Opiki

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 17, 21 January 1937, Page 12

Opiki

From Our Own Coriespondent. Personal. Mrs Akers, wild members of her family, is holidaying at Plinimerton. A recent Wellington visitor to the district, .Miss i>. J. Muir, is now spending the remainder of her vacation with friends in Palmerston .North and Colyton. Mr and Mrs J. Bugtass, accompanied by their daughter. Miss Dorothy Buglass, arc spending a holiday with friends in Ohakune. Miss (J. L. Cooksiey, of the sanatorium nursing start', otaki, spent the week-end with her parents, Mr and .Mrs J. A. District News. Members of tne Opiki women's Institute are reminded that the monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 2U. This will take tile lorm ui a social afternoon and tlie hostesses will be Mesduines J. D. Aitchison, C Croad, A. Alve, and Miss Meryl Alve. The load leading from the toll bridge to the Itangitane corner has been remetalled during the past week, resulting in a greatly improved sunace. Wet weather conditions and heavy holiday traihe were lactors in making tuis portion or the main highway decideoiy unpieasant lor motorists, Ail interested listener probably would have had ins vocabulary improved as the man at the wheel, vainly tried to dodge tne numerous pot-holes. The huge bed of canna lilies bordering the iawn in the schoul grounds is an attractive feature commented on by interested visitors to the district. The lilies grow particularly well here and in many private gardens are making a brilliant display of colour*. Tne steady rising of the Manawatu river over tne weea-end caused settlers some anxiety as to a possible liood. The godwits must still be good river prophets, as the flood was oiuy a halt-hanker and the level was lulling on Monday afternoon. Farmers with crops of lucerne growing inside the protection banks were very relieved men when the river began to fall. These are just ready for harvesting and many would be heavy losers if silt was deposited just now. An optimist is attempting to grow a large plantation of pinus insiguus trees near the river banks and yet another has maize and millet six inches high, growing in tho raw silt right up to the water's edge. No serious damage has been reported due to the gale which raged here on Friday last. Gardens and orchards received a severe buffetiug, but beyond this, Opiki escaped lightly. The wet weather over the week-end effectively put a stop to all hay-making activities. The digging of at least an area of potatoes, some 60 acres in extent, commenced last week. These are being transported to the Wellington markets. A city visitor came all the way out to ( Opiki over the week-end to gather peat I for her hyacinth bulbs. She had heard , ' that the local soil was invaluable for show blooms, so we wish her every success in the venture. _