The weather dur : fng the past ten days has been all that could be desired, and if it continues favourable for a few days longer, harvest will be commenced in the more forward paddocks. " The Palmerston correspondent of the Oamaru Mail writes : — " Splendid weather | for the harvest has prevailod during the past week, and the farmers have taken full advantage of the golden opportunity for pushing on vigorously harvest opera ' tions. I learn from various directions that the yields will be fully up to the averages generally ; but in some localities the sparrows have played great havoc amongst the crops, and have materially decreased many prospectively good yields. So serious, in fact, has been the sparrow and linnet pest that the Waikouaiti and Shag Valley Agricultural and Pastoral Association applied to the Acclimatisation Society to destroy the pests they have been the means of introducing, and an assurance has been given that no action will be taken in the event of the Associa tion taking vigorous measures to eradicate the nuisance." The Lake County correspondent of the Dunstan Times writes : — " The most en grossing subject before us is the harvest, and it is really a great pleasure to recount that our farmers will experience highly satisfactory results in the bounteous yield off the many aci'es of golden grain now daily falling before the ever-busy reaping machine. The crops, as a rule, never looked better or promised a larger re turn. The season has been all that could be desired, and still continues most fa vourable ; and whether it has been for sowing, growing, or reaping, the period of sunshine and rain could not have been more suitable. The threshing-machines not having commenced work as yet, no exact return can be arrived at ; but there can be no error whatever in estimating, in a considerable number of cases, that the yield will he between 40 and 50 bushels to the acre, and in some instances even more. The great staple cereal of the dis trict is of course wheat, which, if not locally saleable can be sent to Invercargill either for use there or for export to the Home Country. It being therefore readily marketable, farmers have grown it largely. 