Answers to Correspondents

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26630, 28 November 1947, Page 4

Answers to Correspondents

" Labourite ’’ and “A Sucker.’’—We arc making inquiries. " Inquirer,” . Heriot row.—The stamps which you sent to us to be valued are United States stamps issued in 1912 to commemorate the opening of the Panama canal. The 2 cent one is catalogued at 4d used. One of the copies is skinned and torn and is valueless. We have returned them to you by post. “Interested,” Glutha.—(l) The cost of restringing a racket varies according to quality from 15s to 60s. Two or three strings can be put in without the whole racket being renewed. (2) The record of 1,690,401 cubic feet of water per minute discharged into the sea by the Molyneux River was taken in the early sixties by the Otago Provincial Government. (3) The Amazon, in South America, with its plain track extending for nearly 3000 miles, is the biggest river system in the w 0r1d—2,330,000 square miles —and it also has the highest mean annual discharge in the world—s2Bo cubic miles. •• Home Brew,” Milton.—A cask used five years ago in which to make wine and since then left to dry out will be quite suitable for making home-made beer. The following is a recipe for making non-alcoholic beer:—Bring to boil 34 gallons of water and add 2 handsful of oops tied in a bag and 3Jlb of sugar. Soil all for- 20 minutes and leave till ’ukewarm. Remove the hops and add a small cup of home-made yeast or half a tablespoon of compressed yeast. Cover with a cloth and leave until fermentation has well set in. This can be bottled and should be ready in about 10 days. “ Freezer.” Oamaru. —There is nothing ’as good as castor oil for preserving „ leather. Applied once a month, or once ® dr twice a week in snowy weather, >t not only keeps the leather soft, but makes it waterproof. It may also be said that leather so treated does not prevent a polish being produced on the boots. Another effective method of softening and •preserving leather is to rub wen with raw mutton fat and then melt it slowly into the leather. This process should be \ repeated several times.