OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16259, 17 December 1914, Page 2

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conductor! by Maoistkb, to whom ell cominunicatious must be addressed.) [Mugliter will be glmi to rtoelie Nature Not«e, marked papers containing wluoational nrlicleo, diagram!, dttaile ol oipeniutriU, etc., ol scholaßtio int«re»t to teuolitra and pupils. Correspondents must ue« OMLr omk biijk ot the paper, and whether using a pen liu'uiu or uol, must tend both jtAiia ijjj iuuBSBa.J A CHAT ON iXAGS. In the War I'icturcs Weekly for September II there is an interesting chat on lings, most of winch 1 am reproducing: "AH mank nd itverenee and honour their flag. iiiis, no uuuut, is haudeil down uy instinct trom tho tune when jiatians dedicated themselves to tne <Kitro<iage ot individual ouints, aud our reaueis win appreciate tntso lew remarks on our own, our allies', and our enemies' flags at this time. " Commencing, tiK-n, witii tuo Royal Standard, wlncn should more property bo called me Koyal .banner, it should be remembered Mat this u tne Sovereign's own personal Hag, and shcruid not be ueed by anyone else. It displays his coat of arms on a largo scale, • and indicates his actual presence where it is iiown. The Red iLnsigu ie properly the people's flag. 'Ihis consists of a plain red flag, with a small Union Jack in tho top left-hand corner. The Union Jack is tho military flae, and was adopted officially on January 1, 1801, on the union of Ireland with England. It consists of the flags of St. Patrick (red diagonal cross on white ground), St. Andrew (white diagonal croes on blue ground], and St. George (red vertical cross on white ground) combined together; the St. Patrick's and St. Andrew's being laid side by side, and alternating, commencing with St. Andrew's, and tho St. George lying over all. Tho white or St. Andrew's, ehould be uppermost nearest the staff or ' fly'; to reverso this is to fly a signal of distress, or subject the flag to degradation or insulteither unconsciously or of set purpose. The White Ensign is the flag of the Royal Navy, and is the old banner of St. George, seen constantly on our church towers, with a 'Jack' in the first 'quarter.' Tho Royal Artillery have no colours, and in recent times no colours have been taken into action. Our readers may wonder why the name 'Jack.' When Scotland was joined to England by the accession of James I, tho flags of St. Andrew and St. George were blended, and as tho description of that time was given in French, it was stated as 'Union Jacques'; hence, by corruption, it becomes 'Jack.' " The French Tricolour owes ita existence to an incident in the lives of King Francois ll' and his wife Mary Stuart. When choosing the colours for the -uniform of tho famous ' Swies Guards,' it was decided that they should be—white, tho colour of the Royal House- blue, that of Scotland; and red, that of Switzerland. This combination of colours became familiarised by long association to the French people, and at tho Revolution, a flag being needed, three strips, respectively of red, white, and, blue, were joined vertically, and has since remained the national flag. "The Russian Standard, which bears the Double-headed Eagle, is said to derive its origin from a legend that, on the day Alexander the Great was born, two eagles perched on the house in which he lay, one looking to the east and the other to the west, signifying that he should rule over a double empire—that of Europe and Asia; and this is ateo the origin of the AustroHungarian flag. The Russian Eagle has a shield on its breast, bearing St. George and the Dragon. The flag of the Russian Navy is that of St. Andrew. In this case, tho cross is blue ,on a white g-round. St. Andrew, who worked and was martyred in the East, was, after his death, deposited in the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Constantinople. Hither came the first Christian Russian Emperor for baptism; h"nco tho connection. "The German Standard, which dates only from 1870, has the , cross of tho Prussian Teutonic Order displayed thereon. This order dates from tho time of the Crusades, and has been adapted to the purposes of a standard by the addition of eagles and crowns, and tha words 'God with us.' 1870. It is a curious fact that, in this case, the eagle is looking to the east onto, as though the Germans had it in mind to have ono empire in that