THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15772, 13 December 1916, Page 2

THE COUNTRY.

NOTES AND NEWS.

CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury Agricultural College was held at the College, Lincoln, yesterday. Present: —Messrs H. *A. Knight (chairman), R. W. Lochhead, B. ii. Tripp, J. Deans, W. F. M. Buckley, and the Hon. D. Buddo, M.P. Mr Blacklcy sent an apology for absence. """ The D-Sroctor of Education wrote acknowledging the Board's resolution in regard to training teachers in agriculture. Tho Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote asking for particulars of rc-icrv.-c- leased by the- Board. Mos-rs Lee, Grave, and Grave asked the Board's consent to a transfer of lease at Hakataraniea. Tlie chairman reported that he had intimated his assent to the transfer after making enquiries. The T; °nrd approved of the chairman's action. The Discharged Soldiers' Department wrote on bchnlf of n discharged -oldier. It was drcided to ask the Board to furnish particulars cf the ap- j plicant's education, and if this were j <:itis Rectory thr- applicant to be allowed to enter the collpge on tho terms ; a ".'reel on bv the Board some time i a.'*o. i The chairman was asked to interview ] (•lie chairman of tho Paparua County j Council tn see if it was possible to j make more satisfactory arrangements ' in regard to the water simply in the j water-re -'ch, AvH-Vh has always besn more or l«s unsatisfactory at the Col'ege. During the discussion on the matter it was suggested that much less •lifticul'y would b" experienced if proper gauges were pip "eel along the races. Messrs Knight. Buekiey. and Black'oy were appointed a valuation committee for purpose of making the ".nnual valuation.

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Somewhere near a shearing record accurred at Coliins Bros.' Aranui Manguinaiiu, a days ago (says tho •'Wairarapa Age 1 '), wiiere shearers curned out 14ii' .sliceo> in the usual shearing hours: A. Wilson 305, li. !jolt;;;i 2G7, S. Johnston 2-iC, D l . Cainci'oti £0!}, W. 3:laho:ipy SOS, A. Jray 207 —an aveiasc of 21U per man. For the Belgian Agricultural Resto;tion Fund the secretary of the Cau.irburv A. nnd P. Association has recivocl from Mr John Deans, Riccarton, nd from the trustees of the Riccarton instate, tho priza-moneys won by them t the Association's Atetiopolitan Show. It W. B. Andrew, Maheno, has forwarded a chcque for £o for the same und.

Writing in the "Farmers' Union Advocate," the South Island correspondent says: —"The commandeering of tho "lip is still one of the chief topics of conversation among farmers—that and i;he ballot. The fact that our wool is to be commandeered is one that is 'i?ing received differently by different armers. Some consider it quite the iropcr thing for the Imperial Governucnt to do; others contend that the !aw of supply and demand should not '•>e interfered with on any account, -ome won!growers consider* it a very mercenary action to stick out for high riccs, for the uttermost farthing, while so many of our fine young men 'ire beijip; conscribed pt five shillings a day, with the cost of living for depend•ints going up all tho time. Others chink that the law of supply and demand should" be allowed to operate in an unrestrained manner. Great Brit:»in itj no doubt finding it extremely difficult to get her requirements at anvthi'iir like reasonable sums. Piices arc going up every day. and her exnenditure is increasing in consequence. Men are willing to give up prospects and nositions to fight, in the trenches for five shillings a day and found. Surely we who remain behind are not "oiug to stifk out for the last farthing for our produce."

ASHLEY. The combined Sunday Schools of the district held a picnic at the Waikuku beach on Friday, Mr s J. Wilson being the organiser of the outing. The party spent a very pleasant day. The district is now in a very dry state, rain being badly needed. The hay has been harvested in first-class condition, and the grain crops are looking well, but require some good showers to help them fil] out. The grass io drying off badl.v, and there will soon be a serious shortage of feed if rain does not speedily come. KAIAPOI. A children's demonstration, arranged by Captain and Mrs Ball, to further the Salvation Army Belgium Week appeal, was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Kaiapoi, last night, the Mayor (Mr J. H. Blackv.ell) presiding. An excellent programme was given by 90 performers, and enthusiastically received. lb is expected the concert will result in £10 being added to the fund. GREENDALE. The weather continues exceedingly dry throughout the distinct, and all growth shows the effects of the past week of bright sunshine and strong hot winds. Some of the early oat crops will soon be fit for reaping, unless a 2°od rain falls, as they are drying off fast. The late-sown crops will be no better than tho crops last year, and some farmers who sowed oats for chaff late, will not have enough to tide them over. Some farmers say that unless rain falls soon, it will be of very little use.drilling turnips as the land is as dry as can be for several inches below the surface, although it has been worked throughly, aud, therefore, the turnips would be very unlikely to germinate. As showing how dry the land is, grass seed sown in October is not showing above the ground yet. Shearing operations are now nearly finished, there having been very little broken time this season.

