RURAL TOPICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9151, 25 July 1908, Page 5

RURAL TOPICS.

(By "Agricola")

THE WEATHER. , The bizzard, snowfall and wet of last week has been succeeded (for the time of year) by exceedingly mild and genial spring-like conditions. The warm north-west winds have been instrumental in clearing a quantity of snow off the Tararua mountains, which has caused a slight rise in such srow fed rivers as tt:e Ruamahanga and Waingawa. Encouraging reports continue to come to hand from the ou'lying puns of the district as to the generally good condition of stock. The opinion expressed to me by several prominent stock-breeders is that, with the exception of very weak hoggets and old sheep, the mortality will not be great. Lambing has commenced on a few of the farms, but will not become general on the larger stations for several weeks yet. The growth of wool on the sheep show signs of a good yield at shearing time. The budding of pencil, currant and other fruit trees and shrubs, and the growth in grass in padlock? which have been shut up, indicates an early spring.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE DAIRY F*:RM.

The action of the local bodies in the Wairarapa in convening a meeting of representatives t) urge upon the Government the desirability of accepting Mr W. C. Buchanan's munificent offer of £6,000 for the above purpose is to be heartily commended. The question may well be asked: Why has not the Government accepted the offer for such a laudable object, without pressure from outside being applied? The institution of a model dairy farm in the district would ba most beneficial to the dairy farmers from an educational point of view, and when such an offer as Mr Buchanan's is made it should not be lightly discarded.

STOCK SALES

The weekly sales were marked by a small attendance of buyers, who did not operate freely. There was little alteration in prices from fie previous week. These are indications that milking cows wiil be in good demand in parts of the Forty Mile Bush, now that the dairying season i 3 at hand. Several good herds are now in the market, and will be sold by au:tion next week, at Featherston and Kaipororo respectively. DEPARTURE OP A BIDEFORD SETTLER. Mr J, Johnston, who has for some years been sheep-iarmirg in bideford district, has disposed of his property. He intends to take up his„J residence in Wanganui, having -pur- j chastd a farm some nine cr ten miles up the liver. i IMPROVEMENTS ON TEIE WHAKATAKI-CASTLEPOINT RQAD, 'Those whogfl business or pleasiirS take 9 them to that well-known and popular seaside pleasure resort— Castlepoint— will be pleased to learn that the Castlepoint County Council have in hand the improvement and formation of the road down the Whakataki Creek. This creek is a most dangerous one, as its course scoures out into deep narrow channels when in flood. Numerous accidents to the mail coach and other vehicles bear testimony to how hazardous a journey it is crossing the innumerable fords of the river which had to be encountered. The Council intend to expend a considerable sum of mcney in this and other works in the neighbourhood. TREti PLANTING.

The season for tree planting work is at hand. There is nothing to be more regretted than the very small amount of attention and interest that is given to this very necessary and profitable work, both on account of shelter for stock, fuel, and the many other purposes for which timber is required in 'our civilised conditions. The tiine is within measurable distance when all available timber in our native forests will be at an enil, and already some of our most valuable varieties' are all but cut out. That such is the case is attested by the high figures ruling throughout the Dominion for all wood which is used for building requirements, and even fuel. Perhaps there is a want of energy on the part of our settlers in]not planting through no "immediate" benefit being apparent, as it tikes many years for trees to come to maturity. It is true fhat the Government have taken the subject in hand, but the work performed is infinitisimal in comparison to xhe rapid denudation of our forests which is being carried on through sawmilling, clearing and burning. The question of import duty on foreign timber, Oregon pine, is now receiving a good deal of attention. It may be that this duty will act beneficially in more ways than one, particularly if it has the effect of giving us cheap timber —consequently cheap buildings—and also as a means of checking the destruction of our own forests, there by conserving timber for the use of future generations—to say nothing of the influence on our climatic conditions.