THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15512, 12 February 1916, Page 6

THE COUNTRY.

j NEWS AND' NOTES. I JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS. f — A Tecord pricc'was obtained at the Dannevirkc stock sale for - a lot of breeding wrrs .submitted by a Falmcrston North vendor, the. "line bringing 3->s [>or hca/1. Another,line from thr santr owner recorded 335. which (says a local exchattge) is 3 contrast to prices prevailing this time year, when sheep, oil account of tbo drought, could be obtained for a song. It is pleating to hea r that in several instances crops of wheat are threshing out much better than was anticipated 1 say,. yesterday's "North Ot ago Times"/, but the average yield for the 1 district is not expected lo exceed fifteen bushels. It is stated that Mr John Macphcrson (Totara estate) has tbre-shed 4-I.J bus!ie!s to the acre of Red Marvel wheat. 7'iie v. heat crop in the Ta.icri this season 'i olographs our Duncdin correspondent.) is described as exceptionally good, it being estimated that, the yield will lie approximately KXUXRI sacks. This quantity represents .''oo.ooo bu.shel?. which should give, when milled, something like 6000 tons of flour. Tt. is stated that 6"on tons of flour would suffice for Dwucdin's requiremmts for aboiif eight, months. T'ust lias niade an appearance on wheal in the C'lutha district, but not to a serious extent. A gentleman, resident- in Southland, who arrived in Duncdin on Thursday, informed a "Daily Times" reporter that many of ti;e. oat crops in ;the> south were extraordinarily heavy—so heavy, in some cases, that thev were lying down, and will be . difficult lo cut. Southland, lie added, would have a record season. The harvest will he earliej- than usual. The grain is filling up splendidly and fast ripening The turnip crops are particularly promising. notably so about Edendale. Tn the Tokomairiro district- some of the grain is already in the stook. Forage plants that have withstood the drought are at the present, time prized. Among their number, the leaf beets (Beta. (Mela). known here as silver agricultural beet, has withstood the dry weather. Mr A. Kennedy. Windsor, lias a patch of extraordinary growth. He has shown us (says the ''Oamaru Mail'') a few stalks four feel, high, the flattened stems four inches broad, and a heavy leafage in which there is good feed. The plant is a hardy biennial, a native of the sea. coasts of Spain and Portugal. As a.garden vegetable it has been used lor many years, both leaves aud stalk making good dishes. As a forage plant it, is extensively grown in many parts of New Zealand.. Crimson and goldstemmed varieties arc grown as ornamental plants in flower borders. Humour in farming matters is hard to find at present, but tlic tale of how lucerne was established on the. run of the iat'e Hon.. R-obcrt Campbell, at Otekaikc, is not devoid of amusing features (says the Oamaru "Mail"). The lato gentleman ivas an early and firm believer in lucerne, but bis bead man abhorred it believing it only a fad of '.'the boss,"- which could be shelved by obdurate, objection on bis part. He was firmly convinced- that lucerne, once in- the land, could not be got rid. of. and many heated arguments, dignified by restraint, ensued. The' Hon. Rob-"crt-asked that a few pounds'of lucerne s.ced might be mixed 'with . whatever pasture seeds were sown,, and, failing to get his wav bv the mandate which was surely -his right, he. dissembled. • When the men who mixed the . seed were at lunch, however, he would slip -into the sited and from a...capacious pocket sprinkle the select seed of Ins factotum .with lucerne. This kept cropping tip all over the run with irritating persistency and showed a virility which much annoyed his bead man. The latter wrote many caustic letters to seed'merchants'year by year without avail. That the lucerne thrived m&y be seen by any visitor to Otckaike. for all over the run there arc patches of the hardy fodder plant that intervening years of crop and its close cultivation have been unable to ■ eradicate.. SOUTHERID-GB. The monthly meeting of the Southbridge Town Board, held on Thursday evening, was presided over by Mr M. Curran, acting-chaiiman. Di - . Withers saw the Board with regard to. an ac.count sent to him for half the cost of constructing concrcte channelling on his frontage. He pointed, out that the arrangement, as lie understood it, was that he should pav half the cost of a ; length of one chain only. The members of the Board said that there was apparently some misunderstanding, and it. was dccidcd to.ask Dr. Withers to pay half the cost of one chain only. IMr Hubbard brought under the Board's notice some road repair work requiring attention, and it was decided to prospect for shingle in a township section, with a view to.avoiding the. expense of bringing metal a distance for repair work. A complaint was received from a county ratepayer , that.he was not getting a. supply of , race water, and that he believed the race was blocked in the township. It was stated that one of the races" had been leaking into an old creek bed, and ( the Works Committee undertook to 1 have the matter attended to. I/OYLESTOiX. < The annual social and prize-giving < iii connexion, with the Doyicstou Sunday school was held on Thursday even- 1 tag. There ""'as an excellent. attend- ( ance of children and their, eiders, and < a most enjoyable evening was spent < with musical items, competitions, etc. i The musical items included songs by Mrs F. H. Barnett, and Mr J. Oliver, ] and choruses by the children, a duct- ; by Misses Chambers and Hilda. Bar- \ nett, a piano and violin duct by Misses Bowis, and a recitation by Miss t Frances Turner. Mr J. W. Bayliss i presented the prizes as follows: First i class girls: I.ydia Money 1, Emma Tod c 2. .Ella Chambers 2, Myrtle Fearer, 1 Jessie Robb: second class girls: Fannin I Trevella 1, Maisie Pearee 2, Caroline T Chambers 3, Linda Chambers, Frances 1 Turner, Letitia Robb. Grace Doyle, t Nellie Burnett. Mildred Doyle; third class girls: Alicc Money 1, "Ruby r Money 2, Hilda Millar 3, Ivy 'foner, 1 May Toner, Mona Cooke, Eiieen I Turner. Hasel Doyle. -Jessie Doyle, c Bella Robb; first class boys: Norman t IVloney 1, Archie Millar 2, George Tod i; 3, Russell Chambers. Douglas Doyle; s second class boys: Harold Millar* 1, T Stanley Money 2, Lennie Millar 3, h Cutbbert Bowis. David Robb. Leonard b Bowis, Jock Robb. Jack Nelson; fh.rd A class boys: Laurie Pearee 1. Willie Millar 2, Donald Robb 3, Herman i.« Scott, Leonard Chambers, Lionel Bar- e nett, Raymond Turner. Jack Cooke, t: James Bowis, Bertie Burnett, Arthur 7 Trevella.. Richard Trevella. Special > prizes—Scriptural knowledge : Eiia w Chambers, Frances Turner, Mvrtie q: Pearce, Harold Millar, Norman Monev, g and Archie Millar. On behalf of the a scholars and teachers, Mr W. Cham- si bers -presented Mr John Barnett, who s' had been superintendent for thirty d years, with a Morris armchair, as an h expression of love and esteem. Mr Barnett, in acknowledging the gift, touched upon the early history of the Sunday school. The ladies provided supper. ARAROA. $ The fortni~htly meeting of the di Akaroa Borough Council was held on tl Wednesday evening. Present: The c: JiLavor tMr Geo. Armstrong), and Crs,

