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

THE HOUSEHOLD. MUSTARD.—While this stimulant to the digestive powers can undoubtedly be abused, yet where used in moderation it is most wholesome and excellent. The French mixtures of mustards are among the best we have. These mustards are usually mixed with tarragon vinegar. About a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper is added to every two ounces of mustard, and about half a clove of garlic minced fine, and a teaspoonful of mushroom catsup. The mixture must be made a day before it is used, for the ingredients to become thoroughly amalgamated, and may be varied by using; a vinegar flavoured with capers, anchovies, basil, burnet, or celery in place of tarragon vinegar. ApPLIn OMELETTE.—Stir in a basin two tablespoon- fuls of flour, a pinch of salt, and one of sugar, two whole eggs, two yolks, two ounces of butter melted, and nearly half a pint cf milk. Pare, core, quarter, and mince four large apples (rennets), sautez them over a brisk fire in very hot butter, shaking them well, and when they are quite hot through pour over them theabove mixture, making it spread all over the bottom of the pan; prick with a fork add (close to the edges) two tablespoonfuls of butter melted, and rock the pan vigorously to prevent sticking. When the omelette detaches itself cleanly, sprinkle with moist sugar, and him it over bodily on to a hot plate. Now butter the pan once again, and slip the omelette back, just to allow the sugar, which is now at the bottom, to glaze slightly. Sprinkle with sugar, turn out again, and serve very hot. DAINTT WAYS OF COOKING Turtwrps.-Nevets Farcis Peel the turnips, boil them in slightly salted water till they are half done; take them out, slice off a thin I bit from the bottom to ensure their standing firmly, and cut a piece off the top scoop out the middle of the turnips, make a stuffing with minced veal, onion, parsley, a few truffles or mushrooms, and with it fill the turnips use the slice which was cut off the top as a cover, tie them round with thread, place them in a shallow saucepan, pour over them some boiling broth (gravy is preferable), add a lump of butter, season, and let them simmer till quite tender. Take them out, arrange them on a dish, remove the threads, thicken the sauce with the yolk of an egg, pour it over the turnips and serve hot. These will take about two hours.—Navets a la Poulette: Cut out little balls with a small sized vegetable scoop, scald them in boiling water; make a sauce with a lump of butter, a table- spoonful of flour, and some good gravy; when it is, smooth add the balls, and let them simmer till done; this will reduce the sauce; stir in a teaspoonful of caster sugar, and just before serving thicken with the, yolks of three eggs and a little piece of fresh butter. ne Queen. THE EARS.—" Many children are disfigured for life by their ears sticking out too prominently from the head," said an experienced mother, and this can be, so easily remedied while they are very young that it, is inexcusable in a parent to neglect such an obvious defect, which will cause constant annoyance and, mortification in after life. The reason of thia: deformity is almost always that the soft cartilege of, which the ear is composed is pressed out of position; while the child is asleep. This can easily be prevented; by accustoming it to wear cape, which may be made of the thinnest of Swiss muslin and which cannot possibly, heat the head. I found this out by experience," con- tinued the lady. I was greatly distressed about the ears of my oldest girl when she was about a year old. They were large and wobbly, and stuck out dreadfully., When she slept I almost always found them doubled over toward her cheek. It occurred to me one day that I might solve the difficulty, so I made half-a- dozen tightly fitting French caps. They were very becoming to the little thing, and my friends used to laugh at me, thinking it a fad on my part; but after a couple of years the cartilege hardened, the ears kept in their proper place, grew close to the head; and to-day they are a beauty instead of a deformity. THE VALUE OF SWBBT OIL FOR COLDs.