SOME POPULAR WEAK ER WISDOM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 48

SOME POPULAR WEAK ER WISDOM.

Tile European summer has been extraordinarily hot and dry. The most tragic consequence of the drought has been to convert the scarcity prevalent for years in Russia into perhaps the most terrible famine on record, the accounts of which make heart-rending reading. Under the Bolshevist regime the peasants have been forbidden to make profit out of their surplus produce, whence they have put in but small crops, and the failure, total or partial, of these has left hundreds of thousands food] ess. But even in the British Islands the long drought has caused much loss to farmers and gardeners, with corresponding inconvenience to the public, and some results unusual in Britain have followed. Some weeks back cablegrams told of the loss of lanrc numoers of sheep on the moors of Northern England though grass and heather fires. I never heard of such an occurrence in England before. Then the temperature has been phenomenal. Visitors from India, Australia, or South Africa complained of the heat as more <jrppiessive than that to which they were accustomed. h ortunately, one good resulted from the coal strike—the air in London and in manufacturing districts was smokeless, ro that English people could enjoy to the bill the unwonted continuance of blue skies and bright sunshine.

Now, as the Northern Hemisphere has experienced an unusually hot and dry summer, one is constantly hearing the remark that we must expect heat and drought likewise, for it is a deep-rooted popular idea that our seasons resemble the preceding European ones. I myself am quite an unscientific person, so I should not like to repudiate this idea as having no basis of truth. Climatic conditic ins depend on many factors, some of them distant and far-reaching, which may tend to produce unusual moisture or dryness over large areas of the earth for long periods. Those who have heard Mr

Clement Wraggo’s lectures will bo familiar with the idea of sail spots as disturbing factors in the climatic conditions of the earth. Reasoning from them, Mr Wragge has predicted accurately a. continuance of dry seasons in Australia. But why should the southern seasons follow the northern ones? Why should not the English summer this year have resembled our last one —not specially remarkable in any direction? Then, since a long continuance of

dry weather and sunshine oyer large areas must produce great evaporation, rain must soon tall somewhere, so it does not seem reasonable to expect a dry year for the world generally. As a matter of fact, however much or little there may be in the idea of some connection between our seasons and those of Europe, the idea as commonly held is utterly unscientific. By this I do not mean that the people who hold it have not specialised in natural science, which very few people can do. 1 mean that they accept it because they have heard it constantly repeated, so they repeat it, too, and help to extend it, never making any investigation to see if facts support it. How many people have troubled to make notes of the character of seasons here, conjoined with notes on the corresponding seasons in Europe. The person of a scientific turn of mind, however scanty his scientific education may have been, does not accept what people say without question. He may be glad of an unaccredited saying as a suggestion, but he or she will test it by nersonal observation or fuller inquiry and by recording experiences. People are saying that we shall have a dry summer, just as a good many predicted immediate wet because the August moon came in on its back. 1 have observed for more years than I should like to say that the crescent moon in August and thereabouts is always on its back. And as in this part of the world there is pretty sure to be a good deal of wet and story, weather in August and throughout the spring, the old adage stands uncontradicted. It needs no more scientific knowledge than is taught in the primary schools to inform one that the position of the crescent moon (that is, the portion of the illumined half of the moon visible to ns) is determined by the relative positions of the sun, earth, and moon to each other. It is thus a thing of regular sequence, quite independent of atmospherical conditions. Again, since the phases of the moon are the same the world over, if the moon comes in badly for one region is should do so for others also. Yet we know that even in our small islands it may be overdry in some localities and overwet in others, and Australia be drought-stricken while New Zealand is having overmuch rain. The beliefs that the weather for the coming month depends on the position of the new moon, or on the fact of its coinciding with fine or wet weather, stands on quite a different footing from regarding a halo around the moon as a forerunner of approaching rain. For the halo is a purely local phenomenon, depending on vapour in the upper strata of the atmosphere beginning t-o be precipitated in the form of minute drops. If the chilling of the atmosphere which causes this continues rain will shortly fall in the locality, as as far as similar conditions prevail. There is a great deal of genuine weather wisdom in popular sayings, for these are usually originated by farmers, shepherds, and other people living much in the open air, and keenly interested in the weather. The savings state what experience has shown to* he generally true, though the observer may not understand the real connections between the thing regarded as sign and its fulfilment. Take, for example, the old weather proverb: A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning; A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight. This embodies the result of common experience in the old countries, and is scientifically explained by the fact that '4 ere wet weather usually approaches from a westerly direction. A morninc

