NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 3060, 24 February 1892, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

There was a large meeting at Stratford last night, .when resolutions were carried in favor of opening up a line of road to connect with Auckland and of the settlement of the land.

Mr. N. T. Maunder writes to the Waikato Times :— Sir,— l . am deeply sensible to tbe high compliment your talented correspondent has paid to my powers of observation ; but will you allow me to request your readers to sprinkle a few grainß of aalt over tbe glowing description of the West Coast which appears in to-day's (Saturday's) Waikato Times, and you will oblige.

The Danevirke Advocate, referring to Special Settlement Associations, says : — " There can be no doubt tbat there has been a tremendous amount of speculation in land by means of these Associations, and tbe way in which it is done is decidedly unfair. These Associations are formed in secret, a piece of land is spotted, and application is made for it, and tbe first intimation tbe general publio have of tbe affair is that another slice of the public estate has slipped away into the hands of a favored f_w. It seems Jo us that the wbqle principle of the thing is wrpog, and the publio lands should not be disposed of in such an exceedingly private manner.

Henry Fitten and Sons, meat salesmen of tbe Central Meat Market, London, give New Zealandera a hint worth considering in their report for the mail dated January Bth last They say, "We could probably do very well just now with fcood small frozen pigs. We would, however, remind intending shippers tbat pigs should be Bhipped only so as to arrive between October and May, as tbe pork trade falls off in the summer." How would these dates suit our pig growers ? The report also alludes to the " stale condition of some of the New Zealand sheep," and says, '■Best quality New Zealand Bbeep are still very scarce, and we are daily receiving numerous enquiries for them."

-81 reward is offered for lost horse.

The p.s. Terranora has been placed an the Waitara-Onehunga trade, and is open for engagement for the conveyance of five s(io<?k between these ports. We draw special attention to the unusually large sheep fair to be' held by Messrs. Nolan, Tonks and Co. at Hawera on Friday next; close on 20,000 will be yarded, besides a number of purebred rams.

A curioua instance is reported from Inaha, near Manaia, of the reproduction of a hoof on a sheep wbioh had lost one hind-foot and fetlook joint, as well as an inoh or more of the shank-bone above. The sheep in question is a wether hogget. Its leg was badly broken some six months ago, and, after three or four months' time, tb.e hoof and lower half of the leg ,dropDpa off. Since then a small, solid hoof* has formed, whioh the sheep uses [when walking, and which proves an (efficient protection of the end of the shanks bone. The only similar instance wbioh we ever heard of is the oase of a Maori, the first joints of wboße fingers had dropped off from leprosy, but new naijs had grown on the second joints. This case was cited in an official report to the New Zealand Government, published about 18 months ago.

The s.s. Aorere stranded on the West Spit whilst attempting to enter the Patea river on Saturday. A heavy southerly wind (says the Patea correspondent of tbe Wanganui Chronicle) was blowing at the time, and there was an unusual amount of Black water and no defined channel, so that by striking the ground she lost her way, and tbe heavy southerly tended to her detriment. The cargo was removed at the earliest opportunity, the whole being out by 8.30 o'clock, atid it was carted to town on Sunday, all in an undamaged state. The assistance offered by carters and others was much appreciated. The captain makes attempts at each tide to work the vessel into tbe channel. Last night's attempt was most successful, she having moved off a bed of boulders a length ahead, so that she is now on a soft bottom and quite safe. It is hoped she will be got off by this afternoon's tide. Great sympathy is felt for Captain Wildman, as be is well known to be most capable and careful, but the want of water was the primary cause ot the mishap. A Press Association wire states that the Aorere was successfuPy floated off yesterday, without having sustained tbe slighest damage.

An article in a London journal on tbe Christmas poultry markets seems to convey a hint to New Zealanders within reach of freezing works. Beferring to Leadenball — the chief poultry market — the writer says : — " Coming to the important question of price, turkeys are selling at from 5s apiece to 50s, and by weight the price ranges from 8d to Is 6d per lb. Of course a poor man can get a small turkey for 3s 6d, but it would be too diminutive to place before a family blessed with appetites. Ninepence per lb will probably be the lowest figure for the next few days/ An English turkey turning the beam at 101b brings 15s, und a 151b bird costs 22s 6d, that is at the rate of Is 6d a lb. A fine Erench turkey, of good weight, can be bought at Leadenhall for 255, and this would at the West-end of London fetch a couple of guineas. Bemarkable well-fed Irish turkeys of 151b to 201b were selling on Saturday at a sovereign a piece, being at tberate of Is 6d per lb. In geese, like turkeys, purchasers can suit their pockets. A monster goose, or an apology for one, can be bought, and, just as is tbe case with turkeys, the heavier the bird the heavier tbe cost. Only on Wednesday a good goose could be had for 5d or s£d per lb : but on Saturday the figures went up to 6d, 7d, Bdandߣd. A working man can suit himself, apart from weight at any price from 4s 6d to 103, and at the latter quotation he can get a plump and savoury bird. There is a fine Bhow of capons at Leadenhall. selling at from 6s to 10s a piece. Docks ietoh 3s 6d, ss, 6s, and 7s 6d each, but Aylesbury ducks, which, in the rearing, require even more painstaking care than turkeys, bring 10s and 12s 6d a piece. Game of all kinds is not in particularly large supply, but what there is is really good," Why not try a few dozen birds the proper, season ?