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

GENERAL PURPOSE CATTLE. The above term (writes Mr. Wm. L. George) has been in use for a considerable time, to indiiate animals with good aptitude to fatten, and likewise very useful for their milking qualities. Now we must dress them in a new name and call them dual sattle. Practical breeders have found these cattle the most safe to maintain for dairying, let alone their dual value for beef. They run clear of two serious risks that occur with special milk and beef producers. The former are apt to break down in constitution through the severe strain Nature has to contend against in the production of milk in such super-abundance, and the latter are very likely to miss breeding if not yery care- fully managed, through getting too fat and fleshy. American breeders are now becoming alive to the value of this class of stock, but it is not new with us. One breeder in particular, who left us the value of his experience over 20 years since (I refer to-Mr. Ellis Clarke, of Lillingstone Dayrell, Bucks), who was a rent-paying farmer and breeder, and likewise manager of Shorthorn herd and farm belonging to his landlord, Mr. A. J. Robarts. Mr. Clarke was always partial to this kind of animal, and was often heard to express the opinion that the Seraphina ;ribe of Shorthorns had these qualities more decisively fixed than any he had met with. His experience was a very wide one, and it would, I have no doubt, be very pleasing to many that were present when his own herd was dispersed in the early seventies to call to memory he kindly expressions Mr. Robarts gave of his worth is an adviser and manager of farm and stock, and :o further mark the high appreciation of his judg- ment, the Seraphinas have been bread at Lillingstone almost exclusively up to the present time, and with the records that have been made public on several occasions, we may conclude with success.' The late Lord Southampton bred up a herd on these lines, and I can. well remember when they were dispersed. About the same time Mr. Thornton very tersely re- marked on their merits. He said he had never before had the opportunity to put before the public such a level lot of cattle nor so thoroughly weeded. These animals had been kept for beef and milk, no attempt being made to obtain more than intrinsic values; but at the sale Mr. Thornton made 105 guineas of one very fine level COv. Surely these memories are worth recalling in these days of rampant hurry for some- thing new and that, too, if it is only a name. If American breeders want these kind of cattle we have them rea J a ,.a the production of many years' persistent breeding. jj -==

CLOCK MAKER AND POPE. The first clocks, we are told by a writer in the Leisure Hour, appear to have been used in churches and monasteries. One, driven by a weight, is men- tioned as having been made m 996 by Gerbert of Amillac, who afterwards became I ope bylyester the Second, but references to others are few ^d obscure. In 1286 St. Paul's had a clock-keeper, which presup- poses a clock, and in 1325 Peter Lightfoot made the Glastonbury clock, which is now in South Ivenamgton Museum.

"AH," said a gentleman who was monopolising the vonversation, it is easy enough to be good on r 5000dol. a year; but some of us have to be good for nothing, and "—looking round in self-satisfied way- some of us are 1" MISTRESS: "Get dinner to-day on the gasoline Stove, Bridget." Bridget: Plaze, mum, I did thry, I but th stove wint out." Mistress: Try again, then." Bridget: Yis. mum. but it's not come back yit. It wint out t'rough th' roof." I "WmRE are those political rogues we hear so much about, papa?" "They are always in the .(apposing party, my son."

