NEWS AND VIEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13675, 18 August 1906, Page 14

NEWS AND VIEWS.

Tho marvellous achievements ol Luther Burbank in plant-breeding during nearly to years at his homo in California aro described in a volume " New Creations in Plant Life," by W. S. Harwood. He has produced more new plant life, fruits, ■ grasses, trees, and flowers than any other matr who ever lived. Thousands of now potatoes aro now being bred by Mr Bur-bank-to suit all sorts of climates and cods. Several of the new variteies now under .test have already shown a delightful ftdvar/oe in palatabilitv, as the result, of bree/Jing more sugar into tho tuber. He ho/pc 3 to givo llicin all uniformity of size Vhich will be bettor for shipping purposes and moro satisfactory for cooking. Tiv his thornless fruit-bearing cactus, which* will not bo raised to sell, tho whole desert regions of the globe may become a reservoir of food. Ono of the rarest flowers Mr Burbank over produced met a tragic fate. One morning a workman discovered that ■every plant, wherever it was located, had met simultaneous death at tho hands of sorno mysterious enemy or from some .plant illness. Tho plant could nover be reproduced. To th<j dahlia, distinguished for its ill-odour, Mr Bur Sank has imparted tho fragranco of tho magnolia. His primus berry, produced from the nativo California!! dewberry and a Siberian raspberry, was 'Iho first new species of fruit ever known to havo been directly created by man. Upwards of 40,000 letters rcacli This remarkablo man evory year from all parts of the world. Special-delivery letters como by night as well at day.

A terrible crime was committed in Romo on June 25 by an Anarchist named Augusto Desantis. Don Antonio Corsi, chaplain to Prince- Doria, was driving in an open cab to tho Villa. Doria, on the Janiculum, when Desantis sprang on to the stop, and plunged a long dagiror again and into Corsi'ti breast. Tho first stab caused instant death. Tho cabman seemed dazed 'by iho suddonnoss of tho attack, and did nothing to stop the murderer, who fled among ;thc irec 9 of tho park belonging to Princo , Doria. The polioo immediately organised a search, and found tho murderer, who was captured after a hot chase. Desantis boasts that ho is an Anarchist, but admits that ho scarcely knew hia victim, wlto was 83 years of age. There was no known motive for tho murder. Last December Desantis made a similar attack on a polico officer, but was promptly disarmed. Tho Prince and Princess Doria arc greatly distressed by the murder, all the moro so as (ho assassin's father is in tho Prince's service.

At. tho public meeting held at. Wellington on Tuesday io consider the establishment of a. crematorium in Wellington, Dr Mason, Chief Health Officer, sitiil that from a scientific and sanitary point of view tho arguments were also in favour of crcma- | lion (Vuncteries wero not by any means permanent resting-places. Ho remembered making experiments in gases which were. escaping from a cemetery in Glasgow. It was a fact that (lancer "and ill-health had resulted from burial-grounds. Those acquainted with tho North Island would be awaro that there was a cemetery lying on tho watershed of a very important town. The chairman said £1600 was the estimated coat of a. crematorium. Dr Mason stated that for £500 tho maker of a first-class crematorium was prepared to put it up in any part of the world. This did not include a chapel or anything cko that it might bo desired to put there. Mr W. Ferguson quoted irom the report of tho Dunedin Cremation Society to show I hat a crematorium and brick chapel would cost £1175. Ho thought that the cost of each incineration had been greatly exaggerated. At Hull the cost was £1 Is. and at Leicester £2 2s. Tho Mayor said he thought the matter might bo done out of tho revenue of the City Council. A sum of £50D, say, could be devoted from revenue this year and £500 .next year. The movement coidd he definitely cet oil foot now and completed ne.it year. Mr It. U. Harding, in strongly supporting tho proposal, mentioned cases whore parts of cemeteries had been carried away by landslips. One such oaso occurred in Wellington, and porlicsis of human bodies had been carried into a public roadway. A strong committco was appointed to carry out tho object in view.

