FAIRFAX (Southland).

Otago Witness, Issue 2857, 16 December 1908, Page 39

FAIRFAX (Southland).

December 11. — The showery weather of the past week, following the warm, dry days of November, has been beneficial to grass and crops. It has, however, nut a stop to shearing and tillage on turnip ground. A large area is town with rape and ' «a.rly turnips for lamb feed, and in earlv6own fields the crop looks remarkably well. Shows. — The Metropolitan «how attracted, as usual, a larjre number of people from this district. The day* enjoyment was marred considerably by the rain, whioh set in early in rb<» afternoon. The return journey for rhose who were forced to ride in trucks (which were inadequately covered) tr&s anything but a pleasure trip. About 75 per cent, of the " lords of creation " were minus overcoats, and as they wended their way homewards, sadder, wetter, and perhaps a little wiser men, methinks many of them registered a vow never again to put their trust in the weather about Invercartfill show time. Canadian Thistles. — The Canadian thistle is a fruitful topic for discussion among farmers in this part of the Dominion at the present time. The district is petting badly infested with the pest, which seems to adapt itself to any kind of soil. A few years ago land owners seemed confident that the thistles would confine themselves to river-fla* land, believing- thai they required deep, loose soil to flourish in • but agriculturists are finding out, to their sorrow, that they will thrive amazingly well on the ridges, over which they are spreading with alarming rapidity. "Unless some scheme is discovered for dealing- effectually with the trouble the area in Southland utili^d for grain-growing will be greatly reduced. The School — Oxir district mu°t l'e petting more populous, judging- by flic st<?ady in-c-rea-se in tho school attendance. Having now a roll of over 50 justifies the appointment of a mistress, whic-h it is understood is to take place after the Christmas holiJays. Sawmills. — The closing down of the local sawmills has thrown a considerable number of men out of employment. Stock Sales.— At the last Thornburv stock sale there was a small entry of (-beep and a fairly large one of cattle. For fat sheep — the only class offered — there was an improvement in prices compared with those ruling at the previous sale. Fat cattle appeared to be in poor demand, but stoi c | steers sold remarkably well. e\erv pen offered changing hands at excellent prices.