LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 50

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr W. E. Goring Thomas, -formerly of the Union Company’s service, leaves on a ti*ip to England on Saturday. Tanner's Ark, which came to grief recently between Ohau Point and Cape Terawhiti, has been dismantled, and the wreck presented to Mr McMenamen, of Te Kamaru homestead, near the place where it lies.

Major Andrew, who was in command of the Sixth New Zealand Contingent during the latter part of its campaigning in Sofuth Africa, has been promoted to the position of Inspecting Officer of the: Hyderrbad and Mysore imperial Service Cavalry. A very old and respected resident of Motueka, Mrs Mary Ann Edelsten, died last Thursday, at the age of seventyone years. The deceased, who arrived in the colony in 1843, resided in the Motueka and Riwaka districts for about sixty-one years. Mir H. C. Robinson, barrister and solicitor, MaiSiberton, has entered into partnership with Mir H. W. Robinson, Fate District Judge at Nelson. The new firm will practise throughout the Wairarapa under the style of Robinson and Robinson.

Mr McLeod, the editor of the new Melbourne co-operative paper ‘The People,” js a native of Waipu. Mr McLeod, who at one time practised gaville as a solicitor,, contested the Bay of Islands seat with Mr Houston in x 899.

One of the oldest residents in ..the Wairarapa. Mr W. Wilton, died at his residence, Kuripuni, on Saturday morning. Deceased came to the colony in the ship Oriental over fifty years ago. After residing in Wellington for some .time be visited Ballarat at the time of the gold rush. Returning to New Zealand he went to the Wairarapa (forty years ago), and for a long time engaged in sheep-rarming at Taratalii. Mr Ni Wilton, of Newtown, was a brother of the deceased, who was seventy-five years of age.

In connection with the Orchard and Garden Pests Act, which recently came into force, instructions have been issued by the Department of Agriculture to' its fruit experts stationed throughout the colony to give special spraying demonstrations to fruitgrower., An their respective districts, in order that growers maw be made familiar with the means which the department recommends for the control of fruit pests. The Act does not specify the spray to be used, and the aim of the department is to bring the best methods of coping xvith fruit diseases more prominently before farmers than hats hitherto been the case.

Some months ago the Department of Agriculture submitted proposals to A-ariouis fruit-groAVCirs in the colony for subsidising qualifier! persons owning orchards or gardens to carry out specified experiments in fuiuit-growing and horticulture under the" control of departmental officers. The idea was for the grower to find the land (it would vary from, say, a quarter of an acre upwards, according to the number of varieties to be tested); the department would supply the trees and pay the actual cast of working; an agreement to be signed thait the groAver Avcvald canny out the work on the lines prescribed and funder the control of the department. By this means it was hoped to get growers interested and have a large number of localities tested at a minimum of cost. The department has been making inquiries as to the Avillingness of growers to take up the suggestion, hut, to it(s surprise, the proposal has not met with any encouragement, and from present indications, owing to the lukewarmness of those interested, nocliing is likely to come of the proposal.