LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1713, 16 November 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Elections for the Wakanui and Upper Ashburton ridings of the County Counoil are prooeeding to-day.

We were yesterday Bhown by Mr Piokford some excellent strawberries grown by that gentleman, and last week Mr T. Whittington brought to this offioe a kit of early poae, which were excellently matured.

A orioket match, "Married v Single. 1 ' will be played on the Domain Ground on Saturday, Nov. 19th, commencing at 2 p.m. All players turning up will be picked m. Married— Dr Tweed, Messrs Denshire, Mainwaring, Kneen, J.Fooke, Hawson, Thomas, Makoig, Simpson, Walmesley, Cuthbertson, Flower, Hosking, G. W. Andrews, Groves, Mullens, Caygill, Tasker, and Drummond. Single— Messrs A, Fooks, Bramley, A. Buchanan, E. Buchanan, Muller, Briggs, Stewart, Strange, Hargreaves, Wroughton, Moore, Sawle, Sawle, Atkinson, Russell, Williams, and Chapman. In the weights for tho Ashburton Spring Meeting Aurora 7at 101 b should have been Authentic 7st 81b. Mo3es Cat 101 b was omitted.

The Committee of the Summer Assembly wishes to inform the members that the entrance to the Hall on the occasion of the fancy dress ball will bo usual side door for ladies and the north entrance for gentlemen . A meeting of the Aoton Sohool Committee was held on Wednesday last m Mr J. Dunoan's granary at Doric. Present — Messrs McLean (chairman), Richards, W. Stewart, Dunoan, and|Muckle, The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the Chairman reported what had been done with regard to the new building. A number of letters from the Board of Education were dealt with. It was unanimously resolved to support Mr E. G. Wright's nomination to fill the vaoanoy on the Education Board. Other routine business was transacted, and a vote of thanks was passed for the use of the room, and the meeting adjourned. The hailstorm of Sunday afternoon was felt most severely m the Waterton and Willowby distriots. The hailstones were of great size and smashed glass, stripped fruit t»Afl of foliage and young fruit. It is fortunate the crops were no further advanced, or very great damage would have been caused. Our Bakaia correspondent writes:— We had no bail here on Sunday, but I am informed that it was very heavy at Barrhill, Corwar, and Fairfield, and did great damage to gardens and fruit trees, also breaking a number of windows at Mr Wason's I am told that m an hour's time the hail was " nine inohcß " deep — but I oan soaroely oredit it. A trial of Cookerell's patent undercut seo*

tional diec harrow was held yesterday on one of the Village Settlement allotments a short distance past the County Saleyards. The ground on whioh the trial took place was most unfavorable, having been rendered very Btioky by tho heavy rain of Sunday night and the drizzle that was then falling, and, besides, it was very full of fibrous roots. The ploaghing of the land has been accomplished under very great difficulties. Tho maohine, however, m spite of tboso disadvantages, did its work m a way that left little to ba desired. |Tho discs do not work vertically, bat at an angle of about 35 degrees, thus giving the underout aotion, which is claimed a? ono of the advantages of the harrow. The discs work m pairs, and very little time and trouble is required to remove them when desired. A diso at (ho rear of the maohine prevents any ridge being left m the centre. Tho harrow is very light m draught, and does not jolt, and being flexible minimizes the risk of the discs being broken by coming iv contact with stumps or boulders. Mr George Jameson is the Ashburton agent for the patentee. One hundred and twonty-ono members of the House of Lords own land m Ireland, which is valued, according to the Poor Law valuation, at £1,842,633 per annum. A very remarkable artiole appears m the September " Black wood," {dealing with the comparative military strength of Franoe and Germany, and their respective chances m the war which most people think inevitable. The writer, whose anonymity must bo respeoted, but who (says the " World ") is known to be an artillery officer of repute, demolishes Sir Charles Dilke's theory that Germany cannot altaok France's ," frontier of fire," and can only invado by violating tho neutrality of Belgium. Tho French fortresses arc only a new Ohinoso Wall, the whole value of whioh is lost when pierced at ono point. Germany, unliko Franoe, has devoted all her energies to the perfection of the mobilisation system, and could be so much thojsoonor m tho field, m overwhelming numbers, that sho could break through where sho pleased— of course at enormous sacrifice, but euooesa would be worth it. As to the two armies, the writer believes that of Germany maintains its saperiority— in arms, seoing that it is already armed with magazine rifles ; m discipline, whioh ia admittedly bad with the Freuob, j , especially as regards the relations botween officers and mon ; and, last of all, tho prestige that still hangs round the victors m the last ' campaign.