TUHIKARAMEA.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 245, 8 February 1898, Page 2

TUHIKARAMEA.

Farm Notes.—The present season certainly breaks tlie record fir topsy-tuny-doin, the occurrercc ot severe frosts in Jaonary and Febnui'y being, surely, Cometh 113 very much out of the common. That on Thursday last did a great deal of damage to pumpk : n 3, potatoes and maize, blackening the tops and practically, ruining the cops, there lieing no growth at present to recover such a check, and the season is advancing, the night-, being perceptibly colder, f-'ome gcod crops of potatoes have been cut down, and, in ore instance, I hear that the pigs have been turned i'.i, as the on'y way of getting anything out of the crop. For harvesting, the weath<r has been simp'y perteot, win at and oats lacing now in stack ; and, considers g the dry seas n, crops are go d, if not heavy, and are free from all fungoid disease. Caterpil'arsi put in an appearance eomc weeks ago, among the outs, necessitating the early cutting of several fields, but they seem to have left again. Possibly, the large flocks ('f starlings, now to be sc'»n all over thed stiict, and which were very busy in the stubbles de.r'ng reaping, nny have had something to do with the sudden departure of the catei pillars. With much dry and windy weather, the grain will scon be fie to thresh, at which time the important epiestion of prices comes in, it being generally expected that from 4s 3d to 4s Gd per bushel for wheat, and about 2s Gd for oats wi'l be the rul ng prices. While on the subject, it may not l-e out of place to mention, th it the recent shipment of a large quantity of wheat from New South Wales to London, in the f ice of short colonial crops, is another instance eif the fallacy of quotin » the liw o! supply and demand in eonnee ion with current pries for grain ; ;.s, in tie above instance, a tins < f buyers h.d agreed upon a price lower thin that which cem'd be obtained in London after paying expenses, consoqrcutly, to piotect themselves, a syndicate of wheat growers shipped Home, and theie is very little elcubt that similar rings ex'st among the wheat buyers in this co'ony, so tint Mr Morgan's sugg-stion re growers fixing their p ices ins'ead of accenting what the mil ers We to offer, may y« t have to be adopterl. The dry weather is hiving a prejudicial eff et upon the turnip cop, the soil new being dry and dusty for several inches below tin surface, and what few plants come up arc unable to make much headway, and soon disappear In more than oao instance swedes have hael to be dulled twice, and tl e ! r ultimate success is even yet vtry tar from certain. At the late sheep fair the effects of the dry season was, very apparent in the eauiiou« bidding for store sheep en I lambs, settlers being chary about laying in s'ocks until the success of the turnips is fairly assured, ai.el the piddeeks have moic grass iu them than is the case at present. A good downpour just now woul.l make an immense d fferen'c in prospects for vsiirer feed awl market prices !e>r stock Sick.vi-SS. —The influenza epidemic is gradually loving the di trict, but the effects of tl is ii sid'ous ami mo t nvserab'e comp'aii.t will be felt by a number for some time to come, the victims recovering stiength ve:y slowly. FettOOt,. Our school leop. in to-day with AI si Cunningham in charge, This joung lady has th'' reputation < f being a gord teacher, and under her control the school is ccrta : n to go ahead and increase its Minders. Criokkt. —Th re i 3 some talk of a ladies' erickc t match coming off shortly. Consideiing the pronVeney of mai y of our young lad es in the noble game, and the interest which would be evoked, the aflVr should be very successful.—(Own Co-respondent).