LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 296, 11 July 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The very satisfactory sum of £773 15s lid was received by the Putaruru Town Board for rates and sanitary fees for the period from May 31 to June 20. Misses R. Craig and W. Wheeler, members of the Putaruru Ladies’ Hockey Club, are playing in the Piako Association’s team at the Country Week tournament in Auckland. Mr. S. August has presented the Putaruru Ladies’ Hockey Club with a hockey stick, which is to be given to the player who improves most during the present season. That there is money in farming is proved by tile experience of a Walton farmer. The farm is 161 acres in extent, and on last year’s working the owner was able to reduce his mortgage by £6OO. A sharp earthquake shock was felt in Morrinsville at 11.50 p.m. on Monday evening. The quake was of several seconds’ duration and was preceded by a low rumble. No damage has been reported. Hand-milking of cows has apparently gone out of favour with farmers, for at Mr. Bishop’s clearing sale at Tirau on Wednesday; a cow that was stated to being averse to machine milking only realised £lO. As showing the force of the cyclone that partially unroofed Mr. J. Stewart’s residence at Tirau last week several sheets of iron were found at Tapapa, over five miles away. The fowlhouse has not been seen since.

The value of manuring on scientific lines is brought home clearly by the experience of a Walton farmer. Last season he used 15 tons of manures on 212 acres. The extra but-ter-fat received enabled him to apply a further 15 tons, making in all 30 tons.

The box scheme circle of the Putaruru branch of the Workers’ Educational Association met at Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Reid’s residence on Wednesday last, when Mrs. Tulloch led a discussion on Russian music. Some particularly fine records accompanied the lecture. Mr. and Mrs. Reid entertained those present at supper.

The Presbyterian Church services at Putaruru and Tirau last Sunday were in the nature of thanksgiving services for the restoration o± the health of the King. Rev. W. T. Brabyn was the preacher at each service, collections were taken up in aid of the earthquake fund and were liueraiiy responded to.

A new paper to serve the Papakura and Manurewa districts has made its appearance. The managingeditor is Mr. P-. J. Eames, the founder of the Pukekohe Times and ian extierienced and versatile journalist. The aim of the paper is to serve ■he districts, and in doing so it will justify its existence. The first issue has a healthy appearance and is a 'newsy local sheet.

That the Civil Servants, especially those attached to the Land, Survey and Agricultural Departments, were against land settlement schemes, was the opinion voiced at the meeting held on Saturday, when a land settlement scheme was drafted. One member said that the State servants thought that they cou'd set‘le the land from Wellington, but this idea was erroneous.

While it is generally admitted that topdressing pays, there is the other aspect to consider, that too much manuring is wasteful. An instance of this is provided by two adjacent farms on the Richmond Downs road. One was manured on the basis of 3 cwt to the acre. The other received 18 cwt. The class of country was the same, but the first farm looked the best. In the other the heavy manuring bad, as one farmer put it. “ pulled the grass out of the ground.”

A three-roomed cottage, owned by Mr. P. J. Nathan, of the Waipa estate, Waotu, and occupied by Mr. Hogan, an employee, was with its contents totally destroyed by fire on Wednesday night. The origin of the fire is not known. The house was insured, but the insurances are not available. Mr. and Mrs. Dodson were heavy losers as a result of the fire, for a quantity of their effects, including a large number of wedding presents,- were stored in the building and were destroyed.

An average production of 20C.1) of butter-fat to the acre is an ideal aimed at by most farmers. They will' be hard to convince that a property on the Kiwitahi road produced this season 330.251 bto the acre. However, this extraordinary average can be more readily assimilated when it is stated that the property contains two acres. It is owned. by Mr. Hugh Williams, of Morrinsville. Two Jersey grade cows were run, and their butter-fat return at the factory for the year was 660.51 b. The cash value of this was approximately £SO. The paddock was manured with superphosphate and slag. - Morrinsville Star.

During the discussion on the local land settlement scheme at the meeting held in Putaruru on Saturday, the Arbitration Court was referred to. Mr. Vosper said that one of the Hggest problems was the cost of breaking the land in, and in the brief discussion that followed Mr. Cox said that the whole trouble was that the consumer was not represented on the Arbitration Court. The employers and employees had representation. but not the consumers. In reply to Mr. Prowse, Mr. Cox stated that the farmers are consumers, and it would be better have an assessor. There was nothing between the Manufacturers’ Association and the farmers.