PROFESSOR KIRK ON THE KAURI FORESTS. (BT TELEGRAPH-OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 130, 28 November 1885, Page 5

PROFESSOR KIRK ON THE KAURI FORESTS. (BT TELEGRAPH - OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Welli^gtou, Nov. 25 Professor Kirk, in bis report to the Minister of -Lands on the forestß of the colony, referring to kauri forests, gays he i? of opinion that they will be totally exhausted within a period ranging from 12 to 18 years.

Softool or Forestry at Whan arei. In accordance with the provisions of the Forestry Act passed la*t eest-ioti, step* are bti'ig taken by the Government for the ea tabiuhment of a School of Forestry at "Whangarei, for which the Act provided on the appropriation of £2,<'00 A site ha*been selected, consisting of 240 acres 3 rule?, out of the town, well situated for the purpose, and with a rich volcanic toil. Although the proposed institution is de- ] nominated in the Act as a "School of Forestry," it is not intended to confine it to but one branch. It is proposei that it shall be an Azricultural College upon an experimental farm especially devoted to the growth of onb tropical fruits and the acclimatisation of such plantsasseemadapted to our warm climate. SSuch an institution, aaya the *' Post," if properlymanaged, is ■ure to do much good, and its develope ment will be watched with ioterest.

Ancient Customs in the City of London.— On Good Fiiday, after morning service in the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield. an ancient bequest '•was carried out under the supervision ot the rector and the churchwardens, by whom 21 new sixpences were placed on a tombstone intheoldcburchyatd and were picked up by an equal number of poor wido«a belonging.to the parish This quaint custom has been maintained for a period long anterior to the' Protestant Reformation. '1 he money git has been preserved, although the name of the benefactor has been lost. Another ancient Good Friday custom was observed at Allhallows Church, Lombard -street, where, in accordance with the will of Peter 8 } monds, which dates so far back as the year 1586, 60 of the younger boys of Christ's Hospital attended Divine service in the morning and afterwards received a new penny and a bag of raisins. It was sated that this was the 291 st celebration of this quaint ceremony. As a supplement to this bequest another citizen of London, William Petts, in the yea* 1692, directed that tho minister who preached, the^ sermon on Good Friday should have 20s, the clerk 4s, and the eexton^s 6d, besides, providing for the dbtiibution of smaller ,suip^ of: money among the children of the ward and Sunday, •chools. . tv ' v ."iji