UPPER TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 29

UPPER TAIERI.

j January 25.— The excessive heat experien* »i I here for some time past culminated in a thuniiffrstorm of great violence, which burst over the district on Friday evening of last week. It was of several hours' duration ; and intermittently with the thunder and lightning the rain descended literally in shttts over a large area of the district, i At the head of the Taieri, In the neighbourhood of the Lammerlaw and Beaumont heights, s I number of improvised miners' camps were flooded, ! and » considerable quantity of stores which had : been laid in were damaged. The miners report that ! the storm was appalling, while the rain caused a lifiavy volume of wator to flood the Mongolians' t claim at the Greeks diggings. Wool. — The shearing season is drawing to a : close, and a few remarks in connection with the current clip of wool may not be deemed out of macs at the present time. I regret to report that the clip is not so good o> that of thsprevious year. There is a heavy deficiency, in some of the stations, which is attributed to various causes. The cold, dry -weather experienced here for several months last spring and early mmmer, combined with the ecarcity of graes for the flocks, no doubt has had ■ a great deal to do with bringing about this un- ' satisfactory state of things to the flock-owners. Tho flocks were taken away to the mountain heights in the back country aB soon as they were shorn, as not a blade of grass is to be seen, over" an | immense area of tussock land at the several j homestead stations here. The mountain tops ! have proved the salvation, of the flocks this season, as the grass is fairly abundant despite the high drying winds that have prevailed. The Jfraag in the swamps is splendid, as., the wurin weather recently has canned a rapid growth in most boggy land. The Bid-a-bid. — Owing to the dry, warm season, the native burr has ripen"cd certainly a month earlier than usual, and I may here note that the late shearingsheds this season will sustain a heavy loss, as the sheep that are now being shorn are loaded with burr in every fantastic shape. Late-shorn Sheep.— Late shearing is much to be deprecated in such a changeable climate as New Zealand. Last season the late-shorn sheep suffered from the keen biting winds and heavy snow showers that occurred here a few weeks after they were turned out in the elevated regions. Shearing Notes.— ln marked contrast to the shearing troubles that we have read so much about' as having occurred in Australia between employer and employed, it is gratifying to report that the current season in Central Otago has nosn conspicuous for the absence of any muunderstanding between the flock-owners and the shearers. At the Puketoi and Linburu stations the shearer* and shed hands expressed themselves highly satisfied (as I have reason 'to know) with the treatment they received in respect to the food supplied and the commodious ileeping apartments erupted for their i comfort. Mr- R. M. Turnbull, of LTnburn station, . is deserving of a word of praise for the excellent 1 accommodation he has provided for the shearers and shed hands at Linburn. Stud Merino Rams. — During his visit to Australia a few months ago, Mr R. M. Turnbull, of < Linburn station, purchased four magnificent stud L rams from a celebrated Btud breeder in that ! colony. Therams under notice, with al4 months' I growth of fleece from the date of their previous j shearing in Australia, were shorn at Linburn ttation a short time ago. The weights of wool shorn from these magnificent animate are recorded as follows :— 32lb, 251b, 231b, and 221b. The wool was much admired by several experts for its silky fibre, density, and length of staple. Contrasted with Australia, it must be confessed New Zealand is very far behind in this staple product^ both In regard to quantity and quality. Another Peat.— On the Rough Ridge Range and the eastern slope of the Kock and Pillar Mountains goats are to be met with in considerable numbers or droves, and apparently they have become thoroughly domesticated in the "valley of the mountains" beyond the haunts of man. During the shearing season, when operations were suspended through wet weather, an organised band of young men made up their minds to hunt up Kiug Billy and some of his progeny in the I alpine regions of Rough Ridge. The plan of ' campaign was well carried put by the band, for 12 I very handsome goats \ver,e separated during the hunt, and with the aid of dogs driven down a boundary line of wire fencing to the station yard* I and secured.