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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1112, 5 September 1871, Page 2

According to the Mark Lane Express of June 12 a revolution in the practice of milling is imminent. Oarr, of Bristol, has brought out a machine for grinding corn, without the intervention of stones of any kind, except for the purpose of reducing the inferior products of the grain which are left incomplete by the machine. The machine occupies the space of only 12 feet by 8 feet, while, it is said, it will reduce ' with perfect ease' from 20 to 25 quarters, or from 160 to 200 bushels per hour, thus doing the work of more than 30 pairs of stones, reduced to 25 by requiring five pairs to grind the semolina, or middlings, and bran, if required. The flour, of which a sample has been sent, handles very soft, which in other flour would indicate a want of strength, and consequently a less production of bread per sack. It is maintained, however, that this flour will produce more bread than the common flour, and that it fetches several shillings per sack more than that made by millstones on the Edinburgh market, where, at the mills of Messrs Gibson and Walker, one of the machines has been at work for some weeks.

The Southland Times reports Uiat early on the morning of the 23rd nit. a destructive lire broke out at Springvale, Myross Bush, the property of Mr Thomas Ferguson, w hereby a six stalled atable, containing six valuable horses, as also a ham, containing 500 bushels of corn, together with a quantity of .saddlery, tanning implements, a new cart, &c, were completely destroyed. In addition to six valuable horses burnt to death in the premises, they contained twelve cows and a colt, which were rescued in safety from the btiming pile. The buildings destroyed were erected of sawn timber, with a shingle roof. The loss, which is estimated at £560, is wholly uninsured, and much sympathy is felt for Mr Ferguson, who is one of the pioneer settlers of the district.— Later accounts to hand state that there is not the slightest reason to believe that the fire was the work of incendiarism. When the flames were . discovered at 4 a.m., they had complete mastery of the stable, and almost as soon as the spot was reached, the roof fell in. The charred remains of the animals destroyed, three of which were brood mares in foal, were all found lying in circular form, with their heads together.' In addition to the buildings i i mentioned above, a cow house was destroyed. Nothing is known as to the manner in which the fire pi iginated,