GARDENING GOSSIP. (From Gardening Illustrated,") CONSERVATORY. This house should now be gay with many things, including Lilies, auratum and the White Trumpet longitlorum. Fuchsias, Tuberous Begonias, and Zonal "Geraniums will now be at their best. The Show Pelargoniums will soon be going off, and should be set outside to ripen growth ready for cutting down and putting in cuttings next month. Migno- nette and Roses planted out will give fragrance, iioses in pots brought on cool under glass gene- rally produce very fine blooms when the pots are plunged in a bed of leaves. Some of the flowering plants may be moved from the stove to give room there. Bougainvilleas, Eucharis Lilies, if in flower now, will last longer in the lower temperature of the conservatory. Most conservatories are shaded more or less with creeping growth trained under the glass roof and permitted to grow somewhat freely. If there are no creepers in the house then a shade of some kind will be necessary. If a permanent shade is used the greenish powder known as Summer Cloud answers very well, and gives a pleasant green tint to the glass. Plants require a good deal of water now, and stimulants should be given to those plants coming into flower. The time when a plant requires stimulant is when roots have consumed most of the nutriment contained in the soil, and then if not given too strong it may be given pretty fre- quently—say every second watering, but it must not be strong. Plants permanently set out in the bor- ders must have plenty of nourishment. The young leaves of Camellias are very tender and soon scorch if exposed to hot sunshine. A good deal of use will be made now of cool-pits as growing places, especi- ally for winter-flowering plants. We plant out such things as Salvias, Solanums, Eupatoriums. Arimi Lilies may be planted out if that system is adopt^- Some growers plant out and others grow on in and good results are obtained both ways in good hands. STOVE. /Foliage plants are now at their best, and there is an endless variety in Crotons, Bracicnas, Marantas, Caladiums, and other things to select from. Crotons and Dracaenas put on colour best in strong light, but Caladiums and Marantas cannot stand strong sun- shine. Cocos Palms require careful culture, but when well done they are among the most decorative subjects, especially as table plants in a young state. We find them do best in peat and sand. And Palms, like Ferns, must not be exposed to hot sunshine. There is always potting to be done where a collection of plants are grown. Cuttings require potting off promptly, and young stuff shift- ing on into larger pots. Watch for thrips, and if any of those troublesome insects appear, vaporise imme- diately. This makes clean work of both insects and eggs. Keep up a regular condition of atmospheric moisture. This is most important, and has much to do with keeping plants free from insects. FERNS UNDER GLASS. Shade is absolutely necessary to keep the colour in the fronds. The shade should not be heavy. Many market growers use whitewash, mixed with a little size to give permanency, but the covering should not be too thick or heavy, or the fronds will be too tender to have much value for cutting. In the fernery in the private garden a roller-blind is best, as then the plants may have all the light in the morning till the sun gets hot, and again in the evening. Fern spores may be sown any time, and will germinate if the conditions are suitable. These conditions include shade, and an atmosphere close enough to insure abundant humidity without having much recourse to the watering-pot. When the little Ferns come up they are pricked in shallow boxes. Some adopt what may be termed the colonising plan, and prick off in little tufts. These may be separated later on if desired, though no harm will be done if they are potted on without separation. This is often done now. STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING. Layer the runners as soon as they can be obtained. There are several ways all more or less good. They may be layered in small pots, or over mounds of good soil placed in convenient spots, or over sods of turf slightly sunk in the ground. Those who are much pressed with work sometimes layer the runners in the fruiting pots at once. I have sometimes done so (remarks Mr. E. Hobday) with good results. Of course, a good deal depends, in Strawberry-forcing, upon the attention given. OUTDOOR GARDEN. Very frequent attention must be given to Roses now. There should be no insects now if proper measures were taken earlier in the season. Light soils must have mulch and water when necessary. Where many buds are showing they should be thinned if fine blooms are desired. The Manetti- stock is a good one for light soils, but in planting the stock should be buried and manure should be used freely both in the land and on the surface. The buds of Carnations should be thinned if fine blooms are required. Take up Tulips as soon as the growth is ripe. Dry the bulbs and store them away in a dry place till autumn. Gladiolas, even Brenchleyensis, should be in the ground now. Recently-planted bedding-plants should be watered till the roots are established or the rain comes, but run the Dutch hoe through the surface next morn- ing to check evaporation. Take cuttings or pipings of Pinks as soon as the young shoots