LOWER WHAREAMA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 421, 23 March 1880, Page 2

LOWER WHAREAMA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT) •■ March 3. Rain set in on, Thursday last,'and continued during the next day;- It has donemuch good.in'freshe'ning mp the' feed, the grass having, been parched up by the pre.vibus hot weather/'.'.-.' , Quite a hu'mber'o'f meetings' took plaoe on ; Saturday -last at :Tenui,..none,.'howany'special: importance to the/ public. '■ .';.';:; .'.;••■ .'„.

It has been, finally decided to hold Horse Races, and Athletic .Sports, in this district during Easter week/the fgrruetat Castle Point on Easter Monday, and the. latter at Whakataki on the day following. The stakes for the. various' events will not be large, and it is, therefore, ques'.tionable if any but local 'horses'wiH 1 be brought forward to compete. It is to be regretted, however, that the Easter Races could not have been kept up at Tenui,' which, from its central position and good course, is better adapted for sports.of thiß nature than Castle Point. Want of adequate hotel accommodation, however, precludes a meeting being held there tins season, The Athletic Sports' should prove attractive, as there ft a fair amount of prize money to contend for. Our local cricket club has received a challenge from the Opaki and Upper Plain Club. At a meeting held at Tenui it .was decided to accept the challenge, provided the Wairarapa team could make it convenient to play on-the 27th of March/

Ondit, that arrangements have been made with Mr J. A. Perry re securing the use of his paddock opposite the. policeman's residence for'.cricketing purposes. The unemployed are moving about in numbers just now. For some years there have not beenso many looking* for wbrk. Retrenchment being the order of the day on most of the stations here it is of little* avail men'tramping here seeking a lively hood,

Now that Trustees have been elected under the Rabbit Act we may hope for some steps being taken to-abate a serious and increasing nuisance. Cats and hawks are lending ahelping hand in getting rid of. the enemy. It is freely admitted that cats are killing numbers of them, and it is a question if it would not be worth while settlers procuring them in quantity, and turning them at large where the rabbits are seen to be at all numerous; with regard to compelling the destruction of gorse hedges in rabbit" infested districts, would go far towards getting rid of one of the worst sources of cover. The banltß of both the Whareama River and the Whakataki Creek are making great strides towards becoming vast rabbit preserves, through the great- 6pread of the gorse.

The Whareama Fishing Club appears to be in a state of collapse, judging from there not- having been any excursion to the.mouth of the river lately. As this was an institution combining profit with pleasure, it is to be deplored that more interest is not taken in, it, ••'

llr Maori is-again in the district, with a view of purchasing sheep for boil ing-down purposes. Boiling-down is in full swing at Waikaraka, under the management of Mr Oorrigan. I understand good samples of tallow are being turned out. ; ;,' : : . Marohl6. The (weather changed yesterday, and throughout the night rain has fallen in quantity from the north east. Persons ploughing will find this beneficial, the ground of late being almost too hard for cross ploughing.