THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15700, 20 September 1916, Page 5

THE COUNTRY.

'■ — -4 ' i NOTES AND NEWS. \ - JOTTINGS FOB FARMERS. The establishment of an experimental farm on the West Coast is to be attended to at once (says the "Westport Times"). Its location will depend upon the reports to be submitted by experts to the Minister of Agriculture. At least three agricultural experts are to be sent to the Coast by the Minisistcr. One will be required to report upon the most suitable locality for lime-burning. The prolific returns from lucerne were touched upon by Air A. Mefnerson, Fields Supervisor to the Agricultural Department, in «nswer to a question put to him at Little lliver as to how long a time elapsed between the planting of lucerne and the time it was ; ready to cut. A plot, said .Mr McPhereon, bad been planted at Sumner, ' in sandy soil, on March loth last.*' Three weeks ago it was cut, having , then attained a height of 16 inches, ' and already it ha J grown another foot. < Lucerne, he remarked, yielded from ; six to eight crops a year. < Many leading farmers have gorio to J the front and the latest contributions < to the ranks are Messrs K. W. Dal- ] rymple and J. O'Brien, both of Bulk 1 district (says the Wanganui "Chron- i icle"). These two men are leaving < well-established farms so that they i may do their shar Q in the defence of < the Empire, and their absence from i the district will be greatly missed. Mr i Dalrymple was a member of the Rangibikei County Council, and took a prominent part in all public affairs affecting the welfare of the district. t The Kaituna Valley and the "Wairewa c district "generally are looking at their j c

• l . best just now. The recent rains have evi- - dentiy, nad a good effect, aud me vui* - leys and hili6iues are covered with an - abundance of luxurious green grass, f while stock appear to b e in tho best of t condition. Besides being good for the a farmers, tho result is extremely pleas- - ing to the eye, and tho monotonous train' journey from Ohristchurch to * Little River is greatly relieved in con- ? sequence. There is also an abundance " of wildfowl on Lake Elleemere, the * swan, the duck, and the pukeko being " there in their thousands. * Now that tho grass is b€£Wimifag to 3 grow and a good season is promised, J tho daii-y"farmer and the sheep-breeder " can look back with a rueful equanimity on tho ravages last season has made in I his bank balance (says tho "Oamaru ' Mail"). No place was struck harder 9 than North Otago by tho drought of/ last although from the Horse Rang© to North Canterbury all experi- * enced'the disaster with more or Jess inb tensity. The dairy fanner, during the ? worst ])liasQ of the drought, had tp part D with hie herd at prices that reached as * low a& 30s per head, and he has now to " fill'up the gap at figures that range r from £8 t«l £12. The high prices of " butter-fat will not compensate in a sea- ? 6on for the difference between • the s lowest and tho highest price. Sheep r may be included to tho same category, for since the flush of grass, ewes that * were disposed of at 2s per head have to 1 bo bought back at 30s. It will be apparent that it will take the whole of j 5 the increased value of lambs and wool i * to make good tho difference of 28s per r head. Yet a few good seasons and the farmer will begin to forget that such a thinrr as a disastrous drought ever visited North Otago. j <f I know of one district which sent away fifteen hundred hares for the " wounded soldiers in England, and there j are 6till hundreds of the pests running I about." says "Agrioola" in the "Far- ! mers' Union Advocate." They are more destructive than rabbits, and more difficult in some -ways to get rid of. Or- ! chards have been spoiled by them. ; They havo a distinct preference for the . bark of apple-trees, and will pass good ' feed to partake of it. Garaens and plantations have to be netted-in just , as much as a protection against hares as against rabbits. In connexion with tho latter, there has been some systematic destruction employed everywhere, and they have been thinned out during the winter. Thosothat escaped are again breeding, and young, halfI grown one s may be seen about the I riverbeds and plantations. Dry seasons favour tho spread of this pest.' The riverbeds act as nurseries for them, the ground being loamy and easily burj rowed, whole the gorsc and broom give adequate shelter. A big flood -would reduce them by tho thousand. In 6omo parts the Government is being asked to do moro in the direction of dogging and shooting on Crown lands and reserves. Poisoning effects are a world of good,- ■ but it must "be followed up by other methods, as more than one or at most two poisonings a year are useless. .The rabbits get too cunning if fed on poisoned pollard too often." RANGIORA. The North Canterbury Poultry, Pigeon, and. Canary Club held its annual meeting last night at Rarigiora, Mr D. Ramsey in the chair. Tho annual accounts showed receipts £121 13s 3d, and the expenditure £108 2s 3d, leaving a credit balance of 18s. There was a debit balance at the commencement of the year of £12 13s. Officers were elected as follows:—Patrons, same as last year, with the "addition of Mr G. L. Minifie; president, Mr D. Ramsav; vice-presidents. Messrs C. H. Bull. W. T. "Wilson, T. Hill; secretary, Mr D. W. Bell; treasurer, Mr W. T. 1 Wilson; auditors, Messrs J. Marshall) and C. I. Jennings. Mr W. Efford, I Ben., was elected a life member of the | club, in recognition of his services. , I KAIAPOI. _ 1 A well-attended meeting of the Kaianoi Branch of the Farmers' Union was held last night. Mr H. Mcintosh : presiding. A lecture was given bv Mr R. E. Alexander, of Lincoln College, : on "Grasses and Pastures," and ho re- ! ceived a very heartv vote of thanks for : his interesting address. The Management Committee of the North Canterbury District, 1.0.0. F., IVOL, paid an official visit to the Loyal Kaiapoi Lodge last evening. N.G. < Bro. H. Fisher presided. Representa- • .tives were present from Woodend, Ra- 1 ngiora, Addington, Benevolent, City of ] Christchuroh. Coleridge, Perseverance, , Riccarton, Waimairi, and Rakaia Lodges. The proposed scheme for re- j duced representation of lodges at the ( annua] conference was discussed. Those • present were entertained to supper by * the Loyal Kaiapoi Lodgd, the district officers and representatives of other / lodges expressing appreciation of their reception. / , TAI TAPU. ' The jubilee celebrations of the Tai t Tapu Methodist Church will commence j on Saturday, 2|grd inst., at 2.30 p.m. The programme is as follows:—-Satur- ] day, 23rd; Reunion meeting; chairman, : Rev. A. C. Lawry, president of Con- : ference; the planting of inbilee oak 1 by Colonel the Hon. R. Heaton J Rhodes, M.P.; afternoon tea. Sun- * day, 24th: Church services, 11 a.m., I Rev. S. Lawry; 2.30" p.m., Rev. S. H. t D. Peryman: 7.15 p.m., Rev. A. C. B Lawry, president of Conference. Tuqs- 3 day, 26th: 5.30 p.m., tea in school- 11 room: 8 p.m., public meeting in 1 church. Special hymns and anthems t will bo sung by the church elioir at all a the services. a i e PREBBLETON. £ The Public Works Department's elec- J trie lines through Prebbleton and Hals- " well districts havo recently suffered f considerable damage, a large number h of insulators having been wilfully dam-; o

