TARANAKI.
[From ock Correspondent.]

The past winter lias been the finest that lias ever been experienced since the formation of this settlement, light S.E. breezes or calms have nearly always pre vailed accompanied by brilliant .sunshine, and only now and then succeeded by slight frosts at night. Dust has been blowing during most of the winter on roads that are usually at that season co vered with mud, and the rains that have been copiously falling during the past week were really wanted for the growing crops. * °

This long spell of fine weather has allowed all farming operations to be pro secuted without interruption and good progress has been made in preparing the land for root and other spring crops. A notice has lately been posted from Messrs. Tooth the brewers of Sydney, stating that they would be purchasers of the pro° dace of 2 to 300 acres of Barley, at from 4s. to 4s. b'd per bushel. This may have some effect upon the quantity of land ap propriated to that grain ; but the extreme mildness of the winter, gives us reason to fear that our old enemies the cater pillers will be in full force again during the ensuing summer.
