RURAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1960, 29 January 1885, Page 4

RURAL NOTES.

The English Board of Trade returns for Ist October show that, for the ten months ended 80th October, 1884, as compared with the coru&ponding period of 1883, the impoits of tat cattle have decieased fiom 320, .">!)> to 280,533, sheep fiom fl!)3,50l to 810, H5, and pigs fiom 36,413 to 25,525 ; while imports of fresh beef have increased fiom 614, H(i ewt. to 723.895 cwt., mutton f torn 1 7*2,01 ti ewt to 399,250 ewt, and fiesh pork from 32.93S cut, to 39,162 cwt. Thus the dead meat traffic is surpassing that of live fctock along the line. Com paling the same period", there is a large decrease in wheat and Hour imports, the former from ."»«, 146,176 cwt. to 41, 525,783 cwt, and the latter fiom 13,751, 010 cwt. to 1 2,6 05,816 cwt. An increase in imports of butter and buttenne from 1,931,222 cw t. to 2,008,665 cw t. is noted ns not being satisfactory. The sheep " tallie"' (says the Biisbane Couriri)i3 one of the latest results of Yankee ingenuity. This is a small and neat insttuinent of nickel silver, about the si/c of an ordinary le\er watch, and can easily be earned in the vest pocket. liy a very simple arrangement, similar to that adopted in an oulinary moveablo calendar, three liguies in the dial plate can be set at /vio — namely, 000. By passing the thumb thiough a ring the instrument is , sceuiely afh*cd to the right and left h and, as the cisc may be ; and by touching a spring with the index tingei, the figures on the dial plate are moved foiward at each touch of the spring np to 0!)'). In the ordinary mode of counting t,heep, the persons counting, as the sheep run through the gate, calls " tallie" at each bundled, and at eacli call au attendant cuts a notch in a stick. Vaiious modes of keeping " tallie" in the absence of an assistant have been adopted, such ax passing small stones fiom one hand to another, &c., but with tins instrument in hand the person counting can correctly registoi his own tallies. Breedeis of pii/e fowls will be glad to learn that by the ship Wave Queen, which aimed from London on Saturday, a number of valuable birds were imported. Those who have recognised the fact that in bleeding i-> beginning to tell on our stock of prize poultry, will appreciate the impoitance of getting new strains. Mr Level sedge has iceeived a pair of pii/e game, Mr I&itt a pair of Langshan cockiels from the Rev. Danes, cup winner at the Crystal Palace. Mr Isitt also impoited for Mr J. Mather, rise silver giey doi kings and a Rouen diake ; and Mr C. Deal had four valuable canaries shipped, but unfoitunately only one reached its destination.

The Tradk oy Cochin-chin v.— The Undcr-S°cretary in the French Muustiy of Marine and the Colonies has sent to the Presidents of the Chambers of Coinmcice a tabular statement as to the trade of Cochiu-China for the year ISB3. Accouhnt: to these returns the total amount of the tiade was Lti,334,73r>, as against only U,SS ( J,aS'> in 1877 and L2,H'»,7K> in 1S()7. The nunibor of vusscli which cnteicd the port ot Saigon was 2902, with a total tonnage of (i9S,IK>4O and of these 212 were Kngliah, 17-1 Ficnch, and !)!) (jrerman. The number of vessels which left the port was 208G, with total of 60."3,747 tons burden. The tonnage of the English vessels was 22<J,000 as against 20.">,000 tons Fiench. Theie were al->o 148 u Aunatnitc baujuea, witli a burden of 28,371 tons, which entered the poit timing the jcai. The impoits from Fiance into the colony weie of about L.'J60,000 value, and the cxpoits to France from the colony were LGO.OOO. Hardly any trade was done between Cochin China and the other French colonk'S, but the imports of foreign goods wern of about L 2,500,000 \alue, and three sevenths of these were earned in French bottoms. The exports are estimated at L 3,200,000. The piincip.il imports into the colony were preserved meats and wine, cement, coal, ropes, ironmongery, maciiineiy, flour, tobacco, and Fans goods, while the chief exports are rice, pepper, skins, silk and and fiSh fat. Nearly all the silk and sugir imported into the colony comes from China and Java ; but the Freneli do a very good trade in cotton stuffs. lMarsoilles is the chief French port which does the most trade with Cochin China, which has scarcely any direct business relations with the Spanish and Dutch possessions of Imlo China, most of the trade being done through,houses at Singapore.

