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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 191, 11 March 1868, Page 2

The Weather. —Stale as this topic is, we are glad to report, that at last we have had more than two days consecutive summer, and there appears every likelihood of a continuanee of fine dry weather. Picnic.—We understand that a picnic party is projected to visit Mr Gr. "White's gardens, up the Buller river. Canterbury.— A new Ministry has been formed at Christchurch composed as follows : —Mr Jollie, Provincial Secretary ; Mr W. Williams, Provincial Solicitor; and Messrs Ormsby and Montgomery, members of the Executive, without office. The Thames G-oldetelds. —Sirica the Ist of February, 1117 ounces of gold have reached Au kland from the Thames Goldfields. Martin's Reef Waimangaroa.— On of the shareholders in this reef has i parted with his interest for a little over £OOO. Stevenson's Assembly 'Rooms.— We beg to remind our readers that Mrs C. F. Evereste will deliver a lecture at the above rooms this evening, on " Flirtation," its evils and its remedy. Tounr ladies are, by advertisement, particularly invited to attend. We do not mean to insinuate that young ladies are at all ndicted to flirtation ; but still we would recommend them to attend Mrs Evereste's lecture, as they may there learn experience, which will doubtless enable them to avoid the evils to which flirtation leads.

Sale of the Wellington Hotei,. —This hotel which was submitted to auction by Mr Munro yesterday, was reported as having been bought in by the mortgagee, but no bona fide bid i were mode in the presence of our reporter. The amount at which the property was knocked down was £lls, scarcely the value of the window-glass and paint. Gardens in Westport.—The old inhabitant of the Buller, who remembers going for weeks, nay months without the luxury of a cabbage or any other vegetable besides the potato, would find the times strangely altered now. Every day some six or seven men are to be seen selling all descriptions of garden produce, the yield of gardens in our immediate vicinity ; and the change for the better from the half rotten mullock one used to get from Nelson, except in rare instauces when the vessels made a quick rim down, is no less pleasant than true. We have now some eight kitchen gardens in working order, and the town bids fair to be supplied altogether from her own resources before many months elapse. One of the best things that can happen to a young district is the establishment of gardens and small farms, and should the land around the Buller be taken up in anything like a proportionate degree, the future of the Buller is bright, and is not likely to degenerate into a depopulated village as our croakers would wish us to believe. "We read of the advantage accruing to our forefathers when the sword was turned into the ploughshare, and should the pick and shovel of the successful miner ever be used for agricultural pursuits in this district, it will unquestionably be a general benefit.