Notes and Queries?

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 46

Notes and Queries?

Questions for reply In the coming issue of the Otago Witness must be received not later than SATURDAY Night.

Questions will NOT be replied to through the post. Questions must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, but a nom de plume may be adopted for publication.

“Till We Meet Again,” Queenstown, wishes to know the meaning of the words “Aroha Tino Nui.” Very great love. “ Subscriber,” Arrowtown, sends specimen for identification.—The School of Mines, Dunedin, kindly supplied the information required : “ Carbonate stromtium: of no particular commercial value in small deposits.” “ Debate,” Dunedin.—Your questions involve considerable research, and as you are taking part in the debate, the personal investigation would be helpful. Where the answers are procurable they could be gathered at the Public Library’s reference department. “ Constant Reader," Mataura, wishes to know if Beatson and Douglas, furriers, are still in business; if so, what is their address; and, if not; what are the names and addresses of other furriers in Dunedin. Not to our knowledge. Two addresses of Dunedin furriers are the Mutual Fur Company, 46 George street, and the New Zealand Fur Company. 61 George street. C. C., Southland, wishes to know: (1) Where Mr Studholme, who gave Studholme House to Otago University, lives? (2) What baking powder tins cost per 100, and where they are generally made? (1) Middleton Grange, Upper Riccarton, Canterbury. (2) The price will depend upon the size of the tins. One pounj.. (1 lb) tins, 3Jin by 44in (deep), with loose lids, will cost 21s 6d per gross. Obtainable from Messrs J. Eustace and Son, canister makers, etc., King street, Dunedin. “Inquirer,” Wyndham, asks : “(1) Is gut preserver harmful to tennis rackets, and, if so, what should be used on them ? (2) W'hat is the difference between wheat meal and whole meal and wholewheat flour, and which is the best ? ” — (1) There are good and bad revivers of gut. Mr C. Bills, 218 George street, Dunedin, puts up a preparation which is recommended. (2) There is no difference in composition between wheat meal and whole meal, both being 100 per cent, wheat; while whole-wheat flour is probably the same thing under another name, the terms being used in a commercial sense, and the specific contents often being set out on the containers. “ Central,”"Alexandra, wishes to know of any recipe for removing petrol stains from a tweed coat. Petrol does not stain. Either you have oil stains on your coat or else petrol has come in contact with the cloth and left the spots where it touched cleaner than the rest of the coat. We advise you to procure some really clean petrol, and if the stains are of oil remove them by dabbing petrol from the outside of the stain towards the centre. If the the stains are caused in the other manner suggested, wash the whole coat in petrol. Be sure not to work near a fire or an uncovered light, as petrol fumes are inflammable. “Curious,” Otago, wants to know: (1) Where he can procure “ dud ” or counterfeit coins of different values, such as Id, 3d, 6d, Is, 2s, 2s 6d pieces. Where he can procure a double-headed penny. The inquirer does not want these coins for illegal purposes, but for performing conjuring tripks. (2) Where he can procure a number of bone and nickel plated rings about lin in diameter and about 3-16 in to iin in thickness. What would be the price of these? (3) He has an Onoto fountain pen which, when he begins to write, leaks. After he has written about a page the ink is too slow in coming, making the writing very faint. What is the matter with it? (1) We are unable to supply any information on these points, but some of our readers may later have something to say on the matter. (2) Write to any firm dealing in ironmongery advertising in the Otago Witness, forward specifications in regard to your requirements, and obtain quotations. (3) The pen probably requires overhauling by an expert, and cleaning. Th e use of an inferior ink may cause the trouble, providing there is no actual break or crack. “Farmer," Fairfax, who says_Jhat he finds our answers to queries of great value, writes: “(1) What is the best way to treat a dog which has eaten a rabbit poisoned by strychnine ? The usual way here is to give a drench of mustard and water and to bleed from the ehrs or tail. I would like to know if you could give a better method of treatment or recommend any antidote to be kept in case of need. (2)' Wha<. is the proper season to take the seed from macrocarpa trees and when is the best time to sow the (1) An emetic should immediately be given, and afterwards butter, lard, or other fat in considerable quantities. If the symptoms are very bad, however, a veterinary surgeon should be consulted. (2) Harvesting of the seed will depend upon climatic conditions experienced, but some time in midsummer, when the seed has ripened. The seed of Cupressus macrocarpa is best sown in the open in the spring, as soon as the _ soil is in good working order, in drills same as carrot seed. Do not soak the seed. “ Inquirer,” Southland, wishes to knowhow to treat rhubarb planted this season. Newly planted rhubarb should be given a dressing at least 4in deep of good manure or rotted material

from a hotbed. This should be pressed down and extend for a distance of 2ft or more round each clump, and from time to time should be soaked thoroughly with water if the weather is dry. Do not commence pulling this year, and stronger growth will be made that will furnish a good supply next season. Rhubarb stalks, by the way, should never be cut. To gather them the proper method is to snap them out from the base by a sharp pull and simultaneous twist. Then they come clean away,, and there is no loss of sap. From matured plants the stalks may be removed freely, only taking care to leave as many as six healthy, vigorous stems, and not continuing the pulling after the plant ceases to produce new stalks.. ■■ Many rhubarb clumps are weakened through over-pulling. A certain number of leaves must be retained and allowed to ripen off naturally, but all flowering stems should be broken out immediately they appear.

