WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 29

WETHERSTONES.

March 19. — The reapers and binders have !Eeen kept pretty busy -around, here lately cutting the settlers' crops, the boys, with their dogs, keeping watch for the rabbits as they aran out when the machine had the crop in a small compass. The boys got a good many rabbits out of each field. The rodents always anake for the centre of the crop, and when than* in no covax Sag them, they

make a bolt for the fences, and then the dogs catch them. With the exception of a day or two, there has been splendid weather for harvesting lately. The crop is very long in the straw. It is about all in the stook now. It is distressing to see the clouds of am/ill birds rising, first off the crops before cutting, and now off the stooks. Along the line between Waita-huna and Milton, when going to town on the day of the floral fete, I saw splendid fields of wheat of a fine golden colour, while other fields not fax away were quite dark and dirty-looking, as though the wheat which were full of smut. Making inquiry, I learnt that it was the frost" gave the crops the dark colour.

Adieu. — One of the Rough Riders' contingent, Mr Frank Swanswick, of Wetherstones, arrived in Lawrence last Saturday, leaving for Dunedin this morning, after bidding all his relations and friends good-bye. Nearly every one from the brewery is going to town this week to see him off. Weather. — During the past three weeks the weather has been, on the whole, fine, with the exception of a few days. A shock of earthquake was felt about the Ist inst. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 46deg at 7 a.m. of the 18th, and the highest BSdeg at noon of the 15th.