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Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 952, 30 July 1878, Page 2

The ' New Zealand Herald ' keeps up its prestige as a leading colonial journal, and is the only one which lias had the enterprise to secure for its use a special wire to Wellington during the session, for the purpose of enabling it to lay before its readers the very latest and fullest Parliamentary intelligence. The ' Times ' and 'Daily Telegraph' at home retain special wires for the benefit of their readers, and it is with satisfaction we learn that an Auckland journal has had the spirit to be the first m the colonies to enter on such an enterprise. The following letter appears m last nights ' Star ' :— To the Editor : Sir,— l see m the issue of the 2oth, under the head " Telegraphic from our Own Correspondent," a telegram, stating that "a petition is m course of signature, asking Dr Beale to resign hie seat m the Council." Permit me through your valuable columns to assure the ratepayers who placed me at the head of the poll on the day of election ihat there is not the slightest ground for such a petition, that a reference to the minute book of the Borough Council's proceedings will shew this to be the case, and, further, to state if any document has been put forward at all, that it -was possibly done by some one to serve electioneering purposes during the late contest for Waipa, and not likely to be heard any more.-— I am, &c , B. C. Beale. The Waitoa Highway District Board •will meet m the Nottingham Castle Hotel, Piako, on the 10th- proximo, for ._thp-pnrf«>eo~of-ra*riktirg a rate of eightpence m the pound for the period ending the 3 1st urch, 1879, payable on the 2nd of September next Cut Firewood, titree, is now, at all times, procurable m Hamilton, as the saw mill attached to the engine at the Waikiito brewery is keeping up a supply equal to tlifi demand. It can be procured m short lengths for etovcs.or longer for ordinary purposes. Mr T. H". W. Morkis has first-class grazing for 20 head of quiet cattle. The HiMii/roN Choral Society will, till further notice, meet for practice m the Wesleyan Church. Oambkidge Cattle Sales .- -Mr J. S . Bunkland will hold his regular monthly sale of cattle, horses, sheep, &c, at the Cambridge yards to day. Tenders for forming a roaa through Hinuera bush are called for by t7ie Taotaoroa Highway District Board, and will be received until noon of Saturday, the 10th proximo. Football. — The Auckland men play Waikato on the 10th of August at Hamilton. A meeting cf football players is called for Thursday evening at Gwynue's Hamilton Hotel to make the necessary arrangements. Pio ad Fowl Wheat.— The Waikato Steam Navigation Company is advertising wheat, suitable for horse, pig, or fowl feed, at 3s 9d per bushel, samples of which can be seen at the various agencies m Waikato. Sale of Farm Stock, Alexandra — We would remind the public that Messrs J. D. & X Hill will offer for sale to-day at Alexandra the whole of the live and dead stock belonging to Mr Draper, together with the household furniture and other effects. Mr John Saxdersox has returned to Hamilton, and is selling off, for the next fourteen days, the remaining portion of his stock of drapery goods at the shop, next door to Mrs Gelling's Baby Linen Depository. Cambridge Church Bazaar. — Working parties for the forthcoming St. Andrew's Bazaar are being held at the Parsonage, Cambridge, every Wednesday. The help of Jadies, for any part of the time between two m the afternoon and nine, will be gladly received. The Railway fbom Waikato to Taranaki. — A caucus of Auckland, Taranaki, and Wellington members is called. The meeting concerns measures to press on the North Island Trunk Railway. Otago members appear favorable to the work, provided the railway is constructed from land, but will oppose it if a large loan is asked for the purpose. Loveks of really good Canterbury i Bacon, Hams, and Ch>ese, shoull call at the Waikato Tea Mart Mennie and Day's, aud Byerof g's Biscuits kept m '.'reat variety. — Edw. MoGtarkiulk, Grocer, Hamilton — Advt. The Proposed New Cambridge County. — The movement for forming the proposed new County of Cainbridg is being rapidly and determinedly proceeded with. The sub-committee appointed at the late public meeting has set earnestly to work and prepared a map and other necessary documents, and is now ready with its I report, which will be presented to a second public meeting convened for Saturday next, the 3rd proximo, at the Pubiic Hall, Cambridge. The business ®f tho meeting will be to receivo tho report, and decide upon future action }v the matter.