-The value. of sweet oil used in rubbing is not generally appreciated. When a little child has taken cold and seems restless from the effects, nothing is more sooth- ing than sweet oil rubbed into the skin, before a warm fire, with a gentle pressure of the hand. The oil should be rubbed on the soles of the feet, down the back and neck and around the hips, and the little one should be carefully shielded from any draught while this is done. Such a rubbing will take the place of the daily bath at a time when the child is suffering from cold, and it is not advisable to expose it any more than is necessary. If the little one has a croupy cough and shows signs of hoarseness, a thick flannel saturated with sweet oil and sprinkled with camphor, and heated as hot as the child can bear it, should be laid over the chest, high enough to extend around the throat. It should be covered with another flannel or a layer of cotton batting to retain the heat. The heated flannel should be changed for another as sooA as it cools. By this method the cold of a little child may often be broken up, and the most serious disease averted. The lungs and breathing tubes of a little baby are peculiarly delicate, and any child during infancy is very liable to contract serious diseases of the lungs from very slight cause. The little one is also cured by very simple remedies, and this layer of hot oil acts as powerfully as a mustard plaster on a grown-up person. A child that has been suffering seriously with a cold one day, after careful treatment of this sort, will often wake up the day after with hardly a suspicion of illness. There is no better laxative than sweet oil for a young child. PRACTICAL HINTS.—A few bay leaves added to stock will improve the flavour of it.—Fine emery powder will remove the ordinary stains from the handles of knives,—Clothes pegs boiled a few minutes and quickly dried, once or, twice a month, become more. durable.—Air the house thoroughly every morning, opening opposite doors and windows for five or 10 minutes, even in bad weather.— Leeks are very good served on toast like aspa- ragus.—For a scald or burn apply immediately powdered charcoal and oil. — Bruised cloves placed among woollen clothes will prevent the ravages of the merciless moth.—A simple remedy for neuralgia is to apply freshly-grated horseradish to the temple if the head is affected, or to the wrist if the pain is in the arm or shoulder.—Half a tea- spoonful of sugar will nearly always revive a dying fire.Lamp chimneys are easily cleaned by holding them over the steam of a kettle.-Mort-&r and paint may be easily removed from windows by rubbing the panes with hot vinegar.-Paraffin oil will soften leather belts and boots that have become hard hy exposure or use in wet weather.—Save the line coal ashes from under the grate. They are invaluable for scouring. SPICED BAcoir.-Take three or four pounds of the flank of pork, remove all the bones. Let it stand in cold water for 12 hours to remove the blood, chang- ing the water two or three times meanwhile if much discoloured. Make a pickle in the following manner One quart of water, a quarter of a pound of common salt, a quarter of a pound of ooarae ugar. one ounce óf salt prunella. Mix all together, and let the meat re- main in this pickle for a fortnight. Take it out and dry well with a cloth. Shred bay and sage leaves very fine in equal quantities. Strew thickly over the bacon with white pepper; roll the bacon up tightly, and tie string round it every three inches. Smoke it if possible for 14 days. Cut off fillets for boiling as required. THE SICK BOOM.—Nothing JS so IRRITATING as see from your bed crooked blinds, dirty cups or glasses, or tables littered with unnecessary trifles. One of the first duties m a sick room is to move all knick- nacks out of the way, never leaving a thing in the room when done with, especially any evidence of food or drink. Flowers may be in the room by day, but should be removed at night, and should always have the lower leaves stripped off the stalks before putting them in the vase. It is these leaves, left in the water, which make it so disagreeable, especially m t e case of mignonette, asters, and wallflowers, f and all flowers with juicy stalks soon make the water unbearably nasty. After the patient has been Washed, had breakfast, and 8ei?erally tidied, the door of the room should be fastened wide open to air it. This can be done even in winter, if there is a fire. A few drops of eucaljptus oil, or Toilet vinegar, poured into a saucer, and left to evaporate, are very refresh- ing. Then there are many small things that are great comforts. Green blinds, for instance (only those who have tried them know the rest that they are to weary eyes); a loose shawl in bed, to tuck into odd corners; and, in case of serious illness, the coals in the scuttle each wrapped in a piece of paper to save the noise of tong3 or scoop. It would seem superfluous to add that the nurse or attendant should wear quiet shoes and a dress that does not rustle, were it not that even trained nurses have been known to sin in this matter. Punctuality in giving medicine and meals is of the utmost importance. A serious relapse may be caused by the food being delayed. No pains should be spared in serving food up in pretty guise-clean table napkins, garnishing of parsley, lemon, or betroot, an extra rub to the glass or silver anything, in short, may be pressed into. service to set oft the appearance of what is not attractive to the eye.-The Queen.