get a bit firm. They strike freely in light, sandy soil under hand-lights, shaded from bright sun. Damp the foliage over occasionally when necessary to keep them fresh, and keep close till roots are forming. Peg down Verbenas, Heliotropes, Agera- tums, and other plants of prostrate habit, before the growth gets stiff and brittle, to get the beds covered quickly. Mulch annuals with an inch or so of old manure passed through the half-inch sieve. Pansies plantedin autumn are still very bright, and if the beds are mulched with rich sifted compost and the longest shoots pegged into it, roots will form, and the plants will go on flowering nearly aU the year, though, of course, young plants set out; in March make the neatest masses for summer flowering. PRUIT OMIDEN. Grape-Vines are often trained too near the glass in modern houses. When the days are bright, and the temperature at nights below freezing, if Vines are trained less than 16in,, the rapid fluctuation of temperature may take the colour out of the leaves I remember one case (Mr. Hobday says) years ago where the foliage turned from this cause The following season the gardener dropped the rods lower, and the foliage was perfectly healthy. When late Grapes are thinned use stimu- lants, especially on inside borders. I like inside borders best, but a starving treatment will not do Mildew is a terrible pest on Vines, and should bt met promptly if it appears. Mildew is often caused by cold currents rushing through the house. Front air should not be given till the weather is perfectly war m and settled (in June), and on no account should the door be left open. Give all the air possible towards the ridge, and damp down three times a. day if very hot, but this will not often be necessary. Twice damping will generally suffice even in bright weather If the house is closed not later than four o'clock with a saturated atmosphere inside, and if a crack of air is put on along the ridge on mild, calm nights and the openings still further enlarged no later than 6.30 or seven o'clock on bright mornings, the foliage should be healthy and robust, just the kind of foliage that red-spider does not care for. Mildew is often caused by dryness at the roots. VEGETABLE GARDEN. Those who think of adopting the Jensen plan o warding off the Potato disease should plant the rows 3ft. apart, and as sovn as the Potatoes are through the surface fork between the rows the depth of the fork, so as to have a good depth of loose soil for earthing. This system, as most of my readers know, consists in drawing a steep ridge on each side of tlu; rows to meet at the top, and throw the water into the furrows. When the rain descends through the diseased foliage, and pene- trates the earth in which are the Potatoes, the spores on* an^ disease soon sets in. Winter u so a kinds should be planted now. Autumn cauliflowers and Leeks should also go out. I am assuming (observes Mr. Hobday) tho early Celery has been planted, and it is well looked after as re- jards water and mulch. A good stock of Lettuce* lnd other snlading is most important. It is mainly a question of sowing ,sman quantities ?arly in spring to succeed the autumn-sown and follow this system on through early summer When dry, hot weather sets in sow in cool position and thin without transplanting. Mats and mulch .vill be neceaiary. Cauliflowers in hot, porous | soils should liftre similar treatment. Keep the hoe oing, and tilke advantage of showery weather tti low Turnips.

STRONG AND SWEET. Aunts are often odiou&ly eccentric persons. The idea had occurred to me even while Aunt Mark- ham was alive. After her death I was convinced of it. So was poor dear Julia. though circumstance (thanks to Aunt Markham) withheld her from inform- ing me of the fact. By Aunt Markham's will I was to have the brute of a bulldog and Julia the cat. The conditions were that with each quadruped the legatee was to receive one hundred pounds per annum. This sum to be paid as long as the cat and dog respectively enjoyed fife in this terrestrial sphere and afterwards also for our respective lives (Julia's and mine), if the said quadrupeds eventually died natural deaths. It wps simply iniquitous-fo;several reasons., To begin with, Strong, as the bulldog was called, had frightful teeth and a more frightful temper. I should think aunt had paid scores of pounds in hush-money to folks whose flesh and blood the brute had tasted-to say nothing of trousers, dress-skirts, and stockings. Sweet, as the cat was pleasantly named, was an enormous object with enormous claws. Its temper was really not bad. But once roused, Sweet was a demon nothing less. In aunt's time I had seen this great tiger of a cat stroll carelessly into the yard where Strong was chained and there lay itself down to rest just three feet from the limit of Strong's tether. Goodness the sight of the dog's tearing rage when it happened I But it didn't trouble Sweet. The cat lay half curled, with its green eyes on Strong; and upon my soul I'd not have put odds on the bull- dog if they could have had a straight set-to without any favour. Visitors loathed Sweet. She possessed a lazy cool way of clawing up a fellow's Leg* yawning while she hung on to the skin. And no lady "was safe 7rom her. Be the dress material what it might— .from best satin to brocade—Sweet was boundJ'a assault it on