HYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2303, 21 April 1898, Page 26

HYDE.

April 18. — A few frosty nights have warned us that winter is approaching. The weather so far has been dry with the exception of an occasional day's rain, which has soon dried up again. Agricultural — Theshing is completed, and the yields in > most cases have beea unsatisfactory. Mr Geddes, of Palmerston, has done the threshing this season,' and his traction engine is a great improvement on the old style of shifting with horses.

Stealing Flour —At the J.P. Court last week, Messrs Buckland and Kincey on the bench, two men were sentenced, one to a month an ithe other to fourteen days' imprisonment, for stealiug and receiving respectively a bag of flour. The flour was stolen from the railway premises at Kokonga. A jood deal of pilfering has been going on there lately," and heveral persons are implicated. Two cases are to be heard at Naseby to-morrow, the persons being accused of entering and stealing from the Kokonga goods-shed Bunny. — TXabbits are coining in in large number?, and will soon be scarce in this quarter. A great deal of controversy teems to be going on over the subject of trapping versus poisoning It, seems to me that both are good in their place, and trapping seems to clear tbe pest out for the time being as well as, if not better than, poison. As all the landowneis seem to favour the factory and freezing system, I think we may take it for granted that it i 3 successful in keepiug the pest in check. What seems to be Wanted is some system of inducing everybody to kill when the factories are not operating. TheManiototo Farmers' Club intend to discuss the question at their next meetIng on April 30, and invite all farmers to attend, whether they are members of the club or not.