HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8714, 14 January 1907, Page 3

HALCOMBE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Sinpe my last the weather has been oppressively hot, though we have had some refreshing tropical showers. For a time on Saturday the atmosphere seemed composed of hailstones and coals of fire. The former were as largo as horse beans roughly hewn from an iceberg. On Sunday at 2 p.m. the rain came down in sheets, obscuring the landscape in a wet white mantle. Pools aSfl rivulets were quickly formed and tanks were filled to overflowing, ifhat these rains will do- an immense ftpiount of good is unquestionable, and it is to be hoped that the cut crops will escape permanent damage, On Wednesday last the members of our Presbyterian Church and oilier friends of Mrs Dowling’s met that lady at a garden party arranged in her honour at Burnside, the residence of Mrs Hogg, where a very pleasant afternoon was spent. After tea had v. . -_i.i -r n.v— -n-—'-'

ueen parui*.ou m mis x/imiing was presented with a set of silver-mounted toilet reouisites a 1: a small recognition of services fCriderod by her as church organist. In making the presentation the Rev. McLean referred m eulogistic terms to the good work doue by Mrs Dowling in this and other capacities fluring hpr long sojourn in Halcombc. |n acknowledging their deep indebtedness to her they trusted that she would ftocept these presents as a small token of their great appreciation of the many valuable services she had rendered, not only to them as a church, but to Halcotnbe as a commudity. While expressing the hope that health and happiness would be with her in her New Plymouth home, they deeply regretted the loss which this change of residence would entail upon the church and the residents of Halcombe. While cordially endorsing the above sentiments and wishes, 1 will add that for the past 25 years to my knowledge Mrs Dowling has taken a prominent part in organising musical and other entertainments in this and adjacent centres, and in the days of old, when accomplished musicians were few and far between, Mrs Dowling’s services were in great demand and constant evidence. Nor is Mrs Dowling s withdrawal from us our only loss, for with her goes her talented granddaughter, Miss Evelyn Dowling, who, ptf'very many occasions, has given us ample evidence of the exceptional ability she possesses as an elocutionist and violinist.

I Lad an opportunity the otlier day _ of inspecting the patented paper butter ■> Los, the invention of Messrs Sutton | and Sons, of llongotea, a lucid description of which recently appeared in your columns, and I am satisfied that if a water or brine tight box is not a necessity, and if the paper box can be pro- " duced a* cheaply as our pino box, the former possesses many advantages over the latter to recommend it, and must eventually, I think, become the box for the world’s butter business. This wdl mean a largely increased demand for wood pulp, from which tho great bulk of onr paper is now made. &boat 500,000'ton* of this material is p annually used in England alone. Several of tho great newspapers published each require daily the pulp product of 10 acres of ordinary forest to 4 furnish the many miles of paper used by them. Mr Sutton, who is a much £ travelled man. tells me that he has seen jpilb in and about Vancouver turning put their 200 tons of wood pulp daily, flow many millions of tons have axo and firs destroyed in this country - Can we now hope to compete with the world in the production of the paper 1 box? Can we suecessafully reforest i and induce our waste lands to grow the 1 woody fibre —the marvellously mystori- 1 ous cellulose? are questions of interest. At a meeting of Eifie Club, held in < Mr Purkiss’ office on Saturday, the - President (Mr Morrison) in the chair, it was resolved to request Staff Sorgt.- < Major Dovey to change the arranged dali? of his inspection of the Club from lith to 9th February, as the first-men-fidhed date is the second day of bedding Show. A circular from the Secretary of llangilikoi Jtifle Association (Mr J. Croucher) was read, and it was resolved that this Club affiliates, that it endorses the action taken, and approves of tho parly issue of the proposed programme, but disagrees w ith the date of the meeting, viz., February 13th, and would respectfully suggest that it bn hold ou March 27th, a* it is ihe unanimous opinion of members that the former date would clash with harvesting operations, and prevent many of our farmer marksmen from competing. The published report of Messrs Mayo and Weightman as Judges of our school gardens is most interesting and instructive. By an unfortunate ovsrsighl in not naming and labelling seed* and plants Hcicombe forfeited idemier position. The Judges’ suggestion- io the better euro of tools is one Which could be acted upon with advantage by farmers as well as gardeners. Yyith many thanks T, on behalf of Jlie Halcombe invalid,acknowledge thy receipt of stamp* from Mis* Carrie Bell (Onawaro) and Mr I'ybns (Uataj,