NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 51

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming issue to be reaeived not later than MONDAY night.

Phosphate.. Gore.—Your samples were sxibmitted to Professor Park, the director of Otago School of Mines, who has reported that sample No. 1 is a- piece of clays tone crowded, with casts of the fossil shell feccwn to geologists as Mytilus problemati3ns. This fossil mussel is abundant about '(5-sre. Ho.konni Hills, and .other parts of Southland. It is considered distinctive cf the Triassic rocks of New Zealand. Sample No. 2 is a piece .of rock-phos-phate coated with travertine, a calcareous sinter that is frequently deposited in caves and rock-shelters from waters containing lime in solution. The percentage of phosphoric acid in this sample could only be determined by chemical analysis, and for that a charge would be made. Parewood writes: —It will be a boon to myself and other dwellers in Central Otago if you or any of your readers can kindly state the names of any Native shrubs and trees likely to thrive in, say, the Barewood district, as Nature has dene nothing to indicate suitable varieties, the district being absolutely treeless and almost shrubless ; also whether Olearia Forsteri would be likely to do well far hedge purposes. Finding out for myself by experimental planting is both tedious and costly. The Olearia Forsteria is quits unsuited for Barewood. The myrobalan plum would be suitable as a hedge for shelter in the district. We would suggest a visit to Gladbrook. We have the authority of Mr John Roberts, C.M.G-., for saying that you would be welcomed by himself or hi 3 manager, and any information gained by experience would be readily imparted. A visit would be an object-lesson of the greatest value to anyone settling in the district. {Subscriber, Otahu. —The specimen thistle forwarded by you was submitted to Mr G. M.' Thomson, F.L.g., who reports: The specimen sent is that of the common creeping thistle —Ca.rduus' arvensis, —popularly nown as Canadian or Califofnian thistle. ' ' H.: M. wants to know the amount of freight that would be charged on a- package ■weighing about 3101 b" froln Auckland to Dunedin ? It would be in a case. It is impossible to state the amount unless the r«ize lof the case is given. The freight charged is 12s 6d per tcm. and the rule is to charge by measurement if that rate will yield more than if charged by weight. An article of the weight stated might take up the space of one ton by measurement. Poolburn.—Thomas Hartley Montgomery -*ras executed on August 26, 1873, for the murder of Mr Glasse at Omagh, Tyrone, Ireland. Subscriber, Te Anau.—The simplest form, of kiln _ for charcoal-buYning is formed by sticking one or more poles in the ground, separated by wedges. The wood, being cut to uniform lengths, is stacked round i this, with an inclination to the centre, •with a top layer of pieces laid horizontally, the interstices _ being oarefullv packed up with smaller "pieces. A small tunnel is left at the bottom to facilitate the lighting, and the whole is then covered with a thick layer of clay or turfs carefully laid so as to be as air-tight; as passible. A small pile of dry shavings or sticks is put at the bottom of the chinv :ney formed by the poles with which .to ignite the pile. On first lighting a good draught is required to* make a gocd heat to drive eff the moisture from the wood, and to give the lire a good start, and then the opening must be closed over to limit the air supply, so that the combus- • tion shall be as slow as possible, and constant attention is also required to keep the covering intact as the wood burns •away. As the distillation progresses the •water is evaporated, and the heavy smoke turns to a light vapour as the tarry matters are driven off. When the smoke becomes a pale blue in colour it is evidence that the process is nearing completion, and all opAiinfjs must be tightly closed to Stop the of the char■.•ooal JtseU, suid to enable the )B*S3

