A TRUE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1202, 31 January 1914, Page 4

A TRUE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE.

The February Lsue of “Life” is tie breeziest Mid most widely representative rum her of this popular Australian M igazinc vc have see'.!. The frontispiece de p'ct ■ a ;;eri of a 1 ventures wit 1 - | k,.r gave- oi ' •>' - h «;:i - ’ ■ j Tew South Uaks : a i ail way ] sident, in a stirring sk-Mcb, .*• ■ .vs j bow the breakdown gang of : [ great ra)lv.-..y sy-tem works ; ii.lt j r.. Id, T MT.. ugh j . fhe pceu,;;. Nature pboTgraoher of At:■•trait. , 1 outlines in a succession of" ■. ‘mdm• j till pet; and car e r a pictures, the life story of. the pencum ; Mr CariyA Smythe writes a vigorous article ou Australia as a colonising pow, and an anonymous writer criticises freely the administration of 'he Norther ti Tenitui/. O' . , rOr Fit.-heU bandies the punucrh uistory of Australia and New Zealand '"or the past rncntli iu his usual masterly fashion. liven the instalment ol Jack London’s serial story, “The Valley ot the Moon,” deals with the adventiues oka couple who are seeking to iLJ a bo -r- (n tin-, .'and, and she Ic ,: they learn in lie search apply with equal fo-xv tc 'hi; count;o nnc! Its *"b-l La; a:- to America a.-.l the Americans. Of what, migiit be -.1 the outside fee fires of 1 tT ! 1»p most notable this month are a fine review of the story of Scott* journey to in re South Pole, cm .Aired hy Smith, lilder and Co,, a. id an | unusual offer iu counecUou with Captain Amundsen’a proposal diilt to the North Pel?. captain Anutndsm, in order .o tu.-mient the funds;] necessary lo con ip this expedition, has persuaded the pcstal authorities of the world to consent to toe issu-; i special post cards, which will tc ...he r t > the North Pole, there :-lori.p;.r ••• irh a special por-lrw.;. k, ao.d posted :<> any person in any part or >.!• vv-.-rld who care.-- to pay as 6d i r the privilege. ‘i'hc publisher ot L<fe and Kverylady’s Journal has been asked lo take charge of those \ pest cards which are allotted 'o Australia, and they are olfered to reideis at as 6d each. The departmental side ot Life is as usual quite up to the standard, and com pLtes a sixpenny magazine Ihn every busy man should buy.

■ The electro culture of food crops I -ipp nos to have been suggested by s j the Let that plants are at all times - ! under some degree of electrical ■r influence. Kach hair on a plant, : am • ling lo Mr Thorne Baker, is r miniature ’.Liltin' c m-'uctm' , j mg rg'd r a ■ue la-:. -or him; I uosifive eLclricifv. This positive how in.- ta fne u. ge.twe s ; eF-'-mity in the roots stimulates : ■ hr i!i.uiienl ihiids iu a v’cV alread a j indicated. Lie Baker others . ! have provided electricity lor these , I nond rctrrs when Nature has been I doggish at her task, and the result : ias been largely increased crops. Radio-active earth, it appears, ; rivals electricity in the stimulation ; of vegetable growth. Mr Thorne • Paker indicated that he has ; hastened germination, produced very rapid growth, and had crcau d ; exceptionally lu-avy crops by plant i mg seeds in radio-active soil. This ; soil could be prepared from the ■ residues from r'adium extraction I works. “My expeiimenls,'’ he ■ said, “so far have indicated that the cost of preparing the soil would ; not amount to more than ios to 15s per acre.’'