THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 54, 4 March 1871, Page 2

THE WEEK.

L -'Ci » ■ Had it not been for the good people of Waimea South supplying us with a little amusement, the closing week would have I been quite as dull as its predecessor, but the visit which many of us paid to Wakefield on Tuesday last furnished a pleasant j break to the monotony of which we are all complaining just now. As a rule, the day's sport was generally enjoyed, but still there was a something painful in the feeling that the people of Nelson, who were the first to institute racing in the colony, and who have been accustomed ia days gone by to see the best horses in New Zealand on their course, should be driven to seek amusemeuf, in hack races. Not but what they are all very well in their way — so 13 mutton brotb, but to come down from turtle soup to that delightful concoction is not pleasant, and a little lime is necessary to reconcile the consumer thereof to the change. However, ifc is of no- avail to grumble; the times have changed, and we must change with them. Let us hope that before long they will take a turn for the better, when we shall bo able onco more to sit down to our turtle, with our relish for it increased by the coutrast it preseuts to the broth with which we have been compelled to satisfy ourselves for a time. And there really are prospects of such a chauge being in store for us. The news from our goldfields both at Collingwood and Wangapeka is cheering in the extreme. I have recently met with a gentleman who has returned from the former place, who speaks in glowing terms of the richness of the stone now being taken out from the Perseverance miue, in every piece of which of any size the gold ia plainly visible to the naked eye. From this we may gather that the stone now on view at the Legal Manager's is not merely a collection of picked specimens,

but afnir average of Iho stuff that is to go through the battery at tho next cr ushing, whicl, however, will not take place for the naxt two or three mouths. From the Wangapcka too, news has reached us of promising looking stone having been found, and, what is of as great importance, tlmt it will very shortly be tested, the whole of the works being completed, with the exception of the darn, to finish which another week or ten days will be required. But here, let me give a word of warning to the shareholders. They must not be discouraged should the first "crushing or two prove unsatisfactory, for there is a lot of rubbish to go through first, the reasons for this being tWcjfold, one is that the stuff has to be got out of the way before the best description of quartz can be taken to the battery, aud another, that by commencing with the poorer stone, there is less chance of any qd^ptity of gold being lost, up, before the machine is in such perfect order that the whole of the precious metal can be obtained, there are numerous interstices in the stamper-boxes to be filled'up, and it is far better that this should be done with stono than with gold. Under these circumstances we must not look for anything but poor returns for the first week or two after the battery commences work. I have recently come across a recipe for preventing damp or uncured hay from sweating when in bulk, which is something quite new to me, and may prove of some service to my country friends. It is as follows: — "As the hay is stacked, take slacked lime and sprinkle the hay with it freely — about lib. of lime to a ton of hay is sufficient — aud you need not fear but the hay will turn uut, sweet and good if rightly stacked. Green clover with alternate layers of dry straw treated thus makes excellent fodder. It- was proved likewise by stacking on a warm showery day five acres of wheat which had been cut for hay ; it was very damp, but by treating it with lime, as directed, it turned out so good that stock preferred it to any other hay, though Timothy, Hungarian, Prarie, &c, were offered to them." If this be really correct, it, is worth knowing, and by attending to it, some farmer, who otherwise would have lost his crop, may be enabled to piously ejaculate with his Excelleucy the Governor when telegraphing an account of the wreck of the Clio — "Thank God the stores are saved." The triennial census has been taken during the week, and in the course of a month we shall learn the results. An omission has been made in the papers, which is ranch to be regretted. Hop-growing is fast becoming a prominent industry, in this province particularly, but no provision has been made for ascertaining the number of acres devoted to their cultivation, and consequently they will be returned under the heading of "Other crops." This is a great mistake, as it would be interesting to know what progress has been made in a branch of local industry which is rapidly iucreasiug in importance. F.