WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2320, 18 August 1898, Page 25

WETHERSTON ES.

August 15. — Very few rabbits are at present being sent away. Mr J. B. Thompson is only able to send a few cases a day. Ho expects to get more, however, when the weather is settled, j He is sending them to Port Chalmers. The j inspector put men on the commonage on the j Bth inst. The men say there are a few rabbits, | but they don't know yet if they are taking the ; poison. The simplicity of some of the inspec- j tors is amusing. Last Monday a young man on horseback, who was supposed to be a rabbit inspector, asked a resident where tue poisoners were at work. He pointed up on the ranges, and then the supposed inspector asked if the rabbits were taking the poison well. The man said that he did not know that there were any rabbits to poison. What few rabits there are about have commenced to breed, but the cats j are killing all the young ones. Weather.— The weather this month so far jtias been changeable. The Ist was fine, but tho following day made up for it. There was frost in the morning, and heavy snow showers all the rest of the clay. The next two days there were rain showers, blowing from south-west to west. The fifth came in fine, with irost. The wind then changed to east., and there it remains. The following six days were fine, with generally frosty mornings, with a passing shower at night sometimes. The last two clays of the week were extraordinary days. At noon of the 11th the wind was blowing strong from ! the east, and there were a few fleecy clouds overhead. There was some rain, and it appeared as though the wind was lifting the pnow off the high lands, and depositing it in moisture on the low ground. An hour later there v?ero some heavy electrical showers. The barometer ' stood at near 30deg, and it got vory cold at. j night. The next morning there were rain and i snow showers, and it was dull throughout the clay, the wind being still strong from east, and j the barometer Bet fnir. 1 don't secollcct seeing snow fall in this part of the country with an easterly wind before. Have any of your numerous readers ever noticed it? The wind lias been in the east for ten days past. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 27dcg at 8 a.m. on the 9th, the highest 61 cleg at noon of the 10th. 'Ine rainfall for July was 4.85 m.