THE Shannon News FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 1921.

Shannon News, 26 August 1921, Page 2

THE Shannon News FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 1921.

The very pleasant weather of late has induced many tennis enthusiasts to start .play, and by the-time, the season opens many players should be in good form. * Mr Hillier, who underwent another operation on Friday last "at the Palmerston North Hospital, is makifig satisfactory progress.. .. That sheep farming is not a payable business these days was emphasised at the Levin sale. Whep a good line of store hoggets realised Us 'id, an experienced farmer expressed the opinion that they cost double that sum in grazing up to the present time.

Dr. Adams, in a ieeiure on ihe inoon, mentioned a curious coincidence in that, despite the great disparity between the bulk of the sun and the moon, they were set at such distances in the heavens that the shadow of the moon exactly covered the face of the sun at the moment of total eclipse. The earth was 80 times the bulk of the moon. What a glorious spectacle must the earth therefore present to an observer on the moon, supposing [that body , to be inhabited!

The Druids held their usual fortnightly dance last evening, a large number being present. The music was supplied by Mrs- Butler, and extras were played by Messrs. Spencer and Quarrie. Mr 11. Hook acted as M.C. The good floor and music made the evening a very pleasant one.

The Willard Home committee reporf that £2l 11s 6diis the nett amount of the benefit given by Mr McMillan at ms Picture Theatre. Thb ladies desire to thank Mr McMillan for the very generous assistance given by him. [This paragraph was accidentally omitted from last Friday’s issue of the Ncws.j'

In 1918 the Yale University Observatory of United States made a generous offer to New Zealand in the interests of science that so far has not, been availed of, mainly for financial reasons. The Government Astronomer, Dr. Adams, lecturing in Levin this week, said Yale had offered to send a splendid modem telescojpe to the Dominion with a staff of two astronomers, provided New Zealanu would erect the observatory and main min two other astronomers, so that on servation could go on continuously . The telescope would remain in Nev. Zealand for several generations, whici practically meant that it would be t:, gift. Its monetary cost, to Yalewouh probably be £20,000. Dr. Adams sat. .hat all over the United States rim people gave money for astronomies research. The famous Lick Observe ,ory was endowed by Mr James Lie. A-iili £140,000. The Yerkes institutim was another example. Just before tin war M.ss Mary Proctor, the Englisi Vstronomer, was in New Zealand ant secured from the late Mr Cawthron a promise to endow an observatory, ana use deed was actually engrossed, but he war came before it was signed, and Mr Cawthron died-before he coulc execute his intention. Miss Proctor A’ouid pay another visit to New Zea land again shortly, and he hoped she would find another Cawthron willing : .o help on the cause of scientific re search. Dr. Adams explained tha these great telescopes in America hag dioroiighly explored the northern hea vens, and put on record their observations, but a great part of the sou them hemisphere was beyond their range, and the American astronomers conceived that- it would be of great value to have the southern stars under close observation. .■ / '

One ,-potato growers at, Koputaroa got as high as £7 per ton for his crop this season. The crop was dug early and quitted before the markei was affected by South Island supplies hence the satisfactory price received.

The farmers' - with . land liable to flooding are taking advantage of the. due weather to repair the breaksMn ihe banks caused by the recent flood. Mr H. Byers intends widening and raising his bank another four feet, | and the farmers with the land ad- $ joining are at. present assisting him, ! as ,on the strength of this bank de-! pends the liolding back of the water! for all of them.. . .

Describing .the crater-like features on the surface of the moon, in a recent lecture. Dr* Adams said • one ihcory was that they'were depressions caused by the impact of meteors'. The earth was protected from these by its encircling atmosphere. The friction of'the meteorite passing through the atmosphere generated such ' intense heat that its substance was burnt, up before it reached the earth’s surface.' flic moon had no atmosphere and the speculation was set that, the craters were caused by meteors which reached the surface. It was curious, however, that all the should appear to have occurred head-on. One would expect tq. find evidence of impacts having taken place at angles, and the meteorite, theory was not, therefore, very widely held. The generally-accepted idea was that the craters were really the result of volcanic action.

In the course of liis lecture on the moon at. Levin. Dr. Adams made some interesting, remarks regarding telescopes. It might be asked, he said, why it was hot possible to erect telescopes of such power that the moon could be. observed at. a much closer distance than was: possible at present. The limit of telescopic amplification was now about. 1000 diameters, through which objects 1000 miles away could be made to appear at a distance of one mile, and the moon was brought within 240 miles, but there were really no structural difficulties to prevent the building of a telescope of, say, 3000 magnitudes* The trouble was that the atmospheric impurities and dust of the earth were magnified to such an extent that observation through telescopes of such size would be impossible. Consequently, it was not surprising that some of the best observation work had been accomplished with comparatively small instruments. Dr. Adams showed some pictures of the great telescopes in America, one with a reflecting mirror 100 inches in diameter.

The Dorset, which arrived at Auckland on Monday, brought 1200 tons ol whisky for the Dominion. / "We like the agents, but we like ourselves better,” said a poultryman at last night’s poultry meeting in Levin, when emphasising the necessity of the producers handling the retail part of the business. Eamonn de Valera, leader of the Irish Republican • Party, is I mdn 6f the highest scholastic attainments. He *ia a senior wrangler of Oxford University, a professor of Trinity College, and acknowledged to be the sec-, ond mathematician in the world. From mid-Taranaki it is reported that factory directors are either puzzled to decide between the ten or dozen firms anxious to handle produce on consignment or they think that offers to purchase f.o.b. will again be available very shortly. There were three disposal meetings held last week, and in no case was any decision arrived at except to wait a bit. There were no buying offers, and the paragraphs that are going the rounds of the press are said to be misleading.