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The East Huron Gazette, 1893-03-09, Page 8minmpourmimmi )1901'0NY. .41 fiauen fires OD etbourne to atria - London 2 /a -'.i, is : Tile first 1112- A II3u.t13.1/4 ns•Al;,3k•t13.li;. ill th® tlbourne to Bris- y rr_ootony. I due to the air - ,y line h .a Leen f oo.tn y, and iddsiog the least nd.:cape. How- lfect produced is fir grass and gum Sy -due',', from Corder, ra.ss and 31de. Day after carne unvaried fight atter night preading masses i the absence of another, one mile of miles are left 1< to show that ny nearer. iery of Tasmania, its hedg,rowa gorse, and the tis garlena, fade m. The tropical ss not yet become ;wo the immense ;hes indefinitely, �n of anything but pasture. It has :i impressiveness ;nglandi with the le trees are thinly s hang iertically sunlight filters e to promote the ass beneath. The ubably common - hs becomes at Iasi; 0. as you feel in of the physical So wide, the dis• great, that even of civilization, ravelling in and ed at represent, el, and the first st in admiration clergy that have, wilderness and in the limits of wrings on either the practice of trees is in ex- tches of timber ayes have drop - d white trunks my to be felled. e will be white The habit is 1 of the ground, cording to Con- or 3 above the stumps still re- ure of the land - rows, or scat. sparse isolation ps have some- ularity of tomb - when the wood their shadows it is almost im- he comparison. is met by these .ation. At first onotonous than egrees the tinge ive to the land- • n significance. van graveyards the death and n of low type, lips and tufted at wayside sta- ir order. He is a woods. The from the pass - ch has existed Both serve per- t a continent is silent crises of aim the homage thoughts which ure rather than ngs you face to which young If you had any .re you started, ithout the Gon- ia is infinitely ng which it has ent which has develop within sland is about' e, and is so dis- distance from t point is not etween London g means of com- it takes to go one day less the journey a. There is a 11 as a southern all run paral- t angles at the c of the inter- ances of sever - nes. There is d in order to he colony it is isbane and go t1 Iu cern ‘ailway are Os- , and they aro h to any one u>; s up nearly m. The rail - es is to them a •whose mys- rn than their en, owing to urated with a its of contact by the trouble- etest the whole even provide any purely na- renders it de- ny implement d what is nec- is simply in - re scarcely bet - 'who have been position, who tantial success tiatiou of work - ho are always tante who can id varnish and irtisements W- e trains come axpreas or Phil - Viten the glib e profuse tubs stun demands t ig- ewly cog- FOR THE LADIES A Hard -Working Woman. All le'y she hurried to get through, The sante as lots of wirninin do ; Sometimes at night her husban' said "Ms, ain't you goin' to come to bed i:" An' then she'd kinder give a hitch, An' pause half way between a stitch, An' sorter sigh, an' say that she Was ready as she'd ever be, She reckoned. An' so the years went. one by one ; An' somehow she was never done; An' when the angel said as how "1lis' Smith, it s time you rested now," She sorter raised her eyes to look A second, as a stitch she took ; "All right : I'm corning now," Says she, "I'm ready aa I'll ever be, I reckon." Home -Made Tooth Soap. A nice tooth soap, or a sweet-smelling tootle powder, may be reckoned among the toilet articles which are the delight of every well -organized woman. But the best tooth soaps, in the language of the little girl " cost money," and maty a woman has been compelled to buy some- thmg less dainty than she wanted, because she could not afford to buy the gilt-edged variety. Here is a tooth soap which may be highly recommended. It is sweet smelling, nice tasting and cleansing without having in its composition an ingredient which could pos- sibly harm the teeth. Indeed, it is so mild that those who require a 10 gritty " soap must add pumice stone to the compound. For the tooth soap get of powdered orris root a quarter of a pound, of powdered myrrh two ounces, of powdered white soap three ounces, of powdered saffron one ounce and of oil of lavender two drachms. Mix with one pound of precipitated chalk. This makes quite a large quantity. But the soap keeps well. Should you not feel equal to mixing the ingredients yourself a druggist will toss them together for you, without charging you any more than the separate ingredients would cost if bought singly. For the delicate teeth of children a good powder can be made from two ounces of Castile soap, powdered and dried ; one ounce of cuttle-fish bone, powdered ; four ounces of honey and a dash of lavender for perfume. Try these. Interior Novelties. An attractive dining room lately furnish- ed shows the walls covered with an emboss- ed paper of alight olive brown with Venetian damask design, outlined by a raised gold tracery, inclosing the soft old olives, dull blues and greens, harmonizing nicely with wood -bronze and oak trimmings. The frieze is of a soft leather color and scattered over it are architectural design heads. This design consists of garlands festooned from rosettes and knots of ribbon in soft hues and inclosed between gold flutings ; in groups of three rosettes are set between and a mold- ing is set above a row of pearl ornaments in Fold. The effect is very