LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 7 May 1913, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Parakai footballers will hold a dance in Parakai hall nest Tuesday evening; particulars are advertised. The Town Board meeting1 set down for Saturday Jast lapsed for want of a quorum only Mr Stewart being presont. District athletes are remind fid thafc entries for the Axemen's Carnival at Dargaville for sawing and chopping events have to be rnado by May [<sth, Pr Long, of Mnckay and Long, dentists, Queen Street, Auckland, advertises particulars of his visits to Helenaville. Market * reports and farm items appear on Pago A ; this week's pupplpnient contains interesting short stories and other reading matter. Wo have to thank several correspondents for their good wishes in our business venture at Helensville, and for their appreciation of the manner, in which w re produce this Journal. Severe colds and attacks of influenza have been very prevalent lately owing to to the varied weather programme, many people being quite unprepared for the sudden adveut of winter weather. We have received an excellent booklet entitled "Poultry for Profit" by J. 13. Merrett Christehurch, The advice in this book is of great value to beginners, and no ono interested in poultry should bo without a copy, which may be had for six penny stamps from Box 588, Christchurch. Crown and nativo lands in the Auckland Province totalling 27,833 acres, will bo distributed amony: sattiers during this month. Of the Maori lands, four sections comprising 2030.i v acres are leaseholds, and the ba'anco, 2t> sections, comprising 12, 782 acres, arc for salo. The Crown lands, totalling IIJ, O L 1 acres, are all to be allocated by ballot. The Auckland-owned biplane has ma>io several successfal flights recently from the Avondale racecourse. It is intended to ruako a long distance flight bufoi-o long. On several occasions lately the pilot, Mr Sandford, has taken a passenger lor a spin showing that the machiue is capable of a substantial lift. Answering a correspondent, Fields and Experimental Farms says,:- Phalaris bulboaa is spreading in nriny swamps. It is readily eaten by cattle. It may not bo a particularly valuable grass, but gives more winter feed than many of the other grasses. If sown with cocksfoot and rye-grass much more feed wculd probably be obtained. It is of a different character to tall' fescue, and would not be likely to become a uusance, A Kawhia correspondent writes to the Journal of Agriculture as follows: —I propose endeavouring to stop drifting sand further encroaching on my property and would be pleased if you would inform me «s to the best time to sow lupin-seeds, and treatment of seeds previous to planting? — The Field and Experimental Farms Division replies :—Lupin is ordinarily sown in the spring-, biit for the purpose you intend it will bo better to sow in the £ii|tuinn. as there is less chance of wmd blowing the sand over t]ie youug plants. The seed requires ni special treatment previous to planting, but germination could he hastened by soaking in cold water for twelve hours,

The public are reminded that the Concert on "behalf of the funds of the Helensville Library takes place on Friday evening. Nothing," less than a "Bumper" house is expected for so good a cause, A notice re the disposal of "The Champion Grocery and Bakery" business appears in this issue, A number of truck loads of pipes for water mains have arrived during the past few days, and this part of the work is expected to be shortly proeeded with. Paris is making merry over the suffragist agation in England. A writer in. the 'Matin,' in an amusing article, suggests that all suffragists should be deported out to an island in the Pacific, where they would be free to put their principles into practice. All the men who share their views could accompany them. The writer believes that in a year' or two even Mrs Pankhurst herself would have completely changed her views, and want to return to England. It is in New South Wales that the movement for the systematic general observance of Shakespere Day has thus far become best established in Australia. This celebration took place last week in most parts of tho State and in Sydney it was marked by considerable enthusiasm, A striking feature was the extent to which the schools shared in the celebration and the number of cases in which scholars gave admirable recitals or performances of Shakespere plays.

Fruit-growing on small areas of land can be very profitable. According to Mr N. R. Williams in the Journal of Agriculture, a small Auckland orchard of 3£ acres, with not much more than three acres in stone fruit, has had an output during the season of more than 55,000 lb of stone fruit. * chiefly peaches. Practically none of this fruit was sold under 2d alb, while the early peaches sold at a higher rate. On the basis of 2d alb the gross return would be equal to £458, equal to over £152 per acre.