Weekly Mail

NEWS IN BRIEF. > Mr. and ftfr9. Stanley arrived on Friday at Manza, in Italy, and were received by Major Casati and Captain Camperio. Signor ucci, the fasting man, announces his intention of trying to beat Dr. Tanner's record fast of 45 days. In many parts of Kent the hop-picking season has ended, having been very short. Prices are extraordinarily high where the yield has been good. Mrs. Sharp, the wife of a workman, of Dungtablp, has given birth to triplets, all girls. One of them was stillborn. The Queen's bounty has been applied for. The Royal Humane Society's bronze medal and certificate have been awarded respectively to Henry Seagull and William Henley, of Stroud, for saving a boy who was drowning in the River Medway. Madame Adelina Patti has presented Mr. Dur- ward Lely with a sapphire and diamond solitaire pin as a souvenir of her recent charitable concert at Neath at which Mr. Lely volunteered his services. The great vine at Himpton-court is now in splendid condition, and it is estimated that it lioids no less thll8 1,400 bunches of fine grapes. T Ie fruit is now awaiting the Royal command in reference to the cutting. The men in the employ of the Thames Iron- works Company have, by a large majority, rejected the profit-sharing scheme, whereby, after payment of interest on shareholders' capital, the profits were to be divided between the company and the employes. At the Old Bailey on Monday Frederick William Delerich, 30, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour for fraudulently obtaining £ 4 15s. from the Inland Revenue by taking stamps from lapsed insurance policies and obtaining their value at Somerset House. Butterflies are to be the next victims of fashion. The new fans are decorated with the beautiful wings of these insects, which are caught in hundreds for the purpose, the body, antennae, and legs being sketched in afterwards by an artist, who also paints in groups of flowers, over which the butterflies apuear to hover. At the Hope and Anchor Inn, Leeds, on Satur- day a young woman was accidentally shot by a youth named Fiddler, who playfully pointed a revolver at her and pulled the trigger, not know- ing it to be loaded. The bullet struck her between the eyes. She was removed to the infirmary, where she has since died. Fiddler is in custody. Two men named Merrett and Smith, recently charged at Berkeley with night poaching on the lands of Lord Fitzhardinge, and sentenced to a month's imprisonment and ordered to find sureties by their own recognisance each in 910 and other sureties to the amount of £10 each, have been released by order of the Home Secretary. Cricket goes on quite merrily in the Island of Samoa sides of 50 and even 100 are travelling from village to village; games are spread out over a fortnight, and, in the words of the Samoan Times, "the industries of the country are neglected, and the evil effects of cricket are tellinK OIL the pro- ductions of the islands." On Mr. R. Day, of Scarborough, coming down stairs he founi a note lying on a table, in which his housekeeper, Sarah Robinson, a middle-aged woman, expressed herself as tired of life. Immediately afterwards he found her leaning over a tub, with her head submerged in the water, lifo being extinct. 1 War to the knife has been declared between the Secretary Blaine and Speaker Reed factions in Maine since the Speaker's victory there, and in Washington he is hailed as the coming man. In the Indiana State Convention every reference to Mr. Reed was received with cheers, and though President Harrison states it was only by a bire majority, and after a fight, a resolution endorsing the Administration was passed. The revising barrister at Stockport on Friday struck off the list Alderman Edward Walmsley, chairman of the watch committee, on an objection that he did not occupy his office for any trade, business, or profession. Alderman Walmsley is the owner of land as trustee for several estates, and his office is used in connection therewith. The revising barrister held that this did not comprise a business within the meaning of the Act. I This story is told by the London Chronicle A Kentish farmer forwarded a quantity of apples to London, and received an answer to the effect that they were worth 4s. 6d. or 5s. a bushel. N;t being satisfied lie dressed himself as a coster- monger, journeyed to the City, and actually bought his own apples from the salesman at lis. per bushel. In an hour or two he returned undis- guised, and on inquiring the state of the market was informed that good apples realised 4s. and 5s., very prime as much as 63. The returns of the Registrar-General for Ireland show that lust year 195 persons-79 males and 116 females-died at the age of 100 years or upwards. He made special inquiries into these cases. It was found, lie says, in almost every instance that, so far as the registrars could ascertain, the age was correctly stated, and in many cases historical