TOTARA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2506, 2 April 1902, Page 32

TOTARA.

March 24. — During the last few weeks we have had fearfully changeable weather. On Friday night it started to rain, and it has kept at it incessantly ever since. To-day it is a perfect flood, and as I write there is not th slightest sign of it clearing up. It 13 now some 20 years since we had such a flood at this tim. of year, and I, with other farmers here, wish another 20 years to elapse before we experience a repetition of it. On more than one occasion this harvest we have had exceptionally severe thunderstorms, followed by very heavy rains, which have clone considerable damage. Harvest Operations. — Owing to the very unseasonable weather, tho work of securing our crops 13 being unduly prolonged. Only a few of us were hicky enough to get cur " grain threshed, sold, and carted away before this continuous rain. Others have the mill, which is working only about a quarter its time, threshing from the stcok. Many are now seeing the folly of failing to thresh from the stook, and arusing every opportunity to try and save their crop by stacking. When the grain now in stook will be fit for stacking is very questionable, a3 stooks arc at present standing or hin£ like hcap3 of manure. Creamery.— With thr> advent o f r he l-"c '-. Year a new indlustry ssas started and in our m dst — viz., a creamery. It is owned by the T and P. Company, of Dunedin, and the building and machinery are, I am informed, of the most lrapioved kind. &peiiuJi£?!y the cost wa- only r Feconciary consideration, a, c\«.tj convenience 1- at I'Pi.d, and all tlic latest machinery has binn Nut in. TJIO ■-upply of milk, though small, \,iU ip loubicdly utjw. -aid next summer. ■,1 ra d =c< 1! incr'ra-pd. Hi" right man in tb^i j.cht pl.icc msv be =iid of the manager, Mr AVi<:Jilci i.i!jc!s^>. «i.o ioinierly Lad cliar/ie

<oi the Kaitangata creamery, and who is appa- J xently giving every satisfaction here. | New Church. — The Presbyterian congregation, can now boast of a nice comfortable new church, ■•which was opened for diviae worship on Sun- . day last, the preacher, morning and evening, ! toeing Professor Dunlop, D.D., of Dunedin. ! £E!h© attendance was only' moderate, owing to j ,jthe heavy rain. The collection at both diets j 'of worship was in aid of the building fund. A j fjßOcial to celebrate the opening was postponed j 'till Friday evening, owing to the inclement weather on Tuesday evening. I offer my Presjbyterian friends congratulations and best nvishes. r Merch 27.— The weather cleared up on TuesHay night. The rainfall from Friday evening till then registered 7.50 in, the quantity we usually g e t in, say, nine months. Owing to the ; Bate harvest, there was very few of us lucky j tenough to be finished, and it will mean a loss | to the farmers in this district alone of a good lew hundred pounds, and, indirectly, to eveiyas there will be less spending power us now till we make a rise on wooi tor milk, or something outside of grain. The clover harvest has also sustained considerable \ jbmage. |