NOTES AND QUERIES,

Otago Witness, Issue 1805, 25 June 1886, Page 17

NOTES AND QUERIES,

Subscriber. — (1) We could scarcely, in fairness to our ailiertiscrb, recommend any 'paiLicular make of chaff cutler, but if you are desirous of procuring a colonial-.nmdi; one, ,>ou will have no difficulty in obtaining comjiptont pi.aetical opinion* as to' the value ot the different make*, iioth Messislteid and Gray and Messrs Andrews and 15e;u en have du'ing the past few months published a number of testimonials from well-known iigr.culfuristb who have purchased their implements, and if you do not consider these explicit; enough you might communicate personally -with tiie writers, who would no doubt supply" you with any further information you may be desirous of obtaining. (2) "The Game of Draughts: Critical Positions and Problems," by Joseph Gould, well hound, Us post free ; " The (nternntionnl Match Games between bngland and Scotland," witli portraits of the players, 5s (id post free. l!oth to be obtained from Mr David K. Hay, Octagon. W. A. — If you have remonstrated with the teacher on his conduct without effect, your best course is to lay a complaint before the committee and ask for an inquiry. However much in the wrong a boy may be, the teacher has certainly no right to "knock him quite stupid by thrashing him": that is most assuredly the wrong way to endeavour to effect a reiorin in the lad's conduct. 13. O. 8., Hyde.— Walker's " Art ot Chessplaying " is now quite out of date, and not procurable. The best book is Stauntou and AVormald's " Theory and Practice," which may be had in Dunedin Jor about 10s. Gossip's -'Chess Openings" is also a good work, and may be procured in Dunedin for 7s 6d. Suisscmbkr, Waiwern, forwards the following extract with reierence to a method of destroying the CUifoni'iui or C nadian Uiistle:— Mr Pc rson, the agricultural chemist of Victoria, has furnished to the department a leport upon his experiments as to the best menus ot destroying the Calitornian thistle, accompanied by a diagram showing the underground ramifications of the roots and the shoots m-king tor the suiface. The chemicals used by Mr Pearson were sulphuric acid, hydrochoriclic acid, chloride of lime, chlorine water, sodic hyposulphite, sodic sulphide, cauatio, sod>i, and vinegar. Chloride of lime was found to be most efficacious, salt coming next, but the former would be iound the cheapest— viz., £n 5s per acre, including ploughing in— but it is only by its constant use that the thistle can be destroyed. J. J. J.— The engagement ring is usually worn on the third finger ot the right hand. DEXiUQury.— (l) You have written "hablet," but 3ou prnbfibly mean riding habit. If so, we should say that (.he w uld have a decidedly fast appearance in such colours. (2) Certainly not. (3) The reply w< uld be in the name of tile three pcrsuns invited, and it really would not matter which of the three penned it. (1) Soap is a chemical combination ot a fatty substance with caustic lye, the base of which is either potash or soda, the 'former producing solt and the latter hard soaps. To make snapmakt-rs' lye : To one part of quicklime, slacked by sprinkling on it sufficient water to crumble it, add a solution of three parts soda in five paits water Stir the mixture, and allow it to settle ; the clear liquid is then i oured oft, and and constitutes the iiist lye ; the second, third, and fourth lye are each obtain "d by adding successively five parts water, stirring thoroughly, allowing it to bettle. and pouring off the clear liquid into separate vessels. To mike soap: Having thus prepared the lye, take 201b of pure grease, and melt it slowly in an iron vessel ; keep it at a modt r.ii c heat, and slir in, a little at a time, 10lb thiid lye ; after stirring tor about an hour, let the mixture get up to a. boiling heat, and Mien stir in, by degree-, lolb second lye ; this will complete the lii st. stage of the process, which is termed saponifieation. The n"xt btep, called cutting up the pan, is to add by degrees a mixture ot soda and lye with fr.un two to three pounds common salt ; tin's separates the excess of water from the curd, leaving a soapy paste ; boil and sfii for some time then let it settle and dr.iw off the water. The third operation, clear boiling, has now to be performed ; stir into the past? by cleg, ees 51b first lye, and, when perfectly mixed and smooth, boil the whole tor two houis; should the soap during the intervals become too liquid, which may happen when too w eak a lye lias been used, some salt, or a weak lye containing salt, must be added. The boiling i& terminated when la>-f>e, regular, dry scales appear on the surface ; when this is the c-.se lee, it settle, and draw off the fluid which remains. Put the soap into frames lined with cotton cloth, which Ims been well powdered w ith a mixture of lime and stnich, and as soon as the soap has become firm lay it out to dry. Constant Keadeh.— (l and 2) See Sporting. (3) The census statistics for the town ot Blenheim are, so far as we are aware, not to hand yet. The estimated population last j-ear, how- ver, .vas 2700. the pupulati-n at the census of 1831 having been 2100. (1) The climate of Marlborough is certainly more suitable for persons tioubled with asthma than that ot Otago. T. B. C, Nevis.— Yes ; every school committee holds office until the appointment of its successors. SimscßiiJFn.— (l) Dust finely powdered sulphur over the mildew in your white cotton goods, and w-> think you will find that it will prove effective. (2) See reply -I to Deniliquin.