LAKE WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2215, 13 August 1896, Page 25

LAKE WANAKA.

Alberto wn, August B.— The weather still shows indications of an early spring. Ihe birds are the suwsfc guido, and I notice that the little snips with three bars acrois its btcast has already arrived— fully a fortnight earlier than usual. At Cattle Flat the clover has been growing for some time past Mr Studholrae had a loc of spring lambs some weeks ago. Certainly we have been having keen black frosts at night, with cold keen winds in the mornings, which seem to congeal the marrow in one's bones, but the afternoons have been generally gunny. I suppose the frost will soon break, and in anticipation of a dry spring and summer the farmers would do well to have their crops in at once, so that tj»ey cau get a good i hold in the ground before the moisture dries up. j Farmers' Club.— l promised to give a few more details regarding the Farmers' Club. As I understand it, the wheat was priced because of telegrams coming to the farmers from the Wakatipu asking for prices, and the farmers decided what shouli be a fair and reasonable price to ask, and that then the miller, Mr T. Anderson, should be informed, as it was advisable that the club should bo in amity with him. A writer in the Cromwell Argus recommends that the farmers and others interested should erect a new mill at Dead Man's Point, near Cromwell, using the Clutha River as a motive power ; and it was pointed out that empty waggons coming down country" could fill up with wheat as back loading and take it down at a cheap rate. If the farmers took shares in such a mill it would be best to say good-bye to their money at onco and have an easy mind on the matter— that is, unless the farmers looked to the repayment of the shares out of the euhauced price that, say, the first 1000 bushels of wheat may be expected to briug. If the flour from such a mill is intended to go over the proposed new road through Thomson's ' Gorge, then the flour mill is too far south. In the.c days of false and fraudulent balance sheets, I fancy the farmer will look twice at his money before taking shares in another mill. Ah last meeting the proposal of Mr C, F: Watkins, jun., "That all farm produce be priced," caused a lot of discussion, and though the motion was lo3t, still it was well that it was placed before the meeting. Mr XJ. G. Harvey, the Wesleyan lay preacher, remarked that there was sometimes I "bull" chaff placed upon the market, bringing as ' good a price as his genuine article. Bland sniileß I want round theroom at this remark, andMr Donald M'Lean stated that some years ago there was blighted wheaten chaff in the market, and it brought as good a price as his genuine oaten | chaff. I have noticed caseß where oaten chaff was put on the matket at a less price in good faith, owing to docks and fat hen being mixed with it, and then the large buyers reduc9d the price of good chaff to a simiUr figure. The quality of chaff varies very much— from four to six bags of ! oats iv a dray' load of sheaves— and naturally a dray load giving six bags, when cut into chaff, should at least be worth the price of two bags of oats more than a load giving only four, but they command the same figure in the market. It is possible that the Farmers' Club will meet in full force after next harvest and discuss this motion anew with spirit and vigour. Just now there are three contracts for supplying oaten chaff in Cromwell and Bannockburn, and the prices for these are remarkably low,' and in two of them oaten chaff has to be carted about 25 miles. A " Bull " Paragraph. -In speaking of " bull " chaff I used an old word put to a new uee. These terms are very expressive sometimes. The seoond drawing of tea is "' bull " tea, but in order to more fully exphin tha new use 3 thit this word is put to, I hart better ralate an anecdote as I hoard it i the other day, and then this paragraph may be useful in properly placing this word in Professor Morris's new dictionary of slang terms. A I newly emptied whisky cask was sent to a rabbit era' camp to make poison in, and when the head was taken out one of the men noticed moisture inside the cask, together with chips, a 1 shaving or two, and sawdust all saturated with whislcv, giving of* tbe usual overpowering smell. Procuringa pannikin of boiling water, he ''.bulled" the cn*k, and in a minute or two he emptied it ! into the pannikin again, and had a large doss of "bull" toddy, the drinking of which gave him such exquisite enjoymtnt that the expression on ! his stolid f*cs became quite seraphic. juvenile Larrikinism.— During the deliberations of tbe Farmers' Club sundry little boys were playing round the schoolbouso, and apparently being of a profoundly humourous turn of_ mind, would sometimes rub a wet hand on the windows to make a squeaking noise, and once as a farmer stood up to speak one "laikv" youngster volunteered the information through the window that he was. "no cockatoo." When the meeting dis- ! persed two of the farmers found that the position j of their horaes was changed, the stirrups altered in length, and the cover on one shifted on to the other— all done in the hope apparently that each farmer would ride away upon the wrong horse ; but it did not come to pass. Nevertheless I have no doubt the little boys enjoyed themselves very much. Prick op Threshing.— The deputation of five farmers from the club who waited on the millowners succeeded in inducing them to reduce the threshing by Is per hundred bushels for wheat and oats, but I was unable to ascertain if this concession applied to the small holdings as well as la'ge. County Election.— The election for the position of councillor in the Clutha riding, rendered vacant by Mr W.. G. Stronachs resignation, has resulted in tho return of Mr H. Partridge by a majority of six votes. Mr Werner, the other candidate, addressed a meeting at Luggate, and spoke clearly and lucidly for 45 minutes, and would seem to have the art of making himself clearly understood. One point touched on by Mr Werner is worthy of consideration. Miners and others residing in Clutha riding obtain their miners' rights in Pembroke, and the clerk then forwards their names to "be enrolled on the Cardrona riding, but they cannot vote there as they do not reside there. They should get their rights endorsed," Clutha ildins-," and forward them Trith tbeir (replication for enrolment to the county clerk at Clyde. Mr Werner satisfactorily explained his connection with the resignation of Mr Strouach Mr F. A.' ! Collings was chairman, and Mr T. Anderson proposed a vote of confidence in Mr Werner, which j was carried. I understand that some of the rate- ! payers who requisitioned Mr Werner to come for- i ward transferred their allegiance to Mr Partridge on polling day. Rumours are in the air that the strong arm of the law will be efiikd into force

because two youths who are on the roll are said to be under age, and votsd. Tho date of the entry of their births has been secured in view of proceedings being taken. Exception has been taken to the action of Mr Werner against two miners in different law cases. lam not in possession of particulars, but would say that If a merchant sued two defaulting farmers for overdue aocounts, or dishonoured promissory noteß, he could not justly be accused of trying to crush out the farming industry ; he would only be endeavouring to obtain his own. However, as Mr Werner will sta«d at the triennial election, tbe ratepayers will have time to moralise over the matter till then, when they should show that they appreciate intellect.