NEW DESCRIPTION OF THRASHING

Colonist, Issue 10, 24 November 1857, Page 2

NEW DESCRIPTION OF THRASHING

MILL.

The following letter, which is taken from a late number of the John (/Groat Journal, may be of interest to our agricultural readers:—

Sir,—From the well-known interest you take in agricultural matters, 1 beg leave to intorm you that under the patronage' of Mr. Stewart, Castlehill, factor for George Traill, Esq.., of Ratter, M.P.y Mr. William Ross, Castletown, the celebrated Caithness mill-wright, has lately erected three thrashing mills'in this island, viz;, one at Leavesgarth, one at Coligarth, and one at Hermisgarth. Yesterday the one at Leavesgarth was visited and minutely inspected by Messrs. John Thomson, farmer, Newark; James Sinclair, farmer, Cleat; William Swanson', manager'^ Gei'amoimt; William ; Gordon, manager, Backaskail; and your humble' ; servant. During our visit a quantity of bere, the lower part of a stack that had been grown on a sandy field which' got only sea-weed for. manure, was thrashed and humbled. The work was done with ease and celerity;; the straw whole and clean, and the grain" not in the least bruised, although twice put through the humblers without being previously riddled. The servants told us that lately they had humbled twenty quarters of bere in 2| hours, with only one horse in the mill; Mr. Ross himself took several sheaves and broken corn, which he shook up, and then passed through the mill, to show that it did not matter which ehd of the sheaf came first,or in what state'it was. The result was highly satisfactory. In the course of conversation, Mr. Gordon stated "that for twenty-three years he had been familiar with thrashing mills, but although he had seen larger and more powerful mills than this, he had never seen one to surpass it either in simplicity of machinery/ celerity of process, ease to- the horses, or smallness of space occupied." Mr. Ross said the invention was his own. He had been accused of M infringing on patent rights:" The dharge was false. He could produce a new plan every year. He was only seven years1 old when he erected his first miniature mill.' He had since then erected mills to be wrought by water and horse power, and also by the pressure of the foot. The mills he had erected in this island differed very little; from- each other. He had drected none in Caithness like these, but as soon as he returned1 home he was to erect one just like this.

After expressing themselves as highly satisfied with the mill they had now seen, both Mr. Tho:nsbn and Mr.* Sinclair enquired of Mr. Ross if it was possible to alter their mills so as to introduce His humblers and shakers without materially deranging the present machinery ? Mr. Ross; said it was.

I am not so well acquainted with machinery that I can describe it, but I think gentlemen desirous of erecting thrashing mills on their farms should take a look at those erected by Mr. Ross, and satisfy themselves of their superiority to those in commoa^se.—-James Baikib.'

Climate of New Zealand.—Fenienine superlatives, such as ' nicest,' 'finest,'' loveliest,' * sweetest,' have been so lavished on it as to have obscured its true character, and its real unquestionable merits. In the sense in which we use such terms as fine serene climate, there are many climates equal to that of New Zealand. Nay, if we limit the comparison to any one special month or season we may perhaps find climates which, partially, are even finer. I have never experienced any month in New Zealand equal in settled splendour and sunny serenity to the Indian summer of America. I should fancy there is no entire season in New Zealand equal "to the luxurious softness and young brilliancy of an Italian spring; and perhaps no whole month equal to a fine old English June. There is too much'cloudy windy weather in New Zealand to entitle us to say that it is a sunny, serene climate ; and the southern coasts are subject to storms of cold rain and furious wind £' Southerly Bursters,') which are probably equal in their way to anything in the world. Nevertheless, the climate of New Zealand is substantially a good climate; and has been not so much over praised as badly praised. More frost, less wind and rain, would make it perfection; but, as it is, all this may truly be said of it:—That it is a climate favourable alike to the preservation of robust health and to the improvement of weak health ;* climate most congenial to all pastoral and agricultural pursuits; one in which every English domestic thrives and fattens; and in which every English grain, grass, fruit, and flowers, attain full development and perfection.— New Zealand; or Zealandia, the Britain of the South.