“ Honey,” Wyndham, would like a recipe for honey beer. (1) Pour six gallons of boiling water on 151 b of honey. Clarify -with white of eggs well beaten, and boil again, removing all scum as it rises. Add 41b of hops, and boil another 10 minutes, and then pour into a tub to cool. Put in a slice of toast, spread with yeast on both sides, when the syrup is nearly cold. After fermentation has well started, pour into a cask, filling it up as it works off (some of the liquor must be kept back for this). Bung tightly when fermentation stops, leaving a peghole, which can be. closed after a few days. It should remain in the wood a year before bottling, (2) Boil 141 b of honey in six gallons of water for half an hour, breaking into it four eggs. Add some email bunches of marjoram, balm, and sweet briar, Aoz each of cinnamon, cloves, mace, and bruised ginger, and boil it for a quarter of an hour longer. Pour it out to cool. Toast a large slice of brown bread, spread it over with fresh yeast, and put it into the liquor. Let it ferment for one day, then put it into a cask, which keep open till fermentation ceases, then bung close. It may be bottled in a month, but the corks must be well wired. (3) The following recipe is slightly different:— Mix well the whites of six eggs in 12 gallons of water, and to this mixture, when it has boiled for half an hour and been thoroughly skimmed, add 361 b of finest honey, with the rinds of two dozen lemons. Let them boil together for some little time, and when the liquor sufficiently cools work it with a little ale yeast. Put it, with the lemon peel, into a seasoned barrel, which must be filled up as it flows over with some of the reserve liquor. When the hissing noise made by the liquor ceases drive the bung close. When it has stood six months bottle it. *

LAW QUERIES.

[Answered by a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Letters and Telegrams must be addressed to “ LEX,” c/o Editor, Otago Witness, Dunedin.]

“ Fairplay,” Oamaru.—Received too late for submission to “ Lex." “ Dairyman ” asks : “(1) Is'it legal for a railway surfaceman, milking two or three cotvs, to hold a position as a director in a dairy factory ? (2) Howold would a person born in the year 1869 be now ? ” (1) Yes. (2) Sixty-one on the anniversary of his birthday.

“ Inquirer ” asks : “A friend of mine has a collection of firearms left him by his deceased brother. They comprise mostly out-of-date weapons, such as a Snider rifle, a Martini, and Mauser rifle from the Boer War. There are also two breech-loading shot guns and one or two muzzle-loaders included in the collection. Is it necessary to have the arms registered under the Arms Act, 1920 ? ” Yes.

“Anxious to Know” asks: “(1) Are Crown, tenants liable for land tax ? This year I have been charged for land tax. I have, occupied a Government section for 15 years, and have not previously been asked for land tax. The unimproved value is £1640. (2) Is the chairman of a committee entitled to a vote besides a casting vote ? ” (1) Yes, if the value of your interest in the unimproved value of the land exceeds £5OO. (2) Yes. “Over Fifty Years’ Reader” asks: “(1) Can a person, sharemilking for a few ■weeks, claim wages when no arrangement was made at the time ? (2) He claims he got judgment summons in 1923 for a certain amount. I don’t remember having got the summons, and never heard anything about it until this month,. How do I stand after seven years ? ” (1) No. (2) If judgment -was obtained against you. the judgment is good for 12 years. If no judgment has been obtained, you cannot now be compelled to pay the amount claimed.

“ Wheat ” asks : “ Some time ago, while working on a threshing mill, I met with an accident. We finished one farm at 5 o’clock on Saturday, and the farmer let us stay in the; yard for the weekend. Being feeder and steerer, it was my place to be with the plant, and while unhooking the mill from the engine I squashed-a finger, and had to get it stitched. Who is responsible, the mill owner or the farmer ? ” The farmer is not responsible. The mill owner is responsible if ■ the accident happened during the course of your employment.

“Old Subscriber” asks: “(1) I paid for the grazing right of a Crown section up to November 10, 1930, £2. In the early part of July I purchased it under a different tenure.’ It was put on the market without notifying me at a rental of £8 8s a year. I have been charged £4 4s back rent and £4 4s rent in advance (six months). Can I claim a refund of £5, being back rent and grazing rent from July until November ? (2) Can I claim the whole of the £8 Bs, seeing that I have not been notified by the Crown that they were going to sell?” (1) Subject to the express provisions of the agreement made between yourself and the Crown, you can claim a refund of back rent that has been paid twice. (2) No. “ Inquirer ” asks : “A sells his house to a business man, B, for £llOO, and B pays him a deposit of £lOO and for the remainder gives A a mortgage for £lOOO at 7 per cent, for five years. (1) Can A at the end of five years force B to refinance the house if he needs the money ? (2) If B -were to file in bankruptcy is A a secured creditor for £lOOO ? (3) If B were to die would A get the £lOOO from B’s estate ? (4) If B walked out and left the house, would A have any claim on B other than taking over the house again?” (1) Yes. (2) Yes. (3) A has a legal right to recover 'the £lOOO from B’s estate. (4) A could sell the house, and if it did not realise £lOOO'A has a legal remedy to recover the deficiency from B. W. C. IX :>. ks.: ‘ (1) A ditch runs through - A’s and B’s properties. A has his ditch cleaned out as far as he can get for water. B neglects to clean his ditch out below. Can A go into B’s property to secure an outlet, and, if so, for ho-• many chains ? (2) The ditch is under the Counties Act. The county refuses to take any action, because the farmers refuse to pay for what the county had done some time ago. Can the county be compelled to clean out the ditch under the Drainage Act?” (1) If A adoptes the procedure laid down in the Land Drainage Acts, he can, by serving the requisite notices, compel Ins neighbour to clean out the ditch. The question must, however, be referred to a magistrate- for decision. (2) A can apply to a magistrate to have the provisions of the Land Drainage Act brought into operation.