- aged, apparently as tKe result of riffle ■ fire. Tne offenders are being warned l by advertisement that such inter- , ferenco is liable to cause fatal re- : ■ suits, and in any case, serious inters ruption in the supply of electricity to • tho whole district. The Department 1 has a standing offer of a substantia] > reward foi; information leading to the . ! conviction of any person inflicting s damage of this nature. : LEESTON. . Tho annual show of the Ellesmere A. and P. Association will be ' held at Leeston on Thursday, October 19th. Entries close on Saturday, October 7th, with Mr O. B. Pemberton,• secretary Canterbury A. and P. Association, Messrs W. Scott and Co. (Southbridge), or Mr J. Purser, caro of , Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Co., Leeston. . Entries in the utility poultry classes : may also bo made with Mr J. H. Shaw, { 23 Churchill street, Cliristchurch, and Mr H. Burnett (Leeston). | The annual horse parade of tho Ellesmere A. and P. Association will be held on the Recreation Ground, Leeston (by '• kind permission of Mr P. Smith), on Friday, September 29th, at 2 p.m. Tho 1 Association offer a prize of two guineas I for tho best draught entire travelling j the district. Entries close on MonI day, September 25th, with Mr J. Purser, care of Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Co., Leeston. / HORORATA. v -I A very successful concert was held in tho Hororata Hall on Friday, in aid of Christmas boxes for our boys at the fiont Mr T. E. Pearson presided, and during tho evening presented Private S Tocker, of the Eighteenth Reinforcements, with a wristlet watch. 'Highland dances were contributed by.Masters Mcintosh and Clarke, Misses Mcintosh and Clarke; selections by Pipo- . Major Erskine, of the Caledonian Society, and a recitation by Master H. Beattie. Songs were contributed by. th 0 school children, Messrs W. Nelson, R. Foster, G. Ironside, A. Ironside,Walker, and Cade. A. hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Cade for providing tho concert, to Mr C. Mcintosh and his dancing party, to Messrs Kibblewhite and Vaughan for kindly placing cars at Mr Cade's disposal, and to all those v/ho had to "make tho concert a success. The sum ! of £30 was raised during tho evening. The thanks of the committee were also ex-' tended to those who supplied music for the dance which followed, namely. Misses Nelson, Maffey (2), Cain, and Mr Walker. Mr R. -Eelton was M.C. AKAROA. • ' j September, so far, promises well to be the windiest month of the vear. After the heavy gales of last week that piled up a rougher sea than had been 6een for many a long year, drove several boats from their 1 moorings, and generally made things decidedly unpleasant for tho dairy-farmers on tho ox- . posed hillsides—after all this, one ex:pected some quiet days. About raidday on Sunday, however, a southerly squall descended suddenly upon U6. ItT® ? 01S ? pf the onrushing wind and of the breaking sea on the Wainui rocks was, like that of distant thunder. Tho "vyind howled oztd raged, th© rain poured cown m driving sheets for tho space of a 0 kours. Then the storm passed off to,.the north-east, and evening approached with a clear sky and a placid sea. ' On Thursday last tho Mayor (Mr Geo. Armstrong) and Councillor Noonan, chairman of the Firo Brigade Committee, attended the meeting 0 f the Akaroa volunteer if ire Brigade for the purpose 01 making tho annual distribution of eervico bars and certificates. Tho •Mayor expressed his pleasure at being present, and complimented the Brigade i upon its activities ? and upon it® financial position a s disclosed in tho statement submitted by the secretary. FireI man L. F. Haylock. Tho Mayor then made the as under Superintendent Goodwin, Foreman J. Woodill, and Fireman A. Macfarlano, two years' service bars, making thirteen years' service in all; Fireman Dan L-angropo, two years' service bar, makmg eleven years' service; Firemen Wm. Pool and J. Pool, two years' bar, mak£S «?vcn years' service; Firemen L.. ilaylock a three years' certificate. The Superintendent,. Mr Colin Goodwin, thanked the Mayor for his presence there that night and for th© interest Councillor Noonan and ho showed in the work of the Brigade. H n added that three of their members were already at tho front doing their duty as soldiers of the Empire. A notable Masonic function was held in Akaroa last Friday night, the occa«on being the installation of Bro J , oh ° fridge as Worshipful Master of the Phoenix Lodge. The ceremony ~ as P, er t? rmed V tho R.W. Provincial Grand Master, i}ro. J. Thornton, aslisted by fiye Grand *Ix?dge officials. There was also present a larg 0 number of bre-thren from Christchurcih and country lodges. At tho subsequent banquet the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured. One of the speakers stated, among other mattons of interest, that ho understood the first Masonic Lodge opened in New Zea-! land was held in Akaroa as far back • as 1843. Someone else, with an eye to coincidences, pointed out that there were brethren present that evening, that tho Phoenix Lodge was No. 43 and that on its roll for the current year were 43 members. On Saturday the visiting brethren were taken for a launch trip around the harbour, and then landed at Tikao Bay, where lunch and afternoon tea wer e disposed of amidst surroundings that appealed to everyone. Those of the visitors who saw Akaroa for the. first time were lavish in their praises of its natural beduties. As one of them aptly enough remarked, each one would be '"a walking advertisement" to boom the minims if the popular seaside resort. -- ■ ~

