OUR NORTHERN LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2375, 7 September 1899, Page 24

OUR NORTHERN LETTER.

(From Odr Own Correspondent.) WANGANUI, August 26. THE AWAHURI FARMERS' CO-OPERA-TIVE DAIRY FACTORY. I When I recently visited the dairy factory of the Awahuri Co-operative Farmers' Association, near Feilding, I found Mr Hugh Black, the esteemed manager thereof, hard at it. Inside everything was clean, neat, and creditable. Mr Black, who served his apprenticeship at Wyndhara, Southland, and was appointed to his present important poet in 1897, the year of the factory's inception, informed me that, comparatively speaking, the turnout of butter has doubled during the last two years. Two De Laval separators, a Syme churn capable of manufacturing 7001b, and a Triumph pasteuriser, driven by a Luke (Wellington) engine, are used in the factory, which has "2A suppliers. Bubbling up in the well-kept yard is an artesian well throwing up water at the rate of 2400 gal per hour. WANGANUI PROSPECTS. Following close upon a somewhat hard winter, spring has been usheied in here by three weeks of mild, almost hot weather, resulting in the appearance of early flowers and bursting buds. Early lambing has already ceased to be a wonder, and in one or two instances seeds are through the ground. Naturally Wanganui farmers are very hopeful of prolifio harvests. Strictly speaking, ifc is a cattle country, where rich pastures feed well fat cattle long famed in the markets ; where shorthorns yield milk tallies worthy of record; where sheep give wool clips above the ordinary, and where bacon and hams are second to none. Small wonder, then, if tl.e season so full of promise, which has j\ni opened upon so rich a soil and so geuiiil a climate, should redeem itself. I find, too, that prices for milk at the factories h&.ve gone up somewhat during tne last two years. The quotations given by me in '1896-9 TV averaging-. 2^d, have now risen quite Id. Increases' in the value of town properties have advanced quite 33 1-3 per cent., with upward tendencies. Those latter facts I deduce from sales effected then and now. From, an artistic point Wanganui possesses advantages which, put into word-painting, signify something like the following: — Well laid out, streets broad and clean, well watered, Balubrjous climate, fair harbour accommodation, rich loamy soil inside the town, wealthy farmers and owners of landed estates outsido ditto ; varied facilities in religion and politics, education, law, and justice; postal and telegraphic conveniences, friendly eocieties, sport, music and drama. Romance dwells also underneath the Old Soldiers' Monument upon the Rutland Redoubt, at Moutoa Isle ; whilst if you want the best view of this sunny spot you can get it by biking round a bend of the hillside road from the south, where lovely Wanganui and its stately river, spanned by its wonderful cylinder bridge, and the spires and homes among the plantations, with all the surrounding heights, como into view. But what I like best about Wanganui are its climate and people. DANGERS OF KEROSENE. . The boarders at Gladstone House, Marton, had a narrow esrape lately from being seriously injured. One evening last week, whilst at dinner, a kerosene Jamp hanging from the ceiling became heated by a large Rochester lamp immediately underneath, and had not the landlady with great presence of mind removed the heating apparatus from the table an explosion would have taken place. The latest American trust has been taken in hand by a spiritualist syndicate. Only members of the trust are to be permitted to materialise spooks for their patrons, and the prices of seances are to be raised. It is intended to discourage the public belief in nonmembera of the trust by asserting that such spirits as appear at their seances are evil, or at least untrustworthy.— Dalziel.