County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

He "And if I were to steal a kiss from you?" She "I should expect you to pay it back again at once, sir!" The House of Commons has been startled by the appearance on the floor of t member in a scarlet hunt coat. The courageous innovator was Sir A. P. Muntz, who had come on from a dinner at the Fishmongers.' Han, and caused a good deal of amusement in the Lobby. The unwritten rule of frock coat and silk hat for the House is now more honoured in the breach than the observance, and canary waistcoats, straw liats, white duck trousers, short coats, and even -caps, are the order of the day. No less a person than Mr. Herbert Gladstone inaugurated the reign of the straw, and white duck trousers were introduced by Mr. "Tommv" Bowles. He ia ipvariably the first member to put them on, ana when he saunters down to the House in these and the whitest of whit-e waistcoats, it is a sign that summer has come.

I CRETAN ANTIQUITIES. Professor Hahlber, lecturer in Greek archeo- logy in the Roman University, has returned to his fruitful researches in Southern Crete, and has secured further valuable antiquities in the ruins of the old place, dating back more than 1000 years before Christ, excavated last year. The new dis- coveries include brazen and earthenware domestic utensils and finely ornamented vases. The objects, however, tcT which most importance is attached are a number of clay cups inscribed with characters at present unknown, but as to which there is a growing belief that they will be success- fully deciphered.

NEW DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY I FORCES. Major-General Mackinnon succeeds Major- General Sir Alfred Turner as Director of the Auxiliary Forces. Major-General Mnckinnon commanded the City of London Imperial Volun- teers in South Africa during the recent Boer War. For his services he was mentioned in despatches and received the C.B. and Queen's medal and four clasps. From 1893 to 1898 he was chief staff officer of the Home District, in which capacity he came very closely into touch with the Auxiliar Forces.

MARRIED 1,727 TIMES. I During his career Ludovic Barnay the great Hungarian actor, took part in 371 plays and ap- peared in 98 different towns. It thus happened that hi3 stage experiences compelled him to be married 1,721 times, and to die 1,120. But what can be said about the modes of his dissolution? There were 314 scenes in which he committed suicide, while he was stabbed 61 times, shot 51, beheaded 31, and drowned 22. In addition to these calamities he had to show what death from heart disease was like in 192 of his impersona- tions, and depict the effects of poison in 166 others. Little wonder, therefore, that he came to be regarded as a master in the art of stage dying, just as Mr. George Alexander is admitted to be our champion love-maker.

FURNISHING TRADE EXHIBITION. THE SUPERIORITY OF HOME GOODS. It is satisfactory to be able to say that in one trade at least, the Britisher continues to hold his own against all competitors. Of course, the German may cut in a little with furniture made at half the wages obtaining in this country and the American may have a. practical monopoly of the roller-top desk and the office cabinet, but taken altogether the trade of furnishing in Eng- land still stands unrivalled. The exhibition at the Agricultural Hall at Islington gives abun- dant evidence of this, for at no time in its eight years' career has the show so absolutely vindi- cated the superiority of home-made goods. There are more British stalls and exhibitors than of any other nationality, and everything in the great Islington show goes to demonstrate that the home manufacturer is keenly alive to the possi- bilities of improving the taste and adding to the comfort of the articles which go to make "the house beautiful." There may not be anything very strikingly novel in the articles on view-a new book-rest for an arm-chair, a fresh design in the sideboard1, or a devise in the arrangement of the mirrors on a dressing-table—but there is everywhere a tendency on the part of the makers to finish their work better and, at the same time, to avoid flimsiness. One circumstance, which cannot but have an excellent effect, is a work- man's competition, in which new designs and the best class of workmanship are rewarded with prizes. Chairmakers have entlred in very large numbers, and there are some really artistic speci- mens in upholstery. There has also been a good entry for sideboards and fancy cabinets.

