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Southland Times, Issue 1054, 9 November 1868, Page 2

' This being the anniversary of the birthday of His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales, ib will be observed as a general holiday by the Government, the banks, and the mercantile community. Excursion trains will leave the Kew Station at 9.15 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., returning from the Bluff at 11.15 a.m. and 4.15 p.m. Beturn tickets being issued at a charge of five shillings. The Southland Times Medal will be shot for by the members of the Volunteer Company, and in the evening the grand Amateur Concert will take place at the Theatre Eoyal. Several pic-nics are to take place on the Ocean Beach, and should the weather prove favorable, all kinds of enjoyment may be anticipated. We learn from the Director of Meteorological Stations (C. E. Marten, Esq.,) that last Wednesday the standard insulated thermometer, exposed to the sun's rajs, indicated the extraordinary temperature of 146 deg. ; although the heat in j shade at the same time was only 70 deg. The weather for the last few weeks has been highly favorable to the agriculturists, and we ' have received reports from various districts to the effect that the grain crops are most promising, while garden produce is showing a rapidity of growth scarcely ever before known. The farmers in the New Eiver district, however, complain that the rabbit pest is becoming intolerable — whole fields of growing crops being destroyed in a single night. The Pilob establishment at the New Eiver Headß is to be discontinued after the first week in January, 1869. A correspondent, signed "florae Shoer," suggests that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, should give a prize for the best set of horse shoes, manufactured on the ground, on the occasion of the next Show. As the erection of a portable forge. would be inexpensive, the suggestion is worthy of consideration.

Speaking of the preeent attitude of affairs at the front, the Wanganui Chronicle says* — "Tito Kowaru is said to have no fewer than 800 men gathered around him (although this number can be nothing more than a shrewd guess), whereas, thinned aJs the colonial force now is, there will probably not be more than 200 men at Patea. We need more men, and these men require to know and to trust each other. A correspondent of the 'Nelson Examiner,' writing from Pakawau, Golden Bay, regarding the effects of the late earthquake in that district, says : — On the Sandspit, near Cape Farewells the large sand-hills present a curious appearance, many of them having De'en so shaken and split that one sfcfe has fallen many feet below the other. In several places inland the ground is cracked for a considerable depth, and from one to three inches in width, down one of which a small stream of surface water was running without any ( appearance of filling it» A corresbohdent of the 'Nelson Colonist,' writing on the causes of the recent fall in the price of wool and their remedy, says : — It is not altogether the breeding of sheep that is the only secret or key to sheep-farming ; and in many cases it is the want of the wool being properly classed and sorted before it is packed in bales which injures the market ; but then this cannot be done by the managers of runs, unless the owners provide a proper woolshed and sorting bins for the different classes of wool to be put into as it is sorted, and packed after it is quite cold. And it is a great mistake to pack greasy wool warm off the sheep's backs, Nothing injures wool sooner than doing so, which has been the general custom of the colony. With reference to the breeding of sheep, it is of no use putting good classed rams to a bad stock of ewes. And any owner of 5000 ewes would do well to draft and cull out 1000, and dispose of them at a sacrifice, and would derive a greater benefit by the end of the season by adopting this system. It is not so much the breeding in and in that dwarfs the size of sheep, as allowing the ewes to breed in the autumn, which cannot be remedied without a combined effort amongst the flockowners to draft out and paddock the ram stock during a certain time in the year ; and in many cases young sheep are dwarfed through staivation, owing to the want of large paddocks upon the runs to put the flock into during the mustering times. The well-bred, large-limbed, and long-woolled Leicester will not do for a mountainous country. I am of opinion-that it would be better to stop breeding for two years and paddock the ram stock, and in the meantime draft out all the cull ewes. The ' Evening Star ' states that a new morning newspaper will shortly be issued in Dunedin, and it is intended to name it ' The Sun.' We learn from the 'Thnaru Herald' of the 31st ult., that the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Show, ' taken as a whole, was a most marked success, and in comparing it with that of last year, showed a steady increase, both in quality and number of exhibits, in the different classes of stock, agricultural and other produce. In the sheep classes especially, was this the case, as there were about thirty pens more shown than in 1867, the total number being, including extra sheep, no less than 114 pens. The show in the merino classes was such as has rarely been, if ever, surpassed in New Zealand." The Silver Cup, value £50, for the largest prize taker in the merino class, was awarded to Messrs Studholme, who had a very close contest with Messrs Elworthy, who tied them with an equal number of points. The cup for long-woolled sheep was won by Messrs G-. Gk Russell. Messrs Studholme also carried off the prize (a gold medal) for the best ram in the yard. The first prize for the best draught entire horse was awarded to Messrs €h G-. Russell and Co.'s Ivanhoe. According to the * Timaru Herald ' Mr E. J. C. Stevens, member for Christchurch is likely to join the Stafford Ministry as Treasurer. The Melbourne 'Herald' states that Mrs Kinder, whose name was so unpleasantly associated with a notorious case in Sydney a short time ago, has recently arrived in this colony, and is now keeping a hotel in Collingwood. A testimonial is to be presented to Colonel Grore Brown, the retiring G-overnor of Tasmania, prior to his departure from that colony. Censure has been cast upon the G-eneral Government for not having engaged the Rangatira steamer instead of the Waipara, to convey troops to Poverty Bay, on the landing of Hau-haus. The manager of the N.S.N. Company has published a letter in the Wellington ' Independent,' contradicting the Treasurer's statement that the G-overnment tried to get the steamer. It is said that had the Rangatira been engaged our forces would have reached the scene of action before the fight with Captain Westrupp, and a victory would have been the result. We learn from the • Dunstan Times ' that the honorable W. J. Clarke, or Big Clarke aa he ia generally termed, has, since he became the proprietor of Chalmer's Moa Flat Station, increased the charge to residents in the Teviot District for running cattle, from ten shillings to one pound per head per annam. Great indignation is expressed at this proceedings, and a monster meeting was advertised in the Tuapeka papers to come off on Wednesday last, for the purpose of taking into consideration whether Runholders are justified under the Acfc in charging for running cattle on G-oldfields. The meeting was also to urge upon the G-overnment the necessity of throwing open the valloy of the Molyneux for grazing and agricultural purposes. Queensland is experiencing a severe drought. Several run 3 have been abandoned ; the sheep are dying ; no lambing. At a numerously attended meeting of miners held in Mr Docherty's Tuapeka Flat Hotel, Tuapeka, on Saturday evening, Mr Williams in the chair, the following resolutions were arrived at : — " That this meeting is of opinion that the whole of the 3,000 acres thrown open on Smith's run is auriferous, and should be reserved for mining purposes." 2. — " That a petition in terms of the above resolution should be drawn up for presentation to the Superintendent, and signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting." 3. — " That in the opinion of this meeting the whole of the three runs bordering on this Goldfield should be thrown open for mining, agricultural, and commonage purposes, one mile on each side of the Tuapeka Creek being held as a mining reserve."