direction, eliminat ; ng Francr , and England. This purpose it is for ue and our Allies to frustrate. " The flag of Belgium shows the rjre•Jominating colours of the arms—a black [ shield, with Golden Lion having , red' claws and tongue, which on the flag become vertical stripes of black, vollow, and red." HONOUR THE FLAG. Four or five years ago tho two following pieces were given in these columns, and a correspondent sends them along, and says she hopes I will publish thorn again: — THE UNION JACK. It is only a email bit of bunting; It is only an old oolourcd rag; Yet thousands have died for its honour, And shed jbheir best blood for the Flag. It is charged with the cross of St. Andrew, Which, of old, Scotland's heroes have led; It carries the cross of St. Patriok, For which Ireland's bravest have bled. Joined with these is the old English ensign, S-t. George's rtd cross on white field, Hound which, from King Edward to Wolseley, Britons conquer or die, but ne'er yield. It flutters triumphant o'er ocean, As free as the wind ;md the wave, And the bondsman, from shackles unloosened, 'JJeath its shadows no lougex's a slave. We hoist it to show our devotion To our King, to our country, and laws; It's the outward and visible emblem Of advancement and liberty's cause. You may call it a small bit of bunting, You may say it's an old coloured rag, But freedom has made it majestic, And time hae ennobled fche Flag. THE FLAG GOES BY. Hats,oil I Along the street Uiere comes A blaro of bugles, a ruffle of drums, A flash of colour beneath the sky; Hats ofll The Flag is passing by! t Blue and crimson and white it shines Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines: Hats offl The colours' before us fly; But more than the Flag is passing by. Sea-flghtß and land-fights, grim and great, Fought to make and to 6ave the State; Weary marches and sinking ships; Cheers of victory on dying lips; Days of plenty and days of peace; March of a strong land's swift increase; Equal justice, right, and law; Stately honour and reverent awe; Sign of a nation great and strong To ward her people from foreign wrong; il'rifle, and glory, and honour —all Live in the colours to stand or fall. Hats off! Along the street there comes A blare of bugles, a ruffle oi drums; And loyal hearts are beating high: Hats off! The Flag is passing by! —Henry Holcojib Beskett. A FATHER'S ADVICE TO HIS SON. The Christmas holidays are upon us now, and boys will be enjoying themselves in the open, and many with guns. Every year we have the inevitable list of shootings and drownings. The following lines were published laet year, but will bear repeating: — A FATHER'S ADVICE TO HJS SON. If a sportsman fcrne you'd be, Listen caretully to me:— , Never, never let yonr gun Pointed be at anyone; That it may unloaded be Hatters not the least to me. When a hedge or fence you cross, Though of time it , cause a loss, From your gun the cartridge take For the greater safety's sake. If twiict you and neighbouring gun Birds may fly and beasts may run, Let this maxim e'er be thine: "Follow not across the line." Stops ajid beaters oft unseen Lurk behind some leafy screen; Calm and steady ;dwaye be, Never shoot where you caD't see. Keep your place and sdlent be, (iauu; can hear and game can see; Don't be greedy, better spared Is a pheasant than one shared. You may kill or you may miss, But, at all times think uf this: ALL TIIK PHEASANTS EVER BRED WON'T BEI'AY FOK ONE MAN DEAD. INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FRUIT TREES. The Royal Horticultural Society at Home has gardens at Wisney, where students do practical work, and in tho course of training every student has to write an esaiiy on the subject he is interested in most. Four of the essays submitted , in 1913 have been printed in- pamphlet form to show what is being done, and a portion of one of these (written by Mr G. F. Wilson) J am reproducing. It m through the courtesy of Mi Tannock that 1 am able to present it to my readers. Country teachers will find the descriptive matter enough for the basis of three or four or even more lessons. There is hardly a - super Hoi is word in the whole: — " It is essential, in dealing with and destroying nests of any kind, to have a thorough knowledge ,of their life histories, so us to know tlie exact time to apply the preventive, as there is often only one period in tho life of-an insect when it ie vulnerable.

