COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14823, 14 November 1913, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

THE COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE.

FIRST MEETING

HELD AT SHOW GROUNDS.

A meeting of the executive of tho Council of Agriculture, constituted at the,recent A. and P. Conference in Wellington, was held at the Show Grounds yesterday. Present:—Mr Ewen Camobell (president) and Messrs J. D. Hall, D. D. Macfarlane, J. Studholme (Canterbury), Orbell (Otago), and J. Hunt (Invercargill).

Apologies were received from Messrs A. Itussell (Hawke's Bay), and E. HaH (Auckland), who were unable to attend.

•Mr E. Hall sent down a lengthy report of the proceedings of tho biennial conference, the most important resolutions that had been passed thereat, and the replies that had been sent to the resolutions from members of the Government departments to whom they had been sent. Mr Hall stated that few of the societies had raised any objections to tho formation of the Council. • .■•■•■•

The Prim© Minister had been approached with regard to the question of rural housing, and had said that he would be pleased to co-operate with the committee that had been set up by tho Conference. The committee had prepared a report on the matter, and had forwarded it to the Prime Minister, who had promised to bring down legislation this session on the line 3 submitted in the report, if it were at all possible. The Minister of Railways had replied with reference to the simplification of certificates for show stock, that tho matter was now engaging the attention of the Department, and investigations were also being made with regard to the right of erecting private grain sheds. The recommendation that oppossums should be protected in certain localities had been given effect to. Reference was made in Mr Hall's report to the Board of Agriculture, tho enabling Bill for . which has already been brought down, and also to the Bill for the registration of stallions, which had been brought before the House.

A letter was received from Dr. Renkesj F.R.C.V.S., Chief Veterinarian, with reference to contagious mammitis in cattVi. and the draft reguQations referring thereto, forwarded by the ■ sub-committee of the Conference. Dr. Reakos said he saw no way of meeting the position or preventing cows with contagious mammitis being sold as dairy cows, than having the disease scheduled in tho Stock Act. He considered that this course would not necessarily result in the harassing of farmers, for the Act could be administered with' discretion by the officials of the Stock Department. He thought if contagious mammitis was scheduled it would be as well.to schedule contagious abortion as well. Mr F. S. Pope, Secretary of Agriculture, wrote in replly to a request that the Government would assist the proposed formation of seed growers' associations, that he had no doubt assistance would be forthcoming if the associations were formed on the right lines, and showed that they had a reasonable chance of doing good work. Mr Pope added that arrangements had been made to increase the experimental staff of the Agricultural Department. It was hoped that amended conditions for the grading of grain would be instituted before the coming season commenced.

Reports on the matter of the loss caused by insufficient storage and grain shed capacity at country stations, and also on the question of the provision of houses for rural workers in country districts, were laid before the Council and received.

The executive of the Council drafted rules and regulations for the work of the Council of Agriculture, and also passed a resolution that the secretary (Mr E. Hall) should write to all the A. aud P. Societies in New Zealand, stating that it had been proposed to establish a Council of Agriculture, and asking the societies to affiliate and join.

Mr E. Hall was then formally appointed secretary and treasurer to the Council, and th© meeting terminated.

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS

Chatting with Mr Dugald Macpherson, of T\*aianiwa, a "Southland Times" reporter learned that about a week ago an event occurred among Mr Macpherson's flock of ewes that will interest farmers and the public. One of Mr Macpherson's ewes gave birth to a lamb with six complete logs. Viewed from the right side the lnmb is perfectly normal. From the opposite side ho has quite a different appearance. His front left leg is in its natural position. Between this leg and the brisket there appears to be another shoulder, from which the two extra legs protrude. Both are fore legs, but one is turned backwards. In walkinp he makes no use of his extra legs. They rather restrict the''movements of his -fore left leg, making him take a short step with it. The lamb is now ten days old and appears- to be in excellent health.

ASHBUUTON

The annual meeting of the Ashburton branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union was held on Tuesday afternoon. Nominations for officers resulted as follow: —Dominion: President, Mrs Don; recording secretary. Mrs Mitchell; corresponding secretary, Miss Henderson; treasurer. Mrs Bendeley. Local officers: President, Mrs W. X.-Watson; joint secretaries, Mosdames

Dent and Buchanan; treasurer, Miss A. C. Watson; vice-presidents, Mcsdames W. T. Lill, W. J. Brown, J. Thompson, and E. McEwen. Superintendents of departments: Scientific temperance instruction, Mrs W. K. Wateon; evangelistic, Airs W. J. Elliott; hygiene, legal and parliamentary, and Bible-in-schools, Mrs W. T. Lill; social, Mes•dames A. Smith and G. W. Leadley; Press, Miss Trevnrza; notable days, Mrs W. J. Brown; literature, Mrs J. Thompson; Rest Tent, Mesdames A. Williams and E. McEwen; Maori work, Mrs G. W. Andrews; organist, Mrs W. J. Elliott; White Ribbon agent, Butterick. The Ashburton Shakespeare Club completed its fourth year on Wednesday evening, . when 16 members participated in a general reading or' "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which play has been studied, during the past three months. The principal parte were allotted as follows:—Theseus, Mr G. H. Carson; Hippolyta, Mr R. M. Dunlop; Egeus, Mr H. C. Percy; Lysander, Mr H. C. Collins; Demetrius, Mr. E. H. Orr; Hermia, Mr E. W. Cardale; Helena, Mr R. B. Bell; Bottom, Mr A. McClure; Quince, Mr B. Wood; Flute, Mr E; Buchanan, Oberon, Mr J. o. Rae; Titania Mr T. M. Clark; Puck, Mr P. S. Crisp. Tho ; play, which chronicles the high water-mark of Shakespeare's achievement in ' pure imagination,- is, of alf the'great poetdramatist'e works, one of tlie most difficult to gain a proper conception of— much less to interpret. Tho Club undertook a heavy, task in attempting a realistic reading of ■ it,- and of the result it can only bo said that the effect was not such a tremendous failure as it conceivably might have been.

. Some months ' ago the ~ Ashburton Shakespeare Club offered two prizes for elocutionary competitions open, respectively, to the boysand girls of the Ashburton High School. The idea underlying the offer was the inculcation of a love of Shakespeare and his works in the minds of the younger generation, and it was expressly stipulated that the Club's judges would pay special attention to the interpretation of the speeches set, in the light of the plays in which they formed parts. The Club selected two speeches, one for the boys and one for the girls—and on Tuesday evening seven competitors faced the judges (Messrs R. B. Bell. T. M. Clark, and R. M. Dunlop) in each section. The attention of the girls was directed to "The Taming of the Shrew," and they were required to recite the . tanied Katherina's homily, to her less enlightened sisters (Act V., scene.ii., lines 143 to 180). The-boys were asked to enter into the spirit of the venerable Cardinal Wolseley, "weary and old with service," left naked to his enemies in his old age, as depicted by the mastermind in "King Henry VIII.": the speeches were tho well-known ones, commencing "Farewell! a long farewell to all my greatness!" and "Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition" (111., ii., 353-373 and 441-458). Amelia McClure and K. Shrimpton were the prize-takers.