LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 8

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

The fruit season in Central Otago this year ha* been a most favourable one, but, unfortunately, many tons of the most beautiful peaches, plums, apricots, and other fruits have been allowed -to rot in the ground, or else have been carted out as manure, owing to the absence of cheap and rapid means of transit to the central markets. When ;t; t is remembered that Cromwell is 13 miles from Clyde, and Clyde and Alexandra are> both about; 40 miles from the Central railway, while the road leads over a high range, th© difficulty will bo understood. Then, again, there was a large quantity of magnificent fruit grown at Luggate and Pembroke, and Pembroke is 90 miles from the line. With reference to the prices asked by fruit-growers in tho district, it was stated to a member of our staff by hotelkeepers and others at Alexandra that they were able to purchase fruit in Dunedin which had been grown in Central Otago and land it back- again in Alexandra cheaper than they could buy it locally, notwithstanding the freight charges. If this is so, it can only be regarded as a most shortsighted policy.

Four small grazing runs, comprising in all 14,088 acres, in the Maniototo and Taieri districts, nort : on of the original Patearoa Run, were laid open for lease on application at the Lands Office on the 29th, two applications being received for the first, 23 for the second, 45 for the third, and 28 for the fourth.

The estates which the Close Settlement League recently formed at Balclutha desires the Government to purchase as opportunity offers are : Clydevale Estate, 33,000 acres ; Greenfield, 23,000 acres; Clifton, 15,700 acres; Hillend, 15,000 acres; and Otanomomo, 5500 acres; or 92,000 acres in all. It is contended that nearly the whole of this land is capable of cultivation.

Large numbers of Otago Central Sheep are being obtained for various parts of South Canterbury. The local paper says that during 10 days 20,000 passed through Palmerston by road, and that large numbers are also going by rail, one train alone carrying no less than 3500 sheep. A writer in the T'apanui Courier calls attention to the unsatisfactory system of selling poultry by the pair instead of by the pound, and mentions an instance where a pair of ducks weighing" 121b live weight were sold for the same pribe as a pair weighing only 71b. At the monthly meeting of the Waitahuna Farmers' Club, held on Monday, 28th ult , Mr Scott drew the attention of the ulub to the depredations wrought this harvest by the small birds. This, he said, had become a most serious question, even worse than the rabbits, and he felt assured that out of a five-acre paddock of oats he had not fivo bushels of giv.in left, xhe rest having been all cleaned off by the birds. Stoats and weasels are inert asina; in

number, and continue to commit depredations on the lien roosts about Wyllie's Crossing. Mr Watson Abram, of Kelso, left for Great Britain on Monday on a mission to select stud horsco for Clutha district, and he intends to search the best establishments in Scotland, while at Homo, for good Clydesdales,

Under date 29th ult. the Waikoikoi correspondent of the Tapauui Courier writes : — With one or two exceptions farmers have all their grain in stack, and threshing mills may be seen at work in some parts of the district. The only growing crop to be seen is that of turnips.. In spite of the long spell of dry weather we had some time ago, this ciop has turned out a fairly good one, the late rains having benefited it considerably. Grass still Sidks fresh and green, and the prospect of good winter feed is promising. Stock of all kinds are in prime condition, and the mobs of sheep feeding quietly in paddocks are a treat to see, as they all look so healthy and plump. In all parts of the distriot the rabbit pest is increasing. During the harvest, farmers being too busy to attend to ttwm, they have multiplied greatly ; but as trapping will soon be the order of the day, a rapid decrease will th&n take place. Tho Park Hill correspondent of the Tapanui Courier writes : — Harvesting operations are now well-nigh completed — at the time many commenced lass year ; and really, in the face of all the heavy rain and floods, our distriot for many miles has no reason for complaining of the damage done to grain. Certainly there was some fear that grain would sprout in the stooks, but the damage done is very small indeed, so thisyear's ingathering of the harvest should be quite satisfactory to all. Threshing is having attention, and has fully commenced. The only fear is that there are not enough mills to complete the work before the roads commence to get bad as winter comes on. There are only 'two mills as yet in this large district, and this is not sufficient to overtake the work. I have not as yet heard how the grain is bagging, although the expectations are encouraging to all appearance ; and it is gratifying to note that prices are hardening. The heaviest crop of oats I have seen is on the farm that was the means of 'opening the first block of 17,000 aove& in this district — as reproductive land as is to b© found' in the colony to-day. A very excellent return of wheab is to be seen on Messrs Wilkins Bros.' farm, formerly owned by Mr Archibald M'Lean. Both these farms are in tho postal district of Dunrobin. I also hear that an excellent crop of wheat has been cut on Mr Shearing's Wooded' Hill farm. As a general rule turnips look really very plentiful, and the appearance is ahead of anything ever witnessed in our district, so that winter feed will be more plentiful than has been the case since settlement began ; and as far as has come before my notice this applies to all the country right thrcugh to Dunedin. Grass is very plentiful, and stock in general in the pink of condition. The late rains, accompanied with warm sunshine, have caused great growth, and both on high and low altitudes our country loots very progressive. "

