430 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



Acclimatisation. — One hundred skylarks were liberated in one lot, in Foko- 

 mairio, on the 9th of April, and there is every reason to think they will suc- 

 ceed. The pheasant has for years given the sportsmen in Auckland employ- 

 ment during the shooting season. Partridges seem to thrive well in Otago. 

 In a paddock in the Palmerston district, no less than three or four coveys, or 

 about 40 birds, were recently observed. A few days before the last despatches, 

 a lad rode a horse into the Maitai to drink, when it put its foot upon a mag- 

 nificent trout, 10 lb. weight. 



Coal. — A correspondent of a paper who had taken a drive out to the country 

 districts to see how things were looking, says of the district of Lovel's Flat, — " I 

 saw for the first time the immense dei)osits of coal in this locality cropping out of 

 the ground. Some seams are nearly 20 feet thick, 1 or 2 feet of stripping only being 

 required to develop them. It is a regular coal-quarry, where a man with pick 

 and shovel can fill a dray in no time without disappearing underground. Time 

 prevented me from visiting the Clutha coal-field. A pit was being sunk on Mr 

 Henderson, M.P.C.'s property, which at the depth of 30 feet indicated coal, 

 and, if discovered, will no doubt prove of superior quality. Here also strong 

 indication of iron deposits could be observed, a very superior sj)ecimen of 

 hematite being discovered while digging. On my return, I received a very good 

 specimen of coal from Mr Douglas, Waihola, which is said to have been found 

 towards the sea." 



Kauri gum oil. — This new oil is beginning to attract the attention of painters 

 in New Zealand. It is a product obtained by the distillation of kauri gum and 

 coal. Its preservative properties are spoken of in the highest terms of praise, 

 and it is said to be far superior to tar for preserving wood when exposed to 

 damp. It gives a beautiful soft brown colour to any article painted with it. 

 If the high opinion now formed of it should be borne out in actual and lengthened 

 tests, there cannot be a doubt but the successful manufacturing of this oil will 

 add somewhat to the price of the well-known kauri gum. 



Lime. — The 'North Otago Times' rej)orts that the captain of one of the 

 harbour steamers, having a small piece of Damaru stone aboard, put it into 

 the furnace, where it was shortly reduced to a fine powder — the purest lime. 

 He used this for whitewashing the funnels, which it rendered dazzlingly white, 

 and he found that the coating stood better than any he had ever used before, 

 without peeling, it being almost impossible to remove it. 



Iron-sand. — The report of Messrs Gledhill & Hamerton sets all doubt at rest 

 as to the unlimited abundance of iron-sand at Taranaki. On arriving at the 

 east bank of the Heuni river, they proceeded to dig at several places, with the 

 following results : In the space situated between the sandhills and high- water 

 mark they found solid iron-sand to the depth of 4 feet, and no apparent change 

 at that depth. Previous experiments afford grounds for the belief that the 

 deposit of iron-sand varies from 15 to 30 feet in depth. 



KEVIEW. 



The Art op Botanical Drawing. By F. "W. Burbridge. London, Windsor 

 k Newton, 38 Rathbone Place. 



Mr Burbridge is well known to the readers of most of the gardening periodi- 

 cals of the day as a very accurate and scientific botanical draughtsman. Com- 

 bined with a natural genius for drawing, he has a thorough practical knowledge 



