NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 51

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions far reply in coming issue to be received not later than SAIUKDAi night.

Old Miner.— The leaves and flowers of a plant growing in your garden which dies down in the winter and shoots up in the spring were submitted to Mr G. M. Thomson, F.L.S., M.P., who replies:—The plant is white luehlot (Melilotus alba), a fodder plant of no groat nutritive value; common in the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but rare in New Zealand. A. S. D.—Since April, 1911, a uniform system of postage for all States came into operation in Australia. The penny postage system applies only to letters posted in the Commonwealth for delivery therein, and as New Zealand is not one of the of the Commonwealth letters posted in Tasmania for New Zealand should boar a 21d stomp, the Postal Union rate to all British dominions.

Weight op an Inch op Water per Acre. Mr H. M. Davey writes: —There has been a little discussion lately about the weight of water, when on inch of rain is spoken of, and this weight has been queried and provisionally accepted at about 100 tons per acre. Practically this is a. safe quantity to accept and an cosy round number to remember, and sufficiently accurate generally; but as there seem/ to be many who have a craving for accuracy, it might be as well to ree at least one way of arriving nt this result. There are 43,500 square feet in an acre, and so if the water were one foot deep there -would bo that number of cubic feet in it. But an inch of water is one-twelfth of that, or .3630 cubic feet ..to the acre. Now, as one cubic foot of water weighs .028 of a ton. therefor© 3630 .028 29610 7260 101610 or exactly 101.61. or slightly over 101 J tons per acre. Therefore if the “points” mentioned nr© hundredths of an inch, the number of snob points would mean a corresponding number of tons of water to each acre. Cabinet. —There is a duty of 20 per cent, chargeable on motor vehicles, motor car bodies, or bodies for motor ’busses, whether attached or not. There is no duty on chassis for motor vehicles whether attached or unattached. There is a duty of 20 per cent, and a preferential duty of 10 per cent, on bicycles. A general reply cannot be given as to the duty on other goods mentioned in your query, as a duty is levied on some articles while others are admitted free. If you consult the Customs tariff in the latest number of the New Zealand Year Book you can find out how the articles are classified. In the same volume vou will find a brief resume of the constitution of Parliament, etc. Imperial, writes: “I am thinking of planting about five acres in early potatoes next year. Could you inform me about what weight of marketable new potatoes I might expect per acre from a cron which would, had it been left to ripen, have gone, say. eight tons per acre? I might mention that my land is well drained, and has a gentle slope to the north. Yarietv of potato White Elephant; manure will also ho used.” “Agricola ” replies: On land which under ordinary treatment would yield eieht tons of Up-to-Dato potatoes planted at the usual time, an early varietv like Sharpe’s Empress, if planted about the end of July, and you had no late frosts, and it was allowed to mature, you would get a crop of four or five tons per acre. Argument.— J. ,T. Mciklo was paid at various times £SOO. £291 16s Id, and £2500, making in all £3294 IGs Id. Simplex, Invercargill.— Mr 11. M. Davey replies; You seem to have alxmt from 9 to 10 b.h.p., and the conditions would point to a Polton wheel, but. if you prefer it. vnit might, of grr=n. hav* a l.'. V ressure turbine: only remem 1 - " ’uat th ■ i’.dton is slight’-.- tho* more eilX'.-e. .U to your

gearing, you will have to state the actual power you want to install, and that will l give rue the size, and consequently the speed, of the wheel or turbine, if you prefer that machine. Then I would need to know the speeds of the different machines you intend driving, when the sizes of the rulleya could be easily given. Write, sending the above particulars, and you can get the required information. No, it Is not much trouble; some who might be more polite than truthful might say it was none, but that would obviously not be quite correct. Amateur. —The -weight of an expanding dress stand is about 15lb. It is impossible to ascertain definitely the amount of freight that would have to be paid. If you do business with the firm from which you intend to purchase the article they would d-mbtleas forward it c.i.f. (carnage, insurance, and freight paid) Bluff. These charges you would have to pay on arrival of the article. You would find it less trouble to send your order through some local firm, or. say, the New Zealand Expiess Company.