NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 62, 15 March 1933, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

G-iant Sunflowers. A few days ago a South Island horticulturist claimed that a sunflower, 15in in diameter, raised in his garden, was a record bloom its class. Almost immediately after, Mr. Ford Franklin, of Havelock North, claimed he had a similar bloom, but one inch greater in diameter. Hot foot comes the news of a 17in sunflower, grown by Mies Marjorie Ebbett, who lives at Southland Road, Hastings. An Unwelcome Guest. Some excitement was caused in a household in Mataura on Thursday when a huge bull, which, in company with another one, was being driven to the usual stock sale, entered the front door, and walked along the passage (says the "Southland Times"). Until the animal showed his head above the slide of the dining room door, none of the occupants appeared to be aware of his presence, 60 that the surprise they received can better be imagined than expressed. After having casually observed the surroundings in which he found JHmeelf, the stranger just as quietly retired to the street to join his companion. An Ambitious Scheme. Proposals for draining the whole of Lake Pupuko and for purifying the water supply by allowing the sun to dry up the bottom of the lake were contained in a letter that came before the North Shore Boroughs Water Board at its meeting yesterday afternoon. "I don't think we need waste much time about that," commented a member. The letter was received. The writer of a second letter referred confidently to an ample supply of water on his property at Castor Bay. This letter was placed on tlie file for possible future consideration. A Middle-aged Teacher. A letter received by the Auckland Education Board from a country school committee at its meeting to-dav asked that a teaching vacancy at the country school should be filled by "a middleaged woman with good, teaching ability in the lower classes." "I think the committee must bo composed of optimists," commented a member of the board. Another member said that if the board advertised for a "middle-aged lady" tliey would not receive any replies, as no female applicant would be willing to admit that she was middle-aged. It was decided that the vacancy should be advertised. Shock For Spectators. When a St. John Ambulance drew up near a hall at Mount Eden last evening, the usual small crowd of spectator collected. The ambulance door was opened, and two of the St. John Ambulance men carried out a stretcher. On it was a skeleton. Some of the spectators took one look and then quickly departed. The skeleton is quite a treasure as far as the St. John Ambulance is concerned. It was taken to Mount Eden last night in order that an Auckland medical man could give a lecture to an ambulance class. Being fragile, it is handled with great care, and for transport a stretcher and ambulance is necessary. Bush Preservation. At a meeting of the Auckland District Council of the Institute of Horticulture, held last evoiing, reference was made to the unsuccessful efforts to raise sufficient funds in a limited time to preserve a clump of kauri trees at Swanson. •■■lt was decided to make an appeal to all persons interested in the preservation of native bush to contribute to a fund which could be set aside for the purchase of native bush or clumps of trees when the necessity arose. It was further decided to ask all persons who know of any unreserved bush close to the city or highways to notify the institute, so that an inspection may be made and the necessary steps taken for the protection of the bush, if necessary. An Effect of Higher Exchange. "The effect of the increase of 15 per cent in the rate of exchange upon the cost of hospital boards' purchases is difficult of assessment, though it is fairly safe to estimate the additional burden to be at least £20,000," states the journal of the Hospital Boards' Association. "In such difficult times, and with prospective deficits approaching in the aggregate something like £50,000 for the year ending March 31, it is plain that hospital boards will have to face next year as one of great difficulty and anxiety. As an ' example of the effects of the depression on the finances of rural local bodies, it may be mentioned that the Mackenzie County Council has during the present year paid three instalments of levies to the South Canterbury Hospital Board amounting to £1531, while the total rates collected eo far this year amount to only £723."

The "Winton Weed." * "An escaped flower" was the description given by an agricultural expert yesterday in the Supreme Court of the noxious weed ragwort, the spread of which in the North Island recently has caused a deal of concern to farmers. Ragwort has a yellow flower, and the expert in question stated that he had heard of people cultivating it in their gardens. It was, however, a serious menace growing wild on a farm, for the reason that its fibrous stems were eaten with relish by cows, and set up a dangerous liver trouble. Sheep were not so susceptible. Ragwort has been recognised as a menace to stock for many years in the South Island. More than 40 years ago it made its appearance in Southland, and its sinister effect on stock was suspected and discussed. It was then called the "Winton wood" from the fact that it was first observed in paddocks of the district round the township of Winton. Lake Pupuke Watershed. It was stated at a meeting of the North Sliore Boroughs Water Board yesterday afternoon that a chemical analysis of a sample of water taken from Lake Pupuke was interesting a« showing that the water had a higher mineral content than it would possess if, as was sometimes supposed, it was derived entirely from rainfall on its own surface. The chlorine content could be accounted for by sea spray, but the calcium and magnesium pointed to infiltration of ground water. It was believed that the actual contributing watershed was somewhat larger than the visible surface watershed, more especially on the west side, and that percolation towards the lake took place through the underlying vol-1 canic strata. Recent statistics of rainfall, pumpage and fall of lake surface were consistent with an assumption of a catchment area outside the lake surface itself, of 360 acres, with a loss by 9 evaporation from the lake Surface of 40i'n pelannum, and from the land catchment of 20in. Calculation from those figures showed that the| lake could provide a permanent supply of I 150,000,000 gallons per annum from a normal rainfall of 40in. A Village Entertainment.

Extraordinary public interest has been aroused in Blenheim over the private war which is being waged as an outcome of one of the supporters of the sports candidate in the queen carnival endeavouring to paint a slogan on the wall of a building of which he is a tenant. The sign was put up on Monday, painted out by opponents on Tuesday, reinstated the same day, and again painted out that night. Next morning the patient and determined sponsor of the sign commenced to write it afresh, and, in an altercation with the opposition, during which his ladder was flung into the street, tipped a pot of paint over the head of the objector. Peace reigned nearly all day, but towards evening the signwriter again put in an appearance and reinstated the sign with water paint. A hose and a scrubbing brush obliterated it as soon as the opposition could reach it. Four times between 7 p.m. and 0.30 p.m. the sign was'written, and each time it was scrubbed out, but by midnight, in the presence of some hundreds of spectators, it had been replaced—this time in glaring red oil paint, which no amount of scrubbing will remove. The police are not interfering, as the dispute takes place on private property, but are _ keeping a watchful, if tolerant, eye on the parties.