rainbow is formed on rainclouds advancing from the rainy quarter. When a rainbow is seen in the evening it is the westward sky that is clearing, the rainbow is thrown on rain clouds departing eastwards. I have come to look on this adage as pretty true for New Zealand also; but I would like my readers to observe for themselves. Here. too. most of our rainy, equally weather comes from the west and south-west. Another popular saying in New Zealand —a bit of Maori lore. I suppose—is that i! the native flax and the cabbage tree Dower abundantly a wet summer will fol--1 v.\ I cannot say that I have found this justified by experience. Conceivably there might be some connection between the two facts : but plainly the growth and dowering of a plant must depend on the weather of the past season rather than of the coining one. The leaf and flower buds of deciduous plants are formed at the end of the summer, and remain 'undeveloped till next spring, and all plants will be influenced towards productivity or the reverse bv the experience of the pro t year. It seems to he natural with many plants to bear irregularly, one year producing little blossom, another year much. Weather sayings generally have some truth —at least for the 'ocality where they originate. But often the thing regarded as cause or as sign of the following things is only remotely connected with it, both perhaps being effects of some agency which is not taken into consideration. But people repeat such sayings without ever testing them or inquiring what authority there is for them. And if occasionally they are supported by following • xpeiience. this is remembered in their favour, while more numerous instances w here they fail are forgotten. Here, as generally with coincidences, predictions, omens, etc., people mark the hits and dnn t mark the misses. Once get the idea o! a i• <- essary connection between two things into your hea l and you will see farts m a corresponding light. So if you are spi - .'ally interested in anything, you ate apt to think of lucky or unlucky days in connection with it. You don’t examine, yon air merely impressed by a particular experience, and overlook contradictory ones. Since .Saturday is the common holiday many people are possessed by the idea that, by the perversity of Fate, Saturday is more commonly wet than other days. Where Wednesday is the business holiday you will hear the same thing said of it, and the housewife who Washes on Mondav is aggrieved at the ■umber of rainy Mondays.

But in our schools of to-day children and young people are being trained to observe natural phenomena, to record them, to reason about them, and about all that is brought within their knowledge, as was never the case in the education of the [last. We may expect to see the fruits of this in future years in far more accurate observation and better reasoning from observed facts than are commonly met with in those now of mature years. NEW ZEALAND BIRDS. I am indebted to the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt for the following kindly note on New Zealand birds:—“ln the Witness of September 13, 1921, on pp. 48, 49 appear references to New Zealand birds. In relation thereto it may be of interest to mention that when in 1840 the Rev. James Watkin, Wesleyan missionary, began the first Christian mission in the South Island of New Zealand at Waikouaiti, he compiled a vocabulary of southern Maori words. The original ie in the Hocken .Library in MS. form. It has what I take to be a list of birds known to the Waikouaiti Maoris of that period. The name of the tui is given a-s koko, the wild duck as parera, the common fowl as tikokoko, probably in imitation of a clucking hen. Other names that you and others may be able to identify are thus listed: —Ucohi, tepu, kukupako, totokipiu, pakura, putakitaki, kaka, tekeraera, mata, koreke, tuitukini, pakapo, ueka, kune, tokoeaka, tcloa., koku, tiheke, koloheu, kakalua, tatalika, miromiro, pioio. 1 pass on the list for what it may be worth, and regret that my nowledge of New Zealand bird life is so scant that I can identify only a few of the birds names. “ALIEN’S” LETTER FROM ENGLAND. (Specially Written for the Ladies’ Page.) IN THE HEAT. July 19. Every other place is envious of Scotland—it has had seven hours’ rain! It is refreshing even to write about. The showers which have fallen were received by the lucky districts with joy and even merriment; some people danced in the showers. In North Wales heath fives were extinguished, which had been burning at Berwyns over an area of several miles. These fires have been numerous

