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Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2529, 25 September 1888, Page 2

The Native Land Court opens at Cambridge to-morrow ; only a few natives have as yet arrived. Mr Mettam's dancing class will be held at the Oddfollows' Hall, Hamilton, to-morrow evening. Mr Sutton re-commenced running tbe mail ooach between Raglan and Hamilton yesterday, and made very good time. The tournament in connection with S. Andrew's Literary Evenings takos place at the Parish school-room, Cambridge, to-night. A boy named Kelly was struck by lightning in Friday's storm at Loichhardt, a suburb of Sydney, and killed instantly. The weather has been unusually ! dry for this time of the year, and the rain which set in last night is badly wanted throughout the country. An Industrial and Art Exhibition is to be held on nth December next at Waipawa, a flourishing town in Hawke's Bay i'rovince. It promises to be a great suecess. Miss Maribel Greenwood of the Greenwood Family has stuick oil at last. She has accepted an offer from Itignold and Allison for £25 a week to play in Shakesperian characters. There was a full meeting of Catholics at S. Mary's Convent, Hamilton, on Sunday, at which very satisfactory progress was repotted with the preparations for the Gift Auction on Boxing Day. The sum of £400 appears in the Public Works appropriations for the Hamilton-Whatawhata drain, i'lßo for the Kuwhia-Waipa road, £200 for the To Arnha drain, and ,£.300 for the WaerengaWangamarino road. The Wairarapa Daily estimates that the all-round advance of a penny a pound on wool over last year's prices means a difference to this colony of £305,000 of extra pocket money for the wool growers. Mr J. Eoberts, of the firm pf Booth and Roberts, butchers of Cambridge, has taken out an auctioneer's license, and made his debut on Saturday, when ho sold a quantity of meat in a very successful manner. The Tauranga County has made the discovery that their boundary takes in part of the Tui and Waiorongomai claims. The Coti»sl now intend to try and recover the gold - «*uiiue hitherto paid to the Piako Co&nty Council. The Queensland Government is to be asked to offer a bonus of £5000 for the hrst 5000 yards of cotton goods manufactured in the colony, and a 5000 aero grant of laud when the factory has been in operation three years.

A race between two ponies belonging to Messrs T. Brown and J. McCann was run yesterday on the Victoria Road, Cambridge, thu distance was j of a mile, winner to take both horse?. McCann won easily. Mr D. Richardson, architect, informs us he has made enquiries concerning Mr Cannell's Waipa lime, and has seen work in which it has been used. He is satisfied with its (suitability for the Hospital buildings and has approved of its use. Mr J. McNicol will hold an extensive clearing s.ilo of horses, cattle, implements, contracting plant, etc., at Tauwhare to-morrow, fin Mr Clements' farm. Conveyances will leave Ohaupo, Cambridge, and Te Aroha for the place of sale at times advertised in Mr MoXicol'a column. In spite of our local in a late issue with reference to the damage done to the Hamilton W9st Bath, the destruction still continues. Not being content with breaking the glass in the windows, the sashes have now been smashed clean out, and a large quantity of sand shovelled into the caretaker's room. Mr Pannell has decided to introduce a novelty ioto his skating carnival on Thursday, in the shape of a gams of blind man's butf on rollers. The prices of admission, which are very reasonable, appear in another column. Last night the "grand march" was practiced by a few, and, judging from the practice, the effect in fancy costumes will be very striking. Mr J. McNicol is going on another trip through Tanranga, Opotiki, Gisb irne, and Napier, at which place ha is to be judge at the Agricultural show. On this occasion lie will be accompanied by Messrs J. T. C;irr and Thurny Walker. Mr McNicol will sell at Mr Clement's, at Tauwhare, on Wednesday, and will start immediately after the sule. We hear that the Stud Company have found it necessary to bring another thoroughbred sire into Waikato, and on Thursday Fusilade, by Musket, arrived. This, wo are pleased to note, has been decided on, >wing to the unexpected demand for the services of blood horses this season. Offers of such a satisfactory character cams fiom the Te Aroha and Waitoa districts for Cap-a-pie that this horso will bo transferred to that locality for the ensuing season. Sir Walter Buller's " Birds of New Zealand '' has been received sj well in England that the English issue is all taken up, the price having £one up to 15 guineas, and it has been decided to offer the author s edition. Tho New Zealand issue has also boen fully taken up ; and the Australian issue, which consists of a very few copies, is to be sold in this Colony at tho original price of 10 guineas for the thirteen parts. Two specimen plates we have seen (representing tho pigdon and the littlo shining cuckoo) are sufficient in themselves to highly recommend tho work. Mr John Knox will have a superior lot of meat for sale on Saturday at his auction matt, to which he draws attention. There has been a want of support from the public of these meat sales in Hamilton, and there is a risk of them being abandoned. It is very different in Cainbridgo where three different butchers have auction sales on Saturdays at tho same time, and all well patronised. Perhaps, if the Hamilton butchers arranged with Mr Knox to sell meat at each one's own shop in turn, instead of doing so at his mart with a mixed sale, there would be better results to all parties, but«heru, consumers and auctioneer,