It seems only fair that a person who has been wrongfully sentenced to djath should receive some sort of compensation, if the mistake be dis- covered in time. They recognise this in Austria, though not everywhere else. A woman named Theresa. Gietzinger underwent this tragic experi- ence. Her sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life, and recently, after she had served some years of her penalty, it was dis- covered that a judicial error bad occurred. She claimed an indemnity of 11,000 crowns, and the Government have now accorded to her 4,873 crowns and a pension of 360 crowns per annum. Between the mountains of India and Persia is a powerful tribe among whom an extraordinary custom prevails. Women's rights have appar- ently received full recognition, for the ladies of the tribe can choose their own husbands. All a single woman has to do when she wishes to change her state is to send a servant to pin, a handkerchief to the hat of a man on whom her fancy lights, and he is obliged to marry her, un- less he can show that he is too poor to purchase her at the price her father requires. As an introduction to a practical demonstra- tion by Mrs. Helen Best, of her face treatment, Mrs. Stannard (John Strange Winter) advised women in general, and plain women in particular, that if they could not to attain real beauty, they might at least be as beautiful as they could. "The present day skin specialist," she said, "employs rather gentler methods than was the case some time ago." She gave two instances of the old "heroic" treatment. One was Wash the face every day for a week in a solution of lemon-juice mixed with alum and basalt, and the other-Boil up mustard and vinegar, and keep the solution on the face all night. One woman she knew literally slept in raw veal. A match between Middlesex and Yorkshire is a sort of miniature Gentlemen and Players, and if advertised in the manner of fifty years ago could be truthfully announced as "The Gentle- men of Middlesex (with two players) v. The Players of Yorkshire (with one peer)," utyg a writer in the "Court Journal." The suggestion that a player is not a gentleman is surely ungraceful. Why not "amateurs" and nlavera

I EPITOME OF N'EWS. Russia sells more eggs in a year than any country in the world, her output being 150,000,000 dozen. Scotland's smallest school is at Cannich, In- verness-shire, where a certificated teacher is in charge of four pupils, the children of a plough- man. At Dresden, a few days ago, a blind man crossing the street was struck on the head by a cart. lb has now been found that the shock has restored the man's sight. The ear-rings worn by Italian women indicate the part of Italy the wearers come from; the longer the ear-rings the farther south the original homes of the women. The "Berliner Zeitung" is informed that the Government intends to establish a high School for police superintendents in Hanover. In exchange for a whippet dog an advertiser in a Hampshire paper recently offered a grey- hound, a silver watch, a chain, and a South African war medal, says "Truth." Mme. Patti has gone to Paris expressly for the purpose of purchasing a motor-car and en- gaging a chauffeur, who must be "a model of caution and sobriety." The technical college which is being built at East Ham for students in that parish and in the adjoining districts of Ilford and Barking is estimated to cost £ 23,500. Towards this the Essex County Council will contribute £ 6,000. Miss Mabel Brodie, who was rescued from the fire at the private hotel in Egerton-terrace, Brompton, on Monday, and who at the time was suffering from partial suffocation, has died from shock and from inhaling the smoke. Mr. Harry Furniss claims to be the only out- sider who ever saw a Cabinet meeting in full swing. He opened the door of the wrong room at Downing-street on one occasion and saw Mr. Gladstone addressing his Cabinet. A lame man named Francois Rosin, who calls himself the champion wooden-legged man, ran a race on the Boulevard de l'Abattoir, Paris, covering nine miles in an hour, and a little over fourteen miles in two hours. Herr Nommensen, a German missionary in Sumatra, who started in life as a farm labourer, has been made a Doctor of Divinity for his translation of the Bible into the language of the Batta. The detailed syllabus of the competitive ex- amination for admittance to the Royal Military Academy and the Royal Military College under the new regulations, which will come into force in November next year, has been approved by the Army Council. Lord Masham has formally opened and handed over to the public of Braaford the Cartwright Memorial Hail, which has, been erected in Lister Park at a cost of L55,000 (of which 47,500 has been given by Lord Masham), to perpetuate the memory of Dr. Cartwright, inventor of the power loom. Mr. W. T. Oldrieve has been appointed prin- cipal architect and surveyor for Scotland under the Commissioners of his Majesty's Works and Public Buildings. Mr. Oldrieve was for many years the principal assistant in the Edinburgh Office of Works. Swansea Corporation have gratefully accepted an offer by Mr. Glyn Vivian to erect an art gallery, provided that lie shall have full per- sonal control as long as he pays the annual