LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 February 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Particulars are advertised to-day or concert to be giveii next Friday evening, in the King's Theatre, Levin, by the boys of the Weraroa Training Farm. The proceeds are to Ue sent to the Prime Minister of New Zealand lor addition to tho war tund. With so commendable an object added to the attraction of a first-class programme. Major Burlinson and his boys deserve to achieve the highest standard of (success. The box plan is now open a.t Mr R. E. Lucas's. The Hesperos, with 100,000 bushels of wheat from Canada lias arrived at Auckland. Fishermen in Canterbury have devised a new spinning bait. A description 6? the dcvice shows that the fishers take a strip of bacon rind between two and three inches long, and about threeeights of an inch thick, round <>ff corneis and rough edges with a sharp knife, and push the spear of an "Archer Spinner" through it from end to end, at' the toughest place, whore the fat and rind join. Now push down the wings of the spinner until they have a firm grip of the bacon rind and hook , in one of the triangles about half-way down. The white of the tat and yellowbrown make an attractive' contrast hr the bait spins through tho water.

What, a cold on the chest i Rub a little ''NAZOL" where yoo feel the tightness, and cover with wadding. Snift a few drops through i Nazol Tn haler. The treatment l;v*yß aoothea

From all accounts thore is likely to be an egg famine during winter months, and prices will be very high. At this period, as a rule, eggs are plentiful, and ruling rates are abojt Is 2d to Is 3d, but this year owing to scarcity tile retail price is ]s !)d with every possibility of increasing rises. The cost of Fowl wheat has been instrumental in bringing about this condition of the market, and one merchant informed a Standard reporter that where lie sold in a previous year fifty bags of fowl wheat a month, he now only disposes of two. People having to pay 8s per bushel or 20s a sack, do not .reap much profit (if any), and can find a readier and more profitable market by killing their birds and selling them—and this is what is now taking place. On the authority of this merchant eggs will be at a prohibitive price ill the coming months — ■i.i to 3s (xl a dozen—making them a costly luxury. The number of pickled eggs this year are reported to be few. Jiie position of the market must affect pastrycooks and confectioners, and, in the comrse of a conversation with a business man in this line yesterday, it was gathered that there had been a noticeable shortage yearly in the quantity of eggs in New Zealand for the past ten years, a condition stated to be brought about by the exportation from New Zealand and the increasing demand for egg food's. Since the war, the importation of dried eggs from the Continent has been stopped, and this has undoubtedly affected many in small businesses. So far. the pinch has not been severely felt, but there was every possibility that it would be.

It lias been known for years in scientific circles that soil treated with bi-sulphide of carbon rapidly increased in nitrogen contents and became exceedingly fertile, says a Sydney publication. Tests revealed the fact that this increase in nitrogen was due to the natural enemies of the nitrifying bacteria being killed off by the bi-sulphide of (carbon. But 'bi-sul-. phide of carbon is a volatile and highly explosive compound and could not be turned to practical use on a commercial scale. For some years past, Mr Frank Cotton, of Hornsby, New South Wales, has been working on this problem, and after numerous experiments succeeding in producing a soluble sulphur carbon compound, which was neither volatile nor explosive. After a number of successful tests on a small scale, Mr R. M. Shannon, ol Arcadia, New South Wales, decided to carry out a test on a commercial scale in his orchard. The test was made on 120 young orange trees and about 40 old pear trees. Five gallons of, one per cent, solution were sprinkled on the soil around each tree. Mr Shannon now reports that the orange trees show a marked increase in size and vitality over trees of the same age growing in similar soil, untreated. The pear trees also have made strong growth and are carrying an abundant crop of fruit which is absolutely free from icodlin ni'Oth. A remarkable feature of this test is tiiat the treated soil lias undergone a marked change. It is much more friable than previously and turns up like garden njpuld. Mr Shannon is so satisfied with the results that he intends to treat the whole of the soil of his orchard in a similar fashion this Year. ;

A remarkable and unique sale of cattle took place recently at the Clock House, Surrey, when fiftynine British Holsteins belonging to the Breed Society were offered by auction. The importation came about in this May: Several strong supporters of the breed met and guaranteed the society against loss, and a deputation was appointed to visit Holland. The total outlay was £4200, and these brought a return of £14,936 ss, so the society has made a very handsome profit. Business began with the bulls, of which there were thirty-nine, aud the first of these was fokke 2nd. a March call of nice character and excellent breeding. Perhaps the' best animal in the sale, it was bought most reasonably at 400 guineas by Blown and Son. There was a very keen inquiry for Robert, a hull ready to go into service at once, and Messrs Debenham had to go to 560 guineas for him. Tin l total realised for the bulls was 9570 guineas. which gave an average of £253 5s lfl. Coivs and heifers sold similarly well. Miss Guest took the next, one at 350 guineas, whilst Mr David Spence went to 520 guineas for Betje Ith. The total of the twenty heifers was 4655 guineas, or £244 6s 9d jier head.