In some of the districts north of Dunedin the transformation has been truly wonderful, and over large areas of land which a fortnight ago were the scene of but a tardy growth there is now springing vegetation that gladdens both the eye and heart.
The earth has awakened from its blighting lethargy, and is once again rejoicing in latent fruitfulness.
The fields are covered with a carpet of fresh grass, which provides an abundance of pasture for the new season's lambs and for stock generally.
The deep green of the paddocks is spangled with a multitude of daisies, the hawthorn hedges are all in bloom, and give off a penetrating sweetness, while the clematis flowers gleam white and silvery from a background of beautiful native bush.
Seldom before has rain been more urgently needed in North Otago, and seldom has it effected more extraordinary transformations in a soil made receptive to moisture by weeks of warm sunshine.
''I have never seen such a wonderful recovery made by this district in so short a time,'' said a well-known Palmerston farmer in the course of conversation with a Daily Times reporter on Saturday.
''A fortnight ago there was scarcely any grass to be seen, and the food crops were in very backward condition; but the situation was saved by last week's rain, and the whole face of the country bears a vastly-altered appearance.''
The rain was followed by very mild weather, and this has acted on the moisture in the ground in a wonderful manner, bringing away a very rapid growth when the country was in a worse condition than it has been for many years.
An abundant supply of feed is now assured, and farmers generally can contemplate their future prospects with much more satisfaction than they could a few weeks ago.
• The Washdyke lagoon, it would appear, is now in a fair way to become a real bird sanctuary.
A complete survey of it has at last been made by a licensed surveyor, and white posts are to be erected at the survey pegs so that the boundaries will be readily seen.
The location of the survey pegs will prove a surprise to many, and will make the shooting which had gone on there in the past impossible in the future.
Even the shooting of swans on the beach will be illegal, as it has been discovered that the whole of the beach, which has been pushed back by the sea very much in recent years, is in the lagoon area.
Other surprises will be found in the fact that the land at the southern end of the lagoon, which the Maoris claim belongs to them, and on which some of them live, is not in reality theirs.
It belongs to the Christchurch Meat Company, whose consent has been given to its inclusion in the sanctuary area; while at the northern end the boundary runs much further up than was previously supposed - so far, indeed, as to include practically all the water that was worth shooting on up there.
• The Hamilton correspondent of the Auckland Star states that, becoming exasperated at a neighbour's bull breaking into his paddock and annoying his dairy herd, a Rukuhia farmer performed an operation on the bull, with the result that he pleaded guilty in court to unlawfully wounding under extreme provocation.
Mr Rawson, S. M., said this was a very grave and cruel act, and accused was liable to 14 years' imprisonment under another section.
He was treating him very leniently in fining him £20 and costs. - ODT, 18.10.1915.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