LITERATURE AND ART. r LIKE a sleuth-hound, Mr. A. P. Laurie is tracking the secret whereby the old masters preserved their colours. In his lecture last month ac the Society of Arts, just published, he tells 11s how far he has gone; and very interesting are the stages of his journey. Taking the Van Eyck, No. 186, in the National Gallery, as his text, one of his first discoveries is the somewhat astonishing fact that the green on the wife's dress, marvellously brilliant more than 400' years after being painted, can only have been pro- duced by a glazing of verdigris, a pigment of a most dangerous character, "turning black and corroding and destroying other colours." Thfc oranges in th* corner, too, are painted with orpiment, another dan- gerous colour. CLEARLY, then, the preservation of this picture is not due to the pigments used. It must be sought in the vehicle. And as it has been demonstrated that the most fugitive colonr" are permanent if protected from air and moisture, it follows that a vehicle or varnish once discovered which will protect pigments from air and moisture, painters may use whatsoever colours they list without fear of the sneersef posterity. In his quest for this Protean veh-iek, Mr. Laurie has tried linseed oil and walnut oil and found them both wanting, and as these were the two oils used by the old masters it is clear they have no secret to deliver. Eastlake's theory that the old masters preserved their colours by grinding them with oil and mixing in a little oil varnish, also proved barren of result. AFTER these rejections Mr. Laurie harked back fce the old recipes, and we gather that he felt hot, as the children say in their game, when the word "balsam" tripped off his tongue—such a balsam ae Venice turpentine. In this idea he was confirmed by the lesson of the Sir Joshua Reynolds picture ig. the possession of the Royal Academy, where the dab of paint labelled gamboge, plus Venice toc- pentine, is perfectly fresh, while the dab labelled gamboge plus oil has completely faded. But balsam vehicles are sticky, and therefore unsuit- able for modern work. Something, however, has been learned, and Mr. Laurie is now experimenting on varnishes prepared from fine resins and balsams. And so we leave him searching for the per^pct medium and when it is found the Union Jhck should fly from Burlington House, and cannon be fired in the courtyard. A WRITER in Notes and Querries strongly protest* against the audacity with which words are now-a-datv coined and printed, and among many instances he quotes municipalise, unafraid, tonal, overlined, and musicianly." All these words can be defended omL grounds of analogy which are sufficient unless on the assumption that the language is to be regarded as- ¡ having been completed at a certain moment, after which no alterations were to be regarded as admis- sible, in which case who shall decide as to the preciiw point at which the vernacular tongue was, so to Speak, locked up, and stereotyped for all time. ANALOGICALLY, will not "moralise" support the use of municipalise ? Moral" and moralise," from moralis, and municipal" and municipalise,* from mitnicipalis, give us two sets of adjective and verb formed on precisely similar principles, for it must be borne in mind that the meaning of the transi- tive verb moralise" is to put to a moral use or to render moral, just as that of 11 municipalise "is to put to a municipal use or to render municipal. As for unafraid," it is a first cousin of unaffrighted." Tonal" is surely the legitimate relative of "banal," unless that word, with banality and tonal must also be branded as corrupt. WITH regard to "overlined," if "overlay" and underlay, why not overline as well as under- line ?" while if miserly" in the manner of a miserg, why not musicianly in the manner of a musician ? The last may be ugly enough in sound, but if the legitimacy of a word were to be judged by its beauty, the size of a very correct English dictionary would be greatly reduced. ONE or two -brand-new words are Badly wanted and among them few more than a pair which shall do for three, four, five, or any number of substan- tives what "either" and "or "do for two. Either A or B must do the work is of course correct, but there is no such direct means of stating that of A B C D and E; one must do it. So much is this want recognised that custom has sanctioned the use of or" in such a case, whereas the only legitizrato means of using this conjunction as a way out of the difficulty would be to say A or B or C or D or E. Even in the case of alternative so old an authority as a Webster's Dictionary of 1856 says, this word is sometimes applied to a choice between more tham two things," though it adds that this usage is not in accordance with exact propriety." IN the Corporation Art Gallery may now be seem the portrait of the German Emperor which his Imperial Majesty has presented to the ex-Lord Mayor Savory. The frame is elaborate. The portrait of Alderman Savory, in his Lord Mayor's robes, is ske exhibited at the Guildhall Gallery. No artistis interest can be attached to these pictures. MR. R. L. STEVENSON, who even in distant Samoa has not escaped the interviewer, is some- what indignant with those who insinuate that he is growing weary of his island home. Being at once busy, healthy, and happy, he Vows that he does not dream of changing. If the facts were otherwise, he does not quito see what the British public has to do with the matter. But, though they have nothing to do with his personal plans, the readers of works he is publishing are quite entitled to express opinions upon their value. And the critics are fairly unanimous in declaring that ijB, The W recke" he has begun to trade upon expe- rience from which the best had been previously ex- tracted. To observe a dozen half-clothed savages is not likely to result in much additional kdowledge of men. FOR some years past a small coterie of, shall we say, minor poets, being mostly young men, have formed themselves into a society known as the Rhymers' Club. The peculiarities of the club are the absence of any stated qualifications, rules, lists of members, or even place of meeting, though we believe the historic Cheshire Cheese in London is the favourite trysting-place. Twelve of the members —Mr. Ernest Dowson, Mr. Edwin J. Ellis, Mr. G A Greene, Mr. Lionel Johnson, Mr. Bichard Le Gal- lienne, Mr. Victor Plarr, Mr. Ernest Radford Mr Ernest Rhys, Mr. T. W. Rolleston, Mr. Arthur Symons, Mr. John Todhunter, and Mr. W. B. Yeats —are about to issue, through Mr. Elkin Mathews, a little volume which will be of interest to all lovers of English poetry. The collection, it is whispered, will be the means of disclosing some new poems of singular beauty and freshness. MR. A. S. CODY, as an American, informs tie, in a letter addressed to the editor of the Times, that the mass of England's 19th century literature will be dead and buried within two centuries, unless we Americans rescue it from the mass of vagueness and verbiage in which it already languishes." If by literature Mr. Cody means printed books he may take it for granted that he need not wait for two centuries to witness the death and burial of "the mass of England's 19th century literature;" it is already dead, and decently buried, and we earnestly beg of him to let it rest in peace. But the gems that survive will need no arti- ficial sustenance on either side of the broad Atlantic. MR. GLADSTONE, it is said, intends to write an article upon Marie Bashkirtseff, the author of the famous diary, and, being at Nice this week, he is credited with having arranged to interview Madame Bashkirtseff, who happens also to be staying at Nice. An mterview written up by the right hon. gentleman should be a pattern to work by.

