Carnarvon.

Manawatu Herald, 4 December 1894, Page 3

Carnarvon.

(SBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) THE WEATHER lines my last has been alternating between rain and wind— retarding shearing operation! to a vexatious extent. It is said that on the Gar* narvon Estate the shearing is only half over, though it started two weeks and a half ago. It is under^ stood that at the finish a wedding is to take plaoe here with a big spree to all and sundry. THE BAGPIPES masterly played by Mr A. Cameron, enlivens tne idle time of the hands oil the above estate during wet weather. But on riding past one evening I saw one poor soul who refused to be comforted by the music of his native land, namely, Mr D. Boss, who had just got the first out of hit ewes and lambs shorn and turned out when down came the rain aeoompanied with a high eold wind. Donald was keeping this part of hi* Jiock i& the shelter of a pjantatio&v«i)<L looked as sad as if he had buried his wife, while his oollies went limping about with sore feet< through hard work. The most of liig shorn lambs were strong and fat and could stand anything, but a few small •nes were suffering from the loss of their little coats, and I knew that if Donald had them near his whore he would pftok them into it to lave then?. .! * BHEABING LAMBS 1^ a. question often argued for and •gainst— one party contending that it p«JB to shear uihem— that they have a bigger fleece next shearing, itud that it Jflia other ways benefit

cial. The other party seem, however, to have the preponderance of truth on their side for the following rßasonfl. First, an unshorn lamb will have a hogget fleece at 15 month's old, which will fetch more money than the lamb fleece and the next put together. Second* shearing lainbs knocks them about a good deal, and a number of them loose their mothers through it, and are therefore wearied before they are half stickled. They have then 1 to live wholly on grass, which is often bare and dirty where ewes are feeding, and so they piok up the germs of lung-worm, etc. Third, a lamb not shorn is like a well thatched corn-stack. The tips of the wool are turned downwards, and very little rain gets near its skin, whereas a shorn lamb is like a stack not tLatohed at all. Its wool all winter stands straight out, and the rain goes into its skin with every shower, causing considerably more loss among the latter than among the former. In a warm dry climate the case may Tbe different, but along this Coast we have a deal of cold, wet weather, from which shorn lambs must suffer considerably. "in the midst of life we are IN DEATH," and yet we don't believe it, though we may have proof of it every day if We look around us. Death does not always first enter where he first begins to knock. Our notice is as likely to be short as long. Mrs Rallston, a lady highly respected by all who knew her, has been sud* dehly called away from our midst, and from all that were near and dear to her. Her loss to her family who are so young is, in our opinion, irreparable, but then we cannot see to tho end. He says Himself 11 What I do now thou knowest not, butthou shalt know it hereafter." Those who mourn her loss are not doubtless without hope— they know that they will meet her again where there is no parting. Ist December, 1894.