NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 17

NOTES AND QUERIES.

H, W.— The proper season for sowing flax-seed (linseed) is from the middle of September till middle of October, according to the situation, elevation, and aspect of the land. Frosts scrionsly injure the young plant. New CuaM.— (l) The first digging should be no deeper than the lowest roots havo ponetrated, and each spit should bo set up on tho comer, so that the frosts may penetrate it thoroughly. Subsequently the crops must be wide apart in drills, and repeated workings with the three or four-pronged gardenfork given, and any surviving sorrel roots picked up and remove. (2) Sorrel in a garden must be teased to death, as an application of lime in sufficient quantity to kill it would have the same effect on other vegetation. (3) We cannot recommend sweetbriar for an enclosing fence for a garden, although it makes excellt nt subdividing ones. On tho whole, thorn, well grown and ltopfc properly cut and trimmed, will be found the most effective and sufficiently ornamental. (4) As vigorous growth is a ureat 'object, deep digging, or, better stiJl, trenching and mauuriDg, will insure a strong hedge in a very short time. (5) of two-year old thorns, three to the foot • none younger should bo planted. (6) June is a proper season for planting fruit trees, which will thrive well in ground just now broken up. (7) A i liberal allowance of bone-dust. 1 Cjuobbtor, Lawrence.-There is no given tule by [ * which you can team to twipfc a ball, The art of

twisting or breaking from either the leg or the off | can only bo acquired by long practice and observation in play, with a straight bat, end como down hard on them, if you havo time. Rook and Pim,ar.— The insect you forwarded to us is a species of Hemtfehm, a genus of orthoptera (cockroaches, grasshoppers, &c.) It was fthvo when wo received it, and beincc a very fine specimen we have presented it to the musenra for you. Canada.— Your only route from Dunedin to Manitoba would be by steamer to San Francisco, thenco through by. rail into Canada, 'lhere is no communication by 'sailing vessels from Port Chalmers to Canadian ports. P. asks :-(l) Will you let me know at what price Darwin a work (which you reviewed lately)," Tho Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Agency of Worms," was published ? (2) What is the uame of a useful or interesting book on ph? Blo « n / S n ?» a ™\ what price is it published at ?-(l) Us- (2)( 2 ) A S ood ono at about 15s. A Lharnrr, Lawrence.-Mr Bovorly kindly .supplies the following in reply to your query '.-Difference between the apparent and true Jovol.lho correction, in feet, for curvature is two-thirds of the square of the distance in miles. The correction, in fcot, for refraction ia one-tonth of the square of the distance, in miles. (In England one-ninth is allowed, but that is too great for New Zealand.) Hence the true correction is the difference between the two, or soventeon-thirtleths of the square of the distance.

Thresher asks :— What is the best composition to use . for preventing incrustation in the inside of a portable throshing-ongine boiler ? I have been advised to use caustic of soda ; it I did, would it injure the Iron any ?-Meßsrß A. and T. Burt kindly supply us with the following answer to your query :—" Caustic soda is the greatest enemy to iron. The best thing you can do is to suspend in the boiler £ cwt weight of ingot zinc to the horse-power, taking care not to let it touch the boiler." Messrs Burt supply the ingots in suitable size. Constant Reader.— Mr H. Schroeder's address is : '! Clydevale Station, Waiwera. ' J. 'T. G., Palmerston, writeB :— The Licensing Act, 1881, says that each ratepayer shall only have one vote. In the event of a contested election, must a voter, in accordance with the Act, erase all names on the ballot-paper but one, or can he leave, if he chooses, five names uncancelled ? If the latter, does he not record five votes instead, and is this legal ?— Bach voter can vote for five, or any number less ' than five. • ( " - A. k., Macraes, asks us a most extraordinary question : " Can a man," he says, " get a quill and take a piece out of his apples that's growing on his trees,, and insert poison to poison thieves, without an action at law?'— Certainly not. A man who could contemplate such a proceeding deserves to be compelled to swallow the poison himself. J. R. asks if a person who has been imprlsened, for a criminal offence can ait as a juryman or borough, councillor, also if he 1b entitled to a vote"Y->-It depends upon the nature of the offence. The, Act provides that any person convicted of felony, perjury, or of any infamous crime is disqualified Querist writes:— The poemß of Burns, the Scottish, poet, were being spoken of one evening ,by a few, friends, when one of the company casually remarked that the poet's father was a native 6f Aberdeen and cam© to Ayr when about 19 years of age. This statement the others disputed. And at length it was resolved that your decision in the matter be respectfully solicited. Should the statement that the poet's father was an Aberdonian be correct, will you kindly state whether the birthplace of the father has anything to do with the son's nativity.— (1) Burns' father was born in Kincardineshire, not Aberdeenshire. He migrated to Edinburgh, thence to Ayr in his youth. (2) No ; you could not call Burns a native of Kincardine if he was born in Ayr.

Diat. Curvature. Befraction. Curvature and Refraction. ft. in. '~7t. in. it in. Miles. 1 2 f 4 i 5 6 7 8» 4 9 10 - 0 8 2 8 4 2 6 0 7 0-5 8 2 9 4-5 10 8 12 0-5 13 5 15 0-5 16 8 18 4-6 20 2 22' 0 5 24 0 20 0-5 28 2 30 4-5 32 8 35 0 5 37 6 40 0-5 42 8 45 4-5 48 2 51 0-5 54 0 57 o's CO 2 63 45 66 8 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 0 6 1 7 8 8 9 g 10 4-8 75 10-8 0-7 2-7 49 7-2 97 o'3 3-1 6-0 91 03 87 7-2 10-9 27 6-7 10-8 81 76 01 4-8 9-7 2-7 79 1-2 67 0-3 61 O'O 0 . 6-8 2 3-2 3 6-5 5 1-2 6 11-8 6 11-3 7 11-6 9 0-8 10 2-8 11 5-7 12 9-4 14 2 0 15 74 17 I*7 18 B'B 20 4-8 22 I' 6 23 113 25 9-8 27 92 29 9-4 31 105 34 0 4 30 3-2 38 B'B 40 11-3 48 4-6 45 10-8 48 5-8 51 1-7 53 10-4 56 80

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NOTICE. Homeward. Out' mrd. Arrive at— Leave— Arrive at— Leave— Dunedin Saturdays, 7.30 a.m. London,' Mondays. London, Thursdays. Dunedin, Thursdays. 1882 Jan. 28 Feb. 25 Mar. 26 Apr. 22 May 20 June 17 July 16 Aug. 12 Sept. 0 Oct. 7 Nov. 4 1832 Mar. 13 Apr. 10 May 8 June 5 July 3 July 31 Aug. 28 Sept. 26 Oct. 23 Nov. 20 Dec. 18 1883 Jan. 15 1881 Dec 29 1882 Jan. 26 Feb. 23 Mar. 23 Apr. 20 May 18 June 15 July 13 Aug. 10 Sept. 7 Oct. '5 Nov. 2 1882 Feb. .9 ' Mar. 9 Apr. 6 May 4 June 1 June 29 July 27 Aug. 24 ■' Sept. 21 Oct. 19 Nov. 16 Dec. 14 1883 Jan. 11 Dec. 2 Nov. 30 Dec. 30 Feb. 12 Feb.* 8 Doc. 28