A\omeu have often made great, careers for themselves on the London stago in a, remarkably short time, but (writes the London correspondent of tho Mclbourno Age), after many efforts their sex is still unrepresented in the front rank of dramatic writers. Why? Chiefly, it appears, through tlio feminine deficiency in constructive' power. Managers «ay that plays by women " run too much to talk "; that tliey are wanting in dramatic force, and often conventional, both in form and treatment. Such attempts as thoso which have been niado by tho Duchess of Sutherland and tho Hon. Mrs Alfred Lyltottoti only tend to emphasise these characteristic defects, becauso when a lady of tho fashionable world makes an experiment in dramaturgy she is alwaysablo to find (probably for adequate financial reasons) a manager who will not judge hor work too critically, and first-class artists ready lo turn it to tho liest account. Conditions which would afford real merit a great opportunity inevitably give a special prominence to tho shortcomings of tho inefficient dramatist. This was notably tho easo with tho ambitions duehc«'s blank verso play; aud v Mrs Lyttclton is having a similar experience with her second venturo —a weak mixture of comedy and melodrama, in which Bonnie I'riiife Charlie and other Scotch characters aro introduced. "Puerile," "prosy and long-winded," " trito to a decree." and "childish" aro some of tho terms applied to it by the critics, who are unanimously adverse'to it. though they recognise some ability here and there in its characterisation, lira Patrick Campbell, ono of the ablest actresses on tho London stage, takes the principal fema'e part, but fails to mako it consistent or lifelike.

Lploii Sinclair, the author of " Tho Jungle," to which may be attributed tho ■exposure of the Chicago beef-packing horrors, though well under tho thirties, is no novico as a. literary craftsman. Born in Baltimore, he is more at homo in NewYork than in the southern city. During his school days he began writing boys' stories. He paid his way tltrough collego on tho proceeds of this " dime literature " ; but n passion for Shelley and Tennyson interfered with sorious study, while it created a. determination to abandon "potboilcra" for veal literature. For the next four years ho lived somehow like Thoreau, passing an .outdoor existence in Canadian forests by tho side of tho lakes. To carry out his purpose of writing tho great American novel brought him again and a«iiu to tho verge ot starvation. ' Coming 'back to New York with his first, real novel, " King Midas," iiis sanguino expectations were upset by five publishers rejecting it. Only tho helpful "pot-boiler," to which ho was compelled to resort, saved the situation, .and enabled him during tlio next summer, living in u tent, to write another novel. The fato of this wa s oven worse than its predecessor, for it was rejected 37 times, and when it did appear tho public would liavo none of it. A third story, in which wero interwoven many of Sinclair's own experiences, had the same theme as Chatterton's life and fate. Despite tho vicissitudes through which he has passed, Sinclair has Battled himself comfortably on a little farm near New Jersey, in a t-hrec-roomeri cottage, which ho built himself, and is there- planning another book, which, ho hopes will bo tho real expression ot his own ideals of literature.

Within tlio narrow limits of the City of London, with its* mero Jiandful of residents —only sufficient to people a small provincial town—there ar<j still, a. writer in the Sunday Strand poinds out, so many churches that you might worship in ti. different ono every Sunday of the year without putting foot inside them all. Within the Rural Deanery of the East City there are to-day no fower than 10 churches, each of which ministers to a population of loss than 200; tho aggregate number of parishioners it 1473, while tho churches have ocoommodatioti for 2750, tints providing almost two s«ita for every poesiblo worshipper, including tho infants in arms. Probably the most valu»blo of all city churches is that of All Hallows, in Lombard street, which was destroyed by tho great lire and rebuilt, by Sir Christopher Wren in 1694, and rrhoee churchyard was closed in the cholera year, 1349. and laid out as a garden. It is said tfiat tho sito of this ancient ehuroh i» worth £800,00A-a sum sufficient to build and endow 40 churches, und thus to meet tho spiritual requirements of a town uj largo as Derby or Brighton. And jet the entire population of Ail Hallows's parish is well under 300: while (lie average congregation attending the church is 26!

