THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15750, 17 November 1916, Page 10

THE COUNTRY.

| NOTES AND NEWS. ! EAXKS PENINSULA A. AXD P. | ASSOCIATION. j i I Final arrangements have pern maoe I for tie animal Show of the Banks i Peninsula A. and P. Association, at I Little River on Tuesday next. Jhe I entries number Sl2—a record. ! A new feature will be- a display by 1 Agricultural "Department of a eoli Jcctioif of we-rd*. The information I given in vhit* exhibit should be a cry I ijteresring and useful to farmer?. ' Tie entrie> in each particular section : re as follows: —Sheep 71. horse;•attic 104. produce 198. grain and seeds IS. dogs 20, table decora.tion 8. junior ; ><•(■: ion 1-Iv^. In the Holsio.in section there are 23 • lurios. which will entitle the winning fmpetitor to the Holstoin Priesiaii As-?<-><-i;rtion's cold medal. Fat. cattle r.re also well represented. The usual bullock-driving competition -s being held, with several new features ; ridded ° This competition is always of ! interest, to the townspeople, bc.ing a j -novelty _ I JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

! What has been lost to tbe general ,!r>'iduction of the Marlborough district, this season bv the floods at Jua Marina, .-'tiring Creek, and Grove, town will be to •i very large extent, made good by the exceptionally fine growth, of crops rlnroughout tbe higher country (says : the "Express"). Everywhere the cer- ■ -mls, pf>as. potatoes, and grass arc in i splendid condition, and the yields will ibe nindi above the average. The penI duluni. having favoured the. : farmers in the low-lying localities during the I few yeaxs, has swunc decidedly in the i direction of those on the higher and : drier lands. Given fair prices, it is a ! reason such a* the present one that j aives the closer-settlement areas a ; chance of ''making good." ! OMIRI. | Farewell socials have been tendered ■ o Private J. Simpson and Trooper G. Lottie, of the. Seventeenth Reinforcements. also to Private R. Wornajl, ' roifixT C. Burrows, and Lance-Cor-i ;>oral A. Giles, of the Nineteenth Rein- ! for cements. The soldiers were each ! presented with a Maltese Cross as a I mark of esteem from the residents of the district. COALGATE. The snm of 16s 4d has been paid over to the secretary of the Wouth Malvern Branch of the Red Cross Society from a party of boys who toured the township on Gny Fawkes Bay. The boys were Jack and Colin Stuart, George and Harold Weastell, Arthur i and M. Griffiths. Wallace and Charlie Chapman. Stuart Lecming. and Percy Rollinson. GLKNTUN^EL. Ob Guy Fawkfs Day a party, consisting of Joe and Iris Harrison, Dick King, George Bisphan. Minnie and Violet Davidson, collected £2 3s 2d for the local Red Cross Fund. Com no Aitken, Albert and Fred Smith, Allen Campbell, and Leslie- Willis collected £1 7s 6d for the Belgium Fund. RAKAIA. The ladios of St. Mark's Church are busily engaged preparing far the annual* .fair to help to wipe off -the int- ! debtedness on the now vicarage. For ' vears past this function, known under j various appellations, has been held on { the first Thursday .in Dccemb",-. but | this year it will occur a fortnight I later. The ladies aim at .securing the patronage of the farmers on sale day, and as the Me.thven races occur on the first Thursday ill December, postponement has been necessary. Special features will be a baby show and a Christmas tree. The Girls' Friendly Society have undertaken to provide the toys and dress the dolls. As the- ladies' sewing energy is being put into Red Cross work, there will "be no needlework stall this year. • One of the largest sources of income is expected to be the luncheon and afternoon tea tables. Although the General Manager of Railways has stated that it is unlikely that any scheme for the re-arrangement of the Rakaia. station yard will be undertaken during the present financial stringency, it is noteworthy that none j of the new crossing notice boards has been erected at the main crossing in the township although they have been erected outside the station limits. This fact seems to point to a contemplated change of crossing place; the present crossing, by the way, is not a public road at all- . The monthly meeting of the Rakaia Branch of the W.C.T.U. was hold in the Methodist Church on Tuesday afternoon, the president, Mrs Boag, being in the chair. A large number of samples of books and pamphlets was on view, accompanied by a letter from Mr Neil. The matter of selecting and ordering was left to Mrs Boag. Mrs Liddington was appointed to supervise the distribution of literature. Miss Trevarser wrote acknowledging the report of the branch which had been sent to her. and enclosing an invitation to members to attend a garden party in Ashburton. Two new members were admitted. A meeting of the committee of the Rakaia Soldiers' lintertainment Society was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening. The Rev. W. T. Todd presided over an attendance of thirteen members. Correspondence was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs with reference to the society obtaining permits for its members to collect funds, also enclosing the War Funds Act with regulations thereunder, and asking if the committee was a thoroughly representative one. It was agreed to reply that the committee'was very representative, and to apply for the necessary permits. Sub-committees were appointed to man. | :;ge the next succeeding four farei wells. It was decided to fill any vacari-. j.eies occurring on the committee by I election at a farewell gathering. Another supply of a dozen hold-alls was ordered. I The committee of the "Rakaia Croquet ! and Tennis Club met on Wednesday, i and accepted the tender of T. McDowell. of Southbridge, for laying down two tennis courts, the work to be eonii pleted within eight weeks. Three ten- ! tiers were received. •

