THE HARBOR AND AGRICULTURE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 4989, 14 February 1883, Page 2

THE HARBOR AND AGRICULTURE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— The interest I have always retained for Whanganui from the time of my residing there many years ago, prompts me to ask for the insertion in your columns of two extracts from the Lyttelton Timeß of the 2nd and 3rd February. One should be of present service to the farmer, and the other may be stored up by the Harbor Board for future use when a busy trade over the bar may warrant considerable outlay to keep down the surf.— l am, &c, J. W. Hamilton.

• Successful experiments were carried out at Aberdeen harbor entrance on Sept 27 with with the oil apparatus invented by Mr Shields. The Harbor Commissioners had authorised Mr Shields to have the apparatus necessary for the conducting of the oil to the water placed at the harbor bar. Two reservoirs containing oil are placed, one on each side of the channel, from which the oil ia pumped through some 60ft of piping placed at the bottom of the water. Each reservoir or tank will hold about 170 gallons of oil. The pipe laid is of lead,about one inch in diameter, in which there are twoconical valves, each fitted with an appliance like the rose of a watering-pan, to allow th 9 oil to esoape, and thus float to the surface.. The connecting pipes leading from the reservoirs will be of iron. The place selected is where, in addition to the inward, saltwater enrrent, there is always at the harbor entrance a Btrong outward current of fresh water, and this will serve, it is believed, to float out the oil from the point chosen to the sea, so as to meet the breakers at the month of the harbor,, and especially at the south, Where, ; in the event of south-easterly gales, there is the greatest danger to vessels making * the port. On Dec 4th,at the instance of the Board of Trade, further experiments were made, with a view of testing the practicability of naing oil as a means of reducing the danger to vessels entering in a gale. The occasion was most favorable. A stiff south-easter was blowing, the sea was running highy the waves dashed over the piws, and it was next to impossible for any vessel to cross the bar in safety. Captain Brice, representing the Board of Trade, and the leading harbor officials were present. Some improvements had been made in the pumping apparatus since the last experiment, a larger hose being supplied, and seal oil being used instead of coarser oil* When the pumping commenced the waves were dashing wildly against the piers. After twenty minutes the crests disappeared, the breakers assumed a rolling motion, and the entrance was rendered comparatively safe. 280 gallons of oil were used in the experiment. It will be renumbered that some months ago Mr E. Ivey, Director of the Agricultural School at Lincoln, drew attention to the practice of some persons selling sulphate,of iron for sulphate of copper (bluestone), to be used for steeping seed wheat. In order to prove the worthlessnesa of sulphate of iron for steeping purposes, Mr Ivey made a set of experiments, and ' sowed three samples of wheat, respectively prepared with sulphate iron, with bluestone, and unsteeped. The result ia very striking. That steeped with the real bluestone is perfectly tree front smut ; about 50 per cent of that dressed with sulphate of iron is smutty ; while 75 per cent of that which was not steeped at all is smutty. It may be mentioned that' the quantity of sulphate of iron and of sulphate' of copper used in the experiment was 2oz per bushel of seed. An acre of each sort of seed was sown, so that the experiment, being on a fairly extensive scale, may be regarded as thoroughly reliable. Specimens of the wheat are to be seen at the rooms of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association.