The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 20, 23 January 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1874.

Wellington Regatta. — Strange to say our telegrams contain no reference to the regatta held in Wellington yesterday, bat as there is little or no interest (aken in it here, the omission is not a matter of much importance. Notice to Sheepownkrs. — The Inspector of Sheep notifies that any person who had sheep in his charge or possession on the ist instant, must send in a return of the same before the end of the month. Sale of Rams, — A sale of rams and ram lambs, which will doubtless be taken advantage of by both Bellers and purchasers, ia advertised by Messrs. Stavert and Co. for Wednesday nest, the 28th instant. Legal Holidays. — The lawyers are about to take iheir annual holiday, and announce that their offices will bo closed from the 9th to the 19th of February. Mb. Isaacs has succeeded in taking an excellent photograph of the address recently presented by the Freeraasonß to Dr. Squires. The lettering has come out very clearly, aud the whole will bear the closest inspection with a magnifying glass; Libel Case at Taranaki.— We' learn by telegram that Mr C. D. Whitcombe, the Provincial Secretary of Taranaki, has been committed for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court, for publishing a libel against Major Atkinson and the Messrs Bayly Brothers. The alleged libel was contained in some verses entitled " The Plant" written by the defendant, in which certain charges were made against the prosecutors. Hops. — We are very sorry to hear that many of our hop-growers are likely to sustain a serious loss this year from the depredations of a small grub that eats its way into the bine just above the ground, tha result being that the plant languishes for some time and ultimately dies A remedy is being tried in the shape of applying lime to the roots, but this with the present scarcity of labor is a most tedious and oxpensive process, nor has it yet been shown to be really efficacious. Young plants of only a year's growth are not attacked by the insect. The failure of the hop crop would be a most serious loss not only to the growers themselves but to the community generally, as the cultivation and gathering of every acre planted with them provides occupation for a large number of hands. It would I be interesting to learn whether the gardens in Marlborough are attacked in a similar manner, and we should be glad to hear from the Waimeas and Motueka whether the insect haa made its appearance there, and if so whether any means of getting rid of it have been discovered. The Rev. T. L. Tudor has been nominated to the cure of Christ Church, Wanganui, and will shortly enter on his new duties. Our Wellington evening contemporary, in suggesting that a Colonial Industrial Exhibition should be held in 1875, remarks : — We do not think that the House of Representatives would hesitate for a moment in voting a few thousand pounds for the purpose. If, j however, they ehould feel any scruples about increasing the expenditure, we might suggest that if they would arrange to omit a Parliamentary session in 1875, and have the exhibition instead, no increase of expenditure need take place. The ordinary cost of a session would, we fancy, cover the cost of the exhibition, and we are sure that the colony would derive infinitely more benefit from an Industrial Exhibition than frora an ordinary three months' session of the Assembly. The Picton and Blenheim railway is expected to be completed in August next. Partridges are said to be becoming numerous about the bush in Port Chalmers, numbers of them having been seen by the inhabitants, so that the efforts of the Acclaraatisation Society bave not been in vain. The ' Marlborough Press' says . — The recent low prices bought in England for an article that has been looked upon aa one of our staples of produce has caused another manufacturer to close his establishment until better times arrive. The article to which nllußion is made is flax,' and the manufacturer ia Mr J. O. Western. Few producers of phormium fibre have received better prices in the home market than the gentleman named, and if he finds that tho speculation is a nonpaying one, it says but little for the prospects of others who have not as a rule received such high prices as §Mr Western. Improved modes of working and better nrachiuery may at no distant date cause the fibre to be in greater demand in the home market. Until this takes place the profits accruing to mill owners will not be great, but they muat keep on or sacrifice j a large amount of capital locked up in plant and machinery. The - Arrow Observer' says : — We were credibly informed last week that somewhere about two mpntba ago several. Chinamen, who left this locality for home, succeeded in smuggling away a quantity of gold to about #700 in value without paying any duty upon it, '