The half-yearly meeting of tha Bank of $few Zealand was held at Auckland on Thursday last 2sth October, when a dividend was declared at the rate of 15 percent. per annum. A disgraceful scene took place in the Independent Methodist Church, Christchurch. The minister, who it appears has recently become a Swedenborgian, took a public opportunity of defending his chsnge of views. The church was densely crowded and at first the audience were pretty orderly. At the close of the first part of his address, however, they began to interrupt him, and at length, according to the Press, a large part of his hearers got into a state of almost frantic excitement, and abused their late pastor in no measured terms. The cause of this riotous conduct appears to have been their dissatisfaction with his conduct in transferring the building; but whenever he attempted to explain they refused to listen to him, and hooted him down in a most disgraceful manner. The CJourlay family, well known both in Great Britain and Australia for their delineation of Scottish character, have arrived at Hokitika from Sydney, and purpose making a theatrical tour throughout the colony. A letter regarding the Thames Gt-oldfields, from an experienced miner who took part in the rush thither, is published in the ' Westport Times.' It says :-' I don't believe in the future of the Thames Gtoldfields. There are a few very good claims, but hundreds of duffers. There are hundreds of men walking the streets of Shortland every day in the week. Auy man making £3 per week on the Coast should not come here with the view of making more. £2 per week is the wages here for diggers, or laboring men on the diggings, and there is little or no work to be had. Carpenters are getting 9s per day. You can generally tell what a new rush is by the rate of wageß given. A contemporary states that Mr Forsyth's flax manufactory at Tokomairoiro, is producing matting of excellent quality, the finer kinds of mats being dyed by means of Judson's Simple Dyes. The number of orders received is so great that the factory will be occupied for some months to come in completing them. The 'New Zealand Herald' says: — We received from Mr O'Keeffe a sample of ten ounces < of Thames gold, by Mr Samuel Wells, a very old colonist, refine?, of > William-street, Grahams Town ; and also a cake of pure silver from a much larger parcel of gold. These samples may now be seen at our office. We would particularly draw the attention of miners to this matter. Indeed we remember having more than once done so since the opening ,of the goldnelds. The loss to the miner in selling his gold in its natural or alloyed state is twofold. He looses the value of ten ounces of silver in every thirty ounces ef gold that he obtains, and he pays a gold duty of half-a-crown an ounce on the ounce of silver, which he never need pay. The loss of the ten ounces of silver, at 6d per ounce, amounts to a sum of £3. The duty necessarily paid on ten ounces of silver amounts to £1 ss, or altogether, £4> 5s on every thirty ounces of gold in its natural state. The cost of saving this £4 5s is comparatively trifling." To meet the demand likely to arise for material used in the preparation of wool for the market, we observe that Mr M'Leod, of this town, has commenced the manufacture of a cheap quality of soap, eminently suited for the process of scouring, and yet produceable at a price which should obviate the necessity of importing. As their profits now depend more on the quality and get-up than on the quantity of their fleeces, flockowners will no doubt use the article to a very considerable extent.