THE FARMER

AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. “ THE AGE ;;: f .TURALIST.” , Part i. At a .mee ting of the Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club, .this following paper having the above title, was read by Mr. w. Bateman, of Christchurch,:^-.. 1 propose to give you .in idea of the vast incJieaso in agricultural-wealth,,arising from the demands of a,prosperous people; and iopUftNK.. that, beyond your own ini-, mediatqraarketgj the great outlet for your produce jtill be the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Also, that in your calling as tillejNofthe;Boil, you will have com-, potitofs. whose- resources, are almost. imr measureable, and that, as a matter of sound - public policy, it . would be. utter folly ftjf yoq attempt to. create artificial consumers:/or.the food that you may pro-; duce. 'I shall also endeavor to show— to enalflsyou, to hold your own,- as j>ro- x ou jtiave in this colony, all that isyjoatprally desired by agricultural ists, and-, i that sucqqss . must attenji. your labors, providing, there mamme ment, strict;economy,; and an .efficient Go vernment) the. latter being of. paramount importance, and its maintaining in a great measure, heingin your, own hands. One of the most important functions of a good Go vernment, jp t« take care that there shall be no.hindrance, tp;the people supplying themselves with the first necessaries of life, such as food and clothing, and that they have at their disposal all the ordinary requisites necessary to secure the per manence ofthqir various trades and call ings. y dftorder that this desideratum may he broqghtaLbout, and tjmttherebeairea ex changeof commodities between you and the countries youdeal,with—(excepting all such articles as you : cannot possibly produce as cheaply as you can import, for on such only should there .be a duty for revenue and Government; purposes)—-there should a strict §nd sound policy adhered to. Great Britain, as you well know, is for its sijta.jtbe .most, prolific country in ; the world*?l»d ~1, therefore, with your per mission, propose to place before you in ||his paper, ;a few particulars, which I trust may npt only be interesting to you but aloft iMtpmlgye, : t!WTiat. Imean, to convey by being instructive is, that. the solid matters oLfact which I shall refer to will I trust eet in motion your power of think ing, faa,. from • the flue and calm considera tion r of,/the,mind»< good is- generally ex pected .to flow.

EXTENT OK. GREAT BRITAIN, AND PRC POR TIONS OF THE VARIOUS CHOPS AND LIVE ■ , . STOCK. RETURNS. . .

-Tha-.totaii axfent of the United King dom . Jt- ?6J|s«ooo.. apres,, of which 26.300.000. are in .fountain pasture and ■wastel and 50,000,000 in crops, meadows, permanent pasture and woods and forests. Of the crops one fourth is in various kinds of corny oue..eighth in green crops, ope eighth?in grass,;,under rotation, and one. half in meadows and permanentpasture. About .a. thirtieth of the whole surface of the United , Kingdom is in woods and forests. These proportions show the pre vailing system of,,husbandry, and reveal the cause of ita increasing productiveness. Three;, fourtha:, of the whole are green crops,; whidi. feed and clean ; or grass, whidh, tests and maintains. The remain ing ,-fpUrth is corn. This, preponderance of restorative ever exhaustive crops greatly exceed* that of .any other country, and is .verjfjmuch due,to, tike climate. Thai extent, of land .under .various crops in (Kingdom in .1877 was—in : wheat; >3,32l,WO acres '; barley, .2,652,000 acres,i.foate, acres; potatoes, 1.393.000. lucres; other green crops, j3;566yG00; acres; flax, 130,000 acres; hops^7o,ooo acres ; bare fallow, 633,000 acres)> grass,,.under rotation, 6,441,000 Cores-; I permanent pasture, 24,000,000 acres: mountain pastimes and •wastes);, woods and plantations, 2,511,000 idreSiKThattumber of live stock of various kihdsin 1877 was—-of horses, 2,834,000 ; bittlOy 9,093,000; sheep, 32,157,000; piga,3,904,000. : :

VALUfiOF CEREAL, AND ANIMAL FOOD IM ;iii PORTED FPOM ABROAD.

Therjwogreasive increase of foreign sup plies during the .first twenty years is mar vellouar->tho value offoreign cereal .and animal food imported' having risen from £35.000,000 in 1857 to £110,000,000, in 1876. ; The greafcestproportional increase has been in-the > importatitm of animal feodj living animals, fresh and aalt meat, fish, poultry, hutter, and cheese, which in that period, has risen from an animal value 'of' seven to thirty-six. mil lions sterling. More than half, the farb naceous articles imported, other than wheats jure used in: the production of beer and spirits. -, a- <