beautiful. The surface of the ceiling is panelled and divided into squares by beams of carved oak coming from carted oak bracket supports. Each of these panels is filled with canvas and treated in solid mat gold. The floor is hard wood and inlaid. Over it are scatter- ed a number'of handsome rugs. The large library table is of highly polish- ed oak. The low, broad divan and several chairs are of oak and upholstered in hand- some leather. In a pretty little flat where every inch of apace is utilized, one room answers for both library and living room. The library con- sists of a combination book case and screen, an easy chair and one straignt backed one for writing. This screen is in three parts, the middle section being fitted with shelves for books. Small drop shelves are fastened part of the way. down the sides with panels. There are used to hold a lamp. vase of flowers and quaint pieces of brie -a -brae. In the angle formed by the two panels of the screen is a triangular-shaped shelf which holds an inkstand, penholder, pens and blotter. Above this shelf on either side are fasten- ed two large portfolio envelopes which are made o fstout buckram and covered with pretty chintz. Writing -paper, envelopes, stamps, postal cards, newspaper wrappers, &c., are kept in these envelopes. Burlap portieres are very handsome and effective. A good quality can be obtained for fifteen cents a yard. A heavy fringe nine inches in depth with several rows of drawn work above it should be dyed a rich red. Chrysanthemums, poppies, tulips, nastur- tiums and orchids are all effective designs for these portieres and should be painted in a bold, conventional canner with palms, ferns or grasses in the background. It is said upon good authority that not more than two of the swinging couches of India are in existence in America. One of these is in Chicago and it is a marvel of beauty and general utility. It consists of a wooden divan made of teak wood, richly carved. It is five by three feet and is covered with a mattress, and over that is thrown a large soft rug of rich hues. An adjustable pillow is placed at either end and each is covered by a small rug. This novel divan is suspended from the ceiling and clears the floor about six inches. The chains by which the divan is suspended are of brass, heavy and very beautiful. Each separate link is of a different size and shape and a done -like pendant, strung round with tiny musical bells which tinkle with each movement of the couch, is placed about midway of each chain. It is suprising that more Americans do not possess these novel and delightful conches. Certainly nothing could be more truly delightful for an Ori- ental room. A Pretty Table. A work table, which was an original idea with its maker and owner; will bear descrip- tion and copying. The table foundation was an oblong top piece with a broom - handle tripod, npon which it rested firmly. These can be bonght in any furniture store, plain, gilded or white, for fifty or seventy- five cents. Over the top was fitted a flat cover of cream cretonne covered with daisies. A straight piece fourteen inches in depth, sewed to the top piece on every side, was the foundation for a double row of shirred on pockets, of the cretonne on three sides. The fourth side had only one deep pocket for large pieces of work. A bow of yellow ribbon finished one cor- ner, and to this was attached, by hanging narrow ribbons, scissors, emery and needle book. A small cushion for pins stood on the top beside a little lacquer tray as a temporary catch-all for odd buttons, spools in use, eta An advantage of the bag cover was that it was not fastened to the table, but could be taken off, turned inside out, shaken free of dust and restored in a moment of time and with great ease. %swill Recipes. lims fin, Casa.: --Two caps of sugar, one cup of butter, one cup of milk, three cups of flour, whites of five eggs, three tea- spoons of baking powder. Bake two-thirds of this in two layers. To the other third add half a cup of stoned and chopped rais- ins, two tablespoons of molasses, one tea- spoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of cloves, a little nutmeg, the yolks of two eggs and more flour. Bake in one layer and place between the other two. ICE CREAM Cann. —Two cups of sugar, one cup of butter, one cup of milk, two cups of flour, half a cup of corn starch, whites of four eggs, two teaspoons of baking powder. ICING FOR THE ABOVE.—Two cups of sugar, two tablespoons of cold water, the whites of two eggs. One and a half tea- spoons each of rose water and vanilla. Boil the sugar and water until it threads, then add the well -beaten whites and beat well, adding the flavoring last. CHOCOLATE DREAM CAKE.—Wh.tes of four eggs beaten stiff, one cup of white sugar, half a cup of butter, half a cup of sweet milk, two cups of flour, cwo teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoonful of vanilla. Bake in flat pans. ICING.—One and a half cups of granulated sugar, half a cup of sweet milk. