Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

THE WOMAN'S WORLD. THBRB was never a time in the memory of woman- kind when ruffles and puffs and frills and furbelows, little stripes of this and little bands of that, lozenges, diamonds and cubes of one material set upon another and every imaginable oaprice of small effects had reached such a pitch as is evident to-day in the newest models. And the general make-up is withal very pretty, at least it is dressy, and that passes for the same thing. Simplicity and severity are done away with except in strictly-made tailor-costumes that are still approved and one of which is an indis- pensable addition to the wardrobe of ev.ery well- dressed woman. Braiding and cording are again coming into popularity, while embroidery and fancy embroidered galloons are in the height of favour. One comfortable and interesting characteristic of the present styles is that they are susceptible of such modifications that last season's dresses may be rearranged and pass muster with the new ones. THE fancy waist is a settled affair as far as its individuality is concerned, and is not only comfort- able and economical, but as stylish and elegant as one chooses to make it. JUST now a great deal of attention is toeing given to thin dresses for current wear. These are made mainly of batiste or the silk striped and spotted zephyrs that are so much liked. Very thin material is made up with skirts having a gored fr< nt breadth and the rest of the skirt of straight widths. If the fabric is somewhat firm, gored sides may bo used, but they are very likely to sag and spoil tie graceful hang of the garment. The Spanish flounce, which cu, s the skirt in two about midway of its length, is a pretty style for tall and slender people. The upper half of the skirt has the front gored, possibly the sides if the material admits, then the deep flounce is put on full all around. This is appropriate for wool and silk as well as cotton goods. For sl uff dresses the top is gored and lined in precisely the same way as the ordinary winter skirts have been, but. on to the gored top is plaited or shirred the lower portion, which is of straight breadths, and is also lined. Some skirts have a little crinoline or carvas at the lower edge, but this is apt to get out of shape. It is better to line the flounce throughout with a good quality of brilliantine of the same colour as the material. This falls in softly rounded folds, and is durable and in every way satisfactory. A DRESS of pearl-gray veiling has a narrow ruffle of the material at the hem of the skirt. Abovo this is a little pinked-out rose ruching of pink bilk. The waist is close-fitting, and the front is covered with embroidery. There are also wide epaulets of em- broidery over the full-topped sleeves, and a very wide belt and stock-collar of pink silk. A HANDSOME out-door dress is made of black velvet with bands of galloons set from the belt to the hem of the skirt. There are five ef these binds-one down the middle of the front and two on either side. The body is close fitting, with a full vest of crepon, and there are deep ruffles over the tops of the sleeves, finish with butterfly bows of ribbon with long ends. This is extremely stylish and becoming, and with it is worn a round hat of velvet with loops of velvet and pointed wings. A DRESS of India mull with sfripes of em- broidery has a corselet belt made of five bands of ribbon. These are gathered into a wriesof loops at the back, and from this belt fall five ends of ribbon, spreading over the back of the skirt. The sleeves are finished with very large bows, and tbore is a ribbon collar with a bow at the back of the neck. WHITE linen collars and cuffs are again in favour for woman's wear. Some of the new shirt waists have adjustable collars and cuffs that may be laundered like those worn by men. rhis has advan- tages, as collars on the garment (10 not do up as easily as those that are detached. A DRESS with low corsage has a ruching of chry- santhemum leaves at the upper edge. These petals are taken from the artificial flowers and sewed on to a band. They make a very pretty and becoming trimming. SKIRTS cut on the cross, that is, to that the stripe will run in diagonal fashion, are among the novelties. A 6TYLisn and becoming waist Is of black velvet, with a full-length vest front niado of white broad- cloth, embroidered in gold. Then is a white em- broidered collar, with an outer rolling collar of velvet. The puffed sleeves have cuffs of broadcloth and gold embroidery, and a narrow band of the cloth, with gold buttons set very close together, extends up the outsid e of the cuffs. A nANnsoME waist of white silt has very wide cape-shaped epaulets of ruby velvet edged with very fine-cut jet trimming. Bands of the jet extend from the shoulder seams to the bodice point, trim the collar and finish the belt, which has long, wide ends tA the ruby velvet. EMBROIDERED hosiery is popular, the instep and ankle showing f+remely pretty designs, all very small and done in ^t^ There are also openwork and lace woven hose abundance. The fancy for coloured underwear continue,, nnd exquisite sets are made of batiste and nainsook in very light tints. The trimmings are either edgings or embroidery. A quantity of very small tucks made by hand may be seen among the novelties. Fine mull and linen lawn waists made up with these little tucks are to be