THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15874, 13 April 1917, Page 4

THE COUNTRY.

NOTEi AND NEWS

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

In reply to a letter from the Asliburton branch of the Farmers' Union asking where supplies of the Lincoln College seed wheats could be obtained, the director of the College states that in 1915 about SO bushels of College Hunters were *old to farmers within ten liles of Asliburton. and on a 15-bushel per acre yield there should be SOOObushels for distribution this year, but cning to the early proclamations fixing the price of wheat making no mention yi liigher prices for seed wheat, most farmers sold right out to millers, and a distinct shortage of reliable seed wheat had arisen. The following farmers still had certain quantities of reliable "rade seed for sale College Hunters, Messrs K. J. Low and .T, Watson (Barr Iltll). H. M. Anderson (Waikari). A. "W. Barrett (Morven). and A. Thompson (Springston) : solid straw 'luscan. C. S. Osborne (Rakaia): white straw Tuscan, J*. J. 1-ow (Ban- Hill).

"Wednesday's Oamaru -'Mail" has the following:—We have received a further batch of threshing-mill returns in connexion with the harvest. These cover an area ol just -on 5200 acres, and represent the greater part of the county. The average yield shown !>v tliem is a little over -30 bushels ot wheat per acre. As with the returns previously received by us, the range is a very wide one, starting at the top with 63 bushels and dropping down to less than 10 bushels per acre. The list is beaded bv Mr W. K. Goodson, of Deborah, who obtained an average of (*2 bushels from an area of 25 acres. Other good results recorded are 54 bushels per acre threshed out for Mr .J. Malcolm from 3-j acres, and for Mr R. Elder from a smaller area, botii being in the Kakanui district. Returns of 50 bushels an acre were obtainod by Mr S. Hiirpciv of. Maheiio. from 2-1 acres, and Mr -J. Souness, of Rcidston. from a small area. A good number of yields of 40 bushels and over are. included in the list, the l>est of lhem being 48 bushels oil an average from -10 acres by Mr C. Poole (.Kakanui), the same average from a small area by Mr J. Tallentirc (Duntroon), 4" bushels per were from 33 acres by Mr L. Tiiyue (Totara). the same average from 25 acres by Mr J. Phillips (Duntroon). 45 bushels an acre from 8Q acres by Mr Johnston (Windsor), and a like average from a small area by Messrs Martin Bros. (Enfield). The localities that show the. best results on an average are Windsor, Totara,'and neighbourhood. Kakanui, and Ineholme. the last-named, while not-producing any notable return being the most regular. We have now returns from an area ot 13,777 acres, and the average for the whole of that acreagc works out at 29.15 bushels per acre. Some further results have yet to come, but it can be safelv assumed that the average wheat yield for the whole, county will be fully 29 bushels per acre, which, considering the .character of the soaI *on. must be considered very satisfactory RANGIORA. An influential deputation of some ol the leading burgesses of Tlangiora waited on Mr C. 1. Jennings, the present .Mayor, asking him to allow himself to be re-nominated for another term. Mr i Jennings thanked the deputation, and [ said he very much appreciated the honj our, but, owing to health reasons, hcrc- | gretted he could not accede to their ! request. I Several names are mentioned as likely 'to come forward, viz.: Messrs F. 15. I Lane, W. McGruer, W. Banks, and H. Hoyd, all at present members of the Council. T,AD BROOKS. The Ladbrooks station i s at present being still improved by the addition ot a ladies' waiting-room and other platform improvements. It is intended io remove, the sheep yards to a more suitable position. On their present site the yards interfere with the loading, and their removal will constitute a great improvement. A very welcome rain started yesterday, and •"'vhouglj stopping cliaffcutting will affoiv compensation in other ways. Mr Walter Payne is home on final leave from camp. He is the fourth son who has enlisted. The first of the season's euchre tournaments and dances wag held in the hall on Tuesday night, the proceeds being devoted to the Red Cross Fund. About 40 couples were present. Mi'JBett won the gentlemen's prize. Miss S. Tucker the ladies'. Miss A. Gabitis the ladies' booby prize, and Mr Murphy the gentlemen's boobv prize. Mr Gabitis officiated as M.C., Mr H. Myers supplied the music, and the ladies the refreshments. Mrs R. "Watson, who has been in the Christciiureh Hospital For some time suffering from illness, is reported to be making good progress towards recovery. GREENDALE. A decided change in the prevailing weather conditions occurrcd ->r. Wednesday afternoon, when a light di iziii'.l;; rain set in. Jt gradually thickened up, and became heavier- during the even- ! ing, and continued throughout the I niglit and all day yesterday. Although the rain has come too late to benefit tbe turnip crops ; should the frosts hold off, the grass and oats sown for sheep feed will make good growth. The moisture will be of great benefit in softening the ground, which has been exceedingly hard, thus making ploughing a very difficult task. It is to be hoped that sufficient rain falls to rai>c the springs, ivhich are exceptionally ,!ow, the water in the wells being !n very short supply. Some of weds have gone dry for the first t. : ni'> in many years. It AKAIA. The monthly meeting of the Rakaia branch of the W.C.T.C. was held in the Presbyterian .Sunday-school on Thursday atternoon, Mrs Uoag presiding. Correspondence wa.s received from Miss E. 'J'revurza. secretary of the Ashburton branch, concerning a petition for the early closing ol Hotels and enclosing form of petition. It was decided to make arrangements to have the petition circulated and secure signatures. It was decided also to give support to a petition asking for the appointment of wonr.cn police. In connexion with the visit of Mrs Harrison Lee-Cowie, it was arranged to hold a women's meeting in the afternoon and a public meeting in the evening, t.he latter as an inaugural meeting for the Band or Hope season. The Rev. W. T. Todd, of Rakaia, convenor of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church Sunday-school Committee, has returned from Feilding, where lie has been attending the Dominion Sundayschool Conference. The rains of a fortnight ago have done a great deal of good in the Rakaia district, and feed is now more abundant. The dry spell seems now to hare been properly broken up, and although the rain of the past two days has not been heavy at any time, it has been fairly continuous and tho ground has received a thorough soaking. For the 48 hours preceding 9 a.m. on Thursdav 130 points of rain were recorded. It "is gratifying to note that tbe rain has been heavy near the coast, a strip of land which is generally deficient in this respect.

ashburton. It is anticipated tliat the new railway station at Ashburton will b<* sufficiently far advanced to allow the ,-taft to occupy il early in Juno. The Ashburton Central Committee ro-

cently sot up to aft in conjunction with the National Efficiency Board. will confer with Mr E. I*. Uurburv tlii> a 1 tornoon.