WAIMATE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18906, 22 January 1927, Page 7

WAIMATE.

VALEDICTORY. On Wednesday afternoon members of the Waimate Rugby Sub-Union and. i the Referees' Association met to do honour to Mr L. J. Smith, a prominent referee, who is shortly leaving Waimate. The gathering was presided over by Mr VV. I). Paterson, who spoke in j glowing terms of Mr Smith's sporting qualities and his readiness at all times to assist football apart from his work as an active referee. Mr Paterson as-; sured Mr Smith that his departure meant a loss to football in Waimate. Other members of the Onion present spoke in a similar strain, after which Mr Paterson, on behalf of the SubOnion, presented Mr Smith with a case of pipes and a tobacco pouch. Mr J. L. Menzies, before speaking for the Referees' Association, read a letter from the president, Mr T. E. Parry, making reference to the energetic and jovial manner in which Mr Smith always carried out his football duties. Mr Menzies eulogised Mr • Smith's work on the Association, other members present heartily endorsing his remarks. On behalf of the Referees' Association, Mr Menzies then presented Mr Smith with a gold pencil, assuring him that it carried with it the hearty goodwill of his brother referees. Mr finiith suitably responded.

ST. ANDREWS.

From time to time expert agriculturists have given their opinions concerning the disease, take-all, which is so prevalent, not only in this district, but ilso m those surrounding. Generally speaking, they have all differed in their description of the origin and nature of this pest: some describe it as a germ, while others maintain that it is a fungus. On one point only have they agreed, namely, that take-all never appears in wheat which is grown on land which has just been freshly broken up out of pasture. The experiences of some of the farmers in this direction prove very interesting. One farmer grew hu. wneat on land that had not been broken up for 12 years. Take-all has now appeared in his crop. Another planted in a paddock that had not been turned over for five years. His crop is affected. A ourious happening in this latter case is that the take-all is only apparent in a place where a stack was threshed two years ago, which was built from an adjoining crop of wheat which had take-all. This evidently tends to show that the pest is a germ, as it is apparent that the soil where the diseased stack was threshed was inoculated with take-all. A farmer, who five years ago had a crop of wheat affected in several places, has grown only oats and roots in the paddock since. This year he planted wheat, and take-all has appeared in exactly the same places as it did five years ago, whioh makes it fairly evident that the pest lies dormant in the soil. Every day brings reports of the. infection of fresh crops, a great majority of which are grown on lea ground. It. is to be hoped that the fine weather will hasten the cutting of wheat crops, for, while they are standing, no crops are safe from the devastating take-all. A fine hapuku weighing 601b was caught on the beach recently by a local resident. He secured it after playing it* for fully 10 minutes. Miss Grieves, of Wanganui. has been appointed to be sole charge teacher at Esk Valley.

FAIRLIE.

At the weekly evening sports run by the Mackenzie Caledonian Society there was a very good attendance. The following are the results:—44o yards handicap: D. K. Clarke 1. A S- Pickering 2, B. Trotter 3; two miles cycle handicap: F. Smith 1, A. Loomes 2, D. O'Reilly 3; putting the shot: V Buckley 1, A. Pickerinjr 2, W. Robertson 3. The weather has now cleared up and shearing and harvesting operations are in full swing. The cold snap, with snow a fortnight ago, seriously hindered the work.