THE COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 23

THE COUNTRY.

Correspondents are reminded that all letters for the current week’s issue must reach Dunedin NOT LATER THAN SATURDAY NIGHT. Letters coming to hand on Monday are too late, and are thus a week old when they appear.

LAKE CO U NTY. July 15. —For tlie past few clays the weather has been warm and mild for this time of the year. Football.—A mateli between teams of Arrow and Queenstown schoolboys was played at Queenstown on Saturday, and resulted in ■a win for the home team by 16 points to 6. At Queenstown on Wednesday a match between Lower Shotover and Queenstown junior teams was played, and was won bv Lower Shotover by 8 points to 6. Wedding.—A marriage o-f considerable district interest was celebrated at the r sidence of tho bride’s mother on Tuesday, sth inst. The contracting parties were Miss Elspeth "• fourth daughter of Mrs Grant, Mount G ran view. Lower Shotover, and the lntc- Mr Alex. Grant, and Mr Robert L. Penny, youngest son of Mr and Mrs J. S. Penny. Invercargill. The Rv. J. 11. Robertson, Queenstown, was tho officiating minister. The bride, who was given away by her brother, Mr Alex. Grant, was attended by her sister. Miss Rose Grant, and Mr Thomas Kennett, cousin of the bridegroom was best man. After the ceremony the wedding breakfast was partaken of, and the toasts usual to such occasions duly honoured. On tho following morning the new-wedded couple left for the south. Their future home will be in Invercargill. Personal. —Mr D. Greaney, who has been a member of the Queenstown Post Office staff for the past two and a-hal-f years, has been transferred to the Te Arc office, Wellington. On Saturday afternoon he was met by hj3 fellow officers and presented with a Loewe pip? and t:baceo pouch. In handing him the gifts the relieving postmaster, Mr w. F. Bennetts, spoke appreciatively of Mr Greaney, and wished him success in his new sphere o-f labour. Mr C. H. Wright also spoke on behalf of the staff. General.—A temporary telephone office has been residing here for a number of years, and well road. The office will be opened daily from 12 to 1 and from 4.30 to 5. —The Arthur s Point School has Ivon closed for an indefinite period owing to the small attendance. DUNTROON. July 14. We are getting through the winter very easily. Up to the middle of June the weather was very dry, and nothing sown from March could grow, except in favoured spots, and the land was hard to work. However, since the 13th of June, we have had 229 points of rain, and the land is workable, and there will be a greater area sown with wheat. A good many farmers are having a hit of trouble in getting suitable seed wheat. Considering the shortage* of feed all stock are doing well, and given another fortnight of fine weather we will be through the worst of the winter. The rainfall for the six months ending June 30th was sin 49 points, and for the same period in 1920 Sin 21 points.—The farmers union is now on a better way of working, and has 3d members. Monthly meetings are held, and any subject for discussion is fixed for each following meeting. General.—The library is fairly well patronised during the long evenings. A fresh supply o-f new books has just been issued.—We are well off for entertainments, having a. social club, football and hockey teams giving entertainments.—Miss M. Colgan, who lias been residing here for a number cf years, and has been of great assistance at all functions, will Ire tendered a social and presentation previous to her leaving here at the end cf (ho week. The present is to be a gold wristlet watch Presentations.—The members and adherents of the Preebyi: rian Church have bought a motor car for their minister to travel about his large charge, and the ladies of the parish presented tho minister with a motor car and gloves. The church managers are looking for a suitable organ for the church. The good folk at Tolar ahi are about to build up a fund fc-r building' a church there. THE WAIHEMO Df STRUCT. July 16. 1 lie v.' pier in this district so fur has been very mild and dry. for the firs; six months of (he year there has been a fall of ■ ly ®i in h■ o rain. Naturally, with such a small rainfall, there has been n shortage of winter foed, but th: mildness of the season has saved the situation, and stock everywhere are looking well.—There was a fair yarding of sheep at the sal? last Thursday. but prices were disappointing to venO rs, fi st-class fat wethers brought no more than 3J a lb. This is heart-breaking to farmers, and must show a loss of over £1 a head, and it is going to ho hard work for the average sheep man t■> carry on (ill nextseason. No more than die usual aanmif of wheat is sown in this district this year, but there would have been a great deal 'more sown if the ground were not so dry a id hard to plough.—Th? Farmers’ Union in this district is very much alive, and its aclmiies are all for the good o-f the district ns awhole. A fortnight age two officers of the Agricultural Department gave on address to farmers on dairying, lucerne growing, etc., and a very instructive evening was spent. This is ns it should be, the department and farmers organisation co-operating to their mutual benefit. Largely i.i response to die pressure of moinbra of the local bra?”lD of the union, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Mr Nosworthy, had an informal meeting with local farmers last Wednesday evening, and numerous matters were discussed, including Canadian thistle, rabbits, etc., and the air was cleared quite considerably on these and other troubles. Another most important movement which the farmers committee is r. sponsible for is the agitation for n cottage hospital is Palmerston, the Chief Health Officer suggests a maternity hospital of 3 <>r 4 beds, some of tiles'? to be used for other cases when free. This would be « real boon to this district. Recent statistics sic w ii - that 2 1 Zealand has the bb-b gi u it rii-: ; b a h rate ! ut one in tirev o! a*, and - i lf!liV , f diis sort would I ''i 1 ■ * tO '*!■'? ‘ 'i i.-l’a-., f ,-f af 0 of - . opposition from anvnnc. ID d t< w ran ri] in a I, .p. Vatc-i n a, a, l ],, - I i , a,;; |. 8,1,-dv Yi ■ .'? mayor and cmmoH do not i y their r'l-t- tvbldlitv hi t!.i- matt 1!.. i old da d 1< -1m : re dd i- of P.ih mYo n pet i ; d Die Cii>’-'TTi!i. nt no* to buil't th-? Otago C ra! wav from Palmer !( n p. ntly, and G ■ p eset ' city fat D , - dm want it to come to life again.—From a *:. c.■Epondeut.

WAIKOUAITI NOTES. A special meeting of shareholders and suppliers erf the Merton Dairy Factory was held, to consider the advisability of installing the ‘‘Wilkins Regenerative Rasterising Plant” at the factory. The chairman of directors (Mr G. J. L. Kerr) was in the chair. The meeting postponed the suggestion mainly on account of the present money stringency. To place the factory on a better footing it was decided to- forgo a bonus for the past season.