references were given as collateral proof that the entries were trustworthy. The good old age of 95 was attained in Ireland by 662 persons-306 males and 356 females.. At the Wolverhampton Stipendiary's Court on Friday, Gaorge Duffield, of Curzon-streot, Notting- ham, and John Bull, of New Windsor, near London, described as bookmakers, were fined in their absence C25 and f,10 and costs respectively for using stands and making bets with various persons at Dunstall Park Races on the 19th and 20th of August last. It was stated as the reason why defendants did not appear to answer the charge that they were at Doncaster Races. At Nantwich, four children, sons of Mr. Thomas Oulton, leather currier, Nantwich, on Friday, shut themselves in a building upon his premises. Here they accidentally set fire to some straw stored inside. Amid great excitement attempts were made to rescue them but this was not effected until they had been dreadfully burned. The eldest boy, after great suffering, died, and the case of a younger brother is hopeless. It is remrkable that the same four children were recently rescued, while asleep, from a great firo in the same locality. It was rumoured a short time ago that the Gilbert-Sullivan dispute was all abjut a cirpet. The truth appears to be that Mr. D'Oyly Carte leases the Savoy Theatre to the syndicate at a high weekly rental. He claims that the cost of re-furnishing and decorating should be paid by the syndicate. Mr. Gilbert argues that the large rental (£107 a week) should include the proper repair and furnishing. Hence the "carpet" theory, which ceitainly required some explana- tion. Recently a man waq found dead with his throat cut in a cornfield atShorne, near Gravesend. The only document in his possession was a piece of paper upon which was written "Sir Roger Tich- borne." He was erroneously identified by the police by his clothing as Wm. Parker, a missing Chatham publican, and Parker's licence was trans- ferred to his wife. List week the wife received a letter from Parker, who is in America, stating that he is quite well. H.M.S. Barham, which has cost about £ 100,000, appears (says Truth) to be a total fiilure, and, the vessel being absolutely useless, it is clear that the enormous sum which has been expended upon hor might just as well have been shovelled into the Solent. There appear to be radical faults in her construction, and they cannot now be remedie (I. The officials who are responsible for the Barham, which was built at Portsmouth and ^sgfned at Newcaatle-on-Tyne, deserve exemi-iSry punish- ment, &The Court of Inquiry at Capetown has sus- pended the cprufica.t* 'of Captain Peter Clay, of the barque of Cardiff, for twelve months, for gross psgligence in allowing his ship to be in chares of an apprentice off a dangerous coast. The lArithe left Port Nolloth with copper ore for Swansea and was wrecked the same night, three lives being lost. The court found that the ship was blindly allowed to run into danger, resulting in her total loss. No attempt was made to save her. riirt of the crew came home in the Garth Castle, which arrived at Plymouth on Monday. The New York Herald London edition of Saturday contained the following :-To our readers. We iiava to announce that if: is our intention to suspend for the present tli" publication of the daily edition of thi3 journal. Mechanical difficul- ties in its production, which, with our existing appliance', we found it impossible to overcome, compelled U3 some weeks ago to reduci tho six? ot the paper, find left us powerless to oany out the intentions which we had in view wh-^n we embarked in the enterprise. We are consequently obliged to postpone, though we dn not abandon, the hope of piacins before tiie E-gliah puidic a daiir nrfwepipcr which shall be iu cvoty vvuy worthy of their support. Miss Jennie Hill goes to America shortly at a salary of JE150 weekly, and all travelling and hotel expenses paid. Lady tennis players would experience a very great advantage in having the sleeves of their dresses quite separate from the bodices. The Rev. David eWilliams, a Bolton Con- gregational minister, after officiating at a wedding, was found sitting unconscious in the vestry: lie died almost immediately; The bodies of a woman and an eighteen months old child were found drowned on the beach at Brighton on Monday. They are believed to be mother and child. A train was entering Gourock Station on Monday when the engine, guard's van, and front carriage got off the rails. They were much damaged, but only one man was injured slightly. At Ilfracombe on Monday the master of the steamer Waverley, plying from Bristol, was fined L34 and costs for carrying 194 passengers in excess of the licensed numbr.1 At Leeds Revision Court on Monday 700 Liberal objections were quashed on the ground that a list of objected names followed the signature of the objector instead of preceding it. A case was granted for appeal. Dick Howell, a