THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16144, 23 February 1918, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

NEWS AND NOTES. JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS. A unique sight, expressive of the natural wealth and prosperity of .New Zealand, was witnessed by an. Auckland "Star" representative at a wayside railway station in the AVaimaruio district a day or two ago. Two trains were crossing, each liavinp; a l° n j? string of waggons, mostly loaded with sheep (not sheep waggons only, but ordinary waggons filled with sheep, tor the railway authorities that verr day were over ono hundred sheep waggons short to meet orders). In. the station yard were about six bullock wagons (and teams), bringing their loads of wool and flax to the. markets, and on the hillside right up to the line was a reaper and binder at work on the golden grain in an immense paddock. The whole formed a striking picture to the towndweller of New Zealand's backbone. DARFEELD. Albert E. Donald, of Hororata, a pupil of the Darfield District High School, who .was a successful student in _ the recent Public Service examination, has been offered and accepted an appointment in Wellington an the Department of Internal Affairs. Two other students, John R. Thome, of Hororata, and George Lamb, of GTeendale, who successfully qualified for the Public Service examination from the High School during the last three years, arc lidding important positions in the Public Trust Office, Wellington, the former as a cashier, and the latter in the will department. GREENDALE. Threshing operations in the district show that in the majority of instances yields are not nearly so good as cropa promised earlier in the season. Rust, and, later, .blight Droved very injurious to tho grain, and the average yield will be considerably below the usual figures. The heavy rain-of last week, £ollowed_by wet, muggy conditions at the beginning of this week, caused both wheat and oats still in stook to sprout very badly; in one or two cases growth of nearly two inches is reported. Fortunately most of the crops were either threshed from the stook or were in stack, and not a very large acreage was out when the weather broke. The best yields in the district so far are 78 bushels per acre of Banner oats on Mr G. H. Ridgen's farm, and Mr C. H. Adams's 43 bushels per acre of wheat in one paddock. Although doing damage to cereals still out, the heavy rain of last week was very beneficial to rape and turnip crops. Blight and aphis were very prevalent, but are now checked. AKAROA. A well-attended meeting was held in the Council Chambers on Thursday evening to make arrangements in connexion with tho proposed visit of a large party of returned wounde'd soldiers. The Mayor (Mr Geo. Armstrong), who was in the chair, stated that, weather permitting, five car-loads would come next Thursday, arriving about 11 a.m. It was decided that a short public welcome should be accorded the wounded men on the Recreation Ground, where, after lunch, they would hold a sale of their basketware, hammocks, etc. Luncheon would be provided by the Banks Peninsula Patriotic Association, while the ladies of Akaroa would take charge of the afternoon tea. On Thursday the teachers and scholars of the Akaroa Presbyterian Sunday School held their annual oicrie tiie i local Domain. Favoured writ : ful weather, they enjoyed Jin v„iv.=>rr.-1 monly pleasant time, llaces and gr.rr.r,s made the day pass quieidy urn;! tea was served, at which the Sunday School folk were joined by many of their elders, and a good sprjnk.'ii:;:. of vlsi- j tors. During an interval, the 1' ev. J. W. Haywanl made reference to the ucproaching departure from Akaroa, of Miss Zita Mimro, who, as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the; Church choir, had rendered 7/;L'lrig service. On behalf of th.-> lechers and the choir, Mr Havward then handed Mi ss Mtinro a suitable token of their esteem and goodwill. Hearty cheers were given for the recipient. ASHI3URTON. At the Ealing stock sale on Thursday good priccs were obtained for ail fat stock. The highest price for larobs I was 3'_'s 2d. I Malcolm McGregor, employed by Mr ' J. Brown on his ucvvly-acqtiirei pro- \ i'Crty in the MounL Possession district, . vas thrown from his borse on Thursday aiternc-on and subsequently conveyed to ; the As'nhtirton Hospital in an uncont scions state, suffering from concussion. ; Mr Opie (chaii-man of the Education I Board), Mr Jamieson (chairman of the ; Building Committee), and Mr Parter | (architect) visited Ashburton yesterday j -ifternoon and < met members of the ; tJorough School Committee and the con- ! rractors for the new school, on the present Infant School site, where the ; ground has just been laid off on which 1 to erect the new school. The members ! of the Board were unanimous in the ; opinion that the most suitable portion of the four and a half acres of land had been chosen for the building, and i expressed a hope that every expfJition would be made with the erection t-here-j of, and that it would not be many j months before the -ew school would be officially opened. ■ .With reference to

| the matter of two additional rooms, j iho members expressed the opinion that . if it were found that the new school did : not pro ride sufficient accommodation ■ after a reasonable lapso of time, addiI iTonal rooms would have to be provid- • ed. \Vith reference to renovating and ; tpprovtnc: tbo cottasre at present occupied by the caretaker, the members stated that the Board did not under- ; tal%"e to provide caretakers' eottape?. ! nnd that this was a matter purely for i the committer ;o deal with. It was ; not ercn the policy of the Board to : provide schoolmasters 1 residences. : though of course in instances where : such residences existed they had to be j kept in repair. In reply to a question ! ss to what it was proposed to do with ; the one acre of land on whicJi the prei sent main Borough School stands, Mr i Opie informed otir representative that ! Tne Board, at its nest rccetinp. would ! probably take pTiirpinrir? steps to : have the site and buildings sold. IUXT>^. I There =; i.ood of ! Sanday SriucA t««nbers and parents in ; Ujc 'fYts-iyterian Church " on 'ihi n Mrs !!. Blair s I'r.'t. Attcr 'J." or>en : n- f-.ver-~.x:v, gnve a model lessen to a class •••<;>; aod boys, and fully demonstrat- . rt!:v method to keep tin the interest- . fti iho chi'drcn. She then addressed '. : 'o teachers aud parents, sivinr tlieni ; ::.:iry valuable bints, Trhieh., if followed, | v.".aid .oroailv increase the value of the •'jnclav Schorl. On the phiins the harvest is finished, j smt on th» heavy land there is a good j ilpal of wheat in stook yet. The rei cent heavy rains have stopped stacking ! for the present, and a drying wind is badly wanted. Feed is very plentiful, cspeeiH]Jy clover, which seems to flourish e very w 7; err. j