THE COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 31

THE COUNTRY.

ARROWTOWN. May 30. — At the ordinary monthly meeting of tho Arrow Borough Council, held on Wednesday evening, the proposed celebrptions in connection with the Coronation were fully discussed. The council decided to vole £25 toward the fund, and this, of course, will be doubled by the Government subsidy. They also decided to call a public meeting on Saturday evening to make further arrangements. An enthusiastic meeting is anticipated, and there is little doubt that Arrow will fittingly commemorate the great event in such a manner that the occasion will bo long remembered. The public meeting called by the Queenstown Council for Monday evening to deal with the celebration was but poorly attended. The Mayor (Mr F. St. Omer) presided, and intimated that the Borough Council had decided to vote £15 towards the celebrations. The submitted programme was adopted, and a committee of ladies appointed to make arrangements in connection with the proposed social and dance. Football. — The match played on the local recreation ground on Saturday last between the Queenstown and Uppev Clutha teams proved very uninteresting from a spectator's point of view. The game was somewhat evenly contested in the first spell, but after that it became a very one-sided affair, and ended in a win for Clutha by 26 points to nil. Being the first match of the season,- players were naturally not in the best of form, but nevertheless on both sides some very fair play was shown at intervals. Although Tather unlucky in their opening match, I fully expect to see Queenstowr improve greatly, and the return match later in the season will no doubt have a different result. The expectations of the local team have been considerably raised after the form shown by Queenstown on Saturday, and "they are confident of the result of Tuesday's game. Volunteers. — On Tuesday evening a parade of the Queenstown Rifles was held. After instruction by the captain, the company was handed over to Sergeant-major Kibblewhite, the in-structoi of the battalion to which the Rifles are attached. Some useful drill was gone through, and at its conclusion the Ser-geant-major expressed himself very well pleased with the efficiency of tlie corps. At the conclusion of .the parade Captain Porter presented C6rporal Kelly with a silver-mounted pipe and case ou behalf of No. 4 Section, and wished the recipient every happiness in wedded life. The capla-in also welcomed Sergeantmajor Kibblewhite, and expressed the hope that his visits would always be of a pleasant na'ure. The Wakatipu Mounted Rifles intend holding their annual ball on the evening of Coronation Day, and it should prove an undoubted success. A parade and shooting match will be held on the same day. Weather. — The weather has been very fine during tlie past week — of course cold in the mornings and evenings, but most enjoyable during the day. The Crown Terrace farmers ore beginning to see tho end of harvest opera- j tions, and I should think are not sorry. The ! two local thre&hing-mills are kept constantly going, the improved prices ruling for grain j making farmers anxious to have the grain ready for market. Some of the crops are threshing out very well indeed, both mills having put through oats running over 100 bushels to the acre. When it is remembered that some of the ground upon which these crops have been grown has been ciopped regularly for more than 30 years, the great fertility of the soil will be realised. Very little wheat was grown during the pa=t season, the predominating crop being oats, closely followed by our specialty, barley. I understand the area to be under wheat during the coming season will be a large increase on that of last. This time last year 2s to 2s 3d w.is the mo<-t offering locally for wheat, while no-.v those lucky enough to b^ c any are rejoicing on 4s.