PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 46, 25 February 1869, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

SILK CULTUR& At a meeting of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society held a few weeks since, Mr W. Wilson gave a brief outline of the results attending his experiment in rearing the ailantbus silk-worm. From this it appeared that he had successfully hatched the eggs given to him by the society, and that the worms on being removed to the trees on coming into leaf progressed very

favorably, until a very heavy storm of wind and rain, when a large proportion of them were destroyed. The remainder, however, continued to grow, and seventeen cocoons had that day beeu cut from the trees. From them he hoped to get a sufficiency of eggs to rear a further batch during the present year ; aud as there was no difficulty connected with the process, whilst it afforded the means of a valuable and useful source of industry, he hoped to see it further carried out. The ailanthus tree does not suffer from the winter, is of very rapid growth* and useful for ornamental woods. The Wellington correspondent of the Westport Times says : — I saw a few days ago what struck me as being the most singular production I had ever read. It was a circular issued from the Colonial Secretary's department to the various offices in the Civil Service informing the employees (should I say 'officials') that the present Government being avowedly au economical one, it could no- longer permit the officers to wash their hands duriug office hours at the Government ex* pense. Government, the circular said, had generally provided the different offices with lavatory implements, and could go no further. If officials desired to dry their hands, after washing them, on clean towels, they must pay for the washing of the towels. The expense of towel-wash-ing throughout the Government offices has beeu hitherto defrayed by the Government, and may have cost 10s. per month. But this expense in future wili be saved. Will any one say now that the Stafford Ministry is not economical ?