FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 201, 23 August 1904, Page 2

FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Bulwer Lytton, Disraeli, and Mictulay were politician's first, authors incidentally. Nowadays the tablesTari turned, and the literary men are making letters a road to politics... gjj \% Conan Doyle has already Edinburgh, and will be seen again at the coming election. Mr Ride? Ha| ; gard is another Unionist who Will possibly be returned for one division of Norfolk. Sir Gilbert Parker ia in,'Piir liament. Mr Anthony Hope hai Jqet one election but may contest another. Mr Stanley Weyman has entered the arena as a supporter of' Mr Chamberlain ; but Mr A. E. W. Mason, of "Four Feathers" fame, has joined thebpnosi)* camp, and has been adopted as Liberal candidate for a Midland constituency.

Humboldt raised seeds in- a 'solution of chlorine in six hours,, instead'dtth* 30 to 36 hours -they would otherwise have required. These seeds may fc steeped for 10 hours in ordinary water, and then in a solution of three gramme; of chlorine to the litre. After being exposed to the sun for six hours, they are dried and sown in the usual way. Seed steeped for eight hours in a.solution of ! a gramme of camphor in twb'bttwoi water containing a few drops of alcohol will produce an excellent effect. ""It not only hastens the germination,;but if Jhe solution is afterwards used for watering the plant, the plant is greatly strength ened. HeekePs experiments with radish seed showed that if the seed be soaked in a solution of iodine it will germinate in five daya; three day* are requited after soaking in a solution of bromine, and the solution of chlorine will redue* the period to two days, which is a quarter of the normal time required. Hecltel ■ eventually reduced the period to | day and a half by a solution of camphor art bromine. In fact, all substances which readily part with the oxygen they contain, have this accelerating power. Sulphuric, nitric, muriatic acids, litharge, all, of course, strongly diluted, poesee this property.—"Wesminster "Gazette.

A free health tais wiU be deUwed by Mru C. W. Cowpir at the Forenen Hall, Onehunga, on Wednesday «*» noon. - ■