SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 329, 11 February 1874, Page 3

SWITZERS.

(From a Correspondent.)

As you thought fit to give my last communication a place in your columns, I thought a few lines would again be acceptable. Nothing very startling has transpired during the last week. Eorse racing is of course the le iding topic. Every person who owns a horse, or who has seen a racecourse, enlarges on the subject by laying down his views on horse racing as the correct thing. There are a few hacks in training for the forthcoming meeting, which their owners imagine are regular fliers. One Curaoo, who won some local races on Boxing Day, is supposed to be the district champion, but that remains to be proved. The large stakes offered by our energetic Jockey Club should induce a fair proportion of entries, though there does not appear to be a great many horses running in this province. The DunBtan meeting, I believe, was a partial failure, Owing no doubt to tH© feeling evinced by the owners of racehorses, that the Dunstan Handicappers show too much favoritism towards local horses. I can!t forget the remarks made when poor old Knoltingly got the crushing weight of list 71b at their hands. Whilst this sort of -thing is permitted, the Dunstan people need not expect good races. I hope these . few remarks will not be lost on the Switzers Handicappers. " Give to every one a fair field and no favor," should be the motto of a Jockey Club that wish to make a race meeting successful both for present and future seasons.

Harvesting operations have commenced in this district. The crops ai*e very good. It is to be regretted the area sown ib so small. A few thousand acres more land under cultivation - would do this district a great deal of good. Oats we can grow second to none in the province, and with as good an average yield as on any part of the Taieri plain.

Mi*. Bastings and Mr. M'Kerrow visited Switzers last week. The object of their visit, lam informed, was to exchange some auriferous land purchased by Mr. Logan, the runholder, for another block adjacent to his property. It is a great shame that the auriferous lands should be sold in this manner. No doubt the Government will- have to make concessions to get the land bock. It shows to sensible men the inodaptibility of our existing lands laws as affecting the gold mining interest.

Our telegraph line is rapidly approaching completion. Several miles have been finished since my last communication.

The weather has been excessively hot during the last week, and the water supply is running very short in consequence.

I hear that the proprietors of the Black Horse claim intend erecting machinery thereon. I wish them luck. This, at all events, shows heir confidence in the ground to be unshaken.