FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 150, 31 May 1879, Page 2

FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

It is stated that Mr J. O’Connor, of Timarn, who beat Brown in the mile race at Auckland on Saturday last, ia willing to run Mr Hutton three distances, viz., 440, 700, and 880 yards. The ‘ Bureau of Agricultural 1 furnishes some very interesting tables, illustrating the westward movement of the centres of grain production. The product of wheat per capita, in New England, has fallen between 1849 and 1877 from fourtenths to three-tenths. In the same period, in the Southern and South Atlantic States, the per capita has risen from 2 - 38 bushels to 6 T 1 bushels, so that those States, fronr buyers, have become sellers of wheat. In the Ohio and trans-Mississ-ippi States, in the same period, the per capita produced has increased from 12.05 bushels to 30.40, and in the Pacific States from 2.16 bushels to 27.49 bushels. The wheat crop of 1849 was 100,485,944 bushels, divided into equal volumes by the lines of 81 deg', west from Greenwich. In 1877 the crop whs 365,094,800 bushels, and the centre, line; of production the meridian of SOdeg. Gmin. west. In 1849 the corn product was 591,071,104 bushels, and the central line in the 85deg. west longitude. In 1877 the corn product was 1, 342,558,000 bushels, and the centre line 19deg. Gmin. In 28 years the movement westward has been, for wheat Bdeg. Gmin. (about 500 miles), or from the eastern line of Ohio nearly to the centre os Illinois ; for corn, 4deg. Gmin (250 miles), or from the eastern line of counties in Indiana nearly to the longitude of Cairo. The ‘ Herald’ gives, semi-officially, Eewi’s arrangement with the Native Minister. It says “ We are informed that this agreement with Mr Sheehan is that a railway may be put through, so as to connect! Auckland with the interior and with Taranaki ; that the telegraph line may be established ; and that the country shall not be made a refuge for those who have offended against the laws. An extension of 'railway through fertile plains, stretching from the present boundary, will add greatly to the resources of the Colony, and will materially advance the city of Auckland.

L ~ i., ' , : _ - ; . • ; ... 07 the Frov:m.... . _■ ■■■- : . ’utld the s-.adh, uvTg i ; Tty, which is now iu groac part ab-mit io be removed. Revu apnc -jsz to bo meeting with a good deal of xoT.T.unro establishment of his bou certainly, as wo judge, taken it deal farther than he was entitled. So far as the quarrel lias gone, however, Europeans are not much interested, as disputes between tribes mean the sale of land. Lot the least remarkable feature iu the high class short-horn world (says a writer in the ‘ Live Stock Journal’), is the purity, not of the cattle, but of the breeders. Some wise man says that impurity sticks close between buying and selling ; and certainly it seems to hold true in the buying and selling of horses ; for how hard it is, even for an honest man, to keep quite straightforward if once he be gins to deal in horeellesh ! But, to their honor it deserves taße Recorded, hitherto short-horn breeders have kept themselves pure and above suspicion in all their transactions, public or private. This were nothing to boast of if there were no temptation, but the temptation i« in proportion to the prizes. If a man has a cow which cost him a thousand guineas, and she produces him a wretched bull calf with a black nose, how natural to suppose that he would like to keep it quiet ; or if he is selling off without reserve, does it not |rcquire some courage and resistence to eviLtoil tell all about the cattle 1 I think it does, and I honor short-horn breeders accordingly. Another thing which commands my admiration is the splendid way in which this high-class short-horn business (as distinct from breeding) is conducted. The immortal—for is he not 1 ? —John Thornton ascends the rostrum, makes a brilliant little speech, explains verbally the conditions of sale, and the ball opens. In the space of a few hours he sells property (moveable) to the value, mayhap, of ten or fifteen thousand pounds, and lie afterwards collects the proceeds and hands them to the seller, and all without deed or document between buyer and seller—a shorthorn breeder’s nod is as good as his bond. Just fancy a lawyer set to transact a piece of business like that. Why, it would take the pen of a writer a week to extend the “ minutes |of agreement” he would consider necessary ! But, thanks to the noble confidence short-horn men have in each other, no lawyer has ever to interfere in their bargains ; and long may their honor and their purity in breeding and in business flourish, unstained and unsuspected. Scarcely had the hells which greeted the wedding of the Princess Louise Margaret and hailed the. aged Emperor’s birthday ceased to sound (says an English paper), when they were again set tolling for the death of the youthful Prince Waldemar of Prussia; The deceased, the fifth of the Crown Princess’ seven children, and her third son, was bocv-nri February 10th, 1868, and had entered his 12 year. , But, though still a‘ mere child, he hafl,; according to the custom of the Royal House of Prussia, already entered the army, having received his commission last spring as second lieutenant of the Ist Eegiment of-P'TOt Guards, and he gave promise of developing some of those soldierly qualities~for. which his family is so pre-eminently distinguished. On March 22nd, the birthday of the Emperor, Prince Waldemar, in his usual good health and buoyant spirits, had shared hi all the festivities of his father’s palace. On the 24th he was affected with ■ a slight inflammation of the throat, wdiich gradually assumed, the appearance of a mild attack of diphtheria, but nothing serious was feared until the 27th, when alarming symptoms set in. He succumbed next morning, about halfpast three, to palpitation of the heart. Much sympathy is expressed with the parents of the Prince, especially the Crown Princess, who, but lately called upon to mourn a sister, is now deeply grieved at the loss of a son. The signs of depressed times in Wellington (says the ‘New Zealander’) are beginning to be more plainly visible among the .working men in the city. • The number of unemployed, though not by any means large, is certainly on the increase, and many of the men are seriously considering the advisability of making a move into the country, where there appears to be no lack of employment, although perhaps at reduced rates of wages. Professional men seem to be but little better off, for the majority of those Who do not happen to belong to the legal fraternity complain that there is nothing at all doing. It would almost appear as if nothing but the expenditure of money on public-works-would alter this state of things.