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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1951-06-14, Page 7Rich Goldfield .''ear's A Curse Will the "curse" which has. ala- parerrtly doomed all efforts so far field • in the British Corrtinornvealt1t to locate the richest single gold - dog the foot top- of the fourteen - men party which has just set out for the fabulous Lasseter gold reef in a trackless, almost waterless area of Australia'., Northern :Territory? These go1c1-seekers of 1951 carry with theca may, laboriously rnade by a long -dead, skilful gold pros - 1 ctor, L, 11tu ry Lasseter. More dead'. than alive, he emerged from the desert to Alice Springs in 1897, to tell the anla7inf story of gold - bearing outcrop:.: of enormous rich- ness. His nmap., contained full technical data --and' he went back with them determined to overcome the physical hardships and den - gess *which had prevented him from exploiting his great discovery irnmediately. But Lasseter never returned a second time. A relief expedition 'found his body, wracked by dysen- tery and sandy blight, in the de- sert where be hat died after en- countering hostile Aborigines and being deserted by his camels. The maps and technical data were found intact. Lived on Tadpoles Since then the ,o -called "curse" has prevented other explorers from finding his dream gold, Many lives have been lost. Thousands of pounds have been lavished on expeditions, Some prospectors tried to find it by 'pla.nc. The 'plane crashed. A ground party with a huge desert lorry got near the reef as des- cribed in his diaries. Then the lorry broke cl"o`wn. Men crossed moun- tains and chasms, were attacked by nomad Aborigines and weakened by desert sickue. —but failed to find the gold, Australian Governineut officials themselves have taken I.art in the hunt. Hard-headed ruining experts who laugh at superstition have had a go. They all knew that in his last message to his wife Lasseter wrote: "Darling, do not grieve for rue. I have clone my best and peg- ged the reef - , -' New Queen's Principal — Ap- pointment of William Archibald Mackintosh, C.M.G., M.A., Ph.D., LLD., F.R.S.C., as principal and vice-chancellor of Queen's Uni- versity, effec'ive September 1, has been announced by J. M. Macdonnell, chairman of the University Board of Trustees. Dr. Mackintosh has been widely recognized cis an out- standing economist, educator and administrator. Other uni- versities have sought him as heir he, but his heart is with ' ueen's.'He was honored by the King . with the C.M.G. for his iervices, to the allied cause in Norld , War II. He is a Ph.D. of -larvard, an LL,D, of Manitoba University, a Fellow of the Royal ;ociety of Canada. He is vice- irincipal of Queen's, Dean of he Faculty of Arts, and director wf the School of Commerce and Administration. Easy On The Salt, Chum—Army veteran Alfred Furniss, a victim of rheumatoid arthritis, sprinkles salt on his food with an eye dropper as part of the carefully measured metabolic unit investiga- tion being carried out in various hospitals across the country. Nursing Sister Helen McLean is shown with him at Sunnybrook Veterans' Hospital. Patients haie .every bite of food measured down to the last milligram so that research doctors of The Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society can find out exactly what happens to the food in the body and what influence drugs like cortisone and ACTH have on the disease. The Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism.. Society is campaigning for funds this month to continue this and other research programs and to add to the number of clinics and mobile units across the country designed to bring more and better treatment to the thousands of victims of the disease. Two of the reef -seekers were liv- ing on boiled tadpoles when a R,A,A.F. 'plane found them in the desert. It is believed that a native tribe who carne upon Lasseter transferred ill luck which bad dog- ged them for years to him and his expedition, and that this curse in- evitably descend.- on all who try to follow in his footsteps. But the four•tcer- men now on their way to Lasseter's reef believe they will find "conclusive evidence once and for all time" that it exists, They remember the discovery near Victoria many years ago of "The Welcome Stranger." one of the largest masses of gold ever disco,- - erect (it contained 2 284 oz. of fine gold-, and they take heart. They know that all men who have sought gold in Australia are convinced that much more gold than the 72. tons (worth $30,000,000) which passed through the strongroom of the - Bank of Victoria, at Walhalla, in the "roaring fifties" of last century still awaits discovery there. How To Attract Mosquito Bites If you want to be delectable in one sort of way, wear dark, dull, sweat -soaked clothes. This attire is guaranteed to pig -tic the appe- tite of the most blase mosquito, Prof, Anthony W. A. Brown, Uni- versity of Western Ontario etomo- logist, told the American Mosquito Control Association meeting last week in Chicago. Brown had spent last simmer touring Canada, which has a com- plete set of mosquitos, accompanied by an assistant and two dummies4-- 12-gallon electrically heated water tanks on stiltlike legs. Setting up their dummies mie.s in likely spots and dressing them in various costumes, the experimenters would count the number of mosquitos that alighted and futilely tternpted to feast. (More discriminating insects got easy meals from the two scientists who excluded repllants for fear of spoiling the experiments.) Among flrown's conclusions' were: Moist clothing is four tunes as attractive• to mosquitos as dry gar- ments. And sweat has twice the appeal of ,,lain water. White or green cloth does not draw mosquitos so strongly as dark- er hues. Such shiny textile; es rayon satin or nylon are significantly less ap- petizing•. And luminescent dyes, which glow in swtnlight, discourage many motel nit os. BY HAROLD ARNETT - REPAIR FENCE POTS RorrEn BELovv ta4 0Ut.It? WITA LENG't'f•15 +OF ONE INCH G LVAN- ice• i IPa kg? W.