222 WELLINGTON chap. 
round the garden, and made our way to the peach 
trees, which looked most tempting. The raspberries 
were almost over, but the apple tree was laden, 
so were the plum trees, and a hedge of blackberries 
was quite a sight to see with its masses of ripe 
fruit 
Next morning the horses were brought round for 
those who wanted to ride or drive, and off we all 
started Shearing was just over, and they had shorn 
100,000 sheep ; but station life is always a busy one, 
and each day there is something new. This day the 
lambs were getting their dose of oil and turpentine. 
Their mouths were held open and it was squirted 
down their throats with a small syringe — a most 
ingenious way of giving physic. They didn't seem 
to mind the operation, it was so quickly over ; and 
they went off without even a shake of the head ; 
7800 were dosed that day. Then we drove on to 
the big substantial wool-shed where a few stragglers 
were being shorn — ^here, as on most of the large 
stations, the Wolseley shears are used ; one shearer's 
record with them, which was written up here, had been 
250 sheep in a day. Passing along the road, we 
watched ^e reaping and binding machines at work. 
Clover had been sown with the oats, and instead of 
the bare stubble the paddock was thick and green 
with it Later on, down by the river, we boiled water, 
and had afternoon tea under the shadow of the over- 
hanging cliffs and tall bush trees, which here in patches 
have been saved for shelter for the stock. Those who 
were energetically inclined afterwards played tennis, 
while my friends took me round to see the stables, the 
large poultry yards, and the well-stocked station library, 
where all the new books and papers were to be seen. 
The station, with its many outhouses, looked like a small 
Digitized by LjOOQ IC 