Munro, Lcet<>. Xoonan. AViiliams. Fvfr. Pcnlington. Hcnnius, and G. HarlorU. This being the first meeting sintr his election. Or. Havk-k raado the tomarv- declaration and was warnilv ""elcomcd to t-hp Council table, by the Mavot. The chief item of interest in the inward correspondence was a letter from Mr Birks. Government e!cctiical engineer, stating tbat the Pubfic Works Department was prepared to bring the Lake' Coleridge power fron.' Duvauchelle—when it .reached there —to Akaroa at £'1 per kilowatt, the minimum charges to be raised being £320. Tile letter was referred to the Lighting Committer, foi- consideration. Cr. Leete. chairman of the committee, lepnrtcd - that- it had carefully discussed the offer, made by a Dunedin iirm, of a 10 h.'y. oil-engine for use at tbt power house. If. recommended that an . expert opinion be obtained '< ith respect, to the eHicieney of the engine- and the cost of running it. The report- was adopted. The Fire Brigade r'"inmi:t«e recommended ihat a grant of £~> be made towards expenses of the local delegates attending lb? West port Conference. The rest :>f the. business was of a. rout.ir.e ci-a raster. Tiie aunual meeting of the Jlomain i?on:xl was then held; the same gentiemcu britm present. The-report and halance-shcet for the past year were -ead and adopted. I; disclosed a liiahlv satisfactory state of affairs in fonnr\ion with the Momain. Tlio Mayo,. was re-elected chairman. and .Messrs "W. H. Kenning. A. Munro. a,id f '. W. Lecte- were appointed a Management Committee. The women of Akaror,. under the energetic guidance of the Mayoress. Mrs Geo. Arm.-trong. are still quietly busy, making and gathering a varietr of comfort* for our hoys in the base hospitals. On Wednesday afternoon tiicv assembled on . the lawn at "Rlythcliffe.'' c;:c'i laden with the results of 'love's labour." The gifts made a fine display, and when sorted and packed, thev will be despatched forthwith to ■ gladden the hearts of sick and wounded soldier bovs fa ; - away from their loved ones af home.