KARAMU.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 361, 1 November 1898, Page 4

KARAMU.

Farmings Matters.—Seldom has the district looked better, from a pastoral point of view, than it does at the preseut time. Grass is abundant upon every farm along the Kaniwhaniwha River, and particularly upon Mr Noble's fine estate, the feed is better than we have seen it for many a long day, and even the she>:p are up to their knees in the waving grass ? consequently, stock are going ahead rapidly and putting on flesh. In connection with stock matters, it is a curious circumstance that the Tupaki shrub, which grows freely on the hill sidss and slopes alouc the upper reaches of the Kattiwhauiwha, should be good, wholesome catt'e feed during tin winter months, and yet become a most poisonous plant in the spring, but that it is so, settlers in this district have had only too frequent proof. Within the past few days Mrs Smith has lost five valuable cows through eating the leaves and young shoots of the tupaki. The uufortunate occurrence took place within a few hours of their being turned out of the milking yard in the morning; aud another settler lower down the river has also lost a few head lately in this way. There seems to be no known cure for tuted cattle : bleeding and puncturing, 'to allow the g«s to escape, being frequently tried, but without avail, and it would appear as if there were some specific poison in the sap of the tupaki plant at certain periods of the year, which enters, not merely into the abdominal system, but also into the blood of the animals that have eaten it, and the only thing is to guard the cattle from eating the plant during the spring months. Park's Sawmill. -- An industry which has done something towards turning the raw material into marketable commodities, and also findiug employment for the surplus labour of the district, is Mr John Park's sawmill. A recent visit to the mill showed that the proprietor means business, and is endeavouriug- as far as possible —to make up for the loss of time during which the big traction engine lay idle on the bank of the Waipa, waiting for the steamer to tike it up to Earamu. The mill is situated in Mr Haddock's bush ou the Kaniwhaniwha stream, about three miles above its junction with the Waipa river, the nearest steamer landing being about a-quarter of a mile from the mill, and with tvhich it is connected by a good road, over whbh the timber is carted by waggons and forwarded iu barge and steamer to any landing on the Waipa and Waikato Rivers. As the timber, chiefly kahikatea and rimu, grows upon dry, solid land, it follows that it is of a sound and durable kind, the kahikatea being of what is termed the yellow heart variety, and is equal—if not better—than aome qualities of rimu. The motive power for the mill is furnished by the aforesaid big 12 horse power traction engine, and is capable of cutting at the rate of 18,000 feet per week, all kinds of planed and tongued and grooved stuff being turned out. A handy tramway connects the bush with the mill, the logs being hauled in on one side, coming out on the other, in the form of sawn timber, well and truly cut, good stocks of which are now in the yards alongside. Some ten or a dozen hands are employed altogether, and though but a comparatively small affair, as saw-mills go, Park's mill is capable of turning out a lot of valuable timber, and we hope it will prove a profitable undertaking to the veteran saw-miller.—(Own Corres* pondent).