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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 837, 23 March 1867, Page 3

Approaching Nelson Race Meeting. — The Examiner is glad to be able to say that, to judge from the number and quality of the horses likely to be engaged, the Nelson meeting of 1867 will not fall short in interest to any of our races for several years past, , Taking the Annesbrook stable to commence with, Mr. Stafford has a team of six, and we think the strongest team he has had for several meetings. Magenta and Nebula, that ran so well the other day at Canterbury — the one a three-year-old colt by Melton, and the other a four-year-old filly by Pacific, would be no mean competitors on our turf at any time, and won ! two of the best events at the late Metropolitan Meeting. Omen, a three-year-old filly, sister to Opera, promises to he a good animal, and the remaining three, Trust, The Queen, and Julia, in their proper places, will be no mean opponents. The Hednesford stable has seven horses in work, and if we are not greatly mistaken Mr. Redwood will take his full share of the stakes. His three-year-olds are Ake-Ake, Gossip, and XXX., the latter a filly by Golden Grape, out of Atalanta's dam, and the first that will have raced got by Mr. Robinson's imported horses. The remainder are two four-year-olds, Queen of the South, out of Phoebe, by Camden ; Harmony and Golden Cloud. The old horse, we hear, -has been going well of late, and when he chooses to race it must be a rare good animal that can beat him. The Staffordplace stable will have, we are sorry to learn but one representative — Corsair. This horse it will be remembered, ran remarkably well last year, but at the Wairau meeting in the spring he did badly. No doubt he will now be brought out in better form. Another Wairau stable, Mr. J. Robinson's, will be represented by Gamester, Golden Eagle, and a three-year-old filly by Potentate engaged in the Trial Stakes. Mr. It" M'Rae has also in training a gelding by Sir Hercules, which with only a short preparation, ran remarkably well at our last meeting. There are several other horses being prepared for minor events. A Shearing Machine is said to have been invented in America, of which, however, we have no'; yet seen even a descrip- : tion ; and now, nearer home, aMr Richard- , son, of Tasmania, is said to have made an j implement for the same purpose. The i cutting part of this is described as a knife, i. or knives, to revolve rapidly when at work ; over another set of knives which are sta- ■ tionary, forming, infuct, so many pairs of ■ scissors. Nothing is told us about the shape i of this implement, or the mode of giving , motion to the cutting parts, but probably i it is on the same principle as one planned l here long ago, but never tried — namely, a i circular knife, with a serrated edge, or ' otherwise, to revolve rapidly on the surface 1 of a thin steel couch, which, when pushed • forward, would alow the -wool to come in ■ contact with the knife, and at the same s time protect the skin. When used as an i implement, the pressure of the fingers, as I with ajpair of shears, would set the knife in motion, but when made on a larger scale, i some other power would have to be applied. l Reputed Essence of Brandy. — The * Melbourne Argus says : — " It is well known ! that colonial chemists and druggists are in ' the habit of receiving by every mail the circulars of certain houses in Hamburg offering !• essences, a few drops of which, it is stated, ! will immediately produce brandy, gin, or 1 rum, of the . most perfect flavor. That s such essences do find their way to this colo- > ny there is little doubt, and that not only s does illicit distillation cheat the revenue, but it assists, by means of these foreign ■ poisons, to sow the seeds of insanity, with \ all its accompanying horrors, in the stoi raachs and brains of habitual dram-drin-S kera."