worn. It is said that the sleeves in shirt waists are to be larger, but this is improbable, as by this means the shirt waist is robbed of its distinctive characteristic. "VALENCIENNES lace is coming again into popularity, and blouse waists made of it are worn over white silk underbodies. Beaded galloon is used to edge the I revers and collars of velvet waists. GRASS-CLOTH is playing an important part in the present fashions, both in plain material and wi-h coloured grot or check." Thus writes the fashion editor of the Draper's Record, who describes a pretty dress in this material, one with a pink spot on a holland-coloured ground. It has," he writes, a pretty silk collar coming square on either side, V I shape in front and sailor shape behind, trimmed with I two holland frills and lace, having at the neck a turned-down collar with lace-edged frill. The bodice is a simple affair, drawn into a band, round which pink ribbon is draped. On the puff sleeves are pink silk cuffs with frill to match the collar. ANOTHER stylish grass cloth or canvas gown in the plain material, and with well-hung skirt, innocent of any trimming, has on the draped bodice five tiny blue silk frills, coming down from neck to waist. and a blue silk neck and waistband. With it as head- gear is worn a picturesque Leghorn hat on which black ostrich tips and a blue silk fringed bow reign supreme. (j E of the principal firms in London is showing exquisite cloaks in shot glacé, green, and petunia, white and grey being the favourite combinations of I colour. Though produced specially for the races, they are admirably suited for evening wraps aud dust cloaks. Skirts and sleeves are made very full. Some hang loosely from a yoke of embroidery and jet, while others are drawn in at the waist. Both styles have huge cape or Pagoda sleeves, and are trimmed with ruchings of silk and lace. A lovely opera cloak in green and pink shot glac6 silk, cut cir- cular in shape, was embellished round tho hem and neck with pink and green-tipped ostrich feather trimming. Long white ostrich boas are being worn a great deal just now by ladies at the opera. When speaking of grass cloth material I should not have omitted to say that the smart West-end tailors are using it for vesta and lapels wiih their serge coats. The lapels, generally square in front and sailor- shape behind, come over serge ones beneath, a half- inch of the latter material forming a border. Alpaca will be even more popular towards the end of this month and in August, especially for traveli ng gowns. A dress designed for the latter purpose is in fawn, with the seams stitched in an ornamental way, and worn with a blue satin waistcoat. A neat black alpaca gown, with short full-basqued coat, has collar, cuffs, and waistcoat of white gros silk. Black and white is still exceedingly fashionable for smart gowns, some of the daintiest black grenadines and muslins being made up on white silk and satin foundations.

ART AND LITERATURE, A LANDSCAPK by Cotman has been acauin*l lie National Gallery. Tbe Art Gallery .f Aberdeen has just received a considerable number of work* nt mrt under the will of the late Mr. James Walker Two studies by Titian have been presented to the University of Oxford by Mrs. Gilbert, the wiHnw of the late Mr. Josiah Gilbert. Mr. W. Fraser has eiven to the Ipswiph Corporation a landscape by tin In'* Robert-Burrows. TiiB statue of Cromwell is, it Mema, to be p. ceeded with after all, despite the defeat of the r ffToir" scheme, as various private contributors havesupiriied the necessary funds. Whatever may be the 0bjec- tions to the statue on the ground that the tabiecfof it is unworthy of such a memorial, art lovers may fairly rejoice that it is to be entrusted to Mr Hamo Thornycroft. From him we may at least expect » fine work of art. The statue of itobert Burns which is to be set up at Paisley is to be exeouted by Mr. F. W. Pomeroy, a capable young sculptor who W already done a great deal of very excellent work. Mr. Ezekiel, the American sculptor's bust of the late Viscount Sherbrook has been placed in the west ™rrib of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. We*tpoTCa A UTUE shrine in which the art of the Newlytt School may be worshipped is in course c.f erection at that Cornish centre of modern aesthetic opinion. Thi. gallery is a present to the neighbourhood from Mr. Passmore Edwards, and is to be opened in the autumn with a show of pictures by painters connected with tho district. Whether the building is to be a, rallying place for the Newlyn art hosts, or is to serve as a memorial of an art movement that seem. threatened with an early death, does not appear. Anyhow, it will be interesting to visitors who wantta. study the local industries. A NUMBER of fairy stories are in the press just naW* Mr. Aubrey Beardsley is illustrating a series of such tales which lie has himself collected. Mr. Max Beerbohm has also devoted himself to fairy stories, but he has written his as well as illustrated them. III- the autumn a special volume of these tales for the young will be issued from the pen of MissFarrar the daughter of the new Dean of Canterbury. EDITION," as most people now know, is a very elastic term, varying from the "limited edition" of" a hundred or two of the minor poet to the thousands of the last popular novel. The first edition of the cheap and illustrated" Trilby," just published bv