EXPORT OF BUTTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 19

EXPORT OF BUTTER.

t?nme months ago Mr G. G. Stead saw m an Kng,.rSvßpaper(say B tbe Lyttelton limes) a stateHi! that a preparation for the preservation of £,tter ffi been patented. He thereupon wrote to h« London correspondents, requesting them to send fc^Ta sample of the material and of the butter preSed Sewith. By the R.M.S.S. Aorongi he has • half a dozen Boz bottles of the preparaj?' v hi C h is known as the " Omnium Preserva* ye" and six packages, each of 21b, of butter, from fhp Avlesbury Dairy Company's factory, preserved ho it He haß opened one of the packages. The litter is of most excellent quality, and in a good fltote of preservation. If the "Omnium Preservaiwl" will enable Canterbury farmers to place their hJfcteron the English market in as good condition as SwSmpleß received byMrStead.it should certainly h»tne means of causing them to findprofitablesale for ff In reference to the sampleof butt ersent here from ,' Avleßbury Dairy Company's factory, Mr Stead a Jorresnondent writes that as the cows at the season then it was packed were beinij fed almost entire y .Tnnndry andartificinlfood, the butter cannot possibly have that delicate flavour which it would possess «me they at grass. The writer also states that the 21b of butter was presented by the dairy company. \t MBt however, no less tban two guineas to send it iufcinthe refrigerating chambor of the Aorangi. The tetter suggests tbat the packages of butter should be onened at intervals of one week, in order to giv« a thorough test of the quality of the preservative, and < is Mr Stead's intention to adopt this course. Another item of information received by Mr Stead \% that an extensive dairying factory has been estabkhed in Schleswig-Holstein, with centrifugal butter mSg machine?. The farmers send the rr.ilk, w lich is measured, and the proceeds of the butter, I" credited to them accordingly. This plan enanres uniform quality and colour of butter. Mr Stead's correspondent recommends that the same method should be adopted in New Zealand. The Sydney Fresh Food and Ice Company have received a very encouraging report of the result of Sr recent shipment 6f butter to the London markfct In a letter dated December 16, Mort and Co. 5,. v '._« The butter has arrived in splendid condition as sweet and as pure as possible. It has been 'renounced by our factors to be the best they had een from any part, excelling the Danish, which is regarded here as the acme. We have quitted it at 110s and 112s a cwt. We are rather disappointed at the price, having hoped much to be able to record 120s but unfortunately the market during the last 10 days, contrary to expectation, has relapsed some ss to 6s. As to the result of other >hi P mentß. we Uve not vet been able to ascertain anything definite, but merely the fact that there lias been nothinc in the market that can at all compare with vmirs -but we will endeavour if possible t o get price. Should you be able and wishfulto establish a trade j, this direction, wo do not think the prejudice concerning the packages will long be an obstacle if quality is kept up^ mmmmmmm^ mmmmm mmm