to cool off. When this stage is reached the outside cover is removed, and any glowing charcoal must be quenched with water. This process is somewhat wasteful owing to the large proportion of halfburnt ends of weed that remain, and to the fact that charcoal quenched with water easily breaks up, but it is so simple that it is almost universally used where no outlay is possible for a better process. As to which New Zealand wood is most suitable for making charcoal we have no definite information. Southland asks for information as to the making of parsnip wine and the bottling of it, etc. Take Islb of sliced parsnips and boil them till quite soft in five gallons of water; drain the liquor thoroughly from them, run the pulp through a fine sieve, return the liquor into the boiler, and add 3lb of loaf sugar to every gallon. Boil the whole for three-quarters of an hciur. When tepid lay a round of toast covered with yeast in it and cover it, keeping the cooler in a warm place. When it begins to ferment put it into a cask, taking out the toast. It should not be bottled for six months afterwards. Interested.—(l) Cardboard can be prepared for oil paintings by covering it with white lead and oil, or ordinary paint. (2) Lord Rosse's great reflector mounted in 1845 was unrivalled until within the past few years. It bad a focal length of 54ft aaid a speculum with a diameter of 6ft. At the Mount Hamilton Observatory, California, there is a 3'6in refractor. At Mount Wilson Observatory there is a telescope for observing sunspots of 60ft focal length and a spectrograph of 30ft focus. (3) Lenses for telescopes are not stocked in New Zealand. If you communicate with Mr John Hislop, Messrs G. and T. Young, or others they could oMaim all information that you may require as to cost, etc. Anxious Wipe, Wairoa.—lt is doubtful whether a successful appeal could be made to the millionaires you mention on behalf of the unfortunate man. They are giving away theiru, money for the benefit of the people at large of various communities. Surely if the matter were brought under the notice of a few of the leading residents an entertainment or some function could be arranged and the proceeds devoted to procuring far the unfortunate man an artificial leg. The circumstances as set out by you only require to ba known, .and it is safe to say that assistance would be readily forthcoming. Anxious, Hokitika.—No information is obtainable locally about the institution to which you refer. There is no reason why a person studying hypnotism should not live a Christian life. Hypnotism is no longer regarded as a mystery or as a superhuman gift. The chief reason why it cannot be universally employed as a therapeutic .agent is the fact that only a certain proportion of persons can be hypnotised. On the Continent it is said 80 per cent, of persons are susceptible. Although hypnotism has power for good when properly used by medical men, it is an exceedingly dangerous weapon in the hands of the unskilful or unscrupulous. Constant Reader writes:—ln playing a game at four-handed cribbage A plays a 7, 85, C 6, and DB. That makes a run of three (5, 6,7) for C, and 7, 5. 6, 8 makes a run of 4 for D. A cannot play, so B plays another 5. Can he claim another run of 4?——Yes. The exposed cards are still 5,6, 7,8, the last played 5 covering that first played. Tique Koqut.—We do not pare to resuscitate the problem about the hen and a-half laying .an egg and a-half, etc. Inquirer, Buckeye.—lf you have an article for which you desire to obtain a patent, you will find it advantageous to place the matter in the hands of a reputable patent agent. It i 3 necessary tc prepare specifications, varying in number according to the countries in which you wish to take cut letters of protection. In New Zealand two are required. These must be on a proper form, and the invention must be described so that a skilled man in the trade to which the invention belongs can make and use it without experimenting in doing so. In the specification you have to distinctly claim what is exactly your invention—it may all be new, or it may be an improvement on an existing article. The document must leave no one in doubt as to what you claim, and in cases of improvement, ycu scrnetinies have to say what you do not claim as well. Where the invention can: be -illustrated with drawings, these have to be made to the proper sizes and on the proper materials for the country for which the application is intended. These differ in almost all countries. , There is payment in advance, but you will have to state the countries in which ycu intend to apply before a reply as to costs can be supplied. Subscriber, Otekaike.—Mr E.. M. Davey, consulting' engineer and patent agent, Princes street, replies:—l do not know - the ram by the name you mention, but your figures are quite within the scope of any good ram, for Messrs Blake advertise theirs to lift 20 to 1, if, indeed, not mere. I think you should lift about one-twenty-of the water you use, or somewhere about thai relative quantity, if your ram is in gocd working order. If, when you have fixed it, you could write to the editor and give a few facts as to what it doe 3 and what it do.es not do, you will be conferring a favour, as I have but little data of actual local working here.