Page 8 Advertisements Column 2

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXII, Issue 3067, 12 January 1894, Page 8

THE OLDEST EEPUBLICIN THE WOKLD. Not everyone knows that within Italy there exists tbe most ancient surviving Kepublic in the worldindependent iv law, government, fiuance and armament of Italy itself. Twiqp a year, on April 1 and October 1, takes place the most important ' function of tbe State—namely, the inauguration of the two new consuls. San Marino has a little army of 50 men. The little Kepublic has its own copper coin and a special issue of . postage stamps quite a rarity in their way. They collect and apply their own taxes quite independent of Italy, to whom they pay nothiDg. A handjsome new State house, built of marble, is in course of completion. It may be mentioned as significant of the independence of the little Kepublic (says the Daily Graphic) that only 1 lately an extradition *law with Italy was framed "and passed. Before that they^were worried with an "excess of deserters from the Italian army. The revenue is £6000 a year, collected from 8000 inhabitants. One-third goes to the Administration, .one-third j to the army, and one-third to the civil service. There is an annual surplus. The revenue is supplied bj means of a tax on salt and tobacco San Marino — the territory is only 3( 0 square miles in extent — is beautifully 2 situated on a rocky summit, 2000 ft 6 above the level of the sea. It com 3 mands a fine view of the Adriatic 9 some 10 miles off. 6 " ■" . ' $ The Indian Medical Kecord sayi & that a Bombay newspaper calls attea IJ tion to the virtues of the castor oi plant as a means of protection agains ■J mosquitoes. In Egypt it is plante( j! about houses, to drive the iusecti a away. In towns a better plan is tt ? have the growing plants in pots, an< « bring them into the house lor a da] q or two at a time, but they must no 8 be kept too long in the shade, for thi k Palma christi is a sun-loving plant 8 A writer is cited as saying that thi ' mosquitoes are killed by a poison tha G they find on the lower side of the leaf ** but it is stated that if a dozen leave are placed about a roan* that swarm 0 of mosquitoes will disappear withou leaving any dead ones lying aboul 6 This remedy does not seem, to b 9 known in New Zealand^ but as th 6 castor oil plant grows very freely n c " tbe colony, it would not be a diffieul matter to try it ,n. ■ . The Customs returns prove beyond contra >n diction that Kelson, Moate and Co's fine tea are being appreciated by the majority, fo in spite of the numerous firms in every par in the Colonies that ara copying them, thi 3 tomover is as large as ever, and the demani so great that they sell mow Indian, Ceyoi and blerfded teas tiian ike whole of th mprters and dealers pot together in am , uwter pf tiie Colony .