COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16793, 22 February 1915, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

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ASUBURTON

Mr Pearsc Watson, of Lagmhor. has just threshed thirty-four acres of wheat which yielded fifty-four bushels an acre. Mr Watson's average yield last year was forty-four bushels an acre." The wheat is a splendid sample being line and plump, the sack holding live bushels.

GKUALDIXE. The induction of the Rev C. •'. Tocher, as minister of the Gernklnie Presbyterian Church, took • place on Thursday in the presence of a _ large congregation. The Rev J. Herries, ol Chaliners Church, conducted the ceremony and preached the sermon. the Rev J. Patcrson, of Albury, delivered the address to the minister, and the Moderator, the Rev W. Macdonald, of Temuka. delivered the address to the congregation. At the Presbyterian Hall in the evening a welcome social was accorded }lr and Mrs Tocher. Ibe Moderator presided over a large attendance. The new minister was welcomed bv Mr Archibald on behali of the session, bv Mr Bain on behali of the Young Men's Bible Class, by Mr A. M'Lenn on behalf of the managers, and by Colonel Mackenzie on behali of the' Sunday school and finds' Bible Classes. Mr Tocher briefly returned thanks. During the evening a presentation of a walking stick was made to the Moderator in appreciation of his services during the vacancy. A garden party was held on Thui'sdav afternoon in the. grounds of Mr and Mrs G. A. Macdonald at Orari when fiftv members of the Geraldiue Home and Empire League, who have relatives at the,"front, were entertained most pleasantly.

BALMORAL. The crops in the. Balmoral district are turning out well. Mr Donald M'lntosh threshed on Mr I). Dwyer's farm six thousand bushels of oats in two and a half days. The average yield w;ts above expectations in such a dry season.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Good harvest weather prevailed in North Canterbury last week, and it largo area of grain was put into stook. Threshing is proceeding "apace and the returns continue to lie very satisfactory, whilst the quality of the grain is of the best.

RANGIORA. The anniversary celebration of the Rangiora .Methodist Church was held yesterday, the preacher for the dey being the Rev W. A. Sinclair. Three serices wero held and all were well attended. The afternoon gathering was in the form of a pleasant Sunday afiernoon and in the 'evening Mr Sinclair took for his subject "The Hymn of Hate." Soecial music was included iu Om day's proceeding, Mr J. T. Withers being the orgamVt.

WAIMATE. The a initial meeting of the Winter Show Society was hold on Friday evening. The report stated that .tV debit ol €4.0 shown in the bnlanqß%&iw»-w:ih' through the purchase by the association of poultry coops to the value of £(SO and a grant of £lO to the secrctarv, who left, for tho front last August, bringing two salaries into one balance-sheet. The election of officers resulted :—President, Mr S. J. Adams: secretary, Mr W. G. Russell; treasurer, Mr E. J. Atwill; committee Messrs A. Adams, J. Betten. A. E Voitch. S. Miller, T. Wilce. S. H. Wilson, W. Barford, A. Price. W. G. Napier, G. Remolds, H. Searle, M M'Donald, C. Creba, E. Knight, A Pegar. A. Williams, J. Allfrey. A\ Grainger, H. Slee, B. Nicol. F. Wilce L. Wills. B. F. Whitney, T. A. Lucas and 0. Fraser. The show was fixed for June 5.3 and 26. A meeting of the Waimate Sheep Dog Trial Club was hold on Saturday. Several valuable special prizes were donated, which were loft to the subcommittee to deal with. It was reSolved that half the profit from the coming trial should be donated to a relief fund, and also that :i charge ! of Is should be made at the gate te go to the same fund.. Mr At. M'Rae the president, will give a cup of the value of ten guineas for the man seor ing the most uoi'its in tho three one 1 ' classes at the trials, the cup to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals. The contracts for the erection of hall a dozen houses on the workmen's homes sections on the old show ground have been let to outside builders. No Waimate contractors tendered. The Public Works Department is advertising for tenders for forming a road intc j the tmddoek.

"Word has been received by Mrs Barclay that Dr Barclay has arrived safelv in London. It was well understood that he was only "marking time" in Russia pending the. acceptance of bis offer to join Kitchener's army, which was forming in Great Britain at the time of his offer soon after the outbreak of the war. Remarkable interest is being taken in the Queen of the Carnival contest in connection with the South Canterbury Patriotic Carnival. Dr Margaret Cruickshank, the Waimate candidate, was in the lead on the second d»V of the voting on Friday and was second on Saturday. Several teams are working for the Waimate candidate and the Swimming Club's team was 'first to-day. Methodist Choir second and Ladies' Golf Club third..

SOUTHBRIDGE. On Thursday evening a pleasant time was spenv in Mr A. Tong's granary at Southbridge, when the members of the Southbridgo Methodist Church and their friends assembled to bid good-bye to Miss Eunice Bishop, who is shortly leaving the district. Games were indulged" ini interspersed with musical items bv Mesdames Grigg and' Bamefct, Misses Bishop (2) and Messrs Bayles, Bishop and Tong. The minister of tho circuit, the Rov W. in complimentary terms to Miss Bishop, and called upon Mr A. Tong wuo presented hor with a silver watch suitably inscribed. Mr R. Bishop responded on behalf of his sister.

GERALDINE. \t its meeting on Friday night, the District High. School committee adopted a resolution expressing gratihcatioii at the success which had attended' the enrolment of pupils for the District High School. . The electrical engineer to the Public Works Department, Mr Birks, B.Sc , \M I C E., P il1 " a vlslt *° tue Geraldino'district on Friday, and made inquiries as to the possibility of energy from the Lake Coleridge scheme being used in this district. He was shown specimens of marble from Kakabti limestone aud pipe clay, and was impressed with the possibilities of turning these to .rood account, suggesting that an electric trolley line might be provided to «'ivc connection with the main rail- " |j )ic . Mr Birks promised' to make another iind longer visit to tho district.