Messrs. Oegood, was of 32,000 copies, which, we take it, trips the elasticity o, the term higher than it haft ever been tried before. An edition of 32,000 follow- ing on an unparalleled sale of the three-volumed edi- tion is something to open one's eyes, and Mr. Da Maurier has every reason to feel pleased with himself' and the world. Mr. Tree, it may be mentioned, will produce the dramatic version of "Trilby" at the Haymarket Theatre in London in the autumn. Mean- while we are encouraged to expect Trilby's" suc- cessor at, no distant date. No book has as yet been published dealing solely with the history of the variety stage. Mr. J. A. Cave's volume of reminiscences contains valuable in- formation on the early history of the music halle. These are, however, soon to boast of real historians of their own for there is now in the press, from the hands of Messrs. C. D. Stuart and A. J. Park, a book entitled, "The Variety Stage: A History of Music Halls from the Earliest Period to the Present Time." This will contain sketches of the old saloons, their patrons, and the comedians who assisted, besides a full account of the more modern miscellaneous entertainment. Tfll-J Royal Scottish Academy have obtained their- supplementary charter, and have now the pefwer to create a class of honorary retired Academicians. Ond clause, however, has been struck out, that by which it was proposed to forbid members of the AittdemY Bending pictures to any other exhibition Edin- burgh. The idea of introducing such a condition wa»- hardly a very happy one, for it might easily have caused a good deal of friction and unpleasantness among the members of the Academy, and would cer- tainly have brought that body into rather undignified competition with smaller organisations. MR. IIAJIO THORNYCROFT, the distinguished Royal- Academician, is a sculptor by birth as well as bjfc training, being the son of the late Thomas Thorny- croft—designer of the Park-lane fountain, and of Mary Tiiornveroft-liappily still among us—who, again, is the daughter and pupil of John Francis. Mr. Thornycroft was born in London on March 9,' 1850, was educated at Macclesfield and at University College School, London, and then became- a student at the Royal Academy, bearing off the silver medal in the Antique School in 1870. He made his* first contribution to the Burlington House Exhibition in 1871, in the form of a bust of the late Professor Sharpey. Among the more striking of his wort's are Teucer," a nude statue of heroic size, which was bought for the nation out of the Chantrey Fund, and is now, in bronze, in the South Kensington Museum the poetic "Sonata of Beethoven" (1883), "The' Mower" (1884), the equestrian statue of Edward I* (1885), "Medea" (1888), and "The Mirror" (1890), his diploma work. TIIK Hellenic Society has decided to publish from time to time illustrated catalogues of the numerous private collections of Greek antiquities existing in this country. Probably the first instalment will appear in the course of the coming year. The enter- prise will be warmly appreciated by Hellenists, for whom it will have great interest, and the work cannot fail to be of great value to students. THE British Museum has acquired a remarkable ) collection, consisting of six manuscripts and 1199 I Drinted editions of the "Imitation of Christ," which were -nld in January last for the small sum of £144. PROFESS. DAVID MASSON, the noted literary critic and literary historian, proposei^to resign the Chair of English LtWature in the LTniversity of Edinburgh, a position which hQ has held for fully 30 years. This is the second blow within a year which Edinburgh has received, the first, of course, being Professor Blackie's death. Professor Masson baa much to do with forming the literary taste of Robert Louis Stevenson, and among others whom he has in- fluenced are Mr. Andrew Lang, Mr. J. M. Barrie, and I Mr. S. R. Crockett. THE Thumb Bible, published in Aberdeen in 1670, rtieasures one inch square and nearly half an inch thipV MR, HALL CATNE is one of few writers of note who shine as after-dinner speakers. He has an excellent voice and delivery, and possesses the happy knaok of Speaking as if he were altogether independent of manuscript, assistance. As a matter of fact, however, his speeches are written out in that almost copper" plate hand of his, which is the joy of compositors. nearly word for word as they are delivered. IE[io speeches abound in anecdote, and it need hardly be ?aid that they are couched in the expressive style of which the author of The Manxman is a master.

A WOMAN'S FREAK. A rtrange case of male impersonation (>8ay. Paris correspondent) is about to come before the Paris tribunals. An eccentric young woman, named Felicite Letournoux, living at Toul, was anxious to visit Paris. Not having enough in her possession to pay her fare, she borrowed the uniform of an artilleryman and obtained a military ticket duced fare. In the course of the journey Letournoux was too communicative with a passenger, who detected the disguise, and on t arrival of the train at the Gare da I'Est informed a police agent. The pseudo-soldier was arrested, ana is now charged with the triple delinquency of illegsll" wearing the uniform, defrauding the company, ana vagabondage. Mai tie Oster, the prisoner's will plead that Mile. Letournoux was carried away by her love of Paris, and that her escapade ought to be overlooked.