professional bicyclist, was com- mitted for trial at Leicester on Monday on a charge of attempted rape on Rosannah Lewis, a domestic servant at an hotel at which Howell and his wife lodged. Bail was accepted. A Reuter's telegram from Paris on Monday night says :-A duel was fought this evening between M. Mermeix and M. Dumonteil, Deputy for Aisnp, the former being seriously wounded in the right side. Nothing keeps out moths so well as paper. If every housewife, when she puts away her fura, pasted up all the crevices and round the lid of the box with paper she would find hor furs intact when unpacked. Count Tolstoi, the author of the" Kreuzer Sonata," who was thought to bo nearly mad a little time ago, has been brought round by his devoted wife, who has dieted him on koumiss, or fermented mare's milk. An average reader gets through about 400 words a minute. This is without reckoning the young lady reader who skips through the introductory chapters of her novel, searches diligently for the love scene, and then turns to the end to see if the book finishes in the way she desires. A man named] Taylor jumped from London Bridge tied up in ".Alack on Saturday afternoon. A boat rowed to him- and after a thirty seconds' immersion he rose to the surface in an ordinary swimming costume. After performing some antics in the water he got into a boat and was rowed ashore. At Leeds on Monday Frederick Fiddler, 18, barman of the Hope and Anchor Inn, was remanded on the charge of causing the death of a servant girl named Smith, at whom he playfully presented a revolver. It exploded and the bullet killed the girl. The defendant said he did not know the weapon was loaded. A well-known Congregational minister was some time since at a Salvation Army service in a South London barracks. He occupied a seat near the front. General Booth, who was praying, smote him tbus:-O Lord, we are seeking to bring Thy prodigals back to Thee, and there sits the elder brother who does not approve of the singing and dancing." As the Emperor Alexander was angling the other day, in company with foreign officer-, M. de Giers came to ask for a private conference. The Emperor answered, Please to speak here. I have no political secrets." Then M. de Giers re- ported the return of Prince Ferdinand to Sofia. "But what have I to do with that?" replied the Emperor. On Monday morning the extensive mills of the West Hartlepool Paper Pulp Works Company at Stranton, West Hartlepool, caught fire, and the flames, fanned by a strong south wind, soon enveloped the entire building. In two hours the place was a complete wreck, and the loss is expecied to reach £ 30,000. Over 100 hands will be thrown out of employment. The high price enforced for beet root has produced gseat depression in the Clyde sugar trade. The large refinery of Messrs. Richardson, Roxburgh-street, Greenock, stopped at the close of last week for want of material, and is expected to suspend operations this week. This would leave only three refiners working. The state of affairs is attributed to the sugar bounties. How much the conduct of one man may do to make or mar a country The Empress of Austria has taken a great f mcy to the Norman coast, and would probably have returned there year after year had it not been for the behaviour of the owner of the chateau she lived at, who thought it seemly to charge her 30,000f. for the hire of his house during three months. The barquentine Ironsides, now in Messrs. Mordef* Carney, and Company's new dock, came to New- port with a foreign crew of non-unionists. The crew have ceased to have a connection with the Ironsides, and the Seamen's Union officials have met the captain and asked him not to ship another crew of non-unionists, as his doing so would most probably create a difficulty. The death is repotted of Alderman Waimsiele an ex-mayor of Bolton and a justice of the peace, which occurred at his residence, Great Lever, on Saturday, in his 75th year. Deceased was an extensive holder of railway shares, and w«s formeriy a cotton spinner, but a few years back he founded the Atlas Forge, one of the most extensive ironworks in Lancashire. He commencod life as an ironmonger. On Saturday evening, while a number of litlls children were playing on the pier at New Quay. Helen Evanfl, aged seven, daughter of tho lale Rev. T. P. Evans, of Pontardulais, accidentally fell into the sea. Mr, Jenkin Jones, a teacher at the New Quay Board School, with great presence of mind jumped from the highest pier to the lower oue, and from thence into the sea, and after a fa" minutes' swimming reached the child and brought her to land, none the worse for her ducking. The post-mortem examination of the body of Quartermaster-sergeant Stewart was made 00 Monday in the mortuary at Pliunstead. The surgeons found that the knife had been drive" with great violence through the brenst bone io^° the heart, which was completely drained of blood and shrivelled up. Special