PLOUGHING WITH ELEPHANTS.

Mataura Ensign, 20 March 1909, Page 4

PLOUGHING WITH ELEPHANTS.

AN JXTIiJdESTIXU SIGHT. Three miles front Horlcv. in Surrov. ;hc remarkable sight of elephants ploughing :i fifty-acre field and doing it extremely well may he witnessed. Nor is'this the only unusual sight- to be ■••en there, fur [-lose, by camels—real •■amcls—-are i'ri'tjuentlv hard at work cutting chalf. A representative of the 'Daily '.Mirror' visited Biirstow Lodge, where the animals, which are tlie property ni' "Sanger's.'' hibernate for four moiiibs oil tin.' -WO-acre farm of Mr Lord George Sanger. The great fog-bank which covered London" did nut extend bevoiid Redhill and {be farm looked a paradise by comparison. In bright .sunshine, though the ground was white with frost, at midday

itnd all exposed water was covered with ice, Tiny, whose chief claim to her name appears to res! on the fact that he is fur the largest of the four elephants at, Bui'stow Lodev. ploughed her ioni -ly furrows merrily, her particular Iriend, Annie, looking on and encouraging her ai intervals with jovial -uorl.s. Annie also can turn a good iiirroiv. Inn she is a b.ginncr. being only about, sixty years of age, while I'itiy issevcntv or eighty at leasi. Annie »;'■ led out alone to the fields but ie--•nt.-d tit' ":iow-',a>iglod notion'' as she .-carded n ; ,n,| trumpeted furiously. "he lurtlier shotted a rlimposition to sit on the plough, which would have done ici- hide no good and certainly spoiled a useful agricultural implement. So ■•he relumed in the farm and was orecied to clasp the tail of Tiny with her trunk. Then, in dignified procession, the two elephants marched to the leads and Aiin.ii' was yoked to the plough. Tiny seeding by to encourage i'ir. She did \ ei'v well considering. Alterwards Tinv took her place and ■.bowed what a' really smart, and ex•.'..r'n'iieel i lopbnm could do. Tile plough slid through the heavy soil as 1 <:, it were slicing butler. There are ' two other elephants in the social circle ' ;•! llurMo'v l.od'ee Their names are [ Pose and Ida. They are eager to learn i.i plough, bin they are rather young ■is vet. neither of tiictu much over -H). J and' there is plenty of lime.