ITEMS FROM EXCHANGES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1377, 22 October 1886, Page 2

ITEMS FROM EXCHANGES.

TH3 SATCRDAY REVIEW ON NEW ZEALAND The Saturday Review thus speaks of New Z aland ;—lf a traveller bound for the Britain of the South took ship in the Kyles of Bate, went to sleep, and waked In Blueskin Bay, Dunedin, he would still think himself In Scotland on first flight of the new land. The larger and. older towns of Australia, each as Sydney and Melbourne, are essentially English in their wiv of life ; but the landscape is for the most part fist, like a picture fallen oat of its frame. There Is the spirit of the English home, bnt not its form. In New Zealand both form and spirit of the mother-country are preserved with the difference of a more abiding sunshine. The conditions of life are more favorable: There is less misery and suffering; absolutely no privation ; while the mortlity is returned at only II *45 deaths in a thousand. That is, New Zealand Is one of the healthiest, and it is also.one of the meat beautiful parts of the world.

FIJIAN BEAUTIES. The Suva Times says:—“The rage of coolies for personal adornment is something astonishing, and some of their women are absolutely weighed down with solid gold and silver ornaments. Here is a description of the suite of jewellery to be seen any day on one of the dusky beautiei who frequently appears in Sava ; A gold star, imbedded in the flesh of her forehead ; a gold nose ring, bejewelled, folly three inches In diameter, which Is worn in one nostril and depends to her chin ; two solid silver necklets of great weight; a pendant necklace of perforated rupees ; a number of solid silver bracelets extending half way from the wrist to the elbow ; sliver bangles on each upper arm above the elbow ; heavy silver bangles weighing fully one pound each on the ankles, and gold and silver rings on several toes. The total value of those on this single individual cannot he less than £25 sterling. Some of the men are also nearly as profusely decorated, and one yonng Fijian dandy wears a necklace of *> ustralian sovereigns.”

MILKING SHEEP. Professor Long, in the Mark Lane Express, _ has a rather long article on a subject which ought to attract some attention in the colonies. He advocates keeping sheep f w milking purposes and shows pretty conclusively that there is money in it. If squatters could only milk their flocks as well as shear them and dispose of the produce profitably, the depression would soon be .n a fair way to take its departure for ever. The idea is ant altogether novel, for the celebrated Roquefort cheere is mtda from ewes’ milk and that cheese realises from 1* 6J to Is 8d per lb. A good ewe may be reckoned to yield If b of ch >OB6 in twodays—say Hlb; this would 1 e b a week. Taking the lowest qua tailor. (1 1 6d) there is 8a a week from the ewe end the mutton and fleece left in stock. Sheep’s mils is richer than cow's. The proportion ot butter in 100 parts cow’s milk is 4 ; but In ewes’ It is 6'13. Of cassein or cheese material cow’s milk contains 4’lo and ewes 6*97 per oani.

OCR ONLY GENERAL; The Hawke's Bay Herald is rather hard on our only general. It says:—lf fine feathers make tine birds, Colonel Whitmore la a splendid ornitJiogoldlaous Indeed. With his gold braided and plumed oocxed hat, his gilded and bemedalled breast, brazen accoutrements melc-dromatic saddle cloth, his commanding air and piercing eye, above all his orderly deferentially on foot in the rear, he presents a spectacle at oncj cheerful and sublime. The only man on Clive-quare last evening at all approaching the Colonel in mjest'c radiance was Drum—Major Neale, who shone resplendently and manoenvr with dignity, covering the baud he led with qui e a glare of reflected glory. But the Colonel was the great centre of attraction, and as he sat upright on his fiery charger, with his decorated facade exposed to the full view of the enraptured multitude of lowly civilians, the great truth that life is worth living was forced upon one with overwhelming completeness. No wonder that the boys want to form a cadet corps 1

WHEAT MAKKftT PROSPECTS. The principal authorities la the grain trade here and in the United States agree in predicting a higher range In wheat prices du*ing the coming cereal year than has prevailed daring the past one. This impression has given a firmness to the trade which has long been lacking, bnt it has not at present affected prices to a greater extent than la per quarter, nude up of two advances of fid each daring the past fortnight, without reckoning any possible change in Friday’s market which is not reported to ns as we write. In the United States there has been same unhealthy activity in the grain trade, based on speculation, which was in its turn excited by possibly exaggerated reports as to the injury done to the spring wheat crop by drought and insects. Prices at New York have been going np and down, remaining at the end of July about tbe sms as they were at the beginning. On July Ist red winter for August delivery was quoted at 85 cents per bushel In New York, and the corresponding quotation for July 29th in 851 cents: A further Indication of want or faith in an early advance in prices is afforded by the fact that recant quo ations for September delivery have not been quite a cent par boshel above those for August delivery. This is not surprising, as all business men know the tendency of farmers to flood the markets with wheat during the autumn nxonths. A wet harvest in two or 'three'of the principal wheat growing countries of Europe would material! alter the situation, and send New York prices np with a tun ; but : with the possibility of fine weather in view, there is nothing in the general condition of the crops themselves to warrant speculation based on a belief In a considerable rise in values during the first half of tbe autumn, to say the least. Nevertheless, as we have said, there is a general belief in a material rise, wh’ch may be precipitated by untoward climatic conditions, but whicu otherwise is not likely to happen very soon. A comparison of prices, stocks, and expected crops at various recent periods may throw some light upon the question.

It Is estimated that the American export surplus will be only 8,022,000 quarters, as compared with 11,700.000 quarters exported iu the year ended Japp 30, 1886 This is assuming the. new qrqp to 400,000.000 bushels, and allowing lor redaction of 52,000,000 bushels in farmers* hands, and of 12,000,000 bushels in the vissible supply before the new crop began to increase it. Unless India exporta more freely than in the past year —and .the quantity was the largest yet sent out of the country—it is not easy to see whence European requirements will be supplied; Iso doubt the supply will be forthcoming somehow, but not, wo think, without some greater temptation in the way of price than is now ‘offered. The South American crop la believed to have been greater than that of last year; but Australasia this year has no wheat worth mentioning to spare, and Egypt la said to be practically out of the export trade lor the time being. The United alone will require to import between 19 and 20 million quarters to supply the consumptive demands of the population for the coming cereal year, and some other Eur peau countries will require to import considerable quantities. On the whole, then, we are disposed to believe that the gene* al belief in a higher range of values for wheat during fh® QGipipg year than during the last, and paclfap than foe some tune previously, 1| well founded,