THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16141, 20 February 1918, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

NEWS AND NOTES. SCHOOLBOY LABOUR. AVith a view to coping with the labour pioblem during the harvest season, the Efficiency Trustees arranged for senior schoolboys to engage in useful occupations -during the summer holidays. The scheme was evidently very successful, many schoolboys combining pleasure and profit and acquiring a practical knowledge of subjects with which they had previously a merely theoretical acquaintance. Mr Vernon. Rector of the Palmerston North High School, supplies the following figures", of how a number of his schoolboys spent the holidays:— Twenty-two boys worked on farms and earned £150. Six boys worked at the Post Office and earned £IS. Sixteen boys worked otherwise and earned £62. Fifty-six boys worked on farms for relatives. Foity-four boys worked otherwise for relatives. Forty went holiday-making all the timt>. Apart from these, seven senior boys, who had just left school, earned £100 at farming and other work. It is understood one hoy who went flax-cut-ting made £'6 10s a week. GROWING SEEDS. The question of growing seeds in the Dominion was discussed at great length at a confcrence held in Wellington last week, botween the Board of Agriculture and the National Efficiency Board. Ml" Brown, Director of the Fields Division, and Mr Cockayne, Biologist, of the Department of Agriculture, jo In eel in the <fiscussion as to what might be done in this direction. Mr Cockayne pointed out that the practicability of obtaining geeds depended largely on the duration of the war, and the unsettled period that mgbt follow, but it was evident that the difficulty of securing adequate supplies at the -present time was very acute, and it was quite likely that prices for such seeds would remain high for some time after hostilities had ccased. Various members of the Board of Agriculture detailed their experiences in the growing of seeds, and expressed the opinion that in spite of the contiietitioii of Europe this branch of farming may be made a very remunerative one. It -\\-as decided to requestthe Department of Agriculture to publish some more information in tne "Journal of Agriculture"' as to the best methods of growing and collecting the particular kinds of seeds for which there was a demand in the Dominion. It was ateo agreed that the Government should be recommended, for the purpose of encouraging tlie growth of red clover seed, '0 import a number of the very best class of bumble bee. particularity the red-tailed bee and one known as the bronze boo. RAILAGE OF LIVE STOCK. A-deputation from the Manawatu Live Stock Auctioneers' Association recently .waited on the Goneral Manager of Railways (Mr Hiley) in reference to the shortage of trucks available for the up-country districts. It was pointed out that the inability of the Department to meet- the requirements of the sheepfarmers was causing serious loss and inconvenience to breeders and to those who wished to feed off their crops of rape and turnips before they were attacked by blight. The trouble, it was stated, was particularly serious in regard to lambs, which "are liable > to be seriously depreciated by long drives at this time of the year, even if the necessary drovers are available. iMr Hiley, in reply, pointed out that the. slack trade until two weeks ago had been responsible for-a shortage of .about 500,000 sheep carried by the railways as compared with last year, and the consequent pressure on the Department had lately been particularly severe, whilst rani'fairs'; agricultural shows, and freezing works requirements had also boen exceptionally heavy. The question of organisation was gono into, and the deputation admitted that the Department kept itself well informed as to the requirements of the various districts, and was fully alive to the necessities of the position. A suggestion that "L" trucks could be used at a pinch was considered, but it was pointed out that they would be unsuitable in hot weather, and would be liable to cause heavy loss by smotherin PThs deputation was unanimous as to the anxiety shown by the waggon controllers and stationmaslers to endeavour to cope with the difficulty. JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS. . The great shortage of slaughtormon was referivd to at Monday's sitting of ihe Third "Wellington Military Service Board. The representative of one of the meat companies told the Board that instead of 120 —a full complement—his firm now had only 08 slaughtermen. The tally was thus reduced from 'JOOO to about 0200. KAIKOURA. At a meeting of the committee of the Kaikoura Swimming Club, Mr E. Tooby. who is leaviug the district, tendered his resignation, which was accepted with regret. At the conclusion of the business the president, Mr G. G. Johnson, presented Mr Tooby with «i in the form of a case of pipes, of his connexion with the club. CULVERDEN. Another very unwelcome break in the weather occurred on Friday last, when heavy rain set in from the south-west, with a big fall in the temperature. The rain continued to fall steadily throughout Friday night, and on Saturday the country iu many place.s was undo;water. The break will cause a serious check to harvesting operations, as a j good deal of crop is still in stook. Fat lambs, which were beginning to come away well with the recent liner weather, will also receive a check. A fair amount of wheat has been threshed, and two or three lines have • already gone forward to the millers, j Yields are reported from 20 and 2o j bushels un to as high as 47 bushels in j this district, the latter being from a • good crop grown by Mr J. vV. Black. I who also had another fair crop of 62 | acres, which averaged 33 bushels, and a j crov> of oats which threshed put 70 ; bushels to the aero. Mr E. Roberta also had a verv nice crop of wheat, which returned him 45 bushels per acre, while Mr A. Black has just thresliwl 12 acres of wheat which yielded 50 bushels to the acre. MARSHLAND. Last week the members of itie Marshland Ladies' Patriotic Guild J spent two days in making jam tor 1 soldiers on active service in the vari--1 ous firing-lines. Mrs C. G. Dalgety ] superintended the operations, and fif- ! t.ecn. hundred tins were filled. When the supply of tins ran out. it was ! found that 2001b weight of jam was I still left, and it was decided to make I a present of this to St. Saviour's Orj piianage. The annual treat in connexion with St. Mark's Sunday-school was to have been held at Mr R. Matterson's liomeI stead on Saturday, but on account of j the heavy rainfall, this arrangement I had to be abandoned. The gathering j took place on Monday last, the weather ! being very favourable. Sports, games, ; and competitions of various kinds were : indulged in, and the proceedings were i enlivened with outdoor selections r.n 'Mr A. Gottermeyer's gramophone. After tea, addresses were delivered by the He v. T. M. Curnow and Mr J. Yoss, both of whom stressed the importance of the teaching received in Sunday-schools.

Next Sunday evening tie Rev. C. Strand 'will conduct a memorial service in connexion with the receut death from wounds of Private Abraham J. Dobby. who was intimatclv associated with the local Methodist Church. Farmers who entered into agreements for early consignments of onions are_ finding weather conditions very trying. Sacks of these buibs standing the fields were thoroughly saturated by the torrential downpour r.n Saturday, and before thev had time to dry rain again set in on Monday evening. Potatoes which are not affected by blight and other root crops ;re making abnormal growths so far as leafage is conccrned at this time 01" the year. Tomatoes are fairly plentiful. but are very slow in ripening off.