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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 77, 31 March 1881, Page 4

The " Otago Central" Railway Commissioners, recently peregrinating the district of the Upper Clutba, appear to have lighted upon a very Tom Tiddler's ground for monster vegetable products. The Cromwell Argus records that during the course of their tour through the Clutha Valley some remarkable specimens of the vegetable • kingdom were broughtiurider the notice of the Rail-' way Commissioners; -At Mr.Maid- ' man's, Ludgate, was seen an apple tree carrying fruit of surprising size. This may.be judged when we say that two" apples, were plucked by Mh Pyke that tu'rn'etl the "scale at '3|lb. They are to be . forwarded, to Dunedin for exhibition. At Pembroke, Mr. Thomas placed before - the .Commission" two pumpkins, one weighing 441 b, the other 351 b. From Mr%. Russell's garden was show|i a vegetable; murrow of huge dimensions, and weighing 211 b. Samples of other* /.vegetables . and cereals were' here shown which gave unquestionable evidence of the great fertility of thY soil and it's capacity for growing to perfection every description of grain, fruit, and vegetable. At Cromwell a basket of; magnificent fruit was 'displayed frdm the garden of Mr; H. Partridge, Lowburn ; a monster vegetable marrow from Mr. John Reid, BarinbcWburn ; ten onions lib "each from Mr. P. Matthews, Cromwell ; and a variety of' other exhibits that spoke eloquently of the productive power of the soil in and around Cromwell. We do not know whether it has yet been decided to produce the pumpkins and marrows in the House during the next session of Parliament in similar fashion to the exhibition of sections of railway cars made last year. ;To the- question; of whether New Zealand, after providing for home consumption, would have mutton to spare for export to warrant shipowners" in providing, vessels; with freezing ap-< paratus, the Hon Mr Holmes has Irepiled by furnishing & statement of the number of sheep at present* in the colony, the rate of increase iri the pist, ar|d (he pasture available. The Otago Times, baaing ah artio'e on Mr Holmes'a estimates, cays : — Take New Zealand all over, we shall be able to spare a million sheep a year for export. This represents no less than 50,000 tons'df space at the low estimate of 20 sheep to! the ton of 40 oabio feet. Will pur readers endeavour to grasp the idea of wjia't a trade euoh aa this really means? It; would require two steamers Vmontb, each carrying 2000 tons, to overtake it, arid we question if any steamers afloat cojuld be so fitted as to carry anything li&e 2000 tons of meat. But even this leaves out of the calculation beef and btitter. That we should have some beef, we think, will be evident, when we poiDt out that the number of cattle in! New Zealand increased from 494,113 Mad in 1874, to 578,430 in 1878, and 'in! all probability exceeds 650,000 new, while in the produotion of butter there is! wide scope for increase if there was only a steady market, as we have both the right class of cattle and the most superb pastures. The " Melbourne Age " of Maroh 8 rejpof fs :—■ An action which has caused no little Interest; among the mupical profession, was partly heard in the County Court yesterday; Mademoiselle Alice Charbonnet, who is known si a brilliant pianiste, sued Messrs Allan and Co., Collins-street, the well-known musical firm, for £49 damages for breach of contract. She had been engaged by Messrs Allan and Co. to| play upon pianos exhibited by them at the Exhibition every Saturday for a period of six months, at a remuneration of £50, to be paid in monthly instalments. She played up to) the 10th of January, when a dispute atjose over a refusal, on the part of Mademoiselle to play ''The Mon Amour Wallz,* composed by Mr Alfred Moul. It would appear that the young lady had some personal objection to Mr Moul, whom she believed to have been , the author of a critique published in an . evening journal, in which, with ungallant familiarity* she was described as "the pet of We 1 ballet," a better hbWever declared by the counsel for the defence to be totally without foundation. Allan & Co. insisted that the .waltz i should be played, they having purchased the composition , and having nothing to do with any feelings of dialijko she -might bear towards the composer. Mademoiselle unwillingly gave way, and played the wallz once and again, but, ecoording to the defence in such a tnaptter * ; a" to leave no doubt' that she i waa wilfully destroying the harmony of the composition. After the second .time she absolutely, re fuied to * J»lay I the isaljsl ! tsj&nt Allan and Co. terminated the oontraot.

hence the action. Dr Madden appeared fdr the plaintiff and Mr Hodges for tbe defendant. The case really turned upon tbe point whether Mademoiselle Cbarbonnet bad wilfully played the piece badly. la her evidence she declared that she had played correctly every note, and with due attention to tbe piano and forte- passages. It was not an ugly waltz, she said, nor was it very pretty, but having only three days to Btndy it, ihe had played to the -best p| her ability. For tbe defence Mr Zairean and Mr Plumpton testified that the waltz wa&an excellent composition, though as to the manner in which it had been performed they could not give evidence.' Mr Allan, sen.; stated that he had heard Mdlle. Charbonnet play on the second occasion, and that ebe bo " thumped " the piano that he could not, in parts, recognise the composition. He further indicated his belief that, in tbe preparation of her programme, i c bad, with malice prepense, placed before anjjifterjthe ' Mon Amour Waltz ' other coaoposi ions'of a like character with the object of provoking unfavorable comparison, Similar testimony: was given by Mr Allan jun , and an assistant, who also deposed to Mademoiselle after her performance, contemptuously throwing her piece aside, and jumping eff the platform, a hasty mods of exit described as being natural to her. Mdlle. Charbonnet won the case. A candidate for sheriff in a Western State," who had carried a bullet in his head for several years, had it extracted, and the result was that he became very stupid, where-: upon his supporters appointed a committee to shoot him again.