PUHA NOTES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12664, 18 January 1912, Page 7

PUHA NOTES.

• The effect of the long-continued spell of dry weathpr is -beipg^ ...felt .'all, over th,e district. The hills have <i\ii£e a white ' appearance, mid look ns if v, sprinkling of dust was distributed , all over. The sheep, hpwever, are looking ..well nnd m good condition. The,',clry weather and bare paddocks are telling- more* against the cattle, especially the milking herds, and the milk supply to our local creamery has fallen off considerably during the past month. Still some very fair monthly cheques are being received, and pno supplier (Mrs Ngateke) has had for the .past two months tlio splendid monthly average of £1 15s per cow. Mrs Ngateke seems to lie a good .judgeof cows, keeping none, but the best milking strain, and always nikikes provision for plenty of feed. Messrs '.ttobb Bros., who have a milking machine and separator, are the largest dairy farmers .m this district, and have- a herd of about ,70. cows. Should we be favored with sufficient moisture abundance of feed would Hoon spring up, as the great heat m (he ground would cause v very rapid growth. Harvesting operations are well forward, the bulk of the crops leaving been securely stacked without a shower. ; A largo area has been under oats, and tho crops m most instances are- splendid. Sown during * different months of tho year from April to October, it is very interesting to note the progress made m the different paddocks. .No doubt a great deal depends upon the weather.' This year autumn, winter, and spring oats have all done well. Some very line winter ci'ops were grown on Messrs Coates' and Ensor's farms, and very prolific spring crops on Messrs Bridge, Stanbridge and Geo. Brown's farms. Mr Power, of Puha station, had a bulky autumn crop cut early, and the land immediately ploughed up and sown with Swede turnips. ' A very favorable time was chosen for sowing the seed, but the continuous dry weather is likely to retard the growth of the plants. The dry weather is very suitable for woolcarrying, and 'well on for 5000 bales have-al-ready been loaded at Puha railway station. Considering the goods for buck loading arriving and the large mobs' of sheep railed, the officer m charge must at times be kept very busy.