LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 26 November 1913, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest addition to the telephone list is Mr E. Thurlow Field, No. 13.

The annual Flower Show at Kaukapakapa takes place on Friday, November 28th.

At last meeting the Domain Board decided to allow the Town Band to play programmes of music at the Domain as may be desired from time to time, without any further special permission being necessary.

An exchange states that a.monorail exhibit is being foiwarded from England for the Auckland Exhibition. This will be of exceptional interest to backblocks settlers, as it is specially adapted for tapping inland country districts, and therefore may solve the roading problem of the backblocks.

It is stated that tho Government has found the rural delivery a very expensive luxury, and in some parts of the Rangitikei at least, the farmers have not been nearly so well served as by independent mail contractors. Several motor cycles are to be taken off at the end of the year and the old system of mail delivery resorted to in the districts concerned.

A simple hearted ami truly devout country preacher, who had tested but few of the drinks of the woild, took dinner with a high-toned family, where a glass of milk punch was quitely set down by each plate. In silence and happiness th' 3 new Vicar of Wakefield quaffed his goblet, and then added : " Madame, you should daily thank God for such agoodc^w."

The Minister of Railways has declined to make any alteration of tho Helensville—Auckland express train service so as to enable the Kaiwaka train to connect with the express at Helensville pointing out that the express service was put on for tho convenience of the river trailieo from Dargaville, and the alteration suggested did not meet with the approval of. the Shipping Co. Six acres will be devoted to tests with silver-boet at Ruakura Statn farm during the current year's operations. A feature of this work will be the selection of plants for seed-producing purposes. Tlie crop will bo tested with both sheep and cattle. Afield of 15 acres at present seeded to tho Ruakura Rust-resistant oat, sown on the swede inanurial plots of last season, will be seeded to silver-beet in tho beginning of next year, in order to provide sheep - feeding tests. As previously, the different plots will bo kept quite distinct, the sheep being confined to one plot at a time—this to ensure the continuity of the manurial scheme in pro« grtss. Sheepfarmers will be interested to learn that at Ruakura State farm the Southdown flock is being increased. Theie is an improvement demand for Southdowns in the Auckland District, and farmers are appreciating the Ruakura stock. Although, the environment would not appeal to one as beiug altogether suited to the Southdown, the flock is thriving and breeding true to t}rpe. This year's hoggets are most satisfactory. Though the English Leicester flock is a good typical collection tho breed is not appreciated in the district. Tho demand being very limited, tho flock is being kept within a small compass. The Shorthorn herd of tli9 Ruakura Stato farm is being increased by the purchase of deep-milking cows of the Shorthorn type, pedigreed where possiblo, but always of a high grade. These are being put to a purebred Australian milking Shorthort bull of the Darhalara strain. At the present time about thirty-five cows are in the Shorthorn herd. Seventeen Jersey cows are on the farm, The progeny of these promise to develop into fine cattle. In connection with the feeding of tho dairy stock a number of fodder plants will be tested, including lucerne maize, millets, tares, Western Wolths grass, and chou moellier.

Warner's Rust-proof Corsets. Stj'les for all figures at lowest prices consistent with good quality, Warner's are guarantcel remember.

Schedules for the Helensville A. and P. Atssociation's annual show can now be obtained (free) on application to the Secretary (Mr W. H. Hutchinson). < The Awaroa Bowling Club's green -i is now about completed. A general { meeting of the Club takes place on - Thursday evening. Farmers are directed by the Depart- ; rr ent of Agriculture to return statistics • forms without delay. Penalties will be incurred by omission to send in forms. The following tenders were accepted for the erection of a bank and residence at Paparoa, and a braneb bank at Maungaturoto for the National Bank of New Zealand:—Paparoa T. Heron, £2100, Maungaturoto, Rowsell, £519 (accepted). 337,380 gallons of intoxicating liquor were sent into no-licence districts during last year. This does not include the quantity sent into the districts formerly known as the King Country, which would probably be a third more To Timbuctoo, in the French Sou~ daD, by aeroplane, is a project of which the details are being arranged by Lieutenant Chentin, a French aimy airman, who hopes to fly across the Sahara with some of his brother officers. He is at present in Paris, and hopes to carry out the flight at the end of the year. The distance he hopes to cover is about 2500 miles. Eminents Bess, a Jersey cow, belonging to a Michigan farmer, has broken the world's milk record. In one year, under the Supervision of the Michigan Agriculture College, she has produced (8,7831b of milk, yielding 11321b 9oz of butter. The record for Jersey cows was previously held by Jacoba Irene, with 17,2581b of milk, and Bess has also beaten by 1791b of milk the record j for Guernsey cows, which was held by Spotswood Daisy Pearl. Successful experiments with a new , system of transmitting telegrams which may revolutionise existing methods I have been made up by the Paris central telegraph office. By means of the Mercandier-Magunna ■ system, as it is called, 18 employees were able to use I same line at the same time to send their messages. An extension of the multiplex idea will shortly be instuted, ' and a considerable economy will there- " by be effected. ) The Minister for Railways has'der clined the application by Pukekohe T Chamber of Commerce for a Sunday 5 milk train to Auckland. The promoters of the scheme only want an extended" service from Paparoa, but the Department quotes the cost of a train from 7 Auckland. A similar position has been * met with locally. An extension of the ' present Suuday Service to Swanson is ( desired, but the Minister for Railways ' quoted the cost of a train from Auckf land against the estimated milk traffic.

A citizen of Regina professes to have discovered a means by which the thousands of tons of straw burned to no purpose every year in Canada might be turned to good account in the making of briquettes. He estimates that within a radius of twenty miles of Regina there is material enough to make 375,000 tons of straw briquettes annually, at a cost of about 2 dollars a ton. Last year the city's coal bill, exclusive of individual citizens, was 75,000 dolla.is for some 10.000 tons. The Board of Trade is petitioning the Provincial Government for an appro • priation to pay for further experiments.

The men on the warship Fyramus, now lying at the Devon port ferry tee, at Auckland, take a great interest in the mounted special police, and watch the evolutions of the horsemen with much curiosity. Each time the guards are changed, those on the warship line tho ship's side and give reusing cheers which are returned with interest by the ''specials." An officer on the Pyramus stated the other day that he had heard a lot about the colonials, and from what ho had seen recently he was quite satisfied that the colonial could be relied upon to act up to any emergency. As fur the horsemanship displayed, the officer was unable to find words fcuitable to express his appreciation.