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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 974, 3 June 1879, Page 2

Tlie Hon. the Minister for Public Works wi 1 arrive in Oaniaru this evening by the 9 o'clock train, and will remain here till tomorrow. He has telegraphed that he will meet the Harbor Board at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Our special cablegrams from .Sydney convey the gratifying intelligence that wheat is rising in the Australian markets. "We are told that speculators are buying up the wheat and flour, and this we take to prove that a very decided rise is anticipated. This should be welcome news to holders of wheat in this district.

Up to the time of our going to press, the results of the nominati >ns in three subdivisions of the Kakanni Road District, had been received at the office, viz., Awamoa, Mr. Hedlcy, re-elected ; Totara, Mr. Thomson, re-elucted ; Lambton, Mr. F. C'ollis, new member.

A very successful trial of Dobbie's patent broadcast seed-sower was held this afternoon, on Mr. John Turnbuil's farm, White llocks. ! Owing, doubtless, to the uninviting weather, and the fact that nominations of candidates for vacancies on the several Road Boards were being taken, the attendance was not large. Still, there was a very fair attendance, and amongst those present were the Hon. M. Holmes, Mr. M'Auly, and other prominent agriculturists. Mr. A. W. Uobbie, one of the manufacturers, superintended the working of the machine, and explained many matters of detail in connection with it. A tine piece of well-ploughed land was being sown, and the machine, which was set to sow at the rate of about 1 } bushel per acre, worked remarkably well. On being measured it was found that the sower had cast the seed a distance of 57 feet, while an inspection of the work done disclosed the fact that the seed was sown in a vers - even manner. Those present expressed themselves highly pleased with what they had seen. The machine, like all great invention#, is exceedingly simple alike in construction and working, and on these grounds it must recommend itself to fanners. We -should mention that

some portions of the ground was very even, but the occasional steep gullies did not appear to make the slightest difference to tile machine, which continued its even sowing with the same freedom as upon the level land. The trial was in every way a complete success, and fully established the claim of these machines to be considered the best seed-sowers yet invented to aid the farmer and lessen the expense of land cultivation.

The usual monthly meeting of thelvakanu Hoard will be held to-morrow at 11 a.m.

To-morrow evening another of the series of lectures inaugurated by the Young Men's Christian Association will be delivered in the Volunteer Hall by Mr. M. W, Green, of Dunedin, the subject being "Luther, the Monk that shook the World/' '

The regular monthly meeting of the North Otago Horticultural Society was held last evening, when there were present:—Messrs. Montagu (in the chair), Karle, Simpson, Forsyth, ami Spratt (hou. secretary). Auditors were appointed to audit the year's accounts, and the President and Secretary were requested to prepare a report for submission to the annual meeting to be held at Earle's Rooms on the 25th instant.

The Committee of the North Otago Benevolent Society held their monthly meeting last eveniug, when there were present :

Messrs. Falconer (in the chair), M'Farlane, Steward, Allen, Milligan, C'ollis, Mollison, Hnsscll, Otterson, Gibbs, and J. Hardy (secretary). The minutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, the usual reports from the Visiting Committee j and Collector were read and adopted. The Barrack Master reported upon the state of the Society's Home, and acknowledged the receipt of a quantity of old clothing. A letter was received from the Colonial Secre. tary's oliice, enclosing a voucher for LSIS I.'ia o<l, lieing the subsidy of £ for £ on the subscription collected by the Society. A number of accounts were passed for payment and the Committee adjourned until Monday next.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from the Government Printer of the first part of the results of the census taken in March last, as compiled by the Registrar-General. St. Paul's YouDg Men's Association met as usual last evening, the attendance being larger than at any previous meeting this session. After some routine business had been got through,, the subject of the evening, " A Night with Byron," was introduced by Mr. H. W. Cottrell, who read a carefully prepared and interesting paper on the life and works of the poet in a manner that reflected great credit upon himself. Tliis was followed by readings from Byron, given by several of the members present, and the meeting closed with prayer. • It was announced that an essay will be read next Monday by Mr. Mollison. The Philharmonic Society's practice will be held to-morrow evening in the Volunteer Hall at the usual hour.