RAKAIA. The Rakaia. men's bandage-rolling class has given up operations for the present, partly on account *of the approaching festive season, and partly because of the impossibility of obtaining suitable materials to keep -the machines going. The prolonged dry spell is causing a rapid change in the appearance of the country. The very slight rainfall of Tuesday morning will make no appreciable difference. Crops that a few weeks' back showed gerat promise are now in a had way for want of rain. The crops are affected as far up-country as Lauriston, while round Met-hven they are in splendid condition. The weather has not affected the prices for 6tore sheep to any appreciable extent, ns sheep generally do well in a dry spell if they can get water, and farmers are not at present overstocked. AKAROA. The "Red Cross lamb" that figured so prominently in raising funds at various patriotic entertainments during the winter, was shorn last week at the Mt. Vernon shed. Its fleece scaled . 171b. That will be good news for the ! animal's owner, the Mayor's youngest son, Gunner Lincoln Armstrong, who ; at present is in hospital in England, j recovering from wounds received on i the Western front. | Mr W. H. Youngman, postmaster, is enjoyinsj his annual leave just now. His place is being filled by Mr White, from' Christchurch. Mr Longley,

I chief clerk, has been accepted for active sen-ice, and will go into camp in the middle of January. ASHBURTON. Mr John Lane, one of the elders of the Ashburton Presbyterian Church, has given £'2-5 a year for two years for a scholiJship for students for the Presbyterian ministry. The annual exhibition of work by the pupils attending the Ashburton Technical School" was opened to the public yesterday, and will be on view until after the breaking-np ceremony on Friday evening. Takim collectively the work, which is all based 011 practical lines, is very creditable to both pupils and instructors, and is well worth a visit r.f inspection. A meotincr of the Ashburton Presbytery was held yesterday, when the Rev. G. K. Aitken was appointed Moderator for the ensiling year. A hearty welcome was extended to the Rev. W. Marshall, Tinwald. It was decided to ask for the appointment of Mr .N. Rogers to the Hinds Home Mission station. A eommitsion consisting of the Rev. W. Marshall, his elder, and the elder from Ashburton, was appointed to visit Wakanui. The Rev. G. K.

Aitken and Mr "William Oakley were appointed representatives on tiie Board of Governors of the Presbyterian Boys' College, to be opened at Christchurch. Great satisfaction was expressed at the action of the congregation of St. Andrew's, Christchurch, in placing its buildings at the disposal of the Presbytery for education purposes. It was resolved that the charge hitherto known as the Flemington charge be known as tho Tinwald-Flemington charge. Tiiv.vaid branch of the W.C.T.U. ga* >'• a "social afternoon'' in tho Tinwald Hall, for the purpose of presenting the prizes won by the school children j) the recent temperance essay competition. Mrs Stevenson, president of the Union, presided, and Mrs Y'.\ Iv. Watson and Mrs W. T. Lill,

presidorit and treasurer respectively of the Ashburton Union, were present and itnve short addres-ses. After tea had been iiajided round, tho prizes were distributed. Six were given by the Tinwald W.C.T.tJ., seven by Mrs F. Ferriinan. Ashburton, and two by Mrs G. Clark, Timvald, and were awarded as follows: —Standards V. and VI.: Edgar Biddick and Jessie Brown (equal) 9S marks, Gordon Carroll 97 marks, Fanny Bayliss 93 marks, Charles O'Keefe 92 marks, Garnet Wilson 91 marks, George Orieo 90 marks. Standards 111. and IV.: Harry Kircher 99 marks, Grace Doyle 93 marks, I>. Colville 9o marks, Olive Johns 93 marks, Eva Simpson 92 marks, Lance Musket and John Lowery (equal) 91 marks, B. Colville 90 marks. The prizes for the youngest boy and girl competitor were won by Eric* Hopwood and Beryl Luxton.

Tho monthly meeting of the Ashburton Borough School Committee was held on Mondav evening, when the chairman (Mr \V. G. Hillier) presided. The Railways Department wrote stating that an excursion train could be arranged for the annual school picnic to Timaru on February Bth. The headmaster (Mr G. Schneider) reported that the average attendance for the month was as followsßorough 387, Allenton 134. The school's share of the picture entertainment in aid of the prize fund amounted to £8 os, and the pupils decided to hand the value of their prize-money to the starving Belgian children. The Education Board wrote_ stating that as the Ashburton Domain Board had declined to grant a school site in the Domain, it had decided to erect the new school on the infant school site, and had instructed the architect to prepare plans and specifications. and submit them to the next meeting of the Board. It was decided that w letter he sent to the Education Board pointing out that as Mr Hugo Friedlander had so generously given. £1000 towards the erection of the new school, the committee request .the Board, if possible, to complete the. new school, and also to add some embellishment to the building to show appreciation of Mr Friedlander's f/ift. It was also decided to ask the Board to forward the plans of the new school before the tender war?-finally accepted. It was decided to hold the annual break-up on Decern-' l.cr 21st, the gathering to take the same form as last year. TIMARU DISTRICT. Rain is now the great desideratum all over South Canterbury farm lands. Gardens are also much in need of it. The good effects of the last rain were to a large extent counteracted by the succession of nor'-westers by which it was followed, and the surface soil is now very dry, Fortunately the subsoil still retains a good deal of moisture, and this has enabled the crope to do well. Gra-ss is very plentiful, and haymaking is now in progress throughout the district. The indications point to a lot of hay being saved this year. It will not be long before the reaper will be at work in some of the oat crops, and the wheat crops also, promise to come in eaTlier than usual th siseason. The small birds are very busy on the crops which are "turning." A good area has been planted in potatoes, and the tubers are everywhere' looking well. There is still a marked scarcity of stock for the feed available, and very high prices continue to rule.