The Country

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 59

The Country

LAKE COUNTY. Febrtfary 26. —Weather conditions during the past week have not been seasonable. Heavy rain has fallen on a number of days, and there has been a good coating of snow on the mountain tops. While the rain has not been welcomed by those engaged in harvesting operations, it has done a great deal of good to pastures. Bowling.—Two rinks of bowlers from Gore visited Queenstown last week and played a match with Queenstown. The visitors won by 32 to 18. Arrowtown Telephone Exchange.—Last week ten residents of the Gibbston district were linked up with the Arrowtown telephone exchange. This brought the number of subscribers to 46, and as nine more applications for connection have been lodged there will shortly be an extension of the hours at the Arrowtown office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 9 p.ra. Tennis.—Teams from Queenstown and Arrowtown Tenniß Clubs met for the second time this season on the Queenstown courts on Saturday last. In the previous match Arrowtown won by the small margin of three games, and the match on Saturday was again close, Queenstown winning by 10 sets 90 games to 9 sets 78 games. The Queenstown ladies provided afternoon tea, and at the conclusion of the match the usual courtesies were exchanged, Mr D. Macleod (president of the Arrowtown Club) speaking on behalf of the visitors, and Mr F. Stoop responding for the home team. Personal.—At a meeting of directors of the Lake County Dairy Company, held on Tuesday last, Mr Oliver Scott ( Quccnsto.vn) was appointed secretary in place of Miss F. Webb (resigned). There were two applications for the position.—Mr Ingram Southberg, son of Mrs Southberg, Fraukton, is at present on a visit to his mother. Mr Southberg has been employed at the Waihi mines for the last 30 years.—Prior to their departure for Dunedin, Mr and Mrs John Bowler were entertained by their Glenorchy friends at a farewell social, when the presentation of a wallet of notes was made. The presentation was made by Mr J. C. Knowles, and Mr Bowler made suitable response.—Mr Herbert Webb, of Wanganui, paid a visit to his parents (Mr and Mrs James Webb) in Arrowtown last week. WAIKAIA. February 27. —There have been very few sunny days lately, but the farmers are now busy harvesting their grass crops, which narrowly escaped being entirely spoilt. The river continues very high, some times overflowing it 3 banks. Bridges.—The Southland County workmen are to erect two new bridges one over the Steeple Creek and the other over Gow’s Greek —fourteen feet in width and similar in design to the Waikaia bridge. The old bridges over the two creeks already referred to were very narrow, and motorists will greatly appreciate the improvements. The Exhibition. —Many Waikaia residents have been up to see the Dunedin Exhibition, and speak highly of its excellent arrangements, and think it the grandest Exhibition held in New Zealand. Social.—A complimentary social evening was given in the Masonic Hall on Friday evening by friends of Miss Olive and Mr Rupert M'lver prior to their leaving for America, after a visit to their parents, Mr and Mrs K. M'lver. Tennis Court. —There still remains a debt of £32 on the new court. A concert and dance will shortly be held to help pay off the above debt. Illness.—A mild form of gastric influenza is prevalent in the locality, many adults and children being affected. NCAPARA. February 26. —The weather at present is very unsettled, and is not just what one desires during harvest operations. .From the beginning of the year it kept very dry till February 5, and during that time it had been very warm on various occasions. Last week it was more than warm, with strong gales blowing at the end of the week, but during this week we have had some very nice showers which were very sadly needed Harvest. —Harvest operations are now being vigorously proceeded with when the weather permits. Cutting is pretty well advanced, only what was sown late in the season now being left standing. A fair amount of oats has been threshed, and has yielded from 40 bushels to 85 bushels per acre, with a very good sample. There has been no wheat put through the mill yet, though it pulled in to a paddock on Monday. It had to stop on account of the rain. According to all appearances the wheat crop in the /apara and surrounding districts should thresh out about a record this year. On no occasion has the writer seen the wheat crops come in as a whole with such healthy, beautiful, -golden appearance as they have done this year. Stock—All classes of stock are in good condition. Lambs have been going forward to the works in about the usual numbers, but I understand not *.in sufficient quantities to keep the butchers going steadily. However, when the rape lambs begin to come in it will make a difference. The lamb market is in. a very unsatisfactory position at present. It is pretty well impassible now to get lambs in prime at 361 b to comply with exporters’ demands. The Meat Board seems to be dead at present. Farming.—When farmers aro not carrying on harvest operations, they are busy with the teams getting in Algerian oats for sheep feed, or else sowing grass. Though there is not a great acreage of turnins sown, there are some very fair crops to be seen about. With the price of wool down from 1-3 to h of what it was last, and a ten shilling drop in the price of fat lambs, the lot of the farmer is not just what it always appears, and though I hear of a crop of wheat having threshed 72 bushels in the Papakaio district, I undorßtand that the crop in the same paddock laet year had to be burnt off, as it would nover have paid to gather it.

General.—We have now got the poles to carry the electric current laid out along the road, but the erected poles are not within sight of Ngapara yet. No doubt this will be very disappointing to many, as it was generally believed that power and light would have been switched on about March. Probably once we get connected up with Coleridge there may be something doing, and seeing that some youthful inventor has discovered some other way and means of generating electric power, we may again And ourselves behind the time.