IT is the man with the rheumatism who is every inch a king (aching). THEY say that profanity was not known in the world until one day, somewhere about 500 years before the Christian era, when Aristides, chasing from his office in desperate haste to catch the last street car, was stopped by Themistocles, who wanted to tell him how the rheumatism had been troubling him nearly all winter, and how many things he had tried* for it.

THE WOMAN'S WORLD THE sudden death of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales plunged all England into mourning, and (says a writer on mourning modes in the Morning Advertiser) changed the sound of marriage bells into the funeral knell, and the rustling of the white silken wedding-dress for the lustreless crepe robe. Where we had thought to have hawthorn and may blossoms out of compliment to the Royal bride-elect, we shall have the purple of the violet and the subdued tints of the lilac. TUB modistes and the milliners have scarcely had time yet to decide what shall and what shall not be worn, but those who provide the mourning for the Court have had to make speedy selections, to invent styles and ideas as they made the garments, and before long society and the general public will follow suit. Naturally the very dullest materials are choBen for this season of grief, cashmere, merino, nun's veiling, corduroy cloth, and vicuna taking the lead. For- tunately for those who are not blessed with long purses, the sales which are now progressing at so many of our best shops will enable them to purchase good black materials at a very small cost. The silks and brocades at one or two West-end establishments are simply marvels of cheapness. A favourite combina- tion for a gown destined to be worn in the afternoon is of dull black cashmere and corded silk, the umbrella skirt having back panels of the latter, and the bodice being ornamented with sleeves and a full vest of the same. Guipure is always a permissible style of trim- ming for mourning wear. JET is ever a popular garniture, whether in times of mourning or for merely ordinary wear. This year it is especially finely cut, and some of the battlex mented salons are worked on net foundations from two to 12 or 14 inches in width. Jet fringe, headed by a band of guipure, is very often seen on the fronts of corsages at the waist, or occasionally a black ex- panding wire belt has a pointed clasp. Jet spangles are profusely scattered over nets, gauzes, and cash- meres, and white lisse ball gowns are rendered most unique by means of an embroidery of jet leaves or a design of feathers on them. Even veil nets have not escaped the powdering of this favourite trimming, and one kind, which comes to us from the French capital, has merely one single round of jet beads on its surface. The good French and Brussels nets are coming in again for veils in place of the cheap though utterly unserviceable substitutes which have been so long worn. The designs on some of these are very pretty. One has a large fly worked in silk, another a basket brimming over with some small flowers, and another has a butterfly. The nets with a border of satin and some with scalloped edges are used for mourning. CKEPB veils are not so much seen as formerly; indeed, they are only necessary for personal mourn- ing. A thick Mechlin net is equally black, and is also veiy warm for winter wear. Lisse is a soft fabric for the same purpose, but it is affected by damp. Tilm Jacobite coat is One of the latest fashions in this style of bodice, which, with the advent of the umbrella skirt, is likely to continue in favour. It is made tight-fitting, with a three-quarter length skirt, very large, revers, and a pelerine. This is cut very full, and is pleated on to a band-collar, whence it falls in graceful lines on to the shoulders. The revers are usually of some contrasting material; this year they will in all probability be of crepe. THE hat of the Jacobite period is not likely to become popular in our day, with its high sloping crown and cockade; therefore, any chapeau selected by the wearer of the Jacobite coat will be permissible, but, for preference, the low-crowned beaver, known as the Henri II., with a small coquille of white lace on the brim, and paste buckle as a finish. ANOTHER departure in coats has a Watteau pleat cut on the cross at the back. This is also long in the skirt. The backs are in a single piece, and the only way in which the coat can be rendered tight-fitting is by means of a waistband passed below the pleat and fastening it in front. The trimming for this coat may be of feathers or silk ruching, for this very frequently substitutes the feather trimming on either mantles, jackets, or gowns. On woollen dresses it looks really charming; a plain black serge or vigoyne may be made quite smart by several small rows, or one deep row, round the bottom of the skirt, and an outlining of it on the vest and collar. A RUFP for the neck may be economically made at home of loops of ribbon about an inch in width and two inches long, set very closely together, and tied in front with long ends and loops of narrow ribbon. For house gowns and for evening wear there is a growing