MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6505, 2 January 1882, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

OHMBTCHUBCH. Satcbiut, Dio. 81. (Before Caleb Whitefood, Esq., 8.M., and B. Westenra, Esq.) Dbukkihiubs.—John Hall, for beingdrnnk in Salisbury street on the previous day, was fined 6s. —A first offender, who had been remanded for medical treatment, was ordered to b* discharged on payment of 10s fid, the expenses of' his maintenance in gaol. DainrxiHKUß ahd Bbbaob ot Peace Michael Wheeler was charged with being drunk in Gloucester street on the previous night, and committing a breach ot the peace in view of a constable, in conjunction with John Feast. Constable Cuilei deposed that about 10 o’clock on the night previous his attention, had been attracted by a crowd collected in Gloucester street, near the Theatre. On his going up most of them dispersed, and he saw Wheeler and Keast struggling together, and arrested them. Whesler was drunk at the time. Two witnesses who wsre called by Keastdeposed that Wheeler had been creating a disturbance, and asked persons to fight. Keast was passing at the time, and Wheeler after challenging him to fight and receiving an answer in the negative, struck him and endeavoured to throw him down, Keast was then discharged by the Bench, and on being ■worn, said that Wheeler’s assault on him was entirely unprovoked. The accused, Wheeler, said he had no recollection of the affair at all. The Bench said that offences of this description must be pat a atop to. It was evident that Wheeler had been very annoying to passers hr, and had simply tried to pick a quarrel with Keast, who was dis - charged. Wheeler was fined £2, or in default 96 hoars’ imprisonment. AGBICULTCBAL ITEMS. InTEBCOXOHIAL. The reports from all agricultural districts agree as to the immense amount of good done to the crops by the recent rains, and with reasonable luck from now forward a fair yield may be relied upon. Should one or two good showers fall during the next fortnight, prospects would be very much improved, and as the weather is now doll and somewhat threatening, there is some hope that the farmers may be favoured to the desired extent. The dry season will hasten the harvest in the North of South Australia several weeks before the usual time. In several areas reaping is now generaL A fair avenge yield is expected, together with an excellent sample of grain. Accounts from the principal farming centres (says the Tasmanian Mail) go to show that tiie late rains have been the saving of the crops, and that the. harvest generally Is rain not fallen so opportunely the crops would have been utterly ruined. The total outlay incurred to Oot. 31 for planting the railway reserves of Victoria with wattles was £98610s Bd. , A company has been formed in West Australia for the pnrpese of stocking a magnificent piece of country, 810,000 acres in extent, on the banks of the Fitzroy, Harvesting has already commenced ia the Baywood district, Victoria—that is, for the oat crop. The yield will be very small, and the straw so short that the binding is very difficult. From Darlington, N.S.W., we hear that the grasshoppers have pat in an appearance, and have done an incredible amount of damage in a short time. Shearing is drawing to a conclusion, and the season (says the Sydney Town and Country) ae a whole will be by no means a bod one throughout the Colony. Speaking of the Victorian crops, the Leader says:—ln tbe early districts the wheat harvest has already quite generally set in, some of tbe crops, by means of the expeditious stripper, having now reached the Melbourne market. The reports from the Goulbnm district are very favourable, both as regards quality of grain and average yield, while m the Wimmera and other of the wheat-growing localities much benefit has been done by the late rains. The season, though too dry on the . whole for the northern districts, is generally reported as having been very favourable, for the localities southward of the Dividing Bange, and throughout these the crops and pastures are promising well. Shearing sheep twice a year does not seem to find favour with the London wool-brokers. Beferring to the wool from Mr J. H. Angas* station in South Australia, his broken report unfavourably on the results of the clip of long-woolled sheep which hare been shorn twice during the year. The quality is fine and soft, somewhat resembling lambs’ wool. It is not of sufficient length for ordinary combing Soses to whioh Lincoln wool is usually od. There is no doubt double shearing has its advantages with regard to the sheep, but detracts from the value of the wool. Ostrich farming is now exciting considerable attention both in New South Wales and South