aponsing tho soil is apparently one of the latest ideas dealing with sundry pests. An English firm of repute recemiv put forward a preparation in the form o"f a powder which, when ihrown on to or worked into the soil, gives off a vapour which, ifc is claimed, completely destroys soil insects without doing the slightest injury to tho crops, whether of field, orchard, or garden. In connection with annual crops—corn, potatoes, and tho likeit is merely thrown broadcast before the plough, anil jo incorporated iu tho soil,

The great bulk of soil insects inhabit the surface to a depth of 2in to sin; therefore, tho inventor says, to plough tlie gas-yield-ing material into the soil is sufficient for general purposes. For specinl cultivation, such as hops, vinos, bushes, and trees, it must be worked into the soil at the time of ordinary cultivation, or where deep, permanent roots are affected, dibbled into the extend of tho roots. The powder is inexpensive, and, according to some of tho English papers, it lias proved effectual. Some trials are uow being made in Tasmania, the results of which will be awaited with interest. Vaporising, which is precisely tho same in principle as fumigation, except that it is applied helow ground, at least sounds feasible enough.

The BaJtische Po.it, of, Riga, gives an example, of deep legal wisdom that, deserves to lie rescued from oblivion. In a t'ourland village two neighbouring inns were owned respectively by a Mr Lahzis and a Mr Strunkis, keen rivals for iho patronago of tho public. Their rivalry grew into bitter enmity when tho bolter class of travellers generally seemed to prefer Lahzitj's house, while Strunkis had lo eonlent himself with tho smaller fry of travelling artisans. Ono day recently i'v.d two innkeepers, standing at their r«peclive doors, got up an altercation, during which Lahzis twitted Strunkis with tho inferior social standing of tho hitter's customers., whereupon Sirimkis became furious, ami burled a, stone at his moro prosperous rival. Ho missed his mark, but the etotio went through ono of Lahzis's windows, Tho result was a lawsuit, and a. witness named Jalino gave evidence to the effect that ho was passing when the stone waa thrown, and that, it, would havo struck him had ho not ducked just in time. Whereupon, the village SoLbhs decided that Jaime was responsible for tho damage, for. said they, if Jobno had not ducked Ju's head the window would not liavo been broken, at all.

On the subject of dummyifin, a contributor to- the Wangaimi Herald says: —" Kvery time a piece of Crown land is to bo balloted for there are shoals of applicants, 50 per cent, of whom simply pay their deposits and put in their applications on the off chance of drawing the prize, with a view to disposing of if, if successful, at a good figure." Tho writer proceeds to tell an amusing talo of a would-be dummy thwarted. This man, coveting a certain section, put in bi.s own application for it, also applications for his wifo and sundry cousins, aunts, etc., and finally induced his "ladyholp-milker" to enter an application, tlto master paying the deposit. The kwlyhelp " drew" the section at the ballot. She' had jiot expected this, and the surprise set her thinking; so that, when iho covetous ono suggested that il. was time to arrange for a transfer of Iho ."?ction to himself, tho ladyhelp informed him that the would consider the matter, and wou'd fake a week's holiday for that, purpose. An offer of £10 did not induce a change of mind. During tho week's holiday she asked the advice of many friend*'arid relatives. All advised- her to stick to the section. She resigned the position of " ladyhefn-milkoi-," but' the covetous ono tlaro not ask for the return of his deposit..

flio richest. Indians in the United States aro the Osnge6, in the territory of Oklahoma's north-east corner, south of Kansas, and west of the Cherokee nation. They aro not only the richest Indians, but they aro tho richest community per capita on tho glolie. Tho interest at 5 per «mt. on the £1,662.000 held in trust for them by the I'nitfd Slates Government, ami the rc-yenu? which they obtain from grazing lands, and their royalties on oil and eas amount to £140 a year for each man, woman, and child of the 1900 members of the trilw, which means two or three times that much per family. In addition, many individual members of tho tribo have good-sized incomes from homesteads r.'.id farms.

