NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 47

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming Issue to received not later than SATURDAY night.

Oliver Twist.—A capitation of sixpence per child per mile is allowed for children of seven years of age and over who are conveyed to school by trap a distance of three miles and over. Apply to the secretary of the Otago Education Board, Dunedin, ■ for any further information. X. G., Bortous. —It would not )>o safe to feed ewes on mangolds when a fortnight off lambing, as mangolds have a tendency to cause scour. Grass would be the beat feed. After the lambs have grown a little the ewes could be turned on to a small break without chopping them. Butemax.—(l) The battle of Flodden was fought on English soil. King James, with 110,000 men, crossed the border and too'k up a strong position on Flodden Hill, one of the east and lowest spurs of the Cheviots, about six miles south of Coldstream. The Earl of Surrey, finding it impossible to make a frontal attack, crossed the Till near its junction with the Tweed, and thus cut off all communication between King James and Scotland. (2) Your question about a bleeding apricot tree has been referred to Mr Gcbbie, who will doubtless reply in his notes next week. A., Milton. —(1) The question respecting a walnut tree that has not borne nuts for 25 years has been referred to Mr Gebbie. who will doubtless reply in his notes next week. (2) As to the quantities to be used when mixing treacle with water for spraying hay for sheep, half a pint (lib) of molasses well mixed with a gallon of warm water makes a cheap and excellent mixture for sprinkling or spraying over food. It is an excellent appetiser for otherwise uninviting fodder, and acts as a laxative. Under ordinary conditions not more than two or three pints daily should l>e given to full-grown animals. The effect should Ire watched, and quantity modified if necessary. (3) There is such a thing as 18carat rolled gold, but it is not common. Rolled gold is usually about 9 carats. Subscriber asks: “What constitutes an Australian dingoe-proof fence, and what would be the approximate cost of material and labour to erect per mile, exclusive of haulage?” We are unable to supply our correspondent with the information he requires. but if it is of importance to him we can obtain it from Australa. Puzzled wrtes: —“Could you inform me why it is the Railway Department charges more in proportion on a long journey than a short one —for instance, a few days ago I took out tickets for members of my family, who were going 36G miles, according to the time-table, and if there had been three tickets taken, or one for each section of the railway, instead of one through ticket, the full fare would have amounted to twopence less than the one ticket cost? 1 was always under the impression that the second class fare was one penny per mile with one penny extra, which was supposed to pay for the ticket, but in this case the charge was one penny per mile and fivepen.ee for the ticket. As this is the usual thing, if you can explain the reason why you will greatly oblige."—— You could have travelled 3DO miles for tbo same money—namely, £1 12s Gd, as you paid for the 386 miles. The second class faro is 2d for the first mile and Id per mile afterwards np to 300 miles. After 300 miles the distance is counted by 10-mile sections. Anxious writes:—“lf a person 66 years of age. who has lived most of her life in New Zealand, is British born, and is now Jiving in Sydney, drawing the old-age pension there, came back to New Zealand, could she get the old-age pension here?”

No. Before becoming entitled to the pension she must have resided 12 months in New Zealand immediately preceding the application. She would also have to show that she had resided for 25 years in New Zealand altogether, and her absence has not exceeded four years.

Sheep owner. —(l) and (3) When the Land Board approves of a transfer of a lease or grants a transfer of a lease, that moans it does not refer the matter to anyone for consideration. (2) “ Recommended for Minister’s approval ” means that the application is ordered to be forwarded to the Minister of Lands for his approval.

L. J., Reefton.—Some special stamjDS were printed for Captain Scott's first expedition, but none were issued for his last and greatest. The original stamps were not catalogued by dealers, and so are worth very little. You could probably obtain some of the stamps from a dealer.

Sailor. — (l) You would probably be able to obtain a map of Lake Wailiola and district from the Survey Department; (2) the charge made for sailcloth is. for 24in. Is 3d per yard ; and for 24in, best quality, 2s per yard. The former is generally used for repairing purposes, and the latter for making new sails.