Thejproportion in which the people of Great Britain aredependant for the prin cipal articles of food on home and foreign supply was; the subject of inquiry in 1868, audiia-papbr was '-read to the Statistical Society matter. At that-time it was 'found that the foreign supply was in the.propoi tion of one fifth of the whole. Ini teiii yeafssince that time, .the importa tion Pf-. meat has more ; than doubled, butter and Cheese have increased nearly one third; wheat more than a third, and otber graux has doubled. More than one foturth-of the total consumption of agricul- is. now obtained from other counmes. > England at present derives from/foreign lands;:not only one half of Mr bread; rtftd one fourth" of her meat and dairy produce; but raust also dependon the foreigner for almost the entire addition thatroay befurtherrequired, by any increase iu her ipojmlation. In the last ten years, there has been no increase in the acreage or-production of corn, and little in that bf-meat.. .The extent of green crops and grass-ihfvsslightly increased, from the dpiible impulse of the rise, in wages and the increasing demand for dairy produce and ;mat. But excluding good lands capable! of being rendered fertile by •drainage, -England appears, from the highest authority upon-British agriculture, to'have approached * point in agricultural production, beyond, which capital can be -otherwise more, profitably expended in thaticounljry,. than in farther attempting ifcdicrfoe poorer class of soils. It is now ascertained beyond; doubt, l&at it is cheapeclfor- her; as a nation, to get the tbe richer lands of America, Sdutherixhßussia,- and the Australasian! cdlofiieß'T M -which, jhappily for us, we fann,.part)-Where- the virgin soil is still -unexhausted; .of,.from the more ancient tigriailtncO Soff.Jtidift, which, with its cheapsadabundafit labor more skilfully ap plipdi-aoAfits means of transport extended, axulbetldmtilisedaeemsdestmed tobecome one of ’the principal sources of the future

supply of com. And, as the carriage t of the chief supply of wheat is from great distances, —California, the Black Sea, India,' and these colonies—the cost of transporting a quantity equal to tbe pro duce of an acre in England, is seldom less than 30s. It is, therefore obvious that this natural protection enjoyed by the British farmer in his proximity to the home market, as compared with the foreign farmer who seeks that market for his pro duce, gives him an advantage equal to about the present average rent of his land, and forma some slight compensation for the higher taxes ami cost of manure which he has to pay, as compared with his competitor in most foreign countries. (To BB CONTINUED )

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves, responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.'

MR STOUT AND THE PROPERTY TAX.

, TO THE EPITOR.

Sir —Mr. Robert Stout’s letter to the “ Otago Daily Times,” on the Property Tax, has appeared in a number of papers, and doubtless will in due course find its way into your columns. May I bo per mitted to, make a few remarks.

Mr. Robert Stout, the ex-legal adviser of the defunct Grey administration, has certainly worked out to a correct issue, thoj four sums .respecting the taxes the hard working settler, the struggling city tradesman, the manufacturer, and the merchant would have to pay, under the proposal made by the present Colonial Treasurer for a Property Tax. One can scarcely imagine a lawyer, above all other professional gentlemen, making such a creditable exposition of knowledge of figures. Mr. Stout certainly understand s working out suppositional sums. He puts the case and .brings out the . results ■ with great aptitude- It is a pity the present olonial Treasurer has not a man of the ex-Crown law adviser’s wonderful calibre, sitting in opposition, for I feel certain, out of a multitude of such heads—some good might naturally be expected to follow. There are, no doubt, many persons to. be found whose pockets will suffer to an ex tent in proportion to their means, as is so masterly propounded by this learned gentleman of the law. But I. must, cer tainly take, exception to the style of the letter I have referred to. There is a cer tain amount of “dirt, throwing” when Mr. Stout says in effect the Conservative Government, as he terms it, has taxed the hard working pioneer settler most out rageously—in fact, done something, one might be led to designate as entirely reprehensible. He has used ,as a com parison one imaginary instance where a tax payer lias been “got at” to the tune of Lll 6s. extra,, and in-another something like L 33 6s. Bd., and in another something likeL636 Bs., minus. L 5 4s, 2d. In the,latter case' the merchant’s position would yearly be worse LSB 2s. 6d. in taxes. Under the Grey and Stout adminis trative policy the merchants in question would have to pay only L 5 4s.- 2d., while under the iniquitous Hall Government he wotdd, with stock, &c.,.valued at L 12,500, be spoiled to the extent of LSB 2s. Cd. extra. Truly, Mr. Stout, the ex-Crown law adviser, ’tis a curious world ! Now, what are the facts ? Government after Government attempted to carry on the management of. New Zealand—Mr. Stout, of course, having a finger, in the pie—until a : state of affairs is arrived at which is . appalling in the extreme. Money has been borrowed, and . expended ,in works of a non-productive kind, until it takes in round .numbers million pounds sterling annually to pay the in terest on. our public debt. Or, to go more into detail, and work out the “rule of three ” sum which never prevail cates in the answer —for the groupd work of my sum I propose to take the population of New Zealand, man, womaq, and child, at 423,465, with. an annual interest of, say, L 1,500,000. The out-come of this is— that every head is fixed for interest alone at the rate of L 3 10s. 10,d- Our estimated expenditure is put at L 4,013,078, .or L 9 15s. Bd. per head. This is the state the so called “ Liberal” people’s Govern-; ment have frorii time to time financed the country into. ... .... The following comparisons will show the utter mess, the amateur politicians have steered the country into. , Of course. Mr. Stout will scarcely have, the hardihood to say he was not for a time one of the able conductors of the New Zealand form of Government. It is to, be;,hoped we shall hear less of the actions of those (I mean the present Ministry) wflq ran out of power Sir George Grey and his fol lowers. This is the statement-

