THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17395, 4 March 1922, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

LUQERNE DEMONSTRATION PLOTk.

| A deputation, representing the Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee was introduced yesterday afternoon to the Hon. W. Noswortliy, Minister of Agriculture, by G. Witty, M.P., and asked that the lucerne demonstration plots inaugurated by the ment of Agriculture should be handed: over to the°Lueeme Campaign Committee to supervise. Air J. Longtcn, chairman of the committee, said that the Minister had been written to on the subject. It was conthat as the committee would liave to inspect tho competition plots periodically, it could easily combine the work of looking after the departmental plots. He regretted to say that when the committee inspected those plots early in tho season they found that they Jmd not been treated as well as they might have been, because if cutting were delayed too long future ■ cuttings might be injured. Mr A. MacpUierson said that tho plots had been put in for a specific'purpoti©— to show that manuring was not necessary— and they had succeeded in demon r str-ating that lucerne could grow on the poorest land in Canterbury. Dining the past two years the stands had not be9n treated as they should have bee - .i treated bv anyone' with a knowledge of lucerne culture. Mr Noswortliy said that the committee's letter had not been replied to because of tho abnormally lengthy session and the continuous heavy work which had monopolised the whole of the time of Ministers. When he, returned to Wellington he would look into tho whole matter, find out the position, and let the committee. know wlhat he intended doing.

, Jottings for Farmers.

A run through North Canterbury at tho present time emphasises the exceptionally favourable nature of the growing season. As a rule the country is very dry about this stage of the autumn, but the reverse is the 1, case this. year. From Waipara towards Cheviot, climatic conditions, judging by the feed, have been exceptionally favourable. • The amouht of stubble feed is particularly noticeable, and as the area in cereals was largely increased this season the converting of lea to' "white crops will not mean the usual correspondingly smaller number of stock oari'ied. Ewes, tvhichl aire already with the rams on one or two farms, will enter on the winter in

good condition, and as the fine grass season has assisted a good clean up of old ewes as fats, mortality figures when the lambing comes round should be kept at a low-level. Turnip and rape crops are looking extremely well—in fact not a poor field meets the eye. Judging by tne heavy stocking on some of the rape fields in the district there must have been an exceptional growth. Only a few fields of wheat and oats are to be observed standing in the stook j in the "Waipara-Cheviot district, and represent, no doubt, late sowings due to wet weather during the spring. Judging by the wheat straw stacks which have simply been "walloped," there apparently being IjShle necessity to save wheat straw in this favoured growing distjricfc, there should! haf.'e been a heavy wheat vield, but results proved in the main otherwise. However, such is not likely to bo the case with the oat yield.-. Practically all the oa"s are still in stack, very little, if j any, having been threshed, and apparently not much yet cut into chaff. The number of stacks in the various paddocks suggests that the yield or tonnage will be remarkably good. Farm-1 ers, doubtless, are in no hurrv to chaff their crop just yet, the market being j so unfavourable, but it is worth noting that tho Hawke'a Bay oat crop has j been almost ruined by the excessive rain, and an opinion from tliat quar-1 ter is to the effect that "a lot of_ southern chaff will be needed this winter." However, farmers would be unwise to rely too much on this prediction. South Isla.nd crops are (very heavy, and even with the reduced area sown the aggregate yield will be big enough to provide . all the oats and chaff likely to be required. | RANGIORA. ! At the annual meeting of the Rangiora branch of the W.E.A., Mr T. YL Ambrose' presided. The annual report, which detailed the work of tho year, ivas adopted. The balance-sheet showed a credit of 19s 2d. ' The following officers were elected: Chairman, Mr y • A. Banks; vice-chairman, Mr G. Leecli; secretary and treasurer, Mr T. "W. Ambrose; committee, Messrs C. 1. Jennings, R. D. Hutdheson, J. E. Straehan, W. L. Murray, and G. Turner. It was decided to open tlio session this month. KAIAPOI. > " A most successful complimentary social, tendered by the ex-members or i'v? Kaiapoi' Volunteer Fire Brigade to their supporters, was held in tho Drill Hiill last evening, between 300 and 400 guests being present, including a number of visiting firemen. The hall was prettily' decorated for the occasion, and excellent arrangements were made for the evening's entertainment, which included dancing and a progressive euchre tournament. Messrs G. Clarke, L. Pearce, G. Hirst, and J. Burnip acted as M.G.'s. During the evening exForeman L. Pearce, on behalf of t!lie old Brigade members, presented ex-Superin-tendent J. A. Mealings with «a Kaiapoi rug, on which was worked in black and gold .a. fireman's lielmet iwd branches. Mr Menlings suitably acknowledged the gift. Mr G. Clarke,'late secretary, on behalf of members, thanked those present for thfir support and assistance, which had tended to make past functions of the Brigade so successful. In connexion with tne formation of W.E.A. classes at Kaiapoi, Mr G. Armstrong, of Ohristc.hurch, yesterday ad : dressed the employees of the Kaiapoi' woollen mills and the North Canterbury: freezing works on the aims and objects of the -Association, appealing to Jiis hearers to attend the lecture to be, given in Kaiapoi next Tuesday by Professor Shelley on "The educational nedse of a rural citizen."