police patrols been placed on duty in Conway-road to protect the house in which Mrs. Lyons, the mother of the accused resid s, as it is feared that tho excite- ment in the neighbourhood might lead to violence- A Press Association telegram says: Shortly before twelve o'clock on Monday night two me" quarrelled in a public-house in Friars-street, Black. friars, and, after some words, went out to fight. A few blows were exchanged, and one of the men fell to the ground insensible. The police were called and conveyed him to St. Thomas'^ Hospital, where Dr. Lancaster, the house surgeon, pronounced hiC* dead. The body was removed to the mortuary to await an inquest. Deceased was identified as Charles Ray, aged 28, residing with his father j" Joiners'-streef, Blackfriars. The police are 10 search of his assailant, who disappeared. A tremendous fire broke out at Messrs. Fieidi11^ and Piatt's ironworks, Gloucester, shortly before nine o'clock on Monday night. The fire is sup* posed to have originated in the pattern shop, and from the time of the outbreak had a complete hop of the building, which was completely gutted 16 an hour or so. The supply of water seemed verf inadfquate, and the efforts of the fire brigade wi-r0 from the first directed to saving the surrounding property. About a dozen dwelling-houses sret6 in imminent danger, as the wind blew the flames towards them. A church in the vicinity was in danger. The damage is estimated at abou6 £ 20,000. A popular and respected farmer nan1*"? M'Grath, aged 46, was murdered on Saturd*J night within a mile of the village of Balling»rf' County Tipperary. He had walked into a yard iO front of his house after supper, when he was so, upon by two men, one of whom stabbed him to the heart with a knife. He fell dead instantly, anti his body was carried into the house by his also, servant, who grappled with one of the The man, however, got away, but the other 1030 was arrested by the police. His name is Wilh Heffey, and he has been charged before the va»S trates with wilful murder. At Guildford Petty Serious on Saturday privates in the Somersetshire Light Infantry stntionod at Pirbright Camp, named James Sit1' and Charjes Rees, were charged with damagíOgo fence at Knapp-hil), and assaulting Police-ser.oOI, West, of the Surrey Constabulary, whilst in lrJ1 charge of his duty. The officer went to take in custody for damaging n fence, when resisted him. Smith caught hold of him bf throat to prevent, his calling for help, whilst" IrcUed him and stiuck hitn. Butt) men drunk. The Chairman (Colonel Weston) said the state of things that prevailed in Bisloy "16 curse to the neighbourhood and a disgrace country. Sjft^th wis sentenced to n,°" hard labour and Rees to two inontiiv

%-■ RURAL NOTES. i .—_ y Mr. J. Muir, Margam Abbey, 'I Glamorganshire, XNSWEBS TO CORRESPONDENT. 1 tn special cases, no repltes wtll bo sent to readers by post, but all inquiries will have f prompt and careful attention under this headrng, and we invite notes and questions on ALL rural subjects, { WORMS IN SOIL.—"T. R." (Salendiae Nook).— lYour soil, like that; of many other gardens, is Infested with worms. As your potatoes and other fcrops are lifted procure some fresh lime and apply jit at the rate of lcwt. to twelve square yards. V)ig this in at once and your soil will be free from *yirorms next season. C VIOLETS FAILING. Florence Hall.—As your Violets have produced very large flowers they are evidently one of the best garden sorts, and these often fail to grow freely where the hedge-row Jcinds luxuriate. I have experienced the same thing here, especially in light soil, but if you make bed in a partially shaded position during the Vintor and plant it in April next you may do much better with them next year. Put a good deal of fresh loam or turf into the new bed. Let it be from 15in. to 18in. deep, and add a good quantity of cow manure; you must water froely in dry weather, and do not allow the plants to become crowded. If you can give them a sheltered corner you might transplant part of them at present and the remainder in the spring. The best violet growers prefer what they term a cool" soil for their plants. They dislike gravel or old worn-out soil. STABTINO A MILK BusiNna.-Il G. C." (North- ick).-I think you ought to carry out your sug- gestions your cart, price. &c., would be sure to » tako_" well. A profit of 6s. 8d. on 40 gallons would hardlymake ends meet; but your pig?, garden, and poultry would be of much assistance, iond X think you would be sure to succeed. It would be important fchnt you should have the milk without paying Carriage from some farm or dairy where you jcould call for it. In wishing to use a lactometer AI a milk tester you have evidently honest inten- J ions, and if you let your customers have the lenefit of this your reputation will soon be estab- lished. You can procure a lactometer from the Jersey Creamer Company, Inchbrook, Stroud, uloncestershire, at Is., 3s. 6d.f and 5s. 6d. each, and 1 recommend the latter. THE RIBSTON APPLE.