Land Sale.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2098, 29 July 1887, Page 3

Land Sale.

Proposals for the sale of about 20,000 acre# of rural land in the Kopuarang*, Mangaone, Alfred ton, and Otamakapua blocks were submitted to the Land Board yesterday morning by the Chief Commissioner (Mr J W A Merchant). It was decided to offer the land for selection on the caab, deferred payment, perpetual Isaac, and small ran systems; the residence on the deferred payment land to be compulsory after four year*, and on the perpetual lease sections after two years. A motion by Mr G Beetham to make sections 182 and 133. block 9, Mangaone, a forest reserve, was lost. It was also resolved that applications for the deferred payment sections should be received up to the Bth September ; that tenders for the perpetual leases should be opened on the 15th of the same month ; that the sale by auction should also take place on the 15th ef September; and that Government should be requested to run railway excursions prior to the sale, ia order that intending purchasers may be enabled to visit the land at a cheap rate.—Poet.

The wife of Wi Mabupuku died at Gladstone on Tuesday afternoon. Thia native lady was universally esteemed among the Maoris and those Europeans who happened to be acquainted with her. The funeral takes place today.

On a recent evening, aajs tbe Nelson Colonist, a settler residing in the Waimea district observed a rat making too free with some chestnuts, which he had stored in one of his buildings, and seeing the thief walk off more than once with a single chestnut he determined to stay and watch pro ceedings. He was tbe more disposed to be patient when he saw that the rat deposited the chestnuts under the flooring in such a position that the board could be easily reached Keeping at such a distance that he could only just see tbe rat running to and fro in tbe moonlight, our informant waited for half an hoar, by which lime the whole of tbe chestnuts had been removed one by one. lie then proceeded to recover the treasure, and out of curiosity be weighed tbe chestnuts, and found he had ten pounds weight. But for the proof, it would scarcely be believed that a single rat eoold move such a weight a distance of some few yards in so short a time, and possibly suspicion might have fallen on some larger fancier of chestnote, but tbe circumstance shows what may be accomplished by sticking to a lob. The rat ia described as having iept up a constant run the whole time.

China will shortly be supplied with •tamped coins of her own tor the first time in her history, Messrs Heaton, of Birmingham, haring concluded a contract, after protracted negotiations, for furnishing coining presses and all the apparatus of a mint, which will be set up in China within a year. Hitherto the coins mainly in circulation bare been small brass tokens, roughly east in sand, about the size of a halfpenny, and perforated with a square hole by which they are strung together. They are of infinitesimal value, being equal to the one thousandth part of the dollar or fire shillings. The currency of higher value is silver in the form of balls and bars, the value of which is calculated by weight There is also some paper currency, and Mexican dollars have circulated freely. The new machinery will tarn oat the dollar, and three lataer coins in silver equal to onehalf, onefiftb, and onetenth, and also the brass coins equal to one thousandth part of the dollar. The presses will turn out 2,700,000 coins per day, of the value of £25,050. The brass coins will retain the square hole which has prevailed from time immemorial, this being a point which Chinese conservatism could not forego. The tomato leaf is credited with almoet extraordinary powers in eradicating blight that may attack trees. Attention appears to have betj first drawn to this fact in Valparaiso, where a gentleman placed the leaves of the tomato around the branches and tranks of peach trees which had been attacked, and found to his surprise that not an enemy remained, except where a curled leaf prevenied the tomato leaf from exercising its influence. Another application banished the rest of the bight. The infusion from some tomat > leaves steeped in fresh wster sprinkled over roses, orsnges, and other plants completely freed them from insect?. The discovery isau important one to those engaged in gardening operations Those parents who approve of the rod as a wholesome form of correction will find it much more effective if used sparing! v and reserved for serious offences, such as falsehoods, wilful disobedience and small pilfering* ; and on' no account should any of these faults be passed over without severe punishment of some kind. Locke myt : * To neglect beginnings is the fundamental error into which most people Ml’ On no account whatever let anything be said or done in the nursery that ‘ mother ia not to be told.’ In case of any unpleasant •ecurraoce, it is the duty of a nurse to teholna early opportunity of informing her mistress, if possible in the pre> once of the children ; and always to thf wn habit among (bam,

and encourage them if they have committed a fault, to go at once to their mother and confess it.