DISTRICT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 367, 19 April 1910, Page 8

DISTRICT NEWS

MAKETAWA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) I understand that there is the amount of £lO odd as u credit balance from the picnic, held by the Make taw a. factory suppliers. This is extremely satisfactory, as is also the announcement that the aair is to be hold yearly.

Apropos to the .par in the local columns of Monday last relating to the benefit of pigs running in an orchard, thereby the means of increasing the yield of fruit in a wonderful way, I might mention that a farmer on the Albert road a couple of years ago decided to turn his orchard into a pi"--rtin. The Irish Peach trees were looked upon as being completely done for, the fruit "being small in quantity and size and also of a cracked and withered description; in fact, it was intended to joot them out. Since the pigs were allowed the use of the ground the trees have recovered in a marvellous manner, and I think the -owner is quite justified in putting the improvement down to the .fact of the pigs being allowed the run of the enclosure. It does a lot of good to disseminate items as per your local par, and it would be interesting to know if other farmers have given "piggy" a trial in the orchard.

It is .probable that the Maketawa factory will close down in June for a month. Iti is proposed to concrete the whole of the floor of the separatorroom; this, no doubt, will be a decided improvement on the present wood floor. The Maketawa post office, which was a distinct benefifit to the residents of Durham road, ,has been closed. Mr. W. Quickfall. who far a couple of years ably conducted the office, has gone into Inglewood to reside, and so far no one seems willing to take the job on; the remuneration ( £5 per annum) is certainly no attraction. You people of the town can have letter-boxes two miles and more distant from the post office cleared daily per official on a bike, yet we of the country are denied a like privilege. Is it a fair thing? The painter has been busy of late on Durham road, the consequence being that the residences of Messrs. M. Crean, J. Dombroski, and W. Lawrence are looking very attractive. I understand several other bouses are to be treated in a like manner.

The turnip blight has been particularly severe this year, several crops being a complete loss. Tn many instances the turnips have recovered to a certain extent, but if the winter coming is in anv way severe things with some farmers will not be very rosy. At Waitui, I believe, several have turned cattle on the turnips already, and are breaking up the ground again for green oat feed. Several sections on the top of Norfolk road aggregating over 1000 acres, and once owned by Mr. H. Brown, have, I .am told, been bought by purchasers who intend in the near future to fell bush and otherwise improve them. I hope the information is correct, for it is a (great pity that land so close to a railway, etc., should belying idle.

I am not sufficiently acquainted with architectural terms to be able to specify .the style of the residence recently erected bv Mr. F. Dodunski, Durham road. Tt will be sufficient to say that it is one of the most attractive and convenient .residences in the district, consisting of •four bedrooms, dining-room, hall, sit-(ting-room, 'kitchen, pantrv, and bathroom, all lofty and well lighted. Hot flnd cold water is laid on and due provision made for cold weather by ipleivty of fireplaces, all built of brick. The interior of the building has been well finished -in every particular, Petersen Bros., of Tnglewood. being entrusted with the paperhanging and painting. •A detached building provides a storeroom, work-shoo, and washhouse, the bitter -also being fitted in an up-to-date manner.