the sly. t But all this was comparatively nothing to the great hardship of alL In jest I had more than once told Julia that I had told Aunt Markham that she (Julia, you know) was the only person fit to take charge of such a dear treasure as Sweet in case of sad happenings. Really, I had done no such thing. But Julia now disbelieved my solemn asseverations. I will accept Aunt Markham's charge," she said, but we must never see each other again, you and I." We were cousins, you know, and rather better than engaged, as I imagined. I could (previous to aunt's demise) have conceived the collapse of the heavens, but not Julia's repudiation of our joint future. And so she fetched Sweet in a hansom and installed the sleek demon in her dear studio, and I was left to console myself with that more than demon, Strong, the bulldog. It was under stress of this treatment by Julia that I did a thing that now seems to me superhuman. Please, sir," said aunt's housekeeper, when I con- templated the dog that was mine, I don't know how you'll get him to your chambers, nor what youll do with him when you get him there. Since the poor missus's death, he has been something awful." "Oh, he has, has he?" said I, staring like one fascinated at his awkward broad breast. I walked off there and then-driven by rage and the thought of Julia-and came to an old curiosity shop. Here there was a complete suit of armour of the time of Henry the Seventh. I arranged to borrow that armour, put it on in aunt's own parlour and then with my rhinoceros-hide stick walked right up to the lair of the dog. Mean it may have been. 1 care not. For twenty minutes I smote Strong until there was no bite left in him. He bestowed many tooth marks and scratches on the aruiQur, but that didn't hurt me. And when the twenty minutes were passed he rolled over on his ugly great back, and wagged his short tail. Then did I slip off my armour and go boldly up to the dog. It licked my hands. I had conquered, and I knew Strong would thenceforward, if need were, die for me. But I hated it more than ever; for never more than at that moment did I feel like wanting a smile from my dear Julia. » # Thus began the miserable three months of our estrangement. Julia was madly devoted to art. She wore new garments and ".new mode. of hair. Bub thegr, qA became her, though hideous on any other girl. Wiftf aunt's hundred a year, she had enough to scrape along on. Literature was my pretty rope of fortune. I, too, had enough to keep myself in bread and cheese and beer and the dog in bones. But a fellow requires other things than mere necessaries. I yearned for Julia. Thrice I made an effort to see her, and thrice I wrote. All in vain. I had the wretched bulldog as compensation and nothing more. Now, in the third or fourth week I began to experi- ence the joys of being master of such a brute as Strong. He had to be kept in my own room, if you please, because there was no yard. While I was in it was all right; he would sit watching me as humble as dog could be. But the moment I was free of the house he would bark and rave and keep it up till I returned. Of course I got served with summonses on behalf of the nuisance. While these were pending what must happen but this the well-known publisher, Prothero, had decided that I was a young man to nurse into eminence. He came to see me, with the most agreeable proposi- tions. All was settled and I accounted myself a made man. But remember," he was saying at the end-and he put his hand kindly on my shoulder. Ha never finished that sentence. Strong caught him in the muscle of his left leg and worried. The poor man had to be sent away in a cab, and the words, Our con- nection is severed," scrawled on his note paper, were the only other intimation of any kind I received from the great publisher. That night I took earnest counsel with myself. Should I poison Strong and sacrifice a hundred a year ? I decided that I could do neither. All this time I was without explicit intelligence of Julia. It was maddening. To think of this poor dear wayward child alone, as it were (though not quite) in London, consuming her own pride. For I felt, you see, that she really loved me still as I loved her. And yet, not one word could I get from the worthy devoted old housekeeper who shared her chambers and looked after her. But one evening, when many Weeks had passed and I had bred a wrinkle on my brow, who should come to see me but Mrs. Green herself-this same good housekeeper. 'Tis no good talking, Mr. Willoughby," she burst forth, and for nobody that lives will I see my dear Miss Julia breaking her precious heart-least of all a cat." I gave the dear soul a glass of wine, and smiled, full of joy at the heart. Go on, Mrs. Green," I urged; and she went on. The times we've had, sir, I'd never have believed possible and all along of that Sweet wretch. You're acquainted with the animal, Mr. Willoughby, but not as she've grown up of late. There's an evil spirit m that beast, not fit for a decent person to live with- and least of all a tender young lady like Miss Julia." You are extremely right, Mrs. Green, extremely 1" Iremarked. Tell me more." "The very last thing, sir, was the scratchin' of the King of Scotland from head to foot, and him ready to be sent to the Academy. Six weeks' hard work and all for nothin 1 my young lady sobbed and said, a