TUAPEKA WEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1428, 11 February 1888, Page 3

TUAPEKA WEST.

(From an Occasional Correspondent, )

The weather during the past week or two has been very changeable, and to some extent has interfered with harvest operations. In the course of another week or so, the harvest will be well advanced here. The cereal crops are looking very well on the whole, although somewhat light, attributable to the backward spring. As far as I can judge there is a larger acreage in wheat this year than last, and leaa in oats. The area in either cereal iB about the same. The prevailing nor'- westers have brought the grain crops on very rapidly within the past ten days or so. Fiom several samples of both fat 8 and wheat I have inspected, I notice that the grain is plump and well-filled this season. I can only express the hope that better prices will prevail than has been the case of late.

The grass paddocks around are looking very well. The cold, biting winds we have experienced lately have affected the pasture very materially. The turnip crop throughout the district will be very poor this season. I have only seen two or three good patches, and these are very limited in extent. The scorching heat, and the want of a few genial showers, together with the withering nor'-weaters we have had off and on, have played havoc with the turnips. The potato crop also does not promise well. Last year these root crops did very well in this district.

The hay harvest was retarded very much owing to the frequent showers of rain and high winds. On the whole the harvest has been a very fair one. Ryegrass is the chief grass sown here. I hear that the rates ruling for ryegrass in the seed market are very low.

A public meeting of the settlers is to be held here on Saturday evening to determine the rates to be paid for harvesting and threshing during the current season. There is nothing like the settlers banding together to conserve their own interests. I have not heard the rates that are to be proposed, but understand that the hands were getting 7d an hour during the hay harvest. There is no scarcity of harvesters this season.

I am pleased to notice that the Babbit Department are going in strongly for the ferret as a natural enemy of the rabbit. A number of ferrets were lately liberated by Inspector Miles in the bush reserves in this neighbourhood. A few of the settlers have been breeding ferrets for the Department and found it pretty profitable : I mean in getting 7s 6d a head for the young ferrets the breeders have been fairly well recompensed for their trouble. I am convinced chat if the ferrets only get fair play they will soon thin the rabbits. The step is certainly in the right direction, and the Rabbit Department is to be com mended for its action. In Mr T. J. Miles the Government have a man who does his work in a thoroughly efficient manner.

Our roads are in very fair order. A lot of formation — certainly much needed — has been done by the grader in this district. The cost to the county has not been heavy. I regard the money paid for the machine as the best ever spent by the Council.

I notice Mr Livingston (the member for Clarks riding) has been moving in the direction of getting the County surfacing done by tender instead of day labour. For the life of me, I cannot see how such an arrangement will work in the Tuapeka County, where there is suoh a stretch of unformed and partly formed district roads. No doubt the maintenance of the main road and some of the district roads where the traffic is heavy could be tendered for, the successful tenderer being bound by very stringent specifications ; but, on the whole, in a county like Tuapeka, where there is little or no gravel fit for roadmaking, and where the roads are in such a mess in the winter season, I am afraid there is no help for it but to continue the present system of employing surfacemen. Certainly, if Mr Livingston has any practical scheme, by all means let it get a fair trial. I don't think any harm has resulted by the infusion of new blood into the Council.

Our Bchool is making very good progress under Mr Botting's skilful tuition. The attendance keeps up very well, and the parents and children alike have a kindly word to say of the teacher. The aohool will shortly break up for the harvest holidays.