NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 20

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Fakmek, Maheno.— Ab many others have been successful in making butter by burying the cream in the tnannor recommended in the paragraph we quoted from an American paper some little time ago, in all probability the failure in your case lay in the application and not in the system itself. The owner of a dairy in Auckland is stated to be so satisfied with the results of repeated trials that she has practised this method of making her butter for some weeks past ; a farmer at Cromwell was likewise successful in his experiments ; while we have read of similar successful results in different parts of New Zealand, and also in several of the Australian papers. True, a number of failures have also been reported, but you might as well condemn a churn because an inexperienced beginner fails to get the butter to come as to condemn any new idea simply because a failure or two are made in the beginning. Possibly the cream was not sufficiently ripe, or the ground was not perfectly dry, or there may have- been some other element wanting which will suggest itself if you study the matter out. In publishing the original paragraph we had no thought of the system superseding the me of the churn ; we merely gave publicity to it as an interesting experiment, and one which under special circumstances it might be found worth while giving a trial. The " following experience of a Nelson farmer may show you where you went wrong : — Having read some time ago in the Weekly Hews how to make butter without churning, I determined to try the experiment, and buried the cream in the ground enclosed in a calico bag, allowing it to remain there for 24 hours. Upon opening it I found the cream had become quite solid, and appeared like a lump of butter that required washing, but tasted like sour cream. I then tried to wash it in the usual manner, but directly I began to work it it dissolved and returned to its former state as before being buried. However, I was not discouraged, and determined to try it again, and after burying a fresh lot of cream the same length of time as before, I commenced working it without water, and discovered where I made the mistake before. The small quantity of buttermilk that remained soon came away, leaving a lump of beautiful butter, which I washed and salted in the usual way. I can safely say I have never eaten better butter in my life. Butter made, in the above way should be most profitable, as not a particle is lost, and the saving of labour is great, as, after being taken out of the ground, a few, minutes will make the butter. Butterkeeps well potted when made in this way. I only make a- small quantity for home use, but should like to hear the opinion of those who make for the market. FooTBAtLEB (Roxburgh). — If the ball touches the corner flag it is in touch ; but unless the feet of the player, running with the ball, actually went into touch and thus knocked down the corner flag, the try is legal. O. W , Mataura.— Strychnine is no doubt the best poison in preparing seed for birds. Select the spot on which you intend to lay the .poisoned gram in a locality to which poultry or stock have not access. *or a week previous to laying the poisoned grain scatter wheat on the spot daily to get the birds into the habit of frequenting it. Prepare the poisoned grain thus : Take ldr strychnine and 2dr sulphuric or muriatic acid diluted with a little water before dissolving it in boiling water. Put in a jug or bafin 41b wheat, and allow it to soak in the solution for 24 hours, or ualil the grain has swelled. Half dry it "rapidly over the fire, when it is ready to lav. The greatest caution should ba exercised in laying the grain to guard against accidents. After the first poisoning it is as well to lay unpoisoned grain for a few days ,to give any birds left, confidence, before a second poisoning. Thfa matter hao recently received some attention in the Tuapeka district. 'At the last county council meeting Mr Edie stated that he had bean very successful with strychnine, and said that half-a-crown'a worth would poison all

