THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 560, 10 January 1873, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(rr.oM cur. ccnp.ssroNiiDXT.) Arkowtown, Dec. 23. Li minin'.' matters there is not much "to write, the holidays havin'? interrupted the sun! busy rule of that industry. The miners have now, however, returned to work and where water is plentiful, the yield of the precious metal will, no doubt, be as satisfactory as ever. After such a very dry summer great hopes are entertained that the rich beaches of the bhotover River will be workable. From trials during the past winter and the early part of summer, several very valuable claims were opened, but the water gods could not be propitiated sufliciontly to extract the wholoof the treasure, however, sufficient was obtained to prove that there is plenty of gold left there yet, in fact, since the great Hood in 1863, but little has beeu attempted to mine in the bed of this remarkable stream, the attention of the miners having been directed to the terraces. The now processes of sub-marine mining, now in course of experiment in your district, are viewed with much interest, and should it prove successful, quitcauew era will be introduced into the work of gold extraction on the Sho over. The work of gathering in the harvest has now commenced in earnest, earlier by three weeks than it was ever known to be, the hot weather having brought tho crops to early maturity. 'This quick ripening of tho grain has however, by no means improved the yield, and except whore the land is really first late it will bo very light, many paddocks of wheat arc by no means well filled, while as to oats there is a corresponding falling off. Whether this deficiency will he made up by a rise in prices, it is impossible to say, but I am afraid that wc are producing more than there is legitimate consumption for, not that wo have too many farmers, but their attention is all directed to wheat and oats, root crops and dairy produce being almost all ignored. Tho difficulty to get in tho harvest will not be light, labor is both scarce and dear, in fact, as may be said to bo unattainable, ten shillings per day and found is now being paid by the fanners, and yet men cannot ba had by praying for. . A - .few miners have no respect fur “cockatoos,” as between these two classes there’ exists a sort of .natural enmity.. . It appears to. mo that unless a supply of labor finds its way into the district, that considerably' tnoro than tcu shillings per day will have to bo paid •to harvest men, or many crops will be left to rot upon the fields. A system of cominatioii amongst the farmers, so that they can help one another, appears tbH only wayout of tho dilliculiy.