GARSTON NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4011, 4 August 1931, Page 4

GARSTON NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.» “When all the hills are covered with snow, I (think it’s winter quite fairly”): so sang Bobbie Burns. And there i 3 abundance of 50011 evidence in the Lakes District at the preseni time. The same singer speaks also of “gloomy winter”: but that aspect of the season is not iso apparent, for ape blended with the white mantle of snow welcome days of bright sunshine, ravishing the heart ,of the nature lover. Truly winter has a beauty all its own, and to the younger people at least, its discomforts are easily overlooked. Though the snow mantle prevents most farm operations, yet before its coming the work on local'farms was well advanced, and if spring will but observe the calendar the farm work proper to that season will be well in hand. Last season’s grain suite red badly from the worst ripening conditions experienced for twenty years; as a result the seed was of inferior colour, though its quality was fairly good. Turnips and winter feed are scarcer than usual at this time of the year, though sufficient to carry most farmers through. Babbiting has been so consistently carried out that no bunnies are in evidence. There should be abundance of material for ladies’ fur coats, also chewing gum and other necessities of modern life. Begular services are conducted locally by the Presbyterian Home Missionary, Mr Wilkes, whose head-quar-ters are at Athol and whose ministrations are appreciated. We regret the leaving of Bev. Mr Lawrence, till lately Anglican vicar of Lumsden parish, and trust that the change will benefit him and his family in every way.

Two of our local young farmers have lately made “the great adventure" by taking on themselves the responsibilities of manned life. The residents tender to these two couples, Mr and Mrs George Seator and Mir and iMrs .Robert McCaughan, their heartiest congratulations and good wishes. BotL are to remain in the district. Since the late Mr Alex. McCaughan ceased his long tenure of our wellknown Garston hotel, he has had many successors. The most recent of these is Mr Pritchard, who with his wife is running the combined hotel and store business.

The new residence and garage recently built bty' our popular citizen, Mr Porteous, enhance the appearence of our little township very considerably, and give us a feeling of security in the continuance of our daily connection with Invercargill. We wish Mr Porteous continued success in his very useful work. The tight grip on public funds caused by the financial stringency promises ill for the completion of the lake-side roadway to Queenstown. But brighter times must surely come and with them the pushing on of this long-delayed work and the consequent increase in the southern tourist traffic.