the birds on a large farm. At, the farmers' union Mr James Fahey said that he had been very successful in destroying the small birds with phosphorised crushed oats or wheat and rape seed, which he found to be very effective. • Yebitas.— Yes, two witnesses are required; the fact of the testator drawing out the will himself makes no difference, T. W. S., Garsfcon. — Different varieties, a list of which we have not at hand. Write to the Hon. Mr Richardson, Minister of Lands, Wellington. Pbo Bono Pobuco.— We cannot see what object is to be gained by carrying on the correspondence any further. U. iT.— We certainly think he should. No doubt a remonstrance from the parents of the children would have the desired effect. If not, a complaint should be laid before the committee. J. M'K.— Too late for this issue ; will appear next week, E. J.— The " Welcome Stranger," found at Moliagul Victoria, on February 5, 1869, weighed 2280oz; the " Welcome," at Bakery Hill, iBSB, 1841b 9oz 16dwt ; " JPreeious," at Berlin, 1871, 1621oz ; •• Viscount Canterbury," May 1869, 11650z, also at Berlin, Victoria. So far as we are aware these are the four largest nuggets found in Australia. Zknobia.— lf underjlß years eight'hours only. Subsobibbb.— (l) It would of course, depend upon whether you were going up or down the river. If merely stationary, we should decide the left and right side by looking down the river. The usual custom is not to call the banks right or left but east and west, or north and south, as the case may be. (2) Freethinkers are as a rule not Atheists; the term merely indicates that they decline to submit to any of the current forms of belief. Alpha..— (l) Yes, £5 5s is the fee payable on filing a petition to be adjudged a bankrupt. (2) The costs of discharge are a matter of arrangement with his solicitor, and generally come to *t$ or £8, in addition to the filing fee. There are certaiu formalities to be gone through which require the intervention of a solicitor, and take about three weeks to complete. ' 1 James M'lsdoe, Forbury, writes :— Your reply to ■•' Bible Class " is, in one particular, absolutely incorrect, and cannot be supported by any authentic history. Bven that degenerate bcot Macaulay, - who delighted in traducing all the nobla features in the history of his discarded country, durst not make the assertion that Scotland was ever conquered by EDgland or by any other invader. At the period referred to, whan the Scottish Throne waspractically vacant, a treaty was agreed on by which the son of Edward I was betrothed to Margaret of Scotland, and its terms were that Scotland was to continue free— no Parliament to sit out of Scotland, and no suit to be tried elsewhere. Edward confirmed these provisions by his oath, but broke . them on the first opportunity. The death of Magaret put an end to the treaty and when Edward was asked to adjudicate on the rival claims for succeosion he refused to do so unless his claim as Superior of Scotland was admitted. As usual, the nobility and clergy agreed to the humiliation, but the Commons and the populace refused to acknowledge, such a claim. When Scotland's fortunes were at the lowest, when her nominee King Baliol, her nobles, and her clergy were making intrigues to surrender her independence to Edward, the man of the people— the patriot Wallace— appeared, and everything English was driven from the soil. When Wallace was basely betrayed by a hireling countryman, "The Bruce" took the field, and at Bannockburn maintained and finally determined the independence of Scotland. H. M., Kakanui.— (l) " Hard mineral water" is not a sufficiently accurate description to enable us to determine whether the water was fit for drinking purposes or not. In all probability the water you refer to contains Hrae, with perhaps a trace of iron or other minerals in solution, and there is nothing injurious in such a liquid. Boiling water containing lime will purify it from the lime sufficiently to render hard water soft. (2) Salicylic acid, in the proportion of 30 grains to the pint, will prevent fermentation in the gum. Ferneby.— All the New Zealand ferns can be raised from seed (spores) ; but as plants oan be had for a trifle this method is seldom resorted to, unless with some of the rarer varieties. Seedling ferns in all stages can be seen at the nursery of Mr George Matthews, Mornington, where every information will be given. Jacobus.— (lX "The Roads and] Bridges Construction Act" was repealed by "The Local Bodies' Finance and Powers Act 1885." (2) " The Local Bodies' Loan Act " was passed in 1888. Resident writes:— At present I hold a paddock from the Crown, tenant on lease (about 30 acres), but the lease changes hands soon, and the incoming tenant not allowing me to hold the ground (1) is there an act or clause in the Land Act whereby" I could lease the ground from the Crown ? (2) if so, would I have to mark the ground as in a mining lease and have it surveyed? (3) Would I require to apply to the Warden's Court or Land Board? (4) Can a married woman— say, my wife— hold a residence area by paying for a miner's right, I holding another area? (1) It can be done under section 60 of the Mining Aot. (2) Yes. (3) The warden, (i) We are of opinion that can be done. Shareholder writes :— Can a person after paying the application money refuse to take the shares applied for. If so, will he lose the application money or can ho demand that it be refunded ? He can withdraw his application for shares at any time prior to allotment, and he would then be entitled to the return of his money, but after allotment he cannot reject the shares. BBASSICA.