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Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2542, 25 October 1888, Page 2

District Judge Seth Smith, of Auckland, U about to be removed to Christchurch. Violent shocks of earthquake were experienced on Tuesday at places betweoii Nauier, Christcuurcli and the West Coast. iS r o damage has been reported. Several " plants " for manufacturing farina are said to be on their way out from England, and it is declared that New Zealand will soon be making her own starch, groats, pearl barley, and so forth. Among recent applications for patents in New Zealand are two by Thomas Alva J'idison, who applies for patents for improvements in phonographs and phonograms, and for improvement* in phonogram blanks and processes fur making the same. Mr Newrick, photographer, has a capital show of local scenes and groups taken by him, which can be seen in the shop window adjoining Mr PnnneU's stationer's shop in Hamilton. They are very creditable to Mr Newnck's skill as an artist. Lieutenant Ellis, of the Salvation Army, who has been transferred to Onehunga, left Hamilton on Tuesday morning, and was accompanied to the railway station by a number of "soldiers" and other friends, who saw him off. During his stay in Hamilton Lieut. Ellts proved himself earnest and hard-working in the cause he was attached to, and made many friends. A mirage of surpassing distinctness was visible off the Timaru coast si few days ago. The appearance almost baffled description. Extending far out to seo a number of beautiful terraces were discernable, giving an impression the famed pink and white terraces of Rotomabana had been transferred to the South Island, Beyond these again were shadows of hills and undulations, while behind the terraces an extensive lake seemed to lie in perfect stillness. Our Whatawhata correspondent writes:—Much regret is felt at the death of Mr \V. Salmon, who for many years carried on gardening and farming operations among us. The deceased wae greatly respected, and was an honourable and straight-forward man in all his dealings, and a staunch believer and exponent of that principle (in which, alas, so many of us fall short) namely, "cash payments." Mr Salmon will also be remembered aa the possessor of matured wit and humour, which, while it amused everybody, stung Hone. An Oamaru farmer writes to the Mail, complaining of the difficulty of getting correct information as to the ruling market rates of farm produce, particularly instancing grain. He says " that whenever grain was going up in the market, in the papers it was going down, or just holding its own, and when it was going down, in the papers it was going up, but there were no buyers." To remedy this state of things, the correspondent makes an excellent suggestion, to the effect that the Farmer's Club should issue a weekly report of the sales of produce effected by its members. Similar complaints have been made tn us by farmers in this district, and we would draw the attention of the newly-forrnod Waikato Fanner's Association to the valuable suggestion made by this Oamaru farmer.

Mr Arthur Clayden, writing to a Nelson resident, moralises as follows :■—" It is somewhat significant that simultaneously with a growing passion for amusements in New Zealand today we find a decay of political spirit—or rather, I would Hay, a deterioration of political spirit—accentuated by the history of the last session of Parliament. A consensus of opinion among the leaders of the Press points to the proceedings of tht House of Representatives as simply beneath contempt. So has it ever been in the world's history; frivolity and decay have gone hand in hand. When we waut the inspiration of moral heroism, when we seek the pastes of British history to have our pride in onr country inflamed, we instinctively turn to the period of the Commonwealth, when Cromwell ruled the land and Milton framed its laws; and when we need the correcting bitter herb, when we turn to histoiy to learn our folly and degradation, we have but to glance at the infamous era of the Restoration —' those days, , to use the eloquent words of Macaulay, ' never to be recalled without a blush, the days of servitude without loyalty, and sensuality without love, of dwarfish talente and gigantic vices, the paradise of eold hearts and narrow minds, the golden age at the coward, the bigot, and the slave,"

The old. man, Joseph Maxwell, who was lately discovered in his whare at Te Mata in a neglected and starving condition, was admitted into the Waikato Hospital yesterday. His case is regarded as a hopless one, as the poor man.is sufferfrom galloping consumption. We are pleased to announce that Messrs Reynolds and Co. have added another butter factory to those already under their control, as they have taken over the Pukekohe one, which is capable of treating 1000 gallons of milk per day. This will make the sixth factory that Reynolds and Co. are working, having previously acquired the Newstead, Pukekura, Pukeriinu, Te Awaimitu and l'aterangi. It is rumoured that should it not prove practicable to obtain a Chief Railway Commissioner from Great Britain, the Board will be constituted as follows :—Mr Edward Richardson, M.H.R., Chief Commissioner, with a salary of £1,200 or t'1,500; Mr J. Maxwell, the present General Manager; Mr C. Y. O'Conner, Secretary of Public Works. The assistant Commissioners' salaries would be £1000 each, but nothing authentic is, of course, obtained as yet. It is further rumoured that Mr Maxwell is willing to serve under an English Chief Commissioner of repute, but not under anyone appointed in the colony.—Star Correspondent. Some few years ago a gentleman living at Kopua imported a case of plants from India. The pots were packed in dry weeds, which were thrown out. In the process of time the seeds of it grew, and have spread so rapidly that the Indian weed, as it is called, has now reached along the railway line nearly to Ormondvillc, and also down towards Tnkapau in the opposite direction. It resembles lucerne in appearance. Pigs, sheep and cattle will eat it, and become intoxicated fruni its effects; they will then tumble and roll about in a strange fashion, but they do not die from it. The. butter made from the cream of cows that have eaten of it has a peculiar, sourish, bitter flavour that does not improve its saloability. Pigs that eat it get tipsy and fat, and it has the efFect of causing scabs to break out ail over them, which are very dilbcult to heal. Working bullocks under its influence will not pay attention to tho whip, and remain for a considerable time in a seini-soimiolent condition, but after that is over they seem to be as well as ever. The Indian hawkers who have seen it growing know the plant well, and say that it is very poisonous; nevertheless they collect it as a medicine, and say that it U a cure or preventative of hydrophobia and other diseases. We have a sample of it left at our office, and should be glad to know its botanical name, if any of our readers would kindly enlighten us on the subject. It may possibly be worth reporting on, for the plants seem to grow as rank and rapidly as sorrel, and the roots are even more numerous.— Napier News.