News Items

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4401, 22 April 1909, Page 1

News Items

The first iron bridge was erected in 1793* 6, at Wearmouth. It consisted of a 240 ft. clear span.

The French Government makes 12 to 14 millions a y&aiv clear profit on its tobacco 4n-| dustry.

In some German towns householders are compelled to sort out their rubbish *in separate receptacles.

The largest of fixed stars up- - pears to be Sirius. It is at least|| three times as hot as the sun;J| and seven times as large. • $

Grants are to be made by the ■ British War Office in order toi encourage soldiers in the various t gairisons to take up gardening and beautify the barrack square.

The most critical period of human life is the first year. If this is safely passed, and old age is reached, the most critical period on the way is just about the age of 60.

When a hen attains her third year her laying capacity is at its best. She will lay, on an average, from 300 to 500 eggs in her lifetime.

In the recent French Army manoeuvres a wireless telegraph station in a balloon successfully intercepted messages sent from Berlin to vessels out at sea.

Bees are said to have such an antipathy to dark colored objects that black chickens have been i stung to death, while white ones of the same brood were left untouched.

In British Guiana mauy> of the native women carry upon their persons all the family savings in the shape of heavy bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and even crowns of gold and silver.

The only railway station in | Britain that can boast of being really old is that of Bourne, | Lincolnshire, which is , an -?f] ancient Elizabethan mansion § formerly in the possession of the Digby family. *

. In 1585 the potato was introduced into Europe by the Spaniards, who found them in Chili. At almost the same date it was introduced into England by the English, who had found it cultivated by the Indians in North America.

The'rose diamond is quite flat in the under part or base and the whole of the uppdr part is cut into lozenge-shaped facets, divided to form triangles, and terminates in a pnin . From this point the facets spread in a star shape .

Johann Behrens, who re- vJj cently died at Sude, in -'lf Schleswig-Holstein, has left a i will whereby his entire fortune of ,£25 is to be invested until, j with compound interest it has % reached the sum of £16,000. This will be about the year 2179, when his relatives - will tl divide the money. ,