NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 46

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming istue to be received not later than MONDAY night.

X. Y. Z. — For home-brewed ale the day before brewing the barrels and brewing vessels should be well cleaned and scalded. For 36 gallons of ale and 36 gallons of table beer allow eight bushels of malt and 9lb good hops. 'J?he water for "mashing must boil. Mash up the malt with 45 gallons of boiling water, which allows a margin for waste in boiling and working. Let it stand on the malt three hours, run it off, and put it into the boiler with the hops. Let it boil for three hours, then put it through a hair sieve. When about milk warm put two quarts of yeast to it, and allow it to work to a good head before putting it into the barrel. It will take two or three days to work through the top cork' hole. Put a wet cloth lightly in the bunghole of the barrel. When it has done working, cork, and put the bung in the barrel airtight. After running the ale off, have ready some boiling water to mash up for the table beer. Allow a little more water than will fill your table beer barrel ; mash it up well, let it stand for two hours, and boil it two hours with the hops from the ale. 'Ihe table beer is to be put through a sieve, worked, and put into the barrel the same as the ale. Take care to fill up both ale and beer barrels every day until it is done working. J. 8., Wellington. — There is no present intention of republishin" in pamphlet form the series of letters on Mental Healing which appeared in our columns some little time ago. We have sent your query to the writer, who may possibly write to you. Ohawia. — The Dublin Industrial Exhibition, which owed its existence to Mr Dargan, who advanced £80,000 for the purpose, was opened by the Earl of St. Germains, the Lord Lieutenant, on May 12, 1853, and closed on November 1 of the same year. Competitor. — You will find the announcement in last issue. The notification of the alteration of your address came too late, the MS. having already been returned to your former address. F. J. B. — (1) One is not compelled to accept anything but cash — that is to say, bank notes, gold, or silver — in payment of wages. The act was passed in 1891, and is called the Workman's Wages Act. (2) It depends upon the nature of the employment as to whether notice is required to be given. Domestic servants and some others are employed by the week, and in such cases a week's notice is necessary to determine the hiring, both on the part of the employer and the person employed, or a week's wag3s is given instead of notice. Subscriber. — A publican is bound by law to supply lodging, meals, and accommodation to every sober person willing and able to pay for it; but he is not compilable to supply alcoholic liquors at any time or to any person whomsoever. •Tames Reid. — The answer is no. Mariner. — Insurance against accidents is not compulsory on employees in mines. It is generally a matter of agreement between the parties. A. B. C. — You may make youi own will, and siijn it in the presence of two witotsaea, and it

will be valid. You can safely do this if yoWS -will is of a simple kind, and you are abla . to express your will fn good intelligible language ; but ■ should you wish your property; to be left to a person for life with -reminders over, or anything of that kind, you ought to " employ a competent lawyer, otherwise the ro suit may turn but to be something which you did not contemplate or intend. Unless •in the case of large estates, it is not advisable to tie up property by giving estates for life or limited or contingent interests to devisees or legatees. . ". Miner. — Mr Beverly kindly replies: — A tin" dish is not a definite measure. There may; be from 100 to 150 dishes to the cubic yard", according to the degree of filling. W. S. D. V. — Mr Beverly replies: — Rain majj fall during any state of the barometer; the words on the dial are misleading. A very high barometer is often the precursor oi what is sometimes called a black north-easter? which sometimes lasts two or three days, and clears up when the barometer falls, the wind! usually changing to westward. Miner asks: — -What horse-power can be obtained from a water wheel of the following dimensions:— 18ft diameter, 2ft 6ia breast, with six Government heads of water running on to the wheel through a line of boxes 60ft long, having «■ pitch of Bft to 12ft? Mr Beverly replies: 1 About 9-horse power. Subscriber, Invercargill.— After writing you would probably notice that the reply was given in this column last week in answer to another correspondent. A Groan from Egypt.— "We cannot see the point of your illustration. Veritas. —^V*e have no means of verifying your statements, and as you make a direct charge of gross incompetence against the official in question, we should need strong evidence in support of your allegations before we should feel justified in giving space to them in our columns. Fairplay and E. F.— As the teacher has left your district, wo cannot see what object would be served by commencing a correspondence which cannot possibly do anyone any good. Cosmopolite. — In the present congested state of our news columns we are afraid we cannot spare space for a discussion on the merits of prohibition. » E. J. C— Declined. We find it difficult at present to squeeze in current news without sparing space for what could not be otherwise than an interminable discussfon. Constant Header asks: — (1) What is the price per mile (in Dunedin) of telephone wire? v (2) Price of old rail poles each? (3) How many poles, on an average, go to the mile? (4) What is the average cost for erection per mile on ordinary road lines? (1) Depends on size and class of wire used — jE2 30a to J612 10s per mile. (2) About 10s each, v.-hen obtainable. None for sale by Government at present, (a) For Otago about 25 to the mile. (4) About £30 to £35. For fuller information you should apply to the District Inspector of Telegraphs, Dunedin.