all over the country, ignited in most instances by the sparks from passing engines. The downfalls have been chiefly in the west and north ; the east and south are panting in vain. Kent, “the garden of England,” is withered and parched. The farmers are great believers in St. Swithen, and on St. Swithen’s Bay it rained in a few districts, in many not at all, and in others not enough to make a bath for a mosquito. A swift, sharp shower in London brought the people into the open to enjoy it. Since then other places have been visited by thunderstorms, heavy rain accompanying vivid lightning and thunder. For the most part the rain lias fallen on the west co-art, from the Hebrides to Plymouth; but official figures nowhere give more than a fall of half an inch of rain, except at Thethford, Norfolk, which had a downfall of 1-Ain, which laid the corn. In the eastern and south-eastern counties a. shade temperature from 80deg to 85deg prevails, and day after day and week following week 10 roasting hours of sunshine per day, with nights of heavy oppression. Large numbers of salmon and trout have been found dead in the rivers owing to the shallowness of the water. The grass in Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park and in all the parks lias loner since turned

from its green velvet appearance to brown. But the holiday folk are making high revel in the sea and along the shores. The water and the air are both so warm that bathing is general all the evening, and even bv moonlight. But, despite the heat, there has been an orgy of shopping during the last weeks at the great London drapery sales. From the opening of the doors till the closing every department has been thronged with eager buyers of goods "marked down” to pre-war prices, and it lias been a- matter of ‘‘push” to obtain the goods. Many sensible people an making their journeys by night—in fact motoring on moonlight nights has become the vogue,— and hundreds of enthusiasts rush along the Kent roads to the seaside for a breath of air and back again, while others toss on hot beds unrefreshed. These moonlight motor trippers take their supper with them. The heat may have affected the attendance at the' Caledonian ball, held at the Hotel Cecil, for it was by no means crowded, nor were the reels danced with such gusto as in former years. The Duke of Atholl was distinguished among the chieftains, and among the ladies” were .he Duchess of Grafton, who wore the magnificent Grafton diamonds, and the young Countess of Dalkeith, who is noted for her good looks. Another of the beautiful women present was the lion. Mrs Houston, the daughter of Ladv 'Violet Melville. The ball was a brilliant sight, the women wearing Court dress, with skirts to the ground, and many with trains. It was ? puzzle to the uninitiated how the women dancing in the reels kept their tiaras in place. Fashion experts in 1 am, who tried in the spring to rmntioduee the long skirt, fear that the hot weather and dancing craze is against the decree, which is being disregarded bv the majority. English and American women, being now enamoured of the freedom of movement the short skirt allows, object to the longer dresses. Here and there a. charmingly' artistic gown' has a skirt to the ankles, and on middle-aged or stout wearers the fashion is far more graceful than the short skirts. In the early spring the long skirts promised to be the prevailing mode, but most of those who adopted have again abandoned it. The dresses worn at one of the most •successful halls of the week, at the newlyreopened Hotel Metropole, were very charming, the favourite colour being the new shades of gold, although pinks and pule blue hold their own At the Karov

