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Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9090, 23 May 1891, Page 2

Dr. Spencer, of Napier, has applied for a patent for a process of manufacturing iron form ironsand.

Moat of the artesian wells in Ashburton have "given out" oiving to the shrinkage of the underground streams. The pipes were not driven deep— 2oft to 30ft— and a few experimental pipes driven to 50ft and 60ft tapped a lower supply, which rose in the pipes to within 30ft of the surface. The first heavy raia is expected to restore the upper supply, bnt that rain holds off.

According to a "contemporary, fruitgrowing is a highly profitable industry in Nelson. This season, from an apple tree 20 years old, 40 .buehels of apples were gathered. An orchard of 15 acres brought in in one year £700.-

What is held to' be the best record in telegraphy was made recently (says a Marlborough paper) between Blenheim and Wellington, the operators being Messrs W. Hale (Blenheim), and C. Canavan (Wellington). In an hour they put through 104 complete messages ; the previous record standing at 96. On Monday last this record was broken by Messrs Esson (Wellington) and Tovey (Wan ganui) who .succeeded in transmitting 115 complete messages within the hour ; during the previous hour they recorded 87 messages, making an average 101 per hour, thus establishing a New Zealand record that any telegraphist might be proud of, and the feat is one well worth recording.

When a deputation to the Minister of Public Works, desirous of getting the Waikomiti-West Coast Road improved, suggested prison labor, a sickly smile passed over the face of the Hon R J. Seddon as he related to them his official experiences of prison labor in road- making. A detachment of prisoners were sent to the West Coast to construct a road from Mil ford Sound to Lake Ada. The cost had been £1027, and there had been about £27 worth of road making done. He wis trying to see how he could get value for the £1000. Tb& work had just cost about five times as much as if executed by free labor.

A correspondent who happened to be in the Milton district the other day, gives a contemporary • some . facts in connection with the use of lime on the lands in the vicinity that are worthy of note In one instance a settler obtained a cheque for £97 10s for the produce of a ten acre paddock ; another, £125 off an eleven and a-half acre paddock, and a third took grass seed to the value -of £140 off a ten acre paddock — all the three sections had been limed. On these lines a fifty-acre farm would pay handsomely.

Three years ago, a lady of my acquaintance (a writer in Fashion and Sport says) was surprised to find on opening a telegram, that it was a proposal of marriage from a man she had known some time. It ran thus, simply: "Will "you marry me?" She answered immediately and shortly " No." But this incident made no difference to their friendship. ' Last year, onthe same*day,' "Blfe received- -another telegram exactly like the last : " Will you marry me?" and answered, as before, "No." This year, on the same date, the -same thing happened, and this time her answer was " Yes."

The time has surely arrived, says Truth, when the box containing the authentic documents and correspondence respecting the marriage of George IV, jmd Mrs Fitzherbert should be opened. This box was deposited with Messrs Coutts by Mrs Fitzherbert, in 1833, and it was sealed with the seals of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Albemarle, and Lord Stourton. When Lord Holland's memoirs were published, in 1854, Mr Langdale, the brother and legal representative of Lord Stourton, was anxious to open the box, but the other trustees were not then willing to break the seals. It is probable that these documents and letters are of great historical interest, because George IV. made several attempts to obtain possession of them, and the last of these (in which Sir William Knighton was concerned) so much alarmed Mrs Fitzherbert that she at once took measures to place her papers in safe keeping.

Tom Cook was subpoenaed as a witness. On cross-examination by Sir James Scarlet, he was asked, * What is a musical accent ?' ' My terms are a guinea a lesson,' said Cook. A loud laugh followed. Sir James, who was rather ruffled, said, ' Nevor mind your terms here — I ask you what is a musical accent. Can you see it ?" ' No.' 'Can you feel it?' 'A musician can.' Great laughter. • Nov, pray, sir,' said Sir James, very angry, 4 don't beat about the bush, but explain to his lordship and the jury, who are supposed to know nothing about music the meaning of what you call accent. ' Accent in music is a certain stress laid upon a particular note in the same manner as you would lay a stress upon any given word, for the purpose of being better understood. Thus,- if I were to say, you are a donkey,' it rests on donkey ; but if I we-e to say, • You are a donkey,' it rests on you, Sir Jaaies." Reiterated shouts of laughter by the whole court, in which the bench itself joine-i, followed this repartee. Silence being restored, the judge, with much seeming gravity, accosted the crestfallen counsel thus. 'Are you satisfied, Sir James?' Sir James, in a great huff, 'said, ' The witness may go down 1'

The discovery of a vein of " natural cheese " is just reported from the United States. Patrick McGlinn, a farmer living in lotva, while digging a well the other day, struckia vein of natural cheese, 3£ feet thick, asa depth of 83 feet. He has just received •an analysis from a chemist, who says it is a cheese of a very high grade. It is of a beautiful golden colour, and will keep any length of time. It is considered 'one ot the most remarkable discoveries over made in the West. Mr McGlina is said to have refused an offer of .£IO,OOO, made by Scott & Hicks, of St. Louis, Slo.y. for the digging rights to Ihb property.

A most extraordinary story is bocoming current of a species of pumpkin, «aid to have been discovered by Stanley in equatorial Africa. It is an annual. The leaves, which are flabellate, measure from 6 to 7 feet across, and its enormous vines are from 12 to 18 inches in circumferenco, entwining round the stems and branches of trees to the height of 80 to 100 feet, and in some instances to a much greater height; enormous blossoms measuring from 4to 5 feet jn diameter. The pollen, which fell in quantities' to the ground, was, in some places, several inches deep, and like a bed of fine sawdust. The fruit measures from 10 to 30 feet in circumference, and weighs from 5 to JO owt. . They mostly rest in, and are supported by, the forks and branches of the trees, but some were seen hanging from the vines. The fruit is eaten by man and teveral animals, [We do not ftik our rsaderi to believe tlw itory.J