The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-07 00:00:00

IMPORTANT TO FARMERS

Mr. J. J. Mechi, the well-known agriculturist, of Tip-
tree Hall, writes to the Times on the spontaneous combus-
tion of hay-stacks:—"A 11,mentable, but easily preventible,
destruction of food and valuable property is occurring in
' many counties by the partial, or total, spontaneous com-
bustion of hay-stacks. The crop this year is unusually
heavy, and for want of sufficient manipulation, or hay
shaking, the grass has failed to lose 60 out of the 75 per
cent. of water that it contained. The consequence is a
generation of confined steam and a partial carbonization or
total combustion of the stack, and, in some cases, of the
adjoining buildings. About three years ago a farmer con-
trived a simple mode of prevention, which was manufac-
tured by a large Suffolk firm, and which (says Mr. Mechi) I
at once purchased at a cost, I think, of 3Ss. It is simply an
iron pipe of 21 inches in diameter, riddled with holes, and
having a pointed wooden nozzle. This is driven horizon.
tally into the stack where any undue heat is suspected, the
pent up heated steam finds its way into the pipe, and
passes at once along it to the outside, where an elbow pipe
isattached to give it an upward and better draught. When
the weather is cool the elbow is occasionally removed to
get rid of the water resulting from condensed vapour. No
one need have an injured stack, or deteriorated hay, if
this simple instrument be used. The pipe may be with-
drawn by a horse when no longer required in the stack.
By watching the stack at dawn of day or by the sus-
picious aroma, one may always have due warning of
danger."

RATES OF FREIGHT AND CHARTER.

(From the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette.)

The tonnage loading on the berth for India, China, and
the Cape of Good Hope amounts to 53,241 tons, and that
for Australia and New Zealand to 50,685 tons.
There is not much alteration in berth freights to the
East. Several ships have been placed for Bombay. There
is still some inquiry for Calcutta.

There is not much demand for tonnage for Galle or
Aden, and these rates are slacker ; whilst for Bombay 2s.
is offered above last week's quotations. With good inquiry
for medium-sized ships, 255. is now being paid for Singa-
pore from Wales, and £25 from the Tyne continues to
secure first-class handy ships.
There is a fair inquiry for tonnage from the rice ports,
at 655. for large and 70s. for small vessels. £3-1 is being
offered from the North for Muscat and Bombay. There
is very little being done in guano chartering. For Callao
265. to 275. is being offered, at which rates tonnage
does not cane forward. 355. for coal, and 375. 6d. for
iron, can still be had for San Francisco, with no advance
from 555. per ton wheat home.
Iron freights are extremely dull, 17s. for Savannah and
18s. for New York being the highest rates obtainable.
There is also an order for Trieste from Gloucester at 18s.
Bates for the West Indies are easy. There is an inquiry
for St. Thomas at 17s.

There are several steamers offering for the Baltic at
lower rates. Cargoes, however, are secured with difficulty.
There is a slight improvement, however, in the grain
freights homewards.

From the Danube there is an inquiry for small steamers
Sept. loading at 10s. GI Large boats, however, are taken
reluctantly at 9s. 6d. There is no alteration in the Azoff
and Black Sea rates.

For Brazil and the Plate there is more demand for ton•
nano at about la. advance on last week's quotations

The branch line of the Midland Railway from

Mangotsfield to Bath was opened on Thursday.

The Rev. Mr. Murtagh, Far's% pfest of Kilcullen,
county Kildare, regrested the pr. y rs of his congregation
on Sunday last for Mr. Gladstoto's speedy restoration to
heal li, pasting a culogium on the Premier's ' honesty and
intiep'cli!y" in cal ry:t g tho Irish Church Bill to a succes-
ful isstr.

Correspend.nts of the Church 7 lines are discussing
the propriety of starting a Wcshian Society within the
Chur..ll of England. They propose to call themselves
"Wesleyites," and to adopt " the ordinary sysh m of the
Wesleyan Methodist StTftratiste," so far as pract'cable,
keeping consistent with the princip!c s.f the Catholic Church
and of the English Church in particular.
The law has (nee again been cleearel about the
Dunkold Badge toils, which has caused si much stir in the
neighbcurhrod of Dundee. It has betn dcci led that the
Duke of Athol° is quite justified in demanding toll, and Mr.
Robertson and the mob are quite wrong in attempting to
Prevent Lim. Their destruction of the bar was altogether
illegal.