on France’s Night the ballrooms were crowded with French, American, and English, and here again the dresses were short. Some of the loveliest toilettes of the season were worn at the wedding of Lady Irene Charteris to Lord Windsor, which took place at St. Paul’s, Knightsbrid.ge, on the 13th. Ladv Irene is the third daughter of the Earl and Countess of Weymss, and Viscount Windsor, the bridegroom, is the son of the Earl and Countess of Plymouth. Princess Christian, who attended the marriage, of the Earl and Countess of Wemyss in 1883, was also present at the wedding of their daughter last Wednesday. The bride, who was given away by her father, looked lovely in a mediaeval gown of crepe chiffon, with a long Court train of wonderful old point d’Alencon lace hung from the shoulders like a hood. The tulle veil was worn with a deep coronet of myrtle leaves and blossom, and she carried a sheaf of Madonna lilies. The train was carried by the Elon. Martin Charteris and the son of Captain and Lady Cynthia Asquith, nephews of the bride. The five little bridesmaids—Miss Anne and Miss Laura Charteris (nieces), Lady Barbara Lindsay (daughter of the Earl and Countess of Crawford), Miss Janet- Margesson, and ifiss Desire Blow—

were in cream lace trimmed with wild roses and blue tulle veils, and the pages wore blue tights and shirts with white and gold brocade tabards. The church was beautifully decorated with wreaths and bunches of red and white flowers (the Plymouth family colours) being festooned on the screen, with large bowls of red roses and white flowers at the foot. Red and white flowers were on the altar and bowls of similar flowers near the choir stalls. Walburga Lady Paget, Lady Plymouth's mother and grandmother of the bridegroom, wore an old-world blue velvetgown and bonnet, with wonderful pearls. The Countess of Plymouth wore gold veiled with black and white. The Countess of Sandwich was in white; the blue sash. Adele Countess of Essex wore black and ivory ; Lady Moira Lyttelton, orchid mauve : Lady Granbv (who is a lovely woman) wore ivory with a quaint cape collar: Ladv Hermione Herbert, exquisite frilly coffee-coloured lace ; Lady Colfax, gold in a dark shade. Shades of coffee colour and creams and golds were among some of the loveliest dresses. It i.s gratifying to learn that the balance sheet of the great- London Hospital bazaar last week, organised by the nursing staff of the hospital, and held in the grounds (walled in from the ceaseless traffic of the Whitechapel road), realised £7300. The nurses, who gave so much time and work to the enterprise, are delighted that their effort has saved 200 beds to the poor of London, and Queen Alexandra, who is greatly interested in this great maternity hospital, and was present at the bazaar, and Queen Mary, who gave the wonderful dolls house (which attracted many people) are no less delighted. For the beds are saved not by this £7300 alone, but by what it secured, for, early in the year, Lord Knutsford, chairman of the hospital, was promised through The Times £SOOO on condition that four other £SOOO contributions were received. Before the bazaar three other £SOOO donations were forthcoming, and the original donor consented to receive what money the bazaar made as a contribution towards the remaining £SOOO needed, trusting to the benevolence of another donor to make up the difference. And the bazaar more than realised the whole. For, led by the Queens, all society sent- gifts before they went to purchase. And the matron of the

hospital said she had been extremely touched by the number of the gifts from quite poor people. For once King George has walked over a path of rose-leaves. A new experience for a Monarch whose crowned years have been so encompassed by thorns. But when be and the Queen, accompanied by Princess Mary, visited Guernsey last Monday (the King as the Duke of Normandy) little girls strewed rose lenses thickly on the ground before their Majesties. The whole island made holiday, and file sick were carried out in their beds to the roadside to see the Royal visitors pass. The King was addressed as the Duke of Normandy in the official documents, and in that capacity the Royal fief-holders knelt before him, ‘‘placed their hands between the Duke’s hands, and swore themselves his men,” with exactly the same formula as when their ancestors swore fealty to William the Conqueror on the eve of the Norman invasion. The fiefholders are holders of estates, which involve the relation of Lord and Vassal. In Norman-French times thee- made their declaration, and the kin-.- signed his acceptance in the same language. The picturesque ceremony took place in St. George’s Hall, where for the hour the present re-eceded and the past was re-horn in the old customs. One woman tendered his Majesty a pair of gilt spurs on a crimson cushion. lire King touched the spurs, and the tenure of her estates were renewed. The King and Queen and Princess Mnrv had tea with the Bailiff of Gurnsev. and the hereditary third enp bearer, Sir H:\viland tie Sausmarez. personal!'. - handed the cup.s to their Majesties. Tire Royal tour through the islands was marked by these picturesque ceremonies, and by gifts and many kindnesses, and much enthusiasm by the people. Tire tragic death of Mr Hawker lias cast a gloom over flying circles, and is. mourned by the whole country, which had admired his grit, and will always remember him for two wonderful examples of heroic determination. The first, ins

