FARMERS FEAR GRASS FIRES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 9

FARMERS FEAR GRASS FIRES.

[B2 TKLEGHAPII— SPECIAL TO THE FOSr.I FEILDING, This Day. The driest of dry weather continues in this district, the consequence being that grass is as tinder ready for the match. Farmers are naturally anxious, especially tho small s-ettler in the back country, for if his grass goes he ha& nothing to live for until it grows again. When a grass fire, occurs the ground has to be ploughed up again' and seed sown, and seeding properly costs 50s an acre.

Of course, the pasture is all the bettor for such treatment, but it is a costly one for the small farmer. It is reported that a large area of grass has been burned in Feilding's back country during the wsek. Farmers are now afraid to leave their selections and their absence was most marked at. tho stock sales yesterday. There is a good demand for dairy cattle these days, but not for sheep, but whilst Palmerston North is getting anxious about its water, Feilding borough has an ample supply. SUPREME COURT. [ET TELEGEAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. The Supreme Court sittings closed yesterday, several judgments being reserved. The court was occupied nearly all day with a claim for £250 damages for alleged trespaec made by Te White, against John Gemmell, junior. Gem mell, senior, had a lease of several na tive blocks at Oroua Bridge. One ran out a week ago for which he say 6h© believed he had a new lease. Te Whita gavo occupancy to one Lawler, who started to fence, and Gemmell, junior, cut down the fence. Judgment was reserved. PBSSS ASSOCIATION. THE ACCIDENT TO KNIGHT OF"THT GARTER. BLUFF, 17th February. ■ The steamer Knight of the Garter, which ran aground while entering the harbour at 7 o'clock this morning without a pilot, was floated off the reef at the mouth of th© harbour on the incoming tide at 12.30 p.m. She steamed slowly up the harbour and berthed at the wharf at 1.30 p.m. The diver expects to finish inspection of the vessel's hull at midday to-morrow. He inspected for three hours to-day, and found no damage. The captain (Captain Finnis) thinks that the No. 3 hold tank is pierced. After inspection, the vessel proceeds to Port Chalmers to be docked, and returns to Bluff to finish loading wool for London. A court of enquiry will sit to-morrow. BUSH FIRES. AUCKLAND, 17th February. Bush fires are still burning in many districts in the neighbourhood of Auckland, and a great deal of smoke still hovers over the city. Reports received,however, point to the fires decreasing, and the worst period appears to have passed. Fires were burning freely along the Main Trunk line to-day. SHALE DEPOSITS. INVERCARGILL, 17th Feb. A prospecting company, is being formed to prove the shale deposits of tho Waikaia district. The shale, according to the Government analysis, is of better quality than the usual Scotch shales, and the engineers report that the deposit probably extends over 200 acres in a 16ft seam. Tho deposit* is not a recent discovery, but has been disposed of by small owners to dredges as lignite at 6s a ton, indicating easy mining, and the output from one and a half acres has been 30,000 tons. There shallow bores, at a cost of £300, were recommended to prove the real extent and nature of the deposit. That is th© purpose of th© present company, which, if successful, will make further development. TARANAKI IRONSAND. NEW PLYMOUTH, 17th February. At the meeting of th© New Plymouth Harbour Board to-day a striking advance was made in connection with the development of the ironsand project. A Chnstehureh. syndicate which had. obtained options originally granted to Sir Alfred Cadman, D. Berry, and other*, applied twelve months ago for an extension of the leases, and undertook to carry out certain development work before 31st March this year, but they were unable to do so. At to-day's meeting the syndicate applied for a further extension, and deposited £2000 to be forfeited to the board if the work was not reasonably progressing by 31st March, 1912. Th© board on these terms granted tho extension. It is now certain that a very big development will take place in the establishment of ironworks at New Plymouth. It is understood that most of the capital was subscribed in the Dominion. THE FRENCH CRUISER AT LYTTELTON. CHRISTCHURCh 7 17th February. The Frer<ch cruiser Kersaint arrived at Lyttolton- at noon to-day from Akaroa, and was brought in by iCaptain A. H. Thorpe to a berth at the Gladstone Pier. It is some years since a warship flying the French flag visited Lyttefton, " the last vessel being the small gunboat- Euro At 1 p.m. th© Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. C. Allison) and the Town Clerk (Mr. H. R. Smith), the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr. M. J. Millar), and the Town Clerk (Mr. G. A. Lewin), Mr. C. Hood Williams (secretary of the Lyttelton Harbour Board), Mr. C. J. R. Williams (engineer to th© board), Mr. G. Humphreys (Consul for France), Mr. G. Laurenson, M.P., and Lieutenant Sandie (O.C.Lyttelton, R.N.Z.A., as representative of Liout. -Colonel Hawkins, O.C. Canterbury district), paid an official visit to Commander Max Tiercelin on board the Kersaint. In the absence of Mr. Hugo Friedlander (chairman of tho Harbour Board), Mr. Hood Williams read an address of welcome. The toasts of toe French and British nations were honoured.