TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Tho English papers are taking great interest in the New Zaaenglisii criti- land footballers, and are CEjMs cjt new even devoting leading Zealand articles to them-, their football, couutry, and their doings. One paper says :— "There was a tinia in England when football was put down by law because it ousted markmanahip from common favour. War Office zaal ita-lf, iv a distracted tnoment, could hardly now propose that policy of Edward III; yet our forebear did pay the game themselves, instead of merely looking od at it. The truth i-?, they also did their own occasional fighting, and kept no standing army, so that it was manifestly wise to make them practise archery at least. We are, nowadays, between two stiolsin this matter of military preparedness, acd neither keep an adtquite standing army nor encourage volunoeering. It is idly pleasanter to gathei in vast degenerate crowds, aud see what in the old days was a manly sport reduced in these to the level uf a juggling enteitiinment." It is remarked: —"This year there is to be a very interesting Rugby season. A team of New Zealand amateurs landed yesterday; and, as Rugby is still the national game in New Zealand, this may conceivably be the first uf a series of colonial tours, doing for English Rugger something like what has been done by the Australians for English cricket. There is a perilous difference, no doubt. Rugger teams are either amateur or professional, never a mixture of both elements is cricket elevens are. Do the New Zealanders, amateurs themselves, refuse to meet professional fifteens from tho North? And, if not, who can say what is likely to befall the game when it cornea to a question of test matches and return visits? Was the sporting character of Rugger really saved, or was it sacrificed, by keeping up the strict separatioi which drove the northern town 3to form their union. An annual exchange of visits with New Zealand could hardly fail to start such questions. They can bj safely left alone perhaps, until we see if the New Zealanders are quite as good as they seem. Bedell Sivright's team was beaten by one which did not contain nearly ill the good players who are practising after their voyage at Newton Abbot." But, in the opinion of this writer.^the New Zealanders "play a rather old fashioned game, and English teams may very well hope to teach them something. Their forwards, big fellows, ranging from 12sb lib to 14st61b,are theoretically, at least, too heavy for the rapid combination game of run and pass which as far back as twenty years ago, becran to make for a lighter and freer scrum. Nor are they said to dribble well. Tbn.ir backs, instead of being two halves and four three quarters, are one half, two five eighths, and three three quarters— an arrangement which may have its merits, but looks unlikely to produce a free, fast game. Rugger men are always willing to learn however; and the interest of this colonial tour U, in any case, greater than that of the occasional visits of French teams. Now or later, one expects a good deal from a colony in which one man in every three is said to play the game and most men understand it." Mr Blair J. Swannell, a well known Rugby footballer who was a member of the 1899 and 1904 British teams which visited Australia and New Zsaland, supplies bo a London paper sooua information about the merits of the New Zealand footballers who have just arrived in this country. He does not think that the colonials stand aiy chance in the internationals, but expects they will do pretty well in club matches, He expec's Swausea, who, he suggests, ought to prove too strong for the New Zjalandera. He gives full details as to their ideis''down under" of formation in the field, wh'ch should prove of exceptional interest to British Ragbeians. M.Swannell says that he cannot contemplate their seven (who pack two, three, tw.>, holding an et«ht of JSnglantl "pushais." He is full of praise for tho sportsmanlike game they play, aud stites that th ir forwards in the loose are decidedly f is-,, good tacklers and dribblers, besides bitng quick ou the ba'l, while thjir line-cm pUy, too, will probably teach Britishers a useful lesson. Their back division is very fast, he says, and their "out-ridei" kick well, but do not ufcilisa touch is mac 1 ) as plajers in this country do.

We (Mt Idi Chronicle) suppose it ia not generiny knewn tbat boiling water w.Il hjnita kerosene; bat Mr James Sped•ieri, Gimtntrburn, proved the fact in a •ather unp'easant way several weeks ago. He was going to mix kerosene and warm water to spray his fruit trees, and poured some boiling water from the kettle into a tin containing kerosene. It flared up and burnt him pretty severely on tho thumb, and ou the face severely enough to leave i few marks. The Government Biologist (Mr T. W. Kirk) has arranged for series of potato spraying demonstrations throughout the colony, air Fitch, of Canterbury, who was formerly ou tbe staff of the Agricultural Department, has consented to assist in carrying out the demonstration*, and will start this afternoon on a tour of the Hutt, Wairarapa, Hawke'a Bay, and Mmawatu districts in the order Darned. Liter ou he aud Mr Blackmore will give spraying; exhibitions in tha potato-grow-ing districts in the South Island. Demon* nraiions in the Auckland district will be carried out by Messrs Boucher and Road. MR STEVENS'S STORY. Mr John Stevens, J.P., of Bulls, writes: 'Some mouths since 1 had a severe attack of rheumatism, and was advised to try the etticacy of Rheurao. I did so, with most «ati:-factdry results. Artor taking two bottles it has practically cured me. I have no hesitation in saylug that your remedy is the be3fc I have used." Rheumo if given a fair trial, will cure you of rheumatism, gout, lumbago, sciatica, and kindred diseases, jui'b as i cured Mr Stevens and hundreds of others. It is d sod by all chemists and stores at 2s 6d i and 4d 6d a bottle.