MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 12 July 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

» . It is gratifying to observe that ths re* ceipts from the water»races ia Westland are gradually on the increase, as we find that for the quarter ending September, 1879, the Government received £564 10s from the Kumara raoe, nnd £436 7s 3d from the Waimea race. For the quarter ending December, of the same year, Kuraara returns were £642 10s., and Waimea, £498 15s 9 1. The quarter end-, ins March 31st of the present year gave Kumara £682 63 Bd, and Waimea £509 17a Bd. making the total amount received from these two races, by the Government; in nine monlhs-v.Kumara, £1889 6s 8d ; and Waimea, £1445 Os Bd. The Wellington Chronicle says :— Dr Wallis, in one of his usual characteristic orations, was occasionally very happy yesterday in his remarks, especially with reference to Mr Reader Wood. The learned doctor denounced him in withering terms as having been -the bosom friend of Sir George Grey — they had, in fact, taken B«reet counsel together. Yet within three brief months of their newly»cemented alliance, the honorable member for Waitemafa stabbod his leader in the back and deserted him. "Yes" cons tinued Dr Wallis, " frailty, thy name any member of this honorable House." And amid cries of " Eeader Wood " and much laughter and cheering, the speaker, having scored a capital point, went on with his speech. By applying a slight dressing of salt four or five tiroes a year, gravel walks may be kept comparatively free from weeds, and the labor required to preserve them in order reduced to minimum. The salt Bliould be distributed regularly ovrr the surface of the 'walks thinly, but not to near to live edgings, which are liable to suffer by the roots getting soaked after rain. Grass verges will stand a soaking moderately well, but box edgings are easily injured by the roots getting saturated with salt water, and will perhaps be killed altogether. The best times to apply the dressing fs when there is a propabilty of settled dry weather, so tint it may lay some time before being washed off by the rain. A French newspaper states that if a little chloride of lime be placed on the soil rafs, mice, and insects will at once desert the part. Plants may be easily protected from insect plagues by simply brushing over their stems with a weak solution of chloride of lime. It has often been noticed that the patch which has been treated in this way remains free from grubs, while the unprotected beds around are lilerally destroyed. Fruit trees may be guarded from their attacks by attaching to the stems pieces of tow smeared with a mixture of chloride of lime, and hog's lard, ants, and grabs then

in possession will rapidly vacate their position. A writer in the American " Acricu'turist"gi.vos the following advice uuon this subject :-• To • clamp ' potatoes in the garden or field, select a place a little elevated, and dig down as low as you can drain the excavation- It m ay be 2 t.. lft., or but a few inches, according to the* .dram that it will command. Suppose that you hare 6fteen or thirty bnshels to bury, tho bed should be made about 4ft. or sft. deep in the centre. When all are in position, take long rye straw and set it against the two sides of the heap thick enough to shed rain. Then throw earth against tho Bides of the pile 6in. or Bin. thick ; but none at the top, where the straw meets, as an air-hole must be leftopen. And if tho straw is well applied the potatoes will stand any weather that may be exppcted. This system is better than to put them into deep pits, as wa* the custom fifty years ago, The information which has been , officially obtained about the rumored gold discovery between the Paringa and the Haast Eivers confirms the suggestions that have been made as to the possible vnlue of the new field, but it also mukps certain that the nature of the country is such that anything like a ' rush ' would result in very great suffering. It is said that two men named Kinnard and Maher were out prospecting seven months. During, the first three months they got but little gold, chiefly from creek" beds; then they chanced to find rough gold on the top of a high spur, and following- up certain indications they succeeded during s^ven weeks in getting something over 41b. weight of gold. They strove for more than two months to bring water to the terrace where the ' find ' was chiefly mnde, but failing they relumed to the Paringa. The gold is cuegetty, and one piece of it weights about ooz. Traces of quartz can be seen adhering to several of the bits. The par.t of the country in which Kinnard and Maher worked is described as between Abbey Rocks and the Moeraki Lake. It, as well as another large tract from the Abbey Kocks to the Waita, was before known to be auriferous, and a road which is in course of construction will run within five or six of the former, and will practically open up the latter, but all authorities agree that the difficulties in the way of getting provisions to the terrace or its neighbors hood are very great indeed, and that they should deter from the attempt all who cannot incur considerable expense and endure great hardships. A cab proprietor last night informed the City Council that during the last sixteen months he had had to pay £217 for the repair of damages done to his cabs through the carelessness of his drivers.— Christchurch Star. In the disposition of ashes, a* least two points should be kept in mind, safety and cleanliness. If the ashes ar» from wood, no sifting is necessary. They should, if possible, be removed from the stove only when cold, that no live coals may be in them. In case this cannot be done, great care should be taken that no fire is dropped on the floor, Bnd in all cases a deep iron pail should be used, with a closely fitting cover. Wood ashes should never be put in a barrel, or in any other wooden receptacle, the number of destructive tires that have resulted from a disregard of this caution is a fearful warning. Even when no fire is visible, there is still danger. The length of time for which i fragment of live coal, no larger than a pea, will keep alive, when covered with warm, light ashes, is something astonishing ; it has been known to last thus for days: A pit of stone or brick, and fire proof, should be provided for keeping ashes, in a convenient, secluded place a short distance from the house. With these precautions there is . little or no danger of these fires which, when left unheeded, are not rare in town and country. Besides, ashes are worth 25 cents a bushel, and are far too valuable to be thrown away. Coal ashes, though not so valuable, should be proppi y proyided for on the ground of neatne , if for no other reason. Nothing is more distressing to see, as is too often the case, a pan of coal ashes in one place, and ■•< box or barrel running over in another. These will be sown broadcast by the winds on the snow or ground, to be tracked into the house at everyo'step. Coal, that is hard coal, is rarely burned so "completely that ifc will not pny to; sift the ashes to save the unburned coil contained in them. : When the clinkers are picked out of the sifted portion it is quite as valuable as fresh coal. There are various sifters which allow the sifting to be done without dusfc, and if tlie ashes are sifted daily the task is easy. Coal ashes are of almost no yalue as manure, but tbey arj useful on heavy soils, jusl as sand would be, to lighten them ; they make excellent paths and roads when mixed with earth, while for the earth closet they are as useful as dried earth. Ihe "Berliner Z'etung" has caused some sensation in Germany by a terrible description which it has published of the maltreatment to which a soldier, and especially a young recruit, in the German army is liable to be subjected at the caprice of his superior, and without any bope of redress. Kicks in the stomacli, boxes on the ear, blows with a sheathed 3word or the butt end of a musket are, the writer asserts, tart of the treatment to which soldier must submit; since h Q

