Notes and Queries

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 52

Notes and Queries

Question* for reply tc coming leeoe to b* i#» Beared not ittor than 6ATUBDAY night Qjretioog will NOT be replied to through •fee poet QnebMons icvjot be accompanied by the nemo end address yf the writer, but e notn de plume «ut oe edoated tor publication. •'Farmer.'' Centre Bush. —The address you have, with the addition of Feilding, will teach the parties. •‘Flower.*’ Oanmru, sends species of flower ftund co farm for identification. Mr R. R. Tennent. of the Department of Agricuitme. DuuedK supplies the name ehienry (Cichc***oui ‘utybus). ••ttoader.* Olenomani, wishes to know the otaU of pay a sour table receives. It is obligatory on any applicant to enter a training depot, for a term. A house allowance or £3 5s per month is allowed in addition to 14s y-*r day, with Gd rise every three ears until a maximum of 10s 8d per mem is reached. *'J. 11ac.,” Heriot. desires to know the best material to idd to salt for sheep."Agricola" s«^s: —In Dr Cameron’s bulletin, "Worm.: In Sheep." is recommended fine y powdered sulphate of iron, one part to 40 parts of salt, to which naif a part each o( fleers of saipliur and ground ginger can be added. Another mixture is slaked lime «one part), s: f (12 parts), rna one half part each or sulphate of and ground ginger. All salt Gromth* should be roofed over and alwayj kept' supplied, and then the sheep never tako more than they require. "X.’* Queenstown, writes as follows: —I have some old fruit trees, pears, and apples which I want to be rid of. if I cut these trees down, is there anything I can do to the stumps so as to cause them and roots to decay quickly? See answer lo "Old Subscriber” in reference to killing green trees. A better method, or at a quicker, would be to cut away ♦ho top growth and fix a chain around the stump and haul with horse or other power. An occasional cut with the axe of the main roots will assist greatly, and a capital job be made. "Ex-Ploughman,” Wellington, wishes to know: (1) If the Clydesdale stallion Crown Prince, which was in the Oamaru district twenty or thirty years ago, was an imported animal? (2) Who bred bim? (3) Name of his sire? “Agricolo” replies: According to the New Zealand Clydesdale Stud Book there were two Crown Princes —viz., Holmes’s horse, which was bred by Duncan MCallum, Thornbury, Southland, and got by Lord Salisbury (imp.), ex Damsel (imp.) in

ISB4, and Menlove’s horse, foaled about 1872, bred by the late John Nimmo, Ca3t Taieri, by Emperor ex an imported mare. This horse of Meilove’s was as stated also known as Crown Prince, but was bred long before Holmes’s horse.

“Amateur.” Hawke’s Bay, desires some information In respect to preserving French beans. Secure a large, deep stone jar. When the French beans are fit for the table, gather the pods on a dry day. A layer should be placed in the bottom of the jar, to a depth of a couple of inches, and pressed well together. Over this a thin film of salt should be distributed, and so on until the jar is filled. If sufficient bean, are not available on one day, the filling of the jar may be extended for several. The salt will draw sufficient. moisture from the beans to cover them. When the filling of the jar has to be done from time to time, care must be taken to see that all the beans are under the brine which will be created. If the filled jar is kept in a dry, cool situation, the beans will keep for four or five months. Before the beans, which are preserved in the manner indicated, are used they should be soaked in cold water for a couple of hours to remove the saltiness from them. ••Butter,” Central Otago, wishes to know wh< his cream after churning all day will not make butter, and how can thi 3 sain o cream be treated in order to make it into butter. “Agricola” replies:—The cause of your cream not churning may be ab-

