PROVINCIAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8134, 14 June 1906, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NOTES.

(By Our Travelling Representative.)

Tho number .of cattle taken from Taranaki into tho hack country around Mokau, Awakino, and right through to Raglan has been pretty considerable lately. Oyer GDOO head, ii is stated, have passed through the ' r,- -iini tollgate during the last couple • f iniir'is. T.ie road* into the King Co intr, arj reported to bo in quite an i npissib!e state just n>w. Recently a South Taranaki farmer took a dozin or so horses through to Opotiki. He also look with him a dray and horse fo.d, a id had a particularly interesting time in the mud-holes. At ouc part of tho road he had to secure tlie aid of 22 bullocks to haul his cart, and it took three and a half hours to traverse half a mile.

A settler who took 1250 sheep overland to the Waikato fro n Taranaki recently got through in good time, and had a very small percentage of loss. Usually the percentage of sheep dying on this journey is ab.ut 5 per cent. This particular mob got through with a loss totalling only 17. The country throughout the northern cni of Taranaki is very short of grass, mo'e so even than is usialiy the case at this month of the year. As we have yet to pass through the worst three months -Julv, A inn t, and September, the winter promises to bo a hard one on stock, unless there is an abundance of fodder material. In the S)jthjrn end of tho province, the pastures are somewhat better, . though thcro is rot much nourishment in the grass at this season of tho year. Farmers desirous of going in for a little sheep farming are experiencing great diflieulty in securing sheep. Very few of those holding flocks are disposed to sell, and even wlieu they do s), the price is usually a long one. There is, in fact, a considerable shortage of sheep throughout the island, according to one well-known sheen breeder. A large number of ewes h ive been railed into the Toko country during the last two years. This probably has lielped to make the shortage locally. It is anticipated that a good number of dairy clearing sales will eventuato in Sjuth Taranaki during the winter. The prices for milking cattle, it is expected, will be considerably lower than in previous years Seeing that butter and cheose have found excellent markets in tho past three or four seasons, it is strange that dairy cattle do not maintain their high values. Perhaps the high values ruling for land, rates, etc., offer a solution, there not being the amount of money available for the purchase of cattle for dairying. The contractor for tho putting in of tbe weir on the Waingongoro river for tho Hawera Electric Lighting Company is baying a very difficult time. The river, at this season of the year, floods every few days, and much of the work done has been swept away from time to time. The contractor, it is understood, will have one more endeavor to put in the weir, and if unsuccessful, will probably request permission to hold the work over till tho summer months, at which soason the riyer is much lower and not so liable to flood. The. company are also putting in a concrete weir just bolow the power-house, to keep tbe water from washing out the embankment and foundations of the building.