Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 280, 19 December 1877, Page 2

EXPERIMENTS IX TREEBLASTING, A NUMT.iJR of experiments in treebinsting' were la tely made near Melbourne with Nobel's patent dynamite, of which Messrs M’ Lean Brothers and Rigg have recently imported a quantity. Tim cartridges only explode by means of a detonating - cap (inserted when heated to 420 dog Fahrenheit. Tim experiment failed somewhat through the two charges placed under the tree not exploding at the same lime, the explosion nevertheless being shown by the complete destruction of one side of the live. A tree about 12ft iu circumference was sleeted for the second trial, about bib. of the drnaiuivo (the charge costing 7.5) being inserted in two holes bored under the trunk. The result of the the explosion was io lift the whole mass of the tree right out of I’m ground, scattering the roots and branches in all directions, and heaving a great, hole in the earth Tim work of uprooting was very completely done and ihc expenditure saved hy the application of a power of this kind in such cas may b-> calculated Jrom the iact that the mass raised was estimated, to weigh (vo'ii.'v tons, and the cutting down and gr of the tree was considered lo be ; day’s work for two men. The third experiment was made with a. still largvi tree; under which (Rgbs, of dynamite was inserted.ami the thorough dost* ncl ion. that was wrought by this charge showed that a "smaller qnanlii.y would have been sufficient for the success of Dm experiment. Tim dynamite is made up in cartridges of ton to lib., and by a little experience in its use great precision can bo arrived at iu effecting the work desired to be done by a cl large, without any waste of powder. In the hush-covered districts of NewZoalaud, and especially to dingers, such a destructive agent should be most valuable as a means ot saving 1a bo r.- *-1 '< v ss ■ THE AUSTRAL lAX CROPS. /TTom the Canterbury Thru'*.) Tin-: crop accounts from Dm various Australian colonies are not so favourable as they were, a short tune ago. In Die northern or wheat-growing districts ot Victoria a want of rain and the prevalence of hot winds seem to have chocked the crops, but still !i a fairly average yield ” iexpeeted. Near the coast severe frosts have inflicted great damage on cereals, potatoes, fruit trees, and vines, the latter being in some places completely destroyed. In New South Wales the want of rain has also been felt, but not to such an as in Victoria, and on the whole the look tolerably well. Ju Soul!) ..astrali", the prospect up to Xov 10 was good, Adelaide Observer says : —Tim reports or Due state of the crops generally .are still favourable. Accounts of red rust prevail, and it lias undoubtedly appeared only prominently in some districts. Bat unless prospects turn suddenly worse a good average may be cxpccteu. Harvest operations have already commenced. It is estimated that the crops will average about 12 bushels per acre. There are about 1,250,000 acres in crop. It is _ estimated that there will be about 12,U>JO.OJO bushels of wheat for export. The Grey River Argun of Ist December, uives an outline of the life of the Rev Charles Clark, together with a portrait of the now celebrated lecturer. Mr Clark was born in 1838. At the age of 20, entered the Baptist College, Nottingham, as _ a siudout 1 for the Ministry, where he displayed unusual ability. After officiating as pasior, at three churches, with marked success, Mr Clark, in 18G8, accepted an invitation to take charge of the Albert-street Church, Melbourne. His last sermon in England was preached in Gpnrgcon’s Tabernacle. He entered on his duties on the Sunday after his arrival in Melbourne, and from that day there was no doubt as to his position in the ranks of English pulpit orators. Week after week the charm of his eloquence filled the Albert-street edifice to overflowing, and visitors to Melbourne came to regard his discourses as amongst the choicest of the enjoyments which"the metropolis of Victoria had to offer.” Mr Clark has been highly successful on the West Coast of the South Island. According to the Herald, a private letter received in New Plymouth mentions that the Rev lecturer will proceed irom Wellington to Wanganui, and thence to New Plymouth.