Although we have been having such lovely fine days, the nights have been very cold, which lias greatly retarded the growth of the grass, and on some farms feed is getting scarce as the turnips are finished. Tho present has been a grand season for sowing cereals, and tho brighter appearance of the wheat trade has caused farmers to seriously consider the advisability of extending that crop. Most of them in tho neighbourhood of Cambridge are doing so ; Mr James Taylor, of Bardowia, has this year planted 150 acres instead of GO last year; ho has, however, erected a largo grannery that will hold 1500 sacks, which will enable him to thrash his grain at his leisure, and still be able to h>ld it until he thinks it the correct time to sell.

A meeting of those interested in the Cambridge Cheese Factory was held on Saturday, and a syndicate was formed to work the business, but in consequence of the absence of one or two gentlemen, final arrangements were not made. We understand it will be somewhat on the co-opera tive principle, 21d per gallon being paid for the milk; the supplier also having a share in the profit. The syndicate have received an offer from the late manager to find all labour and material requisite for making the cheese at i[d per lb. This will bring the cost of the cheese to 3W per lb., which does not leave a very large margin for profit, but, nevertheless, it should pay if efficient management is secured, and should the markets improve it should turn out a good investment. We wish the syndicate every success in their venture, which will begin operations next month under Mr Watt.

If Australia' may be called the land of rapid fortune making, then New Zealand may bo termed the country of gigantic possibilities. For in this free and happy land there are in existence three Acts, by the aid of which, every man who can get a wife should be able to secure a competence and lay up treasures here below. One is tho Married Woman's Property Act, by which no woman can be sued for debt unless sho is the possessor of a separate estate of the value of £1,000 at least; the other is the Land Act, which enables a man to get a deferred payment section and then run into debt to an unlimited extent to improve it, while absolutely protecting it from the Bankruptcy Act, wiiich furnishes tho means for utilising the two other Acts for tho benefit of anybody but the trading community. And yet some say our laws are not liberal enough !—Manawatu Times.

A very fine double bass viol has been made by Mr J. R. Lamb, of Cambridge, for his own use, and is worthy of ll )te, not only as an instance of local manufacture, but because Mr Lamb had no copy to go from, and had to work out the proportions of the instrument by scale, taking as a basis a 'cello in his possession. The instrument is full size, over six feet high, is strung with four strings, and has a full magnificent tone two octaves below the 'cello; is fitted with a machine head, of which the castings, wheels, etc., are Mr Lamb's own work, and is well finished throughout with handsomely carved scroll, machine head and scale on finger board, gilt body and neck of stained and polished rosewood, and altogether presents a handsome appearance. The body is made of selected kauri, and the neck and tail piece of Australian gum, the bridge and strings only are not home made. This is not Mr Lamb's first success in violin-making, as since last year, when lie made his first attempt, he has turned out several full-sized and three-quarter violins, besides a viola and a viol de gamba, all of excellent tone and quality.

