NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 20

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Alpha writes :— Can you or any of your readers Inform me of some easy method of taking the hard incrusted amalgam from old copperplates as used for gold saving? Oould any easy method be suggested, it would prove of great benefit to miners andmillmenall overthe colonies Hitherto the plan has been to scrape the copper plate with some sharp instrument, such as a knife or chisel, &Q.—& slow and very tedious process. I have heard it suggested to heat the copper plate red-hot, and then plunge into water, the amalgam being said to come off in scales. Any novice should know this will not work, as, owing to the heat, the mercury would evaporate and leave the gold cemented to the copper. I have been also told that there is som chemical application that will effect the desired , end. — We have submitted the question to Experts, but are informed that no simple method ..-. I .mwn, It is impossible to extract the noble metals horn the inferior ones. Novice. Stewart Island.— For 1001b meat use 71b fine salt, two quarts molasses, and four ounces saltpetre. Puck closely with this mixture between the layers of meat ; add sufficient water to cover the meat. Let It remain thus for six weeks, then smoke. Another method (for immediate use): Use 61b of salt, and put the meat in pickle for four ■weeks ; or rub the mixture of salt., molasses, and saltpefire on the fleshy side, and pile the meat up' one piece on top of another, dividing the mixture into three parts, and rubbing it on with three days intervening, letting it remain in the pile until the salt is absorbed, then smoke. Yet another methods Powder finely £lb saltpetre, and mix it thoroughly with 41b good salt and lib • coarse sugar. ' Rub the inside of each flitch with the mixture, and place them skin downwards, one above another, in a tray having a gutter found it to drain . off the brine. Change the salt every fourth day and reverse the order of the flitches, putting the bottom one top, and ao on, and so on for about six weeks for a twelve-score pig, or less in proportion for smaller ones. Hang the flitches up to dry for a few days and then smokelhem. Oak and beech wood are most esteemed in England for this purpose, but of course they are difficult to obtain here. A Squatteb —Irish peach (early), Cox's orange pippin (medium), Kibston pippin (late), all dessert; Keswick codlin, Hawthornden, Nonesuch, all cooking. See reply to J.H.L. in Witness of May 27 for full list. In Tbottbi/e, Longridge. — We think not. but of course you can narclly exp o ct us to express a decided opinion on euch a matter. There are specialists among tha regular practitioners, and you had much better trust your case to one who has made a special study of the particular complaint with which you are troubled. X., Edendale.— We have made Inquiries, at several booksellers' •hops, but have failed to hear of any-

thing likely to be of use to yon in the preparation ■ 01 your essay. ' ', Subsombbb, Gore,— (l) The .London .Standard it filed at the Dunedln Athenasum. (2) Your only way would be to employ an agent. . Dewey and Co., 220 Market Btreet, who will either undertake the matter for you or hand it to "someone who will N.,Buriißide.— Write ,to MrW^H. Mansford.regUtrar of the Otago University, for a copy of Calendar for 1887, in which you will find all the particulars you require. ;» . ' ' • Igxobamus.- The'chestnut takes about 15 years be- . fore it perfects its fruit. You will find that each year the fruit produced is larger than- that of the preceding year, and probably next year or the ■ following yours may be fit for use. ' Taiaboa.A.D.— lf carets takennot to choke' the lamb inadministeringit',turpentineandmiikispreferable to fumigation forlungwormr The latter has,' however,, been/successfully used on several laige properties in Otago. The method adopted is j— Build a close-sided pen to hold, say, CO lambs. Place a nail can in the centre.' fenced round to, prevent the lambs upsetting it. Put in the can a handful of burning shavings'; and on top" of these a handful of powdered sulphur. Throw a tarpaulin over all to keep in -the fumes,' *and keep closed for five 1 minutes. Ori no account use charcoal, at the combined fumes of sulphur and obarcoal are 1 poisonous to lambs ; with either paper or shavinei it is safe, however. "" ' " ■ 6 B. X.. Waitah'una'.-(l) National. (2) It is at present being worked on tribute, we believe. (3) The City and Suburban' Tramway offices, ate in Stafford street/ Mr James Williams' is manager; Mac— The question has often been discussed. *As it was not born in Scotland if could not possibly be Scotch. ' You could only describe it as a native of New Zealand of Scottish descent. H. C. writes :— I am troubled with chapped handi. Glycerine does no good. .What should I vie?