ECLIPSE OF THE MOON ON FRIDAY NEXT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 2197, 29 April 1874, Page 2

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON ON FRIDAY NEXT.

The following particulars respecting the lunar eolipse which happens after midnight on Friday, and which will be visible here, will be interesting to many of onr readers. The times given below are for New Zealand statute time : — First oontaot with the penumbra at 12.33 a.m. ; first contact with the shadow at 1.55 a.m.;* middle of eolipse takes place at 3.33 am. j last oontaot with the shadow at 5.11 a.m. ; laßt contact with the penumbra at 6.27 a.m. At the moon's first contact with the earth's shadow she will be in theeenith at the soothern parts of New Guinea. At the middle of the eolipse she .will be in the same position to the South of Borneo, and at the end she will occupy the zenith to a point very near Coco's Island, in the Indian Ocean. At the middle of the eolipse more than eighteenths of her diameter will be hidden in tho earth's shadow, the magnitude of the eolipse being (moon's diameter =1) 0.826. The first contact with the shadow occurs at 81 deg. from the northernmost point of the moon's limb towards the east. The last contact ut 33 deg. towards the west, in each oase for direot image. TARANAKI NORTHERN AGRICULTURAL . • ASSOCIATION. .... The adjourned quarterly meeting of this Sooiety was held in the school-room at Bell Block, on the Bth April. Mr. Eattenbnry, the Vioe-Preßident, presided. ' Advertising the Meetings, S^c— There being no subject brought forward for discussion, the Secketart called the attention of the members to the large amonnt being spent in advertising. The expenditure daring the last six months was over £11, which he considered a much larger sum than the Sooioty could afford to spend in that way. He thought it advisable to return to the old rule of advertising in one paper only ; and, with that object in view, he would move the following resolution :—": — " That the meetings of this Society be advertised in one paper only for the future." — Mr. A. J. Hoskin aeoonded the motion, which was carried.— Mr. G. Tate then proposed, and Mr. A. J. HosKiN seconded, " That the advertisements be inserted in the Taranaki Herald." In doing so, both the proposer and seoondor spoke of the great liberality shown to the Society by the proprietor of that journal, whioh was also alluded to by other members in speaking to the resolution. The motion, on being put, was carried unanimously. The Ploughing Match.— llt. Connett proposed, " That it is advisable to hold a ploughing mat oh next month, in the Omata District, if a suitable paddock can be obtained." He said it was only fair that the next ploughing match should be held on the other side of the town ; for, not only had the Association several members there, but it wns receiving £20 from the Provincial Government, which sum they certainly had no right to expend wholly at Bell Block. — Mr. Western, in seconding the resolution, Baid it was only justice to give the other side of the town a chance, aB he believed the distance had hindered many from competing at previous matches. At any rate, it had been said bo ; and he thought that the matoh should be held at Omata this year. If that district did not come forward and oompete as it should, the Society need not hold any more matches there. — Mr. A. J. Hoskin moved, as an amendment, " That the ploughing matches be discontinued for the present." He considered it would be more beneficial to the settlers generally if larger prizes were given at the annual show, which the Association would be enabled to do, if it did away with the ploughing matoheß, and only bad an annual cattle show. — Mr. W. F. Hoskin BPConded the amendment,.and said the Society could not afford to hold both a ploughing matoh and a show the same year ; and he thought it better to expend the whole of their money in prizes at the annual show.— Mr. Connktt contended that, if the Society could afford to have a ploughing matoh and show in one year when it received no aid from the Government, surely, now that £20 had been added to the funds, they were in a belter position to carry out both. — The original motion was then carried. This terminated the business, and the meeting separated.

Quartz from Kaitakb. — It baring been thought that the quartz takeo from the " Boar's Head" and " Lucky Hit" drives on the Kaitako ranges had Dot been thoronghly toatod, specimens were sent to Mr. Skoy, Government Analyst, who has forwarded the following report : — " No. 1 (from the Looky Hit)— Quartzose trachyte, pyritous. No. 2 (from the Boar's Head) — Crystals of sulphate •of Baryta in ferruginous rock. No. 3—3 — Trachyte. No. 4 — Hornblende, orystallised. It wonld be interesting to have rock No. 1 tested for gold ; so please send more quartzose and pyritous (say half-o pound) as soon as possible. No. 2 — The sulphate of Baryta is an interesting discovery, bat can hardly be of any commercial importance." -Good Templars' Lodges.— Tho following are the officers of the " Egmont Lodge of Independent Order of Good Templars," who hare been elected for (he ensuing quarter :—: — Rev. J. Dumbell, W.C.T. ; Sister Fiddes, W.V.T. } H. Homoyer, W.S j H. Ford, W.F.S. ; J. Flight, W.T.; Rev. J. Smith, W.C. ; S. Howell, W.M. ; M. O'Donnell, W.1.G.; W. Colson, W.0.Q. ; Sister M. Golding, W.D.M.; Sister Bosworih, W.R.H.S.; Sister Marshall, W.L.H.S. In the " Olive Branoh Lodge" the following are the officers :. — W. M. Burton, W.C.T. ; Sister Barton, W.V.T. ; J. Allen, W.S. ; C. Wolls, W.F.5.,; J. Bellringer, W.S. ;N. Hooker, W.C. ; W. H. Free, W.M. j J. Bassett, W.T.G. ; 0. Moon, W.0.G. ; Sister H. Shaw, W.D.M.j; Sister L. King, W.R.H.S.; Sister P. Ford, W.L.H.S. The New Inspectok of Post Offices.— Mr. Thomas Rose, of the Post-office, Liverpool, who was selected by tho Hon. John Ilall, in conjunction with the postal authorities in England, to succeed the late Mr. William Gray as Inspector of Post-offices in New Zealand, has arrived in We llingtou by way of Canterbury, and begun the duties of his office.