KNAPDALE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 372, 8 July 1884, Page 2

KNAPDALE.

(From a Correspondent.) I have very good authority for stating that wo are soon to have another Bchool teacher. But will he be allowed to stay P will bo pretty often asked, and, in the near future, the question will be answered no doubt. How we are ever to get our children educated if past experiences are to be repeated, is more than I can venture to predict ; but one thing is pretty certain, our indefatigable committee will hare to turn their oneraies in sorno other channels if wo are to get a teacher to stay here. It will lie advisable on their part to leave Mr Next alone for awhile. So the Knapdale ploughing match has fallen through this year. This ploughing match was always a very good one, and it seems passing strange that sufficient public interest pould not have been aroused to arrange matters this year. But if o are gating so. very Tre^befrayed lup here now that ploughing js not thought of sufficient utility to warrant I tho loss of time that would" be required ' to get the affair up. However, some of ' the farmers say, with a good deal of reason, that they do not see any benefit derivable from ploughing matches as they have been in the habit of being worked here. High cut v. plain ploughing is the stock argument used, one aide contending"}; hat high cut is no good, and the pfcher saying fcj^J; pja^ri ' pjpugj}ing is also useless, so it seems that we are to get no further this year than mere bickering, and downright apathy. — P.S. Who claims the cup P Was it not to be wontwicQ?

Some time ago steps were taken towards getting a church built hore. Has the idea gone completely out of our view or did the people ever do what it was expected they would P It was said at the time that a piece of land for the purpose had been given — if such was the case, is it not strange that a nice church was not built P Will the committee elect, whenever they can, take the hint, and see to the church's construction at oncp, or the Government will think that we lik^ to sit cramped up in children's ueats at the schoolhouse. If any of the J congregation wish to distinguish themselves, here's a chance to endow this new church. We are nearly all so busy now with ploughing operations and other kinds of farm work that to find time to write you , a few lines occasionally is time lost to us just now, But after I get my seed in I promise you I will give some stirring accounts of how we get on here m the winter time. Just fancy all the trouble we have just now ! Why, Sir, it would make your hair stand on end if you only knew, but there, you don't ; so I suppose that makes all the difference. We are all taking advantage of this fine weather just noAV to get as much land turned over as possible, and should all things be favorable we will have a good seed bed any how, with all oui grumbJJ ling.