' We regret to learn that his' Honor Judge Ward is still unable, through illness, to perform his judicial duties.

To-day's Daily Times says :—"As an outcome of the combination entered into between the bakers to raise the price of bread to 5Ad per 41b loaf—or so-called 41b loaf—a wholesale bread factory lias just been established by Mr. E. Hudson for the purpose of supplying the grocers with a first-class fullweight loaf, which will be sold to the public for cash at sd. The names of the storekeepers supplying this bread will be published to-morrow. We have seen a sample loaf, which is certainly all that can be desired, and the aggrieved public will now have an opportunity of obtaining bread at once good and cheap. With the [facilities for manufacturing which Mr. Hudson possesses, including a steam flour-mill on his premises, and his well-known energy, he ought to be able to hold his own against all competitors." According to the Democrat, San Francisco is to be the first city whose streets are to be lighted entirely by the electric light. It is proposed to divide the city into districts varyiug in extent from one to three miles, each of which will be fed by a sufficiently powerful Gramme machine. The machines have already arrived at New York, and arrangements have been made for adopting two or three different patents. The Electrician says :—" The experimental trial of the electric light at the works being executed at the port of Havre has given complete satisfaction. Without waiting for the report of the Committee nominated by the French Board of Works, the Chamber of Commerce has authorised the establishment of ten lights in the outer port." Electricity, which is extending its sphere of usefulness in so many different directions, has quite recently been invoked by the photographer. The beautiful photographs of Mr. Van dcr Weyde, taken by the electric I'ght at night or in gloomy weather, are an instance of this service. It is also an advantage in photographing to be able to expose the sensitive plate to the object at the proper moment, without going near the camera for that purpose. This is especially the case when photograjjhing babies, who are usually alive to the conspiracy going on about them. Mr, Cowen, pf Porcliesterterrace, Soutliport, has devised a simple plan, whereby the shutter of the camera may be opened edgewise by means of a small galvanic battery, the current being put on by a press button held in the operator's hand. The artist can thus engage the child's attention, and, unperceived, expose the plate at the proper moment. The accessory apparatus requiredjloes not interfere portability of the camera. The School Board is responsible for the difiiusion of much useless knowledge. A Board examiner, performing his functions in a purely agricultural parish, recently asked a mixed class, " What is a husbandman ?" No answer was given for some time, till at last a little girl ventured. " Please, sir, a man as has got a wife." Tlie examiner became thoughtful, aiid sorrowfully took his way to a parish owned by a duke, and overawed by ducal establishments. Here lie said, "Tell me what is meant by a nobleman." There was silence for a time. At last one smart little boy replied, " Please, sir, it's a gentleman as gains his livelihood by riotous living." Th. examiner has not since been seen.

During the late Rus.so-Tun.ish war no fewer than 20,( 00,000 rations of condensed forage were, we learn from a lately-published statement, consumed by the Russian armies in the liold. Tliia condensed fo_d was supplied in the fonn of Hat cakes or biscuits, weighing 41b each, and strung together by a string passing through a hole in the centre of each. During the passage of the Balkans and the subsequent advance into the neighborhood of Constantinople, all the horses of the cavalry and artillery of the Russian Guard were fed entirely upon this condensed forage for 20 days, and remained up to the end of that period in excellent condition, although lnrd-worked and exposed to exceedingly inclement weather. Not only are these cakes far more portable than ordinary forage, but ttay also possess the immense ailvan tage ol not being damaged by exposure to any kind of weather, while they are easily digested by the horses.

An Aucklaid paper has the following : "In the course of his speech to his constituents, Mr. Fox said, in reference to the alteration of the tariff to give the poor man a ' free breakfast table,'he had asked jjeople of all ranks if they found their breakfast came any cheaper than before, but not one could answer in the affirmative. If the hon. gentleman had nade enquiries among the poor men lately employed in the timber industry, he would find the alteration of tariff had put a g)od breakfast quite out of their reach. They would like very much to know how and vhero Sjr George Grey's 'free breakfast table ' is to be found,'' j