FORTROSE,

Southland Times, Issue 19134, 26 August 1903, Page 4

FORTROSE,

From our own: correspondents. The weather during the past week has . been all' that bould Tj© desired, and the --..'■ farmers have made the most of it. The mornings are very chilly yet, and there is still a touch of frost which keeps the grass from making any headway. There is very little growth yet, but weather like the present, minus the frost, will soon givo things' a push ahead. r On Thursday a nice mob';_6f 98 r head of young cattle, mostly two years J old, left here for the Peninsula.. The buyer was a Mr Dickson, from that- place, ; and- he had also b6ught'othfers" ; at Edendale. These cattle were"- bred "by Messrs Elliot, Haldane and. McKenae;:-and^ r a'itiicer lot of well-bred young cattle never : left this district. They, were to be taken by road . to DuneoJii, ;; '---;v.--':'-; ;-v.:,v-V-^- X: -^'-v-- ■•'-.- •■'-.--:.. . y: ■. Mr Paterson lv .the: ongauising secretary -for the Fai&era*--'Dnion>£ : paid^ his usual jZ •: visit to - Niagara -on -Thureday last.- : When he arrived : back; hero ron TiMdasy,several farmers with horses. more : or less crippled were _• awaiting him. The farmers are gradually.. b.eginn.ing.._to recognise the value "of these visits, arid they show their appreciation by bringing in their, sick stock. Peed is getting scar.cc, as most of the turnips are about finished and there is very little grass yet. Ploughing _is ;jweU advanced, amd several farmers- haye 1 - com* menced sowings-one x>r two havo finished I believe. The cancase of the large sperm whale stranded, .on the .beach... attracted. ~hun=. dreds oF people trom" different parts 61" the district.. .People; were(£oing^to haivea look at the deaa^' mdaster.-. every "day through the week, but on- Sunday nearly two hundred must' haVe;" gone down. Some in drags, '. some . on, horseback, while many ,r 'wiEdkedH']urAitkettr: of the Bluff, has purchased'lt.anid there: is haw a gang of men hard v at work trying out j the oil. Mr of.:the. SiK^. mile, saw lai'ge^'v whale,: playing, '.apd , sporting? about btf „ that --'•'•>' totality, on Tuesday: last. He got a go6d:yiew.:or it : aa it was blowing, arid, junipingaknost out "of the water, quite close, in* ; The flax-millers- ane making -' ready for another -" start." "■ Mr !!.-'• ".'Riddle' 'has removed his mill from Waiihahakas to Fortincatton, and Mr Neil MoEwan rhas taken his to Mokoreta. Mr Leach lias arrived -from his home in Rangiora, but he does not intend to make a start for five or six weeks yet, as he thinks tho roads can stand that much longer spell. The Blair Bros, have men • already at work, I believe, so the hum. Of. the stripper .: wilTsdon again. be . .fariailiar, music to our earss. This has 'become." an important industry, and it -is Z "strange that sonic of our ' settlers do not try to cultivate the plant. There . is plenty of land lyings idle, that should giow'-flax'to perfectidn, 'and -"given p'rbtectibn' -'."'fr&Bi' stocfe T do not .see. why ? such^ a crop j should not be as successfully gnowu .« s ! any other on the farm. 7 Mr Leach -has". -i I understand, -planted J some two and „a half acres on his farm^ at Rangiora,^ r but , I have not heard with v what : : 11 Tiie roads are gradually drying up, but it will take some time - yet before the Waikawa road will be in decent- order. Last winter the mail -coach managed to run with a pair of ..horses, -..-but, this, year it took four, of tham , all their time to take it through; " -".' : ' \' Another sawmiller, Mr Gt Murdoch, is about to start a mill -in-' *the" Niagara Bush. - „:■-.-•:. :..; ..':..._:..,..... 24th August. , ':■''■;■•■'