expenses. The heart of Jumbo, the famous elephant which died six years ago, is now in the posses- sion of a doctor in America, and will shortly be dissected by the students at an American University. It is the largest heart in the world, weighing 36Fb. and measuring 28in. by 24in. 2 Iu Wales there are about 508,000 people who cannot speak English, Welsh being their only language in Scotland there are 43,000 persons who can speak nothing but Gaelic; and in Ire- land there are 32,000 who can express them- selves only in the Irish tongue. Among the Alps there are several post-officea at a height of 6,0001't. or 7,000ft. A letter-bos on the very summit of the Laugaud, from which the postman makes four collections daily, is nearly 10,000ft. above the sea-level. A committee appointed by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salforcl to inquire into the nature ol the music sung in the churches of his diocese has condemned Rossini's "Stabat Mater" as "dis- tinctly unsuitable for performance in church." Many of Haydn's, Mozart's, Weber's, Gounod's, and Hummel's masses have also been put on the list of music to be avoided. Adam Siepen, the armless painter, has just died at Dusseldorf. He was born without arms, and painted with his left foot. But despite this terrible disability his work was much sought after, and many of the pictures were sold in Eng- land. Herr Siepen had a large studio in Dussel- dorf, where he was extremely popular. The French village of Aumore ranks as the healthiest spot in the world. It contains only forty people, twenty-eight of whom are over eighty years of age, and three have passed a century. There are no graves in the place, and the oldest inhabitant cannot remember seeing a funeral. A young Cornell University man, training for some athletic sports in his native village, was mistaken for a maniac, chased for two miles by a policeman and a huge crowd, and finally lodged in the cells. He takes his runs bareheaded, in a red sweater, scanty white pants, and white boots. Homing pigeons as carriers of military des- patches may by-and-by be superseded in America bv bees. The homing instinct of the latter is in. tensely strong, and they are less likely than pigeons to be shot by the enemy. Transferred by micro-photography to a minute piece of paper, a good deal of information could be conveyed on a bee's back- According to an advertisement from Bavaria in the Times" recently, a Marquis and "Knignt of the Empire," childless, wishes, for a substan- tial sum paid down, to adopt a rich young man in his majority. Only serious applications from financial circles are invited. It is stated that the adopted son will be placed as heir to a fortune of £ 50,000. Miss Chiquita, who is said to be the smallest lady in the world, has made her appearance in Paris. Born in New York of German parents, she is the eldest of six children, and is twenty- three years of age. Her brothers and sisters are of normal height. Miss Chiquita, who speaks English and German, is now learning French. The height of this charming little lady is only 2ft. 6in. Lieut.-Gen. Lord Grenfeil, who has been pro- moted to be a general in succession to Gen. N. Stevenson, who is on the retired list, has had a distinguished career. He took part in such his- torical campaigns as the South African one of 1878-79, shared in the final triumph ever the Zulus at Ulundi, and went with the Gordon relief expedition. He was appointed Sirdar of the Egyptian Army in 1885, and in this capacity com- manded the forces at the relief of Suakin. In 1897 he was made commander-in-chief of the British army of occupation in Egypt, and in 1899 Governor of Malta. He is now in his sixty- third year, and has been 45 years in the army. A small, readily detachable child's seat is a. recent motor-car accessory likely to prove very popula; in the nursery. It costs but C5, and this sum would soon be saved in doctors' bills through the improved health of a child taken out motor- ing regularly. But one word of warning is neces- sary so that what is saved in doctors' Dills does not go to swell the fees of the oculist. Several cases have come lately within our notice, saya the "Tatler," of serious eye trouble in children owing to their not being made to wear goggles on the car. A glass screen or gogglea is abso- lutely essential to preserve the eyesight of motor- ing children. Not only children, but grown-ups, might take this to heart, for the taste for dis- figuring masks and goggles is Si0J!*y, ^apPea,r" ing. Indeed, the tendency at seems to be to abjure even the most necessary form of motor attire-certainly with dangerously un. bealthy results,