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly, then add one teaspoon ofjvanilla. Stir until cool and;thick and spread quickly oncake. Have two squares of Baker's chocolate melted and pour over the white frosting. ANGEL'S FOOD. —One and a half cups of pulverized sugar. One cup of flour after sifted. One teaspoon cream of tar- tar. Whites of eleven eggs. Sift the flour and cream of tartar four times, then use one cup after it is sifted. Beat the eggs stiff, add the sugar, then one teaspoon of rosewater and the flour. Beat lightly but thoroughly. Bake slowly in an ungreased tin for forty minutes. CONCERNING SALADS. —Salads are not as universally appreciated as they used to be. To many the preparing of a salad seems a laborious task. It is not as much work as it appears to be, as many of the dressings, which are the chief part, can be prepared beforehand. The dressing should not be added to a satad till justbefore serving, as it becomes watery if mixed long before being used. Tliis is an excellent way to dispose of remains of fish, vegetables, poul- try and meats of various kinds. CELERY SALAD. —Separate the stalks of four heads of celery, cut in pieces an inch long and pour over it half a pint of mayon- naise dressing. APPLE SALAD:—One quart of steamed apples rubbed through a sieve, six table- spoons of salad oil or melted butter, salt and pepper to taste, one teaspoon made mustard and one teaspoon of sugar. Serve cold. LETTUCE AND HAM SALAD. —Chop fine one slice cold boiled ham and cut up one head of lettuce. Serve with the following dress- ing : Mix together thoroughly one-fourth cupful of salad oil or melted butter, one- fourth teaspoon of pepper, one teaspoon of made mustard, one-half cupful of vinegar and salt to season. THIN COOKIES.—One cup of butter, one cup of sugar and three eggs. Beat together to a cream, add flavoring to suit, then just enough flour to roll out very thin. Cut out with biscuit cutter, and bake in a quick oven to a very light brown. Watch them constantly as they burn very easily. OMELET WITH BAKING POWDER.—Beat'in one dish the yolks of half a dozen eggs and the whites in another dish. Both must be made as light as possible. Sift a teaspoon- ful of baking powder and a pinch of salt over the whites then add the yolks, beating as quickly as possible to mix thoroughly ; then pour into a well buttered, very hot frying pan. Cover closely for a moment ; then re- move the cover very carefully,turn the ome- let if necessary, slide it out of the pan upon a hot plate and serve immediately. The Kitchen Floor. It must be of something that will stand the tramp of many feet in a farm -house. Boys and men, with heavy boots, pass over it many times a day. Rainy weather makes muddy feet ; and although an attempt at a cleaning may be made with the broom and scraper at the back door (and not always, either), there is still enough adhering to them to leave " tracks" on the kitchen floor. A clean floor is a delight to the tidy housewife, and a soiled one an annoyance which must be removed at the first oppor- tunity. The material of which the floor is made has much to do with the amount of labour required to keep it clean. If hard wood is chosen, the tracks will not show so plainly, hut the floor is very hard to keep clean. Oak gives good wear, but is apt to splinter up after a little while, vexing the soul of her who wields the mop over it. An oak floor must be oiled. This gives it a beautiful finish, bringing out the grain to best advantage. Perhaps the most commonly used of the hard woods, and one which gives the most satisfactory wear, is white ash: It has a very straight grain ; not liable to wear rough, and if care and labour are freely ex- pended upon it, it will be beautifully white and clean. Not a speck of grease must fall upon it, as it is almost impossible to remove it. White ash was the material used in our g-andmothers' days, when their floors were sail to be " white enough to eat on." White pine makes a floor which may be kept clean and white with soap and water ; but it does not last very well. The grain is too open, and it soon wears out. Norway pine is another variety for floor- ing now much used, and it is considerably cheaper than the white pine. If care is used in its selection, using the straight - grained boards only, it makes a very good floor. It may be oiled or left without, If the former, no soap nor hot water must be used in cleaning it. A painted floor is more easily kept clean than any of these, but it must have a coat of paint every few months. Once a year is not enough—it must be kept well covered. Nothing looks more shabby than a floor from which half the paint is worn off, leav- ing a strip around the baseboard to show, its original color. A pine floor is best if paint be applied. Norway will do, but the best of white or yellow pine is much better. Now as to the paint. In color get it as near the shade of the " tracks" as. you can, then it will not so readily show' every foot- print. Never choose a dark color ; nothing shows dirt and dust worse than a dark kitchen floor. It is all very well to say, mop the kitchen floor every day, but the fact is the busy house -mother does not have time to do it, and although a painted' floor is easily clean- ed still the space has to be gone over just the same. My experience with painted floors teaches - me that a stone gray or drab—not too dark —is most satisfactory from a keeping clean standpoint. As to the paint, don't try to mix it at home,unless under the supervision of a professional painter. Buy that put up by some reliable firm and use it according to directions. It is usually prepared to dry a erapidly as is consistent with its wearing well. If necessary a woman can paint a floor as well as a man, and as quickly, too, after