NOTES FROM THE COUNTRY

Western Star, Issue 1385, 31 August 1889, Page 1

NOTES FROM THE COUNTRY

[by our rambling coiirbsfondbnt.3 For the past two months, the weather ha* boen all that could be desired for every kind of outdoor w ark, consequently the farmer* havo made good headway with the ploughing, and in some instances oats have been apwn. On Gladfield estate the contractors, Mesars Piootor and Stroud, havo already turned oYor ; from, eight to nine hundred acres, the" 'greater proportion of which is to be sown, with gras« and turnips. During the last five years, no less than 150 tons of grass seeds have been sown on Gladfield, all of whioh, except clovers, was purchased from New Zealand farmersit cannot be said of this estate, that it produces all and consumes nothing. There seems to bo a slight demand for improved farms on the Oreti plains now, and several properties have of late changed hands. Included in the number are. Mr Foster's farm near Druinmond, and what in known as Murray's farm near Heddon Bath; Messrs Barber Bros, of Otautau have acquired the former, the purchaser of the latter being Mr Malcolm of Winton. Things on the. Bayswater estate appear to be about as lively as in days of yore. Ploughing and sowing seem to be the order of the day, and already several hundred acres of wheat havo been sown. In addition to the employees engaged in preparing and soedirg; tho land, the proprietors of the estate have a gang of men working on the river bank driving piles and boarding up the low places to prevent the river encroaching. During the last two or three years the floods have done immense damage on this property, besides causing groat alarm to those living low down the plain. It is very much to be regretted that the attempt, made some < time ago to form a river board, fell through, aa it seems hard for the energetic holders of Bayswater to have to spend large sums of money on river protection works, that will undoubtedly either directly or indirectly benefit scores of others all along the Waimatuku flat._ However, one thing is good until another is told, and there is this to be said about the undertaking in question; it will enormously incroase the overflow onto the Opib flat and the town of Otautau, and perhaps be the cause of the river bursting its banks and flowing alto. gothor into the Opio, where the laud is some ten feet lower. Should this happen—a not at all unlikely contingency—some of the richest land in the colony would be submerged, miles of the Nightcaps"railway washed away, and traffic by that route stopped—never to go again. Some people may be inclined to laugh at my remarks ; but to show the great dangor of what is mentioned taking place, I would again say that to divert the whole of the water from the Jacob's into the Strathmore or Ooio flat would only be work for ona man for ten or twelve hours. Our deferred payment settlors have to rejoice and be glad, owing to the sweeping reductions proposed to be made in the original price of their holdings. But why should these oeople (to speak figuratively) be. so liberally blessed with tho dews of heavenand the fatness of the earth, while those who paid cash for thoir land are orying aloud for relief with but a forlorn hope of being heard? Many of the deferred payment settlers are, no doubt, very suitable''subjects for rolief, but according to common law and justice they deserve nothing more than' those who paid cash for their holdings; and indeed) if it is taksn into consideration, the same meroies continually extended to drown tenants. I question if they deserve, as much. However, to cut the matter short, it may' be said that tho proposed relief to be given, to only one portion of our colonists is another instance of "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Mr John Allison, of Orossflat, has now got his coal pit opened up, and during the' coming summer will be in a position to supply allcomers. I fullv intended to have visited the several iflax mills near tho Otautau ero this;' but could not spare the time. I will endeavor to j give some particulars of thorn in my next communication. From wh-it I heaf Mr Moffat is going into the industry in real earnest, and Messrs Ellis and Watt' (encouraged, no doubt, not by the Home market but by tho American price, which is £7 per ton better) are erecting large buildings. After all said for and against the San Francisco service, it is worth something to New Zealand, if it enables us to have our flax jtaken to a market whore it brings such, anvalue.