WAIWERA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2164, 15 August 1895, Page 23

WAIWERA .

August 12 —Mr Rhodes has furnished me with the results of his two-years' tri.«l of some 61b of Impt-mteur potatoes he procured from the Government for the purpose of experimenting with. From the first planting he dug lewt of good potatoes. The next season the lewt was planted, but from some unaccountable cause the most of tho seed gruw to a very weak plant, then died away, the final result being a yield of only about the same weight as the seed s'-wn. The potatoes were rather coarse and not to be r> cr-mmended, many of them being lAlb weight. Mr Rhodes attributes their failure to grow or the dying away to the seed being probably taVen up before it was properly 1 ipe. Naturally he prefers the old sorta in every way. Weather —I am tired of mentioning anything on this bubject. To-day (Monday) is again miserably wet, showers of rain and sleet continually falling. All the roads and paddocks are in a fearfully sloppy condition, and tho general appeaiMrce is wintry in the extreme. I notice a few lnmbs here and there It seems a pity that the poor little creatures have such miserable weather to contend with while so young. If it does not clear up soon I fear the results will bo serious. It is months now since anything has been done of any consequence on the land. Ba.nd of Hope.— Ou Friday evening last we had a Band of Hope meeting in the Mission Hall. Notwithstanding the bad stite of tbe roads and the unsettled weather theic was a full house. An excellent programme was gone th ough, comprising vocal and instrumental music, recitation?, dialogues, &c. A very aide and appropriate speech on temperance was delivered by Mr M'Skimming. It would fill too much space to mention every item, but I may say that in every instance the contribution was well suited and well chesen. S!isse3 Paterson and Garden and Air Stewart, from Clinton, lent material assistance. The local performers were the Misses Synis, Andi rson, Blaikie, Nichol, Hammond, Harrison, C oke, and Rosevcar; and Messrs Tait, Henderson, Blaikie, Nichol, M'Lcan, and Roaevear. The lady singers, both in solos and duets, were remarkably good. The choir sang several pieces nicely. The tesor soloists, however, were not up to their ufcual form. On the whole Ihe ufl'siir was a pronounced success, and tho usual votes of thanks brought a vsry enjoyabls meeting to a closo. A Dead Loss.— The feeding of so many horses and keeping them idle has been an important contideration this season, and unfortunately the end is not yet.