HINDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2818, 18 March 1908, Page 39

HINDON.

March 16.—The glorious spell of fine weather recently experienced in this district has enabled the small farmers to make rapid progress with the ingathering of their cereal crops, as quite a- numbsar of oaten sheaf-stacks meet the eye in various parts of the district. Owing to the excessive heat experienced during the two previous months of the current year the crops matured at a, much earlier period than usual in this elevated locality. The generally-expressed opinion is to the effect that the crops have proved fairly good, and have been saved and stacked in splendid "condition, and, to crown the whole, the recent heavy fall of ram has stimulated the growth of the pastures throughout the district. Pollard Poisoning.—Since the close of the shearing season attention has been directed by the landowners' in this district to the destruction of bunny. During the pest two months bands of men have been vigorously engaged in mitigating the pest. Thousands of bunnies have met their deaths from eating poisoned pollard, and yet they come, and, like the poor, are always with. us. Des-pite the fact that bunny has been denounced by the Legislature as an unmitigated pe3t, combined with thousands of pounds voted for his destruction, bunny continues to flourish. The high price 3 that have been ruling for stock during the past few years has done more to mitigate the rabbit pest than all the wisdom centred in Wellington has accomplished, for it is to the interest of the stock-owners to keep down th! rabbits and comply with the conditions of the act. Sheep Dipping.—The mustering-in of th© flocks from the back -country for clipping purposes and the weaning of the lambs is now going on, the current month has been found, to be ihe best for the flocks to take their annual immersion for the destruction of parasites, ticks, etc. Moreover, at thi9 period of the year the flock-owners draft out their surplus stock and otherwise adjust their flocks prior to the advent of winter. Experience has shown that the m.U6tenng-in of the flecks at a late period in the fall has proved to be very unsatisfactory, as in the event of bad weather setting in dipping operations have to be suspended for the time being, otherwise there is a risk of heavy losses of stock being sustained through the after-effects of bad weather.