LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXiX, Issue 7727, 22 February 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of samples of stook-thresh-ed wheat, offered to the merchants, have been faulty as the result of smut. Messrs Fitzgerald Bros, threshed 2100 bushels from the stook, on Mr Jas. Quigley's farm at Tinwald one day last week, in a working day of over 11 hours. A correspondent writes that- a good number of w.ild ducks have already been shot by " Cockney sportsmen." On Sunday even ing several young ducks that were unable to fly properly were ruthlessly shot on the Wakanui creek in the Hainpstead district. This morning a faithful and intelligent dog might have been seen in charge of a cow on the outskirts of the town. The cow was grazing on the abundant pastures growing on the road side, and though only the dog was in charge, no one could safely interfere. The dog knew what was expected of him, and while the cow cropped the long grass he kept guard. At any attempt to interfere with the object of his care, tho apparently lazy, indifferent mood of the clog at once gave place to active remonstrance on his part. The Lenten Pastoral of Bishop Grimes, of Christchurch, read in the Catholic Churches throughout the diocese yesterday dealt exhaustively with the harmful effect of reading immoral and improper literature. It exhorted ihe clergy a'.il laity to use every effort in their power to discountenance^ the reading o? trashy novels and yellowbacks, and also certain daily newspapers, whoso contents arc far from uplifting to tho minds of the people.

It is stated that. Mr John Cm-bett. of Sefiview, has just about finished the threshing of 100 acres of wheat, which is estimated to yield up to 60 bushels per acre. The ordinary weekly sale will be held at the Ashbu'rtou yards to-morrow. It would seem (says the Oamaru Mail) that the Dunedin brewers are not content to look calmly at tho advance of the no-license movement, as shown in that city by the result of the recent local option poll, and some of thorn are fully confident that the triumph of the No-license party will be complete three years hence. It is rumoured that some of them have there-, fore conceived the idea of buying fivo or six shops in George Street, and converting them into a first-class drapery emporium, The Board of Governors iiiid others | interested in the welfare of tho Technical Classes are very desirous of giving a filip to the buildiii" construction and drawing class, which in the past, has not been patronised to an extent in keeping with the valuable character of : | the knowledge imparted at tho class, which teaches the theory of building construction, drawing plans, setting out joinery, and estimating qualities of material. * Tho fee per term of three mouths is only 7* Gd. so that this is 1 witliii!: the reach of sill young men who desire to acquire knowledge that will always prove si valuable r.ssct. It may be mentioned that students holding 6th standard proficiency certificates are entitled to free places in the classes under certain conditions, which can be ascertained by application to the secretary (Mr J. B. Christian). It is reported that several linos of wheat w»re sold for forward delivery in the Lvndhurst hnd Launston districts last week, at U.j 6kl and 3s id per bushel. Mi- W. J. Courtier, Government fruit inspector, has been in Ashbiirton for a lew days for the purpose of inspectin" orchards. Mr Courtier states that he° has seen some excellent fruit in the country, but the presence of the codlin moth is still a matter for regret. He gave notice to several orchardists that they must proceed further _ witn the £x;iod' work commenced last winter, of s\doptin<? preventive measures to npe with fruit petts and diseases. Mr C-uirtier wilt be present at the Ashburton Horticultural Society's Show, and will be pleased to offer any advice to fruit growers on matters on which they desire enlightenment. Quito a number of wheat crops in the : Wa"kanui and sub-districts are threshing from 40 to 45 bushels per acre, lhis is considered a good profitable yield. As showing the exceptionally large ' area under white crops in the Ashbur- ' ton county this season, and the un- ' usually heavy yields, recorded and an--1 ticipated, it-is" said that the threshing machine owners expect nearly double ■ the tallies made for the two preceding 1 seasons. Last year the average tally of ! each of the threshing machines in this\ [ county was less than 40,000 bushels. s The Timaru Herald states that a ■ well-known farmer in the Temuka die- ; trict recently