NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1280, 4 August 1914, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Sir Percy Scott's old ship, the 14,200-ton cruiser Terrible, from which he landed 4.7 guns to defend Ladysmith, is to be sold out of the navy.

A parcel containing nine sticks of gelignite and dynamite cap*, says the Hawke’s Bay Tribune, was found last week under the Mission Hall, Tomoana road, at present being used as a claas room owing to the over-crowded state, of the Maliora North School. The matter was reported to the school authorities, and an investigation is now being mad© by the police. ’Whether the explosive was placed under tho building with malicious intent is a matter for conjecture. Thoro was no fuse iu the parcel, but there was sufficient explosive in the package to blow up a House of Parliament.

The record of the public accounts for the Juno quarter, published in last week’s Gazette, contains no features of outstanding interest. Th© ordinary revenue for the quarter shows »n increase of a little over £60,000 when compared with th© corresponding quarter of last year, and there is an increase of about the same amount in the expenditure under the heading of annual appropriations. Post and telegraph and railways arc mainly re»|>onsible for the increased revenue, although tho Customs and other Departments also show email increases.

Early-planted potatoes at Pukokohc (Auckland) are making a splendid growth. In suitable situation some of the crops were planted as early as the middle of May-, while small quantities were set by odd growers fully a month previously. Some of the crops have now arrived at tho stage for moulding up, but such areas occupy the best and most elevated positions, and are sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds, A fair acreage planted in various districts over a month ago is now breaking through the ground, but unfortunately for several growers, tho severe frosts of tho past fortnight have caused considerable damage to some of the crops. On tho Pukekohe and Bombay hills, however, little or no damage has been sustained by the potato areas from tho frosts.—Herald. Guildforc's oldest resident, Mr John Clacy, who is in his one-hundredth y ear, has just broken a leg through a fall in his room, states the London Daily Chronicle. Mr Clacy who is an interesting personality, is probably tho only man living who rod© to hounds with the great Duke of Woffington. Ho was born on December 27, 1814, six months before the Battle of Waterloo, and has, therefore, lived in six reigns. As a lad he rode, to hounds, and on several occasions followed with tho Iron Duke, whom lie knew before Ids marriage and long after. Mr Clacy was _ also personally known by two in Inc Crimea—Lord Cardigan and Lord Lucan—having been a neighbour of Lord Lucan while- resident in Middlesex. Ho has many interesting reminiscences. fje remembers the curiosity that was aroused by the contemplated laying down of the first railroad between London arid Southampton. He remembers when executions in public were common, and Ipis {jimsejf seen fourteen people hanged for shecn-stegling, Mr Clacy s onlv remaining friend of his youth is Mr William C'ordery, aged ninety-three, a wellknown sportsman, of Farley Hill, and correspondeppp js kept up between the two to this day’,

Last year the Agricultural Department harvested on tho Marlon Junction experimental plots some Swanncck barley. Tins barlev was originally imported from tho seed-breeding institution established at Svalof in Sweden. In a circular issued by tho Department to tho Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union, it was stated that the Svvanneck barley had been tested, with other barleys, for grazing purposes, at. the Marbm plots with tho following results: 1 Slack Russian barley, carried 20 sheep lor 19.5 days per acre; white Russian, 20 sheep £or" 1 9.& days ; Capo, 20 sheep for 18.3 days; Hannchcn, 20 sheep'for' 25.1 dayk; and Swanncck, 80 sheep for 31.7 days. It would, however, bo necessary to repeat this experiment several times oyep before the Department could pronounce an opinion upon the true position that; should be held by Swanncck barley for grazing purposes. “The stock of Swanncck barley hold by the Department,” proceeds the circular, “’is, as far as is kuO-Wh, the only; Swanncck barley in New Zealand, ana tho jjcpai”mont if. anxious to find in. tho several district? }u the 'North Island reliable farmers who would each undertake to groiy on clean land one acre of Swanncck for seed supply purposes, and to harvest it free from * tho seeds of other cereals. Each farmer would ho at liberty to dispose of the crop harvested, provided ho further undertook to retain sufficient for resowing, so as to retain a supply of seed of tho variety in his district. The Department will,” concluded the letter, “supply three bushels' of ' Swanncck teed to be grown in the Auckland Farmer's’ Union district, if tho Union can find and recommend a thoroughly reliable man to take charge of tlfe seed under tb)c conditions mentioned and op behalf of the Union,”