LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 387, 12 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The jockeys at the Hawera races yesterday wore a mourning-band on the left sleeve of their jackets, and the Hags on the stewards' and people's stands were flown at half-mast out of respect to the memory of the late King, an ardent sportsman and racehorse-owner. The Maoris up north are greatly perturbed, over the appearance of Halley's comet. They have evidently been reading the disquieting accounts of what the tail of the comet is likely to do as it brushes across the face of our planet. One Maori has expressed his intention of 'knocking off work till after the comet's perihelion passage, as it was no use doing any hard graft till he knew whether he was to be burnt up or left alive.

At Tuesday night's meeting of the Winter Show Committee of the Tavanaki Agricultural Society, the resolution passed by a meeting of Kent Road settlers recently, and published in these columns, was considered. The committee recognised that the matter was very important, but as it was only the Winter Show Committee, consideration of the letter was deferred until the next meeting of the General Committee of the society.

The Pastoralists' Review considers that the absence of any stirring political agitation, and the silence of both Ministers and Opposition, suggest that New Zealand will thrive if it is allowed to go its own way. Referring to agricultural affairs, the Review says:—"Unfortunately, the 'Newi Zealand Government does little or nothing to instruct new .settlers in the methods of farming, and there are often many years lost before beginners find out how to use their land. Applicants for sections are examined as to their qualifications, but this does not ensure their being able to deal .with either unimproved or good agricultural land. In this respect the New Zealand Department of Agriculture falls short of other countries, and the new Minister of Agriculture does not appear to see his dutv in this connection."

A correspondent writes as follows to the Melbourne Argus:—A resident of New South Wales, who went to Alberta, Canada, to settle there on the land, after some 18 months' experience of the cold, returned and wrote out the account of his efforts to keep warm at and the clothing he had on, which I kept as an object of curiosity, may help to explain why families hi Canada are turning their attention to Australia. .The following is a copy of the paper: "At 56deg. below zero in Alberta. Heavy fleece-lined underclothing—four pairs of socks, one bicycle stocking, two trousers, four sweaters, two coats, one fur cap, three padded quilts, two blankets, one dressing gown over feet. Fire going nearly all night. The toes on left foot frozen by morning. Experienced in L'c.h■ruary, 1007." He is a young man, in the prime of life, powerfully built, and wa« capable of' enduring either extremes of heat or cold.

It is possible for the average housekeeper to make her fowls pay for their keep, and does poultry-keeping on a. larger scale pay? These are questions which are answered in the May number of the Xew Idea magazine, just issued. The writer points out the common errors that the average householder makes in the conduct of the poultry-yard, and then explains the very latest system of treating the birds in winter—that is, the shedding principle. By this method —which is explained in detail with photographs—the hens keep cleaner, and in .better condition, lay better, require half the care, and less than half the attention. This is one of a number of practical articles contained in the May issue. We notice that the editor has returned to the system of showing the six free patterns that are given away with the magazine, and these, arranged in a group, and printed in colors, make a striking and artistic cover-design,

In the course of a recent lecture on the cultivation of the sea, Professor Herdman spoke of the enormous fertility of many fish. The turbot produces some 9,000,000 eggs annually, the cod 4,500.000 and the herring 31,000, while skates and rays sometimes produces less than n. dozen. Two shrimps would produce 200 billions in five generation* if all their eggs hatched and sill their progeny lived. Professor Herdman explained the dentation of fisheries from natural causes, and showed how the great natural fertility of fish helped to restore the balance through artificial hatching and rearing. ''lnfant mortality" is the worst curse of fish life. Once the fry have begun to grow up they can mostly escape their enemies. Professor Herdman figures at a moderate rate. A ling sixtyone inches long has been said to contain 28,301,000 eggs, a.nd a 211b cod 0,052,000. The herring is the least prolific of the common British food fishes. As a rule, among fishes, females are more numerous than males, and, quaintly enough, when there is any care at all of the offspring, it is the male who acts as nurse, LACK OF EXERGY. If you lack energy, don't relish your food, feel dull and constipated, all you need is a dose of Chamberlain's Tablets. They will make you feel like a new man and give you a healthy appetite. They will'do more good than ass bottle of tonic. Sold by all chemists and storekeepers. For Inlluenza take Woods' Great Pepper mint Our Never fails 1/8 2/6.