WAIMATUKU.

Southern Cross, Volume 13, Issue 45, 3 February 1906, Page 12

WAIMATUKU.

The holidays are over and the usual routine of farm work has com. menced. , The grass harvest is very late this season on account of the continued wet weather. Those who have grass to cut are just making a start this week, which is three weeks iater than would have been the case had the weather been favourable for ripening. Grass seed has ocen a very profitable crop for a number of years, and present indications point to high prices this year also. Turnips are very backward. A few patches of the early varieties sown early in December are looking fairly well, but the late crop in many cases is almost a failure, on account of so much heavy rain and the ravages of the fly. Should the turnip crop be poor throughout Southland as the outlook would lead us to expect, it wull no doubt cause a drop in the price of store sheep, as farmers will be unable to buy any for fattening purposes. Buyers of fat lambs have been in the district during the week, but owing to the fall in the London market they are offering about 3s per head less than at this time last year. About 12s 6d is the value of a. fat lamb at present. Wool is bringing a high price this season. So far as I have heard, Messrs W. Gray and Son obtained

the highest figure locally, viz., per pound nett cash. Our school picnic took place in a paddock kindly lent by Mr Jukes on Friday last. The day was beautifully fine, and all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Although ?t goes under the name of a school picnic, all the residents subscribe to it and turn out in full force. The school committee promoted races and jumping for the children, for which money prizes were given, while the young men and ladies indulged in the various games incidental to a gathering of this kind. The catering was in the hands of'Mr'Hislop, of Riverton, and gave general satisfaction. In the evening an enjoyable dance was held in the hall, the following gentlemen supplying the music : Messrs Fraser (2), Brown, McLeod. Rodger, and Sheffelbein. The school takes up again on Monday, after six weeks holidays, a part of which time the head teacher (Mr McKenzie) spent in Stewart Island, where he no doubt enjoyed a quiet rest. The Rev. A. D. Kirkland, our newly appointed minister, is moving in the direction of having a church built at Waianiwa. The ladies of the congregation have undertaken to get up a sale of work to assist the undertaking, and at a later date it is intended to have one built at Waimatuku also. Mr Wm. Fraser is going ahead with the erection of a new house on the property which he has acquired since the sale of his "Taurima” farm to Bickley Bros. Mr W. Blue has the contract, and as Mr Fraser never does things by halves, the new house will certainly be an ornament to the district.