FIELD AND FARM. FARM IMPROVEMENTS THAT DO NOT PAY. Mr. Clare Sewell Read writes in the" Agricul. tural Gazette Better cottages and more cottages are needed. But who is to build them? No notice is taken of the vast number of excellent cottages which have been provided during the last fifty years upon most of our large estates, many of which are now empty. The land that was once arable has now become some sort of pasture, which does not require one-fourth of the labour that it did when under the plough, and upon cur large arable farms where cottages were built in ord?r that jtlie labourer should be near his work, many of them are now deserted, as the men, and espe" cially their wives, prefer the inferior, dearer, and over-crowded cottages in the village. The women say they like to be near the school and the shop, as well as to the church and chapel; and the men, who don't say it, prefer being close to their club—the public-house. More- over, in building cottages with three bedrooms for married labourers with families, the difficulty iv. in preventing one room being occupied by ledgers and then the boys and girls are all off and gone, nothing will induce the old couple to move into a smaller dwelling at a less rent, and if they are forced to move the owner is called a fearful tyrant. And if there are two fair-sized rooms below, only one is occupied for meals and every domestic purpose, the other is decorated with all sorts of ornaments and muslin curtains, and is strictly reserved for Sundays and high holidays. v ° In most of our winter grazing districts, the old- fashioned stalls, or the more modern covered yards, loose-boxes, or small open yards with good wide sheds, are common. From none of these modern buildings should there bo any drainage, all the liquid manure being absorbed when properly littered. Where only store stock are kept in the winter, and fed upon the rough produce of the farm, open yardSl are best, with some sort of shelter round the outside. In some districts, like the Fens, for instance, the diffi- culty is to get all the straw trodden down into manure, for straw is seldom worth mere than 20s. per ton on the farm. It is all very well to say that cattle would be more comfortable on grass than in an open yard in wet winters—which, however, is questionable, even if there is no more shelter than big straw stacks; but there is no doubt the pasture would be all the worse for being poached and mired by the cattle. The liquid manure which may escape from such open yards is not very valuable, and certainly never pays the expense of pumping and carting to the grass land, save in the early spring. It is better to lead the drain to some pasture and let it irri- gate a few rods of land, and if this is impossible, then it should flow into some dry ditch or pit, where all the siftings of the corn-chaff and other rubbish may be rotted for two or three years, and then thrown out in the summer and applied to any grass fields during the winter. z, CHEAPNESS NO ECONOMY. I should here (says Mr. G. Walton Hinton) like to say a few words upon the error that most farmers commit in letting cheapness rule all their transactions on the farm, forgetting that a good article is generally the cheapest in the end. This applies to every department—to the purchase of live stock, to implements, to seeds, and other matters. With regard to live stock, pure-bred beasts, let it be remembered, cost no more to keep than mongrel animals, and the reason for the scarcity of good stock is that farmers have been content to buy the cheap and inferior article, and many have not gone in for breeding at &U. In no department will the tenant-farmer be better repaid for a little enterprise than in the breeding of pure-bred horses and cattle, whose progeny must always command higher prices-. Then, again, as to seeds. The cheapest are almost invariably selected regardless of the -fact that they are proportionately inferior in germin- ating power, and are almost certain to be accom- panied in their growth by a host of weeds. Tested seeds from old-established and respectable firms should always be bought, and the result will be a much higher standard of crops and the preven- tion of the loss that amounts to a positive scandal on many estates. Even those who urge their impecuniosity as an excuse for bad farming should recollect that cheapness is no saving .in the end, and that it will pay them well to go in I for high quality in every department of the farm, although the extra outlay may temporarily entail special sacrifice. The question of cost is naturally one that every man must settle for himself, but nothing is more ccrtain than the fact that every possible effort should be made to keep up the quality of our stock and of the crops, and this will never be done so long as farmers content themselves with buying in the cheapest market, regardless of the inevitable results. EXPERIMENTS ON CROPS. I Reports on experiments (says the "Agricul- tural Gazette") in the manuring of various crops are now very numerous. Some of them would be valuable if they were comprehensive enough, especially those relating to crops now abolt to ba put in. In most cases, however, while the trials show that a particular dressing is better than •wny other tried, they fall far short of in- dicating the best application of manure for a given crop. In some experiments on oats carried out by the Irish Department of Agriculture, for example, sulphate of ammonia was the only nitro- genous manure tried. Trials on potatoes, re. ported in the Journal of the Department, are useful so far as they go, but are too meagre in scope. The highest average yield in 1903 on twenty farms was 10! tons per acre, obtained on 4 plots dresspd with 15 tons of farmyard manure. 