Name of Revenue Rate pei Colony. for 1878. head. £ £ £ s- <»• N. S. Wales 677,979 4.983.864 7 5 6 Victoria 869,040 4,504,413 538 S. Australia 243.253 *.592,635 6 4 4 Queensland 206,797 1.559."* 7 10 9 Tasmania 108,525 386,060., 311 2 W. Australia 28,002 163,344 517 o

Total 2,133,596 13,189,427 646 New Zealand 423,465 4 013,078 915 8 The first six named colonies, with a total population of 2,133,696, have a public debt of 144,898,200 while our liberally-governed New Zealand, with only a population of 423,465, or less than one fifth has a public debt, incurred and to be asked for, amounting to L 27,112,304. For' the sake, of convenience say L 27,000,000. I have to go back to this branch of my education—computation— as I wish to show the number of people we should have, in comparing our indebted ness with the other six colonies, ■ based upon population. I think Mr. Stout will agree with me that the following will bring it out: —As 144,898,200 : 2,133,595 :; L 27,000,000 : 1,283,000, It is clear, then, to place ns in the same position as the six colonies/our population should be 1,283,000, or about ihree people to where there is now one. It is therefore a fact the handful of people in New Zealand are doing this-'—one man has State obligations to three times the toxtent of our neighbors. This is the correct solution of my sum. At the same time it is quite possible that the immaculate late member fcr Dunedin may endeavor to twist it differently. It is true Now Zealand is bv far the heaviest burdened of any of the colonies. The public debt of the six colonies there named is t/20 13s B£d per head, while New Zealand stands with a public debt of L 27,000,000 or L 63 14s B|d per head, or over three times that of our neighb ws.

The money raised in the neighboring colonies for governing purposes is L 6 4s.

6d. per head ; in New Zealand it is L 9 15a. 3cl. per head. Again the public debt is only L2O 13s. Sid per head, while that of New Zealand is the modest sum of L 63 14s. Bkl. per head. These facta are not pleasant. They should be a signal of caution for the stake holders in New Zealand to take care that none but re sponsible men should go to Parliament. The cry is to re-arrange the electoral division, for universal suffrage, and such nonsense, instead of keeping the over loaded ship from running ashore. South Australia, with a population of 243,253, has a revenue of LI ,502,635, while her public debt is only L 5.329,600..329,600. Her exports are L 6,355,021. New Zea lands pays an annual interest on borrowed money of about the same amount as South Australia’s revenue.

Outjof onr public debt of L27,000,0g0, onr exports are only L 6,015,525. South Australia’s exports are L 22 O.s. 3jd. per head,' while those of New Zealand are only Ll'4 4s. 14d. per head. These results are specially dedicated for the information of Mr. Stout.—l enclose you my card, I am, &c., P. C. N. [We publish Mr. Stout’s letter in another column.—Ed.]

WIRE WORMS.

To tub Editor. Sir, —l noticed in yonr paper, that some friend advised you to place two or three sea gulls in your garden, to catch wire worms. No doubt they would do good, but I think such advice is scarcely worth mentioning. Having also suffered in cab bages and French beans from wire worms, I venture to say if soot or quick-lime is placed around the plants, you will find the plantsarenot molestedanymore this season by worms. But to avoid worms another year, strew a good layer of quick-lime till over the garden in the coming winter, and dig in in early spring. It will kill the worms and other insects that are found in a vegetable garden. This remedy is very common in the Old Country ; ii is a good manure, it purifies the ground, potatoes turn out very bright and clean. I have placed lime around my own vegetables where the havoc has been very great, and I can say the results are very satisfactory. —I am &c., A Poor Worm. Deo. 4th, 1879.

HOLIDAYS.

To the Editor. Sir, —Yonr Tuesday’s issue stated that it was intended to ask the Mayor to pro claim a half holiday on the occcasio n of the laying of the foundation stone of the Masonic Hall. I presume this is but a joke. As a rule, colonists are ever ready for recreation, but to call upon a whole town to give undue prominence to every ceremony, service, or tea-meeting that comes off out of respect to a Mayor’s re quest savours so much of an impudence that no good citizen would hardly desire to be credited with. Should such a request be presented to the Mayor, I, for one, hope he will display his good sense by refusing it, and let all such matters stand on their own merits. Fancy the Wesleyans asking for a half holiday for their tea meeting on the 10th !-Yours, Ac., Townsman. Dec. 4, 1879.

THE WAKANUI ROAD BOARD.