Australia, There is no reason why it should not' be successful in the interior of Queensland. It will be remembered that last year (says the Melbourne Leader) we had a visit from Mr Noakes, the representative of Messrs Fowler and Co., in an effort to introduce •team ploughing machinery. The effort was unsuccessful, but Mr Noakes has found the sugar-growing districts of Queensland better fields for his enterprise. On the Airdmillan plantation, Mr M'Millau’s, since May no less than 700 acres have been pulverised by the two 16 hone-power engines, and so well has the work been done, and so cheaply that Mr Noakes is about to execute several other orders for full plants. He has orders for two sets for Maoktiy, two sets for the Herbert river, and one set for the Burdekin. The sugar-planters recognises the benefits which must accrue through deep cultivation. To stir new laid to a depth of 18 inches is beyond the power of the bullock-driver, and when this land is properly turned from a depth of 11 inches by the Cuban plough there is a fair field left for sugar-cane. A second progress report of the Sparrow Commission, of whioh Mr Davenport is Chairman. has been laid before the South Austro liau Parliament. The Commission say they cannot but regard the house sparrow as a groat public enemy and bis effectual suppression as a corresponding public duty. They recommend that it be compulsory on all owners and occupiers to destroy sparrows nests and sparrows within their properties. Inspectors are recommended to bo appointed to see that tho work is carried out, that legislation empowering compulsory action be token, that these measures should not supersede the present system of awards, and that the adjoining Colonies bo solicited to adopt a like policy. i uaniwgb. At Lord Bosso’a IhiH-jesrly rent audit, out

of over fire hundred tenant* not one appeared (o pay rent. Potato disease is (aid to be doing moalealable damage in Scotland, particularly in East Lothian and Fifsshire. A herd of nure-brsd Scotch polled cattle ,(safe the 71 ■'■Jfrhire Journal) ha* been founded i'< >- ,mnhhho. There are ala* herds of Pci/ich polled cattle established hi Northumberland, fork’hire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Hueaex. All manner of decaying vegetable matter should be added to the compost heap Instead of being left to accumulate about the doer yard, where it will prove a fruitful eonroe of malaria. Tom the heap occasionally and keep it moist to prevent fire fang. , . An exeellant axle*great e for use in the het weather may be made of tallow and blaek lead, in equal parte by weight, well around together on a slab. For winter ice thi* <ame mixture may be softened by adding an qual weight of cm tor-oil. The Jrith Timet states that a con. [ any is being formed with a capital of about £3,000,000, at the bead of which will be a member of tbe Boyal Family, for the purpose of purchasing waste lands in Ireland, to be reclaimed, and let or sold to tenants for purposes of cultivation on easy terms. A writer says that be baa never failed to cure garget by the use of beans. Ha faada one pint of bean meal, mixed with other meal, for four eucceesive days, and baa foud that quantity sufficient to cur# the wont oases.. He 'thinks if cows were fed with bean meal several times a year they would never bo troubled with garget. Warts may be removed by touching them with nitric acid by means of a glass rod dipped into it This should be done once a day and the corroded part removed by rubbing off before acid ie again applied. When the base of the wart is reached tbe acid may be still applied until a superficial wound ia made to the flesh, and the skin is wholly removed. The sore may then be dressed with a solution of copperas until it heals. The deaths of noted Clydes.lales recently sent from Scotland to America are reported, including the famous Druid (1120), first prize horse horse at Nil burn and Kelso; Lord Douglas, bred by Mr Drew, and first yearling at Kilburn end Perth, Glendale, the first-prize two-year-old colt nt Edinburgh show in July last; one of Colonel Holloway’s best fillies ; and Moffat Brothers’ King of the Droids, bred by Mr Cannon, Congeicb. A teat in which there is an opening at tbe side through which the milk escapes is a subject for a simple surgical operation, which is sore to be effective if performed properly. The skin around the hole is to be removed, and the hole enlarged into a slit, which is then drawn together at tbe edges with a surgeon’s stitch, and covered wi h stickingplaster. A milking tube is used to draw the milk until the slight wound heals. There is no other remedy which will core this defect or relieve it permanently. Tbe following quantities of simple medicines