NOTES FROM SOUTHLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1856, 13 June 1888, Page 3

NOTES FROM SOUTHLAND.

+, (FBOM OTJB OTTN CoUKESPONDENr.) The weather daring Ihe last fortnight has been very changeable, a few nights frost betog followed by heavy rains, or at •ny rate scffiolentof both to keep oat roads m a dreadful paddle, and as moat of the farmers have more than half their grain yet to o&rry away, the nnmetalled portions of the county roads will moat llitely be rendered Impassable long before the carting season Is over. Most of tho roads m the Wallace county are, I am sorry to say, still In their native state, and as a very large proportion of the land Is held by Mortage Companies there are only a few of the roads fenced on more than one side, and as In the daya of yore, where there Is not a swing gate erected, the barrel and tbe dog are still to be met with, Bat notwithstanding this, the Oounty Oonncil (who have control of all roada m this county) are determined to give effect to the width of tire regulations, regard less of the great inconvenience to the farming community. At this time of the year, there is only a day now and again that the farmer dare ventnre out at all with his team, and when he is then prohibited from taking more than half a load, it becomes a great hardship, and to those who have to let the oafting of their vrool and grain by contract, it makeß a differ anee of something like 30 per cent, while tbe contractor escapes uneffeoted, owing to the fact that he always tenders for the work subject to the powers of the Aot. After the wretched weather we had all through the harvest just past, nothing more was expected than to see both wheat and oats discolored, but so far there are good samples of both to be had, and what was once thought to be a failure is turning out much better than the farmers ever ihpngHt o?,'aithpughthe prices ruling m the market for both commodities mean nothwg to th« grower. Talk about the depression the farmers feel it the worst, they only get a crop once a year, and, what with one expense and the •ther there is nothing left for them. Still they drag on, waiting like Micawber for " something better to turn The potatoe crop is everywhere disappointing, both m bulk and quality. The price obtainable at InvorcargiU is from four to five shillings a bag, and bard to get at Hhat, There are no Canterbury potatoes m the market just now, but there are numerous enquiries for them, owing, partly, to all tbe Southland grown being of an inferior quality. This has been a very bad season for turnips, and what were sown late m the ■eason are little better than a failure, and as out pastures are much barer than 1 have ever seem them at this time of the year, I will ventnre to say, that before many/ months are over both aheep and battle will run short of feed. * ' The'fliepute between the farmers and tbe mill hands has now been settled, by the latter agreeing to take elghtpence »n hour and found, instead of nlnepence as heretofore. '' 1 'Ever since the hunting season came m, the Hsport'ing section of the community hava l>een anxiously waiting to hear the - «*reet etralna of the Wallace hounds, but only to be disappointed by" the fact that ppr f^unt Glub; for the wanp of better support Is now Involved m difficulties, and' the hounds advertised for sale to the highest bjdder. Horse raoing and other ancient amusement! are ajao on the decline* but toller skating bjda fair to push every rival from its potb, and thcia who predicted that its popularity would be of short duration aye now fain to admit that they have bean out m their reckoning. Already there are Beveral rinks m tbe town of Invercargill, and the rage for skating Is daily increasing. Our diggers are still suffering at the hand* nt thn fshin»Tn»n urV.« U- < — --' »*_, -_ _.«... .. »*-w- f «• —*j ujf x«kL UQtnumber the while men on oar goldfields. At the present time there are 500 Chinamen on Round Hill diggings, who have built a good stead town called Gantoo, and to illustrate properly the beauties of/the place,' and the magnificent buildings jt would require a pen fiowething after the (style of Diciena, June 7tb, iBB9 t