OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12351, 13 May 1902, Page 8

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

♦■ The freezing works in Piotoii have already dealt with about 60,000 sheep this season. The Goldon Bay Apiary, Nelson, has for this season produced three tons and a-half of honey, The Southland Daily News learns on good authority that Air J. B. Lindsay, Inspector of Faotories, Invcreargill, is to be removed to Dunedin to tako charge of this district. ..It was Mr E. S. Clirk, J.P., of Woodhaugh, who left on a trip to the- Home Country last'week. Should you require any repairs to your bicycle, it will pay to send them to W. A. Scott, 155 George street, wliero you will find tho best-equipped cycle repairing shop iri'tho-colony...'. We "go; from, homo to hear news. In a lecture at Rochdale (England) on !' Extinct Forms of Life," Archdeacon Wilson exhibited a, picture of a specios of elephant which formerly existed in New Zealand, and lijd only just become extinct.

A petition to be addressed to the Railway Department in favour of Guard Bartrura't reinstatement is being largely signed i>l the Kurow district.

The following officers aro gazetted for the Institution for Inebriate 3 at Waitati — bupermtendent, Dr Frederick Truby Kin'c manager, George Chapman; matron, Alici Thomson.

Music hath charms to soothe the mace breast, and Tone Tonic acts like marie on a weary system.... The I,yttclton Times states that the old man Swann, who has been missing from ms home in Madras street, Cliristehurch for tho last three or four days, was found on Sunday ol i-thc Port Hills. He was very weak, and had evidently heen without food for some time.

lu the latest ftazctte the appointment of ml °"r! Vin & t0 bD sl'wtliand reporters undei Hie Shorthand Heport«rs Act. 1900," I?, not'fiedj-Doiiglw Bray, BiJph' Bray, iSSji). ■*' nd J01,,, Wari ,of Tho "Excelsior" spring cultivator offert the farmer, a more profitable investment than any other—Morrow, Bassett, and Co., sole agents, Now Zealand.... By the steamer Miguel de Lai-rinaga. which leaves Port Chalmers early this morn' ing for Durban, Messrs R. Simmers IKolso), J. C. Maclean, and AV. Hutchison (Dun! cilni), who were so satisfied during their period of servic! in the war in South Africa with the future prospects of that country aj to cause them to determine to return there, will take- their departure from New Zealand with a view to settling in the Transvaal. A rather sharp drop in the temperature wai experienced yesterday afternoon in the Pdmerstoii district. The morning had bc«n bright and warm, but just after 2 o'clock, though there was no wind, the- air suddenly changed, and felt bitterly cold. The barometer wont down several degrees in a few minutes, and residents stato this is an almost certain precursor of snow on the ranges. Overheard in the train:-"Oh, no, dear, it will not wash off. Hall , * Tone Tonic haj put the bloom of health upon my cheeks."

lie Oamaru Mail's Hampden correspondent writes:-A five-roomed house belbngmg to Mr Bishop, was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday. Mr Bishop, who lives alone, left by the morning train for Oamaru, leaving everything safe. The fire broke out at 11.30 a.tn., and burni-d so fiercely that all attempts to save tho furniture proved inijffoctual. It is understood that tlieJiouse ia insured. *

At the Oakleiglv Court, Melbourne a few weeks ago, a man named David Warner was fined £5 with 25s costs, for"fishing" fowls. It seems that he was in the liabit of baitina a fishhook to secure his neighbours' hens, and was caught pulling tlio neck of one just hooked.

Use the "Excelsior" spring cultivator on your farm. Eradicate and prevent twitch • and all wceds.-Morrow, Bassett, and Co., solo agents New Ztaland... ' Tbo North Times state that Oi'.maru is to be made the testing ground as to whether action will be taken in other places to secure the reading of the Bible in the public schools. Should the vote prove in favour of the innovation, action will then b? taken to Eccure the means of giving force to a request to be made to Parliament to pass tho necessary legislation. At present the lower reaches of the Otaio River which have (says the Tiniarii Herald) a good drop of water in them, are teeming with young trout', which should do well this winter. A farmer near by pays that ho has never soon the river so well stocked as it is just now. Unfortunately the Otaio runs almost in summer, and the destruction of fish is then considerable. .' ' j; Morrow, Bassett. and Co. will give anji trial with tho "Excelfiqr" farm 'implements. ...

