WAITAHUNA FARMERS' CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13998, 3 September 1907, Page 6

WAITAHUNA FARMERS' CLUB.

At the annual meeting held last week the twonty-sixlh' annual report f stated that financially iho position had improved' to tho extent ol £16 9s lOd. The credit bnlancc at the beginning of the year wis £23 12s Gu, receipts £245 Is;—total, £268 13s 6d. Expenditure £228 lis 2d, leaving a credit balance on th«.2oth August of £<0 2s <td. This, togt'ther with a bank deposit of £50, makes iho total 1 hinds to tho creit of tho club £90 2s 4d. Tho annual agricultural show was hold in December last 'under" most favourable weather conditions, and was well patronised by the'public. The total entries as comparcdi with the previous' year showed a falling off, which was most noticeable in the horse and dairy produce classes. Sheep, however, were strongly represented, and .proved "the finest exhibition in that lino that has ever been seen at , the "Waitalnwa. show. The! high price 3 ruling for wool and muttou for some time hack, and""tlie profitable _ growing of. grain crops on lurhip latids fed os_by sheep have induced the farmers to go in strongly for sheep farming. . Regret wjvs expressed at tho death of an old and highly, respected member of the club in the person o! the late George Bartlett. At last meeting the president referred to tho loss sustained, not only by the olub, ■ but by the entire district of the removal by death of bo worthy a settler, and the secretary was instructed to convey to Mrs Bartlett and family expressions of the club's sympathy with thom in their bereavement. Tho club was- successful in inducing the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company to erect a creamery, which Is proving a great benefit to the district.

Tho rabbit pest, which was reported at last annual meeting to be well under control, again assumed large proportions during .the spring and summer months, chiefly owing, no doubt,' to the long continued spell of diy, warm weathei. Steady trapping from, the month or March to the end of July has again thinned thein down, and poisoning is now being systematically carried out, Tho bird pest seems to be getting woro troublesome from year to year, and tne loss sustained by farmers in the harvest time is something enormous. The olub's sheep dip, ■ which is a great privilege, especially, to small flock-owners, has been taken, full advantage of during the dipping season— over 10,000 sheep having been put through. Reference having been made to the railway accommodation, the report continued:— The membership at present stands at GO. Several new members in the WaJtolmD* and 1 Greenfield districts joined the society ouxuig the year, and there are still a' number vilv are likely to become members. I The election of office-bcarers resulted 'as ; follows:—President, Mr R. it'Corkinc'-*!*, vice-president, Mr A. Livingston; treasurer, Mt R. M'Caw. The date of the annual show wis fixed for December 27, 1507, and tile monthly .meetings were fixed, tie now, for the last Monday in each month. '