A good story is going round tho London clubs concerning Colonel C. A. Lamb, the Military Attache at Brussels, whose name is being mentioned in connection with an important. appointment at the War Office. Colonel Lamb has the reputation of being very quiet and reserved, and absolutely immovable under any circumstances. Some years ago, _ this story runs, lie was in a stuffy Continental railway carriage, whose only other occupant was'a Gorman officer. Both were smoking, ami the German made many attempts to draw Colonel Lamb into conversation, _ but without avail. The latter maintained the stoical silence of his race. Constantly the German would politely call the other's attention to tho fact that he had dropped sonic cigar ash on bis clothes, or that a match end was almost burning his necktie. At length Land.) lost his temper, and exclaimed, "Well, what about it? Why on earth cannot you leave mo alone? Your coat has been smouldering for tho last 10 minutes, but I did not bother vou about it." ■ '

An interesting experiment with carcases of New Zealand and Enslish mutton was conducted recently by the guardians of tho Ipswich Union. The master reported that the New. Zealand carcase weighed 721b when uncooked and 501b when cooked. The English carcase weighed 771b uncooked and 511b cooked. This showed that, in tho matter of waste, there was 41b in favour of the New Zealand mutton on the carcase. Tho report was referred to the Workhouse Committee and the St. John's . Homo Committee for consideration. When it is mentioned that there is {.'real difference in the matter of price, the result, of tho. test is likely to bring New Zealand mutton into the kitchens of various institutions.

A formidably fashionable magazine called the Throne, in which society discusses its affairs and interests from its own point of view, has been established. Its editors— oi whom there arc moio than two dozen— aro all well-known ladies of title. They will have a great deal to say about new plays, now drcsa "creations," motoring, photography, yachting, social entertainments, and so on; but ilioj do not admit that their outlook on (lie world is to l» entirely frivolous. They have, indeed, a mission—at least they think it proper to begin with one. It is their purpose to support " a free and prosperous people;-an enlightened and tolerant aristocracy, and a paternal, dignified, broad-minded and sympathetic monarchy." It was a delightfully humorous idea to put the British democracy at tho top of (bo list.

_ Tho statement made in one of the English courts that a clog had attained the ago of 15 or 16 years wa-s received with incredulity. As a fact, given ordinary health and luck, any dog will livo to the age of 15. A eat is good for a dozen cv moro years, and. though the average maximum for rabbits is five, ono has known that span exceeded. Seven and twenty is fixed by the experts as tho extreme of a horse's .age, but at the Homo of Host they have bad ono whoso ago wa3 43 yeans—im age corresponding with that of a pony, whoso death was recorded a couplo of years ago. Iho cow and tho ox and the pig are capablo of a quarter of a century apiccoj the lion and tdo camel two score years. Tho elephant, loft to himself in peace, will live a century and still bo a juvenilo in comparison with tho tortoise, which can live- for four conturiM-a hundred vears longer than tho crocodde is supposed to live.

Nill. slationmaslcnng" ever become a recognised profession for women in Great ""'am and Ireland? asks tlio .Tulv World and His Wife Raihvaymen wonder why not. Already Dovenby Station, near Cockermouth, Cumberland, is worked entirely by Mrs Lizzie Davidson, who issues and collects tickets, manages the signals, and does all the other necessary work in connection with the arrival and departure> of trains. At Langford, near Maldon, Lssox, a "stationmistrces" reigns supreme; and a lady is in charge of tho prettily named Rosemount Station, on tho Caledonian railway. At the Lough Swilly Railway Station of Gallagh road, two miles from Londonderry, tho "master" is a mistress; and a lady manages "tho signal station at Braystoncs, on tho Furitess railway.

Tho interesting announcement is made that at 1 a recent meeting of tho Ulcraa, llio body of spiritual directors of tho great Mahometan University of Al Azhar, m Cairo, tho use of the phonograph for popular instruction in the Koran was favourably discussed, the opinion prevailing that the employment of phonographic

means of propagating the faith was not contrary to the teaching of the Prophet and did not oll'end tlio sanctity of tho holv writings. A proposal, however, to consider the advisability of taking out a policy of insurance against fire and acci. dents was rejected almost unanimously, it. being held that such a proceeding would he contrary to the. fatalistic doctrine, of "Kismet."