soon learns that, however cruellr, hardily and ni'justly he raay I c trealeJ, if he complains his compl <int will probably be fruitless, an! that in any c <se it will go hard with him afterwards. The number of cases of suicide in the German army, which is notoriously exceedingly large, is mentioned by the writer in support of his case. 111-treated by bis superiors, drilled till he faints from fatigue, sub' jected the mostcrael tortures, which C">m* j pare with those of the Inquisition, the soldier, despairing of obtaining justice or relief, puts an end to his life. Alias in the World says :—' l hear from an authentic source that it is more than probable that Mr de L^sseps may fi-d himself supplanted, and his Panann Canal project superseded in a way he does not expect, A new scheme, said to have been already seen and approved in the highest quarters at Washington, is not to make any canal, but in lieu of it, *o con* struct a ship-railway, by means of which \ ships of any size can be transported bodily from ocean to ocean in about half, a day. The idea is to construct immense docks or tanks, like graving docks, into which ships will sail or steam, and in i which they will be securely fastened by hydraulic, appliances. When the ship is hard and fast in her cradle on a Jevsl keel, the motive power will be applied, " and the cradle containing the ship will be hauled forward on a gently inclined railway, with several pairs of rails, and the whole mass will be steadily run across the forty miles from ocean to ocean at the rate of 6 miles an hour. The existing Panama railway will be in» corporated with the ' shipirailway,' The plan—which is patented— is already in operation in France, where heavy or Dal boats with full cargoes, are transported from one canal to another over the intervening space of land with the greatest ease and safety. The proposed ' shiprailway ' will be made in the third part of the time required for the canal, at less than the third of the cost ; and a tariff* less than a third of the esti* mated canal dues will leave a handsome profit for the projectors, who are an as* sociation or French and American corn* panics. The Western Babbits District Commission have arranged with a chemist, at Riverton to supply poison at a nominal rate. One farmer bought £10 worth, and killed enough f bunnies' to reooup the outlay by their skins. One very hot day a case was being tried in a court of law in one of the Western States, The counsel for the plaintiff had been speaking at great length, and, after referring to numerous authorities, was about to produce another imposing volume, when the judge inn quired what was the amount in dispute. On being told that it was two dollars, * Well ' said he, • the weather is very hot lam old, and also feeble— l'll pay the "mount myself.' ' Says the Christ cbnrch S*nr :— The delegates who were sent to Wellington by the Unemployed Committee hive been successful in their mission. The . Government, it is stated, have promised" that on the Weka Pass, married men shnll be enabled to earn 28s per week and single 21* per week, wet or dry. The Government will supply rations at a charge of Is 3 1 per diem for each adult, and wood will be provided at lfd per day. The Government also promised that another section would at once be opened on the Albury extension.