The Rackb .Fishhook. — "Pegasus," m the ' Star, says it is rumoured that O'Brien sold Fishhook to Mr Patterson, of Oainaru, receiving, m lieu of cash a share ' m the lattor's business. Since the removal of the disqualification, Fishhook lias been backed lor the Dunedin Cup for a good deal of money, down to such short odds I as 100 to 12. Mrs Conxob, of Newcastle, writes to us saying :—" Sir : The saddest sight that I ever saw was on tlic 24th of this month, when the father of a child m a coffin was standing at the railway station house at Newcastle, begging a couple of neighbors to accompany him to the grave yard, and the only auswer he could get was ' I have not time.' The poor man buried his wife soino six months ago, and now he was obliged to take the coffin under his arm, and bury his child himself." Immiouation returns, laid on the table since the opening of Parliament, show that, during the year ended June 30, there were 0,(>28 persons who emigrated to New Zealand from Great Britain, and a giand total since emigration commenced of 81,103. 'Lhe following are the number of souls who arrived at the different piov'ncial districts for the year and up to date: — Auckland, 498 — 11,472; New Plymouth, 99— 1,925; Hawke'sßay, 405 (5,410; Wellington, 06 ) — 13,004 ; Marlborough, 93—1,216; Nelson, 126— 1,738 ; Westland, 145— 1,400 ; Canterbuiy, 2,034—22,773 ; Otago, 16,686—24,104. The violent north-west gale we experienced m Waikato on Sunday seems to have been felt with all a Cook Strait's violence at Wellington. A telegram dated Sunday, say» : About 1 o'clock this morning a violent north-west gale set m, and has blown with great fierceness ever since. v evoral houses m course of erection were blown down, and others were much twisted and strained— main fen is and out-houses were blown down. Tli;> yacht Xariffa was blown ashore. One of H.M. Nymphe's boats was swamped, but all the crew got ashore. A life-boat was sent after them to bring them back, but could not, and the boat was hauled upon the beach. All the vessels at the wharf had out extra warps, and the Nymphe had all her topmasts and yards down. A arEETura of the Pukekura District Highway Board was held at the residence of the Secretary on Saturday last. The following tenders were received for work to be done on the road near Mr Kally's mill : — Mr John Bell, No. 1 contract, tihd per cubic yard ; cutting drain on .above, 10s per chain ; laying and fixing pipes m drain, £1. No. 2 contract, 7d per cubic yard ; 5 chains sidelong cutting, as shown on plan, 10s per chain. — Mr William Tucker, No. 1 contract, s\d per cubic yard ; cutting drain on above, 14s per chain ; layirig and fixing pipes m ditto, £1. No. 2 contract, ad per cubic yard; 5 chains cutting m above, 25s per chain. — Messrs Hicks and Mitchell, 33d per ! cubic yard. The last-mentioned tender was not considered, being informal, and the deposit was returned. It was — on the proposition of MrE. B. Walker, seconded by Mr Wm. Reynolds — agreed, " lhat the tender of Mr William Tucker for No. 1 contract be accepted, and that the tender of Mr John Beli for No. 2 contract be also accepted." The tenderers signed the specifications agreeing to complete the work as follows : Mr W. Tucker on 30th September, 1878 ; Mr J. Bell, No. 2 contract, On the 15th September, 1878. Steeplechase at Ellerslie. — A match of this kind came off on Saturday, between Mr Sellar's Jonathan Wild and Mr J. Smith's Greyhound, at the Ellerslie Steeplechase Course. A good deal of interest, says the ' Herald,' seemed to be manifested m the match, judging by the number of persons present. The distance was once round the steeplechase course, each carrying 1 list. Mr Smith rode his own horse, and T. Hodson rode Jonathan Wild. The horses were got away to a good start shortly after 8 o'clock. Jonathan Wild was the first to face the double hurdles opposite the Grand Stand, but he baulked, and Greyhound followed auit. On the second attempt both cleared, and went together to the stone wall, which both successfully negotiated, as they did also the water jump. They then kept company into the road, and over the potato-patch, but at the stone wall Hodson fell. He retained hold of his horse's bridle, however, and quickly re-mountel. He soon caught up with Greyhound, and they went m company to the rail-fence, when both stopped Finally, however, Modson forced his horse through it, carrying away the top rail, but Greyhound stubbornly refused to follow. Jonathan then, taking a leisurely course, went the rest of the distance evenly, and just as he was entering the straight, Greyhound was withdrawn, returning