The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1467, 29 September 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To show the advance m the value m stock which has taken place m th« Kiwitea during twelve months we (Star) may mention one case where a settler got 17s 6d for noting cattle last year, and m the corresponding period this year, at Messrs Stevens & Gorton's stock sale at Cheltenham, he got 355. This fact speaks volumes, not only for the district but for the benefit the frozen meat industiy has been to cattle farmers. The entire horse Diomedes, whose card appears to-day, was awarded first prize for being " the best calculated to improve the breed of saddle horses" exhibited at the Annual Show of the Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Association, held at Wangauui on the 19th of October, 1882. Since that time no horse of his class has be»n exhibited that has proved to be his superior. Mr Alfred Hairnet purchased him during tho week from Mr John Stevens, the lato owner, for £300, aud will travel the district with him during the season. We (Star) are glad to learn that Mr W. H. Lash, of H ilcombc, has improved much m his general health withiu the last few days, and he proposes to come to Feilding for a change, when he will take up his residence m Clairville House. At Ghent a curious case is being tried. A woodman some timo since called attention to a man hanging from a tree, cut him down and &r.ld the rope at one-and-a-half francs an inch to a number of people who believed m its talismanio power. It now appears that the suicide had shot himself, and the woodman, willing to turn an honest penny, strung him up. The buyers have brought an action to recover their money on account of fraud. - .. The French people have a protection against late frosts which New Zealand farmers might try for ' themselves." It is said that French vineyards nre preserved from frosts by clouds of smokeeaused by burning refuse. Dense clouds of smok« decrease radiation from the ground, and so counteract frost, which is most lnjur iouß when coming late m the season. A new method of producing the smoke is to mix gas tar with sawdust and old straw. Placed m heaps this mixture remains inflammable for weeks, m spite of wet weather. If this plan is successful m France we should think it worthy of a trial m our gardens and orchard* when a severe frost is expected. A novel requess was made to the Auckland Education Board the other day. MrNield, teacher of the State Zr-hool at Okaihn, asked for and obtained permission to observe the 2nd September as an v arbour day," that is for the purpose of enahlirig the pupils attending the school to plant trees m tho school grounds. Mr Neild. who is an ex-Cana-dian, says that the practice is quite a common one m the Dominion. Mr T. Walker, Ridgway-streer, Wanganui, notifies the arrival of a new shipment of boo*s to suit the times. His specialty is good value frr money and a serviceable article. A "hermit" was recently committed to prison m Auckland. When brought up m Court his hair was long, matted, and unkempt, he was almost naked, and what little clothes hepossessed were ragged to a degree, while his feet were bare. It appeared from the statement of the police that the poor fellow had lived m a cave at Mount Roskill for the last twelve months, and the only food he ffot was that obtained from pig-swill. In committing the unfortunate man the Bench I stated that they considered they were doing him a kindness. What the hermit thought is not recorded. ' A Victorian breeder suggests the folio wing as the best^ method of ringing pigs :«=»Take a piece of copper wire 2-Jin long and l-16th of an,, inch thick ; pierce 'the nose through from* one nostril to the other, half an inch iroin tha end of the nose with an awl ; pass the wire through ; take the two ends m a pair of pincers, and turn them twice round, and it is done. The particular merits of this plan are these : — lt is easily and quickly done ; it is not unsightly, as it cannot be seen, except when the pig raises its head high ; and it effectually prevents him from rooting. "Ring pigs as sonn as they begin to root — say, at eight weeks old. A case of some importance to stock owners, that is to say, to the owner of " any horse, mare, gelding, colt, filly, ass, mule, bull, cow, ox, heifer, steer, calf, sheep, ram, ewe, lamb, goat, and pig of any kind " is thus reported iii theTimaru Fferahl of a lata date : — At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, several persons were fined for allowing their cattle to " herd "on a public road. The informations were laid under seotion iv.. subsection' 9, ot the Police Offences Act, 1884. This subsection sets forth that "any person who permits any cattle to be at largo, or without'proper guidance or to wander, or to he herded or grazed, is liable to n penalty not exceeding £10." The Resident Magistrate pointed out that this Act was very different to the old law m respect to cattle wandering, &c. Persons m driving stock to pasture must take care and not allow them to graze •'by the way,"

It may be interesting to mention that lie present population of the four chief ■itU'S is respectively estimated by the legistrar-General as follows: — Auckland, 28,580 ; .Dunedin, 24,999 ; Wellington, 23,092; Christchurch, 16,462. To the latter ought really to be added that of Sydenham, which is a part of the city, and has a population of 9741 which "would then give Gltristuhiirch 26, 203 iuhaiuUntß. The following pat-nts have, been applied for :— II Reynolds, of ' for improvement m knifo of i cutter ; G. S. Casson, of DunediiVgfor a* washing and cleansing fluid ; : J~Br Augr?: ust, of Invercirgill, for a new hair mattress ;J. H. Cocksedge, of 26, St. Martiu'slaue, London, for improvement m gas motor engines. The editor of tee Now Zealand Methodist thus refers to the Colonial Treasurer ; — lt is not a pleasant sight, nor is any sense of relief experienced when Sir Julius undertakes to speak ; it is the deep craxrd voice of a man whose bodily condition suggests that he should be anywhere rather than at the helm of the Government at one of the most critical junctures ot colwnial history. Here is a nursery rhyme suitable for a sixth standard boy :— Tl»e wav of the wicked is rough, Of those who play euchro and blough, And of those who get tight And thfir passions exoiyht By drinking intoxicant slough. Cleanliness m milking cows is an absolute necessity) The udder and teats of cows should be wiped clean of hairs dust,* or other impurity before milking. The cowhouse should b i cleir of manure, as the odour is quickly absorbed by the milk, and the milkpail should be scrupulously clean every time it is used. The Star has the following :— " On Thursday last an information was laid before E. H. Wiight, Esq.. J P. against & man named Thomas < Thompson for having obt-iiuftd £12' from Mr Jas. A. lieily of lialcomlte by mean of a valueless cheque purporting to be signed by J. H. Murray of Marton. We had full particulars of the case, but were requested botli by the police authoriti s ami the prosecutor not to mike them public as the ends of justice might thereby be frustrated by giving the man timely warning of the proceedings instituted against him and thus enable him to make a good escape. Under these circumstances we were not a little surprised to see full details published m thu telegraphic columns of the Herald and Advocate of that date" We may state that a telegram signed H. Jolly, ttalcombe, reached us last Thursday containing the iu format iaii referred to, but having no knowledge of the sender, as an authorised or responsible person, wo laid the message on one side, and only published it after having seen it m the Herald and Advocate.