UNKNOWN

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 44

UNKNOWN

February 6. — The excessive heat experienced) here foi several wedks past has at length given w?y, ard the atmosphere is row much cooler, consequent on the showers of ram that have fallen c'luriiij, the current we?k. In a/11 conscience it was much needed, as everything in the shape of pasture wao burnt as brown as sun and wind could make it.

Sheep— The flciki, nfter hemg divested of then flences, have b-^en «-.vent cfx the low countiv to the "Vnlky of the Mountains," where luxunmit iwsture abounds, as ov. ing to a dry, hot season a heavy cron of glass has grown thi- yeai over thou^mids of acres cf the rich sv arrmy eround of Ihe Lamrnerlaws. At the pie«ent tnrip it may be hu!v said that fie order of thir>«=i pssloial has bwn reversed within a, few months, fo v a c;reat outcry was laised by the flockown^rs l.ist yai fo' the sr.felv of their stork, evd now they ?re plessod 1 to hive some his;p porntry to ?ia7e tlieir flocks on during a ppnod of diought

Destruction of Docs — In consequence of the Taieri Comity Council having fixed the clog Us

at 5s per dc^ for tiie edirent ye-rr (1904) within, thu I ivcbiiii of tiie couiity, a tcirible dtsliuct.Oii ot dogs has taken place at 33\er.w of the labUicrs" camps situa^ad in the outlying pints of the district. Many rabbittra afuna Uiat the tsxx imposed is almost I'ioliibitive, ii ud scuner than p-ay 5s per dog annually thoy will destioy them. This cc-urs3 of pioctdure has already been earned out, and a number of dogs have been destroyed. Our senators at Mosgiel will learn later on th&ti instead of raising a large sion of money to augment the county funds, at the expense mainly of an industtious class of men who have for scveial year 3 been doing good work with, their dogs in the svippression of the labbit pesfc m the in.tcr.ioi, they have practically killedl tho goose that lays the golden eggs. Little wonder that a howl of righteous indignation has been raised against such arbitrary legislation being brought into force by the County Ccuncil. That augusc body of councillors hava come under the lash of public criticism for the high-handed course of procedure they have adopted with a view to augment the county funds. Tiie generally expressed opinion hero is to the effect that all dogs kept by the rabbiters for the suppression of the labbit pe3i on the Crown lands of the colony should not be taxed. Surely 2s 6d per head was quite high enough to pay yearly, without double that; amount being imposed by the council. I am n clined to think that the council will have to lcduce this tax to 2s 6d per dog, as 5s is simply piohibitive to a rabbiter to ko^p dogs fox the suppression of the rabbit pest. Destruction of Trout.— l regret to report that owing to a number of creeks in this locality being dried up for wajit of rain, the trou'o have died in" large numbers. The current season has proved one of the driest on the low country for many years past. Water has been very short here for the stock, e>s well as for domestic requirements. However, the dtrought appears to have broken tip. and. it is to- be hoped that a heavy downpour of rain will soon set in to fun-nish a supply of water that is much wanted at the present time. Mining.— During the past -week the Deep Stream Hydraulic Mining Company have been busily engaged with the taking down of their mining plaint for the purpose of having it reerected f&r future operations on a site higher up the stream. The Deep Stream has bs-ea running a.t a very low level for severa.l weeks pns>t. Consequently a shortage of water for hydiaulic operations has occurred.