DRUMMOND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 35

DRUMMOND.

August 28. — Spring operations aie now in full swing, and although there has not been much sowing done yet, preparations for it have been quite general. These have been stopped for a few days by a slight fall of snow, which disappeared almost as soon as it fell, but has been followed by some heavy showera. Everything was very dry previously, including tanks, which made it appear as if we were to have an unseasonable drought.

« Agricultural. — Stock of all kinds seem to be m good condition, c fact attributable to the splendid season and a superabundance of winter feed. "With some parties there is considerable difficulty in getting a siiitable class of stock, and when the turnips have to be eaten off for crop, and the tops are* spouting afresh, the sittiation gets serious. The difficulty is caiised chiefly through it being almost impossible to purchase fattening stock at a figure that will allow any margin of profit, and of the proper class wanted, there are so few to be had. On a number of farms a few lambs are to be seen, but lambing will not be general until about the middle of September, and farmers from many a previous bitter experience feel anxious about what the weather will be through the two months of September and October. The result of the. lambing (which means even now more than it used to), depends so much upon what kind of weather is experienced during those two months. Many farmers are beginning to realise that unless they have extra, or special feed, or in other words, are specially and thoroughly prepared for an early lambin", it is better rather not to have lambs until feed is assured, when they are hklier to have p, larger percentage, and the lambs have less chance of- being checked m their early giowth, are generally healthier later on, and more robust. Changes.— Very few farms m this locality change hands, which is upon the whole a favourable symptom, but recently Mr Jas. M'Dougal, eldest son of Mr Chas. M'Dougal, one of the oldest and most highly respected settlers in the Western District, disposed of his farm at £14 per acre, and has purchased horn Mr John Allison, also the eldest son nl the late John Allison— who was also an old and highly-respected settler of the Western District— his well-kncwn and highly-cultivated farm of Crossflat, at something like £13 per acre. I think it speaks volumes for this district that although so far distant from tne nearest railway station, that only one trip per day can be accomplished, from most of the faians, yet when any should happen to be put into th& market tn-ey are readily taken ■"up at a high figure. Election - Reflections.— The names of candidates and aspirants for political honours in Wallaoa electorate, and as lepresentatives' of the various ridings in the same county are now beino- freely mooted, and their probable prospect of success or failure, and in some cases the certainty of disappointment, to some at least, is considered as the only sxiie thing to look forwaTd to, however sanguine oi something different they may in the more immediate present time be. It is generally thought that if the present member for Wallace Has no stronger opposition than is already talked of that any of those so named have not the remotest chance conceivable of shunting him.