Notes and Queries

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 48

Notes and Queries

ter r*ply in Mining ma* to bo to®*svM m* lotor thoa SATURDAY night. OnoiMoao win NOT bo replied to throagb ISw poet. Question* mast be accompanied by the name end address of the writer, but a nos* do plum® ■oog be adopted for publiootiou.

“ Subscriber,” Waikaia. —The Information has been forwarded. “A B C ” wished to know If there was a Chinese doctor in InTercargill. A corrspondent kindly replies: “ Yes, there Is a Chinese doctor In Invercargill. His address Is: Wong Young Wah, 55 Nlth street, Invercargill.” * Kinema,” Wellington, wishes to know what steps he should take to become a klnematograph operator. Is there any school or institution In Wellington where he could qualify so as to obtain a position as such? There Is no school in New Zealand. The only way to learn Is to get in touch with a flrm or Individual in Wellington who Is working a machine. Old. Otagoite ” wishes to know what quantities of Ingredients are required to mix paint, both white and cream colours, to cover the walls of a plain seven-roomed house. It depends upon the condition of the house, but if in fain order it would take approximately IJcwt of mixed paint of the colour wanted, together with, say, about 3gal linseed oil. “ Pensioner,” Balclutha.—ln further reply wo may say that the secretary of the Otago Hospital Board has in his possession various records in connection with some of the children committed to the Benevolent institution at Caversham. If “ Pensioner ” will write to the secretary giving the name of the child in question, and as near as possible the date ot* entry, he might possibly be supplied with the information required. “Anxious,” Lake Wanaka, writes:. “I have made repeated inquiries in both islands to find out who has the agency for the White marine engine. I wrote to Booth, Macdonald, Christchurch, who informed me they were the agents 20 years ago, but not now. I wonder would a word through your columns be of any assistance to me? ” We would b 3 glad to hear from any reader who can supply the information. * A Subscriber,” Hilderthorpe, wished to know about a No. 5 ram. -Mr 11. M. Davey replies : “ Through the courtesy of Mr Drew, of Messrs A. and T. Burt, who make this size of ram, I am able to tell you that it takes a ’2in interval diameter drive pipe and a 2Jin delivery pine, and will deliver 60gal per hour. We considered .your statement of the 10ft fall and l£)ft use, and believe you meant lOtt fall and then 20ft rise. If you want a different size of ram you might write them about it.” “Farmer,” Walhao Forks, writes: "I am top dressing with superphosphate, 44.46. Is there any danger to stock grazing directly afterwards, or should It ba washed In by rain before the sheep are allowed to feed in the top-dressed paddocks? Agricola ” replies : “ No, it is not considered dangerous If a wellmade superphosphate has been used; but all the same It Is better to make a practice of keeping the stock off the dressed pastures for a day or two, or till after rain has fallen." ** Canary,” Tlmaru, writes : " I was wondering if you could advise me about my canary. He Is picking his feathers out. What should Ido for it? Should he have a special diet while moulting? He also suffers from cracks In his feet: his feet and legs go scaly, and he has growths of what seems to be dry skin on some of his toes. I have been bathing his feet with warm water, and rubbing vaselene Into them. Could I improve on this treatment? ” Feed the bird on canary seed, and keep It out of draughts during the moult. Dip feet of canary In kerosene and then in olive oil, say once a week. “Don,” Invercargill, wishes to know (1) How to prepare land for flax growing. (2) If flax grows from seed. (3) If so, where can such be obtained? (4) About what price does the seed cost? “ Agricola " replies: “ (1) The land Is prepared in a similar manner as for other crops. The flax seed (Phormium) is sown much the same ae onion seed, but thinner. When the plants are sufficiently strong they should be transplanted In rows 4ft apart. Flax grown from seed takes some years to mature. You would be well to get from the Department of Agriculture a pamphlet on flax growing, price Is, if you contemplate sowing an area. (2) Yes. (3) Any seedsman will procure the seed for you. (4) A small quantity about Is an ounce, and less for quantity.”

’lnquirer” writes: “(1) Would you consider in ordinary cropping land two successive crops of wheat too severe? (2) Would it not : T in grass-growing capacity for a few years after? ” “ Agricola ” replies: "(1) Generally speaking it is not good farming practice to take two successive wheat crops off ordinary land, although on heavy land it is feasible. There are occasions when it is quite legitimate. It depends upon the previous treatment of land over a period of years, the type of land, and the yield of the last crop, and there are other factors which must be considered. (2) Yes. in some degree, owing to the fact that certain fertilising soil constituents have been drawn upon, and may not be replaced when sowing out the land in grass. One cannot get away from the fact that wheat growing exacts considerable toll on the ' land, and only in exceptional cases should we be prepared to recommend the growing of wheat after wheat. You do not give your address, nor state the district where cropping is contemplated.”

