SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2398, 15 February 1900, Page 38

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Feosi Oue Own Correspondent.) INVEBCARGILL, February 13. The days are shortening, but summer is jao *' f orrarder " here than it was a fortnight ago, und I fear we are doomed to a late and uneven harvest, which is always more or less of a calamity for this district. Ido not think the irost on Monday week, mentioned in these note's, did so much damage as I then thought it tad. Mr Walter Blakie last week shipped to the prder of Mr Ray his champion two-year-old draught stallion colt by Shepherd Lad otit of Darling, a daughter of Extinguisher and Diaanond (imp). This colt is one of the very best that Southland has ever produced, and although the price paid was a very tempting one, it is a pity to see 3uch a wellbred and promising animal leave the country. The colt was first, at^ Invercargill, and first and champion at the Western District show as a yearling, and an easy first at Invercargill as a two-year-old. • His sire being half-brother to the great mare, Queen, and his dam's pedigree being so very fashionable, he will no doubt grow into oixe of the best horses Southland has ever produced. There i 3 no falling away in patriotism and enthusiasm, over the South African war in this district, as is evinced in the liberal and general response to the More Men and More Horse Fund. Up to last night 17 horses had been offered to, and accepted by, the selection committee. Otautau, Nightcaps, Spur Bush, Dipton, and Balfour are each giving a horse, to be named after the district donating it. Mv Donald M'Donald (Edendale), Mr Jas. Gardner Psirchwood), the National Mortgage Company, the railway employees, the ironmongers, and thi licensed victuallers of Invercargill are also each giving a horse. Men, too, are offering in fa" greater numbers than can possibly be accepted for the Rough Riders contingent. The Anglican Churches throughout the district observed Sunday last as a day of intercession on behalf of our countrymen in South 'Africa. Special prayers and appropriate sermons and hymns were selected Jor the occasion. 27ext Sunday is, I believe, to be similarly observed by the Presbyterian churches throughout the district. The s.s. Undaunted is iiow at the Bluff taking in. 32,000 sacks of oats and 2000 cases of t Murray's preserved milk (from the Wallac etown* .vvoiks) for South "Africa. She will take in fiuIher cargo at Port Chalmers ?nd Lyttelton, also ■150 of the troopers' horses, and 25 men of the third contingent to look after the horses. She : is a thoroughly suitable ship, I should say, for Ithe carriage of live stock, and was engaged for a considerable time carrying live stock from South America to London. Just before coming here the Imperial War department was negotiating with her owners for the transport of 1500 mules from. South America to the Cape, but th-i captain has a strong aversion to mules as cargo. He says they will eat every bit of wood they can reach, and .what they cannot destroy ■with their teeth they will damage with their lieels. Sire goes to two poirts in South Africa, Capetown and Durban, so consignees can select either market for their shipments of produce. Riverton now has a nice bowling green, and there are many reasons why this pretty little watering town should make an ideal place for ifooTvling tournaments, such as now take place ■between larger cluas. ■ To-morrow the Gore ■■Bowling Club play' a match with Invercargill on the latter' s ground. i noticed in your farm columns a week or two back a paragraph from a Victorian paper stating that to get rid of thistles all that" is mecessaiy is to sow the field with rape, which is said to have the effect of exterminating the thistles. This seems too good to believe, but it might be worth while to try Ihe experiment, as the rape will at all events well repay the cost of planting. Messrs T. T. King and W. P. Craig, of Gore, have just returned from a canoe cruise round Lake Te Anau, which was considered by many as very rieky and dangerous owing to the treacherous nature of the lake and the smallness of their crafts, but they say that with good j generalship, combined with the splendid behaviour of the canoes, they had nothing approaching an accident during the ' two weeks they were on the water, covering 240 miles. The 11 days of their driving tour in the backwoods of the Te Anau and Waiau districts, a distance of 263 miles, was also devoid of accident. •Altogether, they had a most interesting tour among the mountains and streams of the west, in fishing, curio and fossil hunting, photographing, shooting, boating, and driving. Certainly a more health-giving holiday could not be wished for, and the smattering of risk, danger, and occasional excitement throughout tended to intensify the pleasure. Although you will no doubt have some particulars -in your columns of the " Southland Frozen Meat Company's pro- .- ceedings for the year, it may not be out of place for me to say a few words on the balance sheet, which shows the company's finances to be in a very healthy condition. The statement of affairs shows the net profit for the year to have been £3,926 Os 3d, and, after adding the balance carried forward from last year's account, £2343 " 8s 2d, the total credit at profit and loss account amounts to £ 6769 8s sd. A certain sum (£2380) 'has been written off for depreciation on buildings and plant, and the directors have recommended that a sum of £4000 be placed to a reserve account, and the balance £359 Ss 5d carried forward. The breakdown of several steamers was a great drawback to the company's operations, and as a lesult of this, business was seriously interfered with, the company's cooling stores being overstocked with meat waiting for shipment to the Home markets. It is the intention of the company to guard against these accidents in future, and in order to do so the directors have accepted an offer from certain shareholders of a sufficient loan to erect at Mataura additional freezing and storage buildings, and these when completed will prevent any blockage, and will further enable the company to undertake new business, which in the past had often to be declined for want of space.