UPPER TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2603, 3 February 1904, Page 44

UPPER TAIERI.

January 30. — The excessive heat experienced. in this district during ths greater pait ci the current month is drying up everything m the shape of pasture in the low country for the stock, as well as causing a shortage of -water for domestic requirements at present. I note that a number of creeks here have ceased running owing to the i'ong spell 01 dry weather and the absence of rain combined. The stock is being depastured in the mountainous regions, as the low country feed is all burnt up and withered away. It is tfor^-hy of .remark that during the winter months of last yeai (1003), at tha time the terrible Jitly. snowstorm occuricd, eveiy

effort was made by tbp Luge floci'owrcis here to bring down the s'lecn from the mount.? m heights to the low country, and nov\, vithi 1 a few months, the cider of things is reversed, snid the stock have been turned to tho mountains owing to the shortage of feed be^ow.

Late Shearing — The current seas-on la? clearly demonstrated the fact to those engaged, in pastoral pursuits in the mtenor of Oiago that late shearing is natch to be deprecated from many points of view. Qwm.j to the excessive heat, and the drying winds combined, that have been prevalent here during the past few weeks, the native buir or bid-a-bid, as it is commonly called in the country, has m/ituied at a much earlier period ibjri uaual, with the result that the sheep mustered an from the back country recently for shearing opsiations are loaded with native burr m eveiv fantastic shape. In many instances this will piove a serious loss to the flocKowncrs as the market value of the wool vrill be co isiderably reduced from the damaging effects of the native bun. On the other hand, 1 may no'ie that I hpve never sceri the stcok in bettei condition for many years past than they srs at present. The noble merino is still to the foie, and slimes among his woolly compeers.

The Land Boom. — It *s rnanMest that a keen contest will be made shortly by a large number of settleis lr quest :>f lind for farming and homestead purposes, as scon as the blocks of land on the upper part of the Patea.-oa "Run are opened for occupation — by ballot I bsheve. II may be tru'y said' that the sections under notice are the cream of the Paten roa Run, having a river frontage with en immense aiea of level giound attached, and for g-iasmg and stock-raising purposes it could not be surpassed in Otego. There is soras splendid undulating land "in the background included in the seveial sectioas surveyed. I am inclined {o think that there will be keen corapetn.on foi the blocks of land under notice. I venture to predict that the Upper Taieri Plain will, m the course of ?. few years, piove a venttbls "promised land 1 ' to a number ni small fprmcrs for dairying, cropping, and stock-bi ceding purposes.

Mining Notes. — Some time ago it wps announced that the Canadian Flat GoM Mining Company was going to engage a band of men for the work of having another section of Ihcir water-race constructed for hydiauhc operations later on. Howevei, to date no mcvonient has been made by the company in the matter indicated. It is much to be regreted that this valuable mining property, after an expenditure of some £4000, should not be able to proceed v»it'i the construction of its vat'er-race to the scene of fuhirp operations for lack of fu.ids. The area held by tho company comprises ;ibout 130 acres, in two blocks, and is said to be aunf&rous- throughout, vhile the water power for hydraulic purposes from the Taieri Falls ;3 the best in Central Otsgo. It is computed that a pressure of -water of great force foi hydra a 'ie elevating is available for mining purposes during th-s greater part of the year. "With such an energetic manager at the head oi pffairs asMr John M'Neil has proved himself to be. it is to bs hoped that work at the claim will be lesumed at an early date.