COUNTRY. (Continued from page 40.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2857, 16 December 1908, Page 41

COUNTRY. (Continued from page 40.)

MAirSG\TTJA. December 12. — The weather, which is always with us for good cr bad, has been' playing i very important part with th-e crops and grass. For this week we have had some lovely showers, which were much' wanted after the hot weather and scorchinrf winds we have sxperienced 'or some tim« past. Elections. — The excitement of the elections are now a thin# of the past, a " lively, memory," and we find ourselves very satis* fied with the result of the political poll.' With Mr T. Mackenzie as ou- Taieri representative we indeed have & real live member. School. — The Maungatua School is closed for the holidays a fortnight earlier than usual, owing to tine measles being among. the children. Quite a number are already, arranging for theiT Christmas holidays;, which are round on us again. The Bible ciass and. Sabbath -jchool are also disbanded for the holidays, after a year 06. very enjoyable and interesting meetings:;" The proceeds of the Bible olass penny 001-i lection has been forwarded to the Orphanage. General. — Farm work ie well advanced'.^ Turnip-thinning _is quite' the order of the day, and in. several places is quite finished.The roots are looking well, also the mangel and carrot crops. As for grain, grass* etc., if the present showers continue fon, a little. wbik the farmers in this direction)? will have Idttte to complain about — except Taieri don&wage. I conclude by wishing the Otfigo Witness, the 6taff, and. all its readers the compliments of the ©eason. PATFAROADecember 12. — Until the beginning of this week, there has been no rain hero Since winter, and the crops are ruined, j Grain crops a few inches high are bursting-,* into leaf, and the hills and spurs, which)] a few weeks ago were green, are now bardtj and yellow. We have had broken weathettj 5l!I tlii-e w-&elc T w-xfch a. coating of snow -on th& hills and on the Naseby side of the Manic-? 1 tofco Plain, cold 1 blizzards of hail, and fre_-* quent driving rains. The rain, which piti^j lesolv kept off when the crops were- dyinffl for want of it, has begun in time to seri-* oualy incommode shearing operations. We»J have a splendid, healthy climate, but it iar a bit topsy-turvy. Our potatoes wereT blackened by frost this week. Each sue- 1 eeeding spason proves more and more th«!J> necessity for an adequate irrigation scheme. I With moisture in proper quantity, Ce-ntral'J Otago would be one of the most fertila districts -in the Dominion. ,<■ Concert. — An entertainment in aid of theti school Prize Fund was held here last week:s Mr P. M'Atarwney, chairman of the School'j Committee, presided. The large hall was, crammed, and a good programme had been/j arranged. Aliss Smith (Dunedin). andr Mes*rs Swan (Kokonga), Mackoy (Linn 7 ! burn,' Hyland (Waipiata). and Kmsmarifj (Hamilton) had not previously appeared*; here, and the 'terns of each were much ; emoved. T have not been furnished witfoj ■a full list of titles of items, and some 'are missing from the foLl owing 1 programme:-^ PiajK) overture, Miss Smith ;^ song, "Home, »- boyg,- • ironies" school children ; fang,} ""Queen- of the earth," Mr Swan ; recitation. "The Incomplete Reciter," Mist Ivy,j Kennedy; song, "Good' company," Mr» Fawcett ; song, "The song- that will live* for ever," Miss Dochcrtv (encored) ; song,/ "Dairymaids are we." Misses Nellie M'Bkimming, Agones Thurlow, and Beasici Lusher: son-p, "Doreen," Mr Herlihy ;< song-, "We parted on (he chore," Mi- A. Crerar (encore, "Tobermorv") : recitation. "Tho Snowdrop's Message," Mi» Nellie* M 'Skimming: eong, Mr Kin6man ; acrobatic feat*, Mr Hvlaml. Part 2 — Overture. Miss Smith; song, "Oork/os and musseis,"' school children : eong, "Long- live the King." Mr P. Black: recitation, "Conrov's Gap," Mr Alick Mackay : song, Mr Swan;j eong, "Just plain folk," Miss Patereon ; f-lub-s winging, Mr H viand ; song, "The Paieoti and the clerk," Mi Kinsman (encore, "On the banks of the Clyde") ; rec:tation. "Mulga Bill's Bicycle," Mr J. Orerar (encore, recitation. "The Sowburn Salutation") : song. "Just a bunch of Irish' shamrock," Miss ~Doc.herty ; Scotch story, "The Gowk's Errand:, 1 " Mr A. Crerar ; recitation, "WThm-i the Csyrteron Men am Wanted.'' Mr Fawcett. A comprehensive* vo'o of thanks was proposed by the chairman, a special vrorc' being given to performers from a distance, and another to Mr Fawcett for his gooti Work in anrl oot of school.- The accompaniments to Mr Kinsman's songs w<*re tf>tay<vl by Miss Cora-r, all the others borng' played by Miss Fawcett. A <Janoe fctfloV&d.

School.— Mr: tfiweert has ha-d an excellent pas*. ami tl>~ r*port'bv the inspector as to the conduct of the 6thool was highly satisfactory. >

—Of ar.y fiVh, a h?rri' r s livrs t'e f-hoi-te^t time <.ut of water; iurx> <tud cc'.h the ui- .11'.^l I^..i.'lu