COUNTRY ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 30

COUNTRY ITEMS.

xA. Mr Young claims to have diucovarud an efficient method of destroying rabbits. H« lately cleared' 8(109 acres in Martborough, anrf before that 24,/WQ acres* ia Australia. At the present time he is having a look round the station* ib South Wairarap* to see- which would be the better oat> to stsrti on.

Mb Quaife, of Halawell, Canterbury,, report* a spleudid yield of potatoes grown on. hia land. From an acre and a-q,uarter or ground there were obtained no leas than 247 bags of kidney potatoes, several specimens. o£ which weighed l£lb. We (North Otago Times) were shown on Monday a sample of velvet wheat grown by one of the settlers on the Bnfteld sttDement. It was a capital sample, and the yield averaged 53 bushels to the acre-; and: also, a sample of Danish oate, \v,hicb threshed 65 busheta to the acre: The fertility of the soil is all ught t but the aettlara complain that the rents are too nigh. Mr J. D. Scott, manager of the Oamaru- freezing works, has gone for a trip to" Australia, with a view to- inspecting the latest inventions in meatfreezing machinery in operation, ; foi there are several new inventions in this line, one of whioh, bailing from America, is said to be both marvel Ibuidy cheap and effective.-, --.S me of the Austra--lian works have adopted this invention, and we (Oamaru Mail) suppose that Mr Scott will come back to ua armed with valuable 'information in regard to it and other freeezing marhiueTy. | Amongst the exhibits for -the fruit fhow to be held in- connection with the Intercolonial Fruit Conference to be held at Wellington next week are, says the Lyttelton Times, a. number received by Mr A. Duncan, the Ghristchurch secretary, among them being a fine collection- of pears, three cases of apples (vmriousX a box of peaches, and some very fine samples of lacaflygrown aTmonds and walnuts from Mr W ' Gimblett's nursery. Mr S. B. Wilson, of Chaney'a Corner, has forwarded seven cases of apples and one case of assorted pears, the sample of Wilson's Royal being especially fine. Messrs J. Lennie tmd Sods,, of the 1 Waikiwi Nursery, Tnvercargill, have sent eight case? of- assorted apples and a crate of grapes. Mr A. Birch, of Birchdale Nursery, Teviotdale, sends two cases of fruit; Mr R. Dawson, of Koaedale, Alexandra, Central Otago, four coses of assorted fruit ; ana Mr F. -"Stokes, of St. Alban», Several -varieties of pears, includicg a new variety named Bewrre d'Urvilla.