A furlong is the ancient.."furrow-long"—' the distance that ancient oxen could draw a plough without stopping to rest. The pole was merely tho long stick with which the early Briton prodded his oxen. In this way originated tho measurements of the present day.

An effort is being made in Nel-on to form a strong association for the establishment of a. co-oporativc jam end fruit-preserving factory. Although the- Minister of Agriculture has promised to endeavour to have a measure passed next session to allow money to.be advanced to co-operative jam.factories, on the same linos as it is now advanced to co-operative dairy factories, tho Nelson people are determined to float tho concern without waiting until the Government may be able to give them assistance. One can depend on reliable work being done by J. and T. Christie, plumbers, George street. They employ competent tradesmen....

Speaking on land valuation at tho Farmers' Union meeting at Palmerston yesterday, a member told of the experience of a widow at Purakanui. She bad leased a few acrcß, and had two cows, and had decided to build two cow-bails on to a shed on her property. A " bush " carpenter was engaged for tlio contract, and whilo at work the lady requested him to put up a shelf or two in her dairy. The whole thing had scarcely coat £12, including the timber, but the Government valuer ("Holy Willie," tho speaker called him) had happened along, and, seeing the improvements, raised the valuation of the little property by £15. If Otago and Southland girls, lose. the colour from their cheeks, it is found that Hall's Tone Tonic restores the true pink tone....

A farmer who has been experimenting lately detailed «i plan ho had worked for coping with the small-bird nuisance, before the meeting of the' Farmers' Union at Palmerston. He had regularly placed grain and other food on a certain spot for some time, to which the birds flocked in thousands, Then ono morning he had two large nets placed, one on each side of the feeding ground, and wlien the birds had settled two men, concealed beneath straw on either side, pulled the strings connecting with the nets on their opposite side, and bagged "more than poison would kill in a week."

The "Excelsior" cultivatoi is more simple, stronger in construction, and lighter in draught than any other.—Morrow, Bassett, and Co., sole agents New Zealand.... The following .are the winners of the events at the Waitaki collie-dog trial, held at Hakataramco, last week. Heading, bring back, and yarding: J. Anderson's Scott 1, R. Eraser's Lillieo 2, D. M'Lean's Jack 3. Huntaway: 'W. Hogg"s Dackie 1, J. A. Jamieson s -Too 2, R. W. Trotter's Glen 3. Heading and bring back: R. W. Trotter'B Storm 1, W. Menzie's Wag 2, W. M'Lean's Jack 3. Only three dogs during the whole meeting failed to find their sheep. A correspondent.writes to the Lyttelton Times:—"Fish is very fw from the cheapest article of diet procurable in Christchurch, but if a fisherman's- account, shown to me, is to be relied on, fell is not expensive because of the high price exacted by the men who catch it. This document shows that all that a certain fisherman received for cod was a penny apiece; for six inoki lie got 2s, for six others of smaller size Is 6d, and for five_ others, presmuably still smaller, M. Hβ received fa for two gropers, one of which he said weighed about 801b, and the other about 601b. Evidently the fisherman are not the people who profit by the high price of fish.

For absolute strength, extreme simplicity, freedom from weak or undesirable points, and abundance of excellent working features throughout. Excelsior Ploughs are unrivalled. They will do perfectly the work that can be expected of any plough, and are guaranteed to give satisfaction in any soils where a plough can work at all, no matter how tough and difficult the work, They have extra length of land beam, speciality mado mould boards, and steering gear ol the most complete and approved kind. Revolving swivel steel circular coulters. Double furrow, £11 10s j three-furrows, £16 10s.—Morrow, Bassett, and Co., sole agente in New Zealand for Cockshutt farm implements...

A rather curious incident happened nt the Timara chrysanthemum show on Saturday, The judging bad been completed, and Timani hnd beaten Christchurcli in the intor-clul) competition by 3 points, when Mr Purser, the Christclmrch delegate, noticed that a bloom was missing from one of the Ohristchureh exhibitors' etamls. On making inquiries be found that the missing bloom— a Madame Carnot—was in the Tiuiarn interclub stand, end what was more, it had scored the maximum points, and had gained tho prize for the champion bloom in the show. Mr Purser claimed the bloom, and a re-judging of the competition, and on the two stands being accordingly altered' the judge's points gave tho victory to Christch«reh by 82 to 81.—Prees.