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, 1 cwt. of muriate of pota,sh, and 4 cwt. of superphosphate. This dressing paid better than any other; but the question remains as to whether double thai quantities of sulphate of ammonia and muriate of potash would not have been more profitable still. The average yield of the unmanured plots was only 3 tons 1 cwt. per acre. Fifteen tons of farm manure increased it to 7 tons 9 ewt., and 20 tons i to 8 tons 2 cwt. but the combination of artifi- I cials with the 15 tons of farmyard manure proved superior to the 20 tons of the latter alone. Seeing I that in many cases there is no farmyard manure for the potato crop, artificials alone should be j tried in experiments. On eleven farms manures for mangels were tested. The average without any manure was only 3 tons 3 cwt., and 15 tons I of farm manure increased its yield to 16 tons 5 I cwt. Where there were additions of 4 cwt. of I superphosphate, 2 cwt. of sulphate of Ammonia. I and 4 cwt. of common salt, the average produc tion rose to 25-1 tons. In this case a trial of nitrate of soda against sulphate of ammonia was i desirable. The results of trials on turnips were very remarkable. Where no manure was used the average yield on twenty farms was the ex- tremely low one of 2 tons 2 cwt. per acre, the crop being a complete failure on eleven of the farms. A dressing of 4 cwt. of superphosphate alone raised the average to 14 tons 7 cwt., and j the addition of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia and ¡ 3 cwt. of kainit brought 4t up to 18 tons 16 cwt. I The most successful result, however, was a crop j of 19 tons 9 cwt. grown on the plots dressed with 1 2 cwt. of superphosphate, 2 cwt. of dissolved j bonea, 1 cwt. of bone flour, 2 cwt. of kainit, and I; t cwt. of sulphate of ammonia.

I GARDEN GOSSIP, Seeda Worth Sowing.—There are so many hardy and half hardy annuals available tor present sowing that a. mere mention of their names must suffice; readers (as "The Gardener" says) can easily look up their colours, heights, rand prices from catalogues. Among those which generally do well in town and suburb are Alyssum, Godetia, Bartonia, Sunflower, Poppies, Sweet Pea, Cacalia, Calendula, Sponaria., Silene, Larkspur, Jacobea, Sweet Sultan, Clarkia, Linum, Limnanthes, Mallow, Coreopsis, Viscaria, Eschscholtzia, Tropeolum, Mignonette, Whitlavia, Helichrysum, and X?ranthemum. The above will give a great var: cty, both in height, colour, and time of flov.iering. Carnation Rust.—Now that the Carnations hava grown away from their old enemies the sparrows, another and more insidious foe is threatening them in many low, damp lying districts; this is the Carnation rust. It appears as rust coloured specks, spots, or blotches on the upper is the Carnation rust. It appears as rust coloured specks, spots, or blotches on the upper part of the foliage, and soon ruins a plant unless checked. If the attack has developed badly before discovered, all the worst specimens should be pulled up and burnt. The others, and even the healthy plants, may be sprayed- with a solu- tion of sulphide of potassium, made by putting loz. of the sulphide in 2 gallons of water over- night, and spraying the clear liquid on the plants next morning. Do not stir up the solution, and if the Carnations are growing near a light painted greenhouse, or other structure, cover with a mat any portions likely to be reached by the spray, otherwise the paint may be badly dis- coloured. < Carnations from Seeds.—With the exception of the Rose, there is, perhaps, no hardy flower so generally admired as the Carnation. In some gardens, unfortunately, plants grown from layers do not thrive and give the abundance of flower one likes to see. In such cases (writes Mr. J. Clarke, of Shotwick-park, Chester), I would strongly advise growing them from seed pro- cured fr^p a reliable seedsman. The seed may be sown any time during the spring and summer months, some growers, where space is a con- siaeration, sowing in summer, pricking out the seedlings when ready in a cold frame or a bed in the open to stand the winter, and finally to their flowering quarters the following spring. But these plants do not attain to the size or give the same profusion of flowers as those sown earlier and planted out the same summer. A good time to sow the seed is about the second Week in April; this will allow of a crop of vegetables such as the first sowing of Peas, early Cauliflowers raised in heat, and Spinach to be taken off the ground before planting the seedlings. Previous to this the ground should have been thoroughly dug and liberally manured, and all that will be required when putting out the seedlings will be to clear the ground and fork it lightly over. Sow the seeds thinly to prevent drawing, and place in a warm greenhouse or a frame with a gentle heat, covering the box or pan with a pane of glass until the seedlings appear. Prick them out when large enough into other boxes, keeping close and shading when necessary for a week or so, when they must be gradually hardened, and finally placed in the open until the vegetables are off the ground. Have the rows 15 inches apart, and the plants 18 inches asunder in them, and leave out every fifth row to allow room for walking. If all goes well, they should