normal cream ripening, or it may be the result of the cream being obtained from cowr- near the end of lactation period. The best way of dealing with it is to scald it to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit the day before churning, then cool it down to 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Scalding is effected by placing -he cream vessel in another containing hot water. The cream should be stirred gently while heating to prevent overheatiug of any part of it. Churn at a temperature of CO degrees Fahrenheit. If your dairy is very cold it would be better to churn in the kitchen, otherwise the temperature of the cream may fall rapidly and delay churning. The churn should not be mors than one-third full and the cream neither too thin r.or too thick. If too thin it is almost impossible to get the butter collected, while if too thick the cream hangs up a»4 water must be added before the butter will break. ,ij >M Subscriber," Southland: —To kill green trees the fol'owing are details of the methods adopted by the Forestry Department (Victoria) : Arsenic 211 b, washing soda 41b, and water four gallons. Put the arsenic and soda in a kerosene tin with thi •»e gallons of water; boil slowly for 15 minutes or until the arsenic Is dissolved. Be careful or the mixture will boil over. When the arsenic is dissolved take the tin off the fire and add the other gallon of water, hot if possible. The mixture can be used hot or cold, but hot for preference. Cut into the trees right around about six inches from the ground, with a sloping downward cut, just breaking the sap wood, and wrench the axe slightly so that the bark is opened outrard. Then pour the mixture into the i at, using a can with a spout 3-16 of an inch in diameter at the mouth. A can •+ hold about three quarts, with a spout about 10 inches long, is the most convenient. When using the can just run it around the tree quickly, letting the mixture flow slowly. About half a teacup of the mixture will kill a tree eight inches in diameter at the butt. Very small saplings can be cut down near the ground, the stump split, and the poison poured in. • It is better to have two men at the work—one to ringbark the trees and the other to follow with the poison. The sooner the poison is put in after the tree is ringbarked the better. It is well to keep stock out of the paddock while using the poison, as some of It may be spilt on the grass, or the animals mav get at the liquid. This poison can be used at any time of the year, but is'most effective in autumn. Any good weed killer may be used in lieu of above mix ture. LAW QUERIES, [Answered by a solicitor of the Supreme Court •f New Zealand. Letters and Telegrams most bo addressed to "LEX," c/o Editor, Otase Whose* Dunlin.] "A. T.”—The ratepayer must vote In person and not by proxy. "River Board."—The River Board can charge a royalty for gravel taken from the river under its jurisdiction. "Inquirer" asks if an employee working in a shearing shed before and after Christmas and paid by the week can claim wages for Christmas. No. "Anxious.” —Unless the employer has summarily dismissed the employee for just cause he must pay a week’s wages in lieu of notice. "Haka.” —The contractor has no legal right to enter upon freehold land and remove the gravel. The council may take gravel for road purposes, but must pay compensation under the Public Works'Act. “Farmer.”—A farmer is entitled to slaughter stock on his farm for barter or sale provided that stock slaughtered shall not In any one week exceed one head of cattle and five head of other stock. But no sale must be made in a town or to a town resident, and farm must not be within three miles of a borough or town district.

About 40 members of the Prince of Wales Lodge, Port Chalmers, on Saturday night visited Wuikouaiti, where fchoy were hospitably entertained by the local brethren of the Manchester Unity. A similar visit w-as recently paid to the Palmerston Lodge.

The vital statistics for the month of February were as follows, the figures for the corresponding month of last year being given in parenthesesßirths, 129 (103); deaths, 72 (55); marriages. 75 (58). A message from Auckland states that the funeral of Constable Andrew Begg, who was killed in the Parnell Tunnel last Tuesday while searching for an escaped prisoner, took place on Sunday afternoon. The cortege left the City Police Station at 3 o’clock, Scottish pipers playing a lament preceding the hearse. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack, and there wore many wreaths. About 250 members of the police force followed on foot, Supereintendent Wohlmann and exSuperintendent Hendry bring*'? up the rear Thousands of people lined the city streets through which the procession passed on the way to the Hillsborough Cemetery. It was one cf the most impressive funerals ever seen in Auckland.

