GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 95, 19 May 1909, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

The appreciation in value of the Ruakura State Farm since it was purchased by the Government is shown by the fact that *ts much as £7O an acre has been recently offered for a portion of the estate. 'The land was purchased at an average price of £(i 17s an acre, and it is considered that if it were now placed in the market it would realise an average of about £25 an acre.

It is probable thai .1 member ot the British Antarctic expedition will make a lecturing tour of Australasia this year, telling -tins story of the work 111 the far South, and displaying the photographs and cinematograph films secured by Lieutenant Sliackleton. The pictures illustrate every phase of the adventures of the expedition, and the cinematograph films, of which some 4000 or SOOOft.were secured, are unique and intensely interesting. They illustrate sledge and motor travelling on the ice and snow, Hl2 battles cf the sturdy Nimrod with the iloes and the bergs, and the curious habits of the penguins and seals, as well as many other Antarctic scenes.

A lodger in an Invcreargill boardiighousc recently had a rather unpleasant experience (s'avs the ..vutliianu News). He awoke in the middle of the "light through something gripping his nose, and waving his hands above him struck an object. Lighting his candle he foun 1 several punctures in the organ attacked, causing blood to appear, and came to the conclusion that a rat had found ; ts way into the room. To set any doubts at rest he made an examination anl found the rodent's means of ingress. It is not usual for rats to attack the human being in this way, and it is supposed that the specimen under notice .had been cut off from food for soma time.

Agriculture science is of grunt value, and it will assist farmers' sons to make the best use of this practical knowledge of farming. Without tne latter 11 runner can hardly hope for success,, while in a good many cases it would be found that theory alone is a hindrance rather than a help. Farmers themselves do not, as u rule, appreciate the value of scientific agriculture as they should. They prefer their own methods, and they w ! U not admit that scientific teaching wiU ensure for tiiem heavier crops of gram or stock of better quality. This is a mistaken view, and when the benefits of agricultural science are better understood, it will give way to more enlightened ideas.—Timaru Post.

The oilmen have now returned to the Bluff, from the Macquaries, after a successful season (says the Otago Daily Times). The gang, which consisted of 10 men, reached the island on December 20, ami left on the return trip on March 17. The first work undertaken was the erection of an additional digester. A boiler and other requisites were taken down in the schooner along with them. That job completcil, they had four digesters at work, capable of dealing with 420, 050, 750 and 1)50 birds respectively. They worked in separate gangs day and night, in 12-hour shifts. In that way the digesters were kept constantly at work. The birds handled were penguins, the dates named embracing the penguin season.