completely cover the ground by the time they flower. I have grown Carna- tions from seed for several years, beginning with a single packet. The results were so satisfactory that I started to raise my own seed, and so absorbing has the interest in the work grown that last year we flowered some 700 seedlings. The seed is saved from plants grown in pots specially for the purpose, selecting only the best varieties; the flowers are, of course, artificially fertilised. The seedlings are kept separate until they flower, and it is most interesting to watch them as they show colour. There are sure to be some singles, but they are all beautiful and useful for cutting. A good strain, however, should give eighty per cent. of double flowers. I think that if amateurs and others who are fond of Carnations, and who have trouble in growing them from layers, would try plants raised from seed, they would be amply rewarded. Clematises in Pots.—There are few plants v-hich lend themselves more readily to pot culture than the Clematis, or that give more satisfactory results; if placed in a warm house, one can delight in their beauty very early in the season. Plants may be purchased in pots at any period of the year, and the present is a very suitable time to commence. The patens and Florida sections are amenable to early work, and comprise many charming varieties. They should be grown strongly during the coming spring and sumifter, trained on wires on the roof, and when the v;;)od is well ripened and matured taken off and trained over one of the various wire shapes, balloon or otherwise, according to fancy. After a few weeks' rest in a cool place, transfer the plants to a warm house (55degs. to 60degs.), when growth will be rapid, and a wealth of bloom produced from every mature eye on the summer made wood. Clematises are gross feeders, and top-dressing should be given, also fortrightly applications of suitable artificial manure. As soon as the flowering period is passed, remove the old growths and encourage those that will be springing from the base, which must be ripened and treated as before The above process ensures flowers very early in the season, and good specimens of such varieties as Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Lovelace, and Belle of Woking present a siabt of surpassing beauty. Planted in an unheate5 structure, the blooms will be available far in advance of those outside, and in addition to the above named varieties, which belong to the Florida section, the forms of patens named Lord Londesborough and Fair Rosamond are eminently suited for thia work and very beautiful. » Moss and its Uses in the Garden.—How pleasant it is to wander among the hills and dales and gather little bits of interesting vegetation to carry home and plant in some out of the way corner of the garden where nothing will grow, so to speak Sphagnum mosses, ferns, Sundews, Orchises, Primroses, and Lichens are all interesting, and may succeed if planted in any damp shady place of the garden where the ordinary border flowers would fail. A number of big rough stone should He aimlessly thrown down, and the spaces between the stones filled up with peaty soil, and the above subjects planted here and there at random. The Sun- dews should be planted in beds of moss. Winter Aconite may be sparingly dibbled in over the whole area, then the otherwise barren corner will turn out to be a spot of interest. When rambling about at leisure one should always keep a look out for patches of low growing mosses, which ought to be gathered and stored up at home for-future use in the garden. When you reach home with a sackful of moss, spread it cut in small quantities in a garden sieve and through a coarse rose pour boiling water over it; and woe betide the slugs, worms, or wire- worms that may have escaped observation when handling the moss! If one wishes to have an early display of Sweet Peas, but cannot afford the pots, room, and the time, considered so necessary for the raising of seeds under glass, ptoceed as follows:—Collect some moss and sterilise it with boiling water. Procure a cutting box four inches deep, one foot wide, and two feet long, inside measurements, and put one inch of well rotted manure at the bottom. Secure an other vise useless garden mat and cut it up into 15-inch squares, undo the weaving by gathering the threads in each square into a bundle, and tie a thread around each bundle to keep it intact. Place a bundle of moss and matting on the potting bench, and have a small heap of sandy soil, with the seeds in a saucer. Then in the right hand take a small handful of moss, place it on the outspread left hand, and flatten it; sprinkle some soil over the moss, and embed three seeds at angles therein. Carefully fold the moss with the soil and seeds inside into a ball and tie a thread of matting round it; place the moss ball in an upright position in the box, and repeat until the space is occupied. Spread a thin loyer of soil evenly on the top of the balls" and sharply tap the box to fill up interstices with soil, then press the whole firmly dewn. with a flat board, and label. Place in a moderately warm house, and germination will soon begin, and 4he young seedlings make their appearance above the soil.