-tRA►'$, AS SHOWN, CUT 114E PIPE LOrlG iNOUGI4 TO gl'(*TENIP 5 FiE1 rNTO CRoUNP Whenever dairy or cattlemen get together the subject of artificial in- semination—its advantages or other- wise—seems almost bound to crop up, Dr. John B. Herrick, a noted United States veterinarian recently pointed out one of the Main advan- tages—namely, the control of ven- ereal and other disease that can be spread from herd to herd by an in- fected bull. 0 x' t, It is possible, of course, for such dread diseases as brucellosis- and trichomoniasis to be spread by arti- ficial insemination as well as by natural service. But field experience has shown a decrease in reproduct- ive diseases when artificial insemin- . atiou is used. 0 a: * The reason is that artificial breed- ing personnel pay close attention to sanitation. This strict attention to disease control in artificial insemination studs starts with the purchase of the bull. 1), -tanagers of the bull studs check breeding records, remake sure the bull is free from disease before he is added to the stud. And the - bulls have little chance to pick up diseases from a sterile artificial vagina. , As a double check, bulls can be given periodic laboratory examina- tions for brucellosis, vibriosis and trichomoniasis. Methods of insemination now taught by the colleges and bull stud personnel stress the importance of cleanliness and sanitation, insemin- ators are shown the great need of using sterile inseminating equip- ment. scrubbing boots and carrying their own disinfected water, Ln the early rays of artificial ire semination, the 50111011 was deposit- ed iu the horus of the uterus, This method held risks of infection. But now insetninators use what is called the deep cervical method, Usually, there is some mucus present in the cervical canal. This traps any micro- organisms, allowing the sperm to move along the cannl and fertilize the egg, ,.: The very small chance for spread of disease through artificial insemin- ation is a sharp contrast to the op- portunities for spread. of disease through natural service. * Natural services gives the bull a chance to pick tip a disease from a cow and pass it along to each cow Ile serves. Trichomoniasis, one of the most serious venereal diseases of cattle, is spread mostly through service by a bull. Disease can be spread from cow to cow within a herd, even though the bull does not breed any cow outside the Herd. The danger of spreading disease through natural service by a bull is far greater when a "community" bull is used. x: * a: A bull that travels from faun to farm has a chance 1 • pick up in- fections and diseases from each farrri. And he can carry those germs along to other farms, * * * In Holland, for instance, use of community bulls is a common prac- tice. But there is also a high rate of venereal diseas,es.of,cattle, * -_-.,.: It is hard to understand why com- munity or travelling bulls are used when superior bulls are available to dairymen through artificial breed- ing centres. Certainly, one of the main advantages of artificial insem- ination is the control of diseases of the reproductive tract. It is a fact that 8 to 10 per cent of all cows in the average herd have some sterility at one time or an- other. Some of this sterility can be attributed to the bull. Therefore, means of controlling these venereal diseases of cattle are of real econ- omic interest to farmers. * x: To switch from cattle to pigs, here is a suggestion for swine sani- tation, which 'might be of,- great interest to the farmer who feeds large numbers of hogs on an en- closed, paved floor feeding shed. , Periodically, the floor is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. When the floor is dried, and before the pigs are allowed in the pen, a corner of the pen floor is wet down with water, Tliis we`t career is invariably used by the hogs for toilet purposes, leaving the remaining ..pace dry and clean where they can rest comfort- ably, This method also saves labor in cleaning out the manure. As in the case of domestic cats ttsing a sand box if given an opportunity to do so, hogs are easily trained to clean habits, • DINING OUT A reran and two children entered a restaurant and ordered three plates and three glasses of water. Then they took out sandwiches and began to eat, "Here" roared the manager, "What are you doing?" "And who are you?" asked the diner. "I'm the manager." "Good," said the man, "I was just going to send for you. Why isn't the orchestra playing?" Crowing coniferous 'evergreens from seed is one of the most re- warding, ways to use the garden space that is set aside -as a nursery, Some of the home-grown seedlings will be large enough to move into permanent quarters within four years, Since evergreen seedlings are too delicate to be entrusted to the full strength of the star during their first year, a partly shaded corner of the vegetable garden makes an ideal nursery area for them, if there is no natural pro- tection available, alternating strips of light and shadows can be fur- nished with a lath shade. * * Good garden soil is suitable for the seed sowing, but soil that is heavy and sticky needs sand and humus added to make an easily . penetrable, non -crusting germina- tion meditinn, A solid of proper structure will also reduce the dan- ger of plants' roots being .injured by frost action in the winter months. The seeds are covered lightly with soil, the depth varying ac- cording to their size, and the bed is covered with burlap to conserve moisture. They may take a month or longer to germinate. When they