Kiritehere – Moeatoa.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 361, 17 May 1911, Page 3

Kiritehere - Moeatoa.

Freshening showers of rain have fallen, a delightful relief after our experience of the drying" winds of the past week or so. An interesting story came my way the other day, which, if not absolutely true, is worth re-telling: A certain settler not more than one hundred miles from Te Ivuiti, so the story goes, knocked over a rabbit a chain or two outside his whare door. Carefully removing Bunny's "jacket," he arranged it in a certain spot so as to appear like a live rabbit in repose. An unsupecting stranger drops in to taste of our friend's hospitality. "By George," remarks the host, "there's a blanky rabbit, despite the fact I m always shooting around hers. Much of a shot? See if you can knock him over from here. See, there are his ears sticking up over that ".lump of grass. Ah! By Jove, amiss; awkward shot that! He hasn't run, must have stunned him!" After expending another cartridge, the guest proceeds to examine the target, and discovers the skin. The genial host hastens to explain that he had pegged it out and forgotten to remove it, but adds, "Here comes someone else. Let us try him." He was tried. After a number of shots had been fired by the newcomer, the host suggested the shootist should fetch the rabbit, which, he opined must have been hit, but this time the manipulator of the weapon was not to be "had." Subsequently, over the "pipe and coffee," the host admitted his ruse, adding, "Visitors generally like sport, and mv game preserve takes a lot of shooting out. Better than the Kaiser's. Nice and handy, too, and easily maintained—a raobit skhi and a few sticks." Mr Jack Kinnane is laid up with sickness. Nothing definite has been heard re the poles for the Marokopa-Te Ivuiti telephone. Had settlers know more concerning the erecting of a Government telephone line through rural districts, aim tnis district in particular, they would not have seen themselves placed in the _ present humiliating position. As things are at present, they are waiting for the Government to have this line proceeded with at once. _ The present indirect telephone line, it is reported, does an enormous amount of business, and messages are delayed hours through the amount of work on the wire. A direct service to Te KuitHs what we want. It will come "in the future"—at which time the Government asems to leave the fulfilment of its promises to settlers. Inkweed has made its appearance in the district; also some patches of penny-royal are reported. A decoction from the latter plant, which grows everywhere up and along the West Coast from Kawhia to Tirau point, and inland from thence, is deemed, so old medicine books say, highly efr'ecatious for the cure of pains in the stomach. Hot applications of the leaves and stalks in the shape of poultices were of great moment for the cure of sprains, etc. rhe services of the chemist and the doctor have driven these good old-fashioned remedies cut of use. They aie too grandmotherly for this advanced age. Settlers should be on the look out for the fly in sheep, and see to their lambs. The_ change in the weather, resulting in rain falling on the hot soil will make the sheep fly active, particularly in the case of lambs. A solution of Cooper s dip is regarded as being a good disinfectant after dirty wool, etc., has been cleaned away. There arc many thirgs equally good—the great matter is cleanliness. If settlers do not take precautions, they pay the penalty nature's price. Lucerne is thriving excellently, whilst passion fruit continues to ripen on trellis work. There is one thing the census is sure to reveal with regard to this district, viz., the predominance of bachelors. Mr .Ben. McGrath runs the Manga-ohae-Marokopa mail service, and settlers generally are pleased with the condition of things in that respect. Pigeons in the district are scaice this season, and sportsmen report them as "wild." The crop of berries is not a good one, the late summer being the cause. Mr Dave .Wiley, Marokopa, is splitting posts for a private telephone line to be erected up the Marokopa river. The timber selected is puriri, the supports for the insulators to be of rimu.