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Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 105, 12 April 1876, Page 2

A new feature in the Easter programme of the Christchurch Rifle Association wilj be a ladies’ rifle match, subject to the following conditions : —Any lady subscriber shall, at her option, nominate a gentleman to shoot in her name, the prize won by him to be the property of the lad}ho represents. Lately the Narracoote paper remarked :—“We often read about large gooseberries and gigantic cabbages, bn* there is a haystack near Narracoote which is in all probability the largest in the world —its length being 180 ft. by 40ft. in breadth f and 46ft. high to the top of the ridger To build a stack of this height in the ordinary way would be a work of very great difficulty but the owner, Mr Hinckley, has an original method of lifting the hay and calls into requisition a variety of appliances about In’s farm which are calculated to save a great deal of labor, and thoroughly answer the purposes they are intended to serve. In carrying the hay six or seven carts arc used, each one having a net in which about 12cwt of hay is placed. At the stack is a mast 64ft. with a boom 33ft. long. A winch at the foot of the mast is used for raising the loads and as each comes in the ends of the net are hooked on and the load is taken np. The cart within three minutes is despatched for another load. When high enough the boom is swung round, and at the proper time a trigging line is pulled, which lets go one end of the net, and the other end is again raised by the winch, gives the hay a roll over towards its place. By this method from 100 to 150 loads have been put on the stack in one day. The whole arrangement is exceedingly simple and perfect. A Hobart Town jury, while locked up, quarrelled about smoking; the smokers persisted, and the others resented by smashing the windows, through which a chair was hurled. The Chief Justice kept them all night and till midday, when he lectured and discharged them.