PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1880.

Patea Mail, 30 November 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1880.

Tun Homeward Mam. via San Francisco leaves Wellington next Sunday for Auckland. The mail closes in this district next Thursday.

Tub Telegraimi was closed last evening because Governor Gordon had landed at Wellington. Our cable news could not be sent through, and telegrams from various parts of the colony were blocked. Wellington must be in a bad way when it cannot transact urgent business of this nature.

William Holtz, who was badly injured at Waverloy on the racc-day, continues in a precarious condition at the Hospital. The right thigh being badly broken, the main artery was injured to an extent which prevents effective circulation in the foot. It continues cold, and shows unpromising symptoms. Amputation appears unavoidable to prevent mortification, but the man lost so much blood through the breakage and the long delay before arriving at the Hospital, that it is doubtful if he could survive an operation which must be extremely risky in his condition. After writing the above, we learn that mortification has set in in the injured limb, and amputation will be necessary. Dr Croft was called in consultation yesterday with the Hospital surgeon, and it was decided to defer operating for the present until it appears how much of the limb must be sacrificed. Millinery novelties arc being shown in the Patoa Town Hall by Madame de Launay, from Wellington. Mr F. E. Jackson’s stock sale takes place to-morrow at Wanganui.

The deferred payment sections in the Manaia district are not to be open for selection till the 20th December, instead of the 2nd. Maquis are beginning sheep-stealing in a daring form. The contractor at the Pungarelm camp, in the Parihaka block, has been losing sheep; and on Saturday a native was caught killing sheep belonging to the contractor, and was taken into custody. This act indicates the native temper at present. The Schooner is to be got off the beach at Patca heads by hauling her over the breakwater into the channel. Captain Bendall has taken charge of the wreck, as general insurance agent, and is of opinion that the schooner can be saved. He invites tenders for the operation. The official inquiry into the stranding is not yet fixed. The hoy whose leg was broken ina horse accident at Mr Foreman’s, Mountain, is now able to walk about with crutches. He continues weak, being a poor cater, but is cheerful. Dr Keating regarded the case as very critical when first brought to the Hospital, the boy being naturally weak, and the breakage a very bad one. He could hardly have survived amputation.

The railway workshop at Port Chalmers, managed by the Government, has been doing work for outside parties at a serious loss. The Albion steamer’s shaft was replaced at a charge of sid. per pound weight, whereas similar work had been charged a pound in Melbourne. Mr Olliver told a deputation that the workshop would have to be leased, as it was a serious loss under present management. Mr Macandrew, who was present, agreed with the sug-

gestion

Evidence taken at the Opunaki inquest will bo found fully reported in the Mail. There being no indicatian of a criminal outrage on Miss Dohie, the theory that a white man is the murderer must be abandoned. A Maori is now directly implicated, and the tragedy assumes a graver character as being the act of a native whoso only apparent motive con d be a savage impulse to be avenged on some unprotected European. There is hj certain indication of sour incivility among natives up the coast. Tc Whiti’s mystic influence restrains them, else their savage nature would assert itself in the old historic manner.

Mu South r.v is trying wheat this season in two paddocks, about 45 acres, besides 14 acres of barley and oats, with a little maize. He intends putting in linseed next year, to give the “ new crop ” a trial as a string-making fibre. Wheat growing in this district is still in the experimental stage. Several trials have turned out unsatisfactorily, and those who tried have in most cases gone back to grass. The conditions of success have yet to be discovered, and arc to be attained only by intelligent experiment. Thick sowing is advocated as desirable, because the closer the crop the better for the ear. By keeping the straw thin instead of running up tall and rank, the ear is not starved to feed the straw. In this climate the rule of experience as to thick sowing of grain appears to be reversed. Mr Mcchi, the model experimental farmer of Tiptree Hall, who has done much good to Home farmers by his expensive series of trials, is strong on the advantage of thin sowing. But the British climate docs not force growth so rapidly as in this colony, and the straw at Home grows less rank than here. Farmers on this coast should not give up the grain question as hopeless. The soil has not been worked, and if a good quality of grain is expected after the first ploughing, the expectation is contrary to experience in other kinds of crop. The soil on this coast may be expected to improve by rotation cropping. The soil when first turned up is saturated with the vegetable deposit of the fern and flax era, and requires working and sweetening by repeated ploughing and cropping, after which a grain crop may be tried with fair prospect of a good yield, both as to quantity and quality. Farms near the bush are better suited to cereals than those near the

sea spray,