—" Lover of Fruit."—It is Still one of the best in flavour, but it has not a good constitution, and in poor soil and ungonial localities it cankers so much and bears so httle that it can only be recommended for culture in special cases. SBLKCTION OF APPLFS.—" J. S. and W. B."—You will find this in present issue. You should write to the nurseryman, ordering what you require, and ask him to select the beet trees and keep them for you until planting time. If you are near a good fruit tree nursery, you could go and do thi a for yourself, as it is a great advantage to wlect the best before they are oil picked over. MINORCA COCK GIDDY.—" W. H. R." (Hudders. field).—1 would have replied to you by post, but you did not give mo your full address. Your bird is threatened with apoplexy, for which there is no remedy, and he will probably drop dead before long. It is not hereditary, but I do not advise you to breed from such a bird, As many of the eggs would not be fertile, and by the spring of 1891 he will be much past his best for breeding, you should kill him for use and procure a healthy bird of this year. GREEN TOMATOES.—M. K. Cocke.-A recipe will be given in a week or two, but the warm weather recently experienced may have induced more of your tomatoes to ripen than you anticipated, and if you keep them rather destitute of foliage and expose the fruit freely to the sun, many more will mature before the end of October. They are more valuable ripe than green. SAND FOR CAGE BIRDS.—" Novice.Sea sand is not good, but that obtained from rivers is very suitable. Procure a quantity from any river, put it into a bucket, wash it well under a tap to re- move all dirt, then dry the sand before the fire or in the sun, and put it in tins to keep it con- veniently for putting a little in the bottom of the cage daily. Where river sand cannot be procured, bird dealers will supply it. NAMN OF APPLKS. "Northenden." No.1 Eckiinville Seedling, No. 2 Blenhpim Orange, both useful and commendable varieties for small or large gardens. FOWLS MOULTING SLOWLT.—" Farmer's Wife."— The cold season has been against them, and the older the fowls the longer they arc in getting through the moult. Stop feeding on grain for a fortnight. Give barley meal or soft food hot mor- ning and mid-day. Mix a teaspoonful of flowers of sulphur to every quart of meal, nnd give Indian corn the last meal at night. Warmth, especially warm feeding, is a great assistance to the production of new feathers. PBlit]CNNIALS.-Il T. R." (Salendine Nook).—The good may be sown successfully in August and April. It is now rather late for sowing this season, but you can sow in the spring. Sow them in rows or patches, in good eoil, facing the sun. You may also bay good perennial plants at 3d. and id. eacb, and you would find this the best way of intro- ducing them. Godetias and other annuals are best Sown in April. Autumn-sown annuals require a great deal of attention to keep them robust and save them from snails and such like. RUNNER BEAN. Tliemerton.Tiie bean you Bond is not the Canadian Wonder grown into a tall one, or a new runner, but it is a variety that has long been grown as the Mont d'Or Butter Bean. The seed of this has, no doubt, become mixed with your Canadians. It is remarkable for its fine flavour, which verifies what you say of it. GUIDE TO ISLE OF MAN.—"JE. W." (Southport). _ent by post. NAMES OF APPLES AND PEARS.-C, Biuce (Titirsk).-Your samples are very good indeed. Years:-No. 1, Beurre d'Amanlis"; No. 2, Beurre Clairgeiu; No. 3, Aston Town No. 4, Williams's Bon Chretien No. 5, Napoleon. Apples. -No. I jand 3 the same, Small's Admirable; No. 2, Hamvell lowering. EXTRACTING) HONEY, New Reader," (North Wales).—Do not on any account extract any more ikoney this season. You are fortunate in having any to extract, aud still more so in having a good supply in the bars. But they will require it all before the winter is over, and you will find them Go much better on their own stores than by -artificial feeding. April is a good month in which to buy bees. I do not advise you to buy at present, as you might have some trouble in keep- ing them through the winter. NAMES OF APPLES AND GERANIUMS.