The following Eastern Bush-Waiau district notes appear in the Southland! Times: — The harvest ,i& nearly- all in. There have been some" exceptionally good yields of oats, and, on the other hand, ground which in other years grew good crops has in some places not come nearly up to expectations. Turnips generally are fair to good. There have been some nasty patches which have had to be re-sown owing to the fly or .grub, and the,n have been a partial or complete failure. Stock have done capitally, grass being abundant, but lambs are not up to expectations as a rule. This distriot is now in a great measure a dairying one. The Waiau Dairy Factory and the creamery have had better supplies of milk than lasfcsyear. More settlers are taking up this branch of farming next year. Many like sheep better, but they consider the sheep market little better than gambling. In appearance it is tempting enough, but prices of wool have been ruinously low, while fluctuations of price are serious in the case of a man whosearea- is so small that he must take market price when his feed is done. Hence, dairying has oome to stay. The hours ar& extremely long for the season, but there is a fixed price and ready money, and no higgling or fault-finding so long as the milk is sweet. The test is a scientific and exact value in the hand 3of a competent and just man, and this adds as attracting power to the factory.

On one water-fringed patch of land during the recent floods at Mataura Island a fainwi gave the coup de grace to no less than 608 rabbits in three days.

It seems (say® the writer of "Ilural Notes" in the Southland Times) that the Government are to be more strict with their tenants in the mattei of cropping. It will no longer be permitted for a Ciown tenant to crop as he thinks fit, but he will have to follow a certain rotation. Newspapers, commenting on this new departure, think ■that this is another injustice to the fanner. It may be, but it will be the means of benefiting more Crown tenants than it will injure; and besides, it is only right that that which belongs to the community should be looked after. It was becoming a common thing for Government tenants to settle on a piece of land and do their utmost to get for themselves in the shortest space of time possible all they could g&t out of the land, and then to leave. By their new departure the Government will only be doing what every landlord is in the habit of doing — causing their tenants to farm according to the rules of good husbandry. No tenant can complain justly at that. It will be beneficial for many who,' may not know exactly what the rules of good husbandry are.

The Warepa correspondent of the Clutha Free Press writes: — Nearly all the crops are in now, and the threshing mill ie kept going early and late. I hear that oats are not panning out as well as they might. The ears are not well filled, having ripened too quickly. Several samples have been placed on the market, but as yet I have heard of no sales. In a few places ploughing for next season has begun. Rabbits are very plentiful just now. The rabbit cart is to be> seen going round ©very day, and, judging from the quantity being brought in, it should not be long before not a rabbit is to be seen.

At the ordinary meeting of the Oamaru Harbour Board, held on the 23th ult., Mr J. M. Ritchie, Otemata Station, one of the board's lessees, wrote stating that at sheaving they had 8552 cheep and 1609 lambs £>s compared with 21,475 sheep at Ist April last year, showing the mortality by the winter snow of 12,923 sheep. He submitted that he was due some consideration, as the present price of sheep «as almost probibi-

tive, and that only having three more shearings in his lease he was bound to suffer heavy loss. From what he had heard of his neighbours, he had suffered more -than they had, and had no doubt that it was largely due to having had the front country, now leased to Mr Archibald, taken away — the annual mortality having increased eince then. In reply to Mr Brown, the Chairman said he did not know that the board had power to make any reduction in the rent. On tho motion of Mr WilianuS, seconded by Mr Wylie, it was resolved that the letter bo acknowledged 1 , with an expression of the board's sympathy, but that the writer be informed that the board ia unable to make any substantial compensation. The Kakanui correspondent of the Oamaru Mail writes : — The harvest is now secured. Some of the farmers have threshed, while others are thatching their wheat stacks in the hope of better prices later on in the season. The wheat crops have been very good in most places, and will be above -the average yield. Mr Stuart Holmes had a very heavy crop of wheat, also Mr Hille, Mr Falconer, and others. The oat crop, while bulky, does not come up to the weight usually obtained in this distriot. This can only be accounted for by the spell of hot, dry weather early in the season. The potato crop will be much under previous yields, but it is too early yet to judge as to the quality. Grass and turnips have been greatly benefited by the late rains, and I think there will be a fair amount of winter feed. Hands for harvesting in the early part of the" season, were very difficult to obtain, and it was sad to see a lot of able-bodied men hanging about the publichouses while there was plenty of work available at very remunerative wages. It is no wonder that sympathy is withheld from suoh a class of men. Our local creamery has had! a very successful season, and now that grass is plentiful and there is a prospect, of a sufficiency of winter feed 1 think this industry is likely to be a successfully continued during the autumn and winter months. The fellmongering establishment under tho management of Mr Boaden has put through a large amount of wool this season, and has been, the means of giving permanent employment to a considerable number of men resident in the district.