THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3125, 24 February 1873, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

Alexandra.--A meeting of gentlemen interested in the building of a steam dredge, and the placing of the same ou tlie Molyneux, was held hove on Saturday evening, loth inst. Mr M'Que.m, of the firm of Kincaid and M‘Queen, ironfonnders, Dunedin, who was present, laid on the table plans and drawings of a machine, and entered into a full explanation of its capabilities. He said a dredge constructed on the principle ■ f his drawings, and on the same lines, would, for the day of twenty-four hours, with five men on a shift of eight hours, that being equal to fifteen men, raise and wash fifty tons per hour, or one thousand tons per day, allowing four hours for shifting the dredge, and that the total cost of the dredge already moored in the Molyneux, with a guarantee to keep it in order for six months, would be about L 4,000. He then said, from estimates he 3iad made, he concluded the cost of raising and washing the dirt would not exceed 3d per load. He concluded by saying that he had every faith in the undertaking ; and as an earnest of such, his firm were prepared to take several hundred pounds worth of shares if the capital was locally subscribed He had great objections to what might be termed Dunedin companies. It looked to him as if there was more speculation than certainty, whereas, when the shares were held in the district, it assumes a more genuine appearance. Mr J. C. Chappie said, whilst in Dunedin lately, he had obtained estimates of the cost of dredges suitable for the river ; the plans ho was not provided with, hut he thought ho could give such a description as would be Intel ligilde. Messrs Sparrow and Thomas offer to construct an iron centre boat with single ladder, for L 3.600 ; and Mr W. Wilson offers to construct a wooden centre boat, with single ladder, for L 2.200. A great deal of conversation among the gentlemen present followed, and it was ultimately settled that steps be taken to foinr a company, with a capital of L.5,000 in L 5 shares.

Auuowtownv-Our correspondent writes as follows Business engagements having necessitated my presence during the past few weeks in a distant portion of the district, I was unaware, until my recent return to the Arrow, that my remarks, in a former letter, in reference to the distribution of the yield of gold in the Queenstown district, had been disputed by the Wakadp Mail. In reply, I have to state that my observations were the result of direct inquiry, as well as of a personal knowledge of the circumstances of a large number of the mitrevs in the district. That certain claims on the Shotover have, during the last few years, been yielding large amounts of gold, can be proved beyond dispute, and I will take steps to obtain, as nearly as possible, an account of these yields, when, by comparing their total with the amount of gold escorted during the same period, a tolerably correct conclusion can be arrived at. Closer inquiry will elucidate the fact that the Shotover yield of gold offers great inducements for the judicious outlay of capital, and also that a great waste of labor has been for years past, through the absence of sufficient capital to prospect and work its gold deposits in an efficient maimer (as pointed out in your leader on the subject). The Chinese claims at the Big Beach furnish a striking illustration of the truth of your remarks. This ground was occupied for years by European miners, but with very partial success, because they were not able to undertake works of sufficient magnitude to develop it, and, at length, the principal lease and plant were handed over to creditors, from whom they were purchased by a Chinese party of about fifty men, who have opened the ground by means of a covered drainage tail-race, and the exact measure of their success I will endeavor to ascertain. It is known that numbers of the first shareholders have returned to China with good amounts of money, and it is said that the claim is yielding at present at the rate of LIO or Ll2 per man to each of this large party. A second party of Chinese has taken up another lease at the Big Boaoh ; their works are steadily progressing, and it is estimated that they are at present earning ordinary wages, with a more prosperous future before them. 'Take again the case of the New Channel Company here ; a party of miners expended thousands of pounds in a cutting to divert the river for about half a mile, but owing to want of means they were unable to complete the work, winch was abandoned, and remained so for many years. Now it is in the hands of a new party, and the works ere rapidly approaching completion. Many other instances are known to me, but as I wish to deal with the subject again, I defer to enumerate them. My last letter stated that I had been informed that Grace and party had obtained M,OOO worth of gold lately, while their chum was under negotiation for sale to a company, and in the interests of the public I suggested the desirability of work being stopped, pending the completion of such an arrangement. I am glad to be able to state that no work has been done in the claim since the arrangements for the proposed sale were commenced, but the gold obtained was the result of a washing of a lower tail-race, which had retained gold escaped over the ordinary sluice used by the party, and which had been accumulating for some time." KaitancJ ata. Considerable dissatisfaction at present prevails among the miners at the Kaitangata coal mines. The United A 1 Co.’s hands have already struck work, for higher wages, it is said, and a meeting of those employed at the Kaitaugata Co.’s mine was held on Tuesday evening, when it was agreed that an advance of wages should be demanded, failing which'an immediate strike would ho the result. The miners complain that no advance whatever in their wages has taken place, although flu price of coal on the ground lias risen from Us to 12s fid per ton. The miners at the Kaitaugata Co.’s pit arc raid 5s pyr ton, and very long hours have to bo put in to enable them to turn out two tons daily. Seven shillings per tun is paid at the United Al Co.’s pit; but the disadvantages of working tin-; s-gam aid said to couuterbnlap.ee tins apparent benefit, so that the wages realised at both pits arc much the same. I linnr Jh ruh/. Tin-: Tai'ehi.--Mr Hteveusou, niunugor vf the Henley Estate, Taiori, is uqw making preparations for extensive planting upon that property. Ft is intended'to have clumps of trees in zigzag lines planted all oyer the estate, so as to afford shelter fov slock from whatever' direction a storm may arise. U has boon found that notwithstanding the splendid feed to be found there during the winter, |t in impossible thoroughly to fattefi stock during these mouths without shelter, which will now shortly be pros ided. Willows arc also to be planted along the river banks, and experiments are being tried with different kinds of grasses to bind rhe soil and prevent it being washed away by tire action of the river.—-The caterpillar is making grmi y ravages amongst the' crops of the East Taieri, their destructive efforts being directed as much aitsf damage has

been done to the barley, oats, and timothy grass crops : the wheat scarcely suffering at all Some idea of their destructive habits may be formed when we mention that it is supposed that one single chrysalis will devour two ears of corn per day. On some of the farms those pests are in myriads, and there seems no relief, except the English birds, the starling and tlm sparrow, which quickly clear the fields. AVc (Bvvct i eraM) think the importation of these feathered friends to the farmer in large quantities is a work which our Acclimatisation Society may profitably carry out, as the damage to the crops next year will he incalculable unless active measures are taken for the suprcssiou of the caterpillar. , . , , Qukenstowx. —Water rights are being keenly looked after. We do not mean water rights for gold mining purposes but for public and domestic purposes. The last two years of dry seasons have opened the eyes of the farmers to the necessity of obtaining water for the purpose of irrigation of the laud. The farmers on Frankton Flat, and up to Lake Hayes, are very badly off. All water obtained, except in one or two instances, is by carting it from the rivers, or by wells.—The weather continues hot and dry. Monday was excessively hot. Now that crops are well in, farmers are anxious for rain, which, though threatening to fall yesterday, passed away, leaving to-day (Wednesday) a cloudless sky and high glass.—We learn on good authority, that another new industry is about being started in the district, namely, a soap and candle factory. The woollen manufactory previously mentioned is, we believe, to cost some L 15.000, and will be commenced as soon as certain preliminary arrangements have been completed. Besides these, we are to have additions to present industries in the shape of another brewery ; while the enterprising proprietor of the Wakatip Mills is erecting machinery for an oat-gristing mill. Building operations are going rapidly forward in Queenstown. Those interested seem to be anxious to get works completed ere winter closes o’er the scene, and thus all hands are working overtime. —Mail, 20th.