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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 79, 2 April 1874, Page 2

The Marlborough Express, of a late date, says: — "During (he last quarter, seventy-three vessels, of a total tonnage of 2550 tons, had cleared from the port of Havelock, containing 1 726,000 feet of timber, being a large increaso on any previous quarter." By shooting a wood-pile thief with salt a Wisconsin woman preserved her wood and put the thief in a frightful pickle. An action wos brought in the Supreme Court, Melbourne, by Mr J. Bow, a squatter, against Captain Davies, of the ship Lincolnshire, in which damages were claimed for some valuable sheep shipped by the Lincolnshire, and which died on the passage. In 1872 Mr Row had shipped to him twenty-two high class Lincoln sheep by the vessel named. Four of them died on board and aix died in quarantine at Sandridge, having been landed in a diseased state It was alleged for the plaintiff that the deaths were caused by neglect on !he part of the ship's officers in not providing proper pens or proper food, and also by not cleaning out the pens. The defendant denied nil the charges made against; the ship. The jury, by a ranjority of three-fourths, gave a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £500. When Should Lambs Come ? — When should lambs-come ? \s a question of considerable importance to those who keep sheep. Some fare of the opinion that by having them come late, say in May, you do not lose so many, it is less trouble, and the sheep shear a better fleece of wool. No doubt there is more or less weight in these arguments, but not sufficient, in my estimation, as a rule, to outweigh facts on the other side. I say as a rule, for there may be exceptions. If a farmer has to be absent from home in winter, and is obliged to leave his stock in charge of boys or unreliable help, or if be has not good feed to "Spare them, they had better not be allowed to come until the sheep have a good bit of grass, so as to gain some in flesh, and have milk with which to supply them. If, on the other hand, they have good food (good hay, and some provender), good faithful tending, and a warm chance, there need be no trouble in having iambs come in mid-winter. If you want to raise them, they will take " right hold" when they oome to the barn the following winter; they will get a better growth the first season by far, and will make larger sheep; they will be pretty sure to raise a lamb the next season, and will have a better fleece; while if you let them go to the butcher they will bring you the hard cash in July and August, and jour sheep will have a better chance to gain. So I say, as a rule, let them come early. — Farm Journal. The most stupendous tunnel enterprise has lately been accomplished at the silver mines in the German Hartz mountains. The mines were over 3000 feet deep, and scarcity of fuel prevented the use of steam for pumping, which was done by water-wheels, aided by tunnel drains. But the great depth reached in 1559 precluded further progress in that manner, and a tunnel was commenced for deep drainage, which is just finished. The tunnel is 22 miles long ; two million cubic yards of Eolid rock were exoavatetl, ten thousand pounds of powder used, and the total extent of blasting holes drilled, is one hundred and eighty miles Naturally, on the successful completion of this colossal work, thirty two thousand miners, whose livelihood is now assured for twenty years, celebrated the event with great rejoicing. "An American economist, MrDelmar, is endeavoring." as the Examiner puts it, " to persuade his countrymen that the world is now producing more bread than it can eat, and that the fault is mainly attributable to the United States, which should give more attention to other industries. He reckons that the utmost capacity of a population .to consume grain in the form of food is 8 to 10 bushejs per head per annum, yet that the world at large produces nearly 19 bushels per head per annum, a quantity far in excess of the necessaiy addition to the food supply for seed, fodder, starch, sugar, beverages, &c. /

As throwing some light upon the influence of forests, it may be well to stato tbat in 1868, a destructive fire, probubly ignited by the Indians, swept over the greater portion of Sun Diego county. Prior to that tirao the mesa, in the immediate neighborhood of the city, waa covered with a very luxuriant growth of brush — wood, far higher and thicker than that which may be observed on the Peninsula to-day. All the hills around were blackened by the devouring flames. Since that time, until this year — now Gvo long years — there has been no rainy season in San Diego. — American. Paper. A London correspondent, speaking of the prospects of future projected penny newspapers in that metropolis, says : — AraoDg the new announcements for the next year is the Circle, a daily paper to be devoted to London news. There is alao projected another new daily, the Independent, whose mis3ion is expreesed in. its title. That such ventures in thi6 age are of a highly speculative and hazardous is sufficiently proved by the' fate of the Hour, which, after not a very shining, existence of nine months, has brought the proprietor to the bankruptcy court, with liabilities to the amount of £31,000. It is a result at which no one can feel surprise, con-/ sidering the small reason for existence offered by the new diurnal. There was nothing in the Hour to distingush it from any other morning paper, or to tempt the purchaser. Troubled from the firßt hour by the accursed want of pence, it has lived from hand to mouth in desperate expectation of somethiug turning up, and it still lingers in tha^/ mysterious way very common to men and newspapers in the last depths of iaapecuniosiiy. The truth is that the day for the-, ne^ penny papers has past for. ever in Ldjndon. The existing ones at that price do well because they have taken root, and have secured advertisers, but tosfart a new paper at a penny is as hopeless an enterprise as the Guinea Conl Company with Wallaend at 42i. A penny in these days is not equal to what a jfenny was whet/ the Telegraph aud* Standard were founded, and the lucky proprietors of those thriving concerns, with their princely incomes, may chuckle over the fact that they are practic illy beyond the reach of competition. A Vienna paper relates an amusing incident which occurred to a great lady just recovered from a long and severe illness. Seated in her boudoir, she was looking over the cards of condolence that had been left for her while ill. Among. the names of Counts, Barons, ani other aristocratic sympathisers emblazoned with coronets and coatß of arms, she c£me across a simple card with the plain inscription " Hermann Berger," In vain the lady asked who Hermann Berger was. None of her servants could give her any other information than that the young man was a remarkably handsome young man. The lady's curiosity became excited, and she gave orders to admit the person if he should call again. The order was punctually obeyed, and on the next day she received a charming young man, dressed in equisite style, who evidently appeared greatly embarrassed at the honor of a tete-a-tete with the still charming though somewhat faded beauty. "I can hardly fio'd words," said the lady with a blush, " to thank you for the sympathy which you have manifested for a stranger." "I beg your pardon, gracious lady," stammered the dandy, " but I am the agent for Messrs A. 8., the undertakers."