FROM SLAVERY TO WEALTH. The wealthiest coloured man in Chicago is be Mr. Lewis Bates, who is rated at nearly £ 100; He is entirely uneducated, dresses poorly, like a poor man. He was born a slave nearly years ago. In 18CI he reached Chicago by the underground railroad, and began by working In II- foundry. He soon became an expressman, and begw» investing his savings in real estate. In this shown excellent judgment, and nearly all his invest- ments are gilt-edged. Though he spends little money on himself be is open-hearted, and no deserving .po- plicant to him is sent empty away.

A C ATTLB stealer nameet V iguter has just been con, victed at the Assize Court of Tarn-et-Garonne stealing an entire flock of sheep. With the aid of his dogs, Viguier collected the flock in the fields near St. Antonin, and coolly drove them along the bibwa" to Villefranclie, where he made many attempts to no them to various farmers in ODen market

FARMING NOTES, CHARLOCK SEZD. To well harrow stubbles, or to plough and harrow wfth a view to striking charlock and other surface weeds beforesowing, is (observes Professor Wrightson in the Agricultural Gazette) real old-fashioned good practice, and it ought to be unnecessary to parade it afresh, except for the fact that readers, as a rule, teem to profit little oy what they have perused long since. It seems necessary on every occasion to bring out things new'and old and to keep:hammering away, as good MF. Morton used to say. A system, practised some 40 years ago with success, was ba*ed on the principle of hoeing, and it was carried out by adopt- ing a rotation favourable to charlock and weed eradi- cation. Corn is particularly liable to charlock, and no crop is more difficult to meddle with. To corn crops especially the Scriptural advice applies—" Let both grow together-until the harvest." Itis not so with green and root crops, for these can be hoed or fed off just when the charlock is at its height. The preoise terms of the rotation referred to need not trouble us, for any practical man would be capable of devising a course of cropping suitable for the purpose. Winter vetches, if affected with char- lock can be fed off, turnips can be hoed, as also can potatoes, cabbages, and a number of other crops of the similar elass. In these days especially, land may be cropped with a view to eradicating charlock and other weeds with better prospect of success than when a large corn area was more neoessary than now. In order to illustrate what is meant we take the following as an example: First year, roots (turnips or swedes). Second year, mangel wurzel. Third year, beans sown wide and kept clean. Fourth, wheat. If hoeing and good cultivation can get rid of char- lock, this ought to do it. The pest is, however, very persistent, and is liable to break out afresh. Plough- ing to a greater depth than usual is on many soils the cause of a deluge of charlock, a fact which the indiscriminate advocates of deep tillage ought to take to heart. Probably the best course is that of careful cultiva- tion at all times. One of the most successful farmers we ever knew always harrowed his stubble after harvest with a view to promoting the germination of all weeds, and was also in the habit of pausing between dressing hls land and drilling his spring corn with the same object. KRFIP PROSPECTS. We are reminded of 1893 and the long succession of weeks in which we kept the chronicle of drought and scarcity-the land refusing to yield her increase. Hitherto the rains of April have saved us from the worst effects, and it is gratifying to notice the amount of moisture which is still apparent in well- tilled soils a few inches beneath the surface. Stock remains healthy, and, as is so often the case in droughty seasons, it does uncommonly well upon roast meat. Herbage, when short and brown with drought, always seems to be rich and nutritious, and if stock can have access to water they always keep up their appearance. The season is yet young, and we must continue to hope that in due time we shall enter upon a growing period. In the meanwhile we are securing a filir quantity of extremely fine hay, and should scarcely choose a chaitge from bright sunny weather to much rain while a large breadth of grass is still lying in swathe. Keep prospects must not be considered as hopeless, for it is during the last six months of the year that the root crop is developed and matured. The farming outlook is better than it has been for two years past. It will, indeed, be fresh in the memory of our readers that a year since we were entering upon that downward gradient of corn prices from which we now seem to be emerging. Wheat approaching the level of 30s. per qr., instead of 17?. to 20s., is a most encouraging feature, and we can only hope that the rise will be continued. As to live stock and wool, we note a considerable advance as compared with recent years. A continuation of droughty weather would, no doubt, tend to injure the trade for sheep and store cattle, but it is too early to indulge in gloomy forebodings, and a few days of showery weather would soon produce a reaction. MANGEL WCRZHII. In times of scarcity a heap of mangel wurzel is a tower of strength to the stock-keeper. We look upon mangel as one of the crops of the times. Farmers are now to our knowledge giving as much as lie. per ton for it, and nothing can better prove its