Fire-fighters were much in evidence in the principal streets of the city on Sunday morning, on the occasion of the annual church parade immediately preceding the United Fire Brigades’ Association conference and demonstraton. Members of brigades from Whangarei, in the far north, to Invercargill, mustered at the Central Fire Station. Cumberland street, at 9.45 a.m., and at 10.20 a.m., headed by the Wanganui Garrison Band and the Dunedin Pipe Band, marched to St. Paul’s, First Church, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral, where impressive sermons were preached by the respective clergymen. Eighty Dominion brigades ware represented, and a total of 500 men were on parade, including officers, the executive, and past presidents of the United Fire Brigades’ Association, delegates to the conference, and comparing fhemen After the services the brigade were re-formed and marched to Anzac square, where they were dismissed. The men made a very fine showing, and it was by far the largest parade of firemen held under the jurisdiction of the United Fire Brigades’ ‘association. The parade was under the charge of ex-Captain C. Lucas and ex-Captain G. Laurie. A unique demonstration will be given on the Exhibition sports grounds this afternoon, when the whole of the firefighting pumping plant of the city will be seen in action. The plant will include the City Brigade’s powerful Leyland pump (which is stationed at the Exhibition), a Dennis pump, two Renault pumps, and a Leyland trailer pump. The demonstrations will commence at 3 p.m., and will be under the supervision of officers from the City Brigade. Sitting in chambers on Friday, Mr Justice Sim granted probate in connection with the following deceased estates:—Andrew Miller. Dunedin (Mr P. Duncan); John Hungerford Bowman, Dunedin (Mr F. G. Duncan); Georgina Christie, Mosgie! (Mr W F. Forrester); Christina Thomas M‘Kinnon, Mosgiel. (Mr Allan); and Alexander Megget, Dunedin (Mr Collier). Caveat was withdrawn and probate granted in the estate of John Connell, of Tainui, Dunedin (Mr J. B. Nichol).

Work on the two new Williamson theatres in New Zealand will commence almost immediately. Plans and specifications of the Wellington theatre have arrived from the company's architect, Mr Cedric Ballantyne, and tenders for this theatre, to be called The Regent, will be called within a few days. The plans of the Auckland theatre are also nearing completion, and work is expected to commence on the new theatre in Queen’s street at the end of March.

At the Magistrate’s Court. Middlemarch, on Friday, before Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., Walter S. Smellie, runholder, of Sutton, was convicted and fined £5, and costs (7s), for failing to destroy rabbits on hi 9 property of 1912 acres. Mr G. Reid (inspector of stock) conducted the case on behalf of tho Department of Agriculture, and Mr E. A. Duncan appeared for defendent, who pleaded guilty.

The regulations for the taking for sale of quinnat salmon in the South Island will be gazetted shortly (says our Wellington correspondent), and will probably be similar to the regulations in force last season ex cept that the license fee may be reduced from £5 to £L Last season no licenses were taken out, the reason, no doubt, being that fishermen realise the difficulties in the way of catching salmon in the open sea. In America the fish are easier caught, because the rivers have estuaries in which operations can be carried on, and there arc also navigable rivers. The alpine rivers of Canterbury and Otago- except perhaps the Waim-akariri outlet, do not lend themselves to the taking of salmon in large numbers. There seems no reason, however, why the fish should not caught in considerable numbers at the mouth of the Waimakariri, and eventually also in the Blenheim River.

The importation of foreign timbers for building purposes was referred to at last week's meeting of the council of the New Zealand Forestry League (says the Evening Post). It was stated thn* American and Canadian hemlock was now being largely used in buildings upon which the Government was making advances A specimen of rocontly imported hemlock was shown which had been seriously perforated by tho borer; no live insects, however, had been found in tho wood. A member stated that it bad been proved that the New Zealand borer would attao!. hemlock as readily as it would white pine. The meeting passed a resolution 'directing the attention of the Minister in charg of the States Advances Office to the large quantities of foroign timbers prone to attack by the borer, and pointing out that permission to use such timbers was against the interests of the Dominion in the utliaation of our own forests, and would also mean very serious loss to the department in years to come through the depreciation of its securities.

Since the Ohinemuri electorate went “wet” at the last general election (write!* our Thames correspondent) there has been considerable speculation as to the identity and number of the candidates likely to Ktand for the five elective seats on the Licensing Committee, the election of which will take place on Tuesday, March 9, simultaneously with the triennial elections of committees in the 56 other licensed districts throughout the Dominion. The chief towns in the electorate are Waihi and Paeroa, and it has become notorious that few of those who are entitled to vote avail themselves of the right to do so. Generally speaking, the interest in these elections is comparatively small, but in the case of Ohinemuri, on this occasion at least, it is anticipated that a much larger vote in proportion to the voting power will be exercised than in any other district. Present indications are that over 30 candidates will bo nominated for the five seats on the committee, those spoken of including the mayors of Paeroa and Waihi. The brewers and prohibitionists have also notified their intention of running strong tickets. In order to cope more effectively with its rapidly expanding business in the North Otago district, the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Company has established a branch office at. Marshall’s Buildings, Oamaru. Mr Arthur H. Vile has been appointed representative in charge of the branch, which should prove a convenience to advertisers and subscribers and other clients.