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Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 132, 15 July 1876, Page 3

They have a very obliging Town 0 tit Greymonth, as shown by the Ary us ag follows :—“ It will be seen frdm a notification in another column that the Town Clerk intends to remain in his office Uritll midnight to-night, for the purpose of deceiving arrears of rates. Unless rates are paid to-day, defaulters’ names will be Struck oif the burgess roll/’ The' Sandhurst Municipal Council has out of its way to pay singular attention to an English celebrity. As to the absurdity of such proceeding on the part of a public body there can be bitt one opinion, but the ovation paid to Tom Bayers by the staid habitues of the London Stock Exchange, after his fight with Hconart equalled it. On the subject tho Australasian's satirist, says i—“ Oh Saturday Mr Roberts was 'received by the Mayor and several of the city councillors at tho Town Hall, and subsequently, 'tinder their escort, visited some of the principal claims of the district.—Our own Sandhurst correspondent.” Now what Were the personal claims of the gentleman thus honoured ? Was lie a patriot or a philanthropist ? Was ho famous in literature, or had he achieved renown Upon some * Stricken field? No, m!y dear hero-wor-shipper—he was riorie of these 1 He was a respectable yoUng man who',- more skilfully than any Other young man of his day? Could push about round pieces of ivory : With a pointed stick 1 When next the civic authorities of Sandhurst seek to do honour to some celebrated visitor,- the celebrated Visitor will be able to accurately measure the value of the Compliment.” Touching the immunity from caterpillars possessed by Norwegian oats,- the Bdirnsdale Courier lias tho following j-*-Mr Stratham, of Gelantipy, informs us that last season he planted similar quantities of Norwegian,- Tartarian, and potato oats in one paddock, afid while the two last-named . returned no yield oft arriving at maturity, being entirely gutted by the caterpillar, the first mentioned,- which had been sown in the middle of the Other samples, was not only completely untouched by the pest, but gave an extraordinary yield. Mr Stratham is of opinion that,- for Straw and prolific yields,- there is no seed of its’ class Which may be sown with as milch certainty m the Norwegian oat. ' ■ ■ ■

The number of those who keep poultry as a useless expense, sq far as the acquisition of eggs Is Concerned, is legion ; especially in the Winter time, when it is considered by many, unnatural for liens to lay. To these the following advice from the English Practical Fdfnler will be of interest:—Those who want their hens to lay in winter should give tlieni ft warm breakfast. The feed should consist of corn and oats chopped together,*and wheat bran or middlings in about equal parts Where potatoes and turnips are plenty, a potful may be boiled, and when done, and the water drained from them, thb grotind feed may be poured over them, and the whole mashed Up together and fed in troughs. Fowls thus fed, and having access to a suspended cabbage or sheaf of oats or wheat, together With some ground bones or crushed oyster shells, and plenty of pllre water, will lay well in the coldest weather if they have a warm holise-. We have always been satisfied With the plan.

As an illustration of the large import trade now done between Wellington and Melbourne, we, (Post) may mention that one firm alone (Messrs W. G. Turnbull and Co.) imported 600 tons fi'Oiii Melbourne by tbeir two first direct vessels last month, and have 450 tons more on tile way in the barque Delmira. Members of the A.C. Force, says tlic Budget, have been withdrawn from the Okato Block-llonse, eight of the number having been dismounted. Only one member of the Force will now he left theiC at the Block-house.

Diamonds arc supposed to ciit diamonds* Here is a case in point. A short time since (says a contemporary) in a country townships flic bailiff of the district wag met by the local collector of educational rate, mounted, booted, and spurred. The educa tionalist served the official representative of the majesty of tile law with ii notice td p'ay his rate. The bailiff blandly accepted the notice; trailed till ho saw the collector disnioiiilt from his steed; and then, producing a warrant from his pocket, sewed the .horse, saddle, and gear. Then that Collector had to finish his circuit on foot, and delivered himself, I believe, of some silent solemn solid Saxon sentences.