I : The usual monthly meeting was held .it the Office bn Thursday.' Present—Messrs. H. T. Winter (Chairman), E. Saunders, Hugo Friedlander, and D. Wilson. correspondence. 'Correspondence was read from residents in Trevorton, asking that both footpaths be, formed on the Beach road through Trevorton. Refresh survey of.a road near Ken nedy’s. The Chief Surveyor wrote that his department could not undertake to re-survey sections where the pegs had been removed through carelessness by owners of sections, and the Secretary was instructed to inform Mrs. Gibson that the . pegs required to be put in by an authorised surveyor. . _ From the Bank of New Zealand, stating ■ that the amount of £704 15s 4d had been paid into the credit of the Ashburton Road Board, and had been divided as follows : —Wakanui Road Board, £361 13s Id ; Long Beach Board, £39!) 2s 3d. ’ A petition was read. from Mr. John Lambie and 14 others, asking for a road to bo formed from Mr. Murdock Bruce’s gate to the Rakaia boundary road. To be reported on. STORM-WATER, From the County Council requesting the Board to assist them in preventing obstructions being placed across natural water courses. COUNTY COUNCn. OFFICE. A notice was sent by the County Coun cil that they would not require the Board’s offices after the present month. THE SUBSIDIES. Messrs. Bullock and- R. Friedlander ■waited upon thq Board as a deputation from the Borough . re their share of the subsidy lately paid by Government, and pointed out, that the sum of £Bl 19s. was due to the Borough from the subsidy. Mr. Hugo Friedlander pointed out that the Government had only paid half the subsidy and suggested paying the share due by the Board. This was agreed to, and the balance was referred to the Longheach Board. eeadley’s drain. Frojn John Corbett and others, point ing out that unless the drains on Leadley’s road were let and . completed before harvest, should wet weather come on their crops would be irretrievably damaged. . It was resolved that John Black’s ten der for No. 1 drain at £365 1 Os be ac cepted, and for No. 2 section, P. Stewart at £92 Bs. MISSOELI/A neous. Mr. P. Innes applied for the road leading to his place to be formed. It was pointed out that this road gave access to no one but Mr Innes, and the Board re solved that the surveyor report on the matter. It was resolved that no work be let or business transacted except at ordinary or special meetings of the Board. The Surveyox-’s report was read and adopted. TENDERS. The Board resolved to call for tenders for formation of the Seaside road, and a drain on the boundary of AVilson and Fitzgerald's sections on the Beach road, and the Overseer was instructed to give notide to land holders re cutting gorse ofl roads on their frontages. The applica

tion for formation of Denihay’s road was j refused. Tenders were accepted for—Smith’s road, Arthur O’Neil, formation, 5s per chain ; shingling, Is Id per yard. Collecting rates, James Vvi’kic, 5 per cent, also to act as collector of Dog Tax at 10 per cent. NEW KITE FOI; OFFICES. The Chairman pointed out that accord ing to law they could not. hold theif annual meeting in the township, and proposed that the election take place at the Wakanui school on Wednesday, January 7th, 1880, and three new members will have to be elected in place of Messrs. E. Saunders and Joseph Hunt, who retire by rotation, and Mr. David Wilson, who resigns. A number of accounts were passed for payment, and the Board adjourned.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

(Before Mr. F. Guinness, R.M.) Friday, December 5. A case of alleged assault was withdrawn, an apology having been made by defen dant. CIVIL CASES. Reid v. Gorsbie.—Claim L 95 IDs. 4d. Plaintiff was nonsuited with costs. Ford v. Bluett. Claim LSO. Mr. Branson for plaintiff, Mr. Ireland for defendant. William Ford, sworn, stated ho had a farm near Chertsey last year. Mr. Bluett sold a lot of horses and farming stock in April last, by instructions from me. I had at that time a ploughing contract from Mr. Wood, and ’he was instructed to sell my interest in this contract among other things, and it was sold for LSO to Mr. ChisnalL lam credited with LSO in the account sales for it. I never authorised Mr. Bluett to refund the LSO to anyone.. The account sales were forwarded to me about a month jifter the sale. The other moneys were handed over to Messrs. Jameson Bros, to pay for a debt due by mo to them.

Cross examined by Mr. Ireland—My contract with Mr. Wood was to plough 250 acres at Dromore. I instructed Mr. Bluett myself to sell this contract. The bill of sale to Jameson did not include this contract. I gave an order to Jameson Bros, for LSO on Mr. Wood before the sale. I don’t know why the LSO was not paid. I did not finish the con tract myself. I stopped ploughing in December, and received no money from Mr. Wood. I did not get hia consent to allow anyone, else to do the work. Kc-examined by Mr. Branson—Had Chisnall been allowed to finish the con tract he would have made a profit on the £SO he paid me. For the defence Mr. Ireland pointed out that there had been no money re ceived for this contract, and called W. J. G. Bluett, who deposed that he had been employed by Jameson Bros, to sell Ford’s estate. Did not know Ford in the matter. Ford asked me about a month afterwards to render him an account, which I did. The original account sales were rendered in Jameson Bros.’ name.