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wickedly clever rhymes on the subject, the .■situation was changed as by magfo Dr jjelcher, his letter, and the alarming information which, as we now knw> he had concealed within it, became suddenly famous. ] j3o much of virtue, lies in a little funning on j grave subjects* Dc Belcher is no doubt ' 'aware of the debt of gratitude he owes to the graceless satirist who has so effectively ■discovered and expounded him to the .general public. For my own part, although in the exercise of my vocation I read all •letters to the newspapers, and especially any letters by Dr Belcher, I confess that I did nob take in the precise drift and scope of ■this particular letter till I read the ironical •"• 'Lament in Six Wails" — or "Six Howls" was it ?— that the letter evoked next day. But to the matter itself, the subject of this wailing and howling, I must give a separate paragraph. Put into a nutshell, the matter is this : High School boys are going to be " squeezed out" of the good things of life by High School girls. The proof :— ln the competition for scholarships boys outnumber girls by 2 to 1, yet one-half the scholarships go to girls. This result, at first sight so surprising, turns ■out when examined to be perfectly natural, and indeed inevitable. Girls are "more acquisitive" than boys, and have "more staying power," — 30 says Dr Belcher, and he ■ought to know. For these and other reasons which the doctor mentions, girls easily distance boys in open competitions, and .carry off more than their due proportion of prizes. This is a pretty state of things, truly; no wonder the rector of the' Boys' High School writes to the newspapers. The .remedy, however, is simple. It is obviously .a case for handicapping. Let the girls start .at scratch, whilst the boys get 100 yds. It vrill never do to allow our unfortunate sons to be outstripped in the race by the superior strength and staying power of our daughters. As Dr Belcher remarks, " the whole issue is somewhat on allfours with the Protection and Freectrade problem," — quite on all-fours, I should say, and I foresee a new plank in the Protectionist platform — namely, the protection of High School boys against the competition of High School girls. Failing that — and perhaps we are not likely to get it —we niusL fall back on a consolation which Dr Belcher seems to overlook. School life ended, Nature will come to the help of the boys, thinning down their competitors of the stronger sex— as I suppose we must now call the girls — by marriage, occupying them with babies, and compelling them to leave the men a chance. Perhaps the true policy for the " squeezed out " is to appropriate tte squeezers. Let the unsuccessful boys, victims of the unequal endowment of the sexes, make haste to nsarry the successful girls. But for the happy fact that women may be married and done for, the outlook for men would be gloomy indeed. For, says Dr Belcher, " I believe, us I have always believed, that given free scope, women will ■beat men in all the work that women can freely share." Verily this is a surprising belief; nevertheless I agree that safety for men lies in not letting woman have " free scope." But how limit their scope ? By marrying thero, of course — not by decreeing their ex•clusion from High Schools and Universities. Every man who marries transforms a competitor, actual or potential, into a helpmeet. Possibly the inner and unexpressed meaning of Dr Belcher's lei ter is that woman should be educated less as man's competitor and more as man's helpmeet. If so, I agree with him. Girls should be taught more about cooking, nursing, and the physiology of babies, even at the cost of sacrificing algebra and Latin. I observe that Mr Isaac, at the School Committees' Conference, objected to the candidature of a lady for a scat on the Education Board, on the ground that " women were fitted for domestic purposes and the bringing up of a family," and that to give their attention to other pursuits would " detract from their effeminacy." But if women beat men whenever they get "free scope" the painful inference must be drawn that "effeminacy" has already gone over to the other side of the house. ! A lunatic asylum, even though it be like that at Seacliff— a building palatial in outward appearance, — and though it stand upon a hill with the loveliest panorama of land and water stretching before it, is after all a spot of strange and haunting disquiet. What the patients cannot contribute in the way of unpleasantness is made up by a mutual display of Christian charity on the part of the superintendent and staff (vide Auckland and Seacliff Asylums) ; and if the pup of discord is not then full, the building itself will slip bodily a few inches nearer collapse, and threaten to raise a universal shindy beside which mere official bickerings shall sink into insignificance. In the case of the Seacliff Asylum, and the heartburnings, and charges, and counter-charges, and inquiries, and resignations that have happened since its building, I think (subject to correction by the secret report) that persons are less to blame than circumstances. Dr Neill and all who may have sinned at Seacliff are creatures of circumstance, and their sins should not count full weight against them. Has not a house divided against itself long been a subject oE melancholy prediction? And it must be difficult to exercise many cardinal virtues in a house divided like Seacliffi by a yawning rent fiom the basement upwards, getting beautifully bigger as time jogs on. The crack in *the masonry at Seacliff. may, it appears to me, be the hidden cause of all the other breaches that have since occurred, for things went very well when the asylum was iv Dunedin. Now at last a commission is going to sit upon this crack, and we shall find all about the reason why one portion of this eccentric building is continually trying to get down nearer the beach for the sea bathing, while the other sedately prefers to stop where it is, and try and keep the hill in its proper place. It will bo an inexpressible relief to have the crack thoroughly adjudicated upon, and when that is all over, and someone has been sacrificed to the righteous indignation 01 the taxpayer, the evil spirit that has troubled the place may belaid.

