COUNTRY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3282, 13 August 1872, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) TOKOUAIKJItO. The members of Court Bruce, A.0.1' 1., celebrated their seventh anniversary by a soiree and ball, in the Volunteer Hall here, on Friday evening. Tho members and friends turned out in large numbers, and the whole arrangements were most successfully carried out The tea and accompaniments, which were supplied by Mrs Goodall, were in great variety and abundance. Chief Banger M'Alurtrie occupied thu chair, and after tea, the usual amount of congratulatory addresses were delivered. About 0 o'clock dancing was commenced, and it was past 4 o'clock in the morning before the programme was got through. The music was excellent. There were nearly 30 couples present, and the bail ]Kissed off most pleasantly;and; aitccessfully. The poll for the election of members of the Milton nub-division, of thfe Tokomairiro Road Board took place in the Schodlhousc there on Saturday, and created more than ordinary excitement throughout the district. Out of seven candidates who went to the poll, the following three succeeded in securing math :—G.E. Brown, Charles Falconer, and James Goodall. The membership of the Board is now complete. Those for the other sub-divisions, are :—Milburn—Messrs Lindsay, Blues, find Gray ; Helcusbrook—Messrs Dale, Lewis, and Chapman ; and Southbridge— Messrs Murray, Paton, and Martin. As anything in the shape of new or improved machinery or. implements for agricultural purposes must prove of interest to your country readers, I have to call attention to a subsoiler which' has been procured by Mr P. M'Gill of this place from Messrs ileid and Gray of Oaraaru, and is now at work on his farm here. It is the first of the kind which has been made by that; firm, or has found its way to this quarter of the Colony. It seems extremely simple, and apparently does its work most etiiciently. It is one of Reid awl Gray's double-furrow ploughs, with the foremost mould board'taken..'off. In it'j place, bolted to the beam, is a frame, in which are inserted two tines similar to those of a strong grubber. The one is about 14 inches in front of the other, and about 4| inches apart, and can be lowered or raised j at pleasure. The tines thoroughly cut and stir the subsoil, but do not raise it, and thus the furrow is as well turned over by the other mould board as if no subaoiling had taken place. It is at present at I .work in a lea paddock, with hard clay bottom, into which the tines cut from five to six inches, the plough being drawn.by five horses with ease. The depth to which the tines are to be set ] depends, of course, upon the nature of j the subsoil and the propelling power. If ; the subsoiler is not wanted, the frame is j unbolted from tho beam, the other mould I board put on, and the implement is again a double-furrow plough. It has only been at work here for three days, but it has been examined by numbers of fanners and others, and all are agreed as to its titUity^and simplicity, j It is of all others the implement most required, in this plain at least; and no doubt many others will speedily follow Mr M'G ill's example, -and-procure one.' We had some fine weather during last week,, and the soil had got into the best condition for ploughing. Many were in hopes that spring weather had fairly set in, but notwithstanding the strength of the sun's rays the air had a chilly tone, which seemed to indicate coming snow. On Saturday evening, rain commenced to fall, and continued throughout the night. In the morning, the surrounding hills were covered with snow, which, in the afternoon, fell h«avily throughout the plain, accompanied with bitter cold wind. The same continued at intervals yesterday—the ground was quite covered with snow, and out-door work suspended.