THE LAMBING SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 929, 23 September 1910, Page 8

THE LAMBING SEASON.

; ~.-VAIBIG EXPOET PEEOICTED. '.'■■( By; Oui TraTelling Correspondent.) . ' - "Well,'and how aro your sheep doing?" iTMs'.iwas to a Mangamahu . sheep-farmer. ■'He'.'said:''."l think '^6 ' havo not, much'to ' tompl'ain .about in this district, as I hear of. a\good many losses in. other places." .ind that I found to betheoase generally oround Mangamahu. .Very few of the farmers' had suiFered much ■■'■..moTev' than iisual;.and:that was.also:the case, among the hoggets.;. They .-had experienced a very fine,winter, ■with comparatively."little■rain, tond: grass',in consequence was not so soft, ■ pud; watery..as', in' parts of'the; 1 , country, ,»here they havo had heavier rains. ';'■ / . •..'Prom all appearances there should-bo'a . {heavy- crop. 61 lambs this season:; A large. f" iropbrtion of tivins are to bo seen: all over , lie; country," "and -with 'the J exceptioh"'of ithetod storm afcitho end of last month, the:'.season .hW':.'boen :; all'in;favour; of. the. young lambs:' fit is seldom-thai I see sead lambs in the paddocks as I ride':along the roads.'-Of course; there are.deaths (too panyV in fact), but this! season I 'do • not. inowi'that, taking :it as ajwhole.'.they are abnormal.-: In'.' the: districts where' 1 ; that Wizzard was ; felt,' and where early .lamb.Sng * -was I going. on, -' the losses -were' '■; very Jieavy. : But .'on the West Coas- very, few farmers had started lambing,, and; the se-; Verity;of the.storih was nothing;like what, it was ih'the "Wairarapa distripts.;. The isputlierliesivas'airnle.'are.lnot : Leaving jUahgamahu' I.went .over, .the Irills.'i: .^following : ;.:,'Taddy's " track" to ."Okirae," -of Mr.. Jas. Cam-; bion/.' 'Prom "Okiraie;' the road skirts .the ■ for sbm'e. distance, and I theniturned off; to :the .left, for tho Tura-lina^Eiver,V-pullingl--up;at;Mr'..;PindUy ; Jl'Leiin's,' - whose' ■•' handsome.:.residence , is -iiiilt': oh a knob below, the; low'range 'of river:,■';. Grass ;in the vivid green, especially'on the fiver; flats,' which' are: largely of; the.wash-ijng-db'wn' from the -papa lands/ . ' •> ■'.' Lambs!: Lambs! '."everywheje;... paddocks !. lull;pf, : theni;'. looking/strong : and _healthy', :racing- and ; :junipi.ng-;about, -playing.; hide :.*nd seek-among,tho'Jiish'es.'vlittle.'dr.ea'm'-ing fbf the 1 probable'f ate -ahead'of them■ in !a few;.nionths' time! With the marvellous tihues—there. '■' will:, be-, -a.;tremendouS, : 'e's-: : port 'of ,'.fat'-lambs; this': season; /'.The.s'plen'oid- dryland.cooi:.weather , :has;h'ardehed the .young grass,;which : isgrowing:at. anamaz-; ring ■ rate; : . and :all ', ybiing' stock ■'' are; feeling; .the benefit...' I :sa'w;Wme hoggets'the other. ■ 'dayi'iTvhich.'the ; farmer told-men,.were;as -livelyVas; crickets,', "when; only'"a;;week'.be-, ■iore;; ; they'/could hardly.. crawl .'over the •lins.i'; It;.is, : ,wonderful what,"young stock 'svill'Jdb'.nnder.proper "conditions!;- ; .' ;■;--;(,