The magistrate pointed out that the document put in by plaintiff was made out in Ford’s name, and he was compelled to accept that as legal evidence. Mr. Bluett continued—My firm took an acceptance from Chisnall, but subse quently refunded the amount. The money was handed back because Wood considered the contract had been broken. Cross-examined by Mr. Branson— Jameson Bros, wrote to us, asking us to sell Ford’s goods. Ford also wrote to me to the same effect. Both parties were present at the sale. Mr George Jameson told me to sell the contract. I only sent the account sales to Ford as a favor. Can’ t say whether the advertisement was in Jameson’s name.

James. Wood, sworn—Knew the plain tiff Ford. Let him a contract for plough ing. His Worship pointed out that lie could not see how this evidence could affect the case.

George Jameson, merchant, sworn— Held a' bill of sale over Ford’s property. Our firm and Ford both instructed Messrs. Bluett and Co. to sell the goods. The proceeds were to be handed to us., .The sale of the contract was an afterthought at the sale, i held an order from Ford to draw the money from Mr. Wood, who was to pay when the contract was completed. Don’t think our name appeared in the ad vertisement of the sale. The contract was not included in our bill of sale. Ford is not now in our debt. Mr. Ireland re-capitulated the evidence, showing that Ford had handed everything to Jameson Bros., and when, after the sale, it was discovered that the contract, was worthless, the money had been paid back to the purchaser- Mr. Branson said that the admissions made by both Jameson and Bluett, that they understood, the instructions were given by Ford, proved it was 1* ord to whom the auctioneers wore indebted.

His Worship considered the case turned upon the question of who gave authority to sell, and lie-was of opinion that, the plaintiff was the individual who instructed the auctioneers, and gave judgment for the amount claimed with costs. Mr. Ireland gave notice of appeal, and. requested the Magistrate to state a .case. His Worship said he bated his judg ment on the fact that instructions to sell the contract had been given by the plain tiff, and no authority had been given by him to pay the moneys away to any other party than himself. The Court then rose.

SPORTING.

EE ORANOE PEEL. The following letter has been handed to us for publication : Christchurch, December 3, 1879. J. Wilkie, Esq., Secretary Ashburton Racing Club. Dear Sir, —Your letter in reference to Orange Peel was considered by the Com mittee of the C. J.C. this afternoon, and I am instructed to inform you that the nomination of Orange peel was informal, and the horse" therefore should he dis qualified. ' Yours very faithfully, Feed Digby, Sec., O.J.C. The following horses will therefore he the winners in the events in which Orange Peel came in first: — Ladies Purse, 25 sovs.—Mr. Ander son’s Tam o’ Shanter. Fanner’s Plate of £lo—Mr. Herrick’s Merlin. Tradesman’s Handicap, £20 —Mr. Her rick’s Merlin.

THE INTERIOR OF THE EARTH.

No. IY. By Rev. B. J. Westbiiooke. The most conclusive evidence of the rigid state of the earth’s interior is that of the earth’s movements, known as pre cession and nutation—the former a kind of rolling motion, the latter an oscillatory swinging. These movements are caused by the force of gravitation. The laws of this mighty and wide spread force are now pretty well understood—thanks to the acumen and patience of such men as Kepler, Newton, and Cavendish. Three of these recognised principles it will be to my purpose to give. They are : Firstly—The laws of gravitation are universal. Secondly—These laws are com mon to all kinds of matter. And thirdly ' —every particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force proportional directly to the product of the numbers re presenting their masses, ami inversely to the square of the distance separating one from the other. It must not be supposed that these are tho only laws, or, indeed, the most ynporfcant laws of gravitation. They are simply given here as apropos to what follows.

The more the laws of gravity are studied, in their relation to physiography, the more clearly do we see the truth of the statement, that “In the whole realm of Physics there is no such thing as rest.” The ether of space is continually quivering with countless undulatory rays of light; the molecules of matter ceaselessly whirl ing and dancing with the vibrations of heat ; planets ever rolling in the majesty of subdued light; and suns cease not to swing in orbits, to the human mind, quite infinite ; while comets come leaping up, with increasing swiftness, from the pro found depth of space, salute their suns, and then plunge hack with decreasing velocity to the unexplored regions whence they came. And yet the laws of gravity demonstrate that from the smallest meteor that for a moment lights our sky, to the most distant star, all are so pulling and swaying each other that the student of astronomy is almost overwhelmed with the mighty signs of perpetual unrest; and his feelings find the relief of sympathy as he rehearses the following noble transla tion of Jean Paul’s words, by De Quincy ; “ God called up from dreams a man into heaven, saying, “Come up hither and observe the piety of my house.” And to the servant standing round His throne, He said, “Take and undress him from his robes of flesh ; cleanse his vision, and put a new breath into his nostrils, only touch not with any change hiS human heart—the heart that weeps and trembles.” It was done ; and with a nvrditv angel for his guide the man stood ready for his infinite voyage; and. from the terraces of heaven, without sound or farewell, at once thev wheeled away into endless space. Sometimes with the solemn flight of angel-wing they fled through Zaarrahs of darkness—through deserts of death that divided the worlds of life ; some times they swept oyer frontiers where new worlds were being formed from chaotic matter. Then, from a distance which could be counted only in heaven, light dawned fora time through a sleepy film ; by unutterable pace the light swept to them, they by unutterable pace to the light. In a moment the rushing of worlds was upon them ; in a moment the blazingof suns was around them.

