North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 24, 1906.

North Otago Times, 25 January 1906, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 24, 1906.

■■'< -/THE CALIPORNIAN THISTLE.. Since we made reference to the success that had attended the efforts of Mr T. Hcdicy to eradicate the'-California!! thistle on his farm at Kakanui, and to the earlier success of Mr Crawford Anderson at the Clutha, wc have had the information of the •■effectiveness of the method adopted .by each fortified by a communication: from a gentleman in Canterbury, whose experiments extended ovci a period of twelve years, This, gcntlcmaa gave the results of his experiments tc the farming community through the columns'of a Christ-church .paper at' thi time, but it was too simple to attract much attention, ami apparently no ow but himself thought any more of the sub ject, Later he placed himself in com munication with the .Government, hut declined to accept the sum of £SOO for his ] discovery. His experiments had shown ' him it was worth more than that to the ; colony, but as no more than that sum appeared on the estimates no more could be given, and the subject was hung up. '■ It is a discovery that anyone might have made without exactly knowing how it operated to the destruction of the this- . tics, and it is a question for the consideration of the Government whether ; the person who first published its success should not be recompensed for'his work in the cause of successful agriculture. The plan adopted by Mr Hcdicy cannot be too widely known, Where tho area is large a reaping machine can be run over the thistles when they arc in bloom, as they are at the present time. The stalks are then hollow, and the success of the operation depends on these hollow stalks be ng filled or partially filled with water. Without this the thistle will oidy bo invigorated. The water, as we have already pointed out, follows the trend of the roots of the thistle, and rots' it out. If, therefore, the rainfall is insufficient for the putposo artificial means must.be adopted to accomplish this, and a tank on a dray with a simple spraying apparatus will suggest itself to the ingenious farmer, If it does not strike our readers as a jocularity, it would pay those who arc threa. tened with a plague of thistles to hira ■ a number of boys with watering cans to see that every hollow stalk.is filled - with water. The plan is cheap, and there is no' doubt, from the information wo have been able to obtain, that it is the most efficacious that lias yet been discovered, It costs the farmer nothing but the labor.in cutting and watcrhigthc latter only if there-is : .not sufficient rainfall; and in a season like the present artificial means' can probably he dispensed with'."' How'much a simple method like this is worth Jo the farmer, he alone can,tell, but now that he is armed with, all the information that is required he should not neglect his-opportunities . in ridding his land of the greatest scourge that ever threatened him. If the farmer will cut through a thistlo .stalk when the plant is in bloom he will find the stalk hollow, and .that hollow stalk has only to be filled with water to complete the destruction of the pest. A complete eradication need not be expected in a season, for some of the stalks may not be hollow at the time of cutting, and the machine may not cut every stalk; but it will be a simple matter to go over these the following year. However, there is only one season .for the work,' and that is when the stalks are hollow, The farmer can easily ascertain that for himself. He need not, at any rate look for relief from the experiments being tried at Totara, which are doomed to failure, bacause even i[ successful they' would be too expensive, •• .

The Mayor asks that Thursday next lie observed as a whole holiday, en the occasion of the' Trades Picnic. Miss Florence M. Rcid wi'i resume pianoforte tuition at the residence, Largs House,: Huraber street, on Monday, January 29th. : •Mails for United Kingdom and Continent of Europe (via Monte.i Video) close at Auckland, per s.s. Whakatanc; on Saturday, 27th inst., at 7.45 p.m., and arc due in London about the 10th" March, ■ ■ln Chambers at Duncdiu on Tuesday, Judge Chapman granted letters .of artministration "in the restate of George Sanderson, late of Maheno, on the application of Messrs Hislop and Crcaeh. • The following players will represent Turcka CO, 11,, to play at Kakauui today: Itobson, Falconer, Wriglit, .O'ilonnell, Downey, Nichol, Broad,- Manley, Booth, Sutton, Brown, ii'id emergencies.. . His many friends at Oamaru will be pleased to,learn that the name of Augustus D, Stratford-Hcnniker appears among the: suecessful students at. the .'University this .year, he having. passed '■ in solicitor's general-knowledge.

The Union Company's s.s; Pohcrua will, on arrival.at Port Chalmers, be laid up for her periodical overhaul, Her running will be -taken up by the s,s. Kihi,'.* which leaves to-day for northern and West Coast ports.

