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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2160, 8 April 1870, Page 2

Cricket. —The cricket match between eleven Married and eleven Single of the North Dunedin Cricket Club, arranged to be played last Saturday, and postponed on account of the wet weather, will be played to-morrow. Play to begin at two o’clock.

Theatrical. —The Rainer Ministrels are now performing with success at Christchurch, and may be expected here about the end of next week. We hear that a theatrical company from Auckland is about to pay us a visit in May. Miss Dolly Green is giving her monologue entertainment at Milton, and Thatcher has been doing capital businese on the Tuapeka goldfields, overflowing houses being the rule rather than the exception.

Masters and Servants. —The case of Thom sou v. Stevenson, heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day, is another instance of the extreme carelessness displayed in the engagement of servants. Here according to one side an agreement of a very peculiar nature was entered into, and yet it was not thought worth while to reduce it to writing in the simplest form, so that afterwards should any dispute arise there could be no mistake about its terms. The presiding magistrate, in commenting on the fact, said that it appeared to be one quite peculiar to the Taieri, where cases of that character were of frequent occurrence. One of the counsel engaged in the case ingeniously suggested that in such instances the master should be the person punished for this carelessness, because it was only right to expect that he was belter acquainted with the necessity of a written agreement being made.

The Lancashire Bellringers.— Although these musicians have been in Dunedin before, they never appeared under circumstances so calculated to attract good audiences as now. Without other aid than the singular and sweet instruments they use so skilfully, there would be enough of the curious and pleasing to induce repeated visits; but they are accompanied by a vocalist of rare power and accomplishments, in Miss M. A. Liddle, and by a comic singer, whose humor is very attractive, in Mr W. H. Hilton. As the compass of the bell scale ranges through about live octaves, music of the most complicated character is performed with brilliancy, accuracy, and taste. _ Even the selection of the bells for specific pieces is a curious operation that cannot be watched without interest; and when it is considered that for the performance of rapid and difficult passages, involving chromatic intervals and changing from major to minor keys there are only six performers, and that the most practiced ear rarely if ever detects a flaw in the harmony, the manual dexterity displayed is little short of marvellous. The Bell Waltz, a Chinese polka, and the beautiful Scotch ballad, the “Blue Bells of Scotland,” were played in the first part, and the Ellin Waltz, a Mazurka, and a set of quadrilles, introducing well-known Irish airs, in the second ; but each piece was encored, and those substituted were equally well received. Mr Hilton gave sonic illustrations of London snobbery that pleased amazingly, and must have felt highly satisfied with his reception. He also took part in the comic duet of “Cozening a Husband,” with Miss Liddle, in which both acquitted themselves with great taste and humor. Miss Liddle seemed to take the audience by sin prise. Her voice is a rich soprano, highly cultivated, of great compass and power. Her singing of “ Robin’s Return” at once established her a favorite; but her ch<J' d'muvre was the “Blind Girl to lur Harp,” which she sang magnificently. Wo have seldom heard the chaoses of mood indicated in the song so effective'y expressed. Her soft, s'.veet toms in the pathetic passages were finely contrasted with the full, sustained ones in the heroic. Nor was she less successful in “ Love’s Request.” It is needless to say that she was each lime recalled, and that “Ye Banks and Braes,” and “Hie Bonnie Bairn,” were equally pleasing. We have no doubt the hall will be crammed nightly. The Double Furrow Plough.— Amongst the latest improvements in agricultural machinery is the double furrow plough, by means of which the labor of both horses and men is much lightened and rendered more effective. Messrs Reids and Herbert, in Stafford street, have one or two on hand, lately imported, which are well worth}' inspection by farmers. The construction, though somewhat peculiar, is well adapted to the purposes designed. Having neither side nor sole plates, friction is reduced to a minimum. The plough is supported on large angular-rimmed wheels, acting in a direction calculated to resist the pressure resulting from lifting and turning the furrow : by the peculiar construction of the coulters and shares, and through their positions, room is made for the rest of the plough, and no part of it touches the soil but. the mouldboard. It is evident that through resistance being thus reduced, the two furrows can be cut with far less proportionate labothan one by the single furrow plough. The draught, we are informed—as tested by the dynanometcr—is about 5.1 cwt., and in light soil only two horses are required to work the plough ; in heavy soils throe would be necessary. But a’l the advantages are not yet enumerated. By simple lever arrangements made for the purpose, the width and depth of the furrows can be regulated; and it is stated there is absolutely no labor involved in guiding the plough ; so that even, if three horses were required, there would be a saving of the labor of one man and one horse over the number required for the same amount of work with the single-furrow plough. They arc also said to do their work more thoroughly, and with less wear and tear in proportion. It is stated by the patentee, that three horses with one of those ploughs will plough three Imperial acres in eight hours—a saving of thirty per cent, at least over ordinary work.

Wb b ays been requested to correct an error which appeared in the circular of the members of St. Andrew’s Church, published in last oveuing’s issue. It was made to appear that the words “ rather than allow the people to exercise their constitutional privileges” were a whereas they should not have been inserted between inverted commas.