NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 20

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Susckiber, Invercargill.— The passage of theOunard Company's steamer Etruria from Liverpool to New York is stated to be tbefastteston record. Sheleft the Mersey at 4 p.m. of February 12, and although tbe c ptain took the most southerly, aud 'consequently the longest route, she arrived at New York bar at 6 a.m. of February 19, making the passage in 6d 14hr, a feat unprecedented in the annals of steam navigation. Of another quick passage -that of the Oregon-ra Home paper writing at the time said .— " " The fastest passage on record' between New York and Liverpool was made by the Guion liner Oregon, which left New York on the 26th April 1884 and arrived atQueenstown at 5.16 a.m. on the 3rd May, making the trip in 6 days 16 hours 57 minutes. Passengers who embarked at New York on Saturday, 26th April, were landed at Liverpool on the evening of tbat day week. The highest score of miles run on one day was 436. Her teat was the more remarkable from the fact that she had to traverse over 100 miles at least out of her cruise to avoid icebergs, those pests of the North Atlantic. Mineral, Invercargill. — Tin is obtained from an ore, and of course it cannot be manufactured from iron. 'Your friend is, however, right in the main, * as the so-called tin used in the manufacture of kitchen utensils, kerosene tins, &c, is really iron coated with tin.' This is the reason why they ntot so readily. Wakepa.— (l) Phonographic Teacher (progressive lessons), 9d ; Compendium (rules of writing, &c.) 2d ; Hxercises, 2d ; Teacher and Manuel, 3s 6d. At any booksellers. (2) We are not aware. Enquirer.— Iron and steel goods can be kept from rusting by dissolving Joz of camphor in lib ,of, hog's lard, taking off the scum and mixing it in aB much black lead as will give the mixture an Iron colour. Iron and steel rubbed over with this mixture, and left with it on for 24 hours, and then rubbed with a clean cloth will keep clean for months. Vaseline will also keep off rust. Tiny,— The fact of a husband "deserting his wife for seven years "or any other period is not sufficient to justify the latter marrying again unless she has reasonable cause to believe him dead. As your husband is within reach, and is living with another woman, you had better sue for a divorce. Old Identity. — Certainly not unless he is a parent. Jaji.es Doolan writes.— Will you let me know through your paper if a squatter or a large farmer can hold sections on deferred payment and not live on them ? There is one squatter in Southland who holds five sections in the names of members of his family, and three other sections by-names of dummies. Not one of the licensees lives on the sections held in his name. One man manages the lot as one farm. The ranger knows all about it. i If a poor man holds a deferred payment section