tendency to adopt the sash tied between the shoulders, and falling in long straight ends to the bottom of the skirt. The shoulders are generally ornamented with bows en suite. Moire ribbon is used for these sashes and ties, and foulard also. A gown of black net or plain black silk gauze is im- proved by means of these silk additions. Sometimes the ribbon is embroidered with silver or jet, or arabesqued with chenille. A fringe of jet or of gold or silver edges the ends, which fall to the hem of the skirt, or for a ball a garniture of flowers may be sub- stituted. For young girls snowdrops, violets, or daisies are the most adaptable blooms for the pur- pose. THERE is a rumour that tarletan is to compete with the other slight fabrics chosen for the ball-room during the coming season; in black it is perhaps at its best, but, although inexpensive it scarcely repays the trouble of making up, and especially of mounting over silk or satin. Black embroidered muslin is effective for home evenings; it has the merit of last- ing, and lends itself readily to draping. MECHLIN net, with broad stripes of satin running through it, is another candidate for the honours of the ball-room, and a new gauze, with dots of jet at wide intervals, is particularly stylish, and not a little effec- tive. A very pretty fashion for an evening gown is a white silk jupe, draped with black lace, the trimming to consist of white satin ribbon in loops. The sleeves should be of black spotted net over the silk, and a frilled basque of lace may be added to the bodice. A tea-gown made in the same way is a useful addition to, a wardrobe during a time of half-mourning. FOR ladies of mature age a silver-grey silk forms a nice afternoon gown, almost entirely covered with black lace or net. Very frequently black gowns are embroidered with steel, or steel and jet. A beautiful model of a Parisian dress of rich black poulte-de-soie had the skirt embroidered with a design of fleur-de- lys done in finely-cut jet and steel beads. WHITE moire is being used for young ladies' ball- gowns, mixed with white peau-de-cygne. White veiling trimmed with guipure is also a suitable combination for demi-deuil. It is inexpensive and decidedly youthful-looking. Mauve will naturally be one of the most popular shades for evening wear. The tint known as Ophelia," which is so fashionable at present, is very becoming; it partakes, almost as much of pink as of mauve. A black tea-gown may be made very effective by means of a full front of white or "Ophelia" crepe. These garments are not made with so much elaboration as formerly, and are consequently much more useful. They often have sleeves of some different materials, and generally this is of a thinner texture than the gown itself.

At a dinner of a provincial law society once, the president called upon the senior solicitor present to give as a toast the person whom he considered the best friend of the profession. Then," responded the sly old fox, IH give you the man who makes his own will." w

GARDEN NOTES. Fore of snowdrops, crocuses, and primroses in bloom are nit-o (B. C. R., writing in Gardening Illustrated, says) for conservatory and window decora- tion just now, when everything outside is so bare and dreary. Bulbs of the first two should be potted, to the number of a dozen or so in each of the five- inch size, in good time in the autumn, and plunged in ashes in a cold frame or sheltered corner, burying the rims to the depth of a few inches with the same. When growth commences uncover them, still keeping the pots plunged, and as soon as the flower-buds appear they may be removed to the greenhouse or window, where they will expand. If brought into warmth before the buds can be seen they usually go blind. Strong roots of primroses ought to be potted up early in the autumn, so as to get them pretty well established before winter, and if placed in a moderately warm and sunny frame, or near the glass in a cool greenhouse, they afford quantities of flowers throughout the dull season. Violets, unfortunately, are useless in a smoky atmos- phere but Christmas roses may be grown fairly well in good-sized pots or tubs, and the different varieties afford a long succession of bloom in a cool-house from October or November onwards. Chrysanthe- mum-cuttings inserted last month ought to be form- ing roots and beginning to stick up a bit now; when this occurs if they are confined at all closely- as in frames or under handlights or propagating- eases-aiieh coverings should .be gradually removed, and the young plants be placed on shelves or high stages near the glass to prevent drawing, and keep them short and sturdy. All plants of this nature thrive best when standing on a bed or layer of ashes, spent hops, or some such comparatively moist bottom but they ought always to be covered or kept close in some way for the first few weeks, as when standing free" in an ordinary cool-house they generally flag tarfly for a time, and though they seldom mil to come round and make plants in time, they are much longer about it. Insert more cuttings as fast as they can be obtained a little extra heat is often useful to induce late cuttings to root quickly, but