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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2460, 5 February 1881, Page 3

A trotting match between Mr Walter Spring’s chesnut mare Jess and Mr David Mitchell's bay pony Minnie, for £25 aside, came off yesterday morning, on the Ellesmere racecourse. At the word to go the chesnut immediately got away, young George McClure, who was riding the pony, wisely keeping her in hand until she settled down to her work. The chesnut kept slightly in advance twice round the course, when McClure let the bay out and quickly got on even terms with Mr Spring’s mare, and afterwards passed her. When leading by about half a chain, some of the horsemen, amongst whom the referees were conspicuous, rushed alongside Mr Mitchell’s mare and made her break, and thereby loose a lot of ground. Twice afterwards she was caused to break by horsemen doing the same thing, and thereby thrown out of the race, which she had a rare chance of winning. Mr Mitchell has declined to allow the stakes to be handed over until the matter has been investigated. Between £2OO and £3OO depends on the result, as Mr Springs’s mare had been largely backed till within a couple of days before the race, when the pony came to the fore, and started first favorite.

“Does oat grain alter in weight per bushel by keeping ?" is a question which, if pub to agriculturists is variously answered. Perhaps the general opinion is that the grain does go in quantity, but becoming drier, and firmer, is heavier per bushel. The opportunity afforded to test this point was taken advantage of lately. Having ascertained the weight per bushel when cut, without dressing as for market or for seed, the grain from Aboyne was kept for five weeks thinly sprsad out on a floor, and then put in small bags, and again weighed. In each case the total weight was less, and the weight per bushel was also less. Wheat and barley being much heavier, however, than water, will by losing water probably in every case increase in weight per bushel, while the bats being just about the same weight as water (rather heavier when plump, lighter when long), will, in the case of fine quality, probably increase in weight per bushel by keeping, but inferior quality will decrease in weight per bushel.—“ North British Agriculturist.” Mr Herring, a gentleman from the neighborhood of Normanton, near Wakefield, has arrived in Dunedin. His mission (says the “ Star”) is to ascertain the desirability of emigration of a large number of farmers in the neighborhood of Wakefield, who, burdened heavily by rents, tithes, poor rates, and education rates, find farming in Yorkshire becoming unprofitable. He has been commissioned to ascertain the capabilities and resources of the country, not only with regard to farming, hut pastoral pursuits, coal mining, and other industries ; and to confirm, if in bis opinion true, the reports of Messrs Grant and Foster, The successful transport of fresh meat by the Protos, and the price at which it can be profitably sold in England, has convinced English farmers of the impossibility of competing with New Zealand and Australia, and the bad harvests of the last few years, with the unwillingness of landlords to reduce rents, has caused a widespread desire to settle in a country where they can obtain a fair return for their capital. Mr Herring has traversed the country from the Bluff to Queenstown and across the Waimea Plains. To-morrow he will further prosecute his inquiries, and, we believe, proceed north and eastward. ■

The W. C, Wentworth, barque, arrived at mid-day from Newcastle. She experienced very rough weather coming over, and had to throw a portion of her deck cargo (consisting of nine heavy beams) overboardShe brings timber for the Harbor Board.