ALBURY (SOUTH CANTERBURY).

Otago Witness, 25 January 1900, Page 39

ALBURY (SOUTH CANTERBURY).

January 22. — Though it cannot be said that j this district has a representative in either con-- ( tingent, it is not that applicants were wanting, but solely to the fact that there is no State volunteer corps here. Our would-be soldiers therefore could not qualify, but they hope to have a show in the third, and in the capacity ! of rough riders, sharpshooters, and general i sturdiness we have scores available, second to none in the land.- Though we have no boys , in the contingent, we have several in the land -j of strife who did not wait to be sent, but I inarched forth when trouble first brewed, and 1 by latest intelligence they have reason to be proud of the positions they hold. I have heard the question raised "on several occasions as to whether these — and there are many colonials now at the front fighting bravely for Queen ' and 'Empire — would participate in the benefits derivable from the colonial patriotic funds, should our boys in ,'advance be incapacitated or'killed. In adition to money, several munifi- j cient gifts, have in kind been sent by settlers in the district in the shape of horses, wool, grain, etc., some of which have been publicly acknowledged by ihe newspapers ; while in the case of others, the donors had?,no wish that their names should be made public. The I patriotism and munificence of the latter are none the less genuine — all praise to them. Wool Sales. — The second series of wool sales took place early in the month, and on the whole j was a sad disappointment to all but those who | had first class material of the finer sorts, for , in the case of all the coarser grades and in- ! ferior qualities there was a distinct fall as com- j pared with the December sale, even after allow- ] ing for the natural extra weight. This district had the honour of topping the market again this year, and in reference to the premier price, which was 13£ d for one balte« of merino, it is worth recording, as showing the value of quality. . This small clip was the produce of 50 old cull stud merino ewes, purchased last fall at 7s each, and, with ordinary flock care, they clipped over 121b wool, and reared 53 halfbred Lincoln lambs — certainly a satisfactory return on the money invested. Very satisfactory clips are the rule this season, a fact due no doubt to the abundance of feed during the whole year, this giving well-conditioned flocks and a proportionate return, both in wool and lambs. High prices are ruling for lambs as well as sheep, equal to Is 6d per head above those of last season. »