a little practice. If you have a' wide brush—three inches is a good width—the work can be more easily because more rapidly done. Keep the paint well stirred up from the bottom, and brush lengthwise of the boards, spreading it well by brushing down evenly. A thin coat is better than a thick one, for the latter will almost certainly peel up after it is used. Don't expect to cover the old floor entirely with one coat of paint. Let it stand, if possible, until perfectly bard be- fore walking upon it. It should be ready in 24 hours. Saturday night after supper Es a good time to paint it. In the morning, if you must use the room while getting breakfast, lay down pieces of lath and on these strips of board where it is necessary to walk. The floor may not be used much on Sunday, and by Monday morning will be hard and nice. In a few days wash it well with clear cold water to harden the paint. Then in a couple of weeks give it another coat of paint in the same way. If the floor is badly worn three coats are none too many, then you will have a floor that will last until next year without be- coming badly worn. If there are cracks in the floor fill them with putty, before beginning to paint. A gallon of paint will cover a room fifteen feet square with three coats, and costs not more than a dollar and -a, half. No soap or strong suds should ever be used on a paint- ed floor. BIRD LIFE. Wonderful Facto Recorded by a Natural- ist in Southern Latitudes. Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, F.R.S., in a paper on the " Curiosities of Bird Life," speaking of the nesting of birds, mentioned the tailor. bird, which mikes the framework of its nest by sewing together with cotton two plan- tain leaves ; the weaver bird, whose won- derful structure is tied, knotted and woven in a manner which would task human skill ; th'e oil bird, of the West Indies, which builds its nest in a cave ; and the hornbill, of India and West Africa, 'which boxes the female up in a tree before she lays her eggs, leaving only an aperture large enough to in- troduce food. If the male be killed, the other hornbills in the vicinity undertake the feed- ing of the imprisoned female and her young. Next Mr. Sharpe mentioned some' of the bower -building birds, and then gave an ac- count of the sunbirds of Africa, as supply- ing an illustration of Darwin's great theory of selection, and au explanation of the de- velopment of bright plumage in birds. In one variety of these birds, he said, the plu- mage was of an unrelieved brown color in the case both of the male and the female. In other varieties, while the female birds presented no variations, the male birds dis- played a steady development of brilliant plumage The first advance was found in two yellow tufts at the side of the head.; the next had the yellow tufts and bright green head feathers in addi- tion; the third had green throat as well as head ; and the fourth had a brilliant red breast besides all the other distinctions. The theory suggested that the most brill- iantly -colored bird was the most recent development. The huia of New Zealand was remarkable as the only bird in which the male and the female differed structurally in- stead n-stead of in plumage merely. The male bird had a short strong beak, and the female a long curved beak, and the natives said that in extracting grubs from trees the male bird broke away the bark, and the female dug down for the grub. With the button quail of the East Indies, the female bird was, in violation to the rule, handsomer as to plumage, and larger and stronger than the male, and she used her strength to compel the male bird to hatch out the eggs after they had been laid. Mr. Sharpe then adduced some examples illustrative of protective resemblance and mimicry in birds. The owl parrot of New Zealand, he pointed out, had perfectly formed wings but could not fly, and it evad- ed pursuit by rolling into a bank of moss the colors of which were the same as that of its plumage. 1 he button -quail, in the presence of danger, stuck out its feathers, so that it resembled one of the little brown cactus plants which were characteristicof its Nabi. tat. As to mimicry in birds, the brown oriole and the brown honeysucker of the Phi- lippines supplied the most wonderful exam- ple. These different species resembled each other exactly in plumage, though they were not related in any way. The oriole in each island presented marked variations from the oriole in the other islands of the group, and the curious fact was that exactly the same variations were found in the corre- sponding specimens of the honeysucker. Another curious tact had been observed in the Philippine islands. It was the universal rule that where the male and female birds differed in "plumage the newly -hatched young should resemble the female ; but the black-coel, a species of the Cuckoo in the Philippines, was an exception to this rule. The male black-coel was black, but the female was brown, and it was the habit of these birds to deposit their eggs in the nest of the black -myna. If therefore the ordinary law obtained, and the young re- sembled the female, as soon as the eggs were hatched the myna would discover the intruder and eject or distroy it. As the young resembled the male coel, however, its color was not distinguishable from that of the young mynas, and it was accordingly reared by its foster -mother. An