value. It is a crop which, if carefully grown, is safe to yield 30 to 40 tons per acre on ati average, and it is not necessary to urge the actual money value of food of this description. One of the best properties of mangel is its power of keeping fresh into the summer long after turnips and swedes have been forgotten. A heap of mangel in June. or, better still, in July or August, is as good as hay in winter, and in some respects rivals corn as an addition to sheep food. Who would not prefer 40 tons of mangel per acre to 40 bushels of wheat at recent prices? If the former is worth 10s. per ton for feeding purposes, no wheat crop can touch it. and the land is left better. It may be that mangel draws the field upon which it grows, but, being eaten upon the farm, its goodness is all returned to the farm if not to the field, while sales of wheat tend to impoverish the farm. IIISTS TO un STOCK OWNVRG. ? It generally follows (remarks Samuon ") that when horses have eaten of yew or other vegetable poisons, and any delay occurs in at once procuring the services of a veterinary surgeon, the animals die ere remedies can be given. So many causes contr.bute to this end. The isolated positions of farms: in the hurry of sesding off for a vet., nine times out of ten it is omitted to tell the messenger the cause for which his services are required, entailing another rney home for medicine. In many country districts there is but one veterinary surgeon over a wide area, and there is the chance that he may be at the other end of the district when summoned, lu cases of this kind, after despatching the messenger, give a pint dose of cream and linseed oil mixed, follow with a gill of neat brandy, then a dose of dissolved clarified soup, and at a short interval another gill of brandy. The chances are that this treatment will be sufficient to effect a cure, even if the vet. be delayed. To prevent milk fever or drop in calving cattle keep the animals in the ordinary state, and for two or three days before calving, according to condition, give a bran mash with about a teacupful of linseed oil each morning. This keeps the bowels open, and ensures easy and successful calving. If the calf is not intended to suck the dam, rub it well down, and place in a hull on p'enty of clean dry straw. Give, as first meal, one pint of mother's milk into which an egg has been beaten, and a dessert- spoonful of salt. Afterwards, one pint of new milk three times a day, with half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda each day, or the latter on alter- nate days, to prevent milk curdling or scour. Gradually increase the milk until six weeks old, when the new milk may be partially taken off, and skim- milk porridge substituted. At three months old, hay tea make take the place of the whole milk. At six months old, hay tea may be given, wholly in place of milk, in conjunction with other feeders —six quarts per day. For calves intended for exhibition, from six weeks old, three quarts of whole milk morning and night. with three pints of porridge made of milk and calf meal. Muzzles are advisable at this age to prevent calves eating bedding and other substances that may come in their way. At six months old, continuing the milk and porridge, add lib. to 21b. of oilcake per day, with lib. of crushed malt, and lib. of crushed Indian corn or oats, increasing the quantities up to 12 months. The yearlings might have 41b. of oil- cake, with chopped bay and straw, and pulped turnips, and 41b. of crushed malt and Indian corn or oats, with long hay, and 31b. to 41b. of carrots or cabbage in season. For red-water in cattle, the following singular remedy has been handed down from father to son, probably for generations, in the Northern counties, and, if given in th stages, it is aeldom needed to be repeated. Take lib. of common salt and lib. «f oatmeal, moisten, tie up in a cloth, and burn to a cinder in a hot The calcined remains will be caught in the bars; pound these up fine, mix with lukewarm water, and give as a drink. Where it is found desirable to kill or thin moles in the land, procure some large earthworms, roll them in nux vomica powder, open out a run or two of the moles, and drop in the worms. The moles will eat the worms and be poisoned. This is much eatrier nnd cheaper than trapping. To secure the primest Cumberland-cured bacon, pro- ceed as follows, the quantities being for a 200 lb. pig, which can be varied according: to weight: Bub into the hams, flitches, and shoulders 71b. of salt, ana allow them to lie two days in a tub. At the end of that time throw away the ferine formed in the tub. Mix 41b. salt, lb. of salt- petre, and 21b. brown sugar. Examine the pieces for blood veins, and draw out if any. Then rub the mixture well over each part, and place again in the tub, and a brine will be formed. Rub the pieces each alternate day with the brine, reversing the position as they are put back in the tub, so that each in turm gets the benefit of the brine. Take out the flitches at the end of ten days, shoulders at 14 days, and hams at 21 days. Wash the pieces with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water, dry, sprinkle over with oatmeal, dust openings of hams and shoulders with cayenne pepper, and hang up to dry. As a preven- tion from fly, it is better to cure in December or January, aad as a keeping-place a dark room is tho best.

