As evidence of the revival of the native flax industry, the Lyttelton Times notes that a local firm have seven or eight separate orders for ma chinery for the preparation of the fibre of the Phorniiurn tenas on hand. The increase in the demand for the fibre is considered to be due to the fact that most of the sisal fibre in the market is now employed in the manufacture of binder twine, find Phormium tenax is used for the purposes for which sisal was formerly re quired.
Owing to the inability of several of the best players in Central Otago to obtain sufficient holidays at Easter, ifc has been deemed advisable to postpone the proposed visit of the Otago Central cricketers to Dunedin till next season.
On the Long Beach estate, Canterbury, the area under crop this season amounted to close upon 7000 acres, of which upwards of 4000 acres were wheat, about 1000 barley, and the balance oats. The wheat will, to all appearance, average 35 bushels. The barley and oats are also heavy crops, the oats especially being more satisfactory than has generally been the case this season. A largo proportion of,the oats is already threshed and stored. One paddock of wheat is estimated to yield CO bushels to the acre. The Ashburton Mail states that no less thau 35 reaping machiaes were employed, and nearly 300 men and as many horses are now at ,7ork. The same paper speak ing of the yield in Ashburton county says that the yield of wheat will be about five bushels per acre more this year than last, but oats will be scarcely more than last year's average. The total wheat production is estimated at 2,340,000 bushels.
