WAIKOIHOI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 35

WAIKOIHOI.

April 22. — For the past month we have had anything but good harvest weather. A few days' fine, followed by rain, has beenthe usual thing we have had to put up with. No sooner has a brief spell of fine weather led to a prediction of geed weather for the rest of the harvest than down came the rain, as if in mockery of our prediction. All day yesterday, and. until early this morning, it rained incessantly, and to-day the 'Koi Stream is in high flood, and sheaves of oats, washed from some neighbouring farxns, may be seen floating in its watera The G-lenshee road is impassable except for vehicles and riders, as the 'Koi is running over it.

The Farm. — Nearly all the oat crops are cut and in stook. A few have the grain in stack ; but on most of the farms much of the work of leading in has yet to be done. Farmers hav«> been greatly hampered in tHis work by wet weather, and a spell of, say, three weeks' gooc] weather would be very welcome, as by then ail the !eading-in would be done and the grain safely stacked. Given good weather, there is promise of a satisfactory harvest yet, though late in the season. All, however, depends on the weather during the incoming weeks, for if much of what is now in stook be exposed to much more we", the grain will get discoloured, and consequently of less value, and it will begin to grow in the stook. Stock of all kinds look well, and the rains have done good to the grass and turnips.

Roads and Bridges. — The roads in all parts of the district aTe in fairly good order ; but several of the bridges are m a lamentable state, and unless something is dove to them soon tha amount needed to repair them now will be small compared with what it will be after the heavy carting of grain is done. The bridge half way between the school and Mrs Lavender' 3is in a very bad way, and if nothing be done to it soon I shall not ba at all surprised at its giving way at one end wheji a heavy load is being taken over it On the bridge over the Pomahaka appeared, before last harvest, a notice warning farmers and others that any load taken over the bridge must not exceed 2ocwt — meaning, I suppose, that this is the heaviest weight allowed o"ar the bridge until such time as the bridge is repaired. The notice is still there.

Ecclesiastical.— On Sunday, Bth inst , the Rev. Adam Begg. who resigned this and the Tapanui charge of the Presbyterian Church owing to the state of Mrs Begg's health, preached his farewell sermon to a. very large and sympathetic congregation, and on the following Sunday the Rev. J. Colae, of Dunrobin, preached the charge vacant. The Synod has agreed to grant pound for pound up to £25 for repairs to and painting of the church.

Accident. — On Sunday last. -Rhi'e Mr and Mrs James M'Call were driving to church in their gig, the horse fell coining down a fateep pinnacle on Cemetery Kill, aud both occupants were thrown out. Mrs il'Call fortunately escaped with a fevere shaking and some bruises, but ITr M'Call had his right shoulder dislocated. The injury is a painful one, and it will be =omo weeks yet before he will have the use of his arm.