GAKDJENING GOSSIP. PLOWER QARDEW. Prick off seedling hardy plants as soon as large enough. The work is best done in showery weather; as the-plants get established sooner, but t-unt be done soon, any way, as the season is advancing. Raising seedlings of the best hardy florist's flowers, such as Carnations, Pinks, Pansies, Violas, Hollyhocks, Delphiniums, Pyrethrums, &c., is inte- resting work, but the seeds must be obtained from a good source, as it is a waste of time to grow rubbish. The most successful raisers are those who can purchase a fairly representative collection of the family of plants they desire to work upon and save their own seeds. Take the Carnation, for instance; there is plenty of room for new varieties with hardy vigorous constitutions that will flower freely for a long time. We want plants that will not burst the calyx, and are sturdy in habit and hardy enough to stand the severest winters outside. There is a grow- ing demand for plenty of spring-flowering plants, especially Auriculas and Primulas of the beet kinds, such as ltosea and others. Cuttings, or pipings, of Pinks may be taken any time now. The choice laced kinds must be struck early so that the plants will be ready to go out in Sep! ember, as the lacing cannot bo depended on if the plants are set out late in the season. In the propagation of the commoner kinds of border Pinks it is not necessary to bother about cuttings cr pipings nuder glass, as if the plants are pulled to pieces in September and the pieces dibbled iirmly in woll- prepared ground, every piece will root and make a good plant that will flower freely the next season. .w They must be planted firmly, and, if the ground is dry, should be well watered and mulched with old leaf-mould, or an old Mushroom bed broken up will do. Newly-planted shrubs must, have water if they look distressed not a mere sprinkle, but a good soak, and be mulched with somethillg to check evaporat ion. Use the hoe freely at every favourable opportunity. Stake everything requiring support. Cut Box edgings. KRUIT GAKPK.V, New beds of Strawberries may follow early Pota- toes, if the land was trenched deeply during the winter and well manured before the Potatoes were planted. Get the runners layered early. They do quite aswell for plant ing inbedsif layered on mounds of rich soil as if layered in pots, and it is less trouble. All runners not required should be cut away. Take the runners from fertile plants only; in fact, all blind or unfruitful plants should he pulled up. Sow seeds of Alpiue Strawberries in drills in rich soil. The little plants may remain in the seed-bed till spring and then be transplanted a foot apart. Those who wish to raise seedling Strawberries of any established variety should save a. few of the very finest fruits which have been thoroughly ripened in the sunshine. When per- fectly ripe, peel off the outside of the berries with a knife, just deep enough to remove all the L-oods dry in the sunshine sufficiently to perniit of the seeds being rubbed out, and either sow at once in a 00It or pan, or preserve the seeds in a dry condition till spring and then sow them. If sown now and placed in a close frame some of the plants may get strong enough to fruit, next. year. One advantage of raising seedling fruits, especially Strawberries, is that tttere will be a better chance of getting varieties to suit our soil. Open-air Vines will require regular stopping and training if the fruit, is to have a chance of ripen- ing. One leaf beyond the bunch will be eno.ugh to Itave to carry on the circulat ion, and one bunch of Grapes to each shoot should not be exceeded. VEGKTABLK GAnDEN. In earthing up Potatoes have the ridges well defined and sharp at the top, so that. the water may pass away freely. This is the season for laying in a good stock of winter vegetables, including Celery, greens of all kinds, and Turnips. Beetroot may lie transplanted if there is not, enough to last through the season. The Turnip-root, variety is the best for early use, but the long rooted sorts arc best for winter and spring. Water Vegetable Marrows and ridge Cucumbers freely in dry weather. It is not, absolutely necessary to plant either Marrows or Cucumbers on Manure-heaps. They want u warm, sunny, sheltered position, and the growth should be pegged out. to give the right, direction, and, if lH,ible- the trotind should be mulched with lone littery manure. Make up a Mushroom bed in the I open in a shady spot. Obtain the manure from a stable where the horst's lune dry, hard food, and mix one-fourth of soil with it; tread the bed firm, and spawn at. MOdeg. cover with litter or itiats to tlirow off heavy rains, and cover with I.ILin. of loamy soil, made firiii when the spawn has commenced to run and the heat. is all right. CREENIIOrSR. I Do not overcrowd the plants now, and there is the less necessity for this as it).,tiiv of the plants will do better outside. Zonal Pelargoniums for winter flowering should be placed on a bed of coal ashes, quite out, in the sunshine. All (lower buds to be pinched off, and the strong shoots stojified. Shift into larger pots, as more root rwnl) is required. Pot firmly, using good lon.ni — two-thirds earth, one-third leaf-mould or very old manure, with a lilt.lo sand to keep the soil open and sweet. The show Pelar- goniums will soon he over now nnd may be sd outside to ripen the wood. Double Petunias, when well grown nnd trained neatly, are showy plants in sum- mer. Balsams and Tuberous