by the back course. The race, which was far from exciting at any time, terminated m a very easy victory for Jonathan Wild. The Town of Ngaruawahia Highway Board held their Annual Meeting on Friday, 26th inst. Considerable interest was manifested, as over 40 ratepayers were present Mr T. V. Fitzpatrick was appointed Chairman. The following statement of last years operations was read, as'follows : — Receipts, £475 18s lOd ; ballance m hand, July, 1877, £125 Is 8d ; total, £601 0s 6d. Expenditure, £344 19s 3d, leaving a balance of £25(5 13s to credit of the Board. The election of Trustees was then proceeded with, the following gentlemen being duly proposed and seconded: Messrs Hedger, E. Fitzpatriek, Drummond Hay, Hood, Barton, A. R. Hunt, Lamb, Gilmour, Kay, Goodwin. After the ballot had been taken, the first five named were declared duly elected. Messrs Hunt and Gilmour were appointed Trustees, and Messrs Goodwin and Taylor, Fence-viewers. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings. At a subsequent meeting of the newly appointed Board, Mr Fitzpatrick was elected Chairman. Railway Reform. — It is stated that Messrs Conyers and Lawson's reform m the management of the Auckland railway will result m a saving of about £6000 a year. It is whispered (says the Special correspondent of the 'Herald' at Wellington) that Mr McAf inn's election will be made the subject of some question m the House. Members of the Opposition say that there was undue Ministerial influence exercised — that Ministers were divided as to the propriety of advocating McMinn as against Whitaker — that there was undue delay m the issue of the writ — and that Sundry polling places were opened to suit the Government candidate. That, it is rumoured, will be the ground taken up, and it is as well to state that this is on the cards. Tramways as Railway Feeders. — An English paper says : "On the continent of Europe the- adoption of steam tramway engines instead of horses is becoming very general. Rouen, Cassel, Barcelona, Bilboa, Lisbon, Oporto, the Hague, and other important towns are all following the example set by Paris, which has worked m its streets, engines which are noiseless, smokeless, and free from any objectionable feature calculated to obstruct or m any way interfere with the ordinary traffic. As shewn m the reports of tramway companies, and the remarks of the chairman at the annual meeting 1 , the proprietors are fully alive to the importance of the subject, and are strongly inclined to take necessary steps to replace horses by mechanical power. Thit as public opinion has to be educated m the first instance as regards the tramway it-

f elf, so also must it be enlightened respecting the traction; meantime, nothing will be gained by forcing legislation. No one dotibta that the use of steam traction m the streats is not remote, but there is no question that, before inducing it into the metropolis, provincial towns mid country districts, waiting to be thus opened up, offer m the first instance, the widest and most encouraging scope for its application. As feeders to existing railway lines, and as branches connecting agricultural areas with the centres of commerce from which they are at present excluded, steam- worked tramways will be a most important aud industrial aid." I The " ToDimvßAi'ii." — The Cineiunuti ' Saturday Night ' gives an interesting ' account of one of Edison's inventions thus ([.Edison, it must be understood, is the inventor of the telephone aud phonograph) : — "Imbibing a mint julep m the saloon adjoining a brilliant idea flashed through his brain, and before ho left the place ho invented an instrument that is likely to revolutionise the entire saloon business. It is a machine so constructed that, when a person who has just been partaking of some spirituous beverage breathes into it, the action of his breath upon a peculiarly prepared substance — also the invention of Mr Edison — made to revolve by means of a small crank, makes such an impression that, by again applying the lips and turning the crank the other way, the effects of the drink can be re-produced as many times as desired, no matter how great a length of time may have elapsed. A man provided with one of those instruments could prepare himself with cocktails for a long journey, simply for the price of one drink. Edison christened it the ' Toddygraph !' Of course the saloons will light against it bitterly, as it must inevitably destroy the business of ninetynine out of a hundred of them. A person can mix his drinks just to suit himself, and then stock his toddygraph with a supply of different beverages