COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13744, 27 May 1910, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS,

Mr Robert Power, the -well-kno.vn settler of Paringa, South Westland (telegraphs our Greymouth correspondent), started last week "with a large mob of horses lor the Dunedin horse sales. Mr Power is travelling by way of ilie*Haast Pass into Otago, and the present is the first draft of Westland horses to be taken by that route, and so open up a new market.

' Spraying blackberries and oilier noxious v.rrcls is now coming popularly into α-ojiuo in the Waikato (wys the "Weekly Xews" correspondent). Those " farmers who favour tins mode of dealing with the weeds should take precautionary measures to remove all stock from the areas '-where spraying operations . are to be carried out, as the solutions used fer the . purnose contain arsenic or : other injurious poisons, and in spraying the weeds a proportion of the liquid is bound to.fall on the.pastures, ; which, if eaten by the stock, is almost ! sure to produce dire results. I have j heard of several cases where cattle have been taken bad from the effects < of eating or licking the grass. Fari mers say the cattle affected .stagger about much the same as if they had eaten deadly taupnki. In one district, recently, a ■ -number of cattle which •wcrcjifceding in a paddock where spray-ings-was in progress, were taken sick in this manner, and several of their lnimber succumbed/ and in the same district, previously, other losses are re- ' ported to have token place from the same cause. .'■■ • ■ Cheviot. •..;!. • The yields this year from the SpotsWood crops grown-on fertile Wain.ii Flats, are turning'out very satisfactorily, Mr,J..T.-Barnes threshed out 57 bushels,"per-/acre' from" a. ; 3Q-avro. poddock of Tuscan, Mr Tli<kk H.-■■Wilkin-son 63 biishelsVcf- Bordeaux, 'Mr-Peter-gill iSO bushels of Tuscan, and the rest of the farmers'in-this, locality- had. tho ■samo good yields. • Wheat is being sown again all over the district as the weather permits. Splendid prizes are. being.offered for the ; annual.trials of the Cheviot; Collie Club,'; to be held on tho 3rd and 4th of June, ..one-donation -being* of' £s ss, for most points scored nt .the trials. On Saturday, the Brackenfield Hounds meet at Mina,. and. nest, week at Spotswood, and good.runs are anticipated. '" The committee of the. Cheviot Public Library are/to be complimented on the , results from their recent concert. They have now a credit balance of £17. ' - '■' RANGiOEA. j The bazaar held at Hangiora for the I benefit of the. North Canterbury Mounted Hifle Company has been very successful. The total receipts reached the sum of nearly £100, but this is not to be considered as all profit. . One cf tho most interesting debates that-have taken- plae"e at the. Ran'giora Literary and Debating Society's meetings was on the subject "Is the judgment of the masses generally , round in the matter of progressive legislation ?" on Tuesday evening. Tliis took the form of a tc.im debate. ; Mr : A. Murdoch was leader in the affirmative, and Mr S. liushntch in tho negative. 'Hie vote resulted in.a tie. The bazaar for which the ladies of tho Xorth ■CanterTmr.y .district have .been •werking so assiduously for dimng some months pasty for the North Canterbury Mounted RineSjHvas opened on Tnesdav, in the Drill Hall. This had been j transformed into a veritable emporium for the display of useful and fancy articles, etc., which were well arranged '. by the committee, of which Mrs Latter was : president and ■ Miss -JS;. Turner ■ hon. secretary. Tlie stalls wete .attendee! as follows:—Fancy work, .Misses Thilpott, Blackett, Skiiling, \Rowe (3), and Thompson; flowers ' and plants, Misses Walker, Lilly and Jennings; needlework, Mesdames Afford, Sutherland, Skiiling, Lissaman. iSpencer \"incent, Rogers, and Miss Coates. The refreshment stall and the luncheon buffet were managed by a company of ladies in smart military uniforms, consisting of Mesdames Barton, Will, Van

