ASHBURTON ITEMS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17629, 5 December 1922, Page 12

ASHBURTON ITEMS.

Angling. ! Owing to the discoloured 6tate of the Ashhurton. and Rangitata rivers, the Ashburton anglers had practically another blank week-end. A good few rods were out, but only a few small fish were caught.'"" _ The Weather and the Crops. The total rainfall registered at the Ashburton Dtomain for the month of November was 3.13 in. Rain fell on thirteen days, the maximum for any one twenty-four, hours being ,9Sin. The sun shone on twenty-seven out of the thirty days, the total for the month being 194$ hours. The total rainfall for November, 1921, was only ,70in. The good rains which have fallen this month, l.lOin, have had a. wonderfully beneficial effect on the grain and* root crops, and good average yields of both wheat and oats are now practically assured. The growth in the early part of the spring was slow, Jbut after tho rams dicf come it w;;s both rapid and vigorous,.and never in the history ot' the district have the prospects looked more encouraging than they do at pre™nt," -A^ va y up through tie Ashburton Forks district there are hundreds of acres which are promising yields of from 35 up. to 50 bushels per acre, and similar encouraging prrsi-e ts are to b" seen away down the Beach road and back up the Wakanui read from Ashburton, ns well as through the Riverside district. There is a similar bright outlook away down Graham's road' from linvrald, back again up the Lagmhor road, and through the best parts of the Westerfield districts. There is abundance of teed for all classes of stock throughout the county, while there has never been a. better average lambing, n° r Ltn'e Limbs over come on better than they have this season. \ A big lot have already been sold in the paddocks tor delivery early in February, bo mo at an average of 9d per lb, and others at 2~s per head, with a comparatively small percentage of allowance for reikis. "With the recent rise in the prio? of wool and fat sheep, together with tho prices now offering and what will bs offered later on for fat lambs, there is eveiy indication that farmers will have a big chance of mailing a satisfactory recovery from the shimp. The rain* which fell on Thursday,- Friday, and Saturday last caused a temporary cherk to the shearing of up-countrv sheep, and was a. bit rough on those winch had been newly shorn, but so far very few fatalities have been reported. The fronts of the ranges re-

ceived a hW ■ coafe &^X& , hSS with the bright sunny days again set 111, the enow appear. Rifles' Band. Tho First Canterbury Mounted. Rifles Band'have recently b^ n f f un a L° e T»,l contest in ftrff »™, fhnt tie contest they will take back to Ashburton a liberal share the. A grade honours. Memorial Library. The'executive of the Ashburton High School Old Pupils' Association has unanimously decided to ercct tho Sol,i; pr s' Memorial Library at the end ot the present large Assembly Hall, and a start will be made immediately after the plans have been approved. Brass tablets will be placed in the library, on which will be inscribed the names of all those old pupils who served m the Great War, as well as the names of those who gave their lives. It will mean a very lengthy list, and will show that the Ashburton High School was as fully represented in the struggle _ as any other similar educational institution in tho Dominion. B. and F. Sailors' Society. Mrs Derisley Wood, the president of the Ashburton branch of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, has arranged for a garden fete to be held in the beautiful grounds surrounding her residence, and to which an open invitation has been extended to tho general public. Already there is a considerable sum in hand towards a supply of Christmas "bags" for the Lyttelton Sailors' Institute, and Mrs Wood and her associates hope that by gifts in kind and inohey at the garden party, the branch will be enabled this Christmas to send a bigger supply of comforts to tho Lyttelton Institute than at any other period in the branch's history. Fire at Tmwald.

A fire occurred at Tinwald late on Saturday afternoon and completely destroyed a six-roomed house occupied by James Gibson. A la£ge number of willing helners quickly assembled and did what they could with buckets of •water, but the-building, which was of wood and built 40 years ago, was speedily razed to the ground. Most of the furniture, including a piano, was eaved. There was an insurance of £4OO on the building and a small insurance on the furniture just about sufficient to cover the loss of the goods destroyed.