“HEADERS AT WORK TOO EARLY”

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22317, 3 February 1938, Page 5

“HEADERS AT WORK TOO EARLY”

WHEAT HARVEST AT ASHBURTON STOOK-THRESHED GRAIN IN GOOD CONDITION The recent rain in the Ashburton County interrupted the wheat harvest for a little more than a week, but as conditions are now ideal for both stock threshing and heading, wheat is being delivered rapidly to mills and on to trucks. Beyond delaying the 1 harvest, the rain has not affected the ; quality of the wheat, and provided that growers do not begin heading before ' the crop is mature, the wheat yet to ! come in should all be in good condition, merchants said yesterday. The samples which have come forward to date are in good milling condition. and, providing that the nnweather continues, stock should be finished m about three weeks’ time. , ~ . , Whereas most of the stook-threshed wheat has the required moisture content, much of the headed wheat will have to be held over. A grain merchant in Ashburton said yesterday that many farmers, anxious to get ail then crop in in case rain should set in, were beginning heading early in the morning before the dew had dried out ot the wheat, lie was of the opinion that this was the reason why so much headed wheat had failed to pass the moisturl#'ontent test. It would pay fanners wait till a few hours after sunrise beAeare beginning heading tor Hie day. he said. The majority of farmers seemed to favour Cross' 7 wheat, because ot the small quantity of straw it grew compared with other varieties. This variety was yielding 30 bushels to the acre on medium land and 45 bushels on heavy land, the merchant said. Tuscan wheat was yielding 25 bushels on medium land and 35 to 40 bushels on heavy land. It was estimated that about 60 per cent, of the total harvest had yet to come in. CRICKET ASHBURTON TEAM FOR GREYMOUTH An alteration in the personnel of the Ashburton County Cricket representative team, which will leave Ashburton this morning for Greymouth. where it will meet the West Coast team in the final match of the Minor Associations’ competitions, was announced yesterday. Three of those originally chosen, S. Duncan (Oio Boys). H. Jordan (Kia Ora), Dave McKay (Fairfield), were unable to make the trip, and they have been replaced by R. Tulloch and P. Doig (Old Boys), and J. Pritchard (Ashburton). The team now is: I. M. Hamilton (captain), A, A. Todd, H. E. Cook, J. B. Nicoll, P. Harper, R. W. Biggar, J Pritchard (Ashburton Club), L. Whinham, C. T. Dacre (Public Works Irrigation). R. Tulloch. P. Doig (Old Boys). Mr E. T. Kensington will accompany the team as manager. PERSONAL NOTES ASHBURTON Sister V. McPhail, formerly of the Stratford Public Hospital, left Ashburton yesterday for Auckland, where she will join the Matua for Rarotonga. She will be stationed at Rarotonga lor tV Thc Ilev. D. D. McLachlan (Tinwald) returned on Tuesday from Southland, where he has been spending his annual holidays. I NEW DENTAL CLINIC | WANTED i Application will be made to the Department of Education for a new dental clinic, it was decided at the quarterly meeting of the Ashburton West Dental Clinic Committee last evening. A grant for a two-nurse clinic will be sought, and the urgent need for the new clinic will be pointed out to the department. The chairman (Mr C. Maynard) presided over the meeting. ASHBURTON SILVER BAND CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE HOLDS ANNUAL METING The honorary membership scheme, introduced by the committee to raise funds for the new instruments, was a great success, stated the report presented at the annual meeting of the Citizens’ Committee of the Ashburton Silver Band on Tuesday evening. The membership totalled 535 and was largely responsible for the collection of £648, the total amount raised. “The new instruments, which are now the property of the band, are considered the finest set of instruments in New Zealand, and the committee will watch with interest the success of the band at the forthcoming Domini . contest, to be held at Palmerston North, starting on February 21,” the report added. „ „ ~ ~ The chairman (Mr G. D. H. Hefford) presided over a large attendance. The election of officers resulted:— Chairman, Mr G. D. H. Hefford; secretary, Mr T. A. Bryant; assistant secretary, Mr A. C. Wilson; treasurer, Mr R. Marsden; committee, Messrs J. Shaw, G. Hoatten, W. H. Amos. T. F. Smith. P. Choak, R. Johnston, J. Finlay, C. Maynard, T. Rattray, W. Watters, A. Wallis, W. McDonald, H. Amos, W.-H. Osborne, G; Whiting. E. Withell, E. R. Hopwood, C. Frew, F. Holloway, with power to add. ASHBURTON MOTOR-CYCLE CLUB Final arrangements for the interclub Ally to be held at Mr H. Brown’s property (Seaview) on Sunday, when a record gathering of Canterbury motor-cyclists will compete for the inter-club rally trophy presented by the Ashburton Club, were made at a committee meeting of the Ashburton Motor-Cycle Club on Tuesday evening. The president (Mr S. Freddy) presided over a full attendance. It was decided to start the first event at I o’clock. The programme for the second half of-the season was drawn up as follows:—February 27, half-day sporting trial; March 13, mystery run; March 27 road hill climb; April 10, run to Peel Forest; April 18, run to New Zealand Grand Pnx race at Cust; May 1, speed judging contest; May 15, reliability trial (eight hours); May 29, final run to Seaview.