WAIWERA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 25

WAIWERA.

August I.— For more than a week p«M Uieie has been every indication of a change in the weather, which, up to the end of the wee'v, ;i|thoiigh changeable, was fairly fine. Aooitc the end of the week brought the ;'nmax, whuh was a heavy fall of snow, acecmoamed with high, cold winds — winter, indeed, with a viii* geance Fortunately, however, most people are pietty well off so far with -eed foi their stock Ploughing is much kept kick, especially on the stubble or turnip ands, en i«.cconnt of so much wet.

Primf. Cantekbuhv — li not, tbe first, I claim to have been among the first, to draw the attention of our business men lo the absurd practice of allowing all the best of oin sheep lo be sent Home as prime Canterbury. The name with us ju°t now has become ji soit of by- word. The fact, nevertheless, ivmaiiiSj and is every day growing end becoiuu;. 1 ; deeper rooted to our cost. While we seem to treat it as a joke and pl«iy with 'he shadow, our neighbours are getting the substance, or..' good sheep going north, bolstering up Ukhonour of "prime Canterbuiy," while we sue left to do the best we can with the culls a,nd rabbits. If better ariangements are iiot made next season for our fat 'ambs, I ai:i sure we shall get Canterbury buyers down, and do with us by our lambs i>s tht\y a.c now doing with all our best wethcis. Now, aa farmers, instead of finding fault with our north friends for so doing, we should be most grateful to them for their help, energy, and pluck. I am sorry to say ihere is a lotten system existing here in dealing, that soonci or later must be stamped out if we are to get the. full benefit from the stock we sell. I am convinced we shall never get the 2-rices thoy do in Canterbury until we deal more direct with >h^ consumers, or, id all events, the shippeis, and have less of <he jobbery business we aie now pestered with.

Educational — The technical classes aie doing remarkably «well this season. Both M; Clarke and Miss M. Paterson seem to ha\ c the full confidence of thoir pupils, and I have no doubt great benefits will result from their labours.