Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 132, 23 July 1941, Page 4

Local and General

Whakatane Golf Club. Owing to the Home Guard Gymkhana on Saturday there will be no draw in the men's competitions. Early Laying Pullets. Some local poultry keepers who specialise in securing pulllets to lay early in the egg season, have already hic-ody hens doing their maternal duty on settings of eggs. New Power Shovel. At yesterday's meeting of the County Council, the chairman reported the purchase of the high shovel unit at the price quojed. which price the firm at Duncdin had intimated to him it was not prepared to reduce. However, on the matter of freight estimated at £70 the firm had met the position by- undertaking to land the unit free on wharf, Whakatane, in consideration of the payment of £3f>. The machine was consigned frcm LyttcOton on July 10.

County Finance. I Accounts totalling £2694 Is 8u | were passed for payment at yesterdajr's meeting of the Whakatane County Council. Patriotic Donation. A set of golf (jliubs were recently forwarded by thei Whakatane Countyl and Borough Patriotic Committee to Waiouru Camp. These were donated by Mr N. V. Greagor, o+' Ohope. Golden Grain in State. As the important business of maize plucking progresses on Whakatane farms the maize cribs—. empty and forlorn for so> many months — are being filled with thousands of tons of golden "corn on the- cob." A tour round the dta« tnet makes one think that did- King Midas, at whose touch all things turned to gold, must have been visiting the maize cribsi The sight *of wdll-filled cribs is a pleasing one. and the golden maize grains nre useful as well as ornamentafli, which is more than can be said of most of the gold won from the mines.

Ohope Swimming Pool-

Slowly but surely the excavation work in connection with the build-* (njf of the Ohope Swimming Pool is nc-aring completion. The work which was undertaken by Mr FiVTahv Sen., will, it is hoped be comr pleted by next season. The volunt. teers avlio are assisting at the pre* sent time have done most of the excavation and it now remains to cat: tenders for t-he construction of the concrete work and walls. Much Ado About Gorse. Says an old English proverb: 'Love is out of fashion, when the furze is not in blossom," which refers to the fact that furze or gorse blooms most or all of the year. <How-< ever, gorse is viewed as a noxious weed in New Zealand, and the Whakatane Borough Council is having a clean un of gorse *n the borough. Gorse blooms in winter, spring and summer, and like the ragwort weed, its golden flowers "give the show away" to the inspector of noxious weeds. Scouts Church Parade. Members of thbe Whakatanc Boy Scout troop held the first Churcii Parade of a series, last Sunday evening, when seventeen of them attended St. George's Anglican Church in the evening. The Rev. Caul too preached a special sermon commending the Scout movement, and reminding the boys of their Scout's vow. The troop colours were handed over and received by Patrotli Leader .T. Rivett. It is intended to hold tlio parade once a month, and to visii the and Methodist churches in rotation. Calf Rearing Begins. Blaring calves tied up in thte vicinity of milking sheds are a reminder that on farms in the Whakatane district the important business of rearing heifers for future years is now under way. Where large herds are milked annually there are by now a few earT.y heifer calves to >?e fed in addition to so many other tasks at the milking shed. Although the Government has made a great drive to double cheese production it has also urged farmers to rear as many heifer calves, as possible in order to keep herds up ta fuMi strength and ensure increased production of dairy products in thp rears when peace has been restoredFarmers who have been ordered to change over from supplying butterfactories to cheese factories are being permitted to separate a reasonable amount of milk for rearing heifer calves.