New Zealand as it is.—Speaking of New Zealand as it is now, but asking the reader to recollect that a greater social change and advance takes place in a young rising colony like NewZealand in five years than takes place in any old grown country like Britain in five-and-twenty, I think we shall describe all the ' roughness of living,' domestic privations and discomforts, to., which a New Zealand emigrant family would now temporarily be exposed, if we say this,, they would probably not live, at first at least, in so fine or so well furnished a house as the one they'had left; but it would be a house as, good as their neighbour's, would be pretty and comfortable, and would be their own; and their table would be quite as well if not better supplied. They would have very much worse roads and no public conveyances, and would have to walk and ride on horseback a great deal more: and ladies would have to do much more domestic" work than fell to their lot in England. Help may always" be had for periodicc'l washings and cleanings ".and great occasions; but female servants are very scarce, and much addicted to marrying, and Mrs. B. and Miss Lucy would probably have to make many more loaves, pies, puddings, and beds, than they e.ver .did in Mr. Brown's establishment at Clapham Rise or Notting Hill. But it is to. be recollected that owing to the verandah-cottage character of the house, and to the more simple style of living, household work would be much lighter in the New Zealand establishment; and, further, there is a vast difference between making a loaf or a bed for ourselves for love, and in making them for our masters and mistresses for money. In fact, nothing can bo more preposterously absurd than to picture the life of the New Zealand emigrant of the present day as one dull round of dreary toil, without a gleam, of sunny pleasure; as all chop, chop, dig, dig, for the men—all wash, wash, mend, mend, for the women. \ Why. should it be so ? It is quite true that the emigrant must work; but it is equally true that a comparatively moderately working, either of head or hands,, will- give him 'plenty and to spare.' Now, he who has this is just the man who- can aiford to laugh and enjoy himself a little; and it-is frequently remarked, and with great truth, that colonists, as compared to old country folks, are a verry merry set of people.—lbid.

Recent Changes of Level in the Land.—la a lecture delivered lately, at the Royal Institution, Sir Charles Lyell, after adverting to the well known oscillations of the Italian coast at Baite, and those at Telmessus in Lycia, gave an account of a veiy late movementof a similar kind in New Zealand, censequent on an earthquake in January 1853, which extended over a large area in botli islands. After the shocks; ceased, it was discovered that an extensive tract of hilly land near Wellington was upheaved to an amount varying from one foot to nine, while the adjoining tertiary plains 'remained unmoved.... Ai^Port Nicholson the rise. has been five feet, and the tide has; nearly deserted the river Hutt. The junction of the moved land with the unmoved is marked by a rent which has beett traced over a. space of ninety miles, the upraised side presenting a low precipice, and the rent assuming at. some parts the form of an open fissure, into which cattle have sometimes fallen. In- contrast with this upheaval, there has been a subsidence on the opposite or south side of Cook's Straits, in consequence of which' the sea flows farther up the estuaries than before, and planters on the Wairaii are compelled to ascend the river three miles to get the fresh water, which was previously at their doors. At Crete it has been ascer-i tamed bY Captain Spratt that considerable changes of level have taken place, within historical time 3. The west end of the.island has beeii upraised from 17 to 27 feet, as shown by ancient ports laid dry, and rocks high above the water, perforated with lithodomi. The east end, on the contrary, has sunk some feet,-and exhibits ancient Geek'towns under water.- General De la Marmora, official conductor of the survey-of Sardinia, observed a raised beach near Cagliari containing sea shells mixed with remains'of human'art (pottery) at an elevation of 60 metres, while another portion, supposed tb'belong'to the same beach 105 miles farther, north, was estimated to have an elevation of 100 metres. : Every body hasheard of thetwo inclined terrace's at Altenford, on the coast of Lapland, and of the unequal rise, of the east coast of Sweden* These facts lead to inferences of considerable importance. Changes of level may be the effectfirst, of mechanical disturbance, such as sometimes follow earthquakes; secondly,- of thermaljaction, or elevation, and depression of temperature in that portion of the crust of the-globe where-the change of level is observed. It is evident that changes due to the latter cause may be uniform over pretty extensive spaces.-

Ckimij ox tub Increase.—lt is with feeling* of deep regret that the conviction has forced itself upon us that crime of-every grade is rapidly on the increase in this district. The number of cases that have lately been reported of murders and highway robberies, attended with circnmstances horrible to contemplate^ is sufficient to arouse the interest and command the consideration of every one who views with attention the progress of the country in which he dwells. Crime, in all its varied and hideous forms, is not only on the increase, but, being earned out in a systematic man- • nev, well calculated to call forth serious alarm lor the future. Blasphemy and obscene language are now heard in the streets in open. (lay,, aiijd every species of crime; from the'most paltry robbery to the most revolting murder, perpetually brought to light, and'people are beginning-sorrowfully to inquire, where will it end ? The question is of momentous import.— Ballarat Times.

Trade and the Chinese.—The storekeepers on Campbell's Creek inform us that they have noticed a great diminution in the amount of their Chinese custom w'thin the past week or two. On inquiring the cause of this, it appears that since it became evident that the Government" had serious intentions of imposing a-tax-of £6 per man upon the Chinese population, some of them have been saving their money to meet the demand, and others with the intention of leaving the colony. In numerous' intances they now limit their purchases to articles'of necessity, and the effect of this determination is already felt by many traderson the creek; The Chinese are still the mainstay of the majority of the storekeepers in this neighbourhood, and one of the most 'intelligent of-tlie latter told' u:s that, were it not for his sale3*to the Celestials, lft might be compelled to close his doors. When itf. is remembered that there are at least 3000 Chinese on the creek; it is; evident that its prosperity materially dependsron'the liberality of their outlay.— Mount Alexander Mail.

Gratituuk is tho music of the heart, wfcsn-its chord*'' are swept by the" brceae of Madness.'