GENERALITIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 416, 28 July 1908, Page 4

GENERALITIES.

A parachutist was killed recently in New Jersey while giving an exhibition. The balloon in which he ascended reached a height of about 2,000 feet when the man released the parachute for the descent. A large American flag attached to the trapeze became entangled, however, in the parachute, preventing it from opening and the unfortunate man fell with fearful velocity amid shrieks of horror from thousands of spectators into the Passaic river. The parachutist was dead when taken from the river, and the flag was found wrapped round his body. The British footballers will remember one pathetic little incident of the Southern tour if all others fade away. At Invercargill, just before the commencement of the Southland match, a little fellow was taken from the hospital to the ground at the expense of the Union because for days past he had begged to see the match, and he would “ die happy.” In fact, the doctors said that the excitement caused by the expectation of seeing the match had alone kept the little fellow alive. He was too weak to see much of the play, but at spell time Dr. McEvedy and other members of the British team were brought along to shake hands and make the boy happy with a few words of kindness. On his return to the hospital, his first question to the nurse was, “ Are there any footballers in Heaven ? ’ ’ We are not told of the matron’s answer (says a southern exchange), but the small boy has gone to see.

The following incident occurred in a public work, where a locomotive is kept for shunting: The engine-cleaner, being off duty one night, the old scavenger was sent to clean the engine and get up steam ready for the engineman in the morning. While cleaning, he had accidentally turned on the whistle, the result being that when the steam began to rise, the whistle began to blow. This alarmed the old man, so he picked up a pole and put it between the wheels, saying : “Ye can whussel awa’ noo, but ye’ll no get oot 0’ here till six o’clock.”

Mix and break up and ventilate the soil, plough it to enable the frost to do its proper work, pulverise it so that water which is to hold the food for the plants’ roots ean cling round every tiny partiele of soil. The roots can push free and far and find food and drink wherever they push. That is the substance of human knowledge of the oldest of man’s industries. The soil holds all that a plant needs if it can be broken up sufficiently small for the plant to get its food. To increase tilth and to decrease manure is the main tendency of modern scientific farming.

The Duke of Westminster has sent a notification to the Cheshire and Chester authorities that if the Government Education Bill becomes law he will resume possession of the school buildings in their area owned by him. The Duke owns eight schools in Cheshire, and two in the city of Chester. It is officially announced at Manchester that the work of increasing the depth of the Manchester Ship Canal from 26ft to 28ft has been completed. This is looked upon as of great importance to the port, as it will enable lines of large steamers to sail regularly from Manchester which have hitherto been precluded from using the canal.