do not overdo it. Any old plants of free-flowering varieties, such as Mrs. Rundle, Mrs. Dixon, Elaine, Sunflower, &c., that break freely from the stems may be reserved, for if looked after a little, stopped two or three times, and when fit shifted into large pots and tied out they will make very large plants covered with bloom, which are often useful for cutting, or to furnish large conservatories, &c. Vines under glass 'must be pruned and cleaned immediately; this is also a good time to make new borders, March being about the best month for planting. Prepare beds for ranun- culi and anemones, both of which succeed well in suburban gardens; the soil must be light, rich, and sweet. EVBRY effort should be used to get rid as far as possible in the stove (advises Mr. E. Hobday) of that troublesome pest mealy-bug." This is such an insidious pest it not only infests every part of the growing plants, but creeps into every crack and crevice of the woodwork on the roof and in the joints of the walls, and no effective clearance can be carried out without a thorough cleansing of every part of the house inside. Now that the creepers on the roof are more or less dormant, have them all down and thoroughly gone over with the sponge and soft-soap and water, and then the weakest shoots may be thinned out and the remainder trained neatly but thinly on the wires. If this work is not well done it will be impossible to clean the plants when the flower-buds are pushing into growth. The borders in which creepers are grown may have some of the old soil removed, to be replaced with turfy loam and peat and leaf-mould. Old dracaenas may now be cut down, the steins cut into single joints, and inserted as cuttings in pots of sandy peat, and plunged in a brisk bottotn-heat and kept close. The leafy tops may be rooted as cuttings, or better still, if the cutting down is delayed a short time, the tops may be layered a foot of so from the top, and the mound covered with damp moss, tied on with moderate firmness. If the moss is kept damp by daily syringing, roots will form in the irkom,, when th e top may be cut off just beneath the roots iftid potted. Cuttings of many stove plants, sueh as dracasnas, araliae, crotons, e., will root quickly, and with more certainty than by another method, by inserting them in a bed of moist coeoanut-fibre, such as is used for plunging pots in, in a propagating-bed. I always use the bed for this purpose in winter, when it is not so urgently required for other things. Keep the night temperature of this house about 60 degs. now. A degree or two above or below will not matter much in fact, it is better to work in unison with the outside temperature. NBTBR permit dead leaves to remain on plants in the conservatory. They are evidences of neglect, and often form a harbour for the eggs of insects and the spores of mildew and other troubles. Decaying matter is always out of place among living things. Camellias will thrive planted out in quite a cold house. They will not flower very early, but the flowers will be none the less welcome when they arrive, and the glossy foliage forms such an excellent background to other flowering and foliage plants. Spring-flowering plants, such as auriculas, prim- roses in much variety, forget-me-nots, and hardy annuals, will form charming groups in the lightest parts of the house. Auriculas may be top- dressed now, or, if necessary, the strongest plants may fee repotted. Strong-rooted plants* of Canterbury bells, Dielytra spectabilis, Spirasas of various kinds, and early-flowering shrubs, such as the Daphne Mezereum, will soon be moving. Among foliage plants the nearly hardy fan palms (Cbamserops excelsa and Fortunei), when they get large, are very ornamental. Dracaena indivisa will bear several degrees of frost with impunity, and roses, of course, both tea and others, are just waiting to begin their season's growth. The strong-growing noisettes and teas may be planted out in the borders, and trained over every bit of wall and roof surface in thp house. Whatever pruning the roses require should be done at once. ■ TUB dead fronds which appear upon ferns at this season should be removed to give room for the new growth that will shortly spring up from the bottom but evergreen ferns in the greenhouse should never be eut down, nor yet dried off, as is sometimes done. It is true that drying off a maidenhair er other fern may not kill it at first, but such treatment, if per- sisted in, will ultimately do so. Every green frond removed from an evergreen plant tends to weaken the base therefore, in removing discoloured fronds at this or any other season, let all green fronds remain. When it is necessary to gather fern-fronds for bouquet-making, avoid stripping any one plant too much, as without green fronds the roots languish and die. To those who have grown the Pompon dahlia nothing (observes F. G. T.) need be said to prove that they can hold their own against any other variety. For garden purposes they cannot be beaten, not even by the showy cactus varieties. Flowering as they do on long stems with small compact blossoms of the most beautiful colours, they readily adapt them- selves to purposes