and .cannot, meet his payments his license is forfeited,' and the land board will not' grant him anything for improvements. If there is.ouly one law for the rich and poor, the sooner the Southland Land Board is done away with tbe better.' I want a section, 1 but I am 'afraid to take up one " under the present authorities, forthey might want it for a squatter adjoining.— lf thestatemeni' made [ by onr correspondent is correct ! he. should report the ranger to the land board and demand an in* quiry into the matter, He will find that the board is capable of administering the law whether the offender is rich or poor. - W. B.— With the exception of. seeing the name in advertisements we know nothing about >him. It would be as well for those communicated "with to ask for references to 'prominent men resident in the. town referred to. >, ' .- lNQumEßaßksfor the proper method of varnishing ' a floorcloth in a passage.- How soon can the doth be used' after the varnish is applied ?— Have'any of our readers had any experience in the matter? We should Bay that a couple of coats' of copal'varnish put onin the usual manner should be all that is required. It would be as well'tb leave it for three or four days after putting on the second coat 'to allow of its thoroughly drying. G. M., Milton.—T he only thing that is likely to do any good- is to practice closing the hand forcibly ' till the muscles lengthen. • This should be done two' or three times a day. A little freahYhog'a lard might be rubbed well into' the palm night and morning. • , Diggek, Naseby.— As we cannot answer this question with certainty, we can only auggesbthat you consult a solicitor; but 'we decline to advertise any particular solicitor by making'any-recom-mendation. If you like to communicate with us privately we can recommend someone. < . - TEvioT.-(l) You can sue for the debt and use the IOU in proof of it. (2 and 3) No'; it may be for any amount. (4) Yes. • ' Inquirer writes: (1) I have a small section of ground fenced in, the fence on one side consisting of two wires and a top rail. If my, neighbour? caltle c'oirie through the fence would it be deemed a sufficient fence to justify me in impounding them ? (2) If I did impound, could I be summoned for illegal impounding ? ' (3) How many wires' should there be to make a fence sufficient ?—(l) No.' (2) Yes. (3) Seven, or six and a top rail. s • • Inqubrkb.— Wheat after tares on a moderately fertile soil : It is necessary to observe that the success of a tare crop in a great measure depends on the thorough preparation of the soil. Home Country farmers who purpose . sowing spring vetches give a first ploughing in autumn. After harrowing, a second ploughing is given- in the spring, so as to ensure line tilth. The quantity of seed nenerally allowed is from 2 to 2$ bushels of tares,,and with 1 bushel of rye or Cape barley. English barley and oats are also used for the purpose of keeping the tares erect ; but rye and Cape barley are quicker growers, and therefore are to be preferred as a mixture with spring tares. The crop will be available during the summer heats, and can eitherbe fed off or mown. By successive sowings a constant supply of valuable stool* -food may be provided through the summer. Frequently the land from which the early cuttings have been taken is cropped with late varieties of turnips, but of course in such cases manure is requisite. When no aiter-crop is taken there is ample time afforded for the thorough cultivation or fallowing of the soil as a preparation for winter wheat." One great benefit follows the rapid growth,' of tares on well prepared land, the crop smothers all annual weeds. When the crop is mown and carted— not fed off— in order to maintain the ' fertility of the soil, and to ensure a full j?ield of, wheat, a light dreising of manure should be applied when seeding for the latter. If fed off by sheep the soil is greatly enriched and a heavy aftercrop of wheat a certainty, If mown, all. the animals on the farm wijl benefit. , The supply of milk from the cows will he .vastly increased ; the horses will be kept in good condition and healthy, and the pigs will thrive and even fatten. It must be observed, however, that tares should , be cut when the pods , are > just tolerably well formed and long before they ripen, if intended for stock feed. When out very green, and especially after rain, tares, if given hi unlimited supply to cattle or horses, are likely to cause " hoven." To sum up it may be stated that the experience in many English counties has shown that " wheat succeeds best after beans, vetches, and clover," but it must be added that the practice there is to manure for the two firstnamed—the beans and vetches. The general principle is, however, admitted by experienced farmers that plants with naked stems and farinaceous seed succeed well after those with branching stems and fleshy roots, nnd which have been taken ' from the ground or fed off before ripening the seed. Enquirer.— You may smoke hams, if you have not tbe ordinary facilities fordoing it, by first giving a barrel a good smoking, then packing the hams in it flesh side up and pouring the pickle over them till they are covered. The pickle will extract the smoke from the barrel and carry it evenly through the entire mass of meat, the centre of a ham being as perfectly impregnated with it as the outside: See reply to " Novice " in last issue, Experience writes :— For chapped hands or scratches there is nothing better or more simple than tbe camphor balls as sold by Dunedin chemists. It is easily used and lasts for years and gives almost instantaneous relief. I can also recommend the following remedy for rheumatism, lumbago, sprains, bruises, chilblains (before they are broken), and bites of insects:— One raw egg well beaten, half a pint of vinegar, loz spirits of turpentine, |oz spirits of wine, joz camphor. These ingredients to be beaten well together, then put in a bottle' and shaken for lOmin, after which to be corked down tightly to exclude the air. In half an hour it is fit for use. Directions ! To be well rubbed in two, three, or four times a day. For rheumatism in the head, to be rubbed at the back of the neck and behind the ears. Cadinet.— (l) Not without the consent of the mortgagee. (2) We do not think adding to the length of the funnel would do any good. We shall ask the maker's advice and reply more fully next week. Fabmbr, South 'and.— AH food consists of organic aud inorganic matter ; the organic is again classed • as nitrogenous and non-nitrogenout. The ' use of • the nitrogenous is to repair waste of tissues' and i add to the flesh of the animal ; the non-nitrogenous substances promote heat, and are necessary to eus- . tain perspiration, and any surplus goes to lay up fat. The inorganic constituents of food supply the materials— principally phosphate of lime and magnesia— necessary to build up the bone. The following table shows the comparative feeding ' values of the foods specified. Thus should 61b of barley, under favourable circumstances, produce lib of meat, while 1501b of mangolds would be required : — '

1 The percentage of the constituents of swedes are : ' — Non-nitrogenous matter, 8*474; nitrogenised | matter, iM4; water, 89. Reply re cream separators next week. "'">.. B. Ralston.— The following tables supply the information you ask for :— ' '• Populafc'n, Populat'n, Populat'n, • InColony. 1881. 1884. 1886. crease. Victoria ... 849,000 961,000 1,033,052 184.052 N.S. , Wales 751,000 921,000 1,030,762 279,762 New Zealand 489,000 564,000 589,000 100,000

—Buying a Pig in a Poke.— Pat, ruefully, to his old sow with a litter of two, he having 1 sold six pigs in advance: "Och, sure* and ye've made a fool uf yourself for wanst— and me, toot"

PopulaColony. tion. Victoria ...' 1,033,052 ST.S. Wales... 1,032,762 S.Australia... 312,439 tfew Zealand 589,336 Queensland 343,668 New Zealand according' to Financial Statement) 589,331 Mndebtednes Debt. per head. 33,110,938 £33 10 41,064,359 39 16 9 19,000,000 60 16 4 37,558,553 63 14 6 23,320,850 -67 16 9 31,688,349 55 12 8

* 1h Barley ... Oats ... Beans ... Pease ... ID. ... 6to 1 ... 7tol ... Btol ... Btol ID. Oloverhay „. 12tol Swedes ... 150 to 1 MaDgoWs ... 150 to 1 Carrots ... 160 to 1