The recent rise in the price of wheat is of more importance to the agriculturist than may at first sight appear. The rise is caused through circumstances that cannot now be altered so as to influence prices in a downward direction, and if this is the case the greater parts of two harvests at least will experience the benefits of increased prices, for the next harvest in the northern hemisphere will not be garnered before the colonial crops are on the London market; and it is well known that if there is a shortage this year a probable largo harvest next year is not likelv to affect prices till it is safely bagged. With the exception of Russia, all the wheat producing countries show a decline m quantity as well as quality, and this is the causa of the rapid rise in price. There are reckoned to be 150,000 sacks of wheat in this district awaiting export, and the greater part of this large quantity is still in the hands of the farmers. The difficulty of procuring freights stands in the way of sending it to market; but no doubt before long this seeming obstacle may be removed. —North Otago Times.

A Christchurh paper says :—Mutton hams are Deing sold in Christehurch just now at 4d per lb, and a fair trade done in them. A breakfast of mutton hams and eggs is quite as palateable as one with the genuine flesh of the pig as the foundation, and on many a Christehurch breakfast table the mutton ham is preferred to that of the porker. We are obliged to Mr Randal Rosewaine, butcher, Colombo-street for the following recipe for curing mutton hams, and in the belief that it may be useful to many farmers and others who have never attempted their cure, we give it apaceherc. Mr Rosewarne says :—' In my opinion the simpler the brine is made the better as by putting in seasonings and colouring matter fermentation is liable to occur. One bucket of coarse salt to five buckets of water and a quarter of a pound of saltpetre. This should all be well mixed before putting the hams in, and the scum carefully removed. The hams should be put into the brine with the shanks down, and not packed too closely. After fourteen days in the pickle they should be taken out, washed in warm water, and allowed to dry at least a week before smoking, which is done in the usual way.' Hams treated in this way are superb.

Although John Chinaman is at the present time in bad repute in the Aus-„ tralasian colonies, he is sometimes of use, as he collects, and makes money of, rubbish that colonials would pass by unheeded. A correspondent gives an instance of this that came under his notice the other day when in Auckland. A steamer (the Whampoa) had just arrived at the wharf direct from China, with a cargo of tea. Part of it had to be landed ; she was then going South to discharge the remainder, after which she would return direct to China. Happening to pass near a Chinaman's premises, lie noticed an unusual state of activity, and asked what it meant, and received the reply, "Johnny no fool, he wait long time for direct steamer, but come at last. No transhipment for John." He subsequently ascertained that in addition to innumerable bags of fungus, John was shipping (iO tons of old horse-ahoes, for which ho received £3 per ton delivered on board, the same having cost him 22s per ton, so he cleared £114 by the transaction, and doubtless as much or very probably more, by the fungus. Not a bad day's work that for the depised Chinaman ! Our informant, who is well in with the "Heathen Chinee," and understands the modus operandi of tho way in which they conduct their business, assures us there are Chinamen in Auckland

who are clearing a cool £1000 a year notwithstanding the depressed times. The way thoy pay, or rather profess to pay, wages is somewhat unique. The boss man pays the£lo poll tax on his poorer brother, who undertakes to work it out, and like most new chums he is had pretty considerably. Hu occasionally receives Is for tobacco, shoos, trowsers, etc., but the account is never square, not even sometimes for years, until he rebels and kicks up a regular row, when he is told that it just balances. He is then dismissed and a new importation takes his place. Some of tho well-to-do Chinamen have imported wives from the Celestial Empire, who, when at home are resplendant in many coloured silk pantaloons; but when they visit the town are usually attired in European costume. Thepickaninnies areverypretty little thinga, and from their present appearance no one would think they would grow into Chinese,