Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 74, 24 September 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

Apples are only i>d per lb in Feilding just now. They are imported from Tasmania. Members of the Manchester Hi lies are reminded of the Gavcvnnicut parade this evening. The death is announced at Wellington of Captain John Noric et thu age of 77 year?. Flax has risen £1 per ton at Homo during the last few weeks, and continues to harden. Mr Walter A. L. Bailey has definitely declined to contest the Haugitikci seat the coming general election. The case of Retina v, Keunv, charged with maiming O'Gortnan, has b.cu postponed from the Wangauui to the Wellington sessions in November. The Rev G. P. Davys will hold services on Sunday next at St Michael's, Stanway, at 11 a.m., St Agnes', Kiwitca. at ;i p.m., and Birmingham at 7 p.m. The Mail has been shown some fine oranges grown in Waipawa. Tho fruit is juicy, well llavored, and tho skin is not so thick as seen on other oranges grown in that district. It may not be generally known, says an Knglisb paper, that tho Mahommedan religion has been adopted by Englishmen in England, notably in Liverpool, where there is a Mosque with regular services. An Oaruaru cyclist sailed gracefully along the street with a cloud of smoke steaming behind him. It was not, as at first thought, some new form of steam cycle, but the display was duo to an in cipient conflagration caused in the rider's coat pocket, owing to his having neglected to extinguish his pipe. The first forest tree nursery to be established in connection with the newlyorganised State Farm Department is to be on Eweburn township reserve, seven miles from Nascby. The position is well watered E.nd in the centre of the proposed plantation, which is located towards the base of the hills surrounding the Manitoto Plains. What is said to be the best waterway fence that has yet been tried is described as follows:—A strong piece of fencing wire is tightly strained across the stream aud tied on to it are pieces of brush or such material as is most handily placed closely together. When tho water is down this keeps stock in or out, and adjusts itself to the rise and fall of the water without washing away. A correspondent in the Taranaki Herald says :—Fifty or sixty years ago we heard little about total abstinence or the increase of insanity and cancer ; now we hear a great deal about all three. We know that people do not drink alcoholic liquors so much now as then, but the consumption of tea has become greater. I allow thinking peoplo to draw their own inferences from tho above facts. Some interesting experiments m potato growing were made lately under official direction in France, with the following results:—The weight of seed in each case was exactly the same. By planting whole tubers, weighing lOJtOX., a return of tiiiolb was obtained; with whole tubers, weighing HJox, the return was ;j.S:)lb. The total weight of seed was 128lb, It will be seen from this that tho heaviest return came from the largest tubers planted whole, and that the worst result came from the cut tubers. —Manawatu Farmer. The question of tho restrictions on the transfer of sheep from different parts of Hawke's Bay district to other parts of the colony has caused some concern aud Mr Pirani has made inquiries of the Agricultural Department as to whether there was any immediate prospect of these restrictions being removed. In reply he has been informed that the Department is tryiDg to arrange for Professor Thomas, of Auckland, to come down and report, and if that report is favorable, the restrictions will be removed or modified.—Standard. It will be seen by reference to our advertising columns that a meeting is to be held this evening at St Bridget's Church for the purpose of forming a choir. As the matter ha 3 been energetically taken in band by Mr St Lawrence Touer, a gentleman possessing exceptional qualifications regarding musical matters, it is to be hoped that there will be a large attendance at the meeting. The formation of a good choir is an important matter to the Roman Catholic Church of Feilding, and now that the above denomination has the opportunity of securing an enthusiastic and able conductor in the person of Mr Toner it is to be hoped that his efforts to improve the musical portion of the service will receive the fullest encouragement from all who arc interested in the formation of a good choir in Feilding. An amusing incident at one of the Rev L. M. Isitt's Prohibition addresses at New Plymouth last week was the appearance on the platform of Mr James Paul, the well-known bowler and brewer, who after making a yigoroua reply to some of Mr Iniu's remarks, offered to bet him a new lint thut the Prohibitionists would receive a good thrashing at the coming poll, lie, ut the same time, issued the following challenge to Mr IS. B. White, a local tee total advocate :—" If he would for three or four months take a small bottle of stout for lunch and a glass uf hot grog at night, he, (Mr Paul) would give his sofernn pledge that he would partako of nothing but cold water for the same period, ut the end of which the public could judge who had thrived the best. Tie would even go so far as to provide Mr White with the beet Guinnesa'B stout and Usher's whiskey for the experiment. (Laughter and applause)." Neither challenge was taken, ujj.

Time for chronometer rauiug— 9 a.m. to-morrow. Tenders are invited for stumping at Taonui by Mr Walter A. L. Bailey. Mr Klkington, who has beou on a visit to the Old Country, returned to Feilding to-day. E'imour is to the effect that Mr Scobie McKvnzie will not bo a candidate at the tjenernl elections. • Au effect of the mining boom. Land Iv b)m i-;ss;ig fcmvDs]>i)> oi' Pacroa, near the Thames, that wan considered over valued in IKSS at ">.">* per acre, is now fetching Xl ">0 per acre. Attention is drawn to a replace advertisement from tho proprietors of the Sura turn. Tea. One of tho chief advantages claimed for this popular and extensivelyused tea is its digestibility. Thirty-five bankruptcies were filed during August. The Mercantile Gazette estimates that these will show a deficiency, after reckoning dividends paid, of il:i,lS7 10s fid -or at the rate of 11150, ■ 000 per annum. Professor Falbe, of Vienna, aunouuees that the earth will come into collision with a comet on November l.'ith, 1896. This will he about the date of the elections in this colony, so that there will be a little excitement. The Public Petitions Committee reported ou the petition of R. G. Knight, of Wellington, who asked for a grant o!' 100 acres of J;iD(l for ryery man who is the father, of ten children aud over in the colony. The committee stated they have no recommendation to make iutln; matter. A post nfi'icr to be named Gleuwooil wilt u'.' opined at ilu V. lierry's store, about three miles beyond Mukiuo. on Ist October. This makes no loss than '23 country offices for which the local post ojlice is the circulating medium, :iml which is au indication of the develnpujcut of our back country. It is K.iid that the tickets for the-re-served scats nt the Rev L. M. l.Mtt's meeting to-morrow evening are going oil rapidly and those anxious to get a good H<cub arc advised to )>c there iv f^oo-l time. Tickets may be had at most cf the shops in town, from all members c f the Prohibition League, find at the Hall to-morrow eveniug. from 7.15 not 7.-!<> , as stated in last night's issue by mistake. Before hciug dismissed, vays the Waitganui Chronicle, from service the grand j jury brought before His; Honor theChtef Justice the careless manner business people: had of cashiKg cheques, aud said i that if thcie was ordinary care observed there would bo many less cases of forger}' and false pretences before the court. There were many cases that came before the Bench .simply due to the laxity of business mcv. His Honor said he quite agreed with tho sentiments of the grand jury, and had had occasion to make similar remarks not very long ago.