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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 104, 28 December 1868, Page 311

Ihb crops in the northern part of Canterbury are said to be flourishing, and atf abundant harvest is confidently looked forward to in consequence. Causes of the Decline in Tina Yaxue of Wool, AND THE Remedf.— -A correspondent cf the Nelson Colonist, writing on the causes of the recent fall in the price of. wool and their remedy, says :—lt is notaltogether the breeding of sheep that is thoonly secret or key to sheepfarming; and in many cases it is the want of the wool being properly classed and sorted before it. is packed in bales which injures. the market ; but then this cannot be done by themanagers of runs unless the owners provide a proper woolshed and sorting binsfor the different classes of wool to be put into as it is sorted, and packed after it isi quite cold. And it is a great mistake topack greasy, wool warm off the sheep’s back. Nothing injures wool sooner than.doing so which has beeu the general custom of the colony. With reference to tho breeding of sheep, it is of no Use putting good classed rams to a bad stock of ewes. And any owner of 5000 ewes would da well to draft and cull out 1000, and dispose of them at a sacrifice, and would derive a greater benefit by the end of the season by adopting this system. It is not so much tho breeding in and in that, dwarfs the size of shcop, as allowing the ewes to breed in the autumn, which cannot be remedied 'without a combined effort amongst the flockowners to draft out and paddock stock..during.a certaintime in the'year; and In -many cases young sheep: are dwarfed through starvation, owing to the want of large paddocks upon the runs to put the flock into during the mustering times. The well-bred,.large-limbed. and long-woolled Leicester will not Jo for a mountainous country. I am of opinion that it would bo better to stop, breeding for.two years, and paddock the* ram stock, and in tho meantime draft out all the cull ewes.

Shocking Attempts at Suicide.— Three cases of attempted suicide are reported in the Newcastle Pilot of Wednesday, November 25. That paper says t —“ On. Sunday night,. about 10 o’clock, a moat determined attempt at self-destruction, was made by a seaman named GeorgeHenry Allshorn, temporarily residing ia B lane-street. It appears that the unfortunate man had formerly been a cook and steward of a vessel,- but during the last fortnight, being unable to attend to his. duties, he had been staying at Tattersall’s Hotel, where he committed the rash act. During last week he drank rather heavily* and on Saturday last- he appeared to be jnuch depressed in spirits; on Sunday liis despondency became so marked that au acquaintance, named Captain Stewart, who was lodging in the-house, did not consider it safe for him to be at large. Bur- - ing the day a strict watch was kept over Ins movements,, and, finding that he was, not violent, he was allowed to be at large until 10 o’clock on Sunday night; when he retired to bed, Captain Stewart sleeping in the same apartment, and accbm? panying liio.. About a quarter of au hour hffcer Allshorn jumped up in bed and, shouted to his companion “ My- bed is_full of blood!” Finding, that the man was becoming Stewart got up arid struck a light,:and he then saw that; Allshorn was covered with blood, which . was flowing from a frightful gash ia his throat. Medical assistance was obtained, the man in the meantime prevented from doing himself further mischief, and, oa Dr Degner’a arrival a few minuted after- , wards,. tho wound was staunched s and firmly 'bandaged. During the remainder of the night Captain-Stewart sat by Alishorn’s . bedside, and had great ditiicujty - in preventiug. the attempts which, be,frequently .made to (tear oif the /bandages : and" re-open the wound. On -Monday morning he was conveyed to .; the; hos- ; pital, whero be now lies in a veiry precarious state, but -faiinV hopes, being enter-. , famed- of his. r&coyery.. The Bev. Mr .Nairn sat; .with:; some hours on : Monday, ,wbendie appeared in a: calmer : state ; of . mind, v. but ; fearfully:" weakirbm. loss of bloodi; another attempt at suicide was inade by asoaman -nlined; W iJliam Eilpatrick also afterwards atte!hpted;td;: drpwn ;bimself), ab a lbdging-;li^se/in;Sooiit-street.^^We ; Werdcannot?vouch/'?: ,:V v '