NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 24

NOTES AND QUERIES.

A Hint on Thee Planting.— An esteemed correspondent supplies us with what should be a valuable hint at this season of the year, and especially so in view of the extra attention being paid to tree planting as this result of the inauguration of Arbor Day in the colony He states that he has found from actual experience that in order to ensure the best results in moving a tree it is necessary to replant the tree in the same position as it occupied prior tomoving. This is easily done by marking the portion of the stem which faced say north, and planting it with that part of the tree pointing in the same direction. The reason given for the greater success of trees moved without changing the position in which they previously stood is that the roots running in the northerly direction are invariably longer than those on the opposite side, and the branch growth is also stronger. When the stronger growth is changed to the opposite side, a continued struggle ensues on the part of both roots and branches to get back to their natural position, and the consequence is that the flow of sap is seriously checked, and even if the tree is not killed it receives such a shock that it takes a considerable time to make up lost headway. The views of our correspondent are certainly worthy of consideration by those who are engaged in planting trees of any description. Cohnbine : A Warning to Farmers.— Mr Neil Marquis, V.S., Timaru, Writes under date July 29 :— lf it is not infringing on your valuable space, will you or any of your correspondents kindly let me know, through your columns, if the seeds of a plant, or rather parasitic weed, termed "combine" has found its way down south yet ? Of late I have been called to several cases of sudden and unexpected deaths in healthy horses, the causes being assigned to the then seeming bot fly ; but on post mortem examination .the larva; did not appear, the cause of death baing either congestion of the lungs or chronic kidney affection— the latter causing the absorption of uric acid, due to its non-elimina-tion, and consequently poisoning the system. The "combine causes death just as suddenly and effectually, the difference in this case being that the poison that kills in the case of the uric arrangement is collected in and distributed by the body as a whole, whereas the other is taken into the system as a matter of indifferent feeding, and consumed as food. Combine seed resembles " docken seed heated to 33 atmospheres and then dried." The effect of this decomposable and seemingly irritating seed on the alimentary canal (the muscular portion) is to paralyse it, and leave the passing ingesta a difficult and uncertain matter to negotiate. I shall give the treatment in next week's issue. Perhaps some reader can reply to Mr Marquis' question as to whether combine has made it 3 appearance in Otago yet or not. Miner asks :— What should be the circumferential velocity of a lOin centrifugal pump in order to deliver 1500ga_l at a height of 40ft, four sluice heads per minute ? Mr Beverly replies :—: — About 52ft per second, or 510 revolutions of the fan per minute, the fan being 22in in diameter, and the delivery pipe 10n»4n diameter. Pinus Insignis from Cuttings.—" T. F." writes on this subject : — I noticed in your last issue that a correspondent wished to know if Pinus insignis would grow from cuttings. We have tried and have found it successful. It is about four years since we tried the first, and they arc over 7ft high. We put in a good number last year and they are looking well, but they do not grow s>o readily as willows or poplars. Alexander," Shag Valley, also writes, stating that cuttings will grow provided the tender branch is drawn off downwards so that a piece of bark will bo at the end to strike root. The soil must be kept fairly damp. They won't grow if cut like a willow. I have successfully grown them as above. Matrimony. — It is certainly not desirable for first cousins to marry, as any hereditary tnint such as insanity, scrofula, consumption, &c, is almost sure to be accentuated in the offspring of such a union. The risk with second cousins is not so great, but marriages of blood relations of any degree should not be encouraged. M. L. — He is certainly not exempt from payment, and is evidently trying to "bluff" you. Kaka.— Clean and wipe barrels thoroughly dry, then oil wiih Rangoon oil or any other oil that has no salt in it. Convict.— (l) The first fleet of convict shipscomprising H.M.S Sirius and the armed brig J-* Supply, convoys ; the Golden Grove, Fishburn, s " and Borrowdale, storeships; and the Scarborough, Lady Penrhyn. Friendship, Charlotte, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, transports — anchored in Botany Bay on the 20th January 1788. (2) Van Dieman's Land was only taken possession of by the British in August 1803. The first convicts were landed on February 15, 1804, the Ocean transport transferring a number of convicts intended for Port Philip, which place the commander of the expedition condemned as unfit for settlement. (3) The London foundered in the Bay of Biscay on her way to Melbourne on January 11, 3866, 220 persons perishing. Mb Richard Norman writes : — In the Witness of 21st July is an account of a band saw which must be a skit. It says the saw is an endless ribbon sft long;, Sin wide, and travels over pulleys Bft in diameter at the rate of 7000 ft per bocond. This is simply a cross-cut saw worked by a man at each end. The speed seems excessive, viz., nearly a mile and a-half per second, or 90 miles a minute. Finally it says that this saw is made to cut New Zealand timber — the blue gum ! The paragraph was taken from a Home paper as it appeared, and it was intended to be inserted as spowing«the peculiar ideas prevalent at Home with|reference to this colony's requirements. It, however, slipped in without any explanation, and hence has the appearance of having been taken seriously.