“Then came eternities of twilight that re vealed but were not revealed. On the right hand and on the left towered mighty constel lations. . . • Without measure were the architraves,, past number were the archways, beyond memory the gates. Within were stairs that scaled the eternities below: above was below, below 'was above, to the man snipped of gravitating body; depth was swallowed up in height'insurmountable, height was Swallowed up in depth unfathomable. Suddenly as they rode from infinite to infinite suddenly, as they tilted over abyssmal worlds —a- mighty cry arose that systems more mysterious, that worlds more billowy, other heights and other depths were coming, were nearing, were at hand. “ Then the man sighed, stopped, shuddered, and wept. ‘Angel,’ said he, as his overladen heart uttered itself in tears, ‘ I will go no farther, for the spirit of man acheth with this infinity. Insufferable is the glory of God Let me lie down in the narrow grave, and hide from the persecution of the infinite ; for end 1 see there is none.’ And from all the listening stars that shone around issued a choral voice, ‘The man speaks truly; end there is none that ever yet we heard of.’ ‘ End is there none ?’ the angel solemnly demanded ; ‘is there indeed no end !—and is this the sorrow that ki’ls you ? ’ But no voice answered, that he himself might answer. Then the angel threw up his glorious hands to the heaven of heavens, saying, ‘ End there is none to the universe of God. Lo ! also there is no b’egin ing.’” Those who have even only a slight, ac quaintance with these studies will be will mg to forgive this digression.

But to return to the argument from precession and nutation. As the sun, moon, and planets, in their apparent movements round the earth, do not circle the earth in the plain of her equator, they obtain a kind of purchase upon the equatorial protuberance—already described at length in No. ll.—the effect of which is, by their sideway, or angularat:rac ti on. to tilt it slightly, and so cause the axis of the earth to rotate about the pole of the ecliptic -with a circular motion. This is very simply described by Norman Lockver in his elementary lessons in astronomy. I will give his words. “Let the equatorial protuberance of the earth bo represented by a ring, supported by two points at the extremities of a dia meter, and inclined to its support as tho earth’s equator k is inclined to the eliptic.

Let a long string bo attached to the highest portion of the ring, and let the string be pulled horizontally, at right angles to the two points of suspension, and away from the centre of the ring. This pull will represent the sun’s attrac tion on the protuberance. The effect on the ring will be that it will at once take up a horizontal position ; tho highest part of the ring will fall as if it were pulled from below, the lowest part will rise as if pulled from above. “ The sun’s attraction on the equatorial protuberance in certain parts of the orbit is exactly similar to the action of the string on the ring, but the problem is complicated by the two motions of the earth.” The north end of the earth’s axis is at present directed very nearly towards the polo star ; the smith end, of course, to that point of the heavens known as the southern point. If the earth’s axis were stationary, the above points would con tinue to lie in the direction of a continua tion of her axis. But, owing to the force of gravity exerted by the other members of this system, tho pole of the heavens describes a circle which it would take 25,308 years to complete. Besides this circular motion of the earth’s axis, caused by the sun, moon, and planets, as a whole there is superadded another movement, the effect of the attraction of the moon alone, and making the line, which describes the rotation of the earth’s axis about the pole of the eliptic, an undulatory one. This undulatory oscillation is called nutation.

So long ago as 1839, Hopkins showed that a shell of 100 miles in thickness would not permit these motions to take place as they do. And Sir William Thomson has so developed the theory of Hopkins, that it is now thought by many to be absolutely set at rest. Thomson’s argument is, that if the earth were not rigid it would modify its shape, instead of showing these varia tions in its axial revolutions. He points out that if the crust were of solid steel, 500 miles thick, it would yield to the attractions of sun and moon almost as readily as if it were indiarubber. The earth would thus be distorted in figure. It would heap up under the moon like the waters of the sea, which it would carry with it, and thus nullify the tides by pre venting any relative change of level be tween land, and and water.

He also shows that the “ equilibrium of the crust would be unstable. The secular cooling causes upheavals and depressions, and any portion of the crust rent from its continuity with the rest would behave like a ship that has been rammed, one portion would rise up, another would sink down, and then all would go down tor gather. Thus, the crust would not main tain its integrity, but would inevitably shatter and sink piecemeal through the lighter lava,to build up a solid framework from below.”

The Property Tax.