Tub ShCRhT of the Gkkvan Coi-ovi-sation MovfcMKNT.— The total number of immigrants into the United States md Canada in ISS3 was 603,322. as compared with 318,392 las>t year. Of these it is significant that Germany has despatched a laiger pioportion than any other country. In an interesting address at the Royal School of Mines, Sir Rawson \Y. Rawson laid before the .Statistical Society some figures which piovc that Germany during the jcars ISSI 83 lias sent fortli one-thud more emigrants than the United Kingdom itself. Tins tact explains the desire of I'iinco Bismarck to plant the German flag over territory in Western Afric.i and elsewhere not yet appropii.v ted by cnilisation. Germany in the future will be far moie active than she has been in the past in colonisation, and a sepaiate department of the administiation in Berlin is to be exclusively devoted to the colonies, which have hitherto been looked after by the Foreign Office. The subjects of the Empcior William aic settled under every flag in every quarter of the world, and it is but natural that the Chancellor of the Fathctland should wisli to find some spot \\ here they could colonise and atill remain an integral portion of the Empire.

MIMTAKY ShTTLhKS TOR Sot'TU AhKicv.— Colonel Wanen'.s command is partly made up of Volunteers. When the announcement was. made that Volunteers were wanted, the leeruitmg agent was inundated with applications from men who evidently had no feir of the deadly shooting of the Boers. Giv.it caie \\ci3 oxeicised in the .selection. The troopeis are mostly composed of fanners' sons and the younger members of good families, especially in It eland, with a large lea vea of old cavalry men. They are to be armed with a rifle and revolver, and provided with horses upon landing. Their engagement is only for one year, but it is intended to settle them by degrees on grants of land along and within the south Hechuana country. They will, in fact, form an advanced military colony, and Uocr agrcssion may enjoy less favourable opportunities in futiue. ]]y this plan England is also on the road to solve the problem of rinding employment for many stout arms debarred from their regular sen lie in the days of examination.

' l Jli:y/rii Hints." — An American editor has been giving his readers some valuable " Health Hints." Here are a few samples :— Don't shake a hornet's nest to sec if any of the family aie at home. Don't try to take the right ofway from an express train nt a railroad crossing. Don't hold a wasp by the other end while you thaw it out in front of n stove to see if it is alive. It is generally alive. Don't try to persuade a bull dog to give up a yard of which it is in pos^esfeion. Possession to a bull-dog is ten points of the law. Don't go to bed with your boots on. This is one of the most unticalthly practices that a man, especially a matried man, can be addicted to Don't call a very largo, strong, sinewy man a prevai icator. If your are sure he is a prevai icator, hire another man to break the news to him. Yes ! It is certainly true. Ask any of your friends who have purchased theie. (1 irlw 1> ami Cr.imvWl have nnmerntM ninst> ( il for .md very f,i\our.ibli' roinnienrj.itifm-. I rum country cust rncrs on their excellent pll Kinir o( Furniture, Crocker), .mil Cil.iss, JU-. Lidiei .n,,l ?cntlenien about to furnMi should nmember th.it Oarlirk and Criiiwell's n iiik Clv ip KurniOnnu Warehouse ol Aurklitid. lu'riMlnro f» <;iiif .ill ( 1,-i^<'< ; „),„ C.irpcti, Moor Chilli's and all House Ne< i . sines If \our np't house it nonrlv fini lu-d, or, ><m ii<- (rmiiK to get married, \isit fi.irlirk md Cranwell, Quren-strcet and Loinr-«t-eot, Am Inland. Intrnding pun hnvn ran have i ( atrJogne ton frrf.