Notes and Queries

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 52

Notes and Queries

OoMtloos for wpty fe coming Imu« to be Cte •tfrod eel latsr khan SATURDAY night Orations wID NOT be replied to tbran* toe poet QratioM meet be aooompenled by the name end address of the writer, but a nom de plane nep be adopted lor pubUootion. “ Formalin,” Tapanui, asks if it would be safe to feed pigs and ducks with wheat that has been pickled with formalin. “ Globe,” Green Island, wishes to know where to obtain parts for a Globe separator. " Agricola ” replies that he has not been able to locate an agent in Dunedin for Globe separators. “ Agricola ” replies :—lt depends upon the strength of the solution used for pickling. If of the usual strength no harm would result by feeding a trifle now and again. It would, however, be safer to wash the pickled wheat in water a few times before feeding the grains to stock. “Wayfarer,” Nightcaps, asks: (1) Were there any Chinamen imported into Samoa? (2) If so, when, and how many, and for what reason? (1) Yes. (2) About 1902. At one time there were 3000 working. The Germans imported Chinese to do the work on the plantations, as the native does not, as a rule, work. R. M., Dunedin, writes: I have a piece of ground measuring 75ft long by 66ft broad. How much of an acrqjs it? Mr H. M. Davey replies:—ln this case I consulted Mr L. O. Beal, who kindly calculated the amount, which was verified also by his assistant surveyor. They made it to be 18 1-5 square poles—a little over oneninth of an acre. “Reader,” Invercargill, wishes to know: (1) The name of the first doctor who arrived in Dunedin by the- Philip Laing or the John Wickliffe? (2) The name of the woman who was killed in Invercargill by the discharge of rockets in 1901 or 1902? also (3) the date of the occurrence? (1) Dr Manning arrived in the John Wickliffe on March 23. 1848, and Dr Robert Ramsay in the Philip Laing on April 15, 1848. (2) We may be able to answer Nos. 2 and 3 in our next issue. Can any reader oblige us with the information? “ Housewife,” Kurow, wishes to know how to remove a large grease stain from coconut matting. The more she scrubs it with hot water the clearer the stain seems to show up. Hot watdb alone will only spread the stain. Apply instead ammonia, turpentine, benzine, petrol, or ether. Begin at the outside of the stain, and work in towards the centre. There will thus not be any “ tide mark ” left as there would be if you worked from the centre outwards. “ Cider,” Clyde, asks for a good recipe for apple cider. Use fully ripe apples, and store on a shelf for a fortnight to grow mellow. Crush to a pulp. Put this into a strong, coarse bag, and with a heavy weight press out the juice into a large open tub, and keep it in a temperature of 60deg. As soon as the sediment has subsided rack off the liquid into a clean cask, and stand in a cool place till the following spring, when it may be re-racked for use. “ Sans-culotte ” writes : I have just purchased an electric range and four-deck cooker. The bottom pot holds the water, and the three tops cook by the steam. (1) If I run my voltage at 65, and just keep it slowly boiling, will the food take longer to cook than if I run it at 80 volts, and kept the water boiling hard? (2) Does the steamer nearest the water cook quicker than the one at the top? (3) Is there any book printed on steam cooking? In my cookery books I find a number of puddings, but nothing on meats or vegetables. (4) Is the steam more powerful the harder the water boils? If so, does the forcing through the food cook it more quickly? (1) It would take a longer time. (2) The steamer nearest to the heat. (3) Yes; write to your bookseller for a list of books on cooking. There is one by May Byron, containing some» hundreds of recipes for cooking vegetables. (4) Yes. “ Irrigation,” Wendonside, wishes to run water through piping for a distance of half a mile. The water, which is clean well water, would be elevated to a tank 14ft higher than the outlet of the pipes. Would the water run. satisfactorily through 3in piping, and deliver lOOgal in 12 hours? Mr H. M. Davey, consulting engineer, replies: Yes, you can do what you suggest, but more than that: A 3in pipe under the conditions you state (for a discrepancy in levelling would alter the amount of water delivered) should deliver 691 gal in 12 hours at a fall of, say, nearly 1 in 200. A Jin pipe should deliver about 252 gal in 12 hours, and a fin pipe should deliver a little over lOOgal in that time. As the last runs rather too close to your needs I suggest one of the former, though possibly your suggestion might be best in the long run. These sizes are internal diameters. A pipe twice the diameter delivers five and a-half times (and in small pipes rather more) the quantity of water. “ One Never Knows," Invercargill, writes: The mushroom season is now practically ended, and the remarkable size of the crowns throughout Otago and Southland has been unusual. I shall be pleased if some of your readers can explain the cause. Maybe the phenomenal growth was in some way connected with the South Seas Exhibition. “ Agricola” replies :—Mushroom is one of the commonest forms of fungus, which grows naturally upon decaying organic matter in pastures. Under suitable conditions of warmth and moisture, not too warm and dry nor yet too wet, the soil temperature suits the mushroom spawn. Equable temperatures and light during growth will favour large heads. Finer heads are usually grown when not too light—in fact, finer big heads are grown in the dark. Maybe southern conditions indicate an absence of sunshine during the active growth of the mushroom. In Otago this year the mushroom season was a short one, and only in certain places one noticed anyttyng of abnormal size. “Language,” Invcicarglll, writes: It is a common error in every-day conversation to hear someone say ” This is different to that.” Is it not a hard-and-fast rule in English grammar that the word “ different ” must invariably be followed by the word “from”? It is correct to say that a book differs from a pencil, but can a book differ to a pencil? (2) At any time is there any justification whatsoever for ever using the word “ to ” after “ differs ” or “different”? (3) As regards “ differerence,” can the word “ between,” and sometimes "over,” be used to distinguish one thing from another in the case where the noun Is employed? (1) The rule which is certainly " hard and fast ” is that “ different ” must be followed by “ from,”