— The young mangel plant is exceptionally susceptible of injury from frosts ; you must not, therefore, sow until the severity of fihese has passed. Experienced growers of mangels, if unable to sow until the season is far advanced, steep the seed in tepid water and keep it bo in a moderately warm place for a night. The water must be next drained off, and the seed, just slightly damp, placed under a frame or in a moderately warm place and shaded from light, but the air not completely excluded, will soon germinate, but It must be sown before the tender sprouts appear. Sow thick leab grubs attack the tender young plants. Better have to thin than be compelled to transplant. Manure liberally and you will be : repaid by a heavy crop instead of the usual straggling light one. Constant Reader, Lawrence. — Write to Mr Johnston, poudrette manufacturer, Wingatui. Subscriber, Gisborne. — Leaving clumps of live timber as pro^.c sed ie a most commendable course to follow, is Mil I") understood from the fact that intelligent, Southern farmers have in rece, t years engaged in the ptantiug of' "shelter clumps," notwitbsi ndinu the outdry about " the small bird pest " Borne judgment must be exercised, in selecting the petitions for the clumps. ft.s places of shelter in winter the land should be porous and have sufficient incline to ensure the discharge of surface moisture. Agruu ii would be desirable to have them at t lie intersection of fences, requisite perhaps in the future management of the property. If *o situate, at ock would have access to the shelter fiom any one or more of four paddocks or could be excluded easily from any portion when the field \*ould be in crop or reserved for any purpose. In reference to the liquids recommended for killing trees, we must state we place little faith in their efficiency on an extensive scale. Their action ia frequently only partial, and therefore subsequently, ai in ringbirbing unskilfully or negligently done, there is the troublesome growth of '"suckers "from the ba»e or roots of the tree. Killed trees v near the clumps would be " a standing risk"uf firein summer. The safer and in the end the more economical plan will be to grub out or drag out by the roots, with a "tree and stump extractor " a belt of the tree 3 surrounding those to be left growing. In either case the trees should be f*lleu outwards, but a sufficiently powerful extractor will drag a tree well off to where there will be no danger when consumed in "the general burn." These extractors are coming into favour here One, invented by Cockerill, of InvercargiH, is favourably spoken of. We have not seen it at work on timber, but we saw it successfully used to pull out a powerful traction engine that was boggf-d. An extractor was at work in the winter of 1888 at Catlins river and at Inch-Clutha, in this province. At Catlins both heavy timber had to ba puiled down and large stumps raised. The work was performed to the satisfaction of the owners of the lands, and was said to h&\e paid the contractor well. A similarapparatus removed Inrge stumps, with little trouble, at Inch-Clutha. You have probably tree and stump extractors in the North Island ; if not, and should you desire it, we can make further inquiries as to the working of thoso which have stood a satisfactory test here. Inquired— ln a sunny situation, with a rather ret entive soil. If planted in a shady border or too damp a situation the plants make too many leaves, and do not flower so well as if fully exposed to the summer sun, Plant out in the 6pring or early

summer, keeping the young plants watered till they take root. After the bed or border is planted do not disturb the plants again until after they are done flowering in the following spring. Keep the bed clear of weeds by using a hand fork or trowel. Subscriber. — The agreement is sometimes made that he who takes the two or the greater number of tricks shall be deemed the winner ; but in the absence of such agreement the elder hand wins. W. E., Woodlands, F. W., Tuapeka, and Taieri Ferry. — Letters came to hand too late for attention in this issue. All letters must arrive not later than Tuesday night's mail,