ITEMS OF INTEREST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 85, 27 June 1944, Page 3

ITEMS OF INTEREST

High Yield of Oats An exceptionally high yield of oats has been obtained this season by Mr James, Munroy of Seaward Downs, Southland. He threshed 7.2 acrcs of oats and obtained 225 sacks of grain, an average yield of 134 bushels an acre. The average yield of oats throughout New Zealand in the 1940' 41 season was 43.41 bushels an acre. Free Music and Drama Palmerston North's experiment, first of its kind in New Zealand, of providing free music and drama for citizens as a major cultural activity, has met with a response far beyond the anticipations of those who fostered the idea. The Opera House was crowded for the first performance, which consisted of instrumental and vocal music, and two oneact plays. Digging for Fillings Some soldiers needing gold fillings for their teeth dig their own at one place in Northern Australia. They' are members of the R.A.F. works supply unit located in a former gold mining district, and they spend their stand-down days specking gold from the surrounding hills. Most of tliem, when they go to the dentist, are able to take their own fillings. Miro and Native Pigeons The desirability of preserving miro trees, wherever possible, because of their value in providing food for native pigeons,, was mentioned at the annual meeting of the council of the Royal Society of New Zealand in Wellington. It was stated that many miroi trees had been cut down in the Nelson district in the development of the hydro-elec-tric scheme. Dog and Daily Paper A Christchurch resident, who is a keen sportsman and has trained many dogs, has a purebred collie, which is equally at home working with his master on high country, or running errands in the city. He is little more than 12 months old. Every evening lie is given 2d in an enevelope by his master, the signal for him to call on a paper-seller in Colombo Street, and bring back a copy of the evening paper. Linen Flax Industry A decision to ask for a more equit,able contract system and adequate remuneration for growers of linen flax to ensure the survival of the industry was made at the South Island conference of executive of the Farmers' Union at Timaru. The present contract system was being exploited by the, Linen Flax Section, said Mr ,R. W. L. Bcattie. This had had a detrimental effect on a war industry. Last season 21,000 acres of linen Hax had been contracted for, and the Linen, Flax Section- had actually received crops from only 10,000 acres.

Disregard for Weather "Two tilings surprised me ftvlien reading the. Motunau journals from 1847 to 1850," said Mr L. G. D. Acland when lecturing before the New Zealand Geographical Society in Christchurch. "One was the time spent looking for st-raj'cd horses and cattle, and the other was the disregard of the owners and their men for the weather." Production Target The wheat production target for the Gore district in 1944-45 is 3000 acres, the figure being based on the actual production in the area in 19424 .'3. This information was. given at a meeting of the Gore PrimaiT Production Committee. For the whole of Southland, the. area of potatoes aimed at is 1900 acres, which is more than 200 acres greater than last year's objective, although only 239 acres were actually sown. Linen Flax Changes Changes are likely to be made in linen flax machinery as a result oC trials which are now ncaring Completion in Canterbury. In particin lar, alterations to the scutcher blades and to the crimping of straw, and j an elltirely different system of dust exhaust arc contemplated. This was announced recently by Mr J. W. Hadfield, director of the linen flax section of the Department of Industries and Commerce. Power Potato-Diggers V A resolution, moved by Mr A. H. Spratt, asking that because there had not been sufficient power po-tato-diggers in the country for this season's requirements, and because an additional 10,000 acres of potatoes were wanted next, season, arrangements should be made for a supply of power diggers to meet the position, was carried at a meeting of the North Canterbury Primary Production Council last week. UOOIb Sacks of Flour "Is it compulsory under the award for these men to have to lift 2001b sacks of flour?" asked the foreman of an Auckland jury during the hearing of a claim for damages by a truck driver. "It is a heavy lift and must require a strong man to do the job," commented Mr Justice Blair. The head stor email, who was g'ving evidence., said lie did not Lhir.k specially strong men picked for the work, but some men could not do it. Army to Sell Larch Stakes Thousands of larch stakes used by the Army for defensive work arc now to be sold by the Army Department. Tenders arc being called for the purchase of more than 63,000 stakes at three camps in the Southern Military District. The stakes, which are from 2ft to 10ft long, wre mainly used for revetments and barbed wire entanglements, and as they are of no further use to. the Army, it is thought that they may be of value to farmers for fencing and other purposes.

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