Ancient Birdland- For ages before its occupation by man New Zealand swarmed with great wingless birds, which found here no carnivorous enemies, but an abundance of - vegetable food. The moas not only existed in vast numbers, and for thousands of years, but had suetdiversity of form as to embrace no less than seven genera, containing twenty- five species—a remarkable fact which is un- paralleled in any other ,part of the world. The commonest kinds in tree North Inland were only from two and "one-half to four feet high. -Those of the South Island were mostly from four to six feet tall, while the, giant. forms reaching twelve and thirteen feet were always rare. Immense deposits of moa bones have been found in localities to which they appear to have been washed from the hills in tertiary times. Skeletons on the surface of the ground, with akin and ligaments still attached, have given the im- pressioithat these birds have been exter- minated in very recent years bntother facts point to a different conclusion. Tradition seems to show that the moa became extinct in the North Island soon after the arrival of the Maoris in New Zealand—that is, not less than 400 to 500 years ago—and in the South Island about 100 years later. The fresh appearing skin and ligaments are sup- posed to have been preserved by unusually avorable conditions. CANADA'S POSTAL SERVICE. Gratifying Increase in all Branches of the Department for 1892. The Report of the Post -office Department, contains many interesting items. To an untravelled Englishman, an ignorant for- eigner, or an unappreciative Yankee, per- haps the most significant illustration of Canada's territory and development is .the fact that Mails were carried last year on 13,303 miles of railway—an increase of 1,182 miles over the preceding year ; that 45,000 miles were covered daily by the ser- vice, and over 14,000,000 miles during the year. The principal portion of this increased milage, and additional service to the public has, of course, been in the newer provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia and the North-west Territories. The Northern Pacific and its Brandon branch ; and the Canadian Pacific especially, with its in- numerable branches and extensions, are do- ing much to promote this great measure of comfort and pleasure -to the settler in these rapidly developing portions of the Dominion. Meantime, the external service has not been neglected. A contract for one more year has been entered into with the Allan and Dominion lines for the carrying of our Mails between Quebec, Halifax and Liverpool. And there is reason to hope that a still faster system may be in operation before very lone. The Pacific Ocean Mail Service. c.trried by the Empress line of the C. P. R. between Vancouver, Yokohama, Hong Kong and Shanghai, shows a most gratifying development. As compared with 61,375 letters transmitted between Canada, China andJapan in 1891 there were 109,411 in 1892, and 34,900 newspapers last year, as compared. with 20,112 during the previous year. The cities throughout the Dominion also show a marked appreciation of the free de- livery eye tem. During 1892 the Letter Carriers in our eleven cities carried 901,932 letters, post -cards and newspapers, an in- crease of 44,000 over the preceding year. Toronto heads the list with 372,449; Mon- treal comes second with 156,726, whilst Hamilton is third with 62,361. The regis- tered letters passing by mail within the Dominion exceeded three million in number, out of which oily 147 cases of abstraetion of contents or total loss of letter were re- ported. Most of these were made good, and the number is less than last year, which seems to prove the efficacy of the precau- tions -taken. The Report in this connection warns persons who write to the Depart- ment complaining of loss or delay to send the envelope' or cover with their com- plaint. In is interesting to note that the Depart- ment is preparing some changes, which we think will commend themselves to the public. Letter -cards, similar to those in Great Britain, Austria and other European countries, will shortly be issued, as well as a larger sized postal card than the one now in use, which it is supposed will be found convenient for price lists, notices, etc. Post- age stamps of the value of twenty cents and fifty cents will also be issued. They should he very useful in pre -paying parcel postage. The Dead Letter Department is always a curious one to investigate, and its returns are suggestive of a degree of carelessness in the public which it is difficult to understand Over one million letters are reported as having passed through this Office during the year, of which 26,911 were actually re- gistered letters with valuable contents. Over 90,000 were returned as having insnf- ficient address or postage. The business of -the Money Order Branch continues to grow. in 1368 the value of Money Orders issued was $3,352,000 in 1891 it was $I2,478,000, and last year it was $12,825,000. In the Post -office Savings Banks the der osits are reported as exceed- ing $22,000,000, and the most gratifying point in this part of the statement is that an analysis of -the deposits shows it to be a widespread and essentially popular invest- ment of small savings. Fifty-twe thousand people deposited from one .to ten dollars each ; 25,000 from eleven to twenty dollars . and 36,000 from twenty-one to fifty