NEWS IN BRIEF.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17319, 6 January 1928, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Good Fishing.

Excellent fly fishing is being obtain-, ed by visitors to Lake Taupo. One of the anglers there during the past week was a mehiber of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, who, while fishing at Motutere Point, caught 12 rainbow trout in a little over three hours. The largest fish was over Sib in weight,' and the average weight was about 61b. Motor Campers.

The perambulation of the- highways by medium of every kind of vehicle, from a Rolls-Royce to a push cart, is at present being indulged in by a very large proportion of New Zealand's population. On a recent morning, a motorist travelling between Wellington and Wanganui counted 97 cars with camping outfits aboard over 90 cyclists, about the same number of pedestrians shouldering packs, and one party with all equipment packed on a push cart. The Wrong Burns, i A well-known resident of Dunedin, who specialises in lectures on Robert Burns, sat beside a ''bookie" in a train recently, and in the course of -,a remarked that the "bookie" should come to his lecture that, night in a certain hall. "What are you lecturing about?" asked the "bookie." "About Burns," he was told. "Man, I wish I had known," the "bookie" remarked with regret "I've always been interested in Burns." He lit his pipe and added: "My opinion is that if Tommy Burns had a longer reach he would have beaten JackJohn son." Smuggled Whisky. "Py com-," said Honi, "I go back home to milk te old cow now. Him. Haven't been milked since Christmas Eve. Get te big bag of buttermilk now, I ti.hk!" "Where,have you been, Honi ?" queried the Wanganui Herald reporter.. "Oh, you know.- down at Ratana. Py corry, that te place at Christmas. Plenty te plum duff, plenty of Maori'with te pelly achel Py corry pretty dry down there though, no waipiro. only te ginger pop. Te -ginger pop him no good to mix with te plum duff. Blow te poor Maori out like te paloon. 7 "And were you ill, too, Honi?" "No nloomin' fear I wasn't. Instead of drink te ginger pop, I smuggle te bottle of whisky in te sugar bag full of tuna into te pa." Alias 12A.

Even in these enlightened days the belief that ill-luck is associated with No. 13 persists, and one does not have to look 'far for evidence of this (says the Wellington Post). The berths in the sleeping ear of the limited total 18,, but, though "they are numbered consecutively, there is no No. 13. Jt is designated 12a. It not infrequently occurs that when booking clerks in the railway inform a passenger that berth 13 is the only one available, they are met with the reply that "I couldn't possibly take this one," and so in order that this berth, which, it is stated, is the best in the car, should not go empty on a full train, it is disguised. It is stated that since the change "12a alias 13'' is no longer unpopular. Herd Testing.

In most districts where herd-testing has been introduced it has been found that the more successful of the dairy* men are the first to support the movement, and it is a matter for regret that those who require this system the most scorn it for at-least some seasons. There was an instance of this in Poverty Bay the other day (reports the Herald), when one of the most successful of the small dairymen, who has undertaken testing, was discussing this matter with a neighbour whose returns were not nearly so good, and who openly discounted the value of testing. He told the more successful man that the 5/- per cow spent on testing the herds was waste of money, but the reply was to the effect that even if the charge were 10/- per cow he would still consider it money well spent. This man maintains that, with his herd, which is a high producing one and contains but few unprofitable cows, he will be able to double his production by herd testing, and consequent culling, combined with ' better breeding methods.. ;