—<[ T. H. W." '-Geranium blooms all shaken to pieces in paper box, beyond naming with any degree of accuracy. ■jApples: No. 1, Court of Wick; No. 2, Thorle Pippin; No. 3, Fearn's Pippin. Not very good Samples, Your trees have scale on them. Small Vineri-S. Amateurs who attempt grape growing will have found their vines require a good deal of attention this season. The vines have grown freely—in many cases too freely—but the trood has not matured at its usual rate, and jjbbe fruit has been slow in gaining maturity, .The fruit, as a rule, is deficient in colour, nd if it is intended to keep it late it will require much attention, It is important, too, !that the wood should be well ripened, as if it Xa not next year's growth and crop will de- ieriorate. If my notes with respect to the training of vines were followed at the beginning of this season each side shoot would be stopped ,at one or two leaves or joints beyond the Jbonch of fruit. When this is done, and the I jpperation repeated as fast as the young jgrowths push out, there would not be any prowding of the wood or foliage; but although the stopping may be carefully attended to at the beginning, it is often neglected before the nd of the season, and the roof of the vinery bme8 a mass of small shoots and leaves, #hese obstruct the light from the main jfhoots and greatly retard the ripening the ehoot3. They also prevent rJhe free circulation of the air, and v&is hinders the ripening of the fruit, ■#s well as not allowing it to attain that firm condition necessary to ensure their keeping jperfeotly during the winter months. All superfluous shoots, twigs, and leaves should, Jthorefore, be removed at once, In doing this 160 not meddle with the permanent shoots or Saves that were left on at first but everv one of those that have formed since should be out away. This must be done oarefully, so as not to allow the branches as they are being removed rubbing against the bunches of fruit. Admit abundance of air at front and back on fine days if the grapes are still far from being ripe, apply a little fire I heat as well; see that the soil containing the roots is quite moist, as it is a bad praotice to let the wood or fruit shrink in the autumn from dryness at the root, It is also better to saturate the border well now than have to do so in October or November, when atmospheric conditions are so much in favour of the fruit decaying. Vines do not require much water when the foliage has fallen, and they may be allowed to become much drier then than now. w w Insects on Fruit Trees. There are very few fruit trees in the coun- try that are not attacked by insects. No matter whether the tree is bearing or,fruitless, the insects are sure to be there. Sometimes the tree is in such good health as to resist them or prevent them from doing any great harm, but, as a rule, they are injurious, and the tree would be better and the cultivator more happy without them. All will find it remunerative to try and prevent them from becoming troublesome, and if this is possible, as it often is, when and how to exterminate them are the important points to be con- sidered. Almost everyone who advises on the matter recommends the trees to be washed and cleaned when destitute of foliage in winter. The wood can certainly be reached then in all its parts much easier and better than when the branches are clothed with leaves, but many insects that are tender in the skin at present, and are basking themselves in the sun, have a very hard exterior by mid-winter, and have retired to crevices and under pro- teotion where it is almost impossible to reach them. Some may be killed by insecticides, but many cannot be reached, and remain, to appear in increased numbers the following spring. I am, therefore, in favour of cleaning the trees in the autumn, when the insects are exposing themselves and are in a tender condition. To attempt to oleanse the trees with some of the expensive inseoticides that are offered would cost shil- 1-ngs, if not pounds, and, no doubt, this has prevented many from trying to destroy the insects on large or numerous trees, but there is no better insecticide extant than paraffin oil. If this is mixed with water at the rate of half a pint to ten gallons of water, and the trees thoroughly syringed with it two or three times at intervals of a week, this will be found a oheap and effective as well as a sure way of oleaning the trees and adding to their fer- tility, and it ought to be applied at once » m ) JL Select Kitchen Apples. f The following are the best dozen varieties in cultivation, and all who intend planting new trees this autumn or winter should intro- duce one or all of them as being good growers and free-fruiters of execilent quality. To suit those who may not require a dozen, but only two or three, I name them in order of merit :— Ecklirivilie Seedling. Lord Suffield. Lord Grosvenor. Boautv of Kent. New Hawthorndcn, Cellini, Duchess of Oldenburg. Stirling Castle. Beauty of Bath. Small's Admirable. A'friston. Dumelow's Seedling. Select Dessert Appies. As excellent oompanions to the foregoing and indespensable dessert apples, the follow- ing dozen are of the highest excellence Irish Peacb. Oslin Pippin. Thorley Pippin. Kerry Pippin. Worcester Peirmain. Coxe's Orange Pippin. Braddick's Nonpariel. Court of Wick. Scarlet Nonpariel. Kir.g of the Pippins. Stunner Pippins. Adam's Pearmain. ¥ # Vegetation on C:nder Tips. ,,<, Some interesting notes have been received respeoting the adornment of these. inirs. Helen Watney, Berry Grove, Lies, Hamp- shire, writes "The very finest blue flowering bydrangeag I have ever seen