General News.

Opunake Times, Volume XXII, Issue 771, 8 September 1905, Page 4

General News.

A Western New York farmer writes as follows to a distinguished scientific agriculturalist to whom he felt under Gbligations for introducing a new breed of swine : " Respected Sir,—l went yesterday to the fair at the M ; I found several pigs of your species. There was a great many beasts, and I was astonished at not seeing yon there." Lawn Tennis is the ugliest and silliest game ever invented. It obliges women to run and hence there are moments when the prettiest girl engaged in this imbecile game becomes a fright. Men who play lawn-tennis should, when they are tired of it, sit flown and hem handkerchiefs and darn socks. To see an able-bodied man, with hair upon his face playing this game is one of the most humiliating spectacles that can be imagined. —Eangiora Standard. The other day a man found on the beach at New Brighton a fiue specimen of the ribbon-fish, measuring 14ft in length. He carefully buried his find in the sandhills with the intention of taking it away the next day. When he visited the spot the next day lie found that somebody had discovered his Measure and carted it; away, the wheels of the vehicle being plainly visible on the sand to the spot. The Premier complains of the degeneracy of Parliament. We quite agree with him, for Parliament is degenerate, and we sympathise with his desire to improve it. He has possessed for many years, and in the exercise of it has lowered the prestige of the Parliament of the Colony. He has undoubtedly sinned in this respect if now he realises that a debased legislature is not in the best interests of the Colony, and endeavours to raise th 6 status of Parliament, we shall go with him heartilv. If the Premier reforms his own methods, he will also reform Parliament. There is a strain of greatness and nobleness in his high character —but is this strain strong . enough to enable him to turn over a new leaf ? We hope so! —Masterton Times. The "Yorkshire Evening Post" states that the feeding of a test-match crowd is a work of some anxiety. Enormous stocks of provisions had to be got in, a large staff bad been engaged, and tons of food had to be actually prepared for consumption. A wet day would therefore have meant an enormous loss to the caterer. Amongst other things, some two or three hundred pounds of salmon and nearly a dozen lambs were consumed. Several hundred baskets of strawberries were eaten on the ground, while the crowd ate 64,800 bananas. At least 50,000 bottles of beer were drunk, as well as several thousand glasses of whiskey and some scores of gallons of mineral waters. Tea also sold well; about 10,000 pork pies were sold. The breakages were distressing. Hundreds of cups and saucers, and a still greater namber of .'.'lasses were smashed ; while two or ihreo --raggons had to make a tour of the ground every evening td collect the beer bottles that had been left on he groun A- <v -9 hundreds of teaPOOUS SU*S Lii.oiUJg. Asparagus is said to be the oldest plant used for food. Canada's population west of Lake Superior was, fifty years ago, eight thousand. The population west of Lake Superior to-day is six hundred thousand", and is 75 per cent British and Canadian born, 25 per cent foreign birth. One smile makes a flirtation. One flirtation makes two acquainted. Two acquainted makes one kiss. One kiss makes several more. Several 'cisses make an engagement. One engagement makes two fools. Two fools make one marriage. One mar>iage makes two mothers-in-law. Two mothers-in-law make a red-hot time. Compared with the other Australian colonies, New Zealand does not pr t y too dearly for its police. In this colony there is one policeman to every 1375 of the inhabitants, and the cost per inhabitant is 2s IOJd. Victoria has one policeman for every 7 ;)8 inhabitants and the cost per inhabitant is 4s 6£d. For the other coir jnies the figures are :—New South W ales 1 to 599, cost 6s ljd; South 'Australia, 1 to 999, cost 4s Ofd'; Queensland, 1 to 598, cost 6s Of d ; W estern Australia, Ito 480, cost 10s, 7sd • Tasmania, 1 to 766, cost 3 s 2d. To show what harm/may result from the instinctive habit; among young children of puttnig things in their mouths, it may ba mentioned (says the Mataura Ensig») that six m onths ago a little boy, son of a well-known local resident, contracted apparently what was some disease of the lungs. The doctor who had the case ill hand could make little of it, oocududing nnally that the trouble had arisen from hydatids. On Friday., however, the child had an unusually severe coughing fit, and coughed up tbo fullydeveloped head of a cocksfoot plant., which had apparently swallowed! by him six months ago.. A « fcb .ti oU ?\ ann ' tlal meetit.g oIE the South Canterbury £> airy Oommny., the report showed a -profit for the yea* of about £590. About i o £ million pounds of milk were Uughi, and £14,780 were paid, a * d milk, butter, and cream sold for £21,976. The town supply of milk waa ' re fced to be profitable 430,9/j! i ba 0 f butter S? °' d s °f whif * 255 ' 00 ° * ei '° S- J? a rl° Cal and the S # ,PPB £'?° W ' on consignment, SS th ' 3 , ne " ed . l d more than the best n t ma t by F -ome buyers in ;the 22T • The 0( ™?™y *™ has creameries. For Bronchial O' «!. ka y. Wnn/ioi r± JUgha take wooae qr eat Peppermint Onre. is U