WAITOA.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 38, 23 February 1884, Page 2

W A I T O A .

The fanners in this district have secured their harvest in excellent condition. The root crop has been especially good. The strike amongst the miners at Te Aroha was one more verification of the truth of tho old saying' " It's an ill wind that blows nobody good," for it brought u number of men to the farmers just at the niok of, time, to assist in securing the harvest At Mr Howes we saw the other day some really splendid clover, which on measuring | proved to be from live to six feet long, and on inquiry we were informed it was grown on MrStranga's farm, (iood fanning pays best in New Zealand as well as in the old country, and the farmers here are beginning to find this out, and to become more systematic and careful in the cultivation of their land. Indeed, some of the farms in this district would compare favourably with any in New Zealand. Ploughing stubble has commenced. At Mr Buckland's last sale there woro a large number of sheep and cattle penned, but not many buyers present. Mr Moft'at is about to still further improve his well-known comfortable hotel by adding a ba'cony on the front and one side. The school committee here (viz., 'Messrs S. Seddon, F. Strange, C. Uollins, T. Howe, K. P>irr, J. Rowe, and G. Smith) at the lust mooting resolved, with regard to the question of combining Te Arohu West and Vv'aitoa for a half-time school, to communicate with the Te Aroha West School (.lommittee on the matter, and forward the reply to the Board of Education, and then leave the matter entirely in the hands of the Board to do us they considered best. Messrs C. Collins and party,. Stanley and party, and McOabe and party are each making good progress with the drainage works now being carried out by the Government on the deferred payment and Government blocks. The survey for the main oufcletdrain (known as Johnson's Creek) will soon be completed, when tenders will be at once called for. These works when finished should prove a great boon to the settlors on those land, as until now, many of them have really had no chance of improving their farms on account of the vast quantity of water which has been lodging on the land.