THE POTATO DISEASE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 14 November 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE POTATO DISEASE.

(From the Aucklander,Oct 28) The following are extracts of two letters from the Bay of Islands District, dated the 19th October. The news is rather of an alarming character, considering how much the natives depend upon their potato crops. We do not feel qualified to adopt the suggestion of our correspondent and to write an article on the subject, but we participate in his anxiety to call public attention and especially that of the Agricultural Society to it—and we shall be happy to open our pages to the discussion of the question, and to the suggestions of correspondents. We learn from other sources that some of the farmers in the neighbourhood of the Bay have begun to plant corn in the rows of potatoes—even where the disease has not yet shown itself. One correspondent writes thus : “ I write a line to let you know that the Irish potato disease has made its appearance in these parts, and is spreading so rapidly that we fear the consequences will be serious, unless immediate steps are taken to provide against what appears to threaten a failure of the potato crop this season. For a description and cause of the disease, see ‘ Illustrated .News’ No. 220,1816 ; No. 210, 1817 ; No. 2G7, 1847. The potato plantations at Kaikohe, Ohaewae, Waimate, and Bakarake, are more or less affected. At present the folk seem not aware of the mischief likely to follow, and I therefore think that no time should be lost in making the matter public. Perhaps you will be good enough to write an article upon the subject. The aphis now attacking the potato exactly correspond with that described in the ' Illustrated News’ above named.” Another writes ; “ Have you seen anything of the potato blight yet. I have got it in my field and I hear lots of about ; it is a little green insect on the back of the leaf, you will observe it by the leaf beginning to wither. I shall plant my field with corn.”

Civil War in America lias well nigh suppressed boots, and its influence on newspapers is scarcely less disastrous. Now that the manhood of the Union is drafted off into wasteful war, productive industry at an end, and racking taxation imposed, trade is paralysed and advertisements of course decline or cease, and newspaper owners are brought into a position of extreme difficulty. It is hard for newspaper owners to yield positions they have won at great cost and perseverance, but their sheets which widened with commercial prosperity, must contract with its decline, and already some of the most successful newspapers have begun to narrow their borders. News is purchased with more avidity than ever now that it bears an interest of life and death to every home in the Union, but as advertisements arc at an end, news must now be paid for its natural cost. Whilst the leading newspapers will live through the war, magazines, periodicals, and literary newspapers suffer the fate of books, are eschewed as luxuries, and are dying off quickly, or arc sickly languishing in hope of better times. If newspapers are in a bad way in the north, they are in a far worse at the south. Newspapers never enjoyed much success in the Slave States. Many of the ablest advocates of their interests were published in the north. From the north the southern news offices obtained their supply of paper. In the eleven Confederate States are only eleven paper-mills, and these worked and managed chiefly by northern capital and skill; and in the whole south there is not one maker of printing ink. Many of the southern offices are now closed through want of materials; at least 50 of their minor journals have ceased to exist, and the greater ones have curtailed their dimensions, and raised their price. Incendiary editors in north and south did their full share in bringing on the pre sent war, and they have been among the first to experience its misery and ruin. Eking up Babies.—“ I’m a thinkin sister said Miss Euey, taking off her spectacles, and rubbing her nose thoughtfully, “ whether or no cow's milk an’t goin’ to be too hearty for it, it’s such a pindling little tiling. Now Miss Budge, she brought a seven months’ child and she told me she gave it ere little seed cookies wet in water, and it throve nicely and the seed is good for wind.” “ Oh ! don’t tell me none of Miss Badger’s stories,” said Miss Roxy,” “ I don’t believe in’ em. Cows is the Lord’s ordinances for bringing up babies that’s lost their mother—(it stands to reason they should be) —and babies that can’t eat milk, why they can’t be fetched up ; but babies can eat milk, and this’ un will if it lives, and if .can’t it won’t live” —l hid.

Bank of New Zealand —The head office of the Bank of New Zealand was opened on Wednesday last, the 16th inst. The arrangements of the office are complete.

