RATANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 30

RATANUI.

April 12.— The following is Mr G. W. Drappr's monthly leport of the weather at Ratanui for the month r,f March :— llain fell on 16 days ; maximum, s'3Sin on the 21-t ; total for the month, fl'.Wn. 'IVmpaiutuie: Maximum, fJPdog on the 18th; minimum, 4Meg on the 21st; average, sb' lee. Prevailing winds: North-east, 13 days; south-west, 10 days Raiihits.— lhi-> post is incieasing amazingly m all pat Is of this bush district, and although there has lately been a Government rnbbiter laying poiso-i, with good res It*, so far as I can learn theinspectors aie othmwi'-o Apparently letting them alone I hiring Ihe past two yeais about half uf the settlers arouml liatanui have laid poi=on in the v\ inter?, with results which piovo that the c is much need fora local organised system of working. The other half of the settlors do nothing. Tho Rabbit Act is a fivu-1 which favouis only the Government officials, is illegitimate in its bearing on the people, and is morally wiong in its ndministiation. What wo want i= &uth simultaneous, compul-o>v (lestructii'n of the pest by £ettl-*is as ensure their numbers being lumved to leasonaVle bound., b'lt to gain that end we inu->t hive local mauagemcut, local force, aud l'ual punishment. Factory.— The UatauuiDaiiy Factory has been closed for the season, which has been a very successful one. That Summons. — Bofore this iR punted an interesting cisc will ha\e been heaid before the ft.fll. at lialchitha — viz , Ja*. Allen v the chairlmrt and director.) of the Ratanui Dairy Association (in liquidation) There is als-o a cross action. We hope to see the cases reported fully in the local papers. Grass. — The late rain has refreshed this part of the eirth, and grass, turnips, Ac, have been growing fast. The swedes grown in this di-trict seem to have benefited, rather than otherwise, by the unusual dry summer»season. Poison —Stray dogs aie . «till occasionally helpiug themselves to live muttjii, but it is satisfactory ti know thnt some of them fire meeting with their desertF. It is a pity th>t more are not caught in tho act of worrying. Theie is nothing like strychnine— it kills them unerringly. Dai/uahoy. — This potato, which, nlthough a heavy cropper, is not commomi.ible for table use, is still in cultivation here Probably ihe first which reached Otasjo w or.- those introduced from Britain by thr. writer in lSfi.) and piesented to the late Mr V >'. lOvery, of Ai»dei son's Bay, whose .son, Mr J. 11. Every, is at the present time such an enthusiastic potito-grower. Metal — The work of metalling the main and other roads is drawing to a close for the season, owing to the \ve\iher, Ac. A lot of good work has been done both bvthe Government and the County Council, but more especially in those parts where good metal has easily been obtainable. Like *' Oliver." we are already prayirg for more, and hops to "twist" as much out of the authoritits next year