Local Intelligence.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1807, 23 December 1862, Page 3

Local Intelligence.

f The Panama Route.— Relative to Mr Cros- ■ bie Ward and the Panama route, the following f three notices are all that catch our eye in gianc- ( ing over the file of Sydney papers per Airedale . —In answer to a question by Mr M'Cullock, { Mr O'Shanassy stated that the Government of Victoria, had received a proposal from the ; P. and O. Company to run fortnightly mail ; Steamers for an additional subsidy of £14,000, i but that no definite answer would be given i until the Panama route was considered, which " he understood would be brought before the 1 Government for consideration. The Argus ■ strongly opposes Mr Crosbie Ward's scheme of 1 alteruate mails via Panama, and shows the ; Suez route to be more advantageous. The Go- : vernment has not yet decided upon either plan. \ The S A Register states, that the offer of tbe P. and O. Company to run fortnightly mails is simply intended to drive threatened competition from the field, and not with a view of benefiting the colonies. A meeting of the Melbourne 1 Chamber of Commerce has been held, to consider the proposed scheme of fortnightly mails. i A motion that it was not desirable to have fortuightly mails at present was lost, and an amendment postponing the consideration of > the subject until the January meeting was car- , ried. True Economy.— Mr Millar, civil engineer, ; whose exertions in saving the lives of passen! gers at the wreck of the ship Schomberg, were rewarded with the medal of the Royal Humane Society, is the successful candidate for the office of City Engineer at Dunedin, New Zeai land, with a salary of £1000 per annum. The Aphis Pest.— The Ararat Advertiser p states that it is enabled to name a sure remedy , for this blight of colonial gardens. The remedy is simply a free use of water in which stringy » bark has been steeped till it has become colored ' to the shade of strong tea. This decoction will . be found to free every leaf from the aphis, and . in the course of three or four hours after the second or third application they will fall from it like dry powder wben the plant is rubbed or ■ shaken. Examination by a powerful niicrost cope shows the insect after the application to be . literally tanned, and the organization and shape completely destroyed. Mr Wilmot, the surveyor, at Ararat, first discovered the effect of the de--1 coction, and has since used it so successfully as t to purge every plant in his garden ..from the , presence of tbose insects. Would not the „ Hinau bark, which we have in plenty here, , answer the same purpose ? Pleuro-Pneumonia.— A proclamation dated 2nd December, prohibits the importation or introduction into New South Wales of aiy horned cattle whatsoever from the colony of Victoria, or from any part thereof, for six calendar , months from that date except only such as may cross the Biver Murray at one or other of certain places, or in the discretion of the inspector at any point within twelve miles of such place, , after-having been there examined by an inspector. The Drt Rot.— " An entomologist" answers A's letter on this subject in our last, as follows:— •• The dry rot is caused by certain insects making boles for the purpose of deposit- • iug their eggs. On the eggs being hatched, the larvae feed upon the wood, and, changing into a chrysalis state, emerge either through the holes already made, or through others of their own making. Any turpentine substance is a remedy ; perhaps the best and easiest is parraffin, kerosiue, or any other of tbe petroleum oils rubbed in, which by its offensive odour, deters tbe insect from operating on wood impregnated with it. The remedy is, however, about as bad as the disease." We have seen somewhere, that kerosiue dropped ioto a ring round young cabbage plants, would prevent the blight by rendering it a disagreeable atmosphere for the insect to live in— and as this is the rationale why sulphur, turps, and so forth are used, kerosiue appears to be admirably adapted for that purpose. A Hint to Spkoial Jubymen.— The fewness ofthe special jurymen here renders their being called upon rather too frequently to be pleasant. Last week, three of the twelve men in tbe case then before the Court had to come from the country and sit no less than fourdays. We sincerely advise them iv future to take a leaf out of brother Jonathan's book. Here is one as an illustration ; all we ask in return is, that they will give us notice, as we should like to report the scene— "A juror's name was called by tbe clerk. The man advanced to the judge's desk and "said " Judge, I should like to be excused." "It is impossible," said the judge decidedly. " Bat, judge, if you kaew my reasons." "Well, sir,' what are tbey ?" " Why, the fact is," and the man paused. " Well, sir, proceed," continued the judge. "Well judge, if I must say it— I have the itch." The judge who was a very sober-minded man, solemnly and impressively exclaimed, " Clerk scratch that man— out." Thb Shortest Road to the Lunatic Asylum.- Our Sydney contemporary, with the neVer-sleeping eye, who chronicles tbe doings of the heroes, animal and biped, of the *turf,' the 'cock-pit,' and the 'ring,' though more at home on those kindred topics than on others, yet occasionally does utter an observation, such as the following, almost axiomatic ia its truth. Just hear bim with infinite feeling describe . The Shortest Road to the Lunatic Asylum. —Be an editor; let the devil be waiting for copy ; sit down to write an artiole, and get a few sentences, done. Then let a loafing acquaintance drop inandibegiutotellyou stories and the gossip of { the town : and let him sit, and sit, and six. That * is the quickest way that we can think of to go jgvipg distracted mad. ■■

a I Thatohku.-— lt appears tbat tbis modern , s ballad satarist has left Auckland, and is asig tonisbing the natives, wbite and brown, bl Hawke's Bay. In tbe Times, December 18th, '• we notice that he had given his first entere Uinment there toa crowded house. It is.prof bable that he may shortly favor us with anothei visit.