poiiltin' at the cat, which lay purrin' like the evil hypocrite her is. There's nothin' safe from the false great purrin' object. And the milk it drinks and the dainty bits it does steal- why. it's a pound a week damage it does one way or another, if you'll believe me. Mr. Willoughby. "I believe every word you say, my dcar Mrs. Greell," I replied. "Look at that other object. I pointed at Strong as I spoke and made a click with my tongue. Strong obeyed that click. He stole, growling, towards Mrs. Green, who jumped up, screamed, and fled. But I arrested her outside and took her by the arm and whispered in her large red ear, and was so glad that I could have kissed her, though she carries much hair on her upper hp and unequivocal down on her chin. Wo will go in a cab," I said at length, when I had soothed ner. And on the way I convinced her that my plan was a reasonable one; and that she (Mrs. Green) would be far more comfortable and opulent as housekeeper to two souls than as house- keeper to one soul and a demon cat. And in Para- dise-street, where Julia givew consecration to the atmosphere, I first pressed h&If-a-sorereien into the dear creature's palm and then set her on the pave- ment. Then back I drove to my chambers t t find that Strong had, in a playful fit, reached dewn my collection of foreign stamps (in a five-guinea album) and divided it into an incalculable number of parts. But for once I did not curse the pretty creature. Good old Oog," I said, as. I patted him on the head. And he wagged his ugly tail and straightway proved his goodness by swallowing a British Guiana stamp of 1855 worth thifty-five shillings, and scrap- ing to morsels its fellow worth three pounds. That night I dreamed many dreams, in which Julia, Mrs. Green, the dog Strong, and the cat Sweet were strangely mingled. But I awoke refreshed nevertheless, for I was full of hope. Nor had I any compunctions, for I felt that the happiness of two human souls was better than the happiness of a couple of demoniacal quadrupeds. In the morning an insurance agent called, and, speaking in a high voice that seemed menacing (though, of course, was not so), got mauled at the ankle. "The law, my friend, will give me my revenge," said this gentleman, when I had escorted him in safety downstairs. You see, I had not wanted to insure my life. But at half-past three I uprose, and taking Strong by the chain led him into the street. Thus to the studio. Here Mrs. Green received me with a pale face. Miss Julia is not in," she said; and I, dissemb- ling, remarked that it was a pity. If I might rest awhile." I proceeded. Oh, certainly- .r, replied the astute creature. "Perhaps you would like to leave the dog in the kitchen ?" The good soul opened the door. Then I slipped Strong's chain, pushed him in and shut the door. Immediately afterwards I invaded Julia's studio and Mrs. Green with me. We shut ourselves in and discussed the weather, the last cure for colds (Julia having one), and much else. We talked without ceasing, indeed, for many minutes. But in spite of everything the riot in the kitchen reached our ears. Terrific at times it was, with fate- ful lulls, followed afresh by piercing cries—now of a cat and now of a dog. At length, by half-past four, utter peace reigned. Mrs. Green and I looked at each other and opened the door. On the landing, however, whom should we meet but Julia ? James I" she exclaimed, blushing divinely. I—brought the dog with me," I murmured. I am going now. I only waited to know that you were well. He is in the kitchen." Her eyes brightened when I mentioned Strong. Hatred of Sweet possessed her-she said so after- wards. Then we opened the door and in a moment I saw that we were saved. Oh, Miss Julia!" cried Mrs. Green, running to the lifeless body of Sweet. "Strong, what have you been doing ?" said I. But I expected no answer, for side by side with the cat lay the lifeless dog. For many seconds we contemplated the dead warriors. Then I turned to Julia. Tears were in her eyes. Mrs. Green considerately went away. "Dearest," I said, "there is nothing now between us; and I opened my arms to her. She hesitated for a moment, then came to me, and I kissed away her tears. The death of Strong and Sweet was, after due legal debate, reckoned exceedingly natural. The quadrupeds slumber in one grave.

THE NEW WEST WINDOW AT HAWARDEN. The Hawarden Parish Magazine contains an impor- tant notice in regard to the proposed newwest window to be erected in the village church. It states: At the last moment it was necessary to postpone the placing of the stained-glass window until after Whit Sunday. It will be fixed and ready, we have every J reason to hope, by Trinity Sunday. The subject is the Nativity, and Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone's sons and daughters are erecting it as a thanksgiving memorial in relation to the two long and happy lives which have been spent so largely in Hawarden."

THE EVOLUTION OF THE WATCH. It was not until the invention of the coiled spring that watches were possible, but who was the first to I apply this ? Whether Peter Hill, of Nuremberg, or another, is not known. Once it was introduced, however, watchmaking began to go ahead, and many were the ingenious devices tried and abandoned before the main line of the evolution of the modern watch became manifest.