" I/vt us e.eo now what the word 'inFoi.'l' implies. It literally niwin.s any animal which has the liody so divided as to seem cut. into MU-eossive parts, usually ri'M?inhliii.jf ringß of hard substance, connected liy so It. skin. In old entomological book* it will b< , sri n Unit 'insccta' was the mum , given to all animals with bodies resembling a inw ni joint.s; even worms and singe won* at Unit ti/ni> included. Now I.lie name ie confined to ii considerably smaller group of animals, tho true insiK.'tfs, or tin* class Insoeta of tho type Arthropoda. In this diminished s:-nse, iiiEocts aro now clawed as animal*) that, have a jointed body made iri of a number of rings of homy subsiimee culled chitine, connected by skin, so united a.s to form three great, divisions in t.hc body—viz., tho head, the thorax, and tho abdomen. " The head of an insect consists of four segments, which arc (>o fused together as to lx> (indistinguishable in tho adult form. The, head always lxmrs one pair of organs, called antennae, near the eyes. Their function is not clearly understood, but they act, possibly, as organ« of hearing, smelling, or feeling, or perhaps of another souse, of which tho human being doce not know. The length of them varies greatly, as doee also the number of joints in them, and ineecta con often he readily recognised by tho shape or number of joints in tho antenna. Tho eyes of insects are of two kinds—simple and compound. The former consists of a single eye, and is situated, in tho mature insect, on the upper part of tho head. There may be from one to three of them, the latter number being the most mot with. The compound eyes are made up of the union of a large number of hexagonal simple eves—as many as 30,000. Thoy arc often so largo ae to occupy the greater part of the head. The moutli part consists of tho upper lip or labium, two pairs of jaws or mandibles, maxillce, and tho under lip or labium. The labrurn is narrow and of a chifcinous nature, closing tho mouth from above. Tho mandibles or tinner jaws aro fixed on either side of the opening of tho mouth and move horizontally. The maxillae, or under jaws, are fixed immediately behind the mouth, and they boar inner and outer palpi resembling lobes. Tho labium is fixed on tho underside of the head, and also bears palpi, which are known as labial palpi. Tho mouth part of different insects vary considerably, according to whether they are carnivorous or herbivorous; in different cases certain rarts aro more in evidence than others. "Tho thorax consists of three segments, to each of which a pa ; r of legs is fixed. To the second and third segments, in winged ineecte, a pair of wings are attached, except in the order Piptora, where the hind wings are very rudimentary. Often the hind wings are coupled to those in front by means of hooked hairs, and the wings ot many insects, including the order Lepidoptera, are covered with scales. Tho legs of insects help very much in their classification, and consist of five parts, which arc : The coxa, or joint by which the log is attached to tho thorax; the trochanter, the next joint, und usually very small; tho femur, tho stoutest joint of the leg and longer than the first two; the tibia, tho longLSt jomt, and usually very hairy; tho tarsus, or foot, consisting of from one, to five segments, the. last joint being furnished with daws or cushions, 'ihe. D&rts of tho ieg are often different, accord.ng to -whether the insect digs, springs, etc., tiemg various parts inodiliecl according to funcwon. " Thu abdomen may consist of as many as 10 segments, wlncli may be movable or lixed. Ihis region rarely Dears any appendages, and ovipositors, loroeps, and bnstlelike structures are tne oniy ones borne on this part. The description here given is of a mature insect, as larva and i> upas bear more legs, and some are borne on the abdominal segments, such as the prolegs, etc

" Metamorphoses of Insects.—The insect always begins lite as an egg, except in rare cases, where ' budding' is resorted in the aphides, and is not, as at one tanc was thought, produced by spontaneous generation from dead and decaying eubetanccs. The eggs vary in tsize and sn<tpe, according to tile insect, and the shell may be smooth or sculptured. They are deposited singly or in groups, in contact with or very near a sufficient supply of food for the nourishment of the young larvas, and thus many liiseote deposit their eggs on leaves, others in stems or under the bark, as will be seen The number of egge deposited by a einglo insect varies from 12, or even less, to 50.00J, most insects laying from 50 to 120. After a time a t ny creature comes forth, known as the larva, caterpillar, grub, or maggot. The general rule is to confine the term 'caterpillar ' to the larvae of butterflies, moths, and