Messrs Dalgcty and Co. report under date, London, January 22nd; "'Sinceour last telegram prime mutton tallow is mi: changed ; other descriptions are higher by 3d per cwt;" the market is firm, with an-upward tendency." The following will represent the Capulct Second in their match with the Oahiaru to-day» on the Park: Corcoran, Dorward, Tonkin, Bennett, Breed, Browne (captain), Symington, ■ Howe,: Drennan, Dwycr, Smith,' Emergencies: Luxon, Gagney, "'•>..-, ;'-'■■ ■'■ /•'-'.- ;..:- : ■■

■ We understand that Mr Joseph William's: who lias sold his • Tapui Estate, intends tp/pay a .visit to the Old.Country,, accorqpanied by his wife and daughter. .As It'"is.twenty.years, snee : Mr Williams visited Ijiis- Mfjhpjace, he, lias well! darned■"■&. holiday, »p«Jv is looking fo'rwa'rd.to the trip with a srMftt ».# 0f:..-pleasure....-.^i:;'..;'-!-vA-''.-v^:'■;:;'■;-: -:-~J".

: .The; New-Zealand. Loan, :antl.;Mercantilc igiwy: have received the' ■ fol-. lowing-cablegram- from their.- London office ::'<.'Wool sales; progress ': firmly.!As 1 compared-with.last sale's, closing -rates prlccs/are'aboiifc par .tp,s-per cent lowei f6r'.'ihferio'fj:mcrino arid'coarsei ■,greasy cro ssb'red ;i-■iMerino; lambs ;;-.Ma'rte't;;eascr, Fine grca"sf;crpssbred-: ;Markct-iiirmer;

I'- St Paul's Sabbath School picnic ill jho Mil to-day at Hampden A social ti'aifi leaves Oamaru at' 9 this morning, .stopping at WaTarckj. Junction in route, 'and leaves Hampden on'flje return journey at 5>30 PjM, The weather lias ss•

havlour, amt .that;via all that is'.required■ | to vmako. tli(f i.oUtthe : asSUhioyablc : : :as>: -.Tito' fpiibwiiig- teams-'will; play® trial: match on tho North Rda'd" day,' with a view to ■•picking."a team. : fo [practice'; [or J the South Canterbury: match;: A . team-Mowbray; * Jones (2) ';■ Onglcy (2);: Sinclair, Carter, Waddcll,; Ctirraii.lirooker, P.-Glass,'-King, ::::,» team-Graham, . Hamblcy, : C-hgloy (2); Laurciison," Mauley, Forsyth; NichollsjM'GBIc, :E; Glass, Galtlcr; ': ).. , /V,: ■Prom .what wo can gather,thero .is some doubt as to whether" the telephone connection that links, up Oaniaru, Mahciio and Hampden will also take-in Herbert. In the meantime Herbert is -out .in the cold, no' connection being made'■ with' it; The greater the number of connections the better• for everyone,, and imimport-, ant place like Herbert ■ should'certainly exert itself to secure the. iliat attach to being connected with other, centres by: telephone. The people of Her-'■; bert should see that they arc not cut oft from civilisation in this way; ' - Several boating ! parties have lately been I cautioned by Capta n Ramsay against.proceeding in light boats outside the harbor. Young men are prepared, at any time to take greater risks than thosa of .more, mature years, and tboy do so when they; venture outside the harbor in boats that'are hardly fit for, rowing inside, Boats loaded to within a couple of inches ot the gunwale, often with ladies and children aboard, arc rowed into positions of danger, and ii an accident were to happen it:would be at considerable risk) of.loss of life, Unless the boat is fit for the purpose >he danger is great if, those in charge venture outside the har,bor, MESSRS J. H,'MILLIGAN AND CO. have just• to hand, an exceptionally, fine 1 jrangc of. Tennis Shirts, very choice pat- ; terns, and light and comfortablo for summer weather; - also, a-fine range of Panama Hats and Soft Straws. ,

Certain quality of soils tut certain plants; .certain shops for bavgaiiis; others for old-fashion' stinted' ideas. Try PENROSE'S. Cash Store (or D/apcry Bargains. Thcy'thrUe liierc. Look at these, Are they not, w»'fH6vr;lup.id bargains: Mile End' frocfiufc Ujllon, in'ill colors, usual price 3d I'iill, sale priou 2jd ball; Hair Pins, td inx; Clark's Crochet Cotton, white, in oi! numbers, U 9J dozen halls; Spoon Busks, usual price Gd, sale price 3d;-Mack hk'. Tan .Mfi.iing Skeins, usual mice Ud itci'i, ssic price Id; Black and 'lan Mi'i.ilu./, ~bn cards, usual price Id, sale price Ad card; Peri Lustre, in ueiVi, in hll «-jl(.rs, is per dozen skeins; lloiks.atd llyis, nlhck and white, 4itl per dozen paitoti, usual price 2d, sale price ld'.-I'BNKOSB'S Sale