Begoniasare among tho useful plants easily grown. Give Fuchsias wenk liquid-manure. Campanula isophylla is pretty sus- pended in a basket. Keep Cacti moist at the root uow, and when growth is finished set them out. in a sunny spot to ripen. Scarborough Lilies will flower Nvoll under iiiiil;ir treasynent. C3RASS LAWNS IN BTJMMRK. A portion of well-kept grass is one of the most at- tractive and pleasing objects in a town or any other garden. In most instances this in summer will assume a parched nnd dingy appearance under the influence of heat and drought, especially where the soil is poor or light in character. An abundant supply of water, if it can by any possibility be sup- plied in the absence of rain, will generally be the best preventive, and one of the patent spray distribute rs, in connection with a main and good pressure of water, will generally suffice to preserve a tolerably fresh appearance under ordinary circumstances. In one pbee we had a rather large fountain basin in the centre of a large lawn, the surface of the water being nearly a foot above the level of the surrounding Grass, and from this we arranged a series of syphons, formed of any kind of piping of small bore, which, once set in action, conveyed the water continually to all parts of tho turf, and maintained it in a fairly presentable condition long after other lawns were brown and bare. A solution of nitrate of soda. of (he strength of I oz. to the gallon of water, appl ied freely once or twice, at an interval of a few days, has a marvellous effect, in re-invigorat.ing the Grass, nnd will generally cause it. to assume a fresh and healthy appearance again within a very short time. TIIE BLUE SPEEDWELL (Veronica longifolia) is one of the very best of town plants, and never fails to throw up its numerous spikes of blue or purple flowers towards the end of July. There are white and pink-flowered forms, which sncceed equally well, hilt. aro lessofteii seen. The family of Veronicas is a litrge one, and many of the other kinds may be planted with advantage where there is room. Among these may be mentioned the Japanese Speedwc-11 tV. longifolia subsessilis),a handaomeplant with deep purplish-blue flowers; the Seaside Speed- well (mariti ilia). the Great. Virginian Speedwell (virginica), and the Amethyst Speedwell (amethys- tina); all these grow fall from one foot to four feet. Of dwarf kinds are the Gentian Speedwell (gentian- oides), the Prostrate Speedwell (prostrata), the Spike- flowered Speedwell (spicata), and the Saw-leaved Speedwell (Teucriuiii), all of which are worth a trial in a town garden.

MRS, GRIM. "Oh dear I l'io rung to this for an hour, and she hasn't stopped crying yet. Mr. Grill: Probably she has been waitiDg for you to stop."

AMERICAN HUMOUR. "THAT Inst poem of Jones' has the right ring," Mid the editor. How 80 1" When I opened it a silver dollar dropped out f MONEY talks," said the oracular boarder. It talks pretty conclusively," admitted the Cheerful Idiot, but at times it gets rattled." OLDUN; The girls are not so attractive as they were when I was a young man." Youngun Don t you mean they are not so attracted ?" HB: Why does Miss Middleage persist in singing 'My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon?'" She: I "Because he can't come down and deny it." DiD you look at that bill I left yesterday, sir?" said a collector to a member of Congress. "Yes," was the reply. It has passed first reading." BLRSSKD if I ain't a regular Trilby," muttered the man in the crowd after being stepped on half a dozen times; everybody gets on to my feet." Miss MOKJEYBAGS took sweet revenge Upon gay Willie Fleet. She heard him call her dull, and 10 She cut him on the street. TEACHER Which letter is the next one to the letter 'H?'" Boy: Dunno, ma'am." Teacher: "What have I on both sides of my now?" Boy. "Freckles, ma'am." AIW'T a bit o* use to fret— Take life as you find it! Best world that we've been in yet- Smile and never mind it! FORD: "Your lawyer made some pretty severe charges against the other fellow, didu't he ?" Small- wort Y-e-e-e, but you ought to see how he charged me." "TnB curious thing about my business," said the mosquito, alighting softly upon the now of the sJeep- ing victim, is that it's more fun to go to work than it is to stay to hum." WEARY WIGGINS (handing dipper): You look dry. Here's a drink of water." Wayside Husks (waving the dipper away): What's the use of spoiling a good thirst like I've got ?" MISS WJSI/LALONG I think I made quite a sensa- tion in my antique costume at the levee last evening." Miss Marketmade: "Oh, decidedly! Everybody exclaimed, How appropriate Mn, Fwq: Do you know, my boy, that it hurts me worse than it does you when I give you a whipping?" Tom Honest, paw ?" Yes." "Just gimme another lickin' now, will you, paw." SUB treated you pretty shabbily." Yes. She's angry with someone." "With you?" "Oh, no; not with me." How do you know ?" Because I'm the one sba's v»nting her feelings on." THOUGH the new woman to usurp Man's rightful place aspires, She'll still permit him to get up And build the morning fires. JonnNY "Maw, I should think it would be a heap more careless to cast pearls before chickens than to cast 'em before swine." His mother Why BO, Johnny ?" Johnny Cause they'd eat 'em." "AND yon say you're father is interested in me?" said Mr. Stalate, greatly pleased. He seems so,' she answered. "He worried about your health.' My health ?" Yes. He thinks you have insomnia." WEARY