Farmer writes;—“l notice that in your reply to Nemo, on the Gtb inst.. you say that to buy 40 acres of land held as a L.1.P., with a rental of £l6 a year, would cost £525. Is that a misprint? If correct, I would like to know how you got the price.” Our correspondent apparently overlooks the fact that in stating the rent at £l6 per annum the querist gave the original capital value as £4OO for 40 acres. In enabling L.I.P. holders to convert their lease into a free hold the avowed object of the Government was to place them in the position they would have occupied bad they taken up their bolding as a leasehold with the right to purchase, in which case the rent would have been 5 per cent, on the capital value, whereas the L.I.P. rent was 4 per cent, on the capital value. In the case submitted by Nemo he had held the property for 20 years. To convert his leasehold into a freehold he would have to pay an aditional 1 per cent, for 20 years, with compound interest, with half-yearly rents on that 1 per cent. That 1 per cent, and compound interest added to the original capital value of £4OO would be the price the holder would have to pay to acquire the freehold; that is about £525.

Cribbage. —‘ Four persons are playing a game of cribbage, or. in other words, a four-handed game. One of the party makes it 15 with the last card. Should the player score two holes or three.” The rules say; “Whoever plays the last card scores one.” As the player who makes the total 13 is entitled to score 2, he is evidently entitled to score one for the last card also. It is tlie custom in some places not to score the extra point when a player has made it 15, but, in view of the above declaration, it is not easy to say why such a custom is allowed to continue, as there is no limitation in the rule.

Player.—The cost of asphalting a tennis court in Dunedin would bo about £SO, that is including screenings and other necessities.

Inquirer.—lf your coat is an oilskin, as you call it, probably the best way to renew its waterproof quality would be to clean it by sponging it, and when dry apply a coat of raw linseed oil with a little goldsize or litharge in it—say, loz to 1 pint of oil. Dry thoroughly in the open, care beingtaken to shelter it from the sun or rain. If thought desirable, a second coating might lie applied, and the coat again dried as directed.

J. R.. Glenore. —Mr H. M-. Davey, consulting engineer replies:—“From the 2in pipe you should get a flow of about 39 gallons per minute; but recollect not at a pressure —merely a flow' which would do for a small overshot wheel, from which you might get about half a horse-power. A 21in pipe might give about three-quarters of a horsepower. A -fin pipe should give you about 2 k to 2J hoise-power. I know the difference between various sized pipes, and I also know the trouble where an insufficient power is laid down. If you have the water it is belter to have plenty of power, as you are pretty sure to think of some other use for it a little later on. There is not much trouble in replying if any good can be done to those wanting replies. Under your conditions the flow from a 21in pipe would be 68 gallons per minute; from a 3in pipe about 100 gallons, and from a 4in pipe about 200 gallons per minute.”

POULTRY. —You do not explain clearly what you want to know. You ask for the name of some good poultry markets in Australia, also the freight on same to New Zealand. Do you want to buy or sell poultry in Australia? Do you want to know the freight on a market or on poultry, and if you mean poultry do you mean dead or live birds, or utility or fancy stock?

Sielce Grove rvants to know' the vear in which the Carlton-South Melbourne Exhibition was held. He thinks it was about 40 years ago. We cannot say where the various exhibitions in Victoria were held. The dates were:—First Victorian Exhibition opened December IT, 1854; second opened October 1, 1 SGI ; third October 24, 18G6. There was an Intercolonial Exhibition at Melbourne in 1872. and an exhibition prior to the Philadelphia Exhibition, opened on September 2, 1875. The first International Exhibition was opened in Melbourne on Octrfber 1, 1880, and the second International Exhibition in

18SS-9. H. M. F. W., Marlborough.—Mr IT. M. Davey states that asfjie has to consult electrical engineers on some points in your letter ha is unable to reply in this issue. Alport. —Unless there are circumstances not disclosed in your communication, such as your family leaving for the Home Country, the general opinion of those employed in the trade is that you should remain in New Zealand for another 18 months or two years. You will gain a wider experience of work than in Scotland, whrre, if you obtain employment, you will be put

to the one class of work only, and kept to it. J C. Wyndharn, asks: —“(1) Where can I purchase ordinary resin, and what is the price per cwt? (2) What change is produced in light by passing through a polariser?” Resin may be obtained from the New Zealand Hardware Company. Dunedin (and probably from all other hardware firms) at 26s per cwt wholesale. (2) It is imposiblo to give arjv adequate idea of the change produced without a series of diagrams. Polarisation of light is said to he a change produced in light by reflection from or transmission through certain media, by which the transverse vibrations of the ether are limited to a single plane, while in a ray of ordinary light these vibrations take place indifferently in any plane about the line of propagation.

Of the 338 candidates who recently sat in various parte of New Zealand for examination by the Inspection of Machinery lippartment examiners, 259 were successful.