I OUR SHORT STORY. THE TREACHERY OF HURRISII. I A STRANGE WHIPPING-POST STORY. Willie Burrows was a week in England before he found his way down to Sandon Manners, that quaint village of old gabled houses, with the stock and whipping-post still in the middle of its green as they were two hundred years ago. They were proud of their stocks and whipping- post in Sandon Manners. Artists were always drawing them; especially the whipping-post, which had dragons carved along its sides, the iron loops for the hands of the whipped standing out from the dragons like very prominent ribs. It was a fine morning, and March the eighteenth. Somehow, Willie could not sleep in the night that was past. He had risen at four o'clock (his habit in the Far West), and let himself out of Grapstone's hotel without waking a soul. And so to Sandon Manners by deep-cut lanes, with beeches and oaks shadowing them, and no bursting bud on any of the trees; for it had been a cold winter, and the east wind was still bitter over the land. But it was a fine morning for all that, with promise of an unclouded sky later. He covered the five miles in little more than an hour; then sat on a stile just outside the village, looking at its gables and chimneys and the embattled tower of the old church rising above the trees. The striking of six in the church belfry made him move again. Entering the one street of the village, which had a bulge in the middle for the green, with the stocks and whipping-post on it, he was surprised to see a knot of folk assembled, as if for a purpose. A little maid, with her hair loose, ran out of a thatched cottage near him, her eyes and mouth all agog with expectation. Is anything the matter ? Willie called to her. It's the whipping of old Mr. Daintree, sir," said she, with a laugh as untidy as her hair. The irkat ? "He gets hisself whipped every year on the eighteenth o' March. They do say he's soft to do it, but my feyther says he's only soft on the eighteenth of March, and that's to-day. Here they come It's his own coachman what lays it on him. Some calls it a penance, air-! The child ran on. She had given Willie a pretty long answer, and she did not mean to miss the show in the interests of her good nature. For a moment Willie stood quite still. A pro- cession of two had come from the garden gate of an old Tudor mansion to the left, where the road was widest. Three stone-capped gables, with stone balls on their points, outlined the mansion itself, the bulk of which was hidden from sight by an immense mass of shrubs, with rhododendrons and two huge cedar trees intermingled. Evidently an old house for the twentieth century to cherish! The twelve or fifteen villagers on the green drew aside to give these two a wide berth—respect- fully, it Beemed. Willie's communicative little maid took up a place on the outermost fringe of the spectators. And the procession of two strode slowly forward right to the whipping-post. The leader was an oldish man, tall and lean, and rather bowed, with a sort of shooting jacket over his shoulders, and bare-headed. The other was in livery, and carried a riding-whip. He wore his hat. Willie Burrows now went nearer, with a fasci- nated gaze in his eyes. He couldn't understand it a bit. It was on his tongue to ask questions when he came up to the other villagers, but he forbore. Already the old man had thrown off his cloak and slipped his hands through the post's gyves— the topmost pair, being such a tall man. And thus standing, with bared back, he gave the word to his servant in a voice audible to all the by- standers. 1 am ready! he said. The coachman's coat and hat were laid aside, and the man himself now whipped his master heartily. Twenty resounding cuts They made their mark towards the end. The loose-haired damsel gasped Oh and Oh! and cried at length, ."Oh!do make him stop it-poor Mr. Daintree Only to be herself stopped by one of the men with a rough "Shut thy mouth, Anne Spinks, and mind thine own bizness!" Oliver Daintree took all the twenty strokes with- out flinching. Afterwards he let his man put the cloak over his scarred back, and fastened it in front himself. Then he produced a sovereign from his trousers pocket, and formally present it to his chastiser, with a -1 Thank you, James." He shook hands with the man also. The man touched his hat and the pair of them returