RIVERSDALE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 25

RIVERSDALE.

February I.— Racing on tbe plains has quite fallen through of late years, but a hack race club was formed here this year, and its first meeting wot held on the old racecourse on Tuesday, 26th ult. Ihe attendance was good, about 300 being present, and the racing was very fair. What spoiled the meeting was the unusually long interval between each race, the whole thing dragging on till neatly half -past 7. This is almost unavoidable where all the entries are pent entries, as iv this case, and another year the club would do well to have the nominations for at least some of the laces made the night before, and thus save time. There were, a large number of that objectionable class, the spielers, but these gentry were kept in bounds by Constables Herlihy and Ferguson. Mr N. Kelly, jun., made a good starter ; Mr Donald was in his old post as judge, and Mr James Stevenson was clerk of the scales. Mr James Reid, as secretary, gave every satisfaction, while the president, Mr J. Kelly, was übiquitous. Crops.— The blacksmiths' yards are cow full of reapers, aud on all sides there is every sign of an early harvest— too early, indeed, as the farmers would rather bave seen the crops ripsn not so quickly as they have done. I fear that the beads will sot be well filled and that tbe average sample will be a poor one ; but let us hope that the price will be good. Several farmers will start cutting oats in a day or two now, srnd harvest will be general very shortly. Turnips are going to be a good crop after all, and we had a moat welcome thunder storm on Fiidaylast, when the ground got a good soaking at last, and not before it was needed. The turnip 3 benefited much by the rain, and are now looking very different from what they did before. From what I hear, potatoes are rather a failure on the plains this year, thcto being very few really good crops. The wet^pring did not suit this crop at all. Amu«ements. — We are having a rest at pre.-cut, the only thing on this wesk being the Waipounaniu School concert on Friday night. The sheep dog trials at Balfour come off on Thurday and Priday.