MODEL COWSHED AT MATAPU

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1929, Page 8

MODEL COWSHED AT MATAPU

UTILISING THE LIQUID MANURE. A cowshed that is an object lesson to farmers has been erected by Air. W. McL’Dowie on his farm at Alatapu. It has been designed to milk 12 cows at a time, and is most conveniently ranged.The cows are brought into a wellpaved concrete yard which is on the lea side of tho westerlies, the cattle being sheltered by the shed. They walk into an open paddock and are grazing again immediately after being milked. The advantage of this is that the stock are not confined in a muddy yard. The interior of the shed is tarred for about four feet from the ground, the balance being painted white. This gives everything a clean appearance and the whole place looks spotless. Around the stock-yard an escallonia hedge has been planted and a start has been made with a vegetable garden; The situation is an extremely favourable one for the growth of good vegetables. The milk-stand is completely covered both for cans and waggon, a space of about three inches between the boards allowing a cool draught to pass over the evening milk. A special feature of the place is the method of ushig the liquid manure. The shed and yard are well flushed daily, the liquid being caught in a large concrete well about six feet deep and holding about 3060 gallons. At intervals the contents of the well are pumped in a special vacuum tank on a cart and distributed over tho pastures. The liquid is lifted by means of a vacuum pump driven by electricity. This pump can handle 600 gallons in about 4J minutes. Tho milking machine is electrically operated, but a chip-heater is used to, provide hot water for washing. GENERAL ITEMS. In addition to the usual lines of fruit, produce and vegetables at their auction sale in their Union Street rooms, Hawerii, to-day, Alessrs. R. P. Morrissey and Co. will offer the stock of a grocery and general store. The final ball of the season will be held in the Ohangai hall to-morrow evening. Novelty dances, an orchestra of five instruments, a good supper and a good floor are the promised attractions. An Orion range, a porcelain bath and tennis racquets are among the special lines to be offered, this afternoon at Air. J. C. Smith’s auction sale at the Central Mart, Hawera. A meeting of the Waimate Plains Library Corinnittee on Tuesday decided to arrange for a temporary overdraft to finance the purchase of literature. The magazine list will be revised. Subscriptions for the past month amounted to £3 7 s Gd. The second round of the Hawera Ladies’ Golf Club’s championship has been completed, Aliss K. Robertson defeating Airs. Thomson. Those engaged in the semi-finals are Mrs. Wialkley, Mrs. Little, Miss Robertson and Miss E. Burgess. For failing to deliver Government property to the value of £4 15s 3d, a military trainee, Arthur Macks, was ordered to pay the cost of the prosecution by Air. J. H. Salmon, S.AL, in the Hawera court yesterday. Charged with delivering possession of a firearm to a person not entitled to receive it by virtue of a permit, Charles Herbert Clarence Alahoney was fined 10s and costs by Air. J. H. Salmon, S.AL, in the Hawera court yesterday. Herbert Allen, for having possession of the firearm for a period longer than seven days, was fined 10s and costs. ’ v On the occasion of the choral festival to be held at St. Alary’s Church, Hawera, on Labour Day the choir of St. Alary’s will entertain the visiting choirs at tea. As St. Mary’s (New Plymouth), Stratford, Wanganui and Aramoho will be represented the party will be a large one. In order to obtain the necessary funds the members of the Hawera choir are to hold a social next week. The promoters of the radio concert given at Hawera on Monday evening have received many letters, as well as telegrams, expressing high appreciation of the quality of the concert. A Hawera firm yesterday received from the principal of a Wellington business a £1 note enclosed in the following letter: “Happened to turn on our /wireless set last night and had a perfect reception of your splendid -concert. Enjoyed it co much that I thought I should send Dr. AlcGhie a donation for the good of the cause.” The first basket of the season's trout ;n South Taranaki was on view yesterday. it comprised ten fish, taken with minnow and creeper by Alessrs. Jellyman and Huston in the Mangawhero strea i, Skeet Road. Air. F. Lemin is another angler who had a successful opening day, taking four fish of fair size. It is stated that the Mangawhero contains plenty of good fish, and other streams also are expected to provide interesting sport. The Hawera High School cadets and band made a good showing yesterday when they varied the usual parade routine by a march through the town. The' boys looked smart in their uniforms and marched well, while the band played martial music in a style reflecting credit on the bandmaster, Mr. Herbert Webb. The parade was in charge of Lieutenant Harris, associated with whom were Lieutenants Thomas, Findlater and Whitehead. A young bull whose second name is Heeney received the worst of a horny encounter in-a pen at the Hawera saleyards during .the progress ot a bull fair yesterday. Spirited bidding was proceeding when suddenly the building commenced to rock. Visions of an earthquake presented themselves to buyers, but a glance through the window satisfied onlookers as to the cause of the trouble. Heeney was being pound: d round the “ring” by a ferocious opponent and was obviously getting the worst of the encounter until onlookers armed with sticks separated the pair. The incident provided a bright interlude in tho day’s work and was significant of Heeney’s recently cabled pronouncements. ,

HAWERA COURT RETURNS. DECREASE IN CRIMINAL CASES. A large increase in civil business and decreases in criminal and quasi-criminal business are disclosed by the last quarterly returns of the Hawera Magistrate’s Court when compared with the corresponding quarter of last year. Thirty persons appeared on arrest and 68 on summons, as compared with 22 and 10'7 in the same quarter of 1928. Civil business was transacted as fol-

lows, with the figures for the correspond ing quarter of 1928 in parentheses. — Plaints entered, 430 (265); total amount eued for £6564 4s Id (£3067 18s 4d); cases tried, 285 (173); total amount received, £3270 12s 7d (£1867 10s Gd); fees and fines recovered, £665 16s (£335 14s 6d).