COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 53

COUNTRY.

(Continued from page 40.)

CAVE (South Canterbury).

February 3. — The we&tuer during January •was very hot and scorching, -with an occasional dull day. Ther&^waa a close haze over the sky for a day or two, which looked like Brooke from burning bush. "We have had a ehower or two of Tain, which, has done a lot of good, and flashenod the grass and turnip crops. Some of the crop* looked well for » time, but the dry weather has begun to turn them yellow, and the rape going out has been a great drawback 'for the fat lamb trade. The fat-lamb buyers are holding off, and, like the wool buyers, won't touch any lots that do not suit thorn; 4Jd per 1b ia the highest that they will give for the very best lots, so » good many farmers are sending their iambs- Home on their own account, but the whole trad* is lifeless.

Harvest. — The harvesting is in full swing. Some of the wheat crops have got the- spring rust (Vuccinia rubdgo-vera), generally known «9 corn mildew. Dr Griffiths, in his book, "Diseases of Crops and Their Remedies," says that lands that have grown infested crops should be treated -with quick Jime or gas lime. A top-dressing of iron', sulphate, £cwt per acre, in spring Jestroy* the early stage of Vuccinia rubigo-vera. "' A great many oat crops have got the rust ia them also, the seed being shrivelled 'and small and of poor sample. „ „ •#* Saleyards.— The Cave Saleyards Company is going to have its first sale on February 7.- There is » large entry of stock to be sold on that day. The company has spared no expense to ?ive accommodation to the public to 3how its stock to • the best advantage. Mi T. Smith, chairman of the. ompany, and Mr Foster, the secretary, have carried ont their duties faithfully, and in the short space of three months have secured for the Cave district one of the most up-to-datt salyards in South Canterbury. ' School at Cannington. — The Government is going to give £150 to help us build a echoolkouse, and th© settlers are to find the balance that is needed to finish the job. We *re paying taxes as well as the rest of the country, why, therefore, should we have to help to build a school? We hear plenty of talk about the need for settling the land, and, yet there do not seem many inducements held out to keep tfs there once we have gone into the back-blocks. However, I suppose we must be thankful for small mercies.

Land Sales. — Mr Donald Nicholason" has cold his run, Scottshills, to Mt "Wilford Howell, of Nimrod, and Mt H..Alworthy, of Craigmore, has thrown open 4009 acres of his estate for sale, " so this valley is going to get filled with settlement soon. Turnips.— There is no appearance of any disease in the turnip crop ys-t, like what ■we had last year. Mi' T. "W. Kirk, jin his Bulletin No. 14, 1905, after a microecopical examination of the dry decayed turnip tissue, shows it to be permearted with the hyphca of the phonia brassice tos fungus. This stage' of the disease is most likely only a part of -the full life-cycle of some other fungus; but wheihea this is correct has not yet been definitely ascertained 1 . A closely allied specie^, phoma betoe, which is very destructive to mangold crops in various p^rts ef the world, is now considered to be a stage in the li&t history of- a- fungus _ which first appears on mangold leaves, and is known as Sphoerella tabifioa. The turnip phoma, will most likely be found to be connected with some fungus which attacks iihe leaves and afterwards spreada to the roots, where it has an excellent chance of tiding over the winter months and being ready to infest fresh ,-rops the succeeding year. Mr Kirk, when in Thnaru, told' the fanners to spray the turnips'once or twice when they corner well out of the ground, and somietimie afterwards, t have asked farmers from all parts of South Canterbury if any of them were spraying their turnips as directed! by Mr Kirk, but I regret to have to say the answer is always 1 "No."

Pareora. — The Pareora Home Station Saleyards will hgld their first «ale on February 11. This company has made good! progress in a short time, and a good sale is advertised for the 'above date.

Rainfall. — The rainfall for the past year, 1907, is as undei from the Oannington Station xain gauge, per favour of the mansger: — January, 0.30 in; February, 0.75 in; March, 1.86 in; April, I.7in; May, O.SOin; June, 0.15 in; July, 0.37 in; August, 3J34in; September, 1.48 in; 0.45 in; November, 1.30 in; December 2.5 in ;— total, 13.42 in.

ALBIJRY r South Canterbury).

January 27. — The weather has for a considerable time past been phenomenally hot ;nd oppressive, so much so that Although " the oldest inhabitant " can remember as dry a spell, heat as great has not been hitherto felt in these parts. On Wednesday, 22nd inst., the thermometer registered 102 degrees in the shade. Pastures are completely withered up, and rain is greatly needed. Harvest. — The harvest is now in full swing. Cutting in many places is finished, and threshing has started. The yields are. fairly good— on damp, moist lands oata early sown, have threshed out of the stook aa muoh as 64 bushels to the acre. Wheat is not expected to ba' so good, as the absence of rain did not enable' the grain to come to maturity. A large number of farmers saved a portion jqL their grass paddocks for seed', and this promises a, fair yield, although the price is not considered to be high. Several men have been cutting cocksfoot on the roadsides and in the shady gullies, and as this seed is expected \"fco be a high price this season, the troublevjof cutting will be well remunerated. Stock.— The lambs are not doing so well this season as last, and as a consequence the buyers are not -taking away so many " fats." About 13s 6d is the average price given. It is somewhat difficult to fatten this year, as' the rape is not coming away as freely as usual. Steep are not changing hands with the same fredom as formerly alter shearing, the absence of grass being accountable for this. Given » couple of days of good soaking ;»in, and the stock market twould 1 see a very sharp rise. , , Land Sales. — Places are changing hands at very satisfactory figures. Mr J. J. Milne has sold his L.I.P. farm to Mr J. T. Anderson,, and Mr T. Ft Drake has disposed of his 104acre farm, adjoining the township, on the Rosewill Settlement, to Mir C. Brosnahan, of the Levels Plains. Both Mr Milne and Mr Drake will be much missed, -as they were settlers of a good type, and anxious to forwards the best interests of the district. Mr Ifilne was senior "elder in the Presbyterian .&hurch, and superintendent of the Sabbath School since its .establishment. $h«ep-dipping Company. — A number of Bettl«»'(10> in. the vicinity of Rocky Gully hfl>v« determined to form themselves into a private company for the purpose of erecting and maintaining a sheep dip in, a convenient position. Mr G. T. Baker has agreed to sur'Jenewr wo acres of his run, and the Government liae granted this area to the proposed KH&pany. It is estimated that this venture will oo»t each of the subscribers about £10. With •Ireful 00-operative management *nd a good

executive there is little doubt hut that success will be attained 1 .

New Bridge.— The Government has granted £550 for a new bridge over the Rocky Gully stream on the main road conditional on the county raising £550 additional. A poll is to be taken on Wednesday, 29th inst., to test whether the majority are in favour of the proposal. As the advantages are so great and the cost relatively so small — £22 per annum for 32 years will wipe out » loan of £550— it is almost certain that the proposal will be carried. Saleyard3 Co. — The S«leyards Company has had a very good year, and the directors intend increasing the facilities for handling stock. A new race is to be built, and several additional yards are to be erected. The Pareora yards are to be built on the plans of the Albury yards. The Cave, eight miles distant, has new yards, which will be opened on Friday, February 7.— [Arrived too late for last week's issue. — Ed.]