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The Farrell group of mines at Macetown continue to be closed down. Mr. Farrell is at present in London, with the object of making arrangements for restarting the mines at an early date. Cromwell. Cromwell Proprietary Gold-mining Company (Limited), Bendigo (C. S: Reeves, legal manager ; R. H. Blair, mine-manager).—(l 2/7/1902) : The mine at present is let on a five-years tribute to the Bendigo Gold-mining Company (Limited). The London directors have now under consideration the tenders received for driving the low-level tunnel at Bendigo Gully, and the New Zealand board expects to receive instructions at an early date. The tributers have nine men at work— six underground and three on the surface. The whim-shaft, 190 ft. in depth, on the south lode was pumped out and put in fair order, but the underground workings had collapsed, and the timbers rotted. No. 1 shaft was then sunk 32 ft. deep on the north lode, and a drive put in a short distance at the 24 ft. level. At the 32 ft. level a drive is now being put in to test the stone, which averages in the faces 9 in. in width, with an average assay-value of 1 oz. 3 dwt. per ton. Also, on the north lode, an old shaft 65 ft. 8 in. deep has been cleaned out and put in order, and it is now proposed to drive on a leader of stone 6 in. in thickness. An adit has also been driven on a line known as the Bee line of reef a distance of 68 ft. to meet the main lode at the Hit-or-Miss Junction. In this adit there is a strong chute of quartz from 20 in. to 24 in. wide underfoot, which looks very promising. Before starting to sink on this the water is being allowed to drain off. A shaft had been sunk on a lead of stone 2 ft. wide on the main lode, but its assay-value proved low. Up to date about 20 tons has been crushed, but there has been no final clean up. Five heads of stamps have been in use, but another ten are being put in repair for crushing. A large body of broken ore on the surface, which is said to assay 12 dwt., but which is slightly refractory, is to be crushed and cyanided. Preparations are being made to prospect the reef in other places, and for the present the whole of the work is being carried on on prospecting lines. The Bendigo Tailings Syndicate holds a tribute for working the old tailings. A cyanide plant has been erected, on which four men have been engaged since the beginning of the present year. To the 12th July 477 tons of tailings had been treated, with a yield of 58 oz. 15 dwt. Bgr. gold, valued at £156 Bs. 7d. Work is at present suspended on account of the frost. (17/10/1902) : The mine has been sublet on tribute to M. B. Edwards and party, several of the party having previous knowledge of the Bendigo reefs. A shaft 152 ft. deep on the main lode was repaired and ladders hung. Good stone had been taken from this point previously, but the payable chute had cut out. About seven weeks' prospecting-work was done in this shaft, and 80 tons crushed, from which the return was low. The tributers are now doubtful of finding payable stone in the high levels of the mine, and capital will be required to mine the stone at depth. Several of the tributers did some further prospecting, with unsatisfactory results. Tenders are now being invited for the purchase of the property of the Cromwell Proprietary Gold-mining Company (Limited), Bendigo, consisting of mining licenses, water-races, winding and crushing plant. Bendigo Tailings Syndicate, Bendigo (S. E. Brent, secretary ; P. H. Grummitt, manager). — (12/7/1902) : Operations had been carried on up to recently, but prevailing frosts have caused work to be temporarily suspended. There is still a large quantity of tailings in the dam to be treated. The plant is comparatively small, and hence the process is longer than is desirable. (17/10/1902), (C. L. Gregg, manager): As the tailings will soon be exhausted in the dam, arrangements are being made to erect a plant on the flat at the foot of Bendigo Gully. There is a large deposit of tailings from several batteries lying on this area. They are covered by an overburden of material brought down by the creek. Two men were engaged erecting a vat, and one in throwing a wing dam across the bed of the creek. Three men are engaged on the cyanide plant. Alta Mine, Bendigo (H. Holmes, manager).—(l 7/10/1902) : This mine, which had been idle for many years, has been taken up by another party, who intend to give it a thorough test. The Eureka battery from the Rise and Shine has been carted to the Alta Claim for re-erection. Five heads only will be erected, and motive power will be supplied by a 7-horse power oil-engine. Water for the tables and ultimately for motive power is being brought in from Clear Creek and the higher branches of Bendigo Creek, a distance of four miles. A shaft has been sunk 35 ft. on a reef averaging 3 ft. in width. A parcel of stone from this reef assayed 27 dwt. of gold to the ton at the School of Mines. A level is to be driven in from the battery level, whereby 100 ft. of backs will be available. This should test the value of the reef. The reef strikes east and west, and has a slight underlay to the north. Bannockburn. Holliday's Mine, Carrick Ranges (J. B. Holliday, owner). —(17/7/1902): Mr. Holliday has for the last five years been prospecting on the Carrick Ranges to pick up the reefs at a lower level than had hitherto been attempted. Drives totalling 600 ft. in length, together with various crosscuts, have been driven. The country is broken in the drives, and no body of quartz has yet been met with. 170 ft. of backs would be obtainable, but no stone having been found to rise on, the work done so far proves nothing of the value or permanency of the reefs in depth. The holding consists of 52 acres, embracing the Heart of Oak, Duke of Cumberland, and Nil Desperandum Claims, from each of which highly payable stone was taken at shallow depths by former companies. Messrs. Lawrence Bros. —(l 7/7/1902) : Operations intermittent; two men occasionally at work. The work, however, is not of a progressive nature, but is confined to taking out blocks of stone in sight. Quite recently attention has been redirected to the Carrick Ranges by several prospecting syndicates. Nothing of a very progressive nature has been done yet in connection with any of the reefs. There is a wide field here for reefing, but the stone is refractory, and will require special treatment.