MANUNUI.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 14, 25 January 1907, Page 3

MANUNUI.

We have escaped from any serious damage through the late floods, but the warm rains brought along the potato blight, and in most cases it means a serious loss to the growers. Some few, who planted early, consider their crops ripe enough to keep, and have dug them out; others have cut off all the tops, in the hope of being able to .check the blight that way. I notice .the blight also attacks the broad bean and practically destroys it. Mr Tifield, the manager of the Pungapunga Timber Co., has all his mill machinery at Onehunga awaiting the re-opening of the line, to come through. It is intended to push on with both mill and bush work, and mill is expected to be cutting by the middle of next April. Messrs Ellis and Burnand's mill is cutting at odd times, just as the timber is required to erect the mill." The bench, on the latest American principle, is a great success, and one man can handle an ordinary log on it as easily as two could an ordinary flitch on the old style of bench. When their mill is complete it will be capable of turningout about 30,000 feet of timber per day. The Roads Department is pushingahead with the roads in the township, and I suppose in this we must congratulate ourselves, as, when the present contracts are finished, every section in the place will have a good road to it.

Ragwort is getting very plentiful in this locality, and unless soon checked, threatens to over-run most of the district. The scenery reserve at Matapuna is simply a mass of this pest, and it is time the Government took the matter in hand, in a manner that would put a permanent check on it, otherwise in a few years it will have spread into the hilly country at the back, and it will be almost impossible to cope with it. On Sunday morning we had a slight frost, but it did not do any great damage ; it only nipped a few cucumbers and other tender plants. It is to be hoped we shall not have frost generally for some time to come, otherwise it will spoil all the pumpkins, melons and tomato crops, as they are at present only about half grown. Tc-day (January 22nd), the ladies of the district are giving the chrildren a picnic up the Pungapunga tramway, but as old men are not allowed on the premises, I shall have to send you details next week.