dollars. Arrenlrements are announced for an in- crease in the limit of weight in parcels ad- dressed to or received from the United Kingdom, together with a reduction in the rate of postage for each pound in excess of one pound, from 20 cents to 16 cents. Money Order conventions have also been consummated with the Leeward Islands, Bermuda and British Guiana. How Cigarette Papers Are Made. Is it true, as is generally believed, that the cigarette is more hurtful to smokers than the pipe or cigar? This is an important question to which it would be difficult to give an answer with- out a solid basis. This basis and the de- tails in support of it can be obtained by a visit to the factory of Gassicourt in Nant. es. Admirable precautions are taken for the absolute purification of the elements com- posing the paper which is intended for such delicate use. In the first place, only per- fectly new material is used, such as trim- mings of hemp and flax. The sorting is done by women with the most delicate care. After the sorting the material is placed into an enormous cutting machine, which chops it, after which - it is placed in a fan which does the bolting. Then comes the mashing process. The material,reduced to' small particles, is put into two enormous gloves containing a preparation of lime and soda. Then it receives another mashing, which takes away all trace of foreign substances. The water used in this cleansing is constant. ly renewed until it becomes perfectly limpid. It is not supplied from a river or watercourse, but from two artesian wells, which give about four hundred thousand quarts an hour of pure water. When thoroughly cleansed the material is placed in a new apparatus, which completes the crushing. It then pressed in a hydraulic press. After all this it still retains a grayish tint, which must be removed. Up to with- in a recent period the whitening was ob- tained by chlorine, which was evaporated one way or another. At the Gassiconrt factory the use of chlorine is forbidden. It is replaced by an electric process. In this way no impure organic material and no trace of chlorine or any kind` of salts can remain. - Powerful cylinders having finished the crushing to the point of extreme fineness,the paste finally passes to the machines which transform it into paper. The paper is first transported to the general depot in Paris, and from there is exported to Vienna, New York, Jassy, London, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, &o. Moscow has the finest churches of Russia, and the people consider the city so holy that they make pilgrimages even from the bor- dere of the Black. Sea and from the edges of Siberia to pray at its shrines. NOTES ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. Some people suppose that rosewood takes its name from its colour, but that is a mis- take. Rosewood is not red or yellow, but almost black. Its- name comes from the fact that, when first cut, it exhales a per- fume similar to that of a rose ; and, al- though the dried rosewood of commerce retains no trace of this early perfume, the name lingers as a relic of the early history of the wood. A revival interest is to be noted in the attempts started some years ago, particular- ly in France to manufacture silk from wood pulp, and by methods, as proposed by M. Chardonner, similar in principle to that em- ployed for converting wood into paper. It is well known that, a few years ago, large works were built at Besancon, and prepara- tions for manufacturing silk in this way were projected and carried out on a some- what extensive scale ; the result was that though remarkably satisfactory specimens of silk made by the process in question were shown, it was found that the fabric so manu- factured could not be woven successfully in large pieces, and that it was of so highly inflammable a nature as to be a source of great danger. To overcome these difficul- ties very thorough experiments have for some time past been under way, and with such results that the company having the industry in charge claims to be able to fur- nish a substitute for silk possessing all the essential qualities characterizing that article, and which is expected to be put upon the market at about one-half the cost of the genuine article, dress pieces, ribbons, &e., being included in the prospective goods. In his recent work on mechanical and in- dustrial progress of late years, Dr. Benja- min states that in no department have the improvements and advances been productive of greater results than in that of agriculture. This is seen, he declares, in the general substitution of iron and steel in nearly all kinds of farming machinery, which, with other imkirovements, has increased in effect- iveness, and at the same time reduced its cost from twenty-five to fifty per cent. An instance is afforded of this in harvesting machines, the binder having been perfected so that twine is used instead of wire, a simple fact which has added a vast stimulus to the grain growing of the United States, where the binder was invented, also of South America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa, without which invention it would have been impossible to harvest the recent crops of small grain. To the period 1880-90 must also be assigned the general introduc- tion of the Hungarian system of high mill- ing and the extended use of the corrugated chilled iron rolls in