One farmer near Southbridge had all his straw stacked, while the thrashing machine was at work, but the nor'-wester of a week or so ago blew the tops off all the stacks.
The same farmer had a four-acre paddock of peas cut, and the wind carried all but a few forkfuls of the peas out of the paddock, and distributed them through several other fields.
Another farmer had 17 acres of peas cut, ready for the pigs to be turned into, and almost the whole crop found its way to a big creek near by.
Thousands of stooks were blown down, and in all directions stacks of sheaves were to be seen, after the heavy wind, with the tops blown off, and the sheaves scattered for some distance around.
The nor'-westers have had a withering effect upon all kinds of vegetation, grass in particular, and the rain which fell during Sunday week and Monday was very much needed.
The potato and mangold crops all over the district, which were looking so healthy and promising up to five or six weeks ago, have gone off considerably.
• The following Gazette extraordinary was issued tonight: ''For the information of the public it is hereby notified that the following arrangements have been made for the purpose of giving effect to the requests of the Imperial Government in the matter of the export of frozen meat from New Zealand. By Order-in-Council of the 23rd day of February, 1915, the export of frozen meat to any place other than the United Kingdom is prohibited. Under an arrangement entered into between the New Zealand Government and the freezing companies the whole of the frozen meat available for export during the continuance of that arrangement will be purchased from those companies by the New Zealand Government, on behalf of the Imperial Government, and exported to the United Kingdom. The business of the freezing companies will continue to be conducted as heretofore, subject only to this right of exclusive purchase by the Government. The prices to be paid by the Government to the freezing companies will be in accordance with schedule hereto, being f.o.b. prices at the nearest port of shipment. All meat so purchased will be branded, graded, and treated in the same manner as is now customary in the various freezing works. This scheme of purchase and export will be under the control of a branch of the New Zealand Public Service, temporarily constituted under the title of The Imperial Government Meat Supply Branch.''
• Mr S. Cousins of St Clair, added to the general attractiveness of the Dunedin Horticultural Society's Autumn Show with two very handsome stands of carnations and roses.
The carnations were American tree carnations, with the perpetual flowering habit, and most of their blooms had stems fully three feet in length.
They represent the latest novelty sent out from America last year, and their peculiar superiority lies in the fact that they flower for a period of five or six months.
Among the most noteworthy varieties in the collection were Baroness de Brienen, a beautiful pink of great size, Carola (dark red), White Wonder, Geisha (lavender), British Triumph (dark crimson), and Lucky (salmon pink).
Mr Cousins showed also a delicate rose pink of his own growing, named Forbury Pride.
His rose table held some 30 different varieties, looking very well indeed considering the season just experienced. - ODT, 4.3.1915.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
