HAKA VALLEY NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12536, 6 May 1915, Page 1

HAKA VALLEY NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) ! The Weather.—That farmers are never satisfied is a trite saying, believed by many, but they have good cause to feel badly done by just now. Rain is urgently needed, not only for

the pastures, -but to enable the autumn ploughing to proceed. Several farmers, have the autumn wheat sown in land, that had been fallowed during the summer, but in other ground for several weeks past it lias been impossible to turn a furrow/. What'stock is going to live on during the winter, even if it is a mild one, is puzzling the farmer wliQ.is at all. overstocked. The green feed is despaired off now, as evenwitli rain the" frosts • will prevent any growth wortli mentioning. There will be at least 'the stacks to fall back on. so '-matters- might bo worse. One farmer, evidently bel'-'cving that it is.a- poor condition /that, has not some advantage, remarked' it was just the weather we wanted to stir up dirty ground.- ■ , . ■. ■- .■■'■'. ". Threshing is almost'finished and the •chafreutter is busy at .work.'. The returns arc much'; below the average, unlcss..for 'some small...patches., and '.anything .fr0m'..2.0 ;tb 30 bushels of wheat,: to. tile acre, ; have, been reported. , It is; hard . to. give, an estimate, of tlio oat crops., as<most farmers have kept seve-'. ral- stacks for chaff, or to thresh in the spring,, but the general opinion, is they threshed' better than the wheat in proportion-. ■'-' Church and Sunday School—Mr Neave- tock the service again iast Sunday after three cr four week?' .holiday in the North Island. During his absence Mr Kelly, Mr Stringer, and Mr Ffrest conducted the services in the van'oiis parts of the parish. On Easter Sunday Mr Kelly gave a- very interesting address-to a large tion, and distributed the prizes to the Sunday School children. Each, child received a class prize. A special prize ■given by Mrs Brown for attendance was easily won by. Ruth'. Robinson, who lias missed .only two -Sundays during the four years of tlio school's existence. Other specials wore given- by Miss Green-, Mrs and Mis.s Milne, and. Mr Lord. The children are taking a. keen interest, in the distressed Belgians. They forfeited £2 of their prize" and picnic money to give to the relief fund, as well as the door money tiie takings at_ the evening rally after the annual picnic. During the evening £6 some odd shillings were-collected., mak- ! ing over.£]J in all. They are sav.'ug their pennies, too, and it :'s interesting f to. see bsnv eager they are to see the v pennies grow to shillings. War.—The war still rages and the demand for young men goes on; Three weeks ago we fareweiled three of our voting men, who are now in training at I T-rentham. It.is reported that three- or four more have signed on ;. just - when . they will bo called upon to go we. will: hear later. The news of the gallantry and heroism of our boys now in action i will do more for the recruiting cam- j . paign than a dozen lectures'. Many anxious mothers and friends are patiently awaiting further news from the I Dardanelles.- as scveral.of our local boys ! were probably in the fray. .--'