NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 47

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Quettions for reply in coming istut t« b* rectiveJ not lattr than MONDAY nisM.

Woodland. — We know nothing further aboi't Mr Rodier's method of dealing with the rabbit post beyond what is given in the articles in the "Witness of May 2 and May 3. Your best plan would be to write to Mr Rodier himself at the address given iv the articles. ' Witness Subscribes.— We have made further inquiries with reference to the violin, and as .a result learn that marks are frequently put on such instruments to which they are not entitled.. Mr J. Coombs, 95 Moray place West, Dunedin, is an authority on tho violin, and if you send it down to him he will examine md report on it, and if it should be genuine will recommend what course you should adopt, and also tell you who to send it to for show in the Christchurcb Exhibition. 3. C— We could not undertake to answer so many questions categorically. A series of articles dealing with most of them appeared in the Witness in January and February last, to which we refer you. We quote from one of these:— "The Great Wall of China is 'some 1250 miles in length, and runs from \ the^sea to the western province of Shen-si. i It fs so wide that six horsemen can ride abreast. The walls are built of stone or brick, and the centre is fillpd up with earth. It is some 30ft high, and wide, sloping passageways lead the defenders on to the battlement. ' Chinese annals claim an antiquity of from 80,000 to ItW.OOO years B.C. The ruling dynasty of Han existed 206 b.c. to 220 a.d. The gieat wall was completed in 211. A. S. M. — Spray your bushes with Bordeaux mixture or Montauk now, and another spraying before they start into growth in the spring, and this spraying will destroy any insect pests with which they may be affected. . —J. G. A. H. — August oi September is the best month. J. M. D.— See nezt week's Garden column in thft Witness for full particulars. Traveller. — You could learn French theoretically from books, but would have difficulty in acquiring the accents. You could learn the grammar of th© language quite well from books. " French SelfTaught," procurable at Whitcombe and Toombs's, George street, is a- good book for "anyone to commence with. E. A. D.— (l) Twenty-five per cent. (2) We believe the fore part was broken away at the time you mention, but oannot say definitely. J., Rinra, writes:— l saw in the Witness a few weeks ago that a correspondent^ expressed surprise at the alleged fact of the sparrow losing its insectivorous feeding propensities. Now the sparrow hag always been a peed and grain feeding bird, although not a particular feedeT. Wherever he alights he may be seen feeding. Insect-feeding birds have no crop. In the same letter the writer also spoke on the question of preventing any more destructive birds from being brousht out. As a mutter of iact jka We

got all the destructive birds out here now. There is also a class of ill-treated birds at Home such as the magpie and the common jaypie. No gamekeeper misses a chance of shooting them down. They are said to be omnivorous feeding birds, which I believe they are. There is little harm in such birds, though there are a lot of superstitious sayings about them. They do not fleck, their home being in the woods. They may be seen in threes or fours rising, but they may all take different ways. These birds have become very scarce. Indeed, for weeks you might never see a magpie. There are men at Home who do a lot of hunting after birds, and yet who have never met the common jaypie, for it has become so scarce. It is the pretties-t bird in Britain. Parent. — Yes; the teacher has absolute Qiscretion in the classification of the pupils. It is only in Standard VI that the inspectors pass the scholars. J. W. C. — " The Municipal Corporations Act, 1867," conferred the franchise at municipal elections on all '"persons" possessed of the property qualification then deemed to be necessary. Scbscribeb, Maniototo. — (1) The trouble is what is known as bumble foot. It will probably require lancing, and perhaps poulticing. "Terror" will advise you in next week's " Poultry Column." (2) Take it to bed with you and hold it in your hand, and if you cannot get the stopper out bsfore you go to sleep you will no doubt be able to do co in the morning.

Subscriber.— The sum of JE3 3s is a fair and reasonable charge. Anxious. — You should instruct a solicitor to write to the girl and demand an apology. ) E P. — It is necessary to have a license for all parts of the province except the Otago Central district. A Flaxdrbsser. — (1) Wages cannot be claimed by a contractor. (2) You must enter into a special agreement with your employer. Inquirer. — Yes, at any hour. There is no « stated time. Committee. — (1) No. (2) Yes, and £1 per ' meeting as a provision for expenses. (3) Each member of the committee has one vote in respect of each school (other than a side school) in the school district. (4) The com- . mittee. (5) No, but he or she must be re- | sident in the education district. I