LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 78, 12 January 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On account of Mr L. White. Rakaia. there were sold at the weeklv stock market at Aldington yesterday f>6 wether."? at, f-om SCte Id. to fMe 7d and 12 ewes at 34s 73.

Three plums on one stalk formed ai curiosity in the orchard of Mr T. Parr, of Glen Eden, Auckland (says an exchange). The fruit was perfectly formed and' the stalk of normal size. The exhibit bore a striking resemblance to the conventional "club" of playing ■carda.

This year has been a strange failure in the cherry plum crop (says the Napier "Telegraph"). The harvest has been very small and nobody seems able to account for the shortage. Some say the winds were responsible, but the other fruits have not been so affected. "Made in Germany" is a common legend upon toys and other articles retailed to New Zealanders (remarks an exchange). A variation was noticed this year. For instance, a wooden rattle was marked, "Made in Czecho-Sloya-kia." It was retailed at one shilling, but the foreigner who made it would probably be lucky if he received onetwelfth of that amount. A Raupo settler finds that by using a track on iron rails with Which to carry his cream from his shed to his cream stand he can do without horses on the farm (says the ' 'North Acukland Times"), and as a horse eats as much as two cows, the initial cost of the rails will soon be paid for. A runholder at Otaraia sustained losses of station eating-utensils from the cook-shop, shearers persistently "pinching" pannikins and forks with a view to their use when harvesting; so he got the blacksmith at Clinton to make him a supply of iron forks, thinking that these would be safe (says the "Herald"). To his surprise, every fork vanished. They were taken as curios.

A rather peculiar accident befel a local resident recently (says the "Patea Press"). "While in his fowl run a rooster attacked him and inflicted a nasty wound on his elbow with one of its spurs. As a result the sufferer is now an inmate of the hospital, where he was compelled to undergo treatment under an anaesthetic for the injury. He is now progressing favourably toward recovery.

A concert will be given outside the Hampstead Memorial Hall, commencing at 7.30 o'clock this evening, by .the Ashburton Silver Band. An attractive programme has been arranged, the items being as follow: —March, "Cavalry of the Clouds" ; selection, "Maid of the Mountains" ; descriptive, "Jamie's Patrol"; polka, "Impromptu" (solo cornet, Mr S. Teale); waltz, "Les Fleurs d' Australie"; march, "Contemptibles." There was an attendance of about 30 members at the fortnightly meeting of Daphne (Rebekah) Lodge, No. 34, 1.0.0. F., , last evening. The N.G. (Sister E. xiopkins) presided. Four candidates were initiated and one proposed. It was decided to support an appeal on behalf of a Gore brother in distress. The quarterly and half-yearly returns were presented by the secretary (Sister Fowke). After the lodge had closed a social hour was spent, supper being served by the sisters.

At a meeting of the Ashburton War Memorial Committee at the site of the memorial column this morning, it was decided to make an alteration to the base surrounding the column, so that the steps will be paved with Timaru bluestone instead of ibeing in concrete as originally designed. This will give the steps a greater durability, and they will not be so liable to chip with wear. It was also decided to publish the names of the men from the County who died during the war, so that alterations and additions may be made by relatives before the names are engraved on the column "If what I have eaten in the hotels in this country is a sample of the bacon they propose to export, well, they will never sell it. I haven't tasted a good bit of bacon since I have been in New Zealand; it is absolutely vile." These were the remarks of Dr. L. Harding, of Manchester, who is visiting New Zealand to investigate the possibilities of utilising the food products of whey, speaking in Hawera the other day (says an exchange). He said the reason for this inferior bacon was the improper feeding of the pigs. It was quite impossible to feed a bacon pig on whey and grass, as was done in this country. "Unless you can get cheap gram or millers' offals you will never get good bacon," he said.

The work of bringing back to productivity some of the scrub lands on the lower slopes of Pirongia is proceeding steadily, and before the season is over several hundred acres will have been cleared and broken up for grassing and cropping (reports the Waipa "Post ') (Waikato). The lowered price for fertilisers and for the land itself has enabled occupiers to adopt a very progressive attitude. 'lt is stated one settler intends to bring in between 200 and 300 acres of his holding. This all means greater productivity for the Dominion, and particularly for Pirongia district, which needs more of the progressive type of settler to handle the unimproved and partly-improved lands on the lower slopes.

Mrs F. Makeig was the guest of honour at a pleasing function held at the Ashburton Croquet Club's pavilion yesterday, th©.occasion being Mrs Makeig's 82nd 'birthday. There was a very large attendance. The secretary of the club (Mrs E. Ruddock) presented Mrs Makeig with a boquet of roses, after which the guest of honour cut the birthday cake which had been made by Mrs R! Buxton. The captain of the club (Mrs C. G. M. Boyce) presented 1 Mrs Makeig -with appropriate gifts. The Mayor (Mr R. Galbraith) also extended his congratulations to Mrs Makeig. Cheers were then called for and the flag was hoisted over the pavilion. Mrs Makeig has been an active member of the club since its inception.