place of buhr stones, thus revolutionizing the flour industry. Of machinery used in the textile industries, too, emphasis is laid upon the immense im- portance of the improved cotton spinner, in itspresent form increasing the average speed of the spindles in practically all cotton factories from 5,500 to 9,000 revolutions per minute. Engineers are quite interested in a device lately brought forward for sounding an alarm whenever a bearing gets hot. The arrangement consists of e cup containing some mercury, this cup being set in the hearing, and wires are connected from the cup to a bell and annunciator, one of the wires leading from a screw that can be set at any desired distance from the surface of the mercury, this screw is screwed down until it touches the mercury, and the cir- cuit completed through the mercury,`caus- ing the bell to ring, and the screw is then backed any distance required. Should the bearing become heated, the mercury ex- pends, closing the circuit when it touches the screw, and thus giving the alarm. It is proposed to have one on each bearing, the Lelief being expressed that, though this would lead to a multiplicity of numbers, and probably some confusion at times, no doubt can be entertained that it would save fires very often in such places as sawmills : also in some portions of cotton mills, where dust is likely to get into a bearing and cause it to heat, this arrangement, it is thought, may serve a useful purpose. No less than twelve thousand traction engines, it is stated, are at present in use in England for hauling heavy freight, or for passenger service, or for steam plough- ing, or as road rollers, and are built as a rule in one of three sizes. The smallest is an engine weighing nine tons when fully equipped, and has cylinders eight by ten inches in size ; the next machine weighs ten and one-fourth tons, and has cylinders eight and one-half by twelve inches ; -the largest of these machines weighs eleven and one-half tons when carrying six hundred pounds of coal in its bunkers and 168 gal- lons of water in its tank ; its cylinders are 9 by 12 inches, and a load of forty tons can be pulled up a grade of one in fifteen on a good hard road. The most economical load for good roads and moderate grades is said to be about twice the weight of the engine, under such circumstances the largest size requiring from 800 to 900 pounds of coal in ten hours. Single cylinder engines are most in favor, but a demand for those on the compound principle, it is believed, will take plaee before long. - A new kind of paint is announced, which, it is claimed, possesses in a peculiar degree the properties of preserving metals from rust, and is unaffected either by heat or cold. When applied to sheet -iron it is found that the coating is not affected by warm water or steam, nor is it at all influenc- ed by the action of acid and alka'ine liquids, ammonia gas, hydrochloric acid gas, and sulphureted hydrogen gas. The principal ingredient of this paint is a silicate of iron which is found in the neighborhood of natur- al deposits of iron ores, and also occurs in veins in deposits of granite, which have be- come decomposed by contact with the air. This deposit, which is employed in the form of a finely ground powder, is found to be composed mainly of oxide of iron, with small proportions of silicic acid, phosphoric acid, alumina, lime, magnesia, &c. The silicate of iron, in a very finely divided state.ia mixed with oxidized linseed oil and varnish, to form a paste,and when required in the form of paint it is thinned down with good linseed oil, to which, if deemed desirable, a drier-- such as litharge—is add- ed, at the same time as mineral colors for producing the required shade. Vetretable Curiosities. Some very pleasant surprises for children may be obtained by getting fruits to grow inside of glass bottles. Some, especially of the cucumber family, can be inserted into the narrow mouths of bottles while young, the bottles attraohed to the branch, and after full growth it will be ,a mystery how these fruits got inside the bottles or jars. Besides the pleasant surprises many a use- ful lesson on plant growth can be furnished by these tests. It is stated thatKing George III. of England, in the earlier stages of the insanity which subsequently overtook him, used to express bis surprise to those who were dining with him as to how the apple got inside the dumpling ; but with these fruits legless jars the surprises to even sane people are quite as interesting to intelligent people as the apple dumpling was to this unfortunate monarch. VERY INTERESTING. Napoleon's favorite daints was i, od pad. ding. Trains in Russia rarely exceed twenty-two miles an hour. Greek ladies had 137 different styles of dressing -hair. Ching Noung, s,c. 1998, taught the Chin- ese to make Lread. Bangs were first worn in the court of Louis XIV. The peacock and swan were famous old German dainties. The railway mileage in the United States is 110,601 miles. `.Weaving was practised in China, accord- ing to tradition, e.c. 3000. Gloves with separate fingers were un- known before the twelfth century. It takes 100 gallons of oil a year to keep a large sizedocomotive in running order. In the reign of Louis XVI, the hate of the ladies were 2 feet high and 1 wide. Several thousands of hair pins, in many styles, have been recovered from Pompeii. The average coat of constructing a mile of railway in America is about 6,000 dols. Amoy, China, bears the distinction of be- ing the dirtiest and most unhealthy city in the world. There are four hundred and fifty indus- tries in New Orleans in which female labor is employed. Thirty-seven thousand women are em- ployed in the United States as telegraph operators. The swords of Toledo and Damascus 1; -ere so popular. n the middle ages that they sold for their weight in gold. In the southern provinces of Russia a drink resembling brandy is obtained by dis- tilling the juice of the watermelon. A Liverpool man wants a patent for "ageing" violins, and by which he claims to turn an old fiddle into a Cremona like instrument in two weeks.