sawfliee, ' grub' to the lame of beetles, and ' maggot' to the iarvse of flies. The three segments behind the head correspond to the thorax of the perfect insect or imago, and, if any legs ar.e present, a pair is borne on each of these segments. Legs are a.so ofton present on the posterior segments;.these arc known as prolegs; they are not jointed, and have fringes of bristles instead of claws. There are mainly five pairs of thees prolege on the larvco of butterflics and mollis, and eight pairs on sawflies' larvae. The head and fourth body segment never bear any kind of legs. A larva, such as, a caterpillar, possesses a head and 12 other segments. It is difficult sometimes even for experts to know to what ineect the larva belongs on account of the moultings, as it usually moults five times in its existence as a larva. "It .'s at this stage when the pest is worst, as the larva eats enormously, and is therefore most destructive. Food assimilates quickly to be stored away for the pupal stage. The caterpillar or larva also quickly grows, and, as the chitinous covering will not stretch much, the larva bursts it and so moults. The next stage is the pupal or chrysaLs stage, where the. insect takes in no food {except in the case of thoee insects which have active ' pupaj'), but lives entirely on a store of fat accumulated during tho larval stage. In due time the membrane or case containing the pupa cracks, and the imago or perfect insect creeps out to lay its eggs and reproduce its species like its predecessor. " vVhen insects undergo the above changes they are known to bo metamorphic, and insects belonging to the Ooleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, and Lepidoptera undergo these change*. Where, however, it ie difficult or impossible to see these changes the insects are known to be ametamorphic, and this is the case in tho Hemiptera and Orthoptera. "The fact that insects arc produced from parents renders it of the utmost importance, when dealing with injurious species, to become acquainted with tho habits of the females as well as of the larvae, which latter are the destructive agents, and are the more generally observed by gardeners, who can, by watching the life histories of these insects, destroy them in greater proportion. " The larviE, during their rapid growth, are more destructive to vegetation than are tho ■perfect, insects; but among the groups provided with a mouth suitable for chewing, as the Orthoptera, or for puncturing the. tissues of plants and sucking their juices, as tho Rhynchota, (particularly the aphides), tho perfect insects may be also as destructive as the larva?. " The insects provided with ' biting' mouths are generally hardy and invulnerable, and arc not injured by a wash quite strong enough to injure the plant they are feeding on, and so must be dealt with as vermin—viz., by'placing a small portion of a very powertul poison on the affected plant. " There are only three good poisons for this purpose, which aro Paris groon, London purple, and lead arseniate. " The suckling insect is the more vulnerable, and can generally be killed by spraying with a wash, which will close up the breathing places or spiracles on the sides of their bodies, and, as they suck the juices from within the plant, this is the only way of killing them." "WOOLLY APHIS. There are to bo seen four forms in a year—(l) Winged females, which produce young by a procoss of budding; (2) wingless ferrules doing the same ; (3) males without wings, -which pair with (4) wingless egglaying females. The wingless viviparous females can be seen almost all the year round, giving rise to large numbers of young, and it is these that jrive rise to tho woolly festoons often seen on applo trees. The wingless males and egg-laying females have no piercing probose.'s. ENGLISH HISTORY IN T A NUTSHELL. The other day the local secretary of the Victoria League sent me the Victoria League Monthly Notes for September. For many issues ;iust there hns been appearing a scries of 36 verses outlining English history. Thi.s outline is now sold as a penny leaflet, the propte going to the Victoria League or to u patriotic fund. Two additional verses have just born added—one on Kiiic; George, the ether on "The European War. 1914." Here they aro; what do you think, of them? We've li.nl Kings who wore erafty ami wary; But- :i sailor-King lireev.v anil airy, Like a whiff from the pea, Is tlm monarch for mo; An.l line's to liis oonsnrt, Quoen Mary. 'IV knoek we aro pi vine; the Kaiser, I? what yon may call a siirpriscr; He thought that John Bull Had Ids hands overfull; He is now gplling (.atlilcr and wiser, lie thought Hint' niir men fight; That liia armies wonM put them to flight, Ami lie ilralil; t<) "The Day," Iμ his crrogmil. way; Snt, t'-la the da; oomas t&e nigh*.