LOCHIEL NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 17620, 7 April 1914, Page 3

LOCHIEL NOTES

( i-'rom our own Correspondent.)

The weather during the past month has not been of a beneficial nature to crops of turnips and potatoes throughout the district. - However, a break in the weather now has sent forth a copious downfall of rain to moisten growths of all kinds, Imt I think it has come too late to do mnch good to the turnip crops. The blight is doing a great deal of harm this season.

The potato market is beginning to brighten up. The crops are digging as well as can be expected considering the dry weather. Potatoes are now on the rise and farmers should lose no time in dispensing with their output.

A "Harvest Home” bail will lie held in the Locliiel Hail on Wednesday even-

ing, April S. An energetic committee of management has the work well in hand, and a good night is ail that is required to make the function a success. A meeting of the Locliiel River Board was hold on Friday last, when tho following contracts were let—Mr Kidder secured the contract for deepening and widening the channel from Air Siike's boundary to the bottom end of Mrs Butler's—a distance of about two and a half miles. Air Paddon secured a contract at the lower end of the channel. Contracts i and 2 were held over until next meeting. At a meeting of the Locliiel Dairy Factory on Friday evening it was decided to raise the price of batter fat one halfpenny. Some good cheques were paid out to suppliers for tho month. The tests were well up during the past month. The Southland County's bridge builders. now working at Lochiel, have just completed the'main traffic bridge over the Oreti. The second bridge is now being pushed on rapidly. It will be some time yet before the bridges are open for traffic. The trapping season lias now started, and rabbiters are busying making their pile. Some good catches are coming forward to the station, the rabbits being in splendid condition. The high flood which came down tic:- river a year ago did much towards the lessening of the rabbits on tho river beds. The price has gone iip slightly since the opening of the season.