* Twenty-five Years' Subscriber,” Roxburgh, asks: " (1) In what year was Rizzio, Mary Queen of Scots’s Italian secretary, murdered In Holy rood Palace? (2) What is the English meaning of the Maori expression, • Purry,’ and also, ‘ Plurry’? (3) What is the number of sheep In the North Island, and in the South Island? (4) What is the world’s amateur record, 121 b hammer, 7ft or 9ft run, and who is it held by? (5) What is approximately the populations of Athens and Corinth (Greece), also the populations of Adelaide and Brisbane (Australia)?” (1) 1566. (2) The words are the Maori equivalent for what has been called the great Australian adjective. (3) On April 30, 1927, there were tn the North Island 13,957.820 ; in the South Island, 11,691,196. (4) We hr s no record of the champion amateur’s performance, but the world’s record, made by a professional (W. A. Condon, an American, in 1927) was 213 ft 9Jin. This was made from a 7ft run. ■■ Standing, Condon threw the hammer 124 ft .Ilin. (5)

Athens, 300,000 ; Corinth, 6000 ; Adelaide, 303,614 ; Brisbane, 263,711. “ Sportsman,” Puerua, asks: “ What position does a sportsman stand in regarding the use of a Browning automatic fiveshotgun—with clip or pin pushed over to make a two-shotgun only? What has a sportsman to do to make his gun legal to use for the duck-shooting season? Does it make It legal for him to use his gun with clip or pin pushed over as stated above so as to make It Impossible to fire more than two shots without releasing the pin to work the magazine? ” One of the conditions under which licenses are granted permitting the killing of game reads as follows, and seems to meet ” Sportsman’s ” query : “ No person shall kill or destroy any such imported game or native game, or shoot at or attempt to shoot at any such imported game or native game, with any automatic or auto-loading gun, unless It Is converted Into a gun capable of carrying two cartridges only, or with any rifle or pearifle, swivel-gun, punt-gun, or pump-gun, or shall use any gun other than a shoul-der-gun ; and no gun shall be used for the purpose aforesaid the bore of which is larger than the size known as No. 12 at the muzzle, nor shall any gun be used which exceeds 101 b in weight.”—Extract from New Zealand Gazette, March, 1928. “ Inquirer," Otaio, asks how to preserve tomatoes for winter use, and wishes to know if they could be preserved in large stone jars. The disadvantage of stone jars lies In the tact that they are not airtight. If you could find some method of sealing them securely they might be able to be utilised, but you would need to use the tomatoes at once as soon as you opened the jar. In order successfully to bottle tomatoes it Is important to observe the tollowing points:—(l) Choose sound, firm, ripe tomatoes. (2) With a damp cloth wipe each tomato clean, and then dry with another cloth. (3) Have the bottles heated before using, and while filling them stand on a folded towel. These precautions are necessary to prevent the cracking of the hotties. (4) Be careful to exclude all air. To ensure this fill the bottles to the top with water. Screw on the tops tightly and seal without delay. (5) Put away in a dry, cool place. Stand the bottles upside down if possible. Method : Put the tomatoes into perfectly clean, warm jars, stand each jar on a folded cloth and fill up with boiling water; then put the cover on, but not the rubber ring. Stand a preserving pan or, better still, a kerosene tin on the stove, place a very thick cloth or two or three kitchen towels evenly on the bottom. Then put in the jars containing the tomatoes and fill the pan to within an inch of the top of the jars with cold water; then bring the water slowly to the boil. Let the water boil very gently from eight to twelve minutes, or until the tomatoes show signs of cracking, and then remove from the stove. If the tomatoes sink, fill up from another bottle or with more boiling water. The essential point is to fill to overflowing so that all air is excluded. Now put on the rubber rings and fasten down. Leave In the water until cold. Next day the tops should again be screwed down, as glass contracts on cooling, and the bottle turned upside down to see that no juice is escaping. Use wide-mouthed jars with screw metal tops, and new rubber rings are necessary every season.

“ Pickles,” Macandrew Bay, wishes to be supplied with tried recipes for using green tomatoes. (1) Green tomato jam: 31b green tomatoes, juice of six lemons, thinly cut rind of three lemons, a little shredded nreserved ginger ; boil for one hour, then add 41b loaf sugar; boll haif an hour longer till tomatoes are clear. Care must be taken that they break as little as possible. (’2) Green tomato preserve: 41b tomatoes, two sliced lemons, 31b sugar. Cut tomatoes in quarters if small, and shape larger ones similarly. Put sugar on with just enough water to melt it; add the very thin lemon slices, and cook these for a time. Then add the tomatoes and cook till transparent and tender. Half a pound of preserved ginger may be added if liked. (3) To pickle green tomatoes : To 61b green tomatoes (picked before the frost has toughened them) use one quart vinegar, Jib brown sugar (or one cup black treacle), Jib onions, one and a-half teaspoons cloves, two teaspoons peppercorns, one teaspoon ginger, one teaspoon cayenne pepper, Jib raisins. Slice the tomatoes into an earthenware dish ; sprinkle each layer with salt, and let them remain al! night. Boil up the vinegar and spices. Drain the tomatoes, and add them with the onions to the strained vinegar. Simmer until very tender. Bottle and cover when cold. (4) Green tomato pickles: 21b small green tomatoes, one pint vinegar, one dessertspoon treacle, one teaspoon each mustard and curry powder, half a teaspoon mixed spice, one large onion (peeled). Mix and boil for five minutes aT the ingredients except the onions and tomatoes. Slice these and add to the liquid. Simmer again for five minutes, stirring gently so as not to break the vegetables. Bottle and cover while hot