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North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

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Recently a trial of self-delivery reapers and self-binders came off at Pennth. Rain having fallen all the previous night, and the crop being a heavy piece of oats, the qualities of the machines were put to a were test. The binders of Mr M'Cormick and Mr Walter A. Wood were te *tcd by the dynamometer, the draught being 3cwt. 3qrs. and 3cwt. lqr. respectively. The prize was awarded to the machine of the heavier draught, M'Cormick's. In the class for self-delivery reapers eight machines competed. The " Simplex" of Messrs Howard, Bedford, took a draught of lewt. 3qrs. only, and after a second trial with the well-known American machine of Walter A. Wood, was awarded the first prize in its class, the three next to it in point of draught being W. Anson Wood ; Picksley, Sims and Co., and W. A. Wood, whose machines all took a draught of 2cwt. 1. qr., the heaviest being Messrs Brighara's " Excelsior," 3cwt. Sir John Lubbock alludes to the fact that flowers have certain particular hours for closing. This habit is a very carious one, and different flowers have different hours (or repose. The reason, perhaps, is as follows :— Flowers which are fertilised by nocturnal lepidoptera and otlur night flying insects would possess no advantage in remaining open during the daytime, and those which are fecundated by bees would gain nothing by remaining open at night. The closing of flowers, then, is connected with the habits of insects. Besides, it should be remembered that the opening and closing of flowers arc gradual, and that the hours yary much ' aceordirg to circumstances. The Tasmania Gold Mining and Quartz Crushing Company is showing a cake of gold weighing 840 ounces, and vilued at L 3255. This was the result of four weeks' crushing of 480 tons of quartz at the Company's battery, Brandy Creek. The Directors of the City of Launceston Gold Mining Company recently declared a dividend of 5s per share, and carried LlOOO to the reserve fund. Dr Hector has examined the Langdon line of reefs, and has full confidence that the discovery will lead to the opening out of an extensive reefing district, as the slate formation is continuous for 16 miles in a straight line from Langdon Creek to Canoe Creek. Five distinct lines of reef have already been d : scuvered, and it is reported that some extraordinarily rich specimens have been sent to town from the head of the Ten-mile Creek, which would appear to support Dr Hector's opinion. The following receipt for making jam if recommended to housewives : — Pull off the tkin'and cut into half-inch pieces fire pounds of fresh-gathered rhubarb ; put it into a preserving-pan, with five pounds of loaf sugar, the juice of tw* lemons, and twelve bitter almonds blanched, chopped ; boil up slowly, stirring constantly, skim, and then boil rather fast for three quarters of an hour, skimming it as scum rise*. Put the jam into pots ; on the following day tie them over with paper. Tbequantitj mentioned will make jam enough to fill ■even "pound pots." The report of the export trade in American leather, for the last four weeki, shows • movement toward foreign markets wholly without precedent. England, which until within about five years cherished a strong prejudice against lett her from the United States, has become • consumer to an extent of between 700,000 and 800,000 " tides" per annum from the port of New York alone, and throughout the Continent of Europe the demand for it is becoming more general. The excellence of the American product it everywhere admitted. During the year 1877 there were exported to England from the several Australian colonies 814,956 bales of wool; to the United States, 7,847 bales; toother countries, 20,000 bales. As each bale contains one hundred fleeces the Vice Consul General gives the total number of sheep in Australia at 82,480,300. According to the same mode of computation the number of sheep in 1866 was 34,855,500, which would show that the number has more that doubled in twelve yean. A steady increase in the number of sheep for many years to wre may be looked for. Sheepfarming is a lucrative pursuit, the climate is cry and exhilarating, with mild winters, and colossal fortunes have been made in the business. Young and quickly-fed animals hare more water and tat in their flesh ; on the other hand, older and well-fed animals have flesh of a firmer touch and fuller flavor, and are richer in nitrogen. Th«

former may be more delicate, the latter will be more nutritious. One-half of the harvest work in Ellis county, Kansas, urns performed by Russian women. A Russian wife is his companion and slave. Her position is removed but one degree ftom the Indian squaw. The United States last year exported 107,364,6661b5. of cheese to England. If this were londed on drays, each carrying one ton and occupying tight ynrds, the line would exteral 244 miles, or a greater distance than iWfe£U*hington to New York.