GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8061, 16 March 1906, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

To one great extent Sunday is much alike Europe over. "Sunday was indeed a day of fimry which ail my sumptuary edicts could a. t restrain," owns the-d*ir old Vicar >«f Wakefield in Goldsmith's classic. Ai'd the saute idea has been seized by tic song known to us all by means of the late Sims Reeves.

Those ot us who indulge in the oldfashioned Sunday here at homo, have but scant idea what sort of day it is fei our fellow-countrymen, and scantier still for such of our fellow-creatures as live under other political systems. The London Sunday differs materially from that spent in other parts of Britain, 101 it is the day par excellence for visiting or entertaining friends, at least to the workaday population. Similarly the Irish Sunday with ,ts political gntherings differs yet n. 'i'liu German I'mipirc, from whoso admirably managed loru'ls wo used to draw ;\ largo port'on ol our timber imports, now cannot supply her own \va Ih, (iml although her l'o', - o:-ts produce r. gins-', iiiinir.it value of about £22,01)0,(K)i). sbe ha.i to import more than l.ollli.HWl tons of timlier annually, valued at nearly t;tS,(XK!,(KIO. So in America, tho anianing development of ■anufaeluivM in tlu United Wales has .■.taken tho productiveiiess ol their 1 lit: forests, so that thirteen years ago ih. - , '■Verctar.v for Agriculture warned hia tii'verunieut (hat ''even the \ihiti; piuu roi.oiivecs, which a lew vcar.s ago seemed so great that to attempt an accuratn estimate uf them was deciu-od too difficult nu umleitaking, have since then become reduced to Mich small prolicrtions that the end of tha whole supply in both Canada and tho United Stales is now plainly in view." Although birds are not placed near tho summit lino of evolution, their ability to fly gives them advantage over nearly all tfao mammalia. Their mysterious power of changing their polarity or weight, in ardor to dive in water or fly, has been often discussed, and the almost inoredihlo velocity of Ih-cir motion when 'migrating, sometimes amounting to four miles a minute for vast distances, has no parallel among other animals. A series of careful trials with carrier pigeons reported from France shows apparently without doubt their direction. It was supposed that homing pigeons depended on sight to find their way, but these experiments have been conducted between Ceromes and itoann in the darkness of uigtit. In twenty minutes the first bird, despatched at 10 p.m., reached its roost, a distance of 17 miles being traversed. Half of tho aumber arrived before midnight, and the remainder followed iu a "few hours.

The Bordeaux mixture which the Department rccomnicuid for spraying i.s prepared as follows:—lib sulphate ol copper, -lib fresh lime, 40 gallons water. Dissolve the copper in, say, live gallons of water in a wooden vessel; the best way is to tie it in a loosely-woven bag. vessel, ami add it to the copper solution; stir well till thoroughly mixed, am] suspend the bag from a kick luiii across the *il>; or, in if in a hurry, ti.se hot water. Slack the. lime in another then add sufficient water to brine the whole up to 'lO gallons. Now strain out any duct. Tile addition of 31b of treacly makes tbo mixture more adhesive, unci should bo used if clump weather is feared.

In tiie "Nineteenth Century'" 0 Eltzbachor tolls us of the. bin ix-iini-hs ami poverty of rcsonrso ot Gorman South Africa, of the miserable prospects of the handful of whites, who are lost in the t-ribas of natives, anil of the utter breakdown uf the Gorman military forces. The German soldiers, excellent as they arc for lighting in Europe, are, by'their training anil their bodily constitution completely unfitted for colonial warfare'. Not only do the German tactics prove to be quite unsuitable for ,Soutli-Wesi Africa, but tho officers find it extremely difficult to convert their ponderous fight. ing machine into agile individual units, suitable for the man-hunt in the rum'cd mountains. Besides, the youthful, I'airha.red, ami fair-complc xionod German recruits are the predefined victims to malaria, and typhoid fever, which soon enfeeble and decimate tins troops. The loss through dseaso is appalling, and this and tho constant strain of lighting an invisible enemy weary and discourage tho men, and shatter flic nerves of the officers. But Gorman mismanagement is continually exciting the natives to revolt, and the Gorman failure to .suppress these revolts- seriously compromises tho security of all Europeans in Africa. Tho writer asks if it is not possible for Germany to withdraw from those purls of Houtli-Wcst Africa, which the natives havo rendered it untenable for her In hold. Germany could be offered some small sum, or some, territorial solatium, for her revolted districts, and, under British rulo, tho danger of insurrection, which may speedily en lunger Jlrilisli colonies, would quickly disappear. In like maimer the' Continental Sunday is uf various l.iie .mil complexions. What does the expression convey to our minds? More liLelv than not, we intend it to signify the Parisian Sabbatic, or that obtaining in a fashionable French or Belgian watering place. In the latter wo may go to the Casino and hear a band or play at pcfit-ohovaux ; in the smaller French I owns one indulges in a cafo concert, for the cafe plavs°jiu important part in tho lives of all Frcn -h----nien. There they meet friends, |,! iy • dominoes, and conduct I heir conv.>;p:>ndi ance. Or la! < the Honibiirg Sunday. Wo arise aI. six and take waters at sevon, attend tho English Church alien. Dining, proi (mailing, concert, or Kurhaiy reading-room complete tho day--1 it is Utile (Jvicroul from any oilier,