grow on an old cindor tip at Bryn- mor, near Llanelly. There was an immense mound to the right of the house where, a few years previously, the cinders and slag from Mr. Raby's ironworks had been deposited in fact, the entire bank was formed by the debris from the furnaces and the mines. Several different kinds of shrubs grew well there, but hydrangeas bore the palm, and they invariably had blua blooms. When removed to any other part of the garden their flowers became in the course of a couple of years bright pinks, and we also noticed .that pink hydrangeas planted on the tip changed to bluo. f believe the change in the colour of the flowers was due to the iron in the soil, for of late years scientific gardeners have advocated watering plants with iron-impregnated water, in order to produce blue blossoms. The foliage and size of all the plants grown on the tip was remarkable,"and theontira mound was covered wilhvery coarse grass." 4w Webb's Catalogue of Seed Corn. A new one for 1890-91 has been issued. It is the most valuable production of the kind I have yet seen. It is of a most ooiiveniont form, and contains nothing but what is of the utmost use. All who are interested in tho culture of the most profitable varieties of grain should oonsult its trustworthy pages. The wheat, barley, oats, &c., recommended therein have been universally proved to be the best in cultivation. I recognise many of the illustrations as faithful representations of the kinds I have seen growing at Kinver and elsewhere, and however much horticulturists have to thank Messrs. Webb for the improve- ment of their vegetables and flowers, the agriculturist is equally indebted. 4 Dead Fronds on Ferns. What some lIrould call the leaves of ferns are properly called I- fro-ids," There are Some ferns that die down in winter, and these may now be yellow and withered, but all evergreen ferns, of which the' maidenhair is a good type, should be as bright and green in winter as summer. Those, however, that have made a great many fronds may be so dense that some of the middle fronds may wither, and these dead fronds not only disfigure the plants, but are apt to cause the healthy fronds to decay. This, if it ocours to any extent, will soon spoil the ornamental character of the plant, and all deoayed frouds should be removed as soon as they wither. They must be out or clipped out very carefully, so as not to injure the green fronds. A fern plant with a quan- tity of dead fronds amongst the healthy ones is never attractive, but when none but the green ones are allowed to remiil they are pretty and iuterestmg always, Clean Roads and Walks. The season has been a very weedy one; many forms of vegetation may have failed to grow or gain maturity, but the weeds hwe been luxuriant evervtfher1 r- ',ai c v h v e j been plentiful amongst the vegetables and flowers, and especially on walks and roads. They give these a very untidy and neglected appearance, and no one who desires to have a smart place can keep weedy walks and roads. Throughout the summer they appeared almost as fast as they were cleared off, but their growth is more slow now, and walks and roads that are thoroughly oleared at present will remain clean the greater part of the winter. It is not only weeds that have grown on them of late, but moss has clothed the surface in many parts,and this is also unsightly. The best way to clean them is to hoe them thoroughly and rake them well. The roughest of the stuff may be oleared away altogether and the remainder raked over daily when it is sunny to expose the roots, when they will die. I recommend the use of the weed-killer "Cuppolene" in the forepart of the season, l and it might also be used at present with great advantage to clean the paths for the winter. *#* Dry Walks and Roads, As the time is coming when roaas and pathways will be more damp on the surfane than they are in the summer, attention should be given them to make them as dry as possible. There is nothing that adds more to the plea- sure of a garden or the comfort of the sur- roundings of a residenoe in winter than dry paths. if one cannot go out without getting the feet wet by going into an unavoidable water-hole they will seek their pleasure else- where, but it is not difficult to dry the worst of paths. The first point is to have them higher in the centre than at the sides. A walk six feet wide should be six inches higher in the centre than at the sides. A road twelve feet wide should b. one foot higher in the middle than at the sides, and all should be formed on this prin- ciple where the ground is retentive. The water from the sides should be oarried away by drains, and in all oases drains are most useful, but many of them formed years ago may be choked now and of no use, and these should be cleaned before the winter is here. It is rather early to restore our gravel roads and walks, as these are best applied in winter, when the surface is soft and they will