ASHBURTON. A very interesting debate took placc in the Baring Square Church Scaoolroom oil Aionday evening between teams representing the Baring Squaro Debating Society and the St. Andrew's Club. The subject was "That we should not encourage trado with America after the war." The judges were the Rev. W. C. Blair and Mr T. M. Clark, and they gave their decision in favour of Baring Square (negative). 9 Messrs R. Jones and Judge represented Baring Square, and Messrs Caisholm and Pryor St. Andrew's. The ladies of tho Baring Square Church provided supper. TEMUKA. On Saturday afternoon a procession was formed at th e Tcmuka Post Office, and with Messrs C. H. Street and T. Gunnioli as marshals, and Mr A. Copper playing tho bagpipes, tho* four men of the Eighteenth Reinforcements who havo been enjoying their final leave in Temuka, were accompanied to the railway station. Mr T. Gunnion, chairman of the Temuka Patriotic Entertainment Committee, addressed a few words to tho soldiers, wishing tliem every success. At the recent examination for firstaid certificates, conducted by Dr. Paterson, of Geraldine, and under the auspices of the Tomuka Technical Association. the following 'were successful: I —Mrs F. Parke, Misses I. Colville, E. iPuchs. B. Gudex, E. Han cox, G. Han- ' cox, M. liitwlor, J. C. Mills, M. M. Mills, M. Shaw, M. Tooley, Messrs C. 3>avey and E.' Todd.