• Cranes, storks, and wild geese fly fast enough to make a trip from Northern Europe to Africa in a week, but most of them rest north of the Mediterranean. The salt mines of Nevada throw into the shade all others known in the ITnited States. One bed alone covers 15,930 acres, and no bottom to this salt has ever been discovered. The Manhattan Elevated Railway, New York, carries a larger number of passengers than any other American railway. The figures are given as 525,000 a day, o: 191,- 625,000 yearly. Paris has 87,655 trees in its streets, and each tree represents a cost to the city of seven pounds. This makes, in round num- bers,£620,000 worth of trees in the streets. A curious circumstance in connection with the recent epidemic of cholera at Hamburg was the departure of all the birds from the city only a few days prior to the outbreak. The building societies of England and Wales alone have a membership of over 6'10,000, and a share and loan capital of up- wards of £50,000,000. There is a curious snake in South Africa that lives wholly upon bird's eggs. It has no teeth or signs of teeth in the mouth, the whole dental array being located in the stomach. The honour of instituting the first quar- antine is claimed by the Venetians. Vessels were kept from intercourse with the shore for forty days. The Italian quarantine means a space of forty days, which is also the original meaning of the English " quar- antine." The city of Chicago is now beginning to feel the influence of the World's Fair in the great increase of crime within its limits. Such an event always draws the criminal element from all sections, and it will require the most strenuous exertions on the part of the authorities to prevent the inauguration of a veritable reign of terror. Photographs of growing plants show some marvellous results, especially among the climbers. The young stems are said tc move in a succession of irregular circular or elliptical curves, which vary in every direc- tion. These movements are due to - the irregular growth in various parts of the stem. An extraordinary case is reported from Halberstadt. A soldier in a cuirassier regiment, who took part in the celebrated death ride at the battle of Mars -le -Tour, was severely wounded in the left ankle. The man was removed to the hospital at Guedlinberg, where he remained for over a year.- Doctors, after making many attenipts to discover the bullet, at length gave up the search and discharged the man, who has been an invalid ever since. The other day, after twenty-two years, the doctors at the hospital at Halberstadt succeeded in extracting the shot, which was imbedded in the bone. The patient is said to have experienced immediate relief after the operation was performed. The most beautiful unmarried young princess in all Europe is the youngest daughter of the King of the Belgians, the Princess Clementine. She is just twenty. two years of age, very tall, has beautiful dark hair and eyes and carries herself like a queen. She has led a sad life on account of the misfortunes that have befallen her family. The suicide of her favorite brother- in-law, the Archduke Rndclph, and the death of Prince Baudouin of Flanders, who had been mentioned as her possible hus- band, have combined to impress her with the feeling that she should spend her days in the retirement of a convent. But a mar- riage with the Crown Prince of. Italy or Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria is being dis- cussed. She has a beautiful young girl friend, the Princess Josephine of Flandere, who is fair-haired, blue-eyed and always happy, and is the greatest heiress in all Europe. How to Choose Oranges. The expert orange biller does not select the smooth, clean -fruit invariably, nor does he object to a heavy percentage of rough, dirty skins. The latter are not always easy to sell, but they invariably give the greatest satisfaction. This is because in the case of oranges, as with almost any fruit, beauty is only skin deep, and the insects which infest orange groves and extract sweetdeas from the fruit, much as bees draw honey from the finest flowers, only attack the sweetest and choicest to be found. The effect of their effort is to roughen the akin by per- forating it, and hence dust is retained, in- stead of either. falling or being brushed off the untouched skins. The fruit within the latter -having been rejected by the insects on account of a lack of sweetness is not so palatable as that in the rougher looking- skins ookingskins ; and it is decidedly a good plan tc follow in the footsteps of the b?!isy little creatures who can tap an orange and ascer- tain how sweet it is in a =aweno mea could attempt. -