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Patea Mail, 17 May 1881, Page 3

The education vote of the New South Wales Assembly for the year is £525,865. Mr Edward Miall, proprietor and editor of the Wesleyan Nonconformist, is dead. He was 72 years of age. A recent fire in Sydney is said to have been caused by the throwing of ashes into a wooden box. Land at Stratford-on-Avon and adjoining districts in England, which used to let for £8 to £3 8s per acre, is now let on lease at £1 an acre. Lady Egerton Tumour, an English lady of fortune now in New Zealand, is said to contemplate visiting Victoria, to judge of the colony as an emigration field for the English poor. The Melbourne teetotallers have a new drink called “ vigorine.” It is done up in champagne bottles, gold-topped, etc., and, when opened, has a head and sparkle that cannot be distinguished from the fashionable wine.” Seven American prisoners, in jail at Paso del Norte, Mexico, recently broke out of the prison, shooting the guard dead and running towards the American line, but were overtaken by the guard, who fired on them. The prisoners returned the fire. Three, prisoners were killed and the others surrendered. Two of the guard were seriously wounded. At Stuttgart, a student in love with a very pretty girl had repeatedly written to her parents for their consent to a marriage. Receiving no reply, he poisoned himself at the girl’s lodgings. Next day came a letter with the parents’ consent. At the funeral the girl swallowed poisunj and fell lifeless into the arms of one of the choristers singing over the gravel. At the annual encampment of New South Wales volunteers there were altogether something over 1700 men under canvas, who are reported to have behaved themselves well and to have been much benefited bv the manoeuvres.

PATEA GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKET. Mr C. F. Barker repents that at his opening sale o£ grain and produce on Saturday, there was a good attendance and a fair amount of business was done. There were about 250 sacks oats, 200 sacks wheat, 450 sacks grass seed, 60 saeks potatoes, 15 cases Nelson apples, and other entries. The oats were all passed in with the exception of a few sacks, but a quantity was placed after the sale at 2s 9d. Holders prefer paying a month’s storage in anticipation of higher rates. The chick wheat sold at 2s sd, and Nelson apples at 8s 6d per case. Potatoes were not in much demand. TARANAKI CATTLE MARKETMr Courtney, New Plymouth, reports : At the Glenavon sale yards, on Thursday, 105 head of cattle were yarded, and as the rain set in about noon, it kept both stock and buyers away. There were only five steers above two years old yarded ; the chief attraction seemed cows at calving or forward in calf, all of which sold at full rates. The prices realised were :—Small calves, 18s Cd to 28s 6d each ; good well-grown busli calves, 34s 5 one pen 18-months-old steers, £2 15s : 1 old cow, £1 15s ; 3 small cows, £2 0s to £2 17s 6d ; 2 cows with big calves, £6 15s per cow and calf ; 5 cows, £4 2s 6d> to £4 17s 6d ; 4 do, £5 to £5 17s Gd ;

good cows, showing for calving, £6 6s, £6 7s 6d, £6 15s, £7 ss, £7 7s Gd, £7 10s, £8 7s Gd, £8 8s ; 2 21-year-old steers, £4 15s ; pair bullocks, £2O. LONDON WOOL AND GRAIN. The Loan and Mercantile Agency report, under date London, May 10th : Wool sales opened on the 10th inst., at an average decline of 6 per cent, on the closing rates of last sales. The sales comprise 337,000 bales, and the catalogue contained 5,100. Twenty-six thousand bales have been sent to the manufacturing districts direct. Competition ly Homo and foreign buyers is active. —Wheat market is flat. Adelaide is worth 40s per 4961b5. LONDON SEED TRADE. Messrs John Shaw and Sons, Mark Lane, London, report that, owing to favourable weather having set in for agricultural work, which was greatly in arrear, spring sowing in all parts being unusually backward, there was, during the fortnight ending March 24th, an increasing general enquiry and active consumptive demand for clovers etc., under which the comparatively light stocks held in London were being rapidly exhausted, so that probably at the close of the present season very little seed would remain unsold. With regard to value, no change of importance can be noted. Timothy continued scarce ; holders in France were asking more money for Italian lye grass ; whilst perennial were in good demand and firm at the late rise.