MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3559, 13 May 1901, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

♦ The Royal Agricultural Society has issued a leaflet on a serious disease lately reported from many cherry orchards in Kent, written by Mr Carruthers, the so- v piety's botanist. The disease in early I summer affects the foliage and fruit together, rendering the latter unfit for market, while in autumn and winter it is iasily detected, as the leaves remain on the trees as if the latter had died snddenly .rith the foliage upon them. The brunches are dwarfed, in consequence qf the diseased condition of the leaves, which are spotted vi ! h groups of 'a parasitic fungus. Gnoinonia erythrostoma. Mr Carruthei-s has 10 better rerned3 r to recommend than the gathering and burning of the leaves; but in a large plantation this would entail an immense amount of labour and great expense. A Great Medicine.—"l have used Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera, and Diarrhoea Remedy, and find it to be a great medicine," says Mr E. S. Phipps, of Poteau, Ark. '"lt cured me of bloody flux. I cannot speak too highly of it," This remedy -lways wins golden opinion, if not praise, of those who use it. The quick cures "iiich it effects even in the most seveie u.e by J. O. Cidifc, chemist, Timaru, 3

Thrupp, a thriving village in the Stioud Valley, is entu-eiy'■■wiuiduo postal facilities. The village shop has changed hands, and the new proprietor refuses.: to vio the post-otiice work for os 6d a week. The largest elephant tusk ever known, measuring in a . straight line from base to point ~Bfb 2in, has been acquired ;by the Natural History Department of the British Museum, at • South Kensington. Recently the Khedive formally opened new workshops at Cairo" in connection with Egypt's new State railway. These workshops are of an extensive character, and will give employment to many hundreds of Egyptian workmen, who will, however, "be under the supervision of British engineers and foremen. It is intended that Kgypt shall produce its own railway rolling stock in the future. •■ The presence of the Duke of Cornwall and York at the opening of the Australian Federal Parliament (says a Brussels paper) is not simply a compliment to that vast colony at the moment vrhen the greatest event in its history is being consummated; his presence will also signify above all that Great Britain intends to firmly maintain the last tie that binds her to the colonies—colonies which have reached suph a degree of importance and prosperity that they are fully entitled to complete independence and autonomy. . A rather remarkable case of drowning occurred in the Yarra on. the evening of April 24th. Thomas Mitchell, aged £6, foreman maltster; of South Richmond, was disputing with others in an hotel about his running powers. Suddenly he undertook to run 100 yds on the bank of the river. Pulling off his coat he started, and, to the surprise of eveiyone, plunged right into the flood-swollen river. He came up again200yds from the bank, and then threw up his hands, after which he was carried by I the rapid current to nearly opposite the morgue, followed by a hysterical crowd. There a rope was tied round a young man, who plunged in and brought Mitchell ashore. He was at once taken to the hospital, but on reaching that institution was pronounced to be dead. ; No less than 450 new varieties of plants and seers| were about to be distributed to .various experimental stations by the American Department of Agriculture. The list includes a spineless cactus, which can be used for fodder, an Egyptian clover, 'a frost-hardy alligator pear, several Swedish clover-like fodder plants, a Bohemiajn horse radish, etc. An Egyptian cotton for the upland regions Of the South is one of the new plants introduced, also a fodder bamboo from South Chile for the arid regions of the south-west, an onion from the Nile, several West India yams of great promise, Bohemian hops, and a new barley from Sweden. Many other varieties which cannot be mentioned at this time have been introduced, all of which will , prove extremely interesting in the development of American agriculture. The entire expense of discovering, collecting, and introducing these seeds and plants has been borne by Mr Barbour Lathrop, of Chicago. He secured Dr D. G. Fairchild, an expert of the Department of Agriculture, peri sonaUy planned and conducted the work, which required a two years' trip around the world. 'n