NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 27

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Whales on the Orkneys.— Mr M. J. Isbister Dunback, writes :— Referring to "Fisherman's " query in last week's Witness, Gome, in hia " Summer and Winter in the Orkneys," relates a whale hunt in Rothiesholm Bay, StronBay, during which 170 whales of the bottlenosed description were captured in one afternoon. Ultima Thule writes :— Re " Fisherman's " query in last week's Witness : I cannot quote any authority on the subject, with the exception of Sir Walter Scott in "The Pirate," and if my memory serves me right the number caught is not stated. There are few if any whales landed in the manner described on the Orkneys, but in the Shetland Islands, where their yearly visits constitute veritable '"harvests of the sea" to the fishermen, very large numbers are actually driven from the ocean into a suitable bay or " voe," and there slaughtered. When I was a boy at school, I remember seeing over 300 killed in one little bay, and I know of five or six Dunedin residents who saw the same spectacle, which was not considered by the fishermen very extraordinary. The whales are of the bottle-nosed species, usually piebald, and from 20ft to 40ft in length. They are called in | Shetland "caain 1 , whales "r-i.e., Scottice, 'driving." Mr John Brass, Wyndham, writes :— I think I can give you the desired information regarding "Fisherman's" dispute as to the number of whales caught.by the Orkney fishermen. I was one of a company who, on November 18, 188t>, stranded 158 whales on the beach about three • miles east of Kirkwall, and so far as 1 can recollect there were over 70 caught at the same place about 18 months later. This is not ot frequent occurrence, but I can certify to the correctness of this statement. Amateur.— Paint may be removed from pictures by rubbing down with fine glasspaper and linseed oil, using a flat substance as a rubber. If on canvas ether would remove it, but it would take preparation for the millboard. S.M., Tokonui.— No further particulars are available, but we have sent your letter to the inventor, who will no doubt supply you with the particulars you ask for in due course. Miner.— lf you use a smaller pipe you will increase the frictions of the pump and take more power to drive it. If your engine will run at a quicker speed than it is at present running, put a larger pulley on the pump. This will let the engine away and give the power you require. You do not state the height you are lifting the water, so we are unable to say what speed the pump should run at. Caustic— (l) Not so far as the water is concerned, and we are doubtful whether it would affect the lime. (2) Water will only take up a certain cmantity of lime. About a quart of lime to a gallon of water will make it as strong as possible. (3) Yes, but not so good as unslaked. Pro Bono Publico.— We could not possibly allow charges of such a serious nature to appear over an anonymous signature. A type-written copy of your letter has, however, been sent to the person alluded to, a course of action which will probably answer your purpose. A Resident.— See answer given to "Pro Bono Publico." Subscriber, EttricE-Not necessarily, but a surface dressing of stable manure would tend to bring them into bearing earlier than would otherwise be the case. R. R.— The easiest way to asphalt a footpath is to simply tar and sand it twice, but the process has to be repeated at the end of each summer or the frosts of winter will break it up completely. If done with a good hard gravel walk as a basis, and repeated annually, this is satisfactory. You will, however, find the following a much better plan to adopt :-Boil the tar from four to six hours ; level the path so that there shall be no hills or hollows; mix screenings or riddled gravel with the tar, and lay it down to a depth of an inch and a-half or two inches, and roll withagarien roller;' when smooth brush over with tar, and sprinkle with sand. In a fortnight or so again brush over and sprinkle with sand. If a more substantial path is wanted lay the asphalt 4in thick. Twenty-eight gallons of tar will make one cubic yard of asphalt. Laid 4in thick this will cover nine square yards, or 81_square feet. A. B.— (1) It depends entirely upon the terms of the deefl of partnership. (2) Unless otherwise provided he can draw out the surplus, giving fair notice of his intention to do so. (3) Of course he is entitled to interest on the diffe•rence. (4) They should draw wages. Dunback Correspondent returns to the strike dispute. He contends that it was not until the whistle was blown that the men were informed by the fanner that he did not want three of them— one man from the bags, one man from the sheafstack, and one man from the straw. Both the farmer and the driver followed the men to the barn and asked them to go back again and he would give them their places, which they did at Once. Card Sharper writes:— The story "Cards Spiritualised" in the Wallet of your issue of the 13th inst. is a very good one, but I cannot see how the soldier made the number of dots on a pack of cards correspond with the number of days in the year. The nearest approach I can make to that number is 372. W. V.— The paragraph should, of course, have read " Four of the Australasian colonies, &c." Debater.