NEW GAS. The Paris correspondent of the Times sends word that at the latest sitting of the Academy of Sciences M. Berthelot read a letter from Professor Ramsay, the co-discoverer with Lord Jtayleigh of argon, giving the first announcement of Another discover^ of the same nature. This new gas he proposes to call crypton. The discovery was effected, like that of argon, by the aid of the spectroscope. The presence of crypton was detected by the existence in the spec- trum of a green line, which M. Berthelot saw in a minute tube containing the two-millionth of a pound which Professor Ramsay had sent j with his letter. According to the description for- warded to M-Berthelot.crypt.on belongs,not to tbeargon but to the helium family, and its density is somewhat greater than that of oxygen. It appears to be a simple body and monamatic. For these details M, Berthelot offers the guarantee of the well-known ability of the discoverer. Professor Ramsay states that he will collect a larger quantity of crypton for further researches, of the results of which he will give the Academy the first information. M. Berthe- lot called attention to the compliment paid to the Academy by so many Englishmen of science in salu- ting it as the medium of publicity for their discove- ries. This, he said, was an answer to the intrigues 'of obscure personages who tried to create a chasm between the two leading pioneers of modern science and civilisation. The effect remained to be seen on hygiene and biology of the acknowledged presence of so many substances in that atmospheric gas which we inhaled from our first to our last breath.

"WHITE DEATH." "White Death" (says the Family Doctor) is the name given by Professor Spatuzzi, of Naples, to the consequences of the condition of the poor in that city; death from slow starvation, exhaustion, Poverty, degeneration, with anaemia, and emaciation. Professor Colajanni asserts that these lamentable conditions are growing worse; the poor get no air, no oxygen, nor even light; but live pell-mell in lodgings that have nothing human about them, but retemble more the dens of wild beasts*

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POSTMEN OF THE WORLD. Of all the world's postmen-and their name is legion-the native runner of Natal (says Mr. Thomas Lake in the Strand Magazine) is probably the most interesting and curious. His dusky features, strong physique, and peculiar head-dress attract attention, and inoklently make us realize the grandeur of the world's postal system and its magnitude. About 160 or 170 runners are employed in the Natal Depart- ment, and they carry the mails between offices where the employment of a mail-cart would not be warranted. When they perform short journeys they run at the rate of about four miles an hour; but when the journeys are long extending, say, to 30 or 40 miles, they do not do more than three miles an hour. The native carrier is supposed to carry a load of 601b., but in the post-office the mail-carrier is not ordinarily given aload weighing more than 401b. He does his work very well indeed, in a general way, evincing earnestness and strict honesty, His pay is £ 1 per month and an allow- anco of 10s. per month is made additionally for his rations. If he provide these himself he receives the 10s.; but if the postmasters, or others, provide them, they receive the allowance. The native ordinarily lives on what is called in Natal Poop," a porridge of maize meal, which is practically a paste, and this is generally the fare of the post-runner except when on his journey, when he occasionally carries a bread load with him for refreshment. The Postmaster- General of Natal, Mr. J. Chadwick, says that the Natal runner performs journeys extending to 80 or 100 miles per week, according to whether his load be moderately light or heavy. His clothing consists of A military great-coat and cape, which are supplied by the Department. At times he wears an improvised fandal, which is ordinarily a piece of raw hide laced to the foot. Underneath his overcoat he wears the Mncetu. 80MB GOOD POSTMEN, The postmen of Barbados have two uniforms- one for the hot weather in Jnly, August, and Sep- tember, ard the other for the cooler months. One never hears the old, familiar postman's knock in Barbados. The letters are always taken round to :.0 the back and given to servants, with an occasional ;rv post here!" On the southern slopes of the Caucasus, the dweller who awaits a letter from a friend on the plain sends his dog down in charge of i tax-collector or pedlar with instructions that the message shall be placed in a little pouch in the ling of the dog's collar. Doggie is then turned loose, and :rots back to his home with the mail. The Trinidad postman is a neatly dressed, civil, and well-spoken aegro. As a rule he is not a native of the Island, but comes from Barbados or Tobago. His working tiours are from 7 a.m. till 4 p.m., during which he makes three deliveries and covers an average of four- teen miles daily. His pay varies from £ 30 to £ 70 per annum. In Port of Spain, the capital of the island, the postmen who carry letters to the suburbs possess bicycles, furnished by the Government, which greatly facilitate their work, and of which thsy are very proud. A STRANG E METHOD OF CARRYING MAILS. One of the strangest methods of carrying the mails is that in use among the natives of Coromandel. It is said that waterproof bags are