and that one thing differs “ from ” another, never to it. (2) There is no justification whatever of using the word “ to ” after “ differs ” or “ different." You can differ “ with ” a person “ on ” a subject; but at all other times differ “ from " is used. (3) With the noun “difference”; other words, including those you mention, may be used according to the sense of the text. George,” Waikaka, a9ks for a reliable recipe for curing a pig (not to be smoked), preferably a method in which spice, brown sugar, etc., is ÜBed. “ Potts on Pigs " says the following is recommended: — Clean rain water 20gal, fine dairy salt 501 b, brown sugar 51b, saltpetre 21b, allspice Jib. This is sufficient for 5001 b of meat. Dissolve the salt, sugar, and saltpetre in the water, and immerse the allspice, tied up in a calico bag. Boil for one hour, and skim off any frothy matter rising to the surface whilst boiling. Allow the solution to come down to the temperature of the curing room (about 50deg Fahr.) before placing in the pickling tub. The sides should be rubbed with salt for two days before being immersed in the pickle. If it is necessary to place weights on the sides in order to keep them immersed see that clean pieces of hardwood are used, and soak them well in waste pickle before use. The time the meat is in pickle will be determined by the size of the sides, but it is usually three weeks. If a dry method of curing is wanted you could use, say, fine dairy salt 501 b, brown sugar 51b, saltpetre (powdered) 21b; mix well. A famous French recipe includes:—Fine dairy salt 61b, brown sugar 61b, allspice lib, mustard lib, saltpetre loz, bicarbonate of soda loz. Constant Reader,” Oamaru, asks for a recipe for making parsnip wine. Use firm, straight roots from which the dirt has been removed by gentle scrubbing in water. They are not pared. Any decaying spots should be removed, and the leaves cut away. Then the roots are severed downwards and across into fours, and boiled till they are tender. Four pounds of parsnips to a gallon of water Dr John Gerade recommended. The liquid is then strained into a tub; on no account must the roots be bruised, or a cloudy wine will result. For every gallon of water used 31b of sugar are now put in the keeler, with Joz of “ crude ” tartar. This is the substance found adhering to the sides of wine casks, and more generally known as argol. Until these are dissolved the contents of the tub must be steadily stirred. Fumy steam-clouds fill the kitchen, and a pungent odour is wafted through the house while the wine grows cool. At 75deg put in a round of toast spread thick with yeast, and leave the wine for four days where it is warm. A temperature of 60deg was advised by Dr John ; we simply trust to the kitchen, skim tha yeast off as it rises, and stir it again after the four days. When fermentation has subsided, and all sugar wholly disappeared, the wine may be casked, loosely bunged at first. If by the time the liquid is still, wasting has occurred, fill up with some left out for this purpose; then fasten tight. Not for 12 months may the "parsnip” wine be bottled. It will then be bland as Malmsey, to which it is akin. Subscriber,” Oamaru writes: (1) Where would be the best place to get the highest value for some old stamps which I have in my possession? They are New Zealand and Canadian stamps, issued or used in 1860. (2) What is wrong with gooseberry wine which tastes bitter? The water was fully boiled, sugar accurately weighed, and the water blood heat when put on the berries. All delf utensils were used. It was left three days on the berries, then strained and put into delf Jars. The corks were left out, and it was allowed to ferment, filling it up as it fermented. The gooseberries were firm. (1) You might make inquiries from Messrs Wilcox, Smith, and Co., Liverpool street, Dunedin. (2) Not knowing the recipe adopted in making your gooseberry wine it is practically impossible to state definitely wherein you have failed, but sufficient time does not seem to have elapsed since making. The berries should have been mashed in a wooden tub, covered with water, and allowed to stand a few days, then strained, and the sugar added. They should have been mixed well, and put back into the clean tub to ferment, about 12 days. When still some people would add the gelatine soaked in some of the liquor, and a few raisins to flavour, but this should not be required. It should then have been closed up, and left for six months at least. Then it should have been racked off into a clean cask, not disturbing the sediment, the gelatine soaked in some of the liquor added, and in two days bottled and sealed. The quantities and proportions of the various ingredients are as follows: —One bucket of gooseberries, 31b or 3 Jib sugar to each gallon of liquor, one bucket of water, Joz gelatine or one egg white to clarify. Power,” Arrowtown, writes: —I have been thinking of putting on the electric light, and using a creek to supply the power, but would first like to know one or two things. (1) To obtain the quantity of water I have (in heads) I cut a triangular notch in a piece of board, and dammed back the water with it. The depth of water at deepest point was 7in, and the width at water level was 12Jin. (2) I intend putting in a 750 ft pipe line. This gives a fall of 100 ft. Would 7in (diameter) pipes carry this water satisfactorily using, say, a I in nozzle, or would a smaller nozzle do? I would require about 1500 R.P.M. to bring it to the speed of the dynamo. (3) What would be the B.H.P. of a plant like the above? A dam could be easily constructed to hold about 10,000 cubic feet of water, but if the stream would give, say, 2J 8.11. P., or even 2, it would not be necessary to have a dam. Mr 11. M. Davey, consulting engineer, replies:—(l) When you say you cut a triangular notch in a board what angle was the said notch cut to? I ask this, as I plotted out the proper shape of the notch, and when 7in deep the length was not 12Jin, but nearer 14. This alone would make the result unreliable. Then the triangular notch is intended only for very small streams, and doer, not come in tables beyond sin. Reliable tables will be posted to you, but in the meantime believe that you may have about 45 cubic feet per minute, or, say, three-quarters of a head of water, but you can make a proper Bquare notch and re-measure if you like. (2) Yes, 7in pipes are all right up to about a head. The intake might be tapered out a little larger, and a fine grating added to prevent rubbish entering. You would need a full inch or l|!n nozzle (one and one-eighth) for the I or less would not take the water you seem to have. (3) If you really get the quantity of water .as supposed above you will hgve pleuty of power— l fully 6 B.H.P, At

