Continuing wet weather has hampered market gardeners and the transport of livestock to saleyards and has disrupted shearing operations in many districts.
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No one would complain after many years of unreliable weather patterns and bobtail springs, but many annual operations are now running well behind schedule. A couple of comments that are topical:
- A monumental pothole opposite Morcoms on the Vale Road must be heritage listed.
- This would be an opportune time to change the name of the Flannery Centre at South Bathurst to a more esteemed name.
- The realignment of Raglan Creek into the Macquarie River has solved the problem of flooding on the highway towards Kelso.
- Bathurst Regional Council’s new Kubota tractor at roadside work is a great advertisement for Kubota and Watson Tractors.
The weather hold-ups are also causing a severe backlog of small flocks waiting to be shorn.
The services of a shearer with a self-contained shearing plant on a car trailer may be the answer for owners of these little mobs to be shorn.
Details of this service are available from Justin on 0499 866 522.
A long history
THE recent passing of John Arnold of “Tauri”, Mount Panorama takes away a member of one of our district’s most respected families.
John came to “Tauri” as a three-year-old when his parents bought the property in 1927.
He was a regular trader at the old Bathurst Saleyards and had a lifetime interest in harness racing.
The Arnold family ran a quality flock of Roseville Park merinos on the western slopes that join the Mount Panorama racetrack.
Looking back
THE death of Orton Park producer Scott Richardson turned another leaf in Bathurst’s pastoral history as his ancestors settled at the Rainham property many years ago. Scott specialised in rolled lawn turf and lucerne hay production and was very well-regarded across our district.
Yards calling
JAMES Patrick McMahon is a little son for Nicola and Dan McMahon.
He was born on September 2 and should be at work in the stockyards within a few short years.
Congratulations to all.
A monumental pothole on the Vale Road must be heritage listed.
Backlash coming
SUGGESTIONS that the National Party could actually lose the blue ribbon seat of Orange would have seemed ridiculous if they had been made at the end of 2015.
Fast forward to today and we see the effects of the proposed local council amalgamations, shutdown of greyhound racing and the radical changes that formed Local Land Services.
When these issues are taken into account we can expect that the average swing of about 12pc against a government in a by-election may be exceeded.
Residents in country electorates like to see their local members supporting their interests at every opportunity. I think that Scott Barrett will be an excellent Member for Orange.
A new chapter
MY favourite used bookshop is Slado’s in lower George Street, just up from the Great Wall restaurant.
This shop has traded for many years but is closing its doors within days and some of the stock will be rehoused in a sister shop in Sofala.
During the next week or so the remaining stock in the George Street shop is a special at a 50pc discount.
Readers should find books on subjects that range from saucy fiction to goat breeding and all things in between.
Merino musings
MERINO ram auctions continue to provide positive results. Some comments and thought bubbles:
Renowned former sheep classer Stuart Hodgson reminds us to respect the great sheep breeders and classers who have gone before us.
Adelaide ram sale brought a Roemakhita sire to Coddington Park at Yeoval and a top Moorundie Poll to Gullen Gamble, also at Yeoval. Both these studs are based in South Australia.
With our return to a very wet spring, will SA blood sheep produce creamy, white wool or something much more colourful?
Wool report
THE wool market gained ground this week as the Aussie dollar dropped to 74c against the greenback.
All micron categories saw gains of around 15c/kg and the northern market indicator finished the week on 1340c/kg, up 10c/kg.
The market seems to be in a very positive state and if the dollar can stay at around 74c to 75c against the US dollar, the market should be firm for the coming weeks.
Next week’s sales are in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle with 41,893 bales on offer.
Mark Horsburgh, TWG Landmark
Laugh lines
LOCAL kids had been raiding George’s watermelons as they ripened on the vines, so he wrote a sign for the garden fence: “One of these melons has been injected with Lucijet poison.” Next morning he found an addition to his sign: “Now there are two.”
Marriage has a really positive side. It teaches you loyalty, forbearance, tolerance, self-restraint and other valuable qualities that you wouldn’t need if you’d stayed single.