WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 29

WETHERSTONES.

March 18.—Those who have taken blocks of land on the commonage, and outside of it as well, for rabbit-trapping purposes are greatly disappointed through the buyers not taking the rabbits for export before the 25th inst. In the meantime- they are forced to trap tha ground. The rabbits are fat and in good condition, but the skins are not of much value a.*present. Farming.—Most of the farmers in this district have their crops cut and in stook, while a few have the grain in stack, though there are a few fields of oats uncut yet. I am afraid that the wind we had yesterday will have shaken out a lot of the standing or uncut .

The grain that took the longest to Cipen -was the first that was sown ; but it was mm the Bhady side of the hill, while that sown «n tKe sunny side, some weeks later, is ripe, cut, and in stook. If this had been a dry sea■on, no doubt the crop on the shady side would tiave lyjd. the advantage, and perhaps have been the best. Those who have crops, either late •r early, are complaining of the depredations pi the small birds. Accident. — A painful accident happened in the Golden Rise claim last Saturday afternoon, •while the plant was being erected for working another paddock. Some of the stands were up, the rails laid and bolted or coupled together. The wooden stands, about Sin by 6in, •we from 12ft to 16ft in length ; and the rails are about 401b, and 24ft in length. One of the workmen — Mr Tom Devine — was sitting at ;work on the top of one of the stands, when by come means all the stands and rails came down — not sideways, but end on. If one of the iron rails had struck Devine it would piobably have killed him ; as it was he received a shock. There are generally two men on the top together, and it is fortunate for the other man she was not up. No one knows how the affair happened, and no one is to blame, for the etands were well stayed, and such a thing hsd jiever happened before. Dr Newell was soon in attendance on Devine, who sustained several bruises and cuts. Weather.— lt has been fair harvest weather cluring the past fortnight, with occasions! Bhowers— not lasting long, but heavy at times. ' The worst was on the Bth inst., with a S.W. gale. We have had several touches of frost — the heaviest on the 14th, -which scorched the potato-tops; but. potatoes are fortunately too far advanced for the frosts to injure them. The frost invariably brings rain, and last Friday and the following morning were no exceptions.' St. Patrick's Day was fine, but blowing * strongly from the north-east. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 40deg-, at 7 a.m. of the 14th; the highest 85deg., at 3 p.m. ox •the 10th. In the sun at noon of the 14th the ■temperature was HOdeg. The rainfall for February was S.2oin.