there deposited in a species of catamaran-boat, which is so small that the postman "has to sit astride it like a floating log." Sometimes these postmen are washed off into the water, where they have to battle with the sharks but in most cases the passage is made with safety, and the letters come to their destination safe and sound. Most of the employees of the Post Office Department of British Guiana are negroes or of negro descent, although the administrative staff are Europeans or of European descent. Mr. Collier says there are house-to-house deliveries in the towns an d all the large villiages; and, in addition, private lock-box" deliveries at the two principal post- offices of the colony. There are fourteen letter carriers in Georgetown, the capital, and the number of post offices in the colony is 62, besides six travelling offices. The whole charge of the Post Office in British Guiana was assumed by the Colonial Government in 1860, when slightly over 61,000 miles were then traversed by the mails. To- day they traverse a distance of 307,000 miles annually. The San Salvador postman is apponted with refer- ence to his honesty, temperance, and punctuality. In the capital of Salvador there are 17 postmen, two of whom are exclusively employed in the delivery of registered letters, although for this they get no more than the ordinary pay of 40dol. a month. There are three monthly mails to Europe, and three to Cali- fornia and the United States, all of which are carried by the Pacific Steamship Company. Delays occasion- ally occur, however, owing to the want of punctuality of the mail steamers, which sometimes are several days behind time. It costs Salvador over P-GSOO a year for a postal service, with a population officially estimated at over 800,000. A JTJKOIIB SERVICE. The mails of British India are entrusted to local express companies and their agents. South of Bom- bay and in Nepal contractors send peasants through the jungle with the bags. They journey through places where Europeans could not go without a gHide, and when mountain torrents swell to such an extent that passage is barred, ropes are slung from bank to bank, and the bags are then pulled across by this means. The post between other parts of India and Nepal is part of the regular Bengal postal service, and the runners are dressed in similar clothing, the only articles issued by the Government being a red turban, a leather belt, and a stick with bells, A very primi- tive method of carrying the mail* is in vogue in Corea, where an obstinate adherence to old customs is very common. One of the relics of past ages is the lox-cart mail—about the slowest means of locomotioOr to be found. In China, which is also fairly unpro* gressive, there is more of an attempt at speeft Two methods of carrying the mails are in vogue. The letters of the mandarins are delivered by special couriers, frequently accompanied by military escort. Public letters are carried- by two rival companies. The first company, called the Local," has the cities for its seat of operations; and the other, called the General," delivers letters to all parts of the empire, maintaining communication with the far-off frontiel towns. In Japan, burdens of moderate weight are usually carried by coolies, who bear long poles 011 their shoulders, one package being fastened at each end of the pole. In remote districts the Government mails are forwarded by this method. Statistics, H may be added, show that the total number of letterwi,. Sost-cards, books, parcels, &c., carried by apanese mails in 1895-96 exceeded, 448,000,000* Sp. that the men who carry even a part of this on DOHM have no easy time of it.

THE WAR OFFICE AND PENNONS: A k, rge number of Boards of Guardians in the country have recently been memorialising the Wat Office on the subject of the payment of pension* weekly or monthly instead of qnarterly, as at present. The reason for this action on the part of the Poor- Law Boards is principally that, in many cases, Armj pensioners who seek shelter in the Unions discharge themselves when pension-day comes round, spend all the money they receive, and then return to the House to be supported out of the rates. In reply to these Mr. J. Powell Williams, writing from the War OfriM says: Inquiries have shown that of the 75,000 Army pensioners in the United Kingdom, only a ver3 small number resort to parish relief, and of these many, through age or infirmity, have become perma- nent inmates of the workhouse. The present system of quarterly payment in advance is distinctly advan- tageous to and generally appreciated by the great bodj of pensioners, who are for the most part thrifty ana well-conducted men. It must also be borne in mind that the 'introduction of the proposed new system would necessarily be attended with hardship, as men receiving on the first day of the quarter a much smaller sum than they had been accustomed to receive, would be confronted with a difficulty in meeting their immediate liabilities. Pensioners, moreover, would be put to the inconvenience, in many cases attended by actual loss, of going to the posf office every month or week instead of four times a year, as at present, to draw their pensions. The pro- posed change would, it is needless to say, entail great expense and labour in both this department. and the Post Office. The Marquis of Lansdowne is 61 opinion that the proper course is to puniah individual offenders."