New Zealand Furniture Woods.— The forests of New Zealand abound in wood of great commercial value ; and we are glad find that the people of Englrnd have had an opportunity of satisfying themselves of the adaptibility of many of our indigenous trees to the manufacture of furniture. Mr. Leiven, who was for many years a resident in this colony, has introduced our furniture timber into the market, and many drawing rooms in Great Britain and the Continent of Europe contain elegant specimens of his manufacturing skill from New Zealand wood. We are glad to learn that the taste for the growth of the New Zealand forests is extending in the old country, and no doubt it will be increased by the rough and manufactured specimens we will forward to the Great Exhibition next year. The inlaid worktables and boxes made by Mr. Seuffert in Auckland, have been highly appreciated by the wealthier classes, many ol whom have purchased, while all who inspected have admired them. We ought therefore, to aim at having our furniture woods properly represented at the approaching exhibition in London, so that there may be a large demand created for our timber, and thereby divert from the West Indies much of the wealth that is annually expended there by English merchants, in the purchase of mahogany. To those who have seen the New Zealand furniture woods skilfully wrought and polished, or in inlaid fancy work, there is no need of stating the absolute superiority of our own forest produce to that of any other country in the globe ; and it rests with ourselves to make such an impression on British and foreign manufacturers by the quantity and finish of our selections at the approaching Exhibition, as to turn the tide of commerce iu furniture woods to our shores.

Coromandel Gold.— We Lave seen several fine specimens of Coromandel gold since our last issue, one of which was brought up by a man who, witli five companions, lately prospected on a piece of land not hitherto visited by diggers. The party are well, and if allowed to continue their labours without interruption for some time there is reason to believe they will realise a handsome capital. Thus every additional fact that comes to our knowledge leads more strongly to the conviction that the Coromandel gold Helds equal in extent and richness an Y diggings hitherto discovered. —Southern Cross, October 18. On the 12th August the thermometer registered in the streets of London 110 deg. Fahr. in the sun or 35 Reaumur, or from 95 to 97 deg. Fahr. in the shade, a heat almost unprecedented in this country, whilst at the Royal Humane Society’s receivin'* house, Hyde park, and other similarly exposed situations, the instrument at noonday recorded 119 deg. Fahr. Tire Census of England And Wales, 1861. —A Parliamentary paper has just now been issued consisting of a series of tables “of the population and houses enumerated in England and Wales, and in the islands in the British Seas, on the Bth April ISGI.” The total population is given at 20,205,501,—viz., 9,825,246 males and 10,380,258 females. The total poprdation in 1851 was 17,937,609, —viz., 8,721,225 males and 9,146,381 females. The portion of the army, royal navy, and merchant seamen out of the country at the time of the census is not included and it appears from official returns that the army abroad is 137,000, the royal navy and marines absent from the United Kingdom about 42,900, and merchant seamen absent on voyages about 96,000, it may be assumed that the numbers of these classes belonging to England and-,’Wales were collectively not less than 162,021, mostly adult males. The actual increase of population (2,169,576), between 1851 and 1861, was greater than in any previous decennial period ; but the rate of increase owing to active emigration had somewhat diminished. The above are 1 the general rresults comprised in the first three tables. Table IV. gives the numbers of houses in England and Wales in 1861 as 3,745,463 inhabited, 182,325 uninhabited, and 27,580 building. There is a large increase in each class. The population of of London within the limits of the Metropolis Government Act is in 1861, 2,803,034, as against 2,362,236 in 1851. The inhabited houses are 362,890. The other tables give details of counties and districts except the last, Table XI., which relates to emigration. According to the returns of the Emigration Commissioners; 2,249,355 emigrants sailed from the ports of the United Kingdom in the interval between census of March 31st, 1851 and the census of April, Sth, 1861. But 191,532 were probably of foreign orgiu leaving 2,054,123 emigrants from the United Kingdom; of whom about 640,210 were of English orgin, 183,627 were Scotch orgin, and 1,230,986 of Irish orgin. The return docs not contain the results of the censuses of Scotland and Ireland.