LONGRIDGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 18

LONGRIDGE.

May 12. — The weather has been marvellously fine for a long time past, enabling the threshing mills to proceed with their work almost without interruption. This operation is almost finished for a season. The yields on the whole have been very satisfactory. We cannot boast of phenomenal yields like the Taieri Plain and kindred spots of alluvial flats ; but 40 bushels of oats has been a common average for many farms this season. There have, of course, been yields both above and below that figure. Had prices been a little higher we could have lived ; as they are, farmers have a hard straggle to' exist at ail. The roads are in capital order, and carting grain to Balfour has taken up a good deal of farmers' time lately. Want of trucks has been a great drawback ; but for that most of the grain would have been delivered. Day after day the train arrives with not so much as one truck, and some days only two or three. There used to be a lot of squabbling when only a small number of trucks arrived, but Mr R. Grant, our local storekeeper, postmaster, telegraphist, &c, has been put in charge of the railway siding, and deals out the trucks to the farmers in their turn an arrangement which gives satisfaction to all. If a farmer gets a truck, say, to-day, he knows he has little ohance of getting one for a few days afterwards, so he can stay ft t. home and occupy himself with something else than grain carting. Our goods shed is full to overflowing, and there is as much grain outside under tarpaulins. lam told there are over 2500 sacks of oats at the siding awaiting trucks to get it away. A good many farmers are storing a considerable portion of their crop in hope of better prices. Some have kept a stack of oat sheavea to chaff for sheep. I see several have their sheep already on turnips.no doubt with the intention of providing a portion of the 70,000 sheip whioh Mr G. M. Bell says will be exported from the Bluff this year. Ploughing was started some time ago, but the ground is dry ; we have, however, had a few showers lately, with snow on the mountains, whioh indicates that winter is approaching. School Matters,— La grippe has been giving us a call, and in consequence the Balfour school was closed for a week. The Longridge North sohool has been closed since the Baiter holidays, Mr Fullarton, teacher, having received an appointment in the Riverton school. The Education Board sent a letter to thel Longridge North School Committee stating that on account of the low average attendance during last year they would not grant another teacher unless the committee would sign a guarantee to give the teacher a minimum salary of £90 a year, the board giving a capitation allowance of £3 10s per scholar. I hear the average attendance for the laafc two quarters the sohool was open was only 17 and a decimal. I also hear that the committee have agreed 'to sign the guarantee, so that the school will soon be opened again, and it is to be hoped some of the parents who have not been exemplary in the matter of sending their children regularly will do so in future. There should be no difficulty in having an average attendance of 20, which, by the new regulations of the board, would secure a salary of £100 to a female teacher, or £115 to a male teacher.

Farmers' Club.— Our Farmers' Club held a very interesting and useful meeting on the 2nd instant. The secretary and treasurer had been asked to prepare a statement of how the bird dstruotlon account stood, and reported as follows :— Paid for poisoned wheat, £4 Is ; for 775$ dozen eggs and heads, at 2d per dozen, £6 9s 3d ;— total, £10 10s 3d. Farmers' subscriptions amounted to £4 19s ; oounty council subsidy, £5 0s 6d ;— total, £9 l«s 6d ; leaving a debit balance] of 10s 9d. In view of the fact that a considerable number of farmers would not give anything towards bird destruction, and there being a debit balance, the club decided not to do anything re small bird destruction for a time. It was affirmed by resolution that the time ha» now come when county councils should have the power to levy a Bpeeial rato for the abatement of the small bird nuisance, as by the voluntary system some gave liberally while otlmrs refuse"d to give anything. A circular from fcha New Zealand Farmers Union was read asking the club to send^Os entrance fee to the union. An in n, previous Circular the union had stated that no club with a Idas membership than 25 could join the union, and ai our membership deeß not reach that number, the club decided not to send the fee in the meantime. The hope was expressed, however, that before long the club would be 25 strong. Our opinion on Federation was also asked, and at the request of the club Mr B. Bunn, the president, undertook to write a paper on that subject, to be read at next meeting.