H any faults are to be found with Major Dave, a globe-trotter of the American persuasion, who has been entertaining audiences

,in\ the Garrison Hall, the faults are quite on the right side. He is satisfactory and reassuring. upon foreign affairs, putting entirely , a new face upon European complications, and making the breasts of Englishmen to glow as though they had whopped an enemy, or were satisfied that they could whop him as soon as he would be kind enough to appear. This sense of might is invaluable when it comes to fighting, and an army officered by men like the major would have a decidedly better chance at a pinch than one officered by men who had drunk much green tea and groaned over adverse combinations. There are two ways of looking at everything, and Major Dane's way of looking at the coming struggle is most to be commended to Englishmen. It may not be the correct way, but it is the nicest. We have heard a good deal of late about the stupendous power of Russia> and the virtual irresistibility of an aggressive Franco-Russian alliance. Major Dane poohpoohs all that, and has a new Triple Alliance of his own by which the way to Constantinople is for ever barred, and which pictures the Turk, much despised of late in European counsels, squatting complacently master of the situation. He has maintained a dead silenceall this time, says the major, not because he is so weak, but because he is so strong. Well, that is very pleasant hearing indeed concerning one of England's natural allies. M ore power to the Turk and to the other European combina* tions by which the enemy whom we thought so formidable is to be dished speedily and simply. His theory is comfortable, and may be adopted at least until it is contradicted by events, which may not happen. As a rule, the relative strength of powers is not really found out until the weapons begin to clash. The last Napoleon never dreamed but that he should be able to concentrate and cross the Ehine within a few weeks of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. He conceived himself cast in that drama for the role of the invader, not the invaded. Austria never dreamt that the breechloader could really do what it did at Sadowa; Russia never expected to find a Plevna in Turkey. Therefore, seeing that the game of war is an open one, and never lost till it is won, it is better to hold opinion with Major Dane, and believe till further orders that the right side — i.e., the side to which we belong— can and will sweep the board.

The revival of the prize ring which has already unmistakably begun is another illustration of the phrase " scotched not killed." Englishmen thought it was killed 30 years ago, just as they thought Protection was killed; but Protection is now ambling forward again in England very fresh and lively though in a slightly altered dress. Commenting upon this dreadful resuscitation, Mr John Bright, one of the anti-Corn Law heroes who fought side by side with Cobden, observes disgustedly, " The dog has returned to his vomit." What remark has Mr Bright as a Quaker got to make concerning this other revival, which may be considered almost an accomplished fact ? Kilrain and Smith have assumed the cast-off mantles of Heenan and Sayers and crossed over to France at the head of a select coterie of dukes, marquises, and the cognoscenti, otherwise "the fancy." These champions pummelled each other soundly for hours to their great pecuniary profit and personal glory, and in view of their success, Mr John L. Sullivan, who has the reputation of being but a drunken ruffian at the best, promptly crossed the Atlantic and was shaken warmly by the hand by the Prince of Wales. Yes, time is rolling back his chariot a few decades and preparing the stage to play an old scene over again. The wonder is — when we come to reflect how entertaining a little brutality is as a recreation when the rough edge has once worn off — the wonder is that prize fighters have been successfully pinioned for so many years. The pursuit of their handicraft is illegal now, of course, but so it was at the time that it flourished consummately upon English soil. If the police are smarter now than then, they are not so smart but that they can be outwitted when the occasion renders it worth while. It is certainly going to be made worth while when the English Heir-Apparent in his capacity as a leader of social opinion publicly shakes hands with the brawny American slogger.