penetrate freely, but the walks may be put into form at present, and all holes and defects remedied. A nicely cut hedge to a road or walk is a great off-set to it, and these should also be trimmed before the winter. It is a mistake to think it is onlv ia summer that roada be kept smart < -i-. ft • Another Disease-resisting Potato. {< Yoikshireman writes■ -tizt -?, -;7 (I I observe you note Webb's Renown as a good disease-resisting potato. I have not grown it, but will certainly do so, and I wish to remark there is another of the Wordsley potatoes that has resisted the disease this season to a remarkable degrea. It is named Stourbridge Glory. It is of the Magnum Bonum type, but of better quality, and as capable of resisting disease as ever that well-known variety was. I am storing it largely f past for ssod to grow it more extensivelv in 0 v i 11 ta#ns In Autumn. I Lawns are as green now as they were in the early summer. The grass has grown constantly since then, It is not in any way sunburned, and it has required more cutting to keep it close this season than usual. Now that the growing season is over many are apt to neglect cutting their lawns, They think it will net matter if they are a little rough through the winter, but this is a mistake, as the garden should be kept as trim in winter as summer, aild a neat lawn adds much to the beauty of the garden in the absence of flowers; but the best lawns in winter are those which are closely cut down up to the I end of October. When cut to that time they are very closely packed with grass, which makes a compact surface and retains its con- dition through all weathers, but grass that is allowed to become long now decays on the sur- face in winter, retains the moisture, and often causes the crown of the plants to decay and appear in bare patches,

CANON LIDD0N AND CREMATION. l "¿' Sir Spencer Wells writes to the Times '■—Early in 1655 Canon Liddon preached a sermon in St. Paul's on the doctrine of the Resurrection. He quoted the following sentence from Max Mullor's Bio- graphical Essays :—" I often regret that the Jews buried and did not burn their dead, for in that case the Christian idea of the Resurrection would have remained far more spiritual." This sentence and what followed was not correctly reported in some of the papers. So I asked Canon Liddon what he did say, and he gave mo in writing the following sentences which had formed part of his sermon :—" Cremation, had it token place, could have made no difference, except in the sphere of the imagination. The resurtcction of a b)dy from its ashes is not a greater miracle than the resurrection of an unburnt body each must be purely miraculous. Faith in the Insurrec- tion would have been as clear and strong if the Jews had burnt their dead as it is when, as a matter of fact, they buried them."

The Claimants to the Blvthe Millions. On Frid-iy the Chester corrft.pufluenc or the Daily Chronicle had an interview with the rela- tives at Chester of Thomas Blythe, of Mold, Flintshire, who died in California, possessed of an estate variously estimated as being worth from three to four millions of money, consislisg mostly of extensive cattle ranches. Several of the Chester relatives, who claim that, being nephews, they are lineal descendants of deceased, are in California prosecuting their cause. They have written home to say that Judge Coffey has pronounced in favour of Florence BIythe, who is alleged to have been the deceased's illegitimate child. They nre appealing against the decision of the Supreme Court on the ground that the child was never adopted and re- ceived into the deceased's family according to the United States law, and they say that they are san- guine of having the decision reversed. The caso has been dragging along in the San Francisco law courts for many months.

The Author and His "Copy." Mr. Jerome K. Jerome has stood up, like a man, for certain little creatures that are much hunted, hated, or despised. He says that when he wrote "lleas" in the Daily Graphic the editor invariably altered it to flies," which shows that the Daily Graphic is determined to be genteel. But Mr. Jerome did not like this treatment of a race of creatures towards which he seems to entertain feelings unusually kind. lie protested. The word "flies" did not express his meaning. Besides, "fleas are such chummy littlo things," and they ought to have their rights. In future they are to meet with that recognition which is their due so long as Mr. Jerome cares to mention them in hts articles. 11,1

An Advocate for Cremation. General Studliolme Hodgson, who died a few days ago, was a well-known advocate of crema- tion and funeral reform. In his will he insisted that his body should be cremated, and declared that he did so in the hope that his example may tend to clicck the revolting practice of retaining tl-e corpse unnecj?sari!y long on eaitli and tiion interring it with equally revolting pomp." -7-77TM-