TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1822, 11 March 1884, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

Aiter rather a short spell of dry weather, we had rain again on Friday and Saturday. Short as the time has been since we had rain before, the ground was very dry, and was badly in need of moisture. I am atraid it did some damage to some stacks of wheat that were not thatched. Some of the wheat in the district was sown late, and was only just cut and stooked, some being Btacked when the rain came. It will be a pity if any should be spoiled. Mr S. Short has just received a new threshing machine from England, one of Hornsby's best, with all the latest improvements. The drum is four feet six, so that it will be able to put through a large amount of straw in the day. Mr Short says it can put through SOO bubhels a day. I noticed one improvement, that is two places of exit for the first quality of grain. The advantage in that is when one sack is full a handle is moved, which shuts off that spout and opens another, so there is no delay in the filling of the bags. Had the weather been tine he would have begun threshing last Saturday. He deserves to succeed for his pluck in importing so expensive a machine, and should be well patronised. There can be no doubt th.it coining from such makers as Hornsby and Sons,, the machine will do its woik to the satisfaction of the owners and farmers. T.iwhiao has enjoined the natives not to put any land through the court till lie retum.s from England. I am afiaid his injunction will be too well attended to ; at least many of the natives are disposed to respect it.' He fondly imagines he will have an interview with the Queen. He will find it is not ho easy to gain access to royalty as lie thinks. No doubt he will be lionised for a time by that mischievous bo'ly, the Aborigines Protection Society, but after he has one or two of his big sprees, I fancy they will be disgusted with their piotege. When under the influence of the " cr.ithur," he does not look " every inch a king." It is about time, I thiuk, tenders were called for the woik on the Te AwamutuKihikihi road. The fine weather will soon be over, and unless the work is begun at once, the roads will be in the same state as they weie last winter. The Kihikihi people ha\e set us a good example ; they have formed a Mutual Impiovcmeut Association with a membership of about 30. Such an association should succeed here. There is a good library for reference, so there should be no difficulty in members posting themselves up on almost any subject. I am sorry to sec such poor entries for the Kihikihi races on the 17th. The programme is a good one, and should have attracted more entries. Hor.se-owners must be very independent not to try and earn their winter oats. A prize of t2O for the Hurdles and £30 for the Cup should ha\ c brought moie than two and thiee nominations, les-pectively. When sporting men go to the trouble of getting up a good meeting it is very disheaitening to get such poor entries. However, I hope to see good fields for the Maiden Plate and Ladies' Purse, both of which are post entries.— (Own Correspondent.)