for which the larger varieties would altogether be unsuitable. Then again the dwarf habit of growth is in many cases a great recom- mendation, as they can be planted where their taller brothers would be unsightly. Perhaps the best point of all is their free habit of blooming; they belong to the cut-and-come-again order. From a plant of that beautiful white variety, Guiding Star, I have cut 30 good blooms in the morning and 10 more at night. Of course, this is not always to be ex- pected, but what I wish to show is that for quality au 5U?ntity flowers they cannot be surpassed. I think if we could get more classes for them at the exhibitions than we do at present, the public would not be long in placing them in that posi- tion which they deserve, which I consider is a long way ahead of the heavier and clumsier varieties, as these are altogether unfit for decora- tive purposes. To those who have not grown these before I would say give them a trial, and they will handsomely repay you. Procure your plants about the end of May from a reliable nurseryman, see that they have been well hardened off, plant them about a yard apart, give a good watering, and see that they are properly staked and tied. After a hot day a sprinkling of the leaves with water will be very ad- vantageous. I should mention that a little well- rotted manure and leaves, limed and placed in a hole where you intend planting, will serve as a nourishment to the greedy roots of the plant until it is strong enough to stand a good top-dressing. Keep the ground clean and the plants well tied out, with an occasional watering and a sharp look-out for earwigs, and you may rest assured of soon having a show that will amply repay you. A dozen sorts that I have grown and have found to be good varieties are guid- ing star (pure-white), coquette (orange, shaded yellow), dandy (crimson-purple), Dora (pale-primrose and white), Dr. Ranch (orange-red), fairy tales (delicate- primrose), favourite dance (maroon, with crimson edges), gem (rich-scarlet), Grass au Wein (shaded buff), little Princess (white, tipped with rose), nemesis (dark-maroon, tipped with white), Wilhem Nitsche (red, tipped with white).

AMERICAN FUN. IT takes two to make a bar gain, and one must pay for the drinks. THE other morning a Galveston merchant was seen standing in his store with his face tied up and smiling like a house on fire. What are you grinning for ?" asked a passer-by. I choost sold out all mine old umprellas, and I feel so glad as'h never vash. Dish rainy vedder vos a plessing." What's the mutter with your jaw ?" My tooths aches so pad I vants to die. Dot rainy vedder always makes dot." And as his thoughts went back to the sale of the um- brellas he put bis hand up to the jaw and laughed and swore and stamped and smiled until people paes- ing mistook him for a lunatic. 'TIS sweet to dye for those we love," exclaimed a young man when his best girl asked him why he didn't wear a black instead of a light moustache. CANADIAN hemlock forests are being rapidly destroyed for their bark." Why not destroy a few dogs ? There is as much bark in a dog as there is in a forest. THBT grow some rather tall women beyond the Mississippi. An occidental poet writes that he kissed the clouds from her sweet, fair face." It seems almost incredible that he could, just by stand- ing upon her face, kiss the cloud; but truth and poetry are inseparable, and we are bound to believe. REV. DR. WBST, of New Bedford, Mass., once heard that his choir refused to sing on the next Sunday. When the day came he gave out the hymn, "Come ye who love the Lord." After reading it through he looked up very emphatically at the choir, and said, You will begin at the second verse, Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God. The ckoirsang. THE society which furnishes free ice-water at the New York Post Office has a rival at a saloon in Broadway not far distant, which advertises Free lager beer as a novelty, and by order of the society for the encouragement of the use of lager in moderation, for 30 days.' CONTRIBUTION boxes are now upholstered at the bottom to prevent the loss of falling subsidiary coin disturbing the sleepers of the church. THE penalty of lying in Siam is to have the mouth sewed up. Subscriptions for the purpose of sending Eli Perkins to Siam will be received at this (Boston Post) office. A MAN in America with a m echanical turn has in- vented a safe, which he says is burglar-proof. When completed he offered 5000 dols. to anyone who could open it, and in a moment of forgetfulness he went inside and closed the door of the safe. Many per- sons tried to open it, but couldn't; and the in- ventor is still on the inside. His friends pass him eatables through the keyhole, and they are now em- ployed in passing a fire-proof jacket by the same aperture, intending to have the safe melted down in a blast furnace to free the inventor from what other- wise must prove his living tomb. Who believes it? "I SAY, Sam, dey tell me dare is a man down East dat is so industrious dat he works 25 hours in a day ?" How is dat, Cuffy ? Dare are only 24 hours in a day." "Why, he gets up an hour before daylight, you stupid