a fall of 100 ft Price gives the following speeds obtainable: 18in wheel, 486 R.P.M.; 2ft wheel, 1364 R.P.M., and 3ft wheel, 243 R.P.M.

LAW QUERIES.

[Answered by a solicitor ef the Bnfr—i Osnrt at New Zealand. Letters and Telefrtas ansi be addressed to "USX,” e/e Kditor, Otoe* Vtona Dobbdin.] “Dairy Farmer.”—ln the first year A and B tied for points. A has therefore not clearly won the trophy. “ Inquirer."—The amount of the pension is diminished by £1 for every complete pound of income in excess of £52. “ Interested " asks: Has an electric power board the right to enter upon private property and erect poles thereon? Yes. “ Spreydon.”—Under the circumstances stated in your letter the daughter could not be compelled to contribute to the maintenance of the mother. “ Clinton.”—lf the sheep were obtained in a legal manner you have no remedy in the matter. The Acclimatisation Society has power to take the fish from the river. “Old Subscriber” asks: (1) My hack gets out of paddock, and is struck by a motor car at night. Can the owner of the car claim damages? (2) Could I counter claim for damages to my horse? (1) Yes. (2) No. " Anxious Inquirer” asks: (1) Can a borough council compel a mortgagee to pay rates that have been neglected to be paid by the mortgagor before the Rating Act was passed in 1925? (2) What date did “ The Rating Act, 1925,”' come into force? (1) Yes. (2) April 1, 1926. The Act was passed on October 1, 1925.