MIDDLEMARCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 29

MIDDLEMARCH.

December IS. — The weather during the past fortnight has been very unsettled. We have had a lot of rain, a most unusual occurrence for this district, and the very thing it wants. Scarcely a day has passed lately but we have / had rain, and sometimes it has poured. Needless to say, it was much wanted. The crops were looking miserable before the rain set in, and it came just in the nick, of time. Vegetatiou of all kinds has taken a new lease of life, and is really making rapid progress. Cereal crops of all kinds are looking well. G-rasa is abundant now, and the difficulty lies in. not having stock to feed it oS, nearly every bodY in. the district being understocked. Sheep have done very well this saasou, and what with high prices for wool and sheep, surely the sheepfarmer's heart will rejoice at last. Shearing. — Shearing is now the order of the day, but is making slow progress owing to the very wet weather we are having. Influenza. — There is scarcely a home in the district that has not been visited by this sever© illnsss. It is undoubtedly no respecter of persons, young and old being attacked, and in many cases in a very severe form. The local school wa-j closed on Monday, 12th, owing to there being so much sickneßs among the children. Tho head/ master was also suffering from a severe attack of influenza. The annual schodl picnic was to have been held on the 20th, but o%ying to the amount of sickness in the district' it has had to be positioned — a very wise step under the circumstances. Concert. — A concert m aid of the school fund was held in Webb's Hall. on Friday,, the Ist. The night was all that could be desired, and consequently one of the largest houses that has ever faced the performers assembled. Tho_ ha!! was uncomfortably full, n, number having to stand, while others who were not so fortunate as to obtain even that privilege, had to stay outside The programme, which was a long one, consisted of choruses, recitations, songs, wand exercises, dialogues, and dumb-bell exercises, all the items being gone through by tho school children. Almost every item was wall received, and the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the children's performance. Mr and Mrs Matheson had evidently spared no pains in their training, and they deserve great credit for the way tho children rendered each item. Both parts of the programme were opened by the local orchestra, which is yuite an acquisition to the district. The concert proved a great success financially and otherwise. The committee will have plenty of funds to give the children a trip thiß year, which no doubt would be greatly appreciated after such a lot of illness. Last jrear they were unable- to give tho promised trip, so now that they have funds they should use their brains a little more than they did last year, and endeavour to organise a pleasant outing for the children. Tea, sugar, and hot water, with a few tin, whistles and Eome paltry boxes of paints, etc., thrown in, are a pobr apology for a picnic for a public school of about 100 children. Let us hope tho committee will bestir thomselves and see to things, and have them done decently and in order.