KOKATAHI NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1933, Page 6

KOKATAHI NOTES

(From a correspondent) A After a very early spring and a wonderful growth of pasture, during summer and autumn mouths the wiiitei 1 has brought one of the most successful dairing seasons to an end. Farmers have not experienced the same amount of groiVth for many years. The Kokatahi and Koiterangi districts are looking very well for this time of the wear, as there is. quite a considerable amount of rough '.feed for the stock which are looking very, well in condition. However farmers-afo starting to hand feed their stock so that their herds will come in to profit in good condition. The season is just about at an end after a very wet and boisterous four months which has cut the milk supplyuff much sooner than last season. However the weather changed into very hard frosty nights, and beautiful sunny and mild days, but not without causing the housewives a good deal of; inconvenience through t-h© bursting, of water pipes. y,

Hay -and ensilage stacks are very not* irable throughout the district, farmers realising that it is much easier to build in the paddock with the hoist than that of carting and stacking in sheds. Root orOp fi are not very noticeable this year, due no doubt, to tbe -ravages pf the blight, and -recourse has been nna.de to hay and ensilage.

It is very pleasing to'note tliai ihe sawmills in the district are working full time, with plenty of orders in hand* and it appears that milling is'taking on a new -lease of life. Mr J. Higgins is. erecting a new and up to date sawmill on the south side of the junction of the Hokitika and Kokatahi rivers on Mr O’Neil’s property. I understand the timber will -feed the now box factory winch is being erected in Hokitika, a,rid we hope this enterprise will bo -rewarded with success.

Congratulations to Mr Jeffries on attaining the position of County Chairman as we feel it will be in very excellent hands >in tfieso depressing times, -also congratulations' to the County Council for the way the roads are kept, as we realise it is a big problem to make- all ends meet in these times, with, reduced revenue. It will be pleasingto the settlers with holdings on the -south side of the Hokitika, Gorge to, see that tenders have been 1 called for the erection, of -a. -suspension bridge, which will he a. very good asset to the district. It is pleasing to County members to -have, the C°unty ;Clerk, Mr D. J. Evans, with them aagin after hi s severe recent illnes s and we trust he will be restored to h>s usual state of health.

Building -operations are fairly brisk 5,i1l the districts. The trustees of the Kokatahi Public Hall are spending a considerable amount of money-in lining the hall throughout, also enlarging the stage and giving more convenience and comfort to the genera) public. The building operations are in the capable hands of Mr B. <A. Boddington.

‘Mif Boddington hits just • completed -a lino modern dwelling for Mr M. Baird of . Upper Kokatahi, and I understand there are other building operations to follow. Homes generally are looking spick- - and span. :in Kokatahi. and Koiterangi. The -residents of the -districts are -pleased to again welcome Mr A. Nancckivell and hip aeroplane hovering through- the air. No doubt according to the local paper, we shall expect to see quite -a fleet of large birds flying through the air in the near ■future. .

We' -must congratulate Mr J. Monk for again winning the valuable 1 shield -for the best herd in the West Coast Herd Testing Association. This is the third time in succession that Mr Monk has wan the shield, which speaks well for his herd.' IDs herd average was 389.871b5. butter fat. Highest individual cow 'slslbs. butte r fat. Higho s t heifer first calf 3931b5. butter. fat.

Miss Lorna Monk, who \va s recently married to Mr Bert Dawson, late of the Land and Survey Office,. Hokitika, has taken up her residence at Papanuj, Christchurch. She ,\yill be greatly missed in the sporting circle of the district as Mrs Dawson was a member of the various sporting clubs. We- offer our heartiest congratulations ;I nd good wishes for their -future. Football is in full .swing i n the district and there seem s to be very keen rivalry between Kokatahi -and Koiterangi teams, so the general public can look forward to some good games. The Hockey Club bag gpt. their... girls busy training so that, they niriy give a good account of themselves. 9 The chairman and directors of the 1 Koiterangi Lime Kiln Company are to bo congratulated on a very -successful year, as the company had a -record year for the sale of lime, no doubt through working on economical lines which has allowed the company to. reduce the price to £1 pe r ton arid bring the ]imo within reach of all farmers in such depressing times, also 1 realising the value of top dressed pastures. Several farmer’s are busy top dressing with lime these fine days to catch the early spring. The Kokatahi Dairy Company is ptEl collecting -cream from suppliers 1 twice a week, but owing to the long j spell of wet cold weather the output has dropped 'considerably j-n comparison with the same period of last year. The company has bad a very excellent season. The company -can boast under the circumstances of being one of the four butter factories which has sold -a big portion of their output at the highest price paid in New Zealand, and fir’s has enabled the company to make fairly good' butter payments during the sea- - son, which 'will... be very gratifying to the suppliers. We take the opportunity of offering our heartiest -congratulation? u i

to ilr McCullum and big staff for the wonderful results gained ,a.t the various shows held throughout New Zealand. ■(The following prizes have been won this season: Championship of the the South Island ; 3rd in New Zealand’s open championship, (two years ago the company held Ist in , this class) ; ancl 4th iii the chahlpion of champion*. class. During the 'past three seasons the successes obtained at the pvincipat dairy shows are as follows. of New Zealand; South lalh'hd cbmnpiohship (twice) ; A. J. Mills’ challenge cup ; South Island Dairy Association’s grading cup (twice); also riine.lst/prizes, jtwo 2nds, and ten 3rds, which shows great consistency, and. speaks /.well. of the super quality of-Rokatahj butter... With a. view to raising funds to as-; sist in meeting the cost involved in improving the Public Halt, it is proposed to hold a. grand hall in the Hall on Wednesday, July 19th. j-i.