LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 84, 28 March 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waitara and Inglewood Bowling Clulif played a three rink match on Thursday, Waitara winning by (it! to 38. (In till' Belgian Slate Railway* all the newspapers left in the trains lielong to thu Government. They are sent to the paper mills, made into pulp, and serve afterward-- as railway ticket*. Over 1(10 tons of newspaper* are collected every Year.

About twenty mothers attended thu ' meeting held yesterday afternoon at S!'. .Marv'.s Hal) in connection with the Society for the Protection of Infant Life. Demonstrations in the process of huina.iising milk were given by .Miss Brown (matron) and .Miss O'Brien (nurse), of the local Hospital. The l!ev. .ranies Flanagan, who was publicly welcomed to Mew Plymouth I yesterday, said he was glad to find (he .Mayor was an Irishman. He said it

wa- the first time it had happened on this lour, and that it was long since lie had heard the l';l miliar accent of Killarney.

An enterprising .Masterton resident is making an attempt, to break the butcher's ring. Yesterday he placed sixteen lambs in an auction malt, but ►old all privately at sixpence per lb., th ( ! prices ruling in Jlasterton beiig ninepence. Plenty of support is promised him.

Strong pressure lias been brought to bear on the Government with a view to securing the establishment of experimental farms in_ Canterbury and Otag.i. Th ( . matter has been under consideration for some time, and a decision may shortly be arrived at, says the Ncv Zealand Times.

Apropos its carnival, the Napier Telegraph says that the people who appear to be benefiting most by the carnival are the " cabbies." One driver who has lieen on the road there for the last 24 years states that this lias been the most profitable week lie ever experienced. If the weather had lieen line, he anticipates that his takings would have been trebled.

Taranaki people will be interested to learn that the late Mr. E. M. Smith's valuable collection of the products of Taranaki ironsand are to be displayed at the forthcoming Franco-British Exhibition. The Department of Industries and Commerce secured the exhibit from Mrs. Smith, and have sent it on at the expense of the Government. The exhibit should lie of considerable assistance in attracting the attention of capitalists to the possibilities of the Dominion.

As the Carnegie Library building nears completion it becomes more ana more evident that the Borough Council made a mistake in o reeting the building otherwise than along the line of tlu street. Looking from ligmout-street, the handsome brick building is scarcely to be seen. owing to th ( . fact that it stands back several feet from the footpath at one end, and is thus hidden by Messrs. (irilliths and Co.'s offices and stores. Had the library building been so constructed as to continue on tin line of Messrs. Griffiths and Co.'s, this would have been the most ornamental and modern block in the town, and mo "e particularly when the present Toiiii Hall came to In; rebuilt. Now the street will always have a "pig-with-one-ear' appearance. Unfortunately the milk has been spilt, and no amount of ery:ng can avail.

A Japanese ollieial recently visit ><l the United States to purchase dairy cattle on liehalf of bis Government. He visited the best herds in the States, and consequently obtained a good insight into tiie dairy methods of that country. On his return to Japan he made a leport. and concluded with the following oxeellent opinion, which might with equal truth be -uirl of dairying in this country: -"I Itelievc American dairies I'l-quire more eare in regard to cleanliness in milking, more attention u> stamping out tuliereulosis, and, lastlv, better purebred dairy -ires," Wi'.li such clear ideas ahead of them the Ja fi-aiK'-e should e-ta!»lMi milk-production" <>n sound lines. It will be interesting to see how practical effect is given to t'lc lessons the receptive Japanese mind bis absorlied, freed from conservative notions and having selected stock to stall with.

The Grcynioiitli Star of March l!Hii tells of a plucky rescue. While attempting to I'ord the- Otira river, while in llood. a man named Thomas O'U'arv. in the employ of Messrs. McLean & Soil, Was swept away by the current, but gripped a wire attached to the footbridge, which had been carried away earlier in the day. James Brady, a inoperative worker, went to his assistance but was swept down stream among the boulders. He regained the shore, re turned to the rescue, but was again carried away, being uracil knocked aliout. O'Leary had sunk, but was still gripping the wire, and was visibly drowning when Brady once more dashed m and caught him, and with fast decreasing strength brought him ashore. O Leary was positive he would never have come out alive but for Brady's gallant assistance, which the onlookers declare was worthy of a medal.

It is surprising how little maize or sorghum is grown in Taranaki, where dairying is the staple industry of the land. Ihe value of either of these as fodder crops has been pointed out fr un time to time, but, sorghum especiallv, has been almost wholly neglected by the farmers. Sorghum is not only excellent leed cut green tor cows, but'it lias the decided advantage of being one of the best foods for converting into silage. Although sorghum does not produce a crop equal to maize, it lias the deeided advantage, in a district such as Taranaki, of keeping green later in the season, and does not have the same tendency to get woody. We had an opportunity yesterday of inspecting some splendid samples of sorghum grown hy Mr. W. Auihury on his farm at Frank lev road. J'lie crop was as green ail I tender as spring grass, and of exceptional weight, standing from live to nine led in height. Mr. Amburv sowed just Ix'fore Christmas, so the result is a warrant ot (be drought-resisting properties oJ sorghum, 'the cows are extremely partial lo the fodder, and the fact tliat the herd's test on this pirticiilar I arm has risen to over (i since sorghum was introduced speaks for itself. Il is Mr. Ambnry's intention to convert about three acres of the crop | into ensilage. Mr. Nolan informs us tliat his firm disposed of a fair quantity of the seed during the summer, and in view of the excellent crops raised bv Mi. Ambury and a lew others who gave the seed a trial, anticipates a big mand for -orglmm next sowing season. 11 might be mentioned that very cx-liau-tive (rials ot various kinds of sorgliuni have been cMiiducted at the 'iovernment- experimental farms, a nd full information respecting dip highlv satisfactory results are obtainable from the Agricultural Department.

PERSONAL. Air. \\. Xicoll, who lias been a putiei:t at tb,» Hospital for a couple of weeks. i- ronviik'-cent.