STEAMER IN DISTRESS.

Patea Mail, 28 June 1882, Page 4

STEAMER IN DISTRESS.

The s.s. Irishman, Captain Gribbin, left "Waitara early on Friday morning, ,on a fishing cruise, and, after obtaining a good “catch,” was about returning to port, but found the south-easter too fresh. The fresh water for the boiler was nearly exhausted, and the vessel was compelled to hug the land as closely as possible. She drifted from abreast of the Waiwakaiho River to the Sugar Loaves. Before daylight this morning, the burning of a “ flash light ” as a signal of distress, attracted the attention of the s.s. Waitaki, which at once went to the assistance of the little steamer, and took her in tow, bringing her up safely into the roadstead. It was fortunate that the Waitaki was enabled to render timely assistance or the little steamer and her crew might have had a rough time of it by being blown out to sea .—Herald.

JUDGING CATTLE. The Edinburgh Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, writing on this subject, says : The skin affords in what is technically and emphatically called the touch, a criterion second to none in judging of the feeding properties of an ox. The touch may be good or bad, fine or harsh, or, as it is often termed, hard or mellow. A thick firm skin, which is generalJy covered with a thick-set hard short hair, always touches and indicates a bad feeder. . A thin, meagre, papery skin,' covered with thin, silken hair, being the opposite of the one just described, does not, however, afford a good touch. Such skin is indicative of a weakness of constitution, though of good feeding properties. A perfect touch will be found with thick loose skin floating as if it were on a layer of soft fat, yielding to the least pressure, and springing back to the finger like a piece of soft thick chamois leather (or a piece of the best velvet), and covered with thick glossy soft hair. It is not unlike a fine soft moss, and hence such a skin is not unfrequently styled “ mossy.” A knowledge of touch can only be acquired by long practice, but after having acquired it, it is of itself a sufficient means of judging of the feeding qualities of an ox, because, when present, the properties of symmetrical form, fine bone, quiet disposition, and purity of blood are the general accompaniments. _ : *

BROADCAST SOWING. A correspondent who hails from the South Island, writes that the broadcast seed sower referred to in onr last issue, is by no means uncommon down there. A farmer, he says, in the South Canterbury district named Kircaldy, sowed the whole of bis land, (a thousand acres)' w,ith one of these machines, and it performed its work admirably, scattering the grain with the utmost regularity and precision. It was placed in a spring cart, and the grain was shot into the cart out of sacks, which were kept

in a waggon at a convenient position, and was shifted from place to place every day as the progress of the machine required it. An endless chain was placed around the wheel of the spring cart, which was the motive power. Two horses drew the cart, one in the shafts, and the other alongside it, palling from a pole lashed to the trap. It was easy in draught, and .the same two horses worked the machine during the seednsowing of the farm. A man and a boy are all that are needed, —-in fact two boys would do—one to feed and the the other to drive. During the whole time it was in use it never got out of repair. They are not very large in size, not more than 3ft in height, 2ft broad, and about 2i cwt in weight. It was all level land that was put in crop,

not a hill on the whole of the farm ; but it is evident enough that they would not do for hilly ground, as the dirtributor requires to be level, nor can it be worked in a stiff breeze very well, but still, with judicious driving, it can be '• be made to work fairly. Altogether the patent of Messrs N. and J. Dobbie may be considered to have achieved a brilliant success, for in sowing level land it does its work faithfully and well, and he wonders much why some of our laborsaving ennterprising settlers about here do not get one of these simple, yet ingenious contrivances.

BALLOONING. An adventurous balloon ascent was made in March 28 from Mentone by an aeronaut known as Mr. Jovis, who, it is stated, is contemplating an aerial voyage across the Mediterranean, accompanied by M. Paul Ginisty, a journalist attached to the Paris journal Gil Blau. The balloon was driven some distance out to sea, the cords became entangled, and it ultimately fell with tremendous velocity. A somewhat heavy sea was running at the time, and the balloon and its two passengers were nearly washed away. They contrived, however, to keep themselves afloat until they were reached by a whaler sent to their succour, and with the' balloon were brought safely into Mentone.