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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9409, 1 April 1909, Page 5

The Customs duties collected at the port of New Plymouth last month, were .£3690, as against £3277 in March 3908. The total for the past year was £38,937 as against £38,794 in the previous year.

A seven roomed house in Adelaide road, Wellington, occupied by Max Simmon, was damaged very much by fire last night through the explosion of a kerosene lamp. The contents were insured in the Guardian office for £950.

The returns of Wellington Customs duties completed for the financial year show an all round decrease compared with the figures of last year. The total receipts including Customs duties, beer duty, light dues, pilotage, excise and port charges show a decrease of £63,520. The actual Customs receipts show a decrease of £73,745. The total receipts for 1908-9 were £820,671.

The- demand upon the Maste©|pn Stock Ofiice for rabbit poison is so great that it has been found necessary to engage the services of two extra hands to fulfil orders from all parts of the district. Reports state that the season has been so remarkably favourable that the rabbits have increased very largely.

Some interesting information abont the value of clouds in forecasting the weather was given at a meeting, cf the New Zealand Institute of Draughtsmen last night by the Rev. D. 0. Bates, Mr J. Basant presiding. The hieroglyphics of the sky. he said, were no meaningless scrawls, but were the immediate product of weather conditions. He described the scientific classification of clouds, and st,ated that mixed grey clouds indicated rain, bluebladk were the signs of thunder, yellow denoted wind, and deep orange a thunderstorm coming. When sunset clonda were very brilliant, bad weather may be foretold, and if the barometer was high, the east would be red at sunset and.the western sky clear and

Mr Murray (biologist of the Sbaokleton Polar expedition) has some amusing and remarkable facts to relate regarding the dogs taken South. Ten dogs went down and eighteen came back, the animals having added to their families in the snow region. Of one dogj “Wolf,” the biologist relates a wonderful story. The habit of burying food for future use is a well-known characteristic of the canine tribe* and in the case of Wolf the instinct was developed in a peouliai manner. Water was often scarce in summer, and the dog when given his bowl of water, instead of spilling it carelessly as is the wont of dogs, used to try to bury the precious fluid, evidently reoocnisrhg the importance of care with the supply. Another dog in the summer used to bark when thirsty and carry his water-tin to the members of the expedition for a drink. The snowdrifts evaporated quickly in summer and water was often scarce and hard to get. We are so accustomed to regard good fruit in the light of a luxury in this country, that housewives and the public generally will be agreeably astonished to have the opinion of Mr Boucher, Government Pomologist— given to a Dominion reporter—to the effect.that in the near future there is a likelihood of a surplus in the fruit market—in apples especially. Questioned as to his reasons for making this statement, Mr Boucher stated, inter alia, that spraying against codlin moth is making such headway, and has had such good effeots.in enabling growers to produce clean frnit, that they are encouraged to pay more attention to the crop. He further states that, after all the fruit required, at tte level of prices at which fruitgrowing pays, has been supplied, the, surplus will be cold-stored and marketed steadily until fruit comes in again. At Auckland a cold storeroom is already provided, and fruit is available inis season.