Asch, Misses Jones, "Wheeler, Buddo, Mehrtens, Turner. Dudley, Cunningham (4), Horfell (2), Scott (2), Foster, Hungerford, Fear and Barton. The fruit and produce stall was conducted by Mrs Pearce, Misses Foster and Tutton. The sweets stall was managed by Mesdames Guy, Gibbs Jordan and Jennings, and Misses Guy Leech and Jennings. In addition there was a telegraph bureau and several machines for testing weight -and strength. Mr A. B. Blackett, Mayor, apologised for the absence of the* Minister of Internal Affairs, who telegraphed his sympatny with his old Corps, and hoped the sale would be n financial .success. The Mayor said the object was to pay for uniforms, and judging from theconi-pi-nv present, he thought that wouloVbe an accomplished fact. There was a constant stream of visitors to the bazaar during the afternoon and evening. KATAPOI. The rapid growth of raiipo and rushes in the river at Kaiapoi between the two bridges,' which assists the serious accumulation of silt, suggests that steps should bs taken to cut off ami biirn the vegetable growth. In that way the blocking of the river will- be delayed. It seems that some- day the occasion will arise when extensive dredging operations will be 'needed at the locality referred to, in order to ' keep the river channel open. "\Vlien it is remembered that the huge silt bank "created was non-existent thirty years ago it eeems easy to realise that a few years more will" intensify the mischief and destroy the utility and beauty of the river. HIXDS. . . . , There was a good attendance at. the monthly meeting of the Hinds Band of Hope. Mr R, X. Adams occupied the chair. An interesting programme was given, consisting of-recitations.- , by l>. and I. Buttefiek, L. Patcrson, O. M-cKenssio, : M. Moore: reading, Mr H. Wills: an address by the Rev. H. D. . Peryman, and. songs by MLss Kent, Messrs S. and T. Gibbs. SPRIXGSTOX. The fourth of the series of concerts in aid of the t'.p'ringston .South school pii'iio fund, was held in the schoolroom on Tuesday.evening, Mr Harris, chairman of the School Committee.-pre-siding. The programme was opened with a pianoforte duet by Misses E, V.G. Bro. G. Judcl; V.G.", E.S.< Bro. M.osdames , McEvedy, Edgington,Oliver, and Yarr, Miss Walker, and Messrs' Gibson, Julian, and Thomson; recitations by. Miss Edgington and- Messrs Gibson and Wolfe; and Highland dances by Miss Kdgington. ..The awim- , paninients were played'by Mrs Mc-Kvcdy.-Miss' W. Blay, and Mr Thomson. ELLESMERE. At a meeting of ratepayers of the Ellosmere Road District on Monday night it was unanimously agreed to favourthe proposal to form the district into a county, • A tea meeting and concert were held on Thursday evening in the Dunsandel Hall, in connection with the Methodist Church. The weather being fine, there was , 'a .very large gathering. Aftqr the tea a.sufeOessfuL concert,rAvas.held.' Rev. T. A.. Joiighin ' presided.. •;,Items were given by Mrs F.-JJarnett, Misses' Joughin, Lill, Smith and Johnston, Messrs B. Johnston, Smith, F. Barnetfc and Rev. A. Mcßean. .; On Monday evening, at the parish, room of St. Mary's ..Church,. Southbridge, there '.was a-;gr.eat gathering of children,---teachers,* parents and-d'riends of the School, the occasion being' the annual 'distribution' of .prizes. After.a-short concert-programnie . the prizes weredistributed, every littlo one carrying off some useful book. , ' .. ASHBURTON.. Tho Temuka syndicate which intended to rmrehase ■. 400- acres of land at Mil ford, from Mr. J. T. M. ' Hayhurst under tho Land F-ihanco Act, canuot fulfil its intentions. sfr-Hayhurst'Jins demanded payment in cash, while the Land Finance • Act provides only tor payment by State guaranteed debentures. The purchase money would have amounted to £10,100. The annual Xo-lieense rally in - .connection _ with the Ashburton Council, was held on Tuesday evening. There was only a moderate attendance, and in the absence of the Mayor, Mr W. 11. Collins occupied the chair. Pastor Greenwood {president of the Council) in apologising for the absence of Mr Davis, stated that they would havo boon pleased to have the Mayor present, seeing that he had decided not to have drink at the last Mayoral installation. Brigadier Albiston spoke chiefly ' on efforts made by the Salvation Army against the liquor traffic, and- its thorough sympathy with No-licensb. Mr Isitt, who spoke for an hour, said' it was about twenty-one years: this month since he first began to. talk prohibition to the, Ashburton people. Speaking in regard to the- proposed , compromise, he expressed himself as against it, and he was going to fight vigorously for its rejection. At the adjourned meeting 'of'the Ashburton Borough Council the Mayor' (Mr H. Davis) reported a credit balance at the. bank of £264 .16s 2d, and receipts since last meeting amounting to £111 11s Bd. The Ashburton Hospital 'and Charitable Aid Board wrote, advising that the Council's contribution for the year ending March 31st, 1911, would !ic £77 losTcl. GERALDINE. A concert in aid of the funds of the, Gcraldine Parish Guild was held on Tuesday evening. There was a large, attendance and, a most enjoyable pro- , gramme of solor, quartets, and choruses were given by ? number or' children and adults. Mrs Peaeocke was responsible for the success of the entertainment, havin.c; undertaken the >ork ol drilling the children and organising the programme, with tho assistance of Miss Tiinsley, who played the accompaniments. At the close of the concert, on tiie call of the Rev. S. Hamilton, the audience accorded a hearty vote of i thanks to Mrs Peaeocke and all those who had so willingly given their services.' ■'.';■