The following letter appears in the “Otago Daily Times” : Sir, — I am not surprised at the Colonial Treasurer’s proposals for a property tax. The New Zealand Conservatives did not like the land tax. They had no desire to see the State reap any benefit from the unearned increase in the value of land. In 1878 they strove hard to get- what they termed the American all-round-system of taxation introduced This the Liberals resisted, but the Tory party having ob tained the ascendancy, of course the Land Tax Act must be repealed. This is ostensibly done in the interests of the “ hard-working pioneer settler” and the “ struggling city tradesman.” Now, 1 wish to point out what this pro perty tax means, and I shall first show how it affects the class named by the Treasurer as the “ HARD-WORKING PIONEER SETTLERS.” At present the settler pays one half penny in the pound on the value to sell of his land, minus £SOO, and minus all im provements. In order to encourage him the present Tory Ministry propose to charge him one penny in the pound on the total value to sell of his land,, and also one penny on the total value of all his property, minus £3OO worth. Let me take a case. A settler has 300 acres of land worth £5 per acre, excluding improve ments £1.600 in all. Under the Land Tax Act he pays id on £I,OOO, or £2 Is. Bd. Under the proposed property tax, he has to pay at least double that amount for his land ; but that is' not all. He has to pay a tax on all his realised personal property as well. Suppose his improvements, including house, bam, stable, and farm buildings (£500), im provements on farm, ploughed and sown land, fencing, ditching, &c. (£1,000), are together £1,500— that would make his land, with improvements, £lO per acre, £3oooin all. Buthe has other personal pro perty—viz., sheep, cattle, pigs, and farm implements, furniture and machinery, on a low estimate another £SOO worth of property ; and he believes in the 1 auline maxim, “ Owe no man anything,” and has no debts ; then he would have to pay on £3500 minus £3oo—that is, on £3200, and this at a penny amounts to £l3 6s. Bd. The net gain (!) to him is an extra tax of £ll ss. ! ! This is the aid the Conserva tive Government grants to the “ hard working pioneer settler.” Now let me see how it affects the

“ STEUGGLING CITY TRADESMEN. I first suppose he is the freeholder of his city frontage, and I assume that ho has his building in Dunedin in oneof the beat posi tions. The result will be that he will have say, 83ft. frontage,at value of £7O or £IOO per foot. This is, I believe, the highest. Suppose it is £7O, then he pays a halfpenny on £2,310 minus £SOO = £lBlO, which means a tax under the present Land Tax Act of £3 15s. sd. 13ut then the Conser vatives are anxious to help the struggling city tradesmen, and therefore he must pay a tax on all his property. This consists of his lands, his buildings, his furniture, and stoeb. Suppose his buildings cost him £1,500, his furniture and stock another £1,500. lam taking a struggling city tradesman, but also one who has obeyed the apostolic maxim of not getting into debt. He will be helped by being asked to pay, insead of £3 15s. 5d., the sum of £2O 17s. Cd. • How fervently must ho thank the Conservative Government for such help ? And now I leave the two classes who were so grievously burdened under the Land Tax Act —“The hard-working pioneer settler ” and the struggling city tradesman ” —to their cogitations on the help that is about to be vouchsafed to them ; and I wish to deal with the MANUFACTURE! 1 . How stands it with him 1 Whether we

iSwSRBW are Protectionists or Freetraders we

alike recognize tlie benefits, of .diversiflßP industries. The question may well-he asked, how can we best obtain them. If they are paying industries, all admit we ought to strive for them. How in local industry, then, affected ‘2 I shall take the example of a soapwork. And ,1 again, as sume the soap manufacturer owns the land on which he has his ‘ ‘ works, - ” and that he too is employing his own capital, and is not in debt—or if in debt, that the debts due to him equal the debts.-he owes. I also suppose his land is, worth £3so(l—a fair, if not high value. . On this he pays a tax of a halfpenny on £3OOO, in all £0 Sis. Now what will be have to pay ' under the proposed Property Tax 2 He has buildings ings valued at £3OOO. He has also, gone to considerable expense to import machinery, on which, perhaps, he has paid a Customs’ duty, and this he has valued at £2OOO. Then he has other personal property, namely tallow and manufactured soap, worth at least £IOOO more— (in all these estimates lam taking the estimates of a small soap manufacturing concern); — and he has other personal effects, furni ture, jewellery, &0., worth £3OO ; in all, property worth £9BOO, and o:i this he has to pay £39 11s. Bd., so he is aided (!) by a Conservative Government to the extent of £33 6s. Bd. His thanks will be exceed ingly expressive. And how fares THE MERCHANT ?

