MANIOTOTO SOUTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 31

MANIOTOTO SOUTH.

December 22. — The heavy rainfall tha* - occurred last week in the Maniototo put * - stop to shearing operations for several days, as the sheep got soaked to the skin and had to be turned back to the grazing runs till tiki weather improved. The shorn sheep that have been turned tc the mountains during the putsb week must have had a verj rough time of it, as snow !haa fallen on 'ihe mountains for several days in succession and the weather aft times has been cold and wintry. The- continuous rainfalls, on. the other hand, have - stimulated the growth of the pastures through- - out the district. Wool.— l am glad to report that the current season's cßp of wool is one of the best in * respect to quality, as well as quantity, that , has been shorn, from the flocks for a number of years past. Thi Amalgamation System. — Th«? amalgams.- ~ tion system of labour carried on by a number of the lprge flockowners in the interior "of Otago, whereby two, and in some instances three, shearing sheds employ one band, of men, - as well as the whole of the shed hands engaged \ in other branch c? of labour, to shear their,", sheep, has not proved such a success as many ' wise seers predicted it would be. On the con- - -. trary, owing to the wet seasons experienced -- during the past few years, and with only one ■ body of shearers engaged to shear the flock* ? of (say) three large sheds, it has been,' found V to 'be a serious drawback to the nocks of tta -^ third shed, owing to the advanced period, -ot^" the season in which they are shorn.- Several ; of the managers have announced their inten- • tion to withdraw from the amalgamation --_ system of labour, with a view to having the«\ flocks shorn at an earlier period of the season ' than heretofore. In the event of this coura .. of procedure being adopted, I am persuaded ' that the flocks would have more time, when >' shorn and turned to the mountains, to improve - their condition prioi to being mustered dowh % ' in the fall, as well as being placed at t&e mercy of one body of men to perform th«", work. " -