SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2525, 6 August 1902, Page 44

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fr»it Otfß Own Corkxsponbzkt.)

IXVEECAHGILL, August 4

On Thursday evening we had a very steady downfall of rain, and vie rivers are in heavy flood, the New River being higher than for years, and in planeß spreading- over the neighbouring paddocks and forming small lakes of half » mile in width. The express from Dunedin arrived here half an hour late on Saturday in consequence of a> waah-out neaT Waikaka Siding, and, the roads, which were getting into a good alaie, have become in some places liquid mud. Sneaking of roads reminds me thas I have several times seen the Gose-Wai-kako rojid referred 1 to as impassable. I had to go to Wiukaka. on Thursday, and was agreeably surprised to- find the roads for tlie niost part in almost-perfect order for cycling-. True, there were patches where the rutß were very deep, indeed, and the liquid mud had been thrown out in wares, but even here, where it was almost impassable for carts, there was a fair track in the centre, and; it is quite possible to pedal the whole way witnaivt one dismount. How far th» pleasant; state of things haa been altered by Friday's ram I cannot say. A very laige aiea of land has been ploughed this year, and :t is j,ust possible that cereals m»y be too. extensively grown next season. The weather yesterday wan simply perfect, the air being clear and invigorating with a pleasant warmth. Already lines of crocuses are to be seen along he garden walks, and f-vtrywhere the forming- and opening buds piomise an early There is very little doing in oats. Farmers' stocks are practically exhausted, except a few thousand sacles being held 1 for spring threshing, which won't be available lor a month or two. I have heaTd of sales being made fft 2s 6d to 2a ljd (f.o.b. Bluff, sacks in), but the business was small. There is p, f»ir inquiry from the north for good seed lines- at recent prices. There has been sonic little inquiry from Australia, but no sales of any importance have been made, pud. m fact, the market is in such a state that it is difficut to say what is the real va'ue of this: cereal. There la a. good inq,uiry from Australia for bian, and stocks are so light in New Zealand that prices have advinced considerably — 5s per ton. lhe stock markets all round have been very excited during the- past week. Owing to the demand frrm Australia, prices have risen from Us 6d to U3s tor prime freezers, and fat ewes fiom 10s ftd tcK liar or 12s, according, to weight. It is estimated that fully 10,000 sheep ha\ c been purchased for shipment to Australia, from ilie pojit of Bluff. The Sussex sailed "on Friday with 2500, and fc'fte Whangwpe its taking 4000. Fat cattle are very scarce, and tempting offers of 28s- to 29s peT 1001b for freezing lines have been rpfiiee«L As a. master of fact it would be very difficult- to secure a. freezing line in Southlnnd; except by. picking up odd lots here and there lam assured iha.t there has nevex been such a scarcity, of prime cattle in the district before, and, as I predicted, prices are high and are likely to remain so till the end of October. There is more inquiry now for store sheep and cuttle, principally from Otago and" Ca-ntevbury-. Good hopgets are worth from ?s 6d to 8s 6d, and there will probably b3 a large demand and ccnsequeiiu advance in prices. Tho Bluff Harbour Board had .v record month in June, "it vessels, with, a total tonnage of 51,158 tons, br.vuig entered, s.s against 20 vessels, of 29,911 tons, in June, 1901 — an increase of 11 Teasels- of 21,27 V tons. The previous best month was 40,846, so ihat June overtopped atty previous month by 10,5ti tons. The revenue for the year euded~ 30t!i June was j£lßl9 more than for the first half of 1901.