The legitimate professors of the healing art more than other men are harassed by unauthorised intruders into their domain. Now it is a medical clairvoyant, now a faithhealer, now a " lady doctor," who cures all diseases by one and the same medicine. One charlatan goeth and another cometh ; all are alike welcome to the bottomless ignorance and credulity of Lho public. Moreover, all alike rake in the dollars. There exist non-expensive forms of quackery ; but somehow these do not seem to come our way. The " Christian Scientists," of Boston, New England, do cures of the miraculous sort, and apparently do them cheap. A broken leg can bo " studied" into soundness without setting, though to "ease the patient's mind" he may also have the assistance of a surgeon. A pistol shot wound through the lungs begins to heal as soon as a "Christian Scientist" enters the room. One much aiilicted sufferer is cured of cancer of the chest, tumour in 1 the stomach, and Bright's disease of the kidneys "at one swoop." Probably the subject of a miracle of healing so comprehensive as this is as vain of his list of diseases as a Salvationist is of his catalogue of former sins. Thus in this week's War Cry I read that " Brother K. 'svas so far given up to drink that he would swallow livo frogs for a drink of beer, and has swallowed live mice and cockroaches for a pint of beer"— with othei .'interesting confe.ssions of the same sort. VaViity counts for a good deal in testimonies of marvellous healing, moral or physical. I have remarked that the Christian Scientists seem to do their miracles gratis, but one can never tell. When there is delusion on one side there is pretty sure to be fraud on the other. All quackeries alike, if you get to the bottom of them, are rooted in the aiiri sacra fames. Civis.

The election petition arising out of the recent elections for councillor;* for Waihemo county, in which Mr Glover petitioned ngainst the return of Mr O'Neill, was heard at Palmerstonon Weducwlny before Mr R. W. Robiu.'-on, R.M. It will be remembered that the cass was before the Supreme Court recently on an application for a mandamus to cause the resident magistrate to

hear and determine the case, Mr Findlay, who appeared in support Of the petition, asked for an order removing Mr O'Neill from the office of councillor. After hearing counsel, the magistrate made an order ousting Mr O'Neill and deolaring Mr Glover to be duly elected.

It is not generally known that Captain Drew, late skipper of the schooner Awarna, is at pre* seat serving a sentence of six months' imprisonment at Invercargill in default of payment of fines for breach of the sealing regulations. The Western Star onthia remarks :— a ln connection with this business there is not much credit attaching to the owner of the schooner, who, it would appear, runs no risks but gets most of the profits accruing from the work of his servants."

The Mosgiel School Committee have voted ,for Dr Brown and Messrs Keith Ramsay and John M'Gregor for the Education Board.

The fourth series of wool sales at Dunedin will take place on the 16th inst.

At Wednesday's meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees a woman who had been receiving relief from the trustees applied to have an alteration made in her allowance. A few weeks ago, when the case first came up for consideration, it was decided that her five children should be admitted into the institution, but she declined to let them go t and since then had been receiving a weekly order for 10s worth of groceries. She, however, did not appear to be satisfied with this allowance, and wished the trustees to give her £1 a week in cash instead of the order for groceries. The chairman, in referring to the woman, said very delicately but significantly that her husband was •' away from home," and would be away for some time. He also intimated that she complained that the groceries she got were coarse, and that she thought she could do better if allowed £1 in cash. He, however, expressed the belief that it would not be a wise thing to give her money. On being asked by one of the trustees why she did not agree to the arrangement to put her children in the institution, the applicant replied that if they were sent there she did not think she would be able to earn her own living, as she suffered at times from bilious attacks. After some consideration the trustees decided not to grant the applicant's request; and after this decision had been arrived at, the chairman confidingly remarked to his fellow trustees that the womau was the plague of his life.

A friendly match has been arranged between the Dunedin and Portobello Rifle Clubs, to take place on the Mornington range on Saturday, the 11th February, at 2 p.m. ; ranges 200 yds and 500 yd s; seven shots at each range. Kynoch's ammunition only to be used. The following members have been selected to represent the Dunedin Club : — Messrs J. G. Clow, G. Liddell, J. Hardy, J. B. Dalziel, P. Y. Wales, T.Menzies, Joseph Heatley, JJ. Marchbanks, A. Waugh, T. A. Wallace; emergencies— F. B. Smith, W. Binnie.

