LUMSDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 29

LUMSDEN.

April 17. — The elements during the past two weeks have been most exasperating — a real variation of 'climatic disturbances, which have greatly upset harvest operations, and caused much anxiety to those farmers who have cropß to be gathered in from the fields, and of these there arc many here about, notwithstanding the splendid harvesting season that is just past.

Harvesting. — The greater bulk of th^e farmers have their grain crops in the stack, but I am eorry to see that there are hundreds of acres still in the stook, and a very great portion will be utterly useless. One farmer was telling me the other day that he was going to turn in the sheep among the stooks, as it would not pay to cart the stuff out of the paddocks. No doubt this will mean a greater or less advantage to those who have secured their crops in good order, as there must be a shortage of some thousands of bushels of grain. -It is an ill wind that\blows good to no one.

Root Crops, etc. — The turnip crop ia looking well everj-where, and with that and the abundance of straw tha* will be available, stock should fare well this winter. Potatoes, to all appearance, are going to be plentiful this season. Notwithstanding this I am told that retailers locally are charging at the rate of 5s 6d per cwt. The fruit crop has been only a partial success with us at least, but looking back at the past season a3 a whole it has been one of the best for many years. \ Rabbits. — Trapping has been greatly retarded owing to the bad weather, and the trappers' returns during the past month have been much below their expectations, some of them having hundreds rejected as bad on account of the muggy and close weather. With the hope of more favournble circumstances, the trappers, however, expect to make fairly good cheques during the next few months. This industry ia forming itself into very large dimensions indeed, and tho good derived from it is more equally proportioned t aniong all classes than anything else that I know of in our colony. Therelore I think it is the duty of the railway authorities to provide better rabbit-carrying conveniences on their lines, and not allow thousands of carcases per month to be destroyed through having them huddled into vans in tons on toy of one another. But more of this later on.

Land Sales. — I see by the newspapers that the New Zealand Agricultural Company held a land sale some time last week, and considering the class and quality of the blocks offeied 1 believe it was a successful one, although the sections -were not all sold. This first step taken by the company towaids disposing of 4.heir land is giving us here a fresh hope as regards the settlement of the large areas of good agricultural land surrounding us, waiting to be turned into fields of yellow grain and smiling homesteads. When this takes place our long dormant commercial industries must boom. Changes.— Mr W. F. Fletclier, of the Elbow Hotel, lias sold out to Mr Williams, of Gap road, and his (Mr Fletcher's) T-s'and farm he has sqld to Mr Andrew Small, of our own town. I understand that both properties have been disposed of at satisfactory price's. Mr Fletcher is a very dfd settler of this place — m fact, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, pioneers of the district, and his retirement from , business has made another breach in the few remaining early settlers of oxir town. It is the hope and wish of all that Mr and Mrs Fletcher niay live many years and enjoy their well-merited rest in old age. — Another change in the hotel bnsi^pas is that of the Commercial, at Mossburn, Mr and Mrs Dorc having disposed of their business to Mr ,Miljie. The sympathy and good wishes of the residents Ground here are extended to Mrs Dore/of whom it is said that she never turned a traveller away without a feed or a night's accommodation.

M.LS. — Tho Lumsden Mutual Improvement Society called a meeting ' "ior Monday evening last, and although not a 'largelyattended one, , all present were very enthusiastic and very unanimous in regard to the business done. The report arid balance sheet of last year's' transactions, which latter (with slight assistance from a' few individual members) came out square on both sides of the ledger, were received and adopted. Mr W. H. -Clarke, president, was re-elected, with a strong band of vice-presidents ; and Mr C. Davis was elected secretary and treasurer. The night of meeting was fixed for each alternate Wednesday the first to take place on the 26th of this month at 8 o'clock. A long discussion ! took place about the Christian Endeavour So- ' ciety holding their meetings on the same night as the M.1.5., and in all due respect to the C.E.S. and its members, it was resolved to adhere to the Wednesday nights, it being the M.l.S.'s by prior right, and also being better suited to railway hands and others than any other night in the week. I sincerely hope that this may be amicably arranged between the two bodies, so as to avoid clashing, as such a sparse community as ours cannot afford to fall out over a trifling matter of this kind, and thus endanger the success of both gatherings. I Our School. — So far as I hear school matters are going along smoothly. The annual election of committee will be .coming on shortly, and I shall deal further with the subject later on.

Ecclesiastical.— Church matters are progress- ' ing veTy quietly (if progressing at all). I am told that steps are being taken to have a settled minister placed in charge of the Presbyterian parish, a Mr Linboimie, of the North Island, having received a call. I hear several members of the congregation, saying that in their opinion the congregation have not known the selected candidate long enough to warrant them choosing a stranger in preference to a gentleman who has been in charge during the past year or so, and who, if permanently settled, would, as a young preacher, impiore himself and be a faithful and honesl worker for the well-being of the church. -I sincerely hope that ' the young gentleman I refer to. mag not Buffer

in either mind or body on account of h»s rejection at the hands of the Lumsden people. I I