ys been " bankers " Amtit'ULTUiUL— The farmers are mostly busy threshing, chaff-cutting, au3 driving away the grain, but in some instincts they have got some ploughing done The crops have been, as usual, very heavy on th's flat thio year, consequently the great quantity of grain being diiven to Fairfax cuts the road up very much, and the road to Winton is just as bad. It Uthculd st ry— nothing done to the roads and they cannot last for ever ; and unless the county dois something in the way of rapair, it would actually p»y that body better to cart away the people's grain gratis in epring, A Railway Grievance.— Another gre^t grievance with the farmers about here is the want of proper railway management and accommodation at Fairfux railway station. Last week a deputation waited on the traffic 1 manager at Invercargill and requested that a porter be put on, but they seem to have g t little or no satisfaction. However, I think that if tha "powers that be" had the experience of farmers in losing goods and having to fight for tucker wheu going with grnin they might see their way to appoint some one to look after things, eiptcially seeing the amount of j business that is done at the same station. Heavy Crops. -Amonst other heavy crops about here this year Mr John M*cfarlane had a | laige field of cluster ojts, which threshed 100 bushels an acre, while his linseed y'elde 1 12 bags to the acre— certainly the bestrecoid I haveheaul of this sea'on. 'Jhese are the kind of crop the farmers want to go in for to help to counteract the low prices ruling nowadays. School Matters.— At the annual meeting of householders held in the school some time ago the following gentlemen were elected coinmitteemen for the ensuing year: — We3trs W. Smith (chairman), J C Shorer (secretary and treasurer), T. Meehin, A. Nelson, A. Shaw, K. Baird, and C. A-ttUck. With the exception of the two firstnamed the committee is entirely new, and let us hopo with the infusion of new blood as progiOMve as the la^t was ruo ierate— being, ivith one o. two exception?, c institution^!y ilow. I he.ir tlifie are neatly 100 n th-j school roll now, Ami chat An Addition is required both to the building and the staff. I aho hsar that the attendanreis very unsatisfactory and irregular, and that Inspector Boyd is expected to put the law in force in earnest very shortly on the delinquents. Socir/riKS. -The d.ilvution Army had a tea meetina in the school on Tuesday uight, Major Bhkensii.iw, commander of the forces in New Zealand, being picicnt. Buth weather and attendance were satisfactory. — Ou Friday week last Mr D. Ross, photographer, (nvercargill, was billed to give «. limelight eutertaiumeat, but thd

~ «■.._•»..'„ ■"■»»!« weather turning out very inclement he did not turn up, and we have heard nothing of him since.