THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 408, 11 February 1870, Page 3

THE LAKES.

(from OUR OWN CORRESPOND! NT

Queenstown, Fob. 8.

The crushing plant and mine of the Otago Company, at Skipper's has changed hands. It was sold by public auction, in the 31st nit., by order of the Bank of Otago. The purchaser was Mr. Michael Mallaghan, of this place, who has acquired the whole property for £430. There is every reason to believe that it will be erected at the Kuggett IKcf, Upper Shntover.

The Victoria steamer, which went over falls a few days since, has not returned to her old station on Lake Wakatip. I believe that it is the intention of her owner, Mr. Howarfh, to run her between the Oln Com pany’s ground, a little below Owen’s punt and the fal sof the Kawarau. It is contemplated that sufficient employment will he found for her in taking up coals and goods and loading back hour, and timber, thus saving considerable expense hi carting and the excessively heavy puntage charges. It is a great pity the Victoria cannot navigate the Kawa"au as far as Cromwell, and so on to Clyde.

The harvest is of course the principal topic of conversation ju.it now, the wealth of the district depending so much upon agr.cultural pursuits, There has been a much hotter supply of labor the last few days, and wages are now Bs. per day and found. The expectations that we shall have a larger yield than last season are not likely to he realised. There may, perhaps, he more land under crop, but the quantity to the acre is wanting. The yield of wheat may, in a few cases, reach as much as thirty-eight or forty bushels per acre, hut I am convinced that, in the great majority of cases, twenty-live may he taken as the average. During the late scorching-hot weather it was impossible that the grain could till. Of oats the acreage is small. The price of this cereal was so low during the early part of last year. that people put in wheat instead, and are apparently now sorry for doing so. The crop is by no means a heavy one, though it has not suffered so much from drought and heat as wheat. Prices must advance considerably towards the latter end of the season, .and those who can hold should do so. In barley the acreage is small, but now that we have a brewery here and you have another one at Alexandra, more of this description of grain will he grown next season. This crop, small as it is, cannot he said to he a good one, the season having been far too dry (hiring the months required for its growth.