HAURAKI PLAINS NEWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 957, 28 April 1930, Page 14

HAURAKI PLAINS NEWS

The planting of trees to shade drains with the purpose of minimising the amount of annual cleaning of weeds is being seriously considered by the Nether ton Drainage Board. Some months ago the chairman, Mr. G. Buchanan, accompanied a number of officers of~ the Public Works Department to the Whakatane district, where a settler had planted trees with this purpose. The experiment had proved very successful. Mr. E. J. C. Townsend introduced the subject, and the board decided that out of each subdivision’s account £ 5 be expended on young trees from the State Forest Service. These will be supplied to farmers whose land is traversed by the board’s main outlet drains on condition that the settlers undertake to fence and care for the trees. The trees will have to be planted in rows seven or eight feet back from each side of the drain, and it is anticipated that in three years they will have made sufficient growth to so protect the drain that weeds will not grow in the cut. * * * Mr. H. Goble’s farmhouse, Old Paeroa Road, Netherton, occupied by his sharemilker, Mr. T. Harrison, and his wife and family, was destroyed by fire shortly after 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Nothing wq.s saved. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison were in Paeroa shopping - , their sons were at the back of the. farm, and the only person in the house was Miss Eileen Harrison. She noticed fire emerging from the hotwater cistern cupboard alongside the chimney, and almost immediately the flames broke through the lining-boards and ceiling of the kitchen. Neighbours were unable to save anything. The furniture was insured for £l5O. c * * It is probable that the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company’s cheese factory at Netherton will be reopened in the near future. , The better prospects for cheese over butter have caused - settlers to seriously consider the matter, and at their request the company is . having a canvass made. There is little doubt that sufficient supply will be guaranteed, and in consequence the canvass will cease when 3.500 cows have been secured. This is all the five vats, which the building will hold, can accommodate. Suppliers will have to guarantee to supply for four years, for the factory will have to be re-equipped. The machinery was removed some years ago when the factory was closed on account of the dwindling supply due to settlers changing over to supplying the company’s Paeroa butter factory,.