TOKAORA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 December 1925, Page 9

TOKAORA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) THE WEATHER AND DAIRYING. It is the farmer’s privilege to growl at the state of the weather. This past spring ami—so far as we can call it—summer he'has hacl very good grounds to complain. The spring has been one of the worst for dairying that I can remember. Rain, rain, hut not a heavy downpour; cold rain at that, with sleet and lack of sunshine, followed by high, cold, southerly winds, at times amounting to almost a gale, drying up vegetation and freezing the butter-fat in the cows’ marrow. The season’s flush of milk, if it could he s<> called, was fully a month later than in former years. The dairy farmer will boast (especially if he wants to sell out) about his big milk yield, high tests and good payout. . One may look in vain this year for such records, yet the struggle/', on the land jogs along hoping for better days, and scraping together sufficient to meet the soaring taxes of all sorts, while self, wife and family cannot find leisure or money to have a good time these festive seasons, when the majority of city folk just- shut up shop and go off to enjoy themselves. No wonder the drift is from country to town! HAYMAKING. Settlers' are busy cutting and saving their hay crops. For such purpose the weather is fairly suitable, save for too much high winds for topping off the stacks. The sample is really good, but the quantity is lacking. Farmers who last season laid out their stacks 15 paces hv five paces are starting off at 10 nates by four paces. The crops will he fully one-third less than last season. Many have gone in for ensilage, and the lucerne crops are doing splendidly, for this class of weather just suits such herbage. OUR, SCHOOL, On 'lhur.sday last the oldest inhabitant' (and also ex-chairman) by request of the committee distributed the school prizes, a large and valuable collection, to the scholars. On the following day the children, accompanied by their teachers and parents, held a successful picnic at that famed rendezvous, Te Ngiitii-o-te-Mami, in ideal weather. The following is a list of pupils! who received good attendance certificates for the year 1925 : Standard VI. —Eva Mines, Frances! Wyitkin, Josephine Wytkiii. Gordon Shearer, Henry E'llanes. Standard Y.—Mary Apps, Hazel Banks (for three years), Freda Schneebeli. Barton Bollond, Fred-Stewart. Standard IV-—Morrison Russell. Standard HI. —EJo Schmidt (for two years), Tasman Banks. _ Standard lI.—Do ris Banks, Mavis Frnacis, Earle Schmidt, Reynold Hall. Standard: I. —Lyal.l Greenhill. THE FESTIVE SEASON. Having, as "your own,” contributed to your columns for over two-fifths of a. century, it behoves me to wish the proprietary, the editor and subs., the reporting staff, the reader (my old contemporary "Fifty-One”) and the mechanic!!] and office staffs a merry Christmas, followed by a bright and haippy New Year. [Our correspondent’s good wishes' are most cordially returned, both by those members of The Star staff's who knew hmi in the far-off days and by those who have come to know him since Ed. Star.]