SOUTH OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 8

SOUTH OTAGO.

BALCLUTHA DISTRICT NEWS (From Our Own Correspondent.) BALCLUTHA, April 28. FOOTBALL. The first round of the South Otago Sub-unisn fixtures opened .yesterday, the weather being extremely mild. The Balclutha football-going public had to be content with junior matches at the Show Ground, where nevertheless, there was a very fair attendance. Clutha 111 v. South Otago High School resulted in a wit for Clutha by 9 points to nil. Barron, Gold, and Moffat scored for the winners. The play was lively in patches, and the onlookers displayed great interest. Mr J, M‘Noe refereed. The second game was that between Clutha Valley and Clutha 11, the former winning by 14 points to 3 points. D. Brocket, W. Buttar (2), and Crawford scored tries for Valley, and Duff 'converted one of the tries. Hurring kicked a penalty goa for Clutha. Valley were toe heavy for their opponents. Gillespie and Duff were outstanding on the side of he winners. Several new' young players have joined up with Valley this season, and the team generally should be a hard nut to crack in the Second Grade, banner competition. On Saturday the game was somewhat “ragged,” but there wa„ some good Rugby, and undoubtedly the better team won. Mr S. V. White was referee Clutha I travelled to Owaka, and won an interesting game by . 6 points to nil. Romahapa defeated Clinton II by 24 points to 3 points. Other results:— Crescent 20 v. Clinton II nil; Toko I 14 v. Clinton I nil: Union 8 v. Star 3. SUB-UNION EMERGENCY COMMITTEE, Clearances granted at the first weekly meeting of the Emergency Committee of the South Otago Football Sub-union wei’e •as follow:—To Toko—L. Rutherford, from High School; A. Robinson, from Union. To Romahapa—F Tomlin,'from Maheno; G. Cunningham, from Clutha. To Clinton—L. Houiistou, D. and J. M’Calluin. W. Sutherland. J. Black, F. Deveney, I. M’Leod, H. Dunn, S. Alexander, from Waiwera; J. T. Agnew, from Zingari. To Clutha—L. Bowcott and G. -Proudfoot, from High School; L. Graham, from Pirates; W. Elliott, from Union (Dunedin), J. Stewart, from Toko; J. M’Connell, from Mataura; E. Milne, from Wyndham. .To Owaka—G. Gordon, from Middlemarch; A. E. Thurlow. from Pirates. To Union—W. Sligo, from Owaka. WEATHER. ... The wcathei for some weeks until today, when rain fell, has been very favourable for threshing, and the millowners ] n this district are having an exceptionally good run. A considerable area has been in grain, and it will be a month yet, a well-known mißowner told the representative of the Otago Daily Times, before the threshing is finished. In the Greenfield district there is a lot of wheat, and the quality is said to be of the best. A number of farmers will have up to 2000 bags of wheat, worth at present prices about £1 a bag. Two and three-hundred-acre wheatfields have not been uncommon, and in a favourable season such aa this has been the returns to the grower are decidedly remunerative. * PASTURES. Another evidence of the wonderfully mild autumn is to be found in the fact tbo-t grnes is still abundant and growing, especially on the flats. This means that turnip feeding has not commenced, and there is likely to be a surplus of winter feed. In these circumstances many turnip growers are becoming anxious about the profitable disposal of 'their crop, but, of course, the real winter months May. June, and July—are still to come, and unless there is an early spring, all the roots and hay may yet be needed for stock. TOO SLOW. An amusing incident occurred at Craigellachie. a railway station on the Beau-mont-Milton line, one day last week. A sheep droyef from Balclutha. with a mob of " woollies.” was anxiously accosted by a lone intending passenger who queried: Have you passed the train on your way up? - The idea of a mob of sheep beating a train seemed to the drover too tike the fable of the hare and the tortoise to be taken seriously, but he soon found that his interrogator- was in earnest. Further inquiry on the part of the drover revealed that the trains are notoriously slow on the line, aud their running is marked by irregularity. The down trains are not muon better, and there have been times when an urgent wire has been sent to hold the south-bound express at Milton to enable passengers on the Beaumont line to make the connection. Even on the main line nowadays the so-called slow trains very seldom run to time. ACCOMMODATION FOE HORSES. Drovers making long treks with' sheep to Central Otago and elsewhere find that were is an almost entire lack of accommodation for horses at most of the small hotels and accommodation, houses to be found along the roadside and in small townships. No longer does the old legend Food for man and beast” apply, and the livery stable of old has entirely disappeared- in most cases being converted into a motor garage of sorts. In these circumstances it is often quit., a problem for the drover to find a feed for his horse, to s av nothing of a stall.