gallant attempt to win the Daily Mail "Round Britain” prize in 1913, when he wa-s given up for lost by almost all but his courageous wife, and ultimately cheered home by all London, and his ever I memorable attempt to win the Daily Mail prize of £IO,OOO for the first- direct flight across the Atlantic. Kir John Aleook, who won this prize with Kir Arthur Whitten-Brown. afterwards was killed while flying in Paris. But heroic as the

world knew Hawker to be, it did not know the full extent of his courage until at the inquest on his broken body the other day revealed the fact of what was known to few save Mrs Hawker and his medical advisers, that he was suffering from tubercular disease of tile spine, and was otten in great pain with his back, and was flying against his doctor's orders. Ihe post mortem examination showed that hemorrhage -of the spine had taken place in the air, or on the shock of landing. The doctor thought it had occurred before death, and in the air, and that as a result Mr Hawker became paralysed. Hence the crash. So passes another hero. The greatest sympathy is felt for Mrs Hawker, who must have suffered tortures of anxiety every time her husband went up. When the news was broken to her that her husband had crashed she started off in the waiting ear in her light summer frock just as she was, and the truth was broken to her on the way to the spot. First she was told her gallant husband was badly hurt, and then in answer to her question it was admitted that he was dead. IN FASHION’S REALM. WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES. By Marguerite. Tlie French are particularly poetical. They are especially so in dress. To them the birth of flowers means rejuvenation. Hence, with spring, what better than to do homage at the shrine of Flora, with everything - designed with an eye to floral effects? This is one of the key-notes of the new season, and it may be that it is the most important of ail First then we have the millinery. To stair with the shapes are just what you would have them, individually and collectively. There are

very large ones, drooping and upturned, and very small too; iu fact, down to the brimless. At the same time the large type is the one to lay stress on —picture shapes of one style and another, the small one having a matronly effect, though not always. In and between these is a great range, with, for the most noteworthy, t-he turban. As for the materials there are ail the straws possible to mention, and then some others equally so but- for the first time, as straws with a metallic thread through them- —quite an innovation.

I must dwell on millinery a little, for a start. As said before there is a- decided tendency towards downward effects. This ie the excuse for pendants-—such of flowers where they admit of it, a kind of millinerised ‘‘ear-ring ” if the term is not extreme. And as one thing leads to another, there is the cardinal note that such trimmings are sometimes on the brim, sometime.:. under it, -and sometimes on and under together with due discretion.

Flowers lead, they do not monopolise, who would dare to rule out ribbons? Some of the hats are entirely ribbon trimmed, but such ribbons! Again feathers get in their claim, and for the rest there are sequins, jet and other ornaments. and

fringes. For a great word, too, there are the laces—exquisite laces so beloved of those with ideas that were not made yesterday. For some general examples picture a crinoline hat trimmed with faille ribbon and a frail of flowers, the ribbon also providing streamers; and another of satin straw with transparent brim trimmed with the same selections Then again a tusean veiled in lace and trim mod with ribbons and berries; and again a cashmere de scie with a floral ribbon brim, and trimmed with marguerites. Once more, a mode! of the best- in georgette, trimmed with ribbon and grapes, and with streamers. I spoke in my last of the scalloped edges The crescent moon will convey a good idea of some; the semi-circle of others. Here

