SCIENCE REPROVES WORLD

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 160, 22 June 1935, Page 15

SCIENCE REPROVES WORLD

I gave you power, and you have made men weak; I gave you engines, and you made them master; 1 broke up earth and rock that you might seek The good ot men, and you lave wrought disaster; I gave great harvest, and you hoard or burn it While ecores of millions cry) to heaven for bread; 1 showed the way to plenty, and. you spurn it; How else you use mo ask the wartime dead! The steel I give may serve for sword • or share; Mv engines deal alike with good or ill; Your guns, your tenements, voter rubbish, bear The black sign-manual of perverted will. The instruments are mine; whiut have you done That men should fear the knowledge I have won? —From “Sonnets of Life.’’ Dear Kiwis, —Which do you thank the most sweet for children to spend their pennies on? I was thinking about this the other day, and after guessing blackballs, toffee, apples, and several wellknown and highly-coloured varieties, 1 suddenly decided that liquorice sticks probably had the greatest salet

This decision reminded me of something I saw recently in a paper about liquorice and its growth, and, knowing you will be interested in the knowledge, I shall pass it on. Liquorice is evidently a slow grower; for the paragraph says:—“Liquorice is a member of the pea and bean tribe. In this country the plants flower scarcely once in 10 years, and they do not ever appear to bear teed I As long ago aa the sixteenth century liquorice was was first grown in Pontefraat, Yorkshire. Pontefract possesses an unusual depth of soil, without which it is impossible to grow the plant. The whole usefulness of liquorice lies in the root, which grows to a depth of over six feet! It contains a substance known as glycerrhizin (who can pronounce this?) a transparent yellow juice which gives liquorice its medicinal qualities and its distinctive flavour. The plants are propogated by sets, or stools, someth ng like rhubarb. The roots often take five years to mature. In its raw form liquorice looks rather like a dark kind of glue. It is boiled down in a cauldron with treacle and sugar to give it the desired flavour. I Ater it is pressed into a pliable mass and carried to tables. After pounding to the correct degree of pliancy, the girl workers break off pieces, which they pull into a kind of string.’’ Next time you spend a penny on liquorice. Kiwis, you will be able to think about its growth—of what a long, long way into the earth the root goes—over six feet down, and also i.he length of time it takes to matfire. Even more important to remember is the transparent yellow juice known as glycyrrhizin. That is something you will be able to tell everyone about. It will make you feel so learned!! Now, dears, there was an accusation in my last week’s letter which I am glad to report has been satisfactorily cleared up. The Kiwi in question has written to say that she had no intention of copying, and I believe her statement, but she remembered, too well, something that she had read on the subject chosen, so that her essay could not come under the heading of an original, unaided one. I think she understands now, and that her future entries will be entirely original I feel sure. I hope that others of my Kiwis, who may be a little doubtful of what is meant by original work, will read this and digest it. I should like Gowan and Heather Bruce each to refrain from sending me a letter for one week. Their entries have been overlapping, and when this happens it means that each letter is a week late being published. Just hold back for one week, dears, to allow those which I have on file to he published. After that, I shall love to hear from you again. We welcome two new Kiwis —Eric Person, of Omahu road, and Frank Smith, who comes from Nook Farm, Otane. Will Frank please choose another pen-name as Copper Nob is taken. Isn’t “Nook Farm’’ a nice, cosy name? It makes one want to write a story about it. My love to you, dears. CHIEF KIWI.