THATCHING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 30 May 1914, Page 10

THATCHING.

■nAr£ w-da-7? a&° * noticed (says W.W.D. m the Christchurch Press) a r? ri? r "nusual advertisemeent in one of the Chnstchurch. papers—the advertiser wanting to get into touch with * first-class thatcher.; This is such an uncommon want in Canterbury that it wno^wonder that it caught the eye. 1 hatching, if not exactly a lost art," is seldom seen m farm practice out here A tew gram stacks are given a bit of thatch on the sou-west side when a I long period is to elapse before threshing, and one more frequently sees the iiay stacks on dairy farms thatched in a rather more elaborate manner. But apart from this, .there is little permanent thatchinc done, and I never H x 1?™ 6^ &n a buiWin2 roofed with thatch m the picturesque style of the Uld Country—unless one excents the covering.of a "straw camp," and this does ; not.involve systematic thatching! There are a couple of little articles on thatch and thatching in the Standard Encyclopaedia of Agriculture that will bo read with interest by farmers who

may find that the iuf-ormation is of use to them at some time or another. "Thatch," as is well known, is a term applied to straw or other material used to cover the roofs ..of a building or hay and grain stacks to keep out the rain. The materials used for thatching vary considerably in different districts. Wheat and rye straw, when well laid provide a neat and secure covering for all general purposes. The former is used, chiefly for rick thatching, while the latter is, when easily procurable, mostly used for the roofing of houses. Oat and barley straw are sometimes used, but they are generally soft in texture, and absorb water, which gradually finds its way through the thatch. Thatch is often used as a protective covering for potatoes, mangels, and other roots which are placed in "clamps" or pits; but when used for tins purpose straw thatch cannot resist hard frosts or conserve heat; it is only capable of preventing damage from rain. There is no form of thatch equal to reeds, which nrow abundantly in shallow waters and ditches throughout all parts of Europe. A reed roof which has been well laid will last for 50 years without requiring reI pair, while well drawn wheat straw properly laid will remain secure for j over 30 years.