WIGGINS: "Uneasy Walker is de luckiest feller on de road." Tired Traddles How's dat ?' Weary Wiggins: He's a sorr/hambulist, an' does all his ival kirl' in his sleep. Dat gives him all day tc loaf in." MR. NONINTENTIONS (carelessly) Avr how would you like to marry a man who had only tea dollars a week?" Miss Passe (eagerly) "Oh, George, this is so sudden, but I think we can worry along if pa lett us live with.him." TIIAT girl in front of us is very fond of opera," said the young woman at the theatre. She must be," replied the young man. From the size of her hat you'd think she was afraid some of it might get past her." "DOCTOR, I have an important physiological questicn to ask you. When I stand on my head the blood rushes into my head. Now, when I stand on my feet, why does it not rush into my feet ?" Because your feet are not hollow." WUEY old Dawson had lost all the fortune he bad made He was poorer each day than before; But his daughter still kept her piano, which she played, j And that kept the wolf from the door. J "Do you know, Amaryllis," asked the Cheerful Idiot, why the letter 3 is like the presentation of a cigar to a coloured gentleman ?" The waiter girl gave it up. I will tell you, Angeline," continued the Cheerful Idiot. It is because it makes the moke smoke." PAPA (soberly): "That was quite a monstrosity you had in the parlour one evening." Grace (nettled): Indeed! that must depend upon one's understand- ing of the term monstrosity.' Papa (thought- fully) Well, two heads upon one pair of shoulders, for examDle." HK lives 1" As the doctor spoke, the man who but a few moments before had been struck by a passing cable car, and who was now lying prostrate in the rear room of the corner drug store, moved uneasily and slowly opened his eyes and looked wonderingly around him on the faces of the men who had carried him away from the path of death. Am I hurt ?" he queried vaguely, as he made an effort to move, and then sank back again, his face pale from the unusual pain. Yes," said the doctor. "Don't you remember you were trying to cross the street and did not see the car behind you ? It's a wonder that yon were not killed. We were going to take you direct to the hospital, but I thought when you came to you might wish to go home. 1 think you can be nigved now." A look of great anxiety came over the injured man's face. "What time is it?" he asked. The doctor consulted his watch. "It is now," he said, jui«t a quarter past five." "Would it be any harm," said the sufferer, with an expression of deep earnestness, if I Stayed here for an hour or so yet ? I don't want to go home just now." But you would be much better caredf for there," replied tho medical man, "and I don't see any reason why you should want to stay here. Come, what difference does it make whether you get home now or an hour from now?" It makes a great difference," exclaimed the man on the coiich, with a look of intense anguish. You may not know it, sir," he went on, his voice risin" with the excitement, as he clutched the I? physician by the arm and winced visibly at the thought of what might be his fate, "but my wife i gi\ ing an afternoon tea, andl thought I would rathes wait until it is over." YES, ipdeed," said the old man thoaghtfully after his wife had delivered a dissertation upon the progress of the sex, the new woman is vastly different from the old." "I thought you would realise that in time," she returned rather sharply. "I have just been reading," he went on, how girls used to be sold by their parents, and some of them brought fancy prices." But there's none of that now, thank heaven f' exclaimed the new woman proudly. "Woman has asserted herself, and-" Ko, there's none of that now," interrupted the old man. That's all past. A man does not buy a wife in these days." I should think not!" "Certainly not. It's all changed, all changed. Now be has to be paid to take her, and her poor old father has to wreck his bank account to provide the dowry. Yes, I admit that the new woman, Maria——" Then the door was slammed as she indignantly left the room. CORPOIlAL punishment in the schools of New Jersey 0' is prohibited by law, yet the boys of New Jersey are no less deserving of a good whaling now and then than the boys of other states. Some of the teachers of the state with old-fashioned notions condemn this law, but must abide by it, and such a teacher had charge af a country school in the northern part of the state. He was a strapping big fellow, and it was a blessing to the boys, no doubt, that they were protected by the law, for they were a tough lot. The teacher did the best he could with them by moral suasion, but it was of little avail, and he finally laid his case before the trustees. "Gentlemen," he said, after telling the condition of affairs, those boys have to be licked. "You can't do it, air," expostulated the ebairitian of the board. "Then you will have to assifit me in controlling them." That's what you are employed for, sir." Then, as I have said, they must be licked." "That is against the law, sir," insisted the chairman. Then, gentlemen," said the teaoher, with vigorous emphasis, "somebody must be licked; and I want to say right here for your guidance that the next time 1 have trouble with them I am going to lick a trustee, and as I have trouble abou once a day, each one of you may expect to get it at least once a week. I guess there is no law against that, is there T At last accounts the trustee* were lookine for a new teacher.