refused £60,000 for his holding of 2000 acres. For a number of years past annual cricket and football matches have been '• held between teams representing the 1 Ashburton Banks and Professions and ' Merchants and Auctioneers. Owing to the great interest that was taken in ' these matches by the late Mr David Thomas, a competition cup has been procured from London (through Mr E. i F. Nicoll) to be called "The David i Thomas Memorial Cup." The first ' cricket match for the right to hold the • cup will be played on the Domain Oval 1 on Thursday next, when the Banks and > Professions will be represented from ' the following: Messrs H. J. Chapman, J G. H. Buchanan. F. Dignan, P. H. ' Cox, Hair, Ceo. Whitehouse, Thomas, i Hickman, Martell, Seymour, Schneii dor, W. Pickles, R. Kennedy and Boot. 5 Wheat crops in the Lauriston and j Lyndhurst districts are yielding thresh- ; ing returns, ranging from 25 to 28 '. bushels per acre. This is from six to eight bushels in excess of last year's average yield. 1 This morning at 0 o'clock the Rakaia : I?iver wae reported to be fiehable, and • nil other county rivers clear. Earl Stanhope, who is on a flying - visit to New Zealand, in the course of 1 which lie hopes to make some acquaint--1 ance with the politics of the country, - paesed through Ashburton on his way I to Dunedin by the first express to-day. ) J In a speech which the Otago Daily '■ Times describes as li a literary gem of "' high excellence," I)r Findlay spoke ' vory gracefully of his colleague, the - .Minister of Railways, at the demonstra- ; rion held in honour of that gentleman 1 in Dunedin on Friday night. A man ■ ought to be greater than his polities, ' he said. His manhood should rise su- ■ perior to his theories, and what had : made Mr Millar a universally popular 1 man were not the gifts of his head — though they were many—but the gifts ' of his heart. He was a man of humane feeling, he was a man who nad . tenderness enough to bo concerned with the well-being of everybody with whom 1 he came in contact. He had that ineffable quality of attracting his fellows throughout the dominion closer and close to him, and when a man possessed that beautiful quality, as well as the attributes of a life well spent, a heart well placed, and a determination well set, he was in an enviable position. Mr Millar might well be proud of occupying so conspicious and splendid a position in the hearts of those among whom he had dwelt so- long. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that Bishop Neligan, of Auckland, returned by the Tongariro on Sunday. He brought with him five clergy for work in the Auckland diocese and three schoolmistresses for the Diocesan Girls' High School, Auckland. Two clergy for work in ihe Wellington diocese' selected by Bishop Wallis during his visit Home arrived by the Athenic. A telegram from Cbristchuren say? that Canterbury's yield of wheat will be the heaviest for many years. In North Canterbury, fifty bushels to the acre are common on medium to good land, and the best land shows a much higher average. Over all there will be an average of between 35 and 40 bush- ! els. Harvest operations were often interrupted by wet weather, and not a few fanners threshed from the stook before the grain matured. Merchants, however, are rejecting this wheat'as not fit for milling or export. Much of it has to be exposed in bags in the paddocks, maturity being secured by this means. If stored in bags in a granary, without weather drying in the j paddock, it will degenerate rapidly. Our Hinds correspondent writes as follows: There was a very large congregation at St. Luke's Church on Sunday evening, at the harvest thanksgiving service. The decorations consisted of flowers, vegetables, fruit and grains, and looked very effective. Special lessons and psalms were used, and the singing of the special harvest hymns was very good, and the music bright and cheerful. The vicar preached a very appropriate and powerful sermon from the words " Tho seed is tho word of God." Tho training ship Amokura has just completed painting and overhaul on the slip at Wellington, and is preparing for another cruise. About a dozen new boys have joined to refill the vacancies caused by time-expired cadets, who have secured berths on various vessels. On Saturday last the thermometer in the Domain registered 76 degrees. The hottest day up to the present date for the month was the sth, when the mercury rose to 85.5 degrees. The heat of last summer has not been approached by many degrees this year, and the present summer has been very temperate- right through.