are due to appear, the bed should be inspected frequently^ and the burlap promptly removed at the first sight of green. During the first growing season, especially, it is important to see that the plants never suffer frorn lack of moisture. The surface soil should be stirred as soon as it be- comes workable after each rain or Watering. Over winter the bed • should be carefully mulched with excelsior, hay or pine needles-, * * 4' Evergreens that develop more slowly and require additional years in the nursery plot need not be spaced that far apart when trans- planted the first time; but should be set two feet apart when trans- planted again two years later. At all times they should have ample room to insure symmetrical growth. No tree should be moved to its permanent quarters until it has as- sumed the form typical of its kind • and has proved satisfactory in every way. ,. '' * While it is possible to move small evergreens _.successfully with 'bare roots, provided they are shift- ed immediately into a new hole, without undue exposure, 1 always prefer to dig even the smallest seedlings with unbroken balls of soil. I am then certain that they will suffer no setback. Letting the roots dry in the air is always a dangerous risk. In the new location the plants are set at the same level at which they were orignally grow- ing, • Watering is essential to the suc- cess of transplanting. It will also be necessary during any summer dry spells to maintain continuous, every growth of the seedlings, Once the young specimens are in their permanent places, a mulch will reduce the need for watering. * s:* Seeds of all the coniferous ever- greens—arborvitae, hemlock, fir, pine, spruce, and the various ce- dars, as well as the one deciduous conifer, the larch or tamarack— are handled in the same way. Gath- ered directly from the trees or from newly fallen cones when ripe, the seed is stored in a dry, cool place until planting time in spring. A point to remember is that the horticultural varieties will not come true from seed. Only the species of conifers can be depended on to produce new tree: which resemble their parents. Seeds of desired etergreees often can be collected front specimens found hi one's own neighborhood. Then there are dealers who make a specialty of such seeds. t Persons who lacl, the patience to start from scratch, but who still would like to assume a share of the wort: that is usually under- taken by commercial growers, will find seedling trees in various stages of development available from some nurseries. These also are grown 11 for a year of two in nursery rows in the home garden before they are set oitt as specimen plants, The "Plain People') An Amish man emerging from the sidewalk telephone booth --- house telephones are forbidden -- waved cheerfully to,a young couple passing in a buggy. After marriage, the bay will grow a beard and both will ride in a gray, box -like wagon like those which lined the street. Their preliminary courting is at Sunday night sings, where five hun- dred young people may gather, using the benches set up for morn- ing service ... Officially, they do not listen to the radio or goo to the movies, but the word gets around somehow. They can, how- ever, visit the ciretts, if it bus a menagerie; it is proper to look at the different animals God has made. The Amish do things their own way. Their clocks usually run half - an -hour fast, so that they will never miss a bus or keep anybody waiting. Under daylight saving they must remember "fast time, slow time, and our tine''. They invented prefab- rication. At a house -raising in a Maryland colony started in 1939, a reporter asked why they con- structed sides for the houses flat on the ground, instead of the usual way. "Olr," said the foreman, we'll have 400 to 50 here tomorrow, the sides go up easy." Outside the hotel in Lancaster,' 1 met an Ancient Mariner with wandering gray locks and clothes of rusty black. He is the nearest approach to an Amish press agent, a correspondent for the local press and Amish newspapers in other States. We had dinner together - "Did you know that after every service, we have dinner for every- body—free?" he asked , . , "Schnitz pies—hundreds and hundreds of them." I asked about household conveni- ences. "Sonne have gasoline stoves and washing -machines and water in the house," he said. "But no electric. Did you know that we use the Gregorian chant in our services -- and the oldest Protestant hymn book, printed in Switzerland in 1564?" There are one hundred Old Order Amish churches in the United States, with about ten thousand members. In Lancaster County, there are eighteen hundred Old Or- der Amish, all farmers except a few carpenters, broom -makers, car- pet -weavers, and harness -makers. The Arnish newspaper correspon- dent used to have a cheese business, and what is still more unusual, he has been around the world. I asked why. "Wanderlust," he said; adding after a moment: "And to follow the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul."—From "That Old --Gime Re- ligion," by Archie Robertson. VALUE OF FATHERS She—"My father's a doctor. I caii be sick for nothing." He—"Mine's a minister. f cal' Ge good for nothing." WINNIE WiNS ONE—Winston Churchill leans forward to get the good word before the race from Jockey T. Gosling, who rode the British statesman's horse, Colonist II, to victory in the Churchill Stakes at London. Colonist II finished two lengths ahead of Above Board, owned by Xing George. Star-Spangled Banner finished third, - TITER LOOK, HONEY- SOME GAD PICKED Up ON THE WAY HOME -THIS IS A'TRICK VASCI 1 PR>;TENP TO PICK A QUARREL WITH THE: GUESTS...FLY INTO A RAGE AND START SMASHING VASES THE i61UESTS THINK. ITS THE REAL MC.COY SOY.. IT'LL PANIC 'SM it By Arthur Painter r�:Kns�itir ot'lW Nt ALL OUR BEST YAKS!