THE ARMAMENTS OF THE WORLD. In the Nineteenth Century there is a striking article on tho growth of national armaments, accompanied by a series of curve charts showing the fluctuations of expenditure thereon from 1868 to 1896. Of the two main points which the comparative tables bring out, the first is the great increase in the national debt of every nation with two exceptions only, England and the United States. Between the above-mentioned dates England's ex- penditure on armaments has risen from 26 to 49 j millions, while her debt has decreased from 800 to I 640 millions. France in 1896 spent 36 millions on armaments as against 20 millions in 1868, and has managed to in- crease her debt from 50 1250 millions, a feat in which Russia runs her close, her debt rising from 300 to 800 millions, and her expenditure from 16 to 31 millions. As to naval expenditure we have doubled our own, the figures being 11 to 23 millions that of Russia is eight times as great, one million as against eight in 1896; while France has increased from six to 11 millions. The second point to be noted is the decline of military expenditure from its high water-mark of I two years ago in the case of Russia, France, Ger- many, and Austria; England alone of all the Powers keeps increasing her military expenditure. But it is doubtful if this paper result will hold good in the light of the discovery, recently made public by the Daily Chronicle, of the enormous sums being secretly expended by the four Great Continental States on new quick-firing artillery that sum, in the case of France alone, being put at some £ 12,000,000.

\0. WILLS AND BEQUESTS. The will of Sir Spencer Maryon Maryon-Wilson, of Charlton House, Kent, and of Searles, Sussex, and of Fitzjohns, Great Canfield, Essex, who died on December 31 last, aged 68 years, is dated August t, 1896. The personal estate is of the value of J E104,707 6s. 6d. The executors are the testator's brother, the Rev. George Maryon-Wilson, of Great Canfield, Essex, and Colonel George Henry Pockling- ton, of Chesworth, Suffolk, and Mr. George Ernest Steward, of 49, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and Mr. George Francis Swainson, of Charlton, to each of whom the testator bequeathed E200, and to his brother a further £ 500. He confirmed settlements made on the marriage of his son, Spencer Pockling- ton Maryon-Wilson, now eleventh baronet, with Minnie Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Thornhill, and the .testator settled hia estates in the counties of' Middlesex and Kent in favour of his said son and his first and other sons, and he settled his Sussex estate in favour of his second son, George Maryon- Wilson. The testator charged the settled estate with an annuity of F-3000, to be increased to £5000, for his wife during her life, and he bequeathed to her £3000. Lady Maryon-Wilson is to have the use and enjoyment of his house at Brighton and its furniture, and of his house in Princes-gardens and its furniture, and, subject thereto, these houses are to be in trust for his son George. The sum of C3000 is to be set apart for the repair or rebuilding of the mansion house at Fitzjohns, and portions of £ 25,000 each are to be raised for the testator's daughters, Eva Kathleen Hardy, Rosie Amabel Wilson, and Annie Emily Taylor. Portions of £ 20,000 are also to be raiseel r for the testator's younger sons, and he bequeathed to each of them £ 2000, and to his eldest son £ 4000t The effects in the mansion house on the settled estates are to devolve as heirlooms with the estates respectively, and additional portions for the testator's daughters are contingently to be provided. Sir Spencer JIaryon-Wilson s residuary estate is left upon trust as if arising from the sale of real estate. Bv his will of the 21st August, 1880, Mr. Alfred Cock, of 8, Kensington-park-gardens, and of 3, Elm- court, Q.C., F.S.A., who died at Ridgebourne, Kings- land, Shrewsbury, on the 29th April last, aged 49 years, appointed as executrix and executor his wif^i Mrs. Eva Laura Bertha Liebreich Cock, and his brother, Mr. James Cock, of Ridgebourne. The tes- tator left all his property in trust for his wife during her life, and subject to her life interest in equaJ shares for his children, or in the event of failure of this trust for his said brother James and sister Julia Ann Thornborough Cock. The late Mr. Cock s per* Bonal estate has been valued at .£5792 16s. 9d.

SUB "I am not up in the language of flower*. What did that bunch of jacque minots mean that yea sent me ?" He;" I don't get the translation from the florist until the end of the month."