WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2375, 7 September 1899, Page 29

WETHERSTONES.

September 4. — There has been a good percentage of lambs around here this season. Mr T. Pope has about 140 per cent., over a third of his ewes, so far, having twins, and they are all doing well. A few of the settlers have made a commencement ploughing their land and gardens; but farming and gardening are very backward this season, because of the frost, which in spring time was as severe as it was in the depth of winter. Sheep and Wool. — I was informed the other day that some of the sheep farmers in this district will suffer a serious lo3s in their wool at shearing time this season, and that they will not^have so heavy a clip as they expected. All through the frost and snow in the winter time, in the paddocks where the sheep were camped, it seems when the poor aninuls laitl down at night their wool got frozen to the ground, and in getting up again a lot of jt was torn off them, the wool being hard and fast frozen to the ground. When the snow cleared away the owners could see the wed Ijing around. Will any of the sheep farmers in <.tbet districts relate their experiences, and say if they have suffered in Ibe same way? Bunny. — I mentioned some time ago how cunning and suspicious the rabbits were becoming in connection with the traps, but the rabbiters are trying to circumvent them. Formerly the rabbiters, when setting their traps on Tising ground, set the plate part towards the hill, and so the rabbits went scraping over the spring, and thus they set the trap o<f. Now I the rabbiters have reversed that, by changing them end for end, with the peg in the higher

ground, so that they catch more rabbits. The only drawback to this is that the rabbits are caught by the hind leg, and sometimes they pull the leg through the jaws of the trap, or leave part of the leg behind them, or drag trap and all away. A good many rabbits are still being sent to Lawrence from here. Weather — The weather during the past fortnight has been very changeable, ranging from the cold of winter to near summer heat. On the 21st August there were strong S.W. winds, and cold showers, barometer 29.25, and falling. The next day it was still blowing from S.W. to W., barometer 29.11, still falling. The forenoon of the 23rd was fine; at noon the wind came away strong from the N.W., and at night there was rain and snow, with the barometer at 28.85, and rising. The next day, there were cold, rough S.W. to W. winds, and at night it was freezing, barometer 23.6. The 25th was fine; wind N.W. to W., barometer 25.82. A few light showers fell on the 26th, wind S.W. to W. ; at night it blew strong from E. to N.E., and cold, barometer 28.97, and rising steadily. Sunday, the 27th, we had frost, and fine all day, barometer 29.4 ; frost the next morning, fine but dulJ at times through the day, barometer 29.36. The 29th was fine all day, and freezing at night, barometer 29.70; next day the same, barometer 29.65. The last day of August was the same as the two preceding days, barometer 29.60. The Ist of September came in with frost; at 9 a.m. it commenced to rain, and had the appearance of keeping at it for the day, but cleared at noon, with a N.W. to W. wind, strong at times, barometer 29.3G, falling. The 2nd was the warmest day we have had yet, and a fine cool breeze from N.W. sprang up in the afternoon, barometer 29.42. Sunday came in gloomy looking. At 9 a.m. there wa3 a rough squall of wind and rain from S.W., clearing in the afternoon, but blowing, barometer 29.23, rising. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 26deg at 8 a.m. of the 30th ult., and the highest 70deg at noon of the 2nd inst. Rainfall for August, 0.68 in.