NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 3087, 30 March 1892, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

~+ Nominations for tb« Stalhans Sues Produce Stakes oi'fer^l by tbe Bgmont Club close on Satu; lay. We understated t\u fifjnres'in reference 4o Sunday's uiouni«in clitabing. The TataSaVi News says 70 or 80 persons reached tbe top, and 46 were on tbe summit at the same time.

Mr. Lee Smith is definitely announced as the Ministerial candidate for Bruce.

Tbe regulations under tbe Land and Income Assessment Aot, 1891, have been gazetted.

Stratford Town District rateable property wrs valued at £41,952 in November last, as against £14,054 in 1889.

Mrs. Hargreave's jewels, in connection with tbe robbery of which Mrs. Osborns was sent to gaol, have been sold by auction, and realised £1100.

Nimrod, 7st 21b, should have appeared among tbe acceptors for the First Handicap Hack Flat Race at New Plymouth. His uame duly appears on the official liet.

New Plymouth Chamber of Commeroe has decided to convene a public meeting to discuss the question of the removal ot Mr. District Judge Kettle to Wanganai.

It, is said that a Swiss savant bas made a discovery by whiob be reduces milk to a dry powder in such a manner that by the addition of water it ance assumes all its natural propensities.

It is stated by a Master ton paper that in consequence of tbe Government Analyst's report on the Btomaoh of the late Mr. W. L. Lucena, the enquiry into that gentleman's death is to be re-opened.

Mr. Bobbins, who has lately visted tbe South Island, was not impressed with the idea that the butter factories there are much, if at all, in advance of Taranaki establishments, taking tbe average in both cases.

If a bilL now being prepared by tbe Board of Governors of the Canterbury College passes the Legislature, the interest at 6 per oenV on will be devoted to agricultural scholarships, open to the whole of tbe colony, on examinations held at tbe four principal centres.

The Wanganui Herald holds that special juries should be " strictly confined to intricate cases requiring a • special ' knowledge on the part of the jurors o£ tbe matters forming the subject of tbe suit." Why not make all juries " special " in the sense that they shall be specially qualifiedf or their work ?

Herodotus mentions that in Cilicia tbe the sheep bad little carts under their tails to help them along; These fat- tailed sbeep are now reported to be replacing tbe finer breed in Asia Minor. The tail is a mass of fat, sometimes weighing as much as 181b. Like tbe camel's bump, it appears to serve as a store of nourishment, Id times of drought, with scanty pasture, it gradually gets smaller, while the sheep grows very little thinner.

The Auckland Herald states: — A passenger by one of tbe coastal steamers had a singular experience the other day. During the night be tound a ferret in bis birth. On ' ferreting ' about he found that there was a whole consignment o these [interesting animals on board for some squatter or other. He thinks tnat some better care should have been taken of tbe ferrets, as they are not the most pleasant companions in the world.

Some excitement occurred oq Tuesday morning on the railway line. As tbe express train arrived at a cutting near Ngaire, three school obildren were seen on the line. Tbe engine-driver whistled and attracted tbe attention of tbe children. They could not get away, however, as tbe sides of tbe cutting were too steep, and all they could do was to run until they got out of tbe cutting. This they ultimately succeeded in doing; they were hard pressed, but they escaped unhurt. — Taranaki News.

Carbine was exhibited in the blood stallion class at the Ballan show, and, needless to say, tbe son of Musket was decorated with the blue ribbon, although he is far from being a handsome horse. However, judgeß are likely to bear in mind that " handsome is as handsome does," and tbe Ballan judges did deoidedly better than tbe provincial official I (Vagrant) was once told of, who would persist in giving tbe prize for tbe best blood stallion on tbe ground to a gelding.

There are indications that the purchase of the Manawatu line will be proposed by the Government. The New Zealand Times hinted something of the sort a little time ago, and now the Lyttelton Times says : — The purchase of the line by the Government would at once relieve the public from the payment of the company's local and general taxation. That is so powerful an argument in favor of buying a line which, after paying interest on tbe cost of it construction, has something very substantial to tbe good, as to be irresistible. A lump 6um down, and the transfer of tbe debentures, will complete the transaction, if we understand aright the terms of tbe contract between the Government and the company. No better investment could be found for tbe public money and the public credit.

The conclusions of Professor King, of the Wisoomin Experiment Station, are as follows regarding the rolling of land ;—l.; — 1. Boiling makes the temperature at l£in below the surface from ldeg to 9deg Fahr. warmer than similar unrolled ground in the same locality, and at Sin ldeg to 6deg warmer. 2. Rolling land by firming the soil iDcreaß6B its power of drawing water

;o the surface from below, and this

influence has been observed to extend to a depth of 3ft. 3. The evaporation of moisture is more rapid from rolled than

from unrolled ground, unless the surface soil is very wet, and then the reserve is true, and the drying effect of rolling has been put to extend to a depth of 4ft. 4. Id cases of broadcast seeding germina-

tion is more rapid and complete on rolled than on unrolled. It was 68 per cent. on rolled. Greatest in dry and and least in wet weather, and weighed about 21b per bushel the most. Boiled >q&\b yielded a trifle over two bushels more per acre.

The Technological Museum in Sydney b.ts a collection of wools consisting of the extraordinary number of 5000 specimens — a wonderful collection surely, and other specimens are to be added. These specimens, ifc seems, are about to be put to some practical use. The New South Wales Agricultural Department has decided to form classes fo»' instruction in sheep and wool, and the unique collection referred to will be utilised for snch purpose. It is stated that the system of instruction to be pursued will be — (U Class teaching ; (2) practical demonstration ; (3) visit to the saluyards, shows, etc.; (4) popular leotures. Oertifioates will be given on passing examinations in eaoh of the following subjects— (a) The sheep ; (b) wool sorting and classing ; (c) valuation of wool ; (d) use of wool ; (c) fellmongery ; (f) wool soouring ; (i>) cheep judging. Students who have scoured honours on first grade certificates in all the subjects enumerated will be awarded a diploma as wool experts. Conflidering that there are upwards of 50,000,000 sheep in New Sontb Wales, the properly carrvingr out of the system of idstruction proposed is not only a wise policy, but one calculated to be of unmenae service to all concerned, %

Nojan, Tqnfeg and Cq. sell stock at Haweia to-morrow.

Sheep breeders will be greatly interested , by the advertisement in another column, announcing that Messrs. Nolan, Tonw and Co. have been instructed by Mess^ Wilson Bros, to offer for unreserved s4i s on Friday, 29th April, the whole of fclQ r carefully selected flook of Sbropsli; re sheep. J '

We notioe tbat Mr. A. J. Kirk is making extensive improvements to his bakery. A very substantial piece of masonry has already been laid as the foundation for the new oven, which will certainly be one of the largest on the coast. Extensive alterations and additions are also about to be made to tbe building, and when complete Mr. Kirk believes he will be able to show a bakery which for safety from fire, durability, and general completeness will challenge comparison with any in the island.