— We do not know of anything better than the following :- Pure almond oil, loz; pure carbolic acid, 10 dropß ; Friar's balsam, 20 drops ; glycerine a teaspoonful. Mix, Bhake, and rub well in two 'or three times a ,day. • ; • > , Mac— A pain in the back may arise from so many causes that we could not venture to goint* the various remedies; but you might try an electric belt, obtainable from the chemists whose advertisements appear elsewhere. ' Pkrpiexbd.— o cannot be compelled to take over B's share : but O's share is still liable to the first mortgage as well as B's. In Tbouble.-('i) No; of course, it does not' 'clear him. (2) Pay for Its maintenance in accordance with his means. (3) Yes. (4) No ; but he would have to prove that he could not meet any olaim that might be made. J Digger.— Will endeavour to reply next week. 0. D., Milton.— (l) Mild kauri or straight-grained white pine are undoubtly the best known New Zealand woods for violin making. We should suggest kauri (hard) for back, white pine for belly birch for Jribs and scroll. (2) A simple mode of testing sound in wood, is to select your wood which should be about |in thick and lft long' suspend it by resting each end on solid blocks— ' screwed would be better— strike a tuning fork then immediately place it end down on the wood whilst vibrating. (3) Farmer's Violin School and Hemings can be purchased at any music store for a few shillings. Novice.— (l) Rhubarb is a very exhausting plant, and requires plenty of manure. The most suitable soil is turfy loam mixed with well-rotted stable manure. If you desire an early orop place half a small barrel with the end knocked out over each root and put in this a good thick coating of stable manure. The heat thus induced forces the planta while the protection afforded by the sides of the casks saves, the delicate shoots from injury by frost. Some -useful hints appear in the Garden column in our issue of May 27. (2) For strawberries BPlect a good turfy loam, and, if the subsoil will allow, trench to a depth of two feet, and apply a good dressing of well-rotted stable manure to the top and lower spit, for the making of the soil good from top to bottom is a necessity if the best results are desired.- The beds should be prepared some little time before planting to allo* them to settle firmly before receiving the plants. It would have been better if they had been put in three or four months ago. - W. E. H.— (l) The quantity of wire netting imported into New Zealand during 1885-86 w^ja : 1885, 5723 packages, valued at £5230; 1886, 8359 packages, valued at £7748. Wire fencing— 1885, 6893 ton* 12cwt, valued at £79,877 ; 1886, 7390 tons, valued at £80,088. (2) We have no means of ascertaining the amount imported to the Australian colonies. Miner, Wetherstones.— (i; Th« gumfields are situated in different localities in the province of Auckland, and are all in regular communication with the city. The nearest is the most recently discovered field at Papakura. It is within seven miles of Auckland, and can be reached by rail. The Eiverhead field is in daily steam communication with Auckland, and that at Mongomii ia reached by sailing vessel, and is between 30 miles and 40 miles distant. (2) Work can be prosecuted all the year round, (3) No license is, we believe, charged for working. (4) The amount earned depends very much, upon the intelligence and industry of the individual engaged in the work. The gum occurs in patches, presumably oh the spot where the tree originally stood. It is covered over with earth, and the fossicker has a long spear which he forces into the earth in order to find a patch. When the spear strikes gum it comes up with someon the blade, and a circle is then made round the spot and the patch is dug out. A man may, of course, go for days without striking any, especially if he is a fresh hand, and has not learnt the indications of the presence of the material he is searching for. (5) The amount earned ranges from £2 to £3 per week at prelent, but when gum fetched a good price as much as £4 has been made. The work is very similar to that of the ordinary navvy. J. M., DJpton.— Will endeavour to answer your query in the Angling column next week. Querist. — " Homoio-ousian" is a word indicating a belief that the Divine' Son is of like substance with the Father. " Homo-ousian" is a word indicating a belief that the Divine Son is of the same substance as the Father. The latter is the orthodox belief, These parties in the Church were not those of contending heretics. In English too there are words from which the omission of a ' letter makes all the difference in the world.