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Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 March 1910, Page 3

A piihlication issued by the Vatican gives the lirst reliable statistics in caiitnection with the .Messina earthquake. It i.s calculated that the dead at Messina number 00,000. The death roll at Calabria, was 1(1500. The relief fund now amounted to CSOO.OOO. T>uriii<r the Master Holidays the Railway' 'Department will run a second express over th-- .Main Trunkline between Wellington and Auckland. This is bein l !; dene in order h) cope with the extra traffic -.rlrcli invariably oc-tirs at Faster. The second expivss will leave Wellini'ton at 8.5.") p.m., reaobing Auckl"iid nt J.lO p.m. next day. On the southward -frip, the extra train will leave Auckland at I(US •i m reaching Wellington at 7.'21 .Yl-.-k the f -Ihwing day.- Post. It is noteworthy that in addition to the three people who guessed Hie correct weight ((illbs) of the sheep in the g competition ut the Horowheiiua. Sports, no _ less than nine ])ersons guessed within half a. pound of the exact weight. Guesses of <i:jjlb were made by Messrs .1. Knight. W. Vickers. G. Phillips. 11. Hall and Mi;;s Bevan. Guesses of (ll.lib were made by Messrs E. Hitching, A. C. Astridge. A. Evciitt and A. Ileasinaii. It is of further interest to note that one of the number. .Mr W. Vickers, buyer for th-.: Wellington Mer.t Exp-'irt Company, ha.s_ had a phenomenal rnu of sneers in e.sti- ', weights of live .stock. At Palmerston Show, in November last, he tied for the pme in one compel ition. and won the other straight out. \n agricultural publication states that the discovery of the nature of substances given olf by the roots ol plants is of the utmost importance. There is "vidence that these substances are poisons to the plants that produce them and to certain other plants. As a result, the -■oil is poisoned for the same crop n-xt year, while another crop may 1,,,'t be affected. Crop rotation is p,rhaps the practical side ol this hitherto unknown condition. lut the discovery of an antidote tor tbe«e root toxins must come, and it will ]H-ove oi great value in agriculture. It is now suspected that the beneficial results of sonic fertilisers are due more to their antitoxic properties than to enrichment of the sr.il. The chief value ol cultivation is to oxidise the soil ami to rid it of noisun*. The economical possibilities of any discovery in this direction are almost unlim- . ._