MID-CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18891, 5 January 1927, Page 12

MID-CANTERBURY.

—* — ASHBURTON. PERSONAL. After being with the Ashburton branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Co-op. Association for the past 16 years,

Mr F. E. Brown has received notification of his transfer to the firm's Kaikoura branch. Tinwald Town Board Bates. I Practically all the rates for the Tinwald Town Board have been received, there being only the small sum of £G4 17s 7d outstanding. The last day on which to pay rates for the above Board was Saturday, January Ist. J Fishing. Although the weather was ideal during the New Year holidays, anglers who visited the local rivers in search of their game did not meet with success owing to the natural waterways being discoloured. Those who visited the Eangitata came home disappointed in the majority of cases, there being only a few fish caught. The mouth of the Ashburton river was well patronised, and here anglers met with' a little more success, the river being fairly good until Sunday, when it became dirty. Some fairly good bags were caught. Practically no fishing was done in the Kakaia river, it being very discoloured. The conditions were better at Lakes Clearwater and Emma, where some good bags were taken. New Year Holidays. All shops and offices resumed work yesterday morning after the Christmas and New Year holidays, but not a great deal of business is being done, due, no doubt to a lot of holiday-makers being still away. It will take a few days to get settled-down again after the bustle ■ of the festive season. Works Open. The 'Fairfield freezing works reopened yesterday, when a fair percentage was put through. If is expected that operations will brighten up in the course of a few weeks. The Weather. Ideal weather prevailed yesterday, the sun shining in an almost cloudless skv A cooling north-easterly breeze was in evidence, which made outside conditions very pleasant. BARRHILL. A number of residents >paid a surprise visit to Mr and Mrs Toon. Mi A Holms, on behalf of the residents asked Mr and Mrs Toon to accept tw< easy chairs as a mark of appreciatioi and esteem from the residents M: Holmes spoke of Mr Toon's willingncs at all times to assist at any local tunc tion and of Mrs Toon's courtesy an* attention when in charge of the loca Post Office. Mr Tizzard a*> .spoke u eulogistic terms of Mr and Mrs foon and wished them happiness and pros nerity in their married life. Mr looi suitably replied, and a very happ; evening was spent.

ASHBURTON FORKS. Enquiries made in Ashburton Forks and district on. Monday elicited from a number of farmers the impression that the present position with regard to crops was rather' hanging in the balance, between an excellent harr vest and one spoilt by bad weather. One farmer said that throughout his district! the crops were looking very well indeed, and they promised a, good Yield. Sunday night's rain'had laid some of the crops, but given fine weather they woul rise again. Shearing was very backward. Turnip-sowing was also' behind, it having been either iust completed or was still in progress when weather permitted. Rape crops, however, were very good. Another farmer in the Ashburton Forks district said that Sunday's ram had been very patchy. Some places were in a short time swimming with water, while in other parts, nearby, little ram had fallen. So far as he knew crops had not suffered greatly from' the rain. An Alford Forest farmer said that in his district the crops were looking very well, but they greatly needed . fine weather. In one of his own crops he had noticed.rust just making its appearance. Ho said that the oats were well headed, and gave promise ot a harvest better than usual. Sundays rain had noli, as far as he knew, laid the crops in his district. Shearing, he said, was very late. In, Spnngburn and Staveley, crops are late, but even so, some were badly laid by the ram, so badly in places that they look as though-they will not rise agaip. ■■This, of course, applies only to places where the growth became rank. Land which was ready for sowing turnips is now lying sodden again. Throughout all the districts mentioned, the growth is abundant, and the lower districts, Ashburton Forks and Greenstreets, have seldom looked better. Even yet, few crops have matured, and it is only an odd paddock that has been touched by the reapers. The urgent need, if the harvest is to be saved nr good order, is bright weather. Monday remained cloudy, but fortunately it was not muggy or disease would have developed in crops. On Monday, fo r the twentv-four hours "preceeding 9 a.m., 116 points of rain were recorded at Staveley Yesterday morning _ was clear and bright and gave promise of better weather.

MOUNT SOMERS. Mr and Mrs J. Oswald, Christchurch, spent the New Year holidays at Mount Somers, and were the guests of Mrs T. Miller. Miss Potter, Waltham, Christchurch, who is spending holidays in the district, is the guest of Mrs H. Hepburn. Mrs S. Kevelley, Buccleugh, Mount Somers, is spending the holidays at Kimberley. The reaper and binder is to be seen at work cutting the first crop of oats in the Buccleugh district. Many of the crops nere down on Monday as a result of Sunday's rain. The most noted was a really fine crop of Dun oats, which is said to be a record crop in the district for many years. Yesterday's return to sunshine was most welcome as it will enable the crops to rise again. Small quantities of rust are noticeable, but farmers are hopeful of its disappearance with the return to sunny weather. The Meterological conditions of the past year have been fairly favourable for the farming community, whether raising stock or cropping. The drought which marked the opening of the year was broken before the end of January, and the rains which followed were conducive to a splendid growth of autumn and winter feed. The winter and. spring. months were the mildest recorded for many years, and enabled farmers to sow their crops under almost ideal conditions, besides which, stock came through the winter in splendid fettle. Although- there has been a phenomenal growth in grass and crops, conditions have not been so ideal for stock, nor the progress of farm work towards the year's close,, as snowstorms and frosts in October and November checked all growth, besides being a severe set-back to stock. The year's