TABLE HILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2923, 23 March 1910, Page 39

TABLE HILL.

March 16.—The season has been an unusually -dry one, and in many cases the crops have ripened too quicklj. There was a tine downpour on January 4, hut, with the exception ot a " Scotch mist " or two, no more fell until February 26. There has been a. shower or two since, which made the turnip crops quite safe. The weather. on the whole has been as tint as I can recall. Crops.—All the crops about Table Hill has been cut, and nearly all was in stack over a week ago. Mr C. Forsyth has some fine samples of spring wheat. Owing mostly to the dry, hot weather, the crops in many instances are equal to former years. Lambs. —The lamb-buyers are now about, but the prices are not up to former years. There are seven stock and station agencies in Milton, and during the summer the agencies make inquiries about, the lambs for sale. When a purchaser applies to them they introduce him to the sellers, and charge the seller commission. It appears that if the lamb-seller h&i. a lien on his flock, the agent who has the lien charges commission if he sells the lambs through some other agency- Last wintei Mr Robt. Clark, formerly of Queensbury, bought about 150 lambs here, and had much difficulty in getting them away, because the roads were so very muddy, and quantities of gorse and flax were growing on the roadside, blocking up the spaces beside the road in many places. Threshing.—Farmers have now to patiently wait for the threshing and chaffing plant to arrive. These complete their work on the plain before coming on the hills, and then the weather becomes and broken, and the roads heavy. Californian Canadian mCalifornian thistle is- allowed to flourish in security this year. The stock eat the flowers off where they can get at them. There is another thistle that has securely established itself all the way through Otago Central as far as Wanaka. which is valuable sheep feed at some periods of the year. They are sometimes called star histles, but this is not correct, as the star thistle has a yellow Mower, and the flower of this thistle is the same colour as the Scotch thistle, and is more of a creeping habit, and has severer prickles. I heard once that some wethers turned out on a portion of the Kawarau Station came in fat after feeding on the thistles—in fact, it was with much difficulty they were got in, as they were hanging out their tongues and gasping like a herd of fat pigs. This thistle sheds its seeds towards the encl of suirunier, and before winter there are innumerable young plants like young rape, and the sheep eat them greedily. About Clyde last summer, and the summei before, I saw the sheep feeding off patches of these thistles which were growing luxuriantly in alluvial soil. About a year ago I saw one of these thistles in one of the paddocks, and intended saving the seed, but the sheep ate it down to the ground while it was in bloom, although there was plenty of other feed in the paddock. About the same time I. saw several of the plants near Mt H. B. FLett's Clifton Hill boundary, but had no time to look at them this season. Mr Flett, who keeps a careful look out for anything unusual, says there are none of these on any of the surrounding country. I remarked that they began as soon as the TaLeri Gorge was well entered. Possibly this is the same kind of thistle that a Southland farmer reported to the Witness some weeks back. Entertainments.—Latelv wo h&4 an enjoyable little party at Mrs Ross's: homestead to welcome Mrs Sheddon, who was visiting us from Canterbury. Then followed one at Mr Forsyth's', place to bid farewell to Miss Janet Dunsmuir. The Circle Hill residents lately held a picnic, with-sports and field games, in the school around and the farm adjoining. It was an ideally beautiful day. The ladies provided an abundance of refreshments, and a hearty welcome was extended to visitors. MiFrank Wilson's camera was much in evidence, the result being some very fine snapshots. Some of the girls walked two and three miles to be present. Y.M.C.A.—The Young Men's Christian Association in Milton is much in evidence, and the association does a lot of good. At regular intervals, monthly I think it is, they have Sunday evening tea at their rooms, and strangers are invited. Recently there was a -visitor from Ran.gitikei, one from Table Hill, one from down south, and a Milton resident. On the previous evening the Rev. J. C. Small (Anglican), who has a good reputation for helping on these good institutions, was present. The chairman gave a hearty welcome to the visitors, a hymn, was sung, and a short address given by one of the members. Three of the members waited on the table. Th«se gatherings are run' on bachelor lines. In the countrytownships the people as a whole are sometimes not verv social, and the young fellows find that the hotels- and billiard rooms are the onlv places for tnem to visit. Bannockburn has a fine reputation for its social qualifies, and visitors to the place receive a welcome everywhere. Sce.nie Attractions.—There are some beautiful scenes about here, and I have often felt surprised that in past years the business people in Milton have not exploited the scenic attractions, in order to bring tourists and visitors into the district. Visitors here always declare they have had an enioyable time. Recently a lady from Dunedin walked a mile or two in order to see some sheep shorn, and took a hand in the branding. This leads me to ask, " Are there anv growns ups in this country who never saw' a live sheep?" I think there must be plenty.