is an example in the simplest- possible form tilt: upper section of a simple dress which I have patterned ever so lightly because of what will be brought to your attention in the next paragraph. The style, will be popular as regards certain features — the neck, the sleeve, and the length of the extension. Homage to Flora will not end with the millinery. Extraordinary beautiful voiles of tine imis'li feature embroidered floral effects, and delightfully woven crepes reveal small designs, and a* though flowers were not enough there may be an inclination to betray the presence of butterflies. As a matter of fact, one I saw had the hatterfly for the dominant tiling, and reel enough to look at to cause one to imagine that if had alighted there. Though there are also many other effects it is generally with some concession to the garden, or the wilds—anything where the artist finds a flower or imagines one. Coming to silks it is just file same, and so much so that 1 see that one authority has described a selection as fairly flower-strewn —as c-repe de chine with a floral effect; georgette embroidered with small blossoms of one kind and another; an,] taffetas with little posies at reasonable intervals. But not everything is bo-flowered in this way. There are voiles in clucks, stripes, and other parterns, the commendatory note in which is their lovely colouring*; and as for silks, such with a rib and an elusive stripe, and such again plain with a more pronounced one. As for cottons the gabardines are dolightful in their fawns, taxes, preys, skies, and creams; the voiles equally so in their nat-tiers. helios*., blues, and maizes, or again, with designs; and the zephyrs over, more so—if possible—in their blues, pink*, fawns, helios., and browns, or again ns cheeks complete and broker-. But 1 must say a special word for the organdies, br>. oausc organdi has Been declared one for the

SPORTS AND KIDNEY TROUBLE. Hundreds of columns are written daily about some kind of sport. Magazines are published to its exclusive interests. Amateur as well as professional sport is universally popular. How n any of us rea’ise that all these sportsmen who participate in the so many varied games are apt to Inoitis “off colour.” In many instances thrse breakdowns and collapses are due to. the kidneys or bladder not being in prop- r working order, with the result that these distressing pains of backache, lumbago, rheumatism, gout, joint pains, etc., are experienced. It is essential to sportsmen that their bodfly functions are in the Vx-si possible condition, otherwise their accomplishments cannot bo in the first rank. To ensure this a reliable kidney remedv is required. All kidney and bladder disorders are traceable to the action of uric acid poison, width is not properly eliminated by the kidneys. The poisons attack ihe joints arid muscles and produce those familair stabbing pains and stiffness. Every throb of pain is a danger signal that the circulation is pervaded with the deadly uric acid poison. Uric acid crystals are as sharp as bits of broken glass, which cut and scratch everything with which they come in contact.. The cause of all the trouble is really disordered kidneys, and to everybody who values good health their kidnejs must bo. put right. De Witt’e Pills are so ompoundod that they go right to the kidneys (not to the bowels) and wash away all the accumulated waste matter. A. Grimsdell and B. Bliss, two famous English International footballers, George Cummings, the world’s professional walking champion, all testify to the benefit derived bv the use of De Witt’s Pills De Witt’s Pills are recommended by nurses, medical men, and other influential people. When you buv the tii'ls be sure they are De Witt’s in blue, white, and gold boxes, with the special blue wax seal on the cork inside. Price 3s 6d per box. or 6s 6d for one 2i times as large—a great saving. De Witt’s Kidney and Bladder Pills nre sold by chemists and storekeepers everywhere in every part of the civilised world. If you have any difficulty in obtaining genuine De Witt’s Kidney and Bladder Pills, send the price of the package to E. C. De Witt, and Co. (Ltd.). 89 Custom House quay. Wellington. Trial box sent for three penrtv stamps. Dr Angel Hernanz, the well - known Spanish physician, writes: “I have obtained magnificent results from De Witt’9 Pills.”