NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 51

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming issue t<> be received not later than SATURDAY night

A. B. C., Crookston.—The samples forwarded by you were submitted to Professor Waters, of ’the Otago School of Mines, who reports:—“The sample referred to by A. B. 0. does not indicate that coal is likely to occur. The sample is taken from a surface layer, and owing to its nature is r.ot a character that allows any definite opinion to be formed as to the formation it overlies, but there is no indication of coal.”

J. M., Reefton. —On account of the professors of the Otago School of Mines being absent during the holidays, a reply to your query bus been delayed. The sample forwarded by you was submitted to Professor Waters, who reports:—“The bright metallic crystals are stibnito sulphide of antimony.” Old Subscriber, Fairfax, writes: —In the event of an early dissolution of Parliament —.say, early in March. —would each M.P. b;< entitled* to their full annual allowance, which, I understand, is something like £3OO and ordinary travelling expenses, or will they just be paid in proportion to the time that has transpired since their election, with their usual travelling expenses? Members of Parliament are paid by equal monthly payments on the last day of each and every month from the day named in the writ -as the day on which the poll takes place until the dissolution of Parliament, inclusive of the day of dissolution. If Parliament is dissolved in March, therefore members would receive payment pro rata up to the day of dissolution. W. H. W.—Write to tbe Secretary for Immigration. Wellington, who will supply you . wi._ all information and forward you a form to be filled up. All the work in connection with immigration is now centred in 'Wellington. Argument.—(l) Tho writers are paid. (‘2) The rate depends upon a variety of circumstances, but mainly on the merit of the work. Winchman writes; —(1) What wages are paid to dredgemen in Victoria? (2) Is work easily got there? (3) Do the dredges have any broken time through high rivers .etc.? ——-(1) The wages paid is 10s per day .(2) The industry is on the decline, but a good man can generally get work. (3) There is no broken time through <i high river, etc. Anxious.—The disease is probably club-root, and the best way of getting rid of it is to give up the ground to a crop having no affinity with the diseased one for two or three years, and also give a dressing of lime to purify it and kill any of the pests remaining in it. A change of ground is usnallv found efficacious, but if this is not possible give the ground a dressing of lime, snd prior to putting in the nlants din them in a mixture of eoot and c’ay. allowing as much to adhere to the roots as possible. This not only checks the pest, but gives the young plants a good start, and if they are kent steadily growing the result will bo satisfactory. Argument asks:—(l) A, B, C, and D play cribbage. A plays 4, B plays 6. C plays / 5, D plays 7 —is that a run in this order? ' (2) If A plays another 4 on top of his first one, is that another run? (1) 0 scores 5—2 for 15 and 3 for the run. D scores 4 for the run. A plaving a second 4 scores 4 for the run. The order in which the cards arc played is immaterial so long as no card is played wldch is not of a sequence. Inquirer. Stirling.—lf national prohibition is carried no person will bo allowed to

import, manufacture, or sell alcoholic liquors. Provision is made in the act by which the Governor-in-Cour.cil is impowered to make regulations to permit of the importation or manufacture of intoxicating liquor for medicinal, scientific, sacramental. or industrial purposes. R. P.—(l) Oxide of iron paint is the best preparation for painting galvanised iron, because it is iion-poieonous, whereas white lead is dangerous. In the case of iron and steel a fruitful source of scaling is rusting under the surface of the paint. Want of cure in cleaning the surface induces the formation of rust beneath the surface. 1,2) Creosoting is a more effective method of preserving timber than mere tarring. The process consists of impregnating the substance of the wood with the oil of tar from which the ammonia has been expelled, the effect being to coagulate the albumen and therefore prevent its decomposition, also to fill the pores of the wood with a bituminous substance that excludes both air and moisture and which is noxious to the lower forms of animal and vegetable life. The process of effectively creosoting timber is somewhat elaborate. Fir or pine while warm from the drying-house may be at ones immersed in an open tank containing hot creosote cil, when it will absorb Blb or 9lb per cubio foot. For hard and soft, woods which are

required to absorb more, an iron cylinder and a fore© pump, etc., are necessary. (3) Doubtless the American steel dh Ingres would be proof—up to a certain point—against damage by “nags. So far as we cue aware, none of these are stocked in New

