NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 39, 28 January 1898, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

The vital statistics for December, so far as relates to the four principal cities in the Colony, with their suburbs, are as follow :—: —

Of the total deaths (161), males contributed 74 and females 87. There were 36 deaths of children under live years of age, 28 of these being children who had not lived for a year, and there were 38 deaths of persons of G. 3 years and upwards.

Things are evidently going full-steam ahead in Wellington. During last year no fewer than 400 new buildings were erected at a cost of £2.30,000. One architect alone did work to the pretty tune of £54,000.

Mining is looking up in the Reefton district. The Consolidated Goldfields Company is just completing the erection of a new fortyhead battery on the site of the old Globe mine at Crushington. In connection therewith a ten-mile water-race is being constructed. When the company's properties are in full swing fully 300 more men will find payable employment.

Things are looking bright for, at least, some people in South Canterbury. We note with pleasure that the potato crops throughout the district are on the whole looking remarkably well, and the late showers will, we hear, make a first-class yield a practical certainty. The wheat and oat crops have also benefited greatly by the recent rains, which, though somewhat late in coming, wtre very welcome.

The heart of at least one farmer in the Marlborough district has been rejoiced by a phenomenal yield of ryegrass. The news comes from Tuamarina. On being threshed, no less than 8G bushels to the acre were returned from a paddock of four acres. This district has long been famed for the richness of its soil. It is plainly living up to its reputation.

The crops throughout the Taieri district bid fair to be very heavy this season. We hear, on the authority of a well-known agriculturist of long experience, that the Taieri Plain will give a better account of itself this year than any other part of Otago or Southland.

Waste Not, Want Not. — A new use has been found for our farmers' straw. During last winter several settlers in the Oamaru district have been feeding their sheep on wheat chaff, mixed with inolasse*. The result was so satisfactory that several farmers are now doing the same owing to the dryness of the present season. They are cutting up last year's wheat straw, and, after salting it, they mix a certain amount of molasses with it. The sheep get very fond of it, and thrive remarkably well on it. Farmers can now, instead of burning their stacks use them as winter teed for their stock.

The buyers for various meat works in the North Island are having an exceedingly busy time up country, so many settlers who have had their grass wholly or partly burnt off being anxious to sell their sheep. Both of the Wellington works are in full swing, and have more stock offering than they can conveniently treat. One inevitable result of the situation is that the price of sheep has fallen.

The school -holiday season is now drawing ndar its close, and the following school openings are announced: — By announcement in our advertising columns it will be seen that St. Francis Xavier's Academy for young ladies. High St , Wellington, re-opens on Tuesday, February Ist. The hiu'h degree of success which this school during the past year has attained will be, we trust, the be*t earnest of useful and prosperous work in the future. Elsewhere, in outadvertising column*, the re-opening of St. Patrick's College, Wellington, is announced to tak3 place on Saturday, Februaty .">. The importance oE a punctual attendance is pointed out, as classes will be formal on the following Monday, and a fresh start will be made for another tern of that successful tuition for which the St. Patrick's College has earned such a well deserved reputation. During the week we have received the following parcels of stamps for Father Kreymborg's mi-s : on :—Mi>-s: — Mi>-s L. M Inryrc (Arrow) and (J. O. (Greymouth). The oldest living European born in New Zealand is Mrs Lethbridge, now residing at the Bay of Islands. Her age is eighty years.

nd Wellington Jhnstchurch Dunedin 43,628 41,7.->8 41,221* 47.280 104 107 87 79 53 36 40 32 1-21 0-8G 0-i)7 0-68

Population. Births. Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to 1000