He is a necessity in our present social life. He is the distributing machine. Is ho to be exempt 2 or does the Conservative Government look with a favoring eye on him ? First, he has to pay for his land. Let ; me assume he has a store in a good position—the value of the land on which it is built is £3000; At present he pays £5 4s. 2d. Under the fostdring care of a Conservative Govern ment he is, however, called upon to pay a tax on his buildings, and ■ on all his personal property. This means, oh his stock. Again I suppose he is free - from’ debts or rather that the debts . dub ‘ him equal what he owes. His ‘stock is valued at £IO,OOO, and his build at £2500. His contribution to the revenue will therefore be £63 6s. 8d! He also must be pleased that in the late' election he aided to return three gentlemen pledged to turn, out Sir George Grey and have fair and equitable taxation ! ' I have now dealt with the ALL ROUND PROPERTY TAX

as affecting the settler, the tradesman, manufacturer, and merchant.. Efow it affects other classes, and what effect de ducting the “ just debts” due frofri the value of the property will have, I propose to show in another letter. Meantime, in the cup of bitterness that the classes, I have mentioned have to drink, no doubt the fact that the Auckland district is to Ixave another half a million expended, and that the secrecy of the Telegraph Office has been violated, will be drops of sweetness.—lam, &c., Robert Stout. : Dunedin, Nov. 18.

Cottage Gardens.

A very interesting competition has juat taken place and been decided in Rangiora. , , It was for the best kept and best cultivated cottage garden; and the prizes w 4|3pt~ offered by the Hon. H. B. at the Rangiora Horticultural Society; The tone of the Christchurch papers, in speaking of the gardens entered for qom petition, .is very complimentary; and . though Rangiora’s history is a good deal more “{ancient ” than that ,of Ashburton, - and her cottage gardens have had a longer time to develop into the “things of . beauty” and the “joys for ever that flower gardens are, our township is not by any means to bo set down as a town ship with no taste for the beauties of Flora. But we would like to see moreat tcntion still paid to the many little gar- , dens within the borough boundaries. We , know there are many hard working, men in the place who bestow both: time and , , labor in their spare moments to their , flower and vegetable beds ; and. all that is wanted is some healthy emulation to be started, to show a marked ; difference by. next summer on the appearance ,of ,our cottage plots. It is perhaps .too early .in the , day . ,to talk of a ' Horticultural ' Society ".that could hold a creditable Shownextyear butitistiot too. early to speak of the formation, of such' a Society, with a view to, future displays 1 as a result of the impetus to garden cqltiva tion the institution of such society would be sure to. give. At present, there are many cottages standing in'the midst of a wilderness of tussock, pf havdng for sur-; roundings the bar© remnants of what was the productive garden of some previous occupant, who had a higher ‘or more thrifty taste that his suc cessor. It wants but some Stimulant to action to set stick occupiers tigPing. ' And if some energetic men were to set" about the formation; of a .{Horticultural Society—no matter how Humble its first , pretensions—we may possibly find latent, gardening talent .suddenly deyelopingwith' a most happy effect upon the' appearance of the town. It is one of the character- • istics of John Bull that he doesn’t like to he out-done, and when Jones, Smith’s neighbor, gets a-digging, and finally has a blooming garden worth looking at, Smith ( doesn’t say very much, but by-and-bye 3 r ou see his sleeves up, and a new spade flourished about. Some Ashburtonians, complain that there is not very much' to interest or amuse in our rising township; ; but it is amazing how much to interest there may be found in the turning over the proper way of only a clod.”

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An Unpleasant Affair.—At Villeman oche, in the arrondisement of Sens, a priest, while celebrating mass, put the chalice to his lips, hut the flavour of the wine was so abomin. able that he was forced to reject it. He cor tinned tire service, but was soon taken ill and obliged to leave lire altar ere it was concluded. A subsequent examination showed the pre sence of a poisonous substance, and an inquiry has been set oir foot in consequence. Curious Coincidence in a Church.— On a recent Sunday evening the Rev, C. W, Bingham, of Melcomhe Bingham, Dorset, was reading the 37th Psalm in the parish church, when Iris attention was suddenly drawn from the Bible. When he turned his eyes on the page again he could not find or remember the place where he left off. After an awful pause the clerk proceeded with the next verse, and a neighbour pointed out to the clergyman where he should go on. It was noticed that the clause which the clergyman omitted, and where he lost himself, formed the latter part of the 37th verse, which reads, “ his place could nowhere be found!, j



Mr. John Holliday, a Waterloo veteran, has died at Woolwich, in his ninety-second year, “Void Money Orders.”—The amount of void money orders in Great Britain in the year ended the 31st of March last was Us. yd. Mysterious Affmr.—A mysterious death at Montmartre has just been investigated .by the Paris pjice. Emiie Plngeon, a medical, student, and a young woman named Alphon-' sine Tardihel, had been living at No. 54, Rue Ramey. The latter not having been seen for several days, the young man having also disap peared, the door of their room was forced on Saturday. The body of the woman was found dressed inc’ean linen and sewn up in a shroud, death having apparently taken place five daiys pieviously. There was nothing to indicate the cause of death. On Monday afternoon an individual, who had been drinking at a wine shop in the Rue Ahoukir, suddenly rose from his seat, and producing a revolver pointed it at his heart and fired twice. His corpse was bom to the police station, where it was soon indent}* lied as that of Emile Pingeon, of the Rue Ramey,