MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12899, 9 February 1906, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

- The sowing of railway embankments with poppy seeds is strongly advocated by experts, as, when once established, this prolific plant covers the soil with a network of roots that prevents it from being washed away during heavy rains, or from upheaval in spring, when frost has affected- the ground. .

A week or two ago ten peisons who may bd assumed to be good judges, each sent to the Melbourne "Argus"' a list of-twelve" pictures which they considered' to- be the best in the Victorian Art Gallery. Seven of the ten included in their list's. " Quatre Bras''; six, "The Traitor"; five, " An. guisli," Ulysses and the Sirens." " Italian Brigands"; nine other, pictures . received three votes each, and the rest of the votes were distributed amongst- between forty and fifty others; so that the tastes of the ten judges needed about- sixty pictures to satisfy them. The paintings named have been in the art gallery many years, consequently eaTly association may have influenced " the judges in their selection of them.

-The. failure of the Russian revolt is partially explained by a note in a letter from Moscow.:—" Vanished are the-Zemstvoists, the gentle favourites of such English writers as. can imagine no Constitution equal to their own, or even much unlike it. A month ago they had- their chance, but they wasted the precious days in futile discussions upon Witte's character, just like a suburban debating society discussing 'Hamlet.' Time goes fast just now, and before they had settled "Witte's psychology they were forgotten by all but England. Possibly their chance may come again, but all t-hesr resolutions so far have been bora dead—dead as the laws which appear from time to time about the freedom of the press and public meeting. Rushing time has passed all that."

A note from Adelaide in the " Pastoralists' Review," dated January 10th, says: Farmers have been very busy during' the past;. - few weeks • gathering in- - one ~p{ ihe heaviest wheat crops on record. A feature of the harvest is that the pre-harve-st estimates are being excee'ded in nearly €v'ejry instance, the crops turning out better'tlian they looked. In many of the best "districts the yield isnowveferr-ed to as being so inany bags to the -acre instead-, of-bushels. Of course, there are" exceptions to this rule, particularly in the far : northern'diairicts, where in some cases only, seed is .being obtained, and in other instances not even that., Taken as 'a whole, the average for the -State: will- probably exceed 9 bushels, .tp-® the " 'acre,aid t&is should produce from 15,000,000 to-17,000,000 bushels, which will allow ,» 'large for export. A fair amount of wheat is being grown this year ,in the valley of the Murray, and it is. expected,that close upon 100i000 bags will shortly be floated down that stream: "' ' ;- ■f<

A long-talked-of contest between M. Georges Dubois, maitred'armesand profesof boxing, of Paris, and Re-nie, the. Japanese- jiu-jitsu champion, took plafce on | October 26th. It- arose out of a challenge launched by the Frenchman, who was scep-tical-regarding the maryels .of the. Japanese srt-, t and maintained that, a. clever boier, at liberty to -use his feet and his hands, | would be .more than a match for any ex--I?onent of jiu-jitsu. The - sequel-- .proved that.'the French champion was wrong. There was an immense attendance of spec-;t-ators, including ' the Japanese Minister. The representatives of the rival systems entered the ring in ordinary, civilian "attire. I The whole .thing- lasted only- fifteen -seconds, j for at the end of that time the Frenchman was prostrate on the matting, with the arm of his antagonist choking him. T)u- ---| bois gave the. signal that he was vanquished, , and the Japanese released his grip. The Frenchman frankly confessed, that he had been fairly beaten, and admitted that his system, of defence had no fchance whatever against the attack of a jiu-jutsu expert. WTien the men attacked; one another. Dubois tried one of his Ijghtmng-like kicks, but the Japanese, dpging. it,' closed with his adversary. The next moment- Dubois was thrown heavily.

Occasionally some interesting letters are received in reply to advertisements. The accord ing to the Auckland bt-ar, is a copy of an application forwarded to the management of a local insutution m Auckland: —"May I inform mquesb-about a cook's billet in paper lost evening,;,, Please I have to tell vou about my servitude for the last nine rears sorts of billets as Porter. Cook Pantryman, second cook, third and fourth sculleryman, and roustabout. In mv last plac-e was chef. I -was gettinsr 31 bs a r~- ee ,*- can do English and" colonial cooking either Grand or Plain. or Prettv Fair or Ordinary. You'll have tins conK ,°f ™. v w ejf«re pleasing you for great thoughtfulneas for your benevolence in accepting this kind request of my appeal. " fact you can relie upon a young man like me with experience for the" last three years as chef and a long stayer. .So if you require my services kindlv'let me knowas soon as you think you want a man in business. lam good tempered voung man gentle, always pleasing to gratify vour adventure with pleasure. I mean to sav I may be as good as you are. I ahrav* get payed every 4 weeks Tegularly. and' I do my work without rousing or crumbling. I wish to hear from you in due course, and witli compliments ~of season. I re l main."' Thea* follows ths signatjir#:- 1