NORTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 10 February 1927, Page 3

NORTH CANTERBURY.

RANGIORA. A meeting of the committee of the Hangiora Branch of the Plunket Society was' held yesterday afternoon, rs D. 11. Blako presiding. A motion i>; sympathy with the relatives of the late Lady Truby King, and, Mrs J. H. Blackwel! was carried. A vote of thanks was passed to Mrs W. H. T. McKenzie (. collecting from ex-university students in Hangiora contributions to the Ladv Truby King Fellowship Fund. The resignation of Mrs Allen and Mrs Springer were received and accepted with regret. At a meeting of the committee of the Parents' Association in connexion with the Rangiora High School, held on 'f„c;.dny evening, it was decided to convene a general meeting of the parents of the pupils for the afternoon of Friday, February 25th. to discuss :;.at ers affecting the welfare of the school. The question of home lessons will be one of the subjects of discussion.

WAIPARA. Again this week, weather conditions have been .- 'try ami v.iirm, and a gwl soakiuL' rain would be welcomed bv n". Threshing operations still continue i" tho district, and many good yields, much above last year's average, are reported. Santo very fine crops of rape and lucerne arc to be seen in the district. This week several farmera have commenced dipping their sheep. Mrs Graves, Hanmer. is the gues., of Mrs Oscar Anderson. Wnipiua. Mrs Morgan.'Pareora. South Canterbury, is visiting her sister, Mrs McGueken, Waipara. . . During this summer again the Waipara river-bed and Weka Pass have been a favouiite resort with camping parties. The run is only 41 miles from Christchnrch. ana the roads are good. There are plentv of sheltered spits, and good facilities for shooting, fishing., and bathing, while the Wekn Pass is idea! for botanists or geologist!-.

ASHLEY BANK. The weather still proves very hot and sultry, and most days have a north-west tendency, which makes conditions trying. Though the weather is ideal for harvesting, the scorching sun has a detrimental effect on all root crops.. Thresh in? in the district is going on apace. There are three mil's ut work, and the yields arc turning out very well.- wheat in most cases averaging from 40 to ,44 bushels to the acre. Some very fine crops of clover are to be seen in the district.

HALSWELL. The combined -annual picnic of 'l' o Ualswell and St. Agncs's Schools was held at Sunnier. The weather was perfect, and fully 230 children, with their teachers and friends, bad a most enjoyable day's outing. A progressive euchre party aid daucu were held in the hall during the weekend under, the management of the Public Library Committee, there beinc a good attendance. Tlio prize-winners for the euchre were:—-Ladies: Mrs *• Sparkes I. Mrs Hobson 2; men: W;. Wilson 1, G. Dixbcrry 2. The music for the (lance was supplied by Miss D. Moore.. Mr N. Gardiner was M.C.

AKAROA. Tlio recent dry weather has hatl tlio effect of hardening off tho feed aud thus hastening the finishing off of the ! fat lambs. 'flic freezing companies' buyers have been operating here freely lately and largo mobs of fat sheep and lambs are to be seen passing through daily to tho works from this end of the district. Tho fine weather is also proving very beneficial to those engaged in grass-seeding. A number of the earlier crops are now threshed and in most cases the yield is better than was anticipated. Not a great deal of seed has been sold yet, but it is reported that 7d per lb has been paid for somo parcels of fair quality cocksfoot. A special meeting of tho Akarou Lawn Tennis Club was held on Tuesday evening to decide what action would be taken regarding the completion of the new courts on the old pound site. 31 r P. G. Riches presided over a small attendance of members. It was decided to appoint the club captain/' .Airs F. Kearney, and the secretary, Miss E. M. Le Lievre, delegates to, attend the next meeting of the Borough Council with a request that if theCouncil would engage an expert to examine and report on the stale of the courts, the club would be prepared to. pay a proportion of the expense in-; curred. It was reported that Aire Williams, of the yacht Surprise, had given a cup for competition between the two local tennis clubs and Mrs F. Kearney and Misses E. M. and J. Lelicvre were appointed a committee to confer with the Domain Club to arrange the detnils •jf Ihe competition. A party of about -10 persons is espccteil hero, from Lecston on Saturday and arrangements have been made for then to try conclusions- with the local members of the howling, croquet, and tennis clubs.

J KIRWEE. ; Fine weather still prevails and har- ! vesting is proceeding rapidly, A good I deal of stook threshing has been done. i and it is reported that the wheat crops : are not yielding so well as farmers ex- ! pectcd. On one farm in the Kirwee I district yields of 33 bushels and 37 j bushels per acre arc reported, but i thcro was straw enough for 40 and -to i bushels. Yields of 26, 27, and 3fi ; bushels per acre are reported in the Charing Cross district. These crops also did not come up to expectations. Mr H. McClellaud, Kimberlcy, had a very tine paddock of oats which yielded 92 bushels per acre. Mr F. G. Sowden, Aylesbury, threshed 43 bushels per acre. There are numbers of oat crops throughout the district which should yield 00 bushels or over per acre. Somo barley has been grown in the district this season and the crops looked very well. This cereal is very seldom grown here. A fair acreage of j peas has been sown this season and the crops are looking very well. Pota- ! toes, which so far hare had no check ;' since planting time, are doing splen- | didlv. and there should be some good yields. A fair amount of hay was tut. but during the early part of the season it was- rather a difficult matter (o save it in good condition owing to the bad weather. Feed of all kinds is nowdrying off rapidly, owing tn the conI tinned spell of hot dry weather, and I a good day's rain is badly needed. Even j those who are engaged in harvesting I would Ik- very pleased to see a good i d nvnpour.