THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16154, 7 March 1918, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

NEWS AND NOTES

ASHBURTOX SHOW

The total entries for the Asliburtou Show arc considerably in oxcoma o! those received last year, aggregating 1780, as against 1553. The increaso is in every section of the Show, but is most noticeable in horses, pigs, larm produce, etc. Following is a comparative table of entries for the past

JO I'TINUS FOlt FAUMUKS,

The next shipment <»l s Australian wheat to arrive lor tsoiitu Island ports ■will consist of 50,000 sacks, or, rougaly, 150,000 bushels. Of tnis quantity A/,000 sacks will be .allotted, to Opined in, and the remainder will be distributed between the niills at Oamaru, Timaru, and Christchuich.

The lower end of. the Taieri Plain, in the vicinity of Henley and Otokia, is still the cynosure of ail eyes, especially of - train passengers (says the *'Otago I)aliy Times")- This country, it will be remembered, was covered with water from the end of May last year up to within somo four or five months ago, -with the result that largo areas of it were temporarily abandoned by the occupiers. The waters subsided too late to permit of the land boing ( utilised for cropping, and tho affected area has consequently remained untouched as far as tillage operations, are concerned. One effect of the floods was to destroy absolutely all the finer pasture grasses, and their place has been taken by innumerable weeds, principally docks, to such an extent that the surface of the land is now literally covered -with vegetation of an •unprofitable kind. The work of repairing the breach in the protective banks near Otokia i» progressing, but it will probably be some six weeks yet before, the operations, -which are of a substantial nature, are completed.

Harvesting operations in South Otago and Southland are general (says yesterday's "Otago Daily Times"). One can now see the work in all its stages, • frpm the reaping to the carting of grain to the railway station, although very little of the latter has yet been done. The bulk of the crops look exceedingly well in the stook, the stalks being unusually well headed. Not a great deal of wheat has been thrashed yet, most growers preferring to allow this cereal to harden in the stack before putting it through the 'mill. A fair amount of oats has, however, been thrashed, and the vield, generally, is highly gratifying. What looked like an average crop of Garton oats has yielded from 56 to 60 bushels. The crop, too, is an economical one to handle, as the straw is only of average length. The grain is an excellent sample, and, if one may judge from what has already been thrashed, it will practically all be graded A. Tho crops in Southland are above tho averago, and the yield is likely to be heavy even for that province, which is noted for its consistently heavy cereal crops, more particularly oats. "What appears to be an excellent crop of oats on. Mr Donald .Macdonald's Edendale estate has just been thrashed out of the stook. There is almost an entire absence of rust among what may be called the main crops, although some of the veiy late crops have boen attacked, in some instances, rather severely.

It is understood (says yesterday's "North Otago 1511168") that'Mr O. *R. 150 has disposod of his "well-known property at Pukeuri. The sale does not include his stud of blood horses, which it is stated, will be held for special sale' It is Mr Wise-3 intention to again take up his residence' in Oamaru.

Mr E. CSullivan, of Cardiff, Taranaki, has received word that his cow (Sultan's Daisy, by Campanile Saltan, imp., out of Genoa Darey), has been awarded a gold medal by the New Zealand Jersey Breeders' Association for the best Jersey cow in New Zealand This cow produced 667.211b of butterfat in twelve months. The tests were carried out by the Department of Agriculture.

At the beginning of the present harvest men were not noticeably scarce bocause little labour was actually required (says Tuesday's "Oamaru Main It wand threshing ° that the shortness of labour was most acutely felt. Men save been sent jjut QfJJamaru u^^kon^ai:-

tioular !"atm-. and the further tluse farms are from tin- town the less probability is there of the men reaching their appointed destinations. All along the road there are farmers waiting anxiously to pick up men, and as they como along thev are cnticed to halt and accept other engagements. The conditions are against tho baek-blocker, who has to wait till others are served, or tackle the work with the few hands that are available. In the case ol threshing, however, there must be a full team, and great delay is conse<iuentiv experienced. The harvest now cannot be rushed through as it was before the war, for the men are not available, and if the weather is not propitious. tho farmer is heard to vow that, he will yrow no more grain, as the risks arc 100 groat. AVAIAI". A meeting of the Patriotic Cummittce was held on- Monday night. J. 10sent: Messrs H. T. Heaven (chairman), 1\ JSurrows, C. H. Dcrrett, 11 A. Green, C. .Vetting, and G. "W. AU.ndge (lion, secretarv). Apologies were received from the Kev. J. H. Thomson, aiuMessrs Jos. Lee, junr., and .1. M<--Urvde. Letters !'ioiii soldiers 111 both France and Palestine, acknowledging receipt of Christmas parcels, were rea'-t. Mr V. 0. Okl'iian tendered his resignation as a mem'ior of the conimiltee, owiiiix to shortly entering camp. A •notion exnressih;.' approi-iutum of the good work "lie had done, and well-v. isiios for the future, was carried unanimously. A change took place m the weatlioi 011 Monday, when the sky 'io.airio cloudy and threatening, an-; during the niiiht rain in. Il> to a.Hi. oil Tuesday a fail 01 nearly iiail' ;:u in -.i had been registered.