At the last meeting of the Clutha River Board, a letter was read from Mr V. Pyke, M.H.R., explaining that he had long been anxious to get the river rendered navigable, as, be said, it could easily be to at least as far as Roxburgh ; but even if cleared to Beaumont it would prove of immense advantage to up-country settlers, who would take advantage of it to travel southwards and convey produce by way of Balclutha. He asked the attention of the board to this important matter. It was resolved that the secretary reply suggesting thab Mr Pyke might get tho Tuapeka County Council to instruct their engineer to make a survey of the river to the points named, and give an estimate of the cost of rendering the same navigable; also, that if Mr Pyke could induce the Government to meet the cost of the work the board would gladly co-operate in carrying on the traffic.

Mr Dodson, M.H.R., who has a large orchard and hop gardens at Blenheim, has been very successful in devising means for killing the codlin moth. He saw nothing of the pest till about Christmas, when he suspects that moths from the neighbouring orchard invaded the trees. He then tied bags around the trunks and limbs. These were taken off once a week, the caterpillars killed, and the bags again tied on. Mr Dodson thinks fchat this simple plan would prove effectual if orchardists in the same neighbourhood were to adopt it. It has the merit of cheapness, at all events.

Our Blueskin correspondent writes: — "The chairman and secretary of the Education Board held an inquiry on Monday afternoon at the scboolhouse, Evansdale, into the charge made by the school sewing mistress against the teacher for, as I understand, uncourteous conduct towards her in the discharge of her duties. Unfortunately, for years back there have been sectional disputes existing in that district for or against the teacher. To such an extent has the dispute gone that it has now reached the point of hatred, and at the meeting the women or wives toot a prominent part, for they marshalled themselves under a leader, and had their say iv spite of Dr Brown and his coadjutors. A young woman, barely out of her teens, went so far as to nearly strike the schoolmistress, the crowd yelling and conducting themselves more like maniacs than sensible people. The teacher, Mr Fraser, is unquestionably well liked, the children -even being enthusiastic supporters. Such being the case, it would be much better that the feeling should be allowed to cool down, and that all residing in the district should take a new lease, shake hands, let bygones be bygones, and so sow the seeds of friendship in place of animosity.

Miss Balrymple and her sister, Mrs Peter Stewart, formerly of Otago, now residing near Fellding, in the North Island, will receive a few girls as resident pupils. They will be assisted by an experienced governess. There will be careful tihrlefciau training, and the usual course of instruction -will be followed, but the number of subjects for each pupil will be in accordance with age and capacity. A special feature will be systematic teaching of the moral duties of life and the laws of health, and these, as much as occasion may require, shall be practically observed. Messrs Wright, Sfcephenson, and Co. have a fellmongery for sale by private treaty. Messrs John Beid and Son invite tenders for harvesting and stacking wheat and oats at Corner Bush. Messrs Green and Souness, Gore, will sell growing wheat at Eiverslea Farm, Cattle Flat, on the loth inst. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. will sell on the 24th March the Jafce Balph Moir's estate, near Balclutha. consisting of 2250 acres of agricultural and pastoral land. Eatepayers In Walkouaiti County are notified that the county clerk will be in attendance at the various ridings on days specified in the advertisement for the purpose of receiving payment of rateß due. The Education Board invite applications for vacancies in various centres. The addresses of James, Mary, and Lizzie Baird, formerly of Glasgow, are inquired for. An advertisement which app oarßo arB elsewhere states that a firm of butchers in England wish to make a contract with senders of New Zealand mutton to have 4000 sheep a month delivered in London at a stated price. Sheep to be wethers, and about bOlb weight. The Portobello Eoad Board publish elsewhere the scale of charges which will be in force at the Waverley toll- house on and after March 1. Mr G. Fanjohar, Highcliff, has a 53-acre farm to let,