OAMARU. February 24.—The town seems to be getting busier, more people in the streets, and there are a number of visitors. A train load of picnickers lately came down from Timaru and spent a very enjoyable day. Mr M'Derm.d (the Mayor) and Mr Kent (the Town Clerk) met them and gave them a welcome. Weather and Crops.—lt was showery all Monday night and very cloudy yesterday, and not too promising to-day, which will delay harvesting, but it will make the grass and turnips grow. I saw some fine large field# of turnips on the road to Waitaki bridge, and also on the road to Mahcno. They had the fine vivid green and beautiful perfume of thriving crops. It is surprising that there is not larger areas of mangolds and turnips grown for winter feed, especially as stock is too frequently on short commons during the winter. The farmers say that the turnips are too risky owing to the fly, but it is worth while to give turnips a trial after the fly season is past and work on the ground more. Stooks and straw stacks are to be seen everywhere now, and most of the reaping and binding is done. The straw is everywhere of good yields, but I saw a paddock of stooks that would indicate less than 20 bushels to the acre. Picnic. —The railway workers held their annual picnic at Duntroon on a recent Sunday, and had a fine day and a good outing. There was also the annual protest in the newspapers against holding this picnic on a Sunday. Church.—The combined Anglican Sunday Schools held a very enjoyable picnic at the Willows, near Kakanui, last Saturday, an.l there was a very good attendance of both young and old, the two big 5-seater motor buses being filled to overflowing twice, and a few other vehicles and cars besides. A big marquee was erected in a lew minutes by willing hands, and there was abundance of good things, and sports galore for the children. WAIROA (Hawke's Say) February 24.—The Wairoa Municipal Band held its annual meeting on Friday evening last. Mr J. Webster occupied the chair. The annual report and balance sheet showed a most satisfactory position. It was resolved that nioro frequent visits be paid to the hospital for the ensuing year. The band is now equipped with an up-to-date 6et of instruments and uniforms. The amount standing to credit was £26, and assets totalled £IOG*J, a position cf affairs whir-h drew forth much favourable comment. A hearty vote of thanks and appreciation was extended to the conductor, Mr J. Webster, and the secretary, Mr F. Pert. The following were elected officers for the coming year:—Conductor, Mr J. Webster; secretary, Mr F. Pert; treasurer, Mr J. F naughton; bandmaster, Mr R. Deighton; committee of management: Messrs A Seland, F. Redmond, T. Tuck, and G. iia*d ing. Mr F. Single was elected patron, and Mr 11. E. Stanton president. In order to sustain the interest of playing members at practice, two gold medals are to be presented tor the best attendance throughout the year. Leave of absence was granted to Mr J. F. Haughton (an old member of the band) owing to ill health. Roads. —One of the most important road routes of the futuie is certainly one with a very long designation—the Gisborne-Wairoa, via Hangaroa and Tinjroto. It leads directly towards Wairoa through the centre of a very fertile area, which it was once fondly hoped would be opened up by the ‘‘iron horse.” But that now is apparently not to be. However, if and when it is linked up with the Bay of Plenty (W aim ana) rotd its importance will be trebled or quadrupled. The Tiniroto Settlers’ Association is again moving in the matter of prosecuting its work, and it is proposed to put before the Public Works Minister the following proposals; (1) That an engineering survey of all urmetailed portions of the road bo made at once. (2) That sufficient money be voted next year to complete the regrading and metalling of the road. (3) That the grants be on the £ for £ basis, as it is now a Government road. (4) That arrangements be made to go on with formation work during the autumn and winter in the quarries along the route. This is a very ambitious pro gramme, and it is to be hoped that at least 50 per cent, of it will be realised. Flax.—The importance of flax culture to the Wairoa district in particular, and to the Dominion in general, as an article of export, suggests a few thoughts on the haphazard nature of the industry. The plant grews wild of course, and in some areas is looked on as a weed to be burned off and ploughed under, to be replaced by grass. The yield per acre is good, and the price stands at a paying figure. But what, might be asked, would it be if the plant were properly cultivated, as any other crop might be? There are stretches of land in Wairoa that it would pay to plant with flax — of the best —and if cultivated with plough or grubber, would yield leaves of high tensile quality and of great length, ten to twelve feet would not be an impossibility. In earlier days leaves ten feet high were not uncommon, and there is no reason that can be thought of why this should not be attained by cultivation. Picnic.—The annual picnic of the Wairoa Freezing Works was held at Huramua by the kindness of Mr A. T. Carroll, and a large number journeyed there by motor cars. On the grounds, which are ideally situated and plentifully supplied with giant shade trees, a largo concourse assembled. The young people and the “children of a larger grow’th” enjoyed themselves in various ways, a number of races being got off, the prizes for the winners being distributed by Mr A. G. Nolan, manager of the Meat Company. The Wairoa jazz band provided a musical prftgramme, and the excursionists * all reached home between 5 and 6 p.m.