OXFOHl). The Oxford AY.C.T.r. celebrated Frances Y\ illard Ua-v by a niev-t----inir in the Coronation Ilal!. I <ie president was 111 the chair, .'nitl there was a good attendance ot members. A resolution was passed,_ expressing sympathy with Mrs 'Wbyte in the deat-n ■of her sister, and v/itli Mrs Lowe 111 the death of her father. A vote of thanks was passed to .Mr iiumi lor acting as chairman at the i.M.C.A. concert, Mrs Hull, of the Edgeware Road Hand of Hope, was appointed to represent Oxford 011 the Hand of Hope Union. . The president read several remits to be brought before the Convention, and the delegate was instructed to vote according to her own .juctgnient. Several of those present promised to help with the afternoon* tea at the Y branch bazaar. Mrs Kippenberger read a paper from the Indian Record'' on the life and work ol Frances Willard, the founder of tne W.C.TA'. Mrs Kippenberger received a ' vote of thanks. RANGIORA. Mr \V. Blaekctt, who has decided to take up his residence in Tiiiiani, left Itangiora, yesterday Mr Blackett is the* youngest son of the lato Mr 11. Blackett, a family well known 111 R-an"iora for over lifty years. He was for a time on the Rangiora Borough Council, but at the. last election, owing tu health reasons and pressure ot business, did hot seek re-election. _ At a meeting of the Rangiora District Fruitgrowers' Association, Mr E. Blackett presided. Correspondence was received from the secretary of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Association rewarding the Dominion Conference, also from the secretary of the Provincial Conference, which is to ho held prioi to the Dominion Conference. Mr J. W. McLeod was appointed delegate to the Provincial Conference. It was <locided to forward the following remits That the Federation be urged that m view of the increasing prices of eprav materials and requisites, large quantities be obtained in the best possible markets, with a view to supplying fruitgrowers; that the Federation move in gthe direction of compelling registered brand on fruit cases, and forcing all second-hand cases to be destroyed. The motion tabled by Mr Ormandy at the previous meeting, "That this Association become a registered body under the Industrial and Provident Act of 1908, and adopt the rules as suggested by the New Zealand Federation," was carried unanimously.

ASHBUItTON. The accommodation at the Ashburton county hospital is overtaxed, md a tent has had to be crected for convalescent cases. At the present timo there are eight scarlet fever cases in the institution.

Mr G. Jobberns, of the teaching! ptaff of the Ashburton High School, who recently obtained his B.A. degree, left for camp on'Mondav last. At the annual meeting of tho midCanterbury branch of the Educational Institute, the report stated that tl.e past year had been a most successful one. The retiring president. Mr G. Schneider, read a paper on "Some Defects of our Educational Agents and Agencies." The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr J. Cook: vice-president, Mr A. L. Moore; secretary and treasurer, Mill. C. N. "Watson; committee. Misses M. Hayes, E. Knox, C. Menzies, J. Rapley, Messrs C. W. Allard, C. Schneider, and Jas. Watson. It was decided that the treasurer should collect and forward donations for a presentation to Mr E. U. Just who is rej tiring from the teaching profession after 52£ years' service.

At the monthly meeting of the Ashbarton High School Board, the chairman (Mr Joshua Tucker) reported that the debit balance on the loan account was £6000, and that there was' a credit balance on the general account of £552 lis lid. The headmaster (Mr W. F. Watters) reported that the total school roll was 17S. I There were at present 143 free place holders, nine fee-paying pupils, and 10 Board of Governors free place pupils. There were five senior and seven junior national scholarship holders in attendance. The complete agricultural course was this year being taken by about 25 boys, and about 15 girls had begun a complete home science course. He chairman, the Rev. G. Miller, and Mr G. HBuchanan were appointed a committee to report on the work that was being done by the local teaching staff and the salaries received as compared with the work and salaries of teachers in ttlse.wfrere. „

throe years: — 191G. 1917. 1918. Sheep ••• 373 333 334 Cattle ... 52 5i 104 Horses ... 232 25G 270 Pigs ... lt> 19 Dogs ... 17 1- '-1 Produce, etc. ... 928 !X)0 1015 Totals ... 1G18 1583 17S0