Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 156, 17 September 1941, Page 4

Local and General

Generous Donation. Mr T. Barr, who left Waimana recently, kindly donated £10 toi the local soldiers funds, on the eve of his departure. Ploughing on the Plains. Patches of ploughed land are to be noticed all round the Rangitaiki Plains, showing where farmers are getting ready for spring crops. Most maize paddocks have not yeit been ploughed up, owing to wet weather. Johnston Quadruplets. Now well established in their new home at Timaru, the Johnston quadruplets started school for the first time recently The children are now seven years of age, and have been enrolled at the Sacred Heart School. Manufacturers of Salt. Consideration is being given toi applications which have been received for permission to - commence the manufacture of salt in New Zealand, states the annual report of the Bureau of Industry. No unit has yet commenced production on a commercial scale, and it is therefore too early to ascertain whether the industry can be undertaken on an economic and profitable basis. The industry, however, has promise of being an important one to New Zealand, and would result in a considerable saving of overseas funds.

Prisoners of War Privates Alfred Atkinson, Whakatane, ancl Norman M. Elliott, Opotilu, are reported to be now prisoners of war, having previously been on the missing list. Barberry Makes New Growth. Barberry hedges, which are the standard hedge on most farms in the Whaltatane district, are nonv putting out new leaves and flower buds. Masses of yellow blossoms will appear in a few weeks' time.. Birds Nesting Eiarlier. One effect of the mild season, according to some observant people in the. Whakatane district, is that birds have built their nests earlier this year than usual. Nests of thrushes and blackbirds have been found with eggs in some weeks ago. Gasoline from Wood. Gasoline, —or "gasogenio"—extracted from wood, is being developed by the Brazilian Government to counteract the threatened oil shortage. Production of the fuel was launched three years ago and great progress has been made towards perfecting it. One truck in every fleet of 10 must now burn "gasogenioi." President Getulio Vargas has also decreed that the Government purchase "gasogenio" machines to be sold at cost to public service establishments and private concerns engaged in transport and agriculture. Meanwhile, some industries have installed special! machinery to burn wood.

Tournament Postponed!. The ping pong tourr.ament which was to be held in the King Street Hall to-night between the" Ohopa and Whakatane players, has been postponed until Wednesday 24. Foalis on the Farms. A few newly-born foals are to be seen on farms in the Whakatane district where Jiorse breeding is carried on as a sideline. In the racing world all horses count August 1 as their birthday as it is usual for foals to be born in the months that follow, whereas early calves appear in June and July. Difference in Pay. A former decision of the- Rotorua Borough Council that employees on territorial service should be paid the difference between army pay and their normal wages, has been rescinded. Mr X. A,. Kusabs said that one council employee having [seen away for some time on territorial! service, had come back and drawn over £50 in. back pay and then announced that he had another job. Land Girls. The shortage of labour on farms was the subject of discussion bo tween a woman appellant and the Ghristchurch Man-power Committee, when the woman remarked brightly, '"Of course, I have 1 got some good daughters. They can drive the tractor and handle the farm, implements." "That's what we like to hear," remarked the chairman, Mr j. H. Barnet't. A little later another farmer appellant skid that when he was engaged on hay-baling hisdaughters worked the farm during his absence. Early Rising in the Morning. Everj r morning the sun rises a few minutes earlier than it did the dav before. In a week or so the .spring equinox will be here again, which means that the sun will rise 6.30 a.m. and set at 6.30 p.m. (New Zealand summer time). Actually the Eun-rises a little earlier at Whakatane, which is east of Wellington. In the meantime farmers are rising early in the- morning—much earlier than the sun. No matter how much the sun "giets a bustle on" and rises early, it is sure to find that by the time it shines on the Bay of . Plenty most farmers have put a good many cows through the doors of their milking sheds. By mid-summer the sun and the farmers will be almost ran. even terms in the "early rising race," but even then the farmers can usually put the alarm clocks on. a few minutes and so win the race by a nose, a short head, or any number of lengths* This early rising race business may not be "the sport of kings" but surely the early rising farmer can claim to be a "king of sports.'* 1

Feeding Heifer Calves. Several thousand heifer calves on farms, which will shortly be supplying the new Whakatane cheese factory, may have their skim milk ra' tion cut off when the change-over from butter supply takes place. Some farmers talk of separating sufficient milk to provide skim milk for calves until the calves are weaned about New Year. Other farmers say they will not separate milk, but will continue their calif feeding by using whole milk diluted considerably with water and "pepped up" with calf meal. In the meantime the calves are making the most of the skim milk they are now getting in liberal quantities and so will be well grown by the time the cheese factoiry opens. It is possible that some farmers will wean their calves somewhat earlier than in former years because of the lack of skim milk. In old-establish-ed cheese districts calves are fed on whey, but most suppliers of the new Whakatane factory will be too far aAvay to permit of whey being carted to their farms.