HYOE

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 39

HYOE

June 20 —We are now m th-e midle of winter, and so far it haa been a very oppn one. After tho rain of last month we had c light fall of snow (about lin) on the sth inst. On the nights of tbe Gtlwand 7th inst. the hardest frost experienced for two years was felt, and as the snow was on the ground its effect was the more felt. A thaw scon folleiv-'cd, howevet, with a. light ram on Hip 10th, and since then we have had frosty nights and fine sunny days. The hard frost? during the fiibl week of tho month p^ an abrupt atop to farm work in the field. Buch • * ploughing, etc. Ve.j little fail-plouglm.p i • been done this year, though a few of ->-ir farm s have a considerable area turned ay/ - ti & some paddocks have been sown with wlitiat and some with rye for spring ffirJing. Perhaps the experience of those who la.=t year ploughed in the fall arfd sowed early in the spring has acted as a deterrent this year, for the crops that were early on ground ploughed all winter lay for weeks without sproi'tiug, and some of the seed perished altogether, while the later-sown crops turned out much better. This year, however, the ground is in much better order, being much drier; in fact, until this month it wac almost too dry to plough. No threshing has yet been done in the district, with the exception of Mr Arthur, who has threshed part of his crop, consisting of Garton and dun oats, and which yielded 54 bushels per acre of firats, which, conpi'-lcnng that the ground was ploughed out of lea, is a very good return. Mr John M'Dorald, of Middlemarch, is expected in the district with his threshing plant in about three weeks. Mr A. Arthur has been busy with his chaffcutting plant, cutting chaff for some of the farmers, for whirh good pricrs are b«ing obtained in Dunedin — up to £3 17s 6d per ton, at which price a two-ton per acre crop leaved ft fair margin of profit to the grower. On tho pasture feed is fairly plentiful, and with the open winter stock are looking well. A considerable number of shetp are on turnips for fattening, and as the crop generally is good a goodly number of fats should be sent away. The present price of live stock leaves a very fair margin of profit to the fattener over storo price, and there seems every probability of these prices continuing. Taken on the whole, the past season has been one of the best experienced here for many years, both for the farmer and for the paatorahst, and long may this state of things continue.

*Bunny.— The frost has put a stop to rabbittrapping, but 83 the trappers had a very fair season up to this month, with big catches and good prices, a few weeks' holiday comes nob amiss The district being one of the strongholds of the Trappers' Union, good prices havelioon offering, ns the exporter"? have made big efforts to crush the union,. The present union, rate is 7d per pair at the railway station, with rejection at the freezing works, and the exporters' price 7d with no rejection, or Be] with right of rejection, this being the best price evei offered here. School Mattel s.— This district having failed

to elect a school committee on the date appointed by the board for such purpose, ttie board appointed a freeh date — viz., June 13. A few mSfe attended this meeting, and the following committee waa elected, file desired number only being nominated: — Messrs it. Boyd (chairman), T. Ramsay, Gray, Duncan, Gillespie, T. Dowling, and J. Williamson. Quadrilles.— The Winter Quadriite Assembly has commenced with weekly dances, th« opening dance being o"n the evening of th« 19th, inst., there being a very good attendance of yoirng people. A proposal is mooted to start a Debating Society, and it is to be hoped that it will meet with the support it deserves, as po better way of*spending both, a pleasant and a profitable evening for either young or old exists than a well-conducted M.I.S.