MID-CANTERBURY. The general farmer, the dairyman, and the sheep graziers all through the Alayfield, Mount Somers. Springburn, Staveley, and Aliord Forest districts, as ell as away .it the back of the ?.-inges in the Mount Persuasion, Hokitika, Clent Hills, and Lake Heron districts harp had several successive and particularly £ood seasons, but the prospects seem brighter now than they have been for many yeans. The whole face of the country could not possibly look better, and there is a' great flush 9f really good succulent feed to bo seen m all directions. The cereal crops, principally oats, are also looking well, and are showing every promise of big yields. TTrere are a few light patches of ;n full ear to be seen on the 'Mount Somers line .iuat above Tinwald, buthigher' up, through the Westortield, Hackthorne, and Valet t a districts, there has been great and most vigorous Growth, while higher up still, all along tie foothills, a& well as away back, the growth of all vegetation has been simply phenomenal, and a run throtigh these localities affords a rich treat to all those who take an intereist in the products of the soil. Sheep, cattle, and horses a re in great condition. and there are large numbers of strong, healthy-

looking lambs to be seen, thouch the percentage in a number of eases' is not £oins to Ik- above tho average, as the death-raXe in a number of instance has been rather serious. "and this,'' remarked one sheep-fanner to the writer, Ss due in a measure to their having been too well fed. In cast's where there has been but a moderate amount of feed, the deatli-ratc has not been nearly ,<o high." Thus farmer -went on to 6av that he .and his shepherd had vratehed the lamb? at , play in paddock on a hright, f-unny day. and suddenly, and Tvithont any apparent muse. they had seen one or more of the biggest and most for-v-ard lambs drop dead. Careful and experienced post-mortems have been jhcld in quit' l a ninnbrr of instances, and the stomachs. and even the intestines. have heen lined -n-itli fa.t, while the liver ha* been and connected, and hard, tough Inmp* of curdled milk bave been found. Tn other instances again, "wool ball" baP apparently caused death, and hard balU of a mixture of wool, dry tussoek grass r.nd curdled milk have been found. The r.Vath-rate amongst the twiu latnlif has been comparatively light, and in ni) f-Jisr ba.s a dead twin lamb, when opened up, been found overloaded -with inside fat. The cause of death amongst the bigger and .stronger-looking lambs appears to have been caused through the animals having had more milk and other food than they could properly digest.

ASEffi DETOX. Amongst the soldiers returning by the Maheno. due iu iN<nv Zealand about, the middle of are four hospital cases for Asliburton. Owing to the continuous dry vrcathrr, the Ashburton Council had the fire hose out yesterday for the purpose, of watering the flower-beds in Baring Square. Mr C. White, Allen ton, Ashburton, has received private advice that his son, ■Corporal C. T. White, has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sergeant White left with the 9th Reinforcements. Mr R. D. Johnston, of the. motor works. Burnett street, Ashbtrrton. has been seriously ill since Monday last. His condition yesterday .was slightly better, but ?til! serious. A confirmation service was conducted by his Lordship Bishop Julius in St. Stephen's Church, Ashburton, on Wednesday evening. Thirty-nine candidates were presented, and his Tx>rdship delivered a. very- impressive address to the young people upon their promise of renunciation, and obedience, /which he likened to the oath of a soldier going forth to battle for his country. There was a large congregation. TF/MTTKA. The rivers about Tcmuka are known to be swarming with eels, and as it is thought they would be appreciated in England, it has been decidcd to hold a monster eel drive to-morrmv evening.