sufKcieut to last him a lifetime. < nd, when he has drunk himself to death with it, his ohildren can bring the instrument out occasionally, aud revive tender recollections of their parent by turning the crank, and getting a whiff of the old man's breath." Double v. Sixole Furrow Ploughs. — We take the following interesting trial of the rival merits of double and single plousrs from the Otahuhu Correspondent of the ' Herald ' : — " A short time ago, during a discussion amongst some of the farmei's of Otahuhu on the merits and advantages of double-furrow ploughs, and the quantity of land a team could plough m a day, Mr H. Knox made a friendly bet of £1 with Mr J". Bainbridgc-, that he would undertake to plough seven acres with two teams of double-furrow and one single-furrowed plough m a given time, namely, from 7. a.m. to o p.m. ; the land to be ploughed not less than o inches deep, but no definite width. The event has been the subject of a good deal of talk — some inclined to back Mr Knox, while others gravely doubted his ability. The match, which has been several times postponed, came off en Monday last, m a paddock rented by Mr Knox, near the Otahuhu railway station. Owing to the uncertainty of the time very few were present. Ihe ploughs did not start to work till 7.20, when each team set to work m earnest, and continued so throughout the day, but never hurrying. Two of the ploughs were held by Mr Kuox's sons, and the third by the man servant. At o o'clock the teams stopped, and, with the exception of one horse, a young one, none of the animals seemed to be much the worse for their day's work When the land ploughed was measured, it wkb found that 7 acres 2 roods and 12 perches had been turned over, a result which Mr Knox and friends were well satisfied with. The ploughs used were of Wallace and Hotham's manufacture, and, as usual, did their work well. The paddock m which the trial took place measures 100 acres, the whole of which Mr Iviiox intends to put into wheat ; and has already ordered a self -binding and reaping machine, Avhich he hopes to have on the ground m time for ths harvest." A New Food Plant for Stock.— We have been shewn a sample of a now root crop, says Thursday's 'Herald,' which is largely grown m America for pig-feeding 1 . It is chiefly grown m California, and other States m the 'Onion where the climate is warm. The plant is locally known as " chufas," and botanically as Cj/pcriis encnlc-n'mf. It produces a smali tuber, possessing' a sweet, rich flavour, and contains a large per uentagc of oil. The tubars arc planted m light, wollworked, rich ground, m rows about two feet apart, and distant from each other m the row about half that distance. They are covered to the depth of about two inches with soil, and after they begin to grow must be kept compai'atively free of weeds uutil they have attained their development, which enables them to dispense wi h further care. The season of planting is the same as maize. It is estimated that a bushel of ohufas will plant an acre. When the plants have become well grown almost the whole space between the drills is filled with tubers. It has been prove:! that land which will grow 25 bushels of maize to the acre will yield from 100 to 150 bushels of chufas. A bushel of chufas, washed and dried, weighs from -tO to 46 pounds. From four to five months are required to mature the crop. When the tops begin to die, it is an indication that the crop is ripe. The hogs are then turned into the field, which saves the labour of digging the crop, and so fond are the pigs of this tuber that scarcely a single one will escape their eager search. All animals are tond of this root crop, but pigs are said to be so fond of it that they will leave everything else for it. Two months' feeding m a chufa patch is said to be an infallible cure for lean pigs, and, with a few days' feeding upon maize or other dry grain, will produce pork " fit for the gods." Poultry, also, feed greedily upon the chufas. Captain James, of Mount Albert, had a small quantity of these tubers sent to him from California, and last season they were for the first time grown m Auckland. He believes it would be expensive to gather them like a crop of potatoes, but, by taming m a number of pigs to grub them up and feed upon them at their leisure, he believes this crop will be found to be the cheapest pig feed that can be grown. Those interested m the introduction of new sources of feed for stock can nee some of what was grown by Captain' James, at Mount Albert, at the Auckland Seed Depot, Mr Brewin having purchased the balance of the quantity Captain James had on hand.