The visitor from Dunedin says that, from what he could gather from local farmers, the settlement was badly laid out in the first place, and that the allotments were not big enough, speaking generally, to enable the soldier-farmers to have a fair chance of making a comfortable living. While the soldiers have been given flat land in their allotments they have not had sufficient hill country included, and the result is that when snow falls it lies on the flat land and the sheep have a bad time. If some sidlings had been marked off with the flat country the sheep would have had a better chance by making their way to any sunny faces.
Rabbit control anxiety
There is (our Waitahuna correspondent writes) considerable stir amongst the farmers regarding the Rabbit Nuisance Act passed recently and much comment about the power given to the rabbit inspector. It is contended that such power will tend only to stir up trouble unless great skill and discretion are exercised by the inspectors. The fact that rabbits are more numerous this summer than for many years past makes the coming of the "new power" more objectionable to the farmer. Noxious weeds, rabbits, and farm labour are subjects that make the farmer wrathful, and good prices for his products do not, in his opinion, compensate him for the worries which he is enduring.
Milking goats advocated
Goat-keeping for milking purposes deserves far more attention in New Zealand than it is at present receiving (states the Journal of Agriculture). We have only to look round and see the large number of unoccupied or partly-occupied sections, and patches of rough, hilly ground growing nothing but scrub and weeds adjacent to many workers’ homes, to recognise that there is a splendid opening for people with limited capital to bring these into profitable use with much benefit to themselves and good results to the land.
Rampaging bull
A bull caused quite a stir in Arrowtown on a recent Sunday evening (says the Press). It had been disturbed in its meditations in a resident’s back-yard, and careered madly along the footpath. Groups of ladies broke up suddenly, while a young lady, who was evidently not in the mood to argue who had the right to the footpath, showed wonderful agility by clearing a wire fence, 6ft 1in in height. — ODT 6.1.1919.
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