POPOTUNOA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 23

POPOTUNOA.

March 11.—When I last wrote I said there were signs of rain;, but that is all we have had. At one time it seemed to me to be a euro cause of bringing rain to have the horso harnessed to the water barrel. Many years ago they started explosions in Oamaru to fetch rain, but I fear the explosions in Europe have burst all the rain-clouds. Nevertheless, it has been grand harvest weather, and the greater part of the crops are safely in stack. The want, or supposed want, of labour has not been felt. The farmers here just helped each other; but, of course, there has not been a great acreage in crop. I asked one large ■ land-owner how he was getting on. " Oh," he said, "instead of putting in 300 acres, we put in only 20." To overcome the shortage of labour near Ranfurly I heard that the minister, schoolsmaster, barber, and policeman were out harvesting. The potato crops will be up elso, but from what I nave seen the result will be very poor. The turnips' are drooping their leaves, which are becoming yellow. I can see one or two nice crops of rape which will be sampled very soon by the lambs. Spon we shall .be into winter weather, though it is and has been very warm. I often wish we could have one of the Old Country winters when we were boys together—the big slide at the school, the stsndup snowball fight between the boys of the parish school and those-of the Free Kirk, the sledge rides down the snow-covered slopes, the lads and lassies hand in hand skating on the ponds, and the snow ploughs making tracks on the roads. Ah! it makes me feel my youth has gone too soon. The War.—l notice in the papers sueh a lot of things that are going to take place after tho war; but who is to do all these thir.gs? I was asked by a friend, "When did I think the war would be over?" and I replied, "When one combatant is left." I think that will bo about it, and the world .will have to start afresh. Presbyterian Church.—We expected to have Mr Axelsen on the 3rd of this month, but he could not get away, owing to the laying of the foundation-stone of the Old Peope's Home on the 2nd. Mr James Tayloi; filled his place, and I would like to say that, though I have heard Mr Taylor during the last 23 years, I never heard him give a better discourse than he did on that day. Yesterday Mr Axelsen turned up and gave a most interesting account of the working of tho P.S.S.A. He also thanked tho congregation for the liberal way in which they had sent gifts to the orphanages at the •harvest thanksgivings. We will soon have another harvest thanksgiving, and I hope we shalr-koep up our good name. What is life worth if we don't do good to ourselves and others? Oi course, ourselves first.