OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 76

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS.

(Conducted by Magisteb, to whom all com munications must be addressed.)

[Magister will be glad to receive Nature Note*, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must use ONLY one side of the paper, and whether using a pen name or not, must send both name and address 1

CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES. A. W. K. (Palmerston North), writes: “Could you inform mo of the name of the small comat seen to the eastward of the smaller Magellan Cloud? No one seems to have remarked its presence. It is rather indistinct to the naked eye, but is veryplain when viewed through a pair of opera glasses. Thanking you in anticipation,” etc. Last week I received two post cards, posted somewhere from somewhere in tne Northern Hemisphere, the nearest clue being “ Base Army Post Office, April 18, 1915.” That doesn’t help much, does it? And from whom do you think? I cannot tell you that either, for it came from one of the censors. The envelope containing them was stamped in red “ Passed by No. (four figures), Censor.” What a number there must be at work! Plowever, there was nothing of a military character in it; ho is too loyal even to give points to a personal friend, though he knows his friend is intensely loyal. But then, you see, even if he were inclined to be confidential, wo do not know what would happen to the letter between date of postage and arrival even if it does arrive. Plere is what he says: “I got your letter yesterday. Where we are and what we are doing I cannot say —because I’m the censor myself! When history is written you might know, but if New Zealand is well known in the world by then, it will be because we have advertised it. Coming through the Canal a Baluchi hailed us and we told him we were New Zealanders. ‘ Advance Australia! he shouted back. On this ‘card you will notice New Zealand is missing altogether. Egypt will know the difference between Australia and New Zealand. Only the day before we left a very highly placed Egyptian remarked on the good behaviour of our boys. So wo have awakened an interest in New Zealand that will not soon die down. A student of entomology would have had the time of his life on our late transport lice, beetles, bugs, and goodness knows what not.” — Censor. The card he speaks of shows in colour the, flags of Russia, Belgium, France and Russia in the four corners, and the Union Jack and the Royal Standard crossed in the top centre. The middle of the picture is occupied by a bulldog with an eye that would do credit to Caton Woodville. Ho has one of his fore paws on a sheet marked “Treaty,” and is glaring at an eagle (Germany?) poised in the air in front of him. But “Censor’s” point lies in this: Coming to heel and snarling are four vigorous pups branded South Africa, India, Canada, Australia My word, what a time tho designer of that card would have if Mr Seddon were alive and could interview him for a few minutes I R.N. (Table Hill) sends the following in answer to a query published some time ago. But what about “fat hen”? How came that hero ? It would 'be most interesting if we could trace back to tho originating source, all tho weeds that now infest Rio dominion s

Deav “ Magister,”—You were inquiring about tobacco plants growing in Northern Otago. In the early sixties some tobacco plants were grown at Pembroke, on the \\anaka Station. When they grew into the green seed stage, the crop was gathered, and the plants were.about sft. There was about a cartload, and this was carted into the wboished and hung un to dry, and then to be used for sheep dip purposes. Perhaps about 25 years afterwards, the wootehed was pulled down and carted away. Boon a:terwards there wore a few score of young tobacco plants growing below where the tobacco was stored in the shed, the seed remaining good all those years, but the plants died away in the autumn. There are any amount' of wild tobacco plants growing in the Lindis Pass.