Zealand. Subscriber. —The duty on jewels ami jewellery is 20 per cent., with o preferential duty of 10 per cent, when not of Britisn

or colonial make. Old Subscribes. —The usual proportions of ingredients for making ginger beer are; One pound of sugar, loz of bruised ginger, and one lemon for each gallon of water Seme people include Joz of cream of tartar to each gallon, and the white of an egg to every two gallons for clarifying. Bring the sugar and water and well-beaten whites of eggs to the boil, and skim carefully; add the ginger and the rhind of the lemons, cut thin, and about ioz of hops to every four or five gallons. Remove the white skin and the seeds from the lemons, and put the balance in the beer. Put the cream of tartar in a jar. and pour the boiling liquid over it. When cool stir in two lablespoonfuls of yeast to every gallon. Put into a keg without straining, and bung (lose. In two weeks draw off and bottle. Harness, Nelson, writes; — (1) Can you recommend any mixture that will remove rust from steel bits, irons, etc., off saddlery? (2) How would you treat bright steel bits, irons, etc., after using for a couple or days? (1) To remove rust from steel, immerse the article to be cleaned for a few minutes, until all dirt and rust is> taken off, in a strong solution of potassium cyanide, say in the proportion of about

io-z in a wineglassful of water; take out and clean with a tooth brush with some paste composed of potassium cyanide, custile soap, whiting, and water mixed in a paste about the consistence, of thick cream. (2) To protect polished surfaces from rust, melt some common resin in a pot and add a little olive oil. Remove the pot from the fire and add a little turpentine. Apply with a brush. The quantity of oil must be found by experiment, it being necessary that the coating, when cold, should adhere well, yet bo slightly elastic ~ so as not to chip off. Another process is to dissolve Joz of camphor in 11b lard, take off the scum; mix as much black load as will give the mixture an iron colour Rub the article with this mixture and leave for 24 hours. Then rub with a linen cloth, lion or steel thus treated will keep clean for months. Subscriber. Milton. —The Sb Clair swimming baths are 50 yards long. 20 vards wide at the deep tend, and 25 yards wide at the shallow end.

13xi.ci.fTHA. —(1) Easter Monday thi<* year falls cn April S. (2) Constables while serving as probationers in the training depot arc ) aid 7s per day. On going on to street duty they receive as per day. This is increased after three years’ scrrice to 8= Gd per day; after six years’ service to 9s per day, and after nine years’ service to 9s 6d per day. (2) Constables are on duty for eight hours out of every 24. C. T.—The Brechin Costle. Captain Parkinson, with 12 passengers, arrived at Port Chalmers on January 24. 1664. Joe—The population of Buenos Aires at the 1907 census was 1.150.000.

A. D. B. —Mr H. M. Davoy writes:—Re the diversity of opinion in bringing water to overshot wheels, I had an account yesterday by an engineer whose father had a wheel of that description in Scotland. He said that in his case the water was brought to the wheel by a Icng chute placed at r> considerable angle, and it corue to the wheel with a great rush and made such a noise that it was heard a long way ofT. and he condemned the method of stopping the water and using its weight only. I have thought the custom might have originated from the usual miller’s custom of widening out the creek to a pond (called the mill pond), which was obviously for the purpose of obtaining a more reliable supply. There the water was still, and so it was thought to be the right thing to imitate.

Si.uice-box, — Mr K. M. Davey, consulting engineer, 91a Princes street, replies:—l think I now have got your meaning, an ft ro tell you that the loss of head due to the velocity and friction, etc., is large when too small pipes are used, but small in cases such as yours, where you have the proper size of pipes. Xow, then, you have 32in pipes, presumably wrought iron or steel and. riveted. The loss of head in those pipes is calculated to be A of a foot per 109 ft of the length of the' pipe. In 3ft pipes this would amount to .04. or about one-tenth of the leas of head in the pipes you now have. But as the' loss is so email, amounting to about Ift in each 230 ft of the length of the pipe, you would rot get any appreciable advantage even il the loss was reduced as above. It therefore seems that the only thing, if ypu want the increased nrossure, is to out the rare higher, and then you can get the best result by having the new upper lengths of nines larger and nicely tapered as they go higher up. WgltTORU. — Mr IL M. Lavey replies: — l should think that your plan of getting power by blocking up your car and driving off it would bo good, and I cannot see how it could hurt the car. Probably a nice liebt rubber belt would be best. It seems to me that it would not bo nearly as hard on the motor as are some of the roads that have to be gone over, especially a nice, fresh-metalled one "Whiting might do. perhaps. or, if dirty, fine emery in the form of knife powder; but the trouble with those things is the* if you r.re not careful they get info bearing* and so cause trouble. Cloths niv s Id in rho ironmongers called (I think) -.1 There are two sorts, one for silver and the other for brass; they need no preparation, but have it imsjrce:-

nated in their fabric. I do not know how they would last, but you might try the one for brass.