The adjourned inquiry as to the cause of the ter-
riLle disaster at llaydock, by which 59 deaths were caused

—for we regret to say that another man died on Wednesday
—was resumed on Thursday, when the two Government in-
spectors were examined. They loth agreed that the
very large use of powder in the Wigan mini s for blast-
ing purposes was most reprehens.ble. Mr. Higson
thought that the cause of the explosion might be traced to

be Ebots fired in the colliery, which he believed might have

ignited the gas. Mr. Dickenson said if be was theGovern-
mcnt inspector of the Wigan collieries, he would endeavour
immediately to stop the frequent practice of Wasting. It was
h'ghly dangerous, and unmining like.

THE NORTH-WEST PROVINCE OF CANADA.—
We understand that the Hon. W. M`Dougall has sig.
nified his acceptance of the Lieutenant-Governorship of
the North-West Province, the transfer of which terri-
tory will be formally made to Canada within a very few
weeks. The Hon. William Rose, his brother delegate
in the arrangement of the terms of transfer with the
Colonial Office and the Hudson's Bay Company, has
resigned the office of Finance Minister of the Dominion,
anti will permanently locate himself in this country for
the purpose of carrying out the financial arrangements
preliminary to the construction of a railway to the Pacific
through British American territory. We understand he
will join the house of Baring Brothers. His successor at
the finance bureau will probably be Sir George Cartier.--
London Scotsman.

AN ENGLISH NOBLEMAN KILLED IN A DUEL.—
The following story is going the round of the Paris
papers :—" It is well known that Princess Mary, sister of
Prance Napoleon, owns a villa on the Lago Maggiore,
near Belgirate. The villa was let this year to an immensely
rich English nobleman, Lord S--, who took possession
of the premises in the company of a beautiful miledy,
believed to be his wife, and the two lived together for
some time in a style befitting their social position. A few
days ago three other English gentlemen made their
appearance in Belgirate. One of them was the husband
of miledy, who had eloped two years agowith Lord S—.
After a long and fruitless search, the husband at last got
upon the right scent, and his seconds waited upon the
seducer. A duel has just taken place on the Swiss border.
The parties fought with pistols at a few paces distance,
and Lord S— was killed upon the spot."
The Dublin Evening Mail publishes a letter ad-
aressed by Mr. Johnston, M.P., to Mr. Chichester Fortescue,
with regard to the intended commemoration of the relief
of Deny on the 12th inst. by the Apprentice Boys. Mr.
Johnston "hopes the Government will give instructions that
will prev:mt any attempt on the part of the local authorities
to int. rfere with the usual eeremon'al." Mr. Johnston says
tae adcis d Alto Apprentice Boys in 1860 to continue
tick celebrations; "he so advises them still." "All
Ulster (ho rdds) will sympathise with Derry in this,"
and be thinks it tut courtesy to put Mr. Fortescuo in pos-
session of the fact. The progran me of the commemoration
it.cludes a presentation of a sash and medal to Mr. Johnston.
The "associated clubs" aro to march four abreast to the
cathedral, ar d after service to go fu m thence to tl.o
The office] s d mcn.bers of dubs pre to appear with sashes
rnd imigLia, and the "general wearing of the city colours.--
crimson— in lo.lettes and ribbons is request( d."

THE DUKE OF NEWCALTLE'S AFFA/RE4.—
' A case arising out t,f the disastrous condition of the
I'n'to of Newcastle's affairs was adjudicated upon by the
mad er of the Rolls on Friday. Mr. Henry Padwick, the
Duke's judgment creditor, had presented a peti-
ti in which prayed two things. The first was that
the court would declare what interest his Grace pos.
sessad, under his father's will, in the house in
which he resided in Carlton-house-terrace ; and the
second, that it would give the Sheriff power to sell
such interest. Whilst fully convinced that the Duke had
an interest in the property, Lord Romilly ruled that
the provisions of the Act under which the assistance of the
court was sought rendered it imperative that the land
should have been actually delivered in execution, and as in
this instance the creditor had no !large ou thglap:d .a cl 4-1
migiasul