may be given at a dose te a full-grown animal, viz.: Purgatives—Linseed oil. 1 pint; ereom or glauber salts, 12 ton 16 eis; aloes, half an ounce; castor oil, 1 pint. Diuretics—Saltpetre, I oz; sweet spirit* of nitre, Ito 2 ozs; resin, i oz ; turpentine, I oz. Tonics—Sulphate of iron, 2 to 4 drams; Peruvian bark, I to 2 oz»; gentian root, k oz. Antiseptics—Chlorate of potash,! to 4 drams; hyposulphte of soda, 1 oz; carbolic acid, k to 1 dram. For young animals these may be reduced to one-half, one-fourth, or oneeighth, according to the age. Mr J. B. Lawes, the well known scientific agriculturist of Bothamstead, England, estimates that in 1868-69 two-thirds of the total bread consumed in Britain was the produce of home-grown wheat. A few yean later the requirements of the country were met by one-half of home-grown and onebalf of foreign wheat. But the harvest of 1879 scarcely supplied one loaf in four re- . quired, that of 1880 only one in three, and that of 1881 will also supply only about one loaf in three required. “ The produce," observes Mr Lawes, “in my experimental field, taking the mean of the same selected plots as "bushele '"acre*/ reckoneS" aJ”B£ll) n *per bushel; and assuming an average crop of wheat to be 28 bushel-, the crop is 14 per cent below tbe average. Estimating the total produce of wheat in this country this year at 9 million quarters, and deducting 1 million quarters for seed, there would be 8 million quarters available for food, which would leave the country dependent on the foreigner for between 16 and 17 million quarters. This new Corn-drying Apparatus is worked by a patent exhauster driven by steam power, the exhauster communicating with earthen ware air-tight pipes, laid underneath the staddle of the rick, previous to stacking tbe corn. An air-shaft, or chimney, is made inside the stack, at a distance of every seven feet, but is only carried np to a height of six feet. The exhauster draws all the moisture and heat from the stack, at the same time causing the external air to bo drawn in at all points to the shafts or chimneys, thus thoroughly drying tbe corn stacked, however wet its condition. The machine can be fixed so as to dry several stacks at onetime, without removal of the apparatus. There are several of then machines at work, and they are giving the greatest satisfaction. The exhauster is an inexpensive machine, and can be supplied at once. It has been introduced by Mr James Coultas, of the Perseverance Iron Works, Grantham. A large number of practical farmers assembled at Bletchingley, near Bedhitl (says the London Libs Stock Journal) for the purpose of seeing the working of a new machine, or rather seriei of machines, designed to enable farmers to get in their crops in any weather. The process was described and illustrated by Mr Norris of the Old House Farm, where the experiment took place. The grass is spread out os it is out, and is not turned or loosed, being merely left exposed for two days. Whether it is wet or fine makes but little difference to the ease with which the process con be carried out, though the flavour of the hay would probably be affected. The half dried, or perhaps quite wet hay is then raked up and carted to the suck. Asa matter of course, heat is immediately generated, and, unless proper steps were taken, the stack would soon be ablaze. Bub it is proposed in this plan to make use of this heat to complete the haymaking process, and it was stated that the plan acted admirably, being more effective and cheeper than the Usual plan of drying in the field. Under the stack, in a raised staddle, an air-tight drain of large width is laid, and this air-passage communicates between an aperture in the staddle and a blowing-fan situate hard by. In the case of long ricks, more th»u one aperture is provided, the distance between each being about 10ft, and the tube being continued along the centre. Each aperture ie fitted with a lid, which can be opened or shut by means of a rod extending outside the riok ends. In stacking, a vertical air shatt is made over each aperture in the usual way, by the stacker pulling up a full tack or basket after him. By this contrivance the exhaust fan when in motion draws air from the under-ground pipe and ratifies in the chimney, so that the air to replace this ean only come in by penetrating through the sides of the riok to the chimney, the whole converging in the centre. This air, entericsr at all points, cools the hay, and takes away superfluous heat, thus keeping the hay at a proper temperature, and making it, and also saving any possibility of fire. It was stated that tne total cost of the apparatus was under £B, and that it answered admirably in the few cases in which it bad been tried.