nigger." Josii BILLINGS said that opera'music didn't have any more effect on him than castor oil would on a graven image. A LBADVILLB gambler advertises in hand-bills as follows: Keno, as played at Wyman's, is a very honest, upright, and religious game. It is religious because Wyman don't allow anyone to swear or to make those vulgar expressions sometimes used in playing keno. It is respectable because the Bev. Mr. Talmage was in the other evening to see the game. Wyman has no noise or trouble, because he treats all his customers to the finest liquors and cigars free; also a hot free lunch three times a day. Therefore, there is nothing for any one to quarrel about." A LADY in Rochester, N.H., has set an example which her sex all over the country should follow. This brave woman flogged a comet player, and we hope the time is not far distant when'a man will no sooner get a comet to his mouth than a band of noble-hearted women will horsewhip him as severely as this particular lady did this Rochester comet dis- turber of the public peace and sleep. IN one of the American regiments in Mexico there was a corporal who, when the roll was being called, refused to answer to the name of Ebenezer Mead." The officer repeated the call. No answer. Is Ebenezer Mead on the ground ?" Eben Mead is here," quoth the corporal. The Ebenezer" was repeated again, in a tone like a north-wester. Cap- tain," quoth the rampant corporal, your name is Peter Read would you respond if you were called Petersneezer Read ?" A GUBST was eating more butter than biscuit, while the landlady looked on and fidgeted and hinted, until she fairly went into a nervous fit. Finally she said, Do you know that butter is up to 65 cents a pound ?" The hungry guest reached out and took what there was left. Well," he drawled, approvingly and reassuringly," good butter is wuth it." AT San Antonio (Texas) it is declared that people never die very old persons sometimes dry up and are blown away, but cemeteries are unnecessary. AN Iowa postmaster neglected to certify on oath to the correctness of his recent report, and wrote to the department in justification: "If 1 hant give oath enuff then you Can take thd office and I shall be very glad of it-I shall do the Best i can for the united states that i dont think it pays to go so far to a Justes once in 2 years is a ntiff-I should have to hier a horse it is up hill." A SAN FRANCISCO man, not without cause, it must be admitted, does not believe that all spiritual mani- festations are genuine. After having paid a dollar for a chat with a spirit named Star Eye, he was told that the sister—whom he never had—was happy in the other world; that his mother-in-law—he was never married-was getting her deserts, and that his wife herself, rejoicing at his conversion to the spiritualistic faith, would meet him at the next siance. Star Eye gave him her hand, which he took, and hauled her violently into the room, telling her to come out of that." The spirit was unwilling, but the flesh was weak, and, after a brief struggle, came screaming and flying into the room with another spirit hanging on to her. Star Eye proved to be the medium, and the other spirit her husband, who ran the show. The San Francisco man's practical infidelity broke up the busi- ness. I SUPPOSE the same man," remarked Josh Billings, "would live to be 80 years old on brown bred, roots, and green herbs who would reach 78 years old on plum-pudden and milk punch. Which of the two ways do you consider the whichest ? A MOST incredible story, says the New York Tribune, is going through the papers to the effect that a lady at Preempton, Ill., lately presented her lord with six children at a birth, and that they are all living and doing well. If the story be true, we believe it is the first instance of the kind in medical history. What seems to throw an air of romance over the whole is the further statement that the husband was per- fectly "delighted." Such an extemporised family might possibly reduce a despairing parent to idiocy, but we confess to doubting the delight" under any circumstances. A PAIR of twins were recently born on a Pennsyl- vania railroad train. Their mother said it always made her sick to ride in the cars. She oBly called this four at a time sickness, a flighty talking about a crushing disaster to the poor man who wooed her and made her a sort of consolidated Mormon wife. THE editor of a Columbia paper having recently got married, a contemporary says May his father- in-law die rich, and enable him to retire from the printing business and set up a cake-shop at a railway station." HERE is a Lafayette (Indiana) marriage announce- ment: Married, on Wednesday last, after a vast amount of trials and tribulations, by Squire Dnfllcld, Colonel Robert M. Foster and Mrs. Sarah Iiughes, all of this place." WE complain of the gas in England. But what must it be in America. There in a town in Pennsyl- vania, a boy, going round in the early morning to put out the lights, is compelled to take a lantern with him to distinguish the lamps he has to extinguish. NOTHING makes one so indifferent to the pin and mosquito thrusts of life as the consciousness of grow- ing better.