FEILDING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 31, 5 January 1945, Page 2

FEILDING

Mr W. Coulson Fowler has returned to his home after .having undergone treatment in hospital. Mr Ixsonard Campbell, son of the late Mr J. Campbell, of West Street visited his home town during the holidays. Ho is a radar technician and hopes to join the Navy shortly. T/Cpl. A. Mills, who has been wounded in Italy, is a grandson of Mr and Mrs T. L. Mills, and a son of the late Sergt. W. A. Mills, who was killed at Gallipoli during the Great War. At St. Paul's Presbyterian Church reference tp the passing of Hon. J G. Cobbe was made by Rev. A. M. Ferguson, who also referred to the death of Major P. Webster on active service. As an expression of sympathy with the relatives the congregation stood in silence.

Next week the Cub Scouts will enter camp at "Grassmere," Colyton. On Wednesday night at- the Boy Scouts' camp the Maori names, Tane Rauhi and Wahine Rauhi, were conferred on Mr and Mrs H. E. Hocken on whose property the camp is being held. The titles "interpreted moan a man and a woman who have shown kindness and rendered help. W/O S. G. Sauer, who has returned home from the Middle East after over four years' service overseas with the Kiwis', told a "Manawatu Standard" reporter that it was wonderful to see the countryside after such a long time.' and he found it difficult to realise that he was actually back in New Zealand. The voyage was made on what, he described as a "narrow waisted' vessel. Those on board were all bachelors, with the exception of some of the officers, and included some 50 Chinese students en route to America, where they are to study under an arrangement with the U.S. Government, which received 2000 dollars per student over a period of three years' training. At one place ho had visited, Mr Sauer stated there were a good number of New Zealanders in residence there and a very fine Y.M.C.A. had been established. The trip home had been an uneventful one but the meeting of old comrades made the trip a memorable one. Warrant-Officer Sauer is hopeful that ho will be allowed to return to his civilian occupation * of clerk in a solicitor's office in Feilding. Over two and a-half inches of rain fell in Feilding during the 48 hours ended at 9 o'clock this morning. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended yesterday morning measured 120 points and the following 24 hours produced no less than 135 points, according to the records kept by Mr F. Mason, of Sandon Road. This abnormal deluge has thoroughly saturated the ground. Blight threatens to take serious toll of potato crops in the Feilding district, stated Mr Mason today. He, added that blight was most prevalent due to the adverse weather and the fact that, despite warnings, few people had taken the precaution to spray. Such apathy, he said, was most regrettable in view of the necessity for greater production. Even at this stage, continued Mr Mason, prospects of damage iioin blight can be averted by spraying, and it behoves those who have" areas in potatoes to take the necessary steps to safeguard their crops before it is too late.

Feilding is capable of producing a far greater acreage of potatoes than it does, suggested Air Mason, who has frequently advocated the planting of vacant sections with this crop. If everyone grow a patch .»of potatoes here, there should be no need to call on the market for supplies; but, unfortunately, there are people who would rather pay dearly for potatoes than go to the "bother of planting, he added. Wheat crops in the Feilding district have reached a stage when sunshine is required to ripen the grain. So far the crops are doing very well, but the weather in the next 10 days will be of paramount importance as it will determine the prospects of good crops. Good sunny days will colour the grain, but a continuance of dull, humid weather may be disastrous.