THE OPERA TROUPE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 2427, 12 July 1876, Page 2

THE OPERA TROUPE.

We are glad to hear, that as a sufficient number of gentlemen have come forward to guarantee the amouut asked for by Mr. Raphael, there can be no longer a doubt that the Opera Company will pay a visit to this town, and therefore those who wish to have an opportunity of witnessing the performance should lose no time in making applications for tickets. Amongst the gentlemen who have taken nn interest ia the matter are Judge Kenny, Major Tuke, Messrs. Halse, Humphries, Hamtnerton, and other leading families iv the place. There can be no doubt that a treat is in store for the people of this district. The troupe consists of nearly sixty performers, and all well-known operas are performed by them in first-class style, they besides have the exclusive right of playing several new and brilliant operas. The orchestra is made up of fifteen of thp leading musicians in the Australian Colonies, and the chorus is a very strong one. A very talented pianist, Mr. C. B. Frostl also accompanies the troupe. There is likewise a ballet corps, .comprising several well-known favourites — viz., Mr. M. aud Miss Clanche, and Master Albeit Leopold and Franlein Fannie, the premier danscusc. The troupe are now playing at Napier, and sifter finishing their engagement there, intends returniug to Wellington, where, as in all the Southern Provinces, they have performed with great success. They "ill theu proceed to Nelson, where they are uudar engagement to play a number of nights, and from there they will visit this place, and then go on to Auckland. As we stated' in our last, applications for tickets must bfi made to Messrs. Humphries and Son, Mr. Drew, Mr. Cottier, Masonic Hotel, and Miss Retford ; and, of course, those who apply lirst will naturally be able to secure the best position in the hall to see the performance.

Female Immigrants to Taranaki. — It has breu ascertained through the Police that of the female immigrants introduced to the Province, uuder the "Immigration and Public Works Act," all are reported as of good average character, and all earning an honest living. The Collector of Customs.— Mr. J. G • Woon, tho Collector of Customs, at Wanganui, arrived last week to take charge of the department here until another gentleman is permanently appointed to the post, rendered vacant by the retirement of Mr. Chilman. Retirement of Mr. Chilman from the Civil Service. — The Government have lost the services of an efficient and painstaking officer by the retirement of Mr. R. Chilman. late Collector of Customs, who had to tend in his resignation on account of ill health. Mr. Chilman was appoiuted Collector of Customs in 1861, which office he hasheld up to the present time, with satisfaction to the public nnd the Government. We hope thjif, now Mr. Chilmau is relieved from the labor of official life, his health will soon be restored to him, aud that he will have many years to enjoy his well earned reposes. The Prisoner Benny.— ln a letter to this paper by Mr. J. G. S. Grunt, of Dunedin, he sneeringly tries to support his assert iou by rwfercuce to Benny, who -has recently been convicted for an iudecent assault. The Government have been instituting enquiries respecting this man's antecedents, and it is ascertained that he hns been many years in the Colony. From his own statement it is learnt that he came out in a trading vessel loug before the present immigration scheme was initiated, and that during the past two years ho has been living at the Chatham Islands. From the Chathams he went to Wellington and then worked his passage from there to Waitara in the ' Julius Vogel,' bo that in no way enn Benny be set down as au immigraut or be linked with tho Province. Investigations on the Growth of Plants by Means of Water Culture.— This is a purely Germau method of investigation, and has been brought by them to great perfection. Tho seedling plant is supported over the mouth of a large jar containing water, into which the roots of the plant dip; the water is supplied with the potash, lime, phosphates, nit rates, and other essential iugredients of plant food. This solution of plant food is excessively dilute, containing but 1 part of solid matter in 1,000 ; it is renewed from time to time. The roots of the plant arc protected from light. Under these conditions many plants have been grown to great perfection. By means of water culture a number of questions concerning the nutrition of plants have been successfully solved. Amoug the more striking results mny be mentioned tho fact that silica, which forms so large a part of the ash of cereals, is really unessential to their growth, and that maizes or oats with a perfectly stiff straw may be grown without any silica being supplied. On the otherhand, the very small quantity of iron present in plants has been shown to be essential, and that in its absence growth soon comes to au end. Plkuro pneumonia, — The Chief Inspector of Sheep, Melbourne, writing on tho subject of pleuro-pncumonia, says: — "Asthisdisense has uufortunatcly been acclimatised hero, but little need be said about it. The probable loss in Australia from this source is set dowu at £8,000,000 in the report of the conference of tho chief inspectors of stock, held in Sydney in 1874. The following extract from an eminent authority will show that little oonfuience enn be placed in the argument that because certain diseases have not yet reached us, that therefore they never will :— ' In this century (says Fleming, the authority referred to, speaking of pleuro) its cause has been pretty well determined. It iuvaded Prussia iv 1802, and soon spread over Northern Germany. It was first described as existing in Russia in 1826, it reached Belgium in 1827, Holland iv 1833, Great Britnin iv 1841, Sweden iv 1847, Denmark in 1848, Finland in 1850, Capo of Good Hope in 3854, tho United States of America in 1843, Melbourne in 1858, New South Wales in 18G0, and New Zealand in 1504.' This disease is said to have been even more destructive than tho cattle plague." The London Gazette of the 18th January last, chronicles thirty-nine outbreaks in England during the week. A Valuable Plant. — A bulbous plant called tho soap plant, long known to tho Indians and the old Spaniards, is said by a Califomian paper to bo now claiming the attention of settlers generally in America. This plaut grows all over tho couutry, and sometimes in very large quantities, aud is now attracting much attention with a viow to its cultivation. Tho bulb is enclosed in a fibrous coating, of which the writer thinks one is produced every year; bo that a matured plant will have many. It is found that, when dressed, those fibres ruu into four or five different qualities; the finest is like human hair, and being naturally of a fashionable colour, it is in great request for ladies' use, the other qualities for various purposes. The coarsest of tho fibres arc used for stuffing sofas, chairs, and other articles of furniture, and also for stuffing railway camnges, superseding crimped horsehair, being equally elastic, and much sweeter. It is expected that more than a thousand tons will bo exported during tho coining summer, nnd it is now thought desirable to bring the plant into general cultivation. The cote of tho bulb makes a first-rale lather with water, equal to tho finest soap, and its properties for cleansing aio very great.