OCCASIONAL NOTES.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 23, 17 December 1874, Page 6

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

(Bg a correspondent.)

" Have you had the measles V* or the ''mussles," ns I believe some people call them. Otago has got the measles, or the measles have got Otago, and the folk of the Province can hardly deny but what they are at present a somewhat measley lot. It is to be hoped the pigs will not catch this disease, or we may perhaps be having measley pork. What a satisfaction it is to have had the measles, and to be able to write in this light manner about them. T expect, however, the measles are no joke when they get into a family, and necessitate a heavy draw upon the care and attention of the superintendents of the juveniles. Well, "it is an ill wind which blows nobody good," and I suppose the doctors will at least benefit by this visitation of one of the ilig to which flesh is heir.

I observed my cat bringing along a rat in her mouth a few days since, and said to myself "we shall have rain soon," and rain we have now got. A very weather-wise animal is your rat, and quickly clears away from river banks and low land on the approach of wet weather, seeking n settlement in higher ground. Faimers who have got in their turnip seed will benefit by these showers. Delays are especially dangerous in farming, and in this country how long dry or wet weather will continue can seldom be predicted with certainty. To make hay while the sun shines, or in other words, never to lose an opportunity, is a rule well worthy of the observance of farmers.

I observe a rather vigorous discussion is going on in the columns of a Tokomairiro paper about the length of the root of the alfalfa grass—this wondorful herbage of which they give us such an extraordinary account. 4 We are now told there is no mistake about the root of the alfalfa occasionally penetrating thirty feet, and is prepared to go even further if it cannot find water at that depth. The alfalfa must be " very fond of water.'' I suppose we shallbe hearing next that the roots penetrate through the globe, and may be found near the surface of the ground at the antipodes, or other side of the earth. It would be a difficult matter in that case to pull up an alfalfa plant by the roots, especially if our cousins in Great Britain should take it into their heads (as they might do, for they seem to be up to all scrts of mischief at present), to clinch the roots on that side. I should like to know, you know, how they know the roots have gone to the depth of thirty and fifty feet, Did they sink a shaft to ascertain ? I procured a bit of alfalfa seed and sowed some, and now the plants are about six or eight inches higb, but expect they will soon be much larger. I know not how long the roots aTe, and am rather afraid to investigate, for if tbey do not stop prowing till they reach water, I expect they must have gone pretty deep during the late dry weather, and I am not just at present prepared to go into the mining business in order to ascer* tain the length of alfalfa roots.

I was in hope the sharp frosts of last winter had rid us of the grass-hopper, or small locust scourge; but I observe these little ruffians have again put in an appearance in force; that the ground in some places is beginning to swarm with them, and that they appear to be ns hungry as wolves. They will be just in time for the field turnips. I see complaints in some quarters of the ravages of imported small birds; but I expect insectiverous birds will do much more good than harm if they clear nway these insect pests Scattering the ground with lime, I think, has been recommended as a preservative of turnips and seedling plants from the attacks of grubs and grasshoppers.

The subject of instrumental music seems to be rather to the fore in Otago at present. The worthy citizens of Dunedin have had the satisfaction of listening to tbe performance of the great pianist, Madam Goddard; and the satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, as the case may be, of hearing music ground out of a hurdy-gurdy. Madame seems to have attracted the attention of the more wealthy portion of the community, and to have managed to line her purse tolerably well, while the poor Italian, aocording to accounts, appears to have got more kicks than half-pence, and to have been knocked about here and there someweat like a football. As I believe there are a good many students of music in Dunedin, probably many of those who listened to Madame Goddard would appreciate what they heard; but I will venture a surmise, that some of those who paid to hear Madame Goddard, would, if the truth were known, have been more pleased with a simple plaintive air, ground out of the recesses of the barrelorgan, than by Madame Goddard's manipulation of the keys of the piano. After all the sound of the hurdy-gurdy is not so very disagreeable—it is decidedly more musical than the bray of the donkey—as to the bag pipes I will make no odious comparison for fear of offending the Highlanders. The worst of tbe hurdh-gurdy is, that you are sometimes obliged to bear the sweet notes of that instrument, when perhaps you are not in a humour to listen to any sort of music. When the merchant

is balancing his accounts, and has all the powers of his intellect bent upon hunting up and capturing the truant penny ; when the Editor is intent upon rounding his periods in a thundering article ; when the scientific man, or the politician, are bent upon solving a scientific or political problem, to hear the poor Italian strike up, " Home sweet Home," or, " Rousseau's Dream," beneath the window, may be somewhat aggravating; but if I am not mistaken, thero are times when the sound of even the hurdy-gurdy falls not unpleasantly on the ears of people who like music, and whose taste has not been cultivated out of an appreciation of a simple melody.

Anent the subject of instrumental music in churches, I observe the Presbytery of Dunedin has been just having a discussion, and that a motion in favor of the introduction of instrumental music into the Presbyterian Churches was.carried by the meeting. Well, for my part I think this is rather a step in advance. Certainly it appears by the Old Testament that the Psalms—the singing of which the Presbyterians much effect—were originally sung to the accompaniment of instrumental music. See the last or CL Psalm. One reverened gentleman said he had searched the New Testament upon the subject, and found nothing in support of instrumental music But there is nothing in that Testament against the use of it. When tho people sung ITosannas to the Son of David, and when a hymn was sung at the Last Supper, there is no proof that the singing was unaccompanied by instrumental music, though musical instruments would not be likely to have been at hand on the latte-r occasion. There can be no doubt that sacred music rouses religious sentiment when it is good, and does not jar upon the ear, and the solemn notes of the organ are a splendid and most fit accompaniment to the voice in the singing of sacred music. The Rev, Mr. Cow, I observe, said that singing in some places- of public worship was simply horrible.