NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 27, 1 February 1941, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

■«. : German Articles Washed Ashore. A sailor's hat, believed to be German, was washed ashore on the east coast of the Great Barrier Island after the storm last week. It was picked up by a resident, who has been instructed by the military authorities, whom ha advised of his find, to forward it to the naval intelligence officer at the Devonport base. A wooden clop which German sailors wear when ashore was also found at the same place. Increase in Births. Vital statistics for January show that there was a considerable increase in births in the Wellington district during January, compared - with January, 1940. There was a decrease in deaths and also in marriages. Births totalled 286, compared with 226 a year ago, deaths 100, compared with 115, and marriage notices dropped to 124 from 222 last January. Marriages by the registrar also declined, only 28 taking place last month, compared with 41 in January, 1940. Linen Flax Harvesting. Six pulling machines are at present engaged in harvesting tlie liriln flax crop in the Wihtoh district, states the "Southland • Times." Because of the thickness of the crop progress has been slower than with crops in the north. It is expected that the crops in the Otautau district will be ready for harvesting about a fortnight later than those in the Winton area. Because of their shortness of stalk some crops have been rejected, particularly in the districts where the rainfall has been lighter. The seed from rejected crops will be paid for to compensate the farmers for the extra work involved. Potatoes Grown From Peel. An enthusiastic Dunedin amateur gardener recently forwarded the following to the "Otago Daily Times":— "In consequence of a conversation with my next-door neighbour last August about the Irish potato famine and the request to English people to save all peelings and send them to Ireland fbr planting, I took a piece Of peel, about the size Of a shilling, with a good eye on it, limed" the wound, and planted it in soil mixed with a little ' leaf mould. The peel was planted on August 25 of last year, and potatoes were dug on' January 26. Here they are, 21b weight, and no cost. I think they are of the Arran Chief variety." Not The Best January. January was below par this year. The summary of the month's weather prepared by the Meteorological Office states that though the weather was fine at first rains set in on January 10. Temperatures were slightly above normal. There were warm muggy days, but as far as mean temperatures were concerned they were offset by a cold southerly spell about January. 22. The highest maximum temperature was 79.6 degrees on the 4th, and the lowest, 44.8, on the 16th. There was less wind than usual, though a strong gale was recorded at Kelburn on the 28th. The 240 hours of sunshine was the lowest since January, 1930, when only 194.3 hours were registered. Rainfall was 4.10 inches, on 14 days, compared with the January averages of 2.91 inches and 11 days. Ten Years After. Monday is the anniversary of the Napier earthquake, which occurred on February 3, 1931. The earthquake was so severe and did so much damage to the town that there were some who believed at the time that Napier could no longer exist as a centre of population, but residents of Hawke's Bay can now look back and congratulate themselves upon the way in which they have rebuilt from the dust and ashes of ten years ago. Napier today is a far lovelier city than it was before; its streets are wider, its civic buildings more dignified, its shops the most up to date in New Zealand, and, its public,parks all that any town could wish. 'The way in which Napier has been rebuilt can give confidence to all that no matter how the Germans may destroy the towns and cities of Britain they too, like Napier, will arise phoenix-like from their ashes. Damage by Termites. The amazing depredations of the New Zealand, wood termite startled members of the Wanganui Education Board today, when the architect, Mr. E. R. Hodge, presented a report upon what he had, discovered when about to undertake the remodelling of outbuildings of a Taranaki school, and displayed to the board pieces of wood taken from the buildings. The timber simply fell away in one's hands, he said. This showed that the termite's depi-edations were as serious as those of the Australian white ant. Mr. Hodge exhibited a piece of heart rimu which had been placed in a jar with some of the insects. In three weeks they had entered this piece of hardwood, and when he split it in front of members active grubs were revealed in numerous tunnels. The timber from the outbuildings has been destroyed by fire. I Effect of Hail on Apples. The effect of hailstorms is very apparent in some of the apples now ripening in orchards round Christchurch, states the "Press." Large wellgrown cooking apples seen yesterday showed the marks of two distinct hailstorms. The earlier storm cut the fruit when it was small, and the marks appear as large scars. The more recent storm has left numbers of small marks, as if the apples had been pelted with fine shot. Although the "fruit is good and sound, the hail marking on much of it is so extensive that many growers consider that a large proportion of their crops may prove ineligible ev«n for commercial grade, as apples are graded not on size but on coloration and freedom from blemish. Even though these apples, when peeled for cooking, cannot be distinguished from apples of extra fancy grade, growers will not be able to sell them unless they conform at least with the requirements of commercial grade, for only fruit which has passed the grading system is allowed to be sold. Moa Bones Sold in New York. Moa bones, which have recently been the subject of research work among scientists in New Zealand, are a commodity marketed in New York by a firm known as Ward's Natural Science Establishment. The director of the Canterbury Museum (Dr. R. A. Falla) has received a bulletin of the firm, which has an article on moa bone discovered in New Zealand, with a catalogue of prices of bones (states the "Press"). An assortment of typical bones costs five dollars; a pelvis "sufficiently complete to demonstrate its structure" also costs five dollars; a mounted composite leg costs 15 dollars. Moas swallowed small stones, which possibly served digestive purposes, and are to be found where moa bones are dug. These crop stones are sold "as souvenirs" at the rate of 50 cents for five, "in a transparent topped tin box." Dr. Falla said that in 1883, the founder of the firm, Professor Ward, visited New Zealand, and discussed moa discoveries with Sir Julius yon Haast, who was then engaged in digging moa bones. He arranged for a large quantity to be sent to New York, and those now being sold were probably part of the original stock, as no moa bones had left the country for some 50 years. Sir Julius yon Haast dug up the skeletons and made collections of separate bones, where today the method is to attempt to recover complete skeletons of individual birds.