OKATO.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 87, 3 May 1895, Page 3

OKATO.

(Oua own Correspondent.) I was not'"aware when mentioning Mr J.. Eustace's crop of celery in my last notes, that he was intending to exhibit at the Horticultural show, but such I see he has done, and successfully.

An error crept into my last report. In mentioning a crop of peaches I am made to say it was W. Gray's, whereas it should have been B. Gray. A young urchin who read that report was heard to remark that "that newspaper correspondent must have had a glass too much of Willie's XL, consequently seen everything double." An exception to the generally indifferent crops of potatoes is Mr B. Gray's. A couple of years ago he imported .several new kinds from the old country. Amongst them were the skerry-blue; the gilbert; the ScotchChampion &c. This latter is a splendid variety, both for crop and quality. A root of the Gilbert, which he exhibited at one of the stores, weighed close on 141bs, your readers may calculate what that crop is like, when say if Iyd gives 141bs, what weight would one acre give. These new varieties have this year yielded far heavier crops than previously. In fact he says, jthey seem to have again only attained their usual perfection this season. The circular heads are also of very large size. The quince which I spoke of as grown by Mr Putt, some of which he weighed, one being nearly 21bs, and numbers of them were If lbs. Many settlers have been discussing the. probability (with the opening of freezing works) of being able to ship frozen veal to the Old Country the same as lamb, and would it pay ? The other day I saw a letter which quoted, among other things, the price of fat calves in one of the towns of the northwest of England as follows: One, weeks old, 88s; another, 3£ weeks old, 645; a sufficient margin there for shipping. This evening a meeting of the Chess and Draughts Club was held in the school-room. The attendance was not as large as expected, owing, no doubt, to insufficient notice being given. It was decided to commence play for the winter season next Friday night. Subscriptions were again fixed at 2s per member. April 80.