LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 388, 24 November 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Kumera Crops The Maoris in the Opape and Tore- ' re districts have put in rather larger jnumbers of kumera plants this season than in former years. The plants look healthy and the prospeets, given sufficient rain, are promising. Beautiful Lupins The coast-line at the mouth of the Waioeka River near Opotiki town is a mass of golden bloom and presents a most striking appearance when seen from the Hospital Hill. This is due to the flowering of the lupins and especially in the evening the scent brought in by the sea breeze is pai'ticularly fine. It is noticeable, however, that on parts of the Opotiki-Te Kaha Road the lupins are steadily making their way inland and are encroaching upon the paddocksHay Crops Most of the farmers in the Opotiki district are busily engaged in saving their hay at the present time. The crops are extremely heavy largely as the result of the excellent spring. Where crops have already been brought in many dairymen are keeping their paddocks closed with the idea of getting a second cutting. Pot Holes in Gorge The road surface in the Waimana Gorge is becoming pitted with pot holes and in view of the steady increase of traffic expected during the forthcoming holiday season should soon have attention or the deterioration will result in very heavy expense, having to be incurred in reconditioning. So bad are the pot holes, especially at some of the corners that a "baby" car which was not by any means travelling fast was bounced right off the road on Monday. The car was fortunately pulled up before it left the roadside, but only just in time to avoid going over the bank.

Beaches Becoming Popular The beaches both north and south of Opotiki were well patropised by picnic parties especially on Sunday whilst a constant stream of cars along the coast roads showed that families were taking advantage of the fine weather to spend Sunday in the open air. YoungfPukekos Reared An Opotiki boy in the course of his wanderings discovered a pukeko's nest in a swamp, containing several eggs. These he brought home and placed under a broody hen- He was rewarded the other day by the hatching of a clutch of five young pukekos. The hen has apparently adopted h'er unusual progeny without question and they are to be seen strutting about the fowlyard presenting a comical sight with their long legs in comparison with the ordinary domestic fowl. Dangerous Corner About a mile from Waimana there is a corner in the main road which is becoming a positivetoanger to motor traffic due to the fact that the view 1 is obscured by the low-hanging branches of some weeping willow trees. An Auckland motorist informed a

'Morning Post" representative that he had an extremely narrow escape from colliding with another car the other day and suggests that the city council should have these trees lopped back. Early Maize Due to the good weather the maize crops in the Opotiki district are very forward for the time of yeai\ Though it is said that the area sown is not so large as two years ago there Is every prospect of good crops. Ragwort in Flower Whilst the seafront at Opotiki is a mass of yellow lupin there are several other pretty large patches of yellow flowers in the district which are not so popular. Ragwort seems to be steadily increasing and is apparently spreading rapidly. Aceording to some- of the older settlers the seed is mainly coming down with the wind from infested Crown land in the high country at the back of the valley and they contend that stricter supervision by the departmental officers concerned is necessary in the outlying areas lest this pest should beeome established in the fiats to a greater extent.