— (l) Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations." (2) The question is dealt with in all encycloptedias and kindred works, several of which may be found in the Athenaeum or the University library. (3) Not without a search of Hansard or our own files, but that would not give you much trouble if you have an hour or so to spare. Subscriber,— (l) Yes. You had no right to keep the dog, and you did wrong to register it. A similar case was decided in the High Court of Justice in England about two years ago. (2) No. He is bound by the agreement. W. S. W.— (l) When smearing or salving sheep to protect them from fthe vicissitudes .of winter •weather was a, universal practice in the highlands of Scotland and in other hilly and exposed situations in Great Britain, various compositions were used for the purpose, but that most generally employed was a mixture of tar with butter or lard or some cheap oil— whale oil frequently. The tar, by matting the wool, rendered It almost impossible for wet to penetrate it, and it also destroyed insects which might harbour in the skin or fleece, but if used . in quantity it communicated an indelible stain to the wool, which "therefore could not be used for the manufacture of white goods ; nor would it take some of the moat brilliant colours. The proportion of tar to grease or oil varied from one of the former to two, three, or four parts of the latter, as it was found in practice that the tar used in large quantity was apt to quit the grease and accumulate on the sides and bellies of the sheep. Besides, tar is frequently full of irritant impurities, which, however, may begot rid of by melting it and the grease together and letting the mixture cool slowly, when the objectionable matter will separate and subside. To overcome the objections to tar, spirit of tar was frequently substituted instead, but this must be used in very small quantity, as it is too irritating. . Another smearing mixture extensively used in Scotland for many years was composed of 181b each of butter and hog's iard ; 121b of resin, and a gallon of Gallipoli oil— an oil much used at the time in washing and cleansing wool and cloth. This quantity was sufficient for 55 sheep, and the fleeces of the sheep so smeared, when washed, brought considerably higher prices than the "laid" wool. Olive oil alone was extensively used for smearing sheep throughout Sutherlandshire and other northern counties in Scotland. This oil was regarded as specially suitable because it is said to impregnate the wool and adhere to it more firmly than any other kind of greasy matter. There is no reason why a mixture of butter or of lard, or any cheap pale oil, with sufficient melted ream to make the salve adhere to the wool, should not answer the purpose, while leavingthe fleece without appreciable stain. (2) The idea is to smear only the smallest and weakest lambs, and so it is deserving consideration whether or no suoh punF wastrels would pay to salve or Pftve. Aak yourself what money they would be

worth when kept 12 months in any market in the colony, and would the amount repay a farmer for their keep and doctoring. A sheepbreeder, to be successful, must BelectHoundconstitutioned ewes of a breed or cross suited to his locality, and with special attention to the character of the wool growth over and under. Even at prominent agricultural shows specimens of fashionable breeds of sheep are exhibited that are open and tatty fleeced from dock to ears, and bare and patchy on the bellies. The progeny from such animals cannot well withstand the hardships of a wet and rigorous winter. Under all circumstances, however, as farmers are finding out, Bheep-breeding pays those only who studiously keep the lambs in strong, healthy condition from start to finish, and who prefer selling the culls at any price towards the end of summer rather than undertake the trouble and expense of wintering them. (2) There is no rule on the subject, so far as we know. With books so well kept as thoseyou mention there should be no difficulty in arriving &t the sum total of the expenses, and of then calculating the relative percentage to the amount of profit. Spike Iseand asks if any readers can givehim the exact height of the Prince of Wales ? We are under the impression that it is about oft oin, but are open to correction. Head op Lake.—The disease on your apples is known commonly as mildew, and in different forms attacks a great number of plants—wheat, roses, peach, 4c. It is a fungus, and very difficult to eradicate, and many hold the opinion that its different species are communicated to the plant from the soil. Hot lime is a good cure, either applied dry or painted. Flour of sulphur mixed with clay and water and painted is also recommended. The tree might be shifted and raised from its bottom soil with advantage. P. M'F.—Mr Beverly replies to your queries :— (I) If the fall from the source five chains distant to the tail race is 15ft, the diameter of • the wheel may be 12ft with buckets 15in apart, capable of holding 6gal without beginning to spill till 3ft below the axis. If the wheel were 20ft diameter, the buckets would only require 3gal capacity to give 3-horse power. (2) An overshot wheel and a Pelton turbine are about equal in economy; most other turbines are inferior. (3) The water should fall into the buckets as near tangentially as posßible. (4) No pipes are required with an overshot wheel. If you adopt a turbine the pipes would be 12in diameter, and may be laid on the ground. (5) The flume carrying the water to an overshot should be 16in x 9in with a fall of Bin per chain.