OUR ARROW LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 4039, 5 February 1876, Page 3

OUR ARROW LETTER.

This is an important season with sheepowners and agriculturists. The shearing has turned,out well as far as the yield of wool is condtfmed, but very great deficiencesof sheep have been found on mustering; and it is : very - evidept .that the carrying capabilities <?f tjie runs have been , over-burdened, as the feed yyhicftls ample in summer time is very limited; indeed in winter,! and hence the number of sheep lost, i The lesson will not be without its effect in future, as many of the sheepowners are trying tb obtain additional areas for their runs. The harvest this year will be a very good One, the principal crops, being wheat and oats, although only a limited area is under crop as prices have been very low. of late years. Farmers will be obliged to utilise their lands for raising cattle: and sheep, aa otherwise they will have to allow them, to lie to fallow, for it would not pay to grow larger quantities of grain than the markets can absorb. In mining, steady progress is the rule with all the large companies,, and the new quartz reefs are gaining in favor. What is needed for their advancement is for sbnie party of means to take an interest in them, and introduce machinery on an effective- scale. The prospects are tempting enough, but they are not yet sufficiently well known to have obtamedthe notice of capitalists, and therefore it is possible that operations will for a time he lunitecj. to such small machinery as the miners can erect out of their own means. The system; of’ crushing with dollies, which is adopted in Queensland in new reefinglocalities, niay be tried. One thing is certain, that the reefs will be worked one way or another. ;

At Skipper’s Reef the- machines are idle through Scarcity of-iwater, but work in the claims is being pushed on. In the Phoenix claim a vein of quartz 12ft; wide show well, besides other smaller reefs. . The Nugget and Cornish, Shotover, has a heavy task in . hand, driving through th-j rock at a low level for the reef; they are m about 300 feet and, are. still pushing on ■’the wojk.. At the Shotover terrace but litele ia doing at present, until some final arrangements are made about the Shotover claim. The New Channel Company, which from first to last has absorbed large amounts of . capital, is in a position to take out a paddock. Every possible means &£ been a dopted to ensure success, as previous experience has enlightened them as to the difficulties, and -the: party is prepared With ; every appliance necessary to meet them. Mr Boyle, the principal shareholder, who; has already spent largeaums on the claim, iadeterminedto lay out stiS more, if necessary, and has gopd faith of success. A favorable stretch of w Bather may epable this patty to reqdpp themselves for i past outlay.- The Chinese .have been keeping their new year, and have not been working their claims during the past few days. They present everyone with a' piece of red paper, -which has some significance of the holiday * and they have been .going $ b j n s, each'others’' camps, .feasting fuld firing cwckctSj but not sccni to give .way to. any excesses, which is much to their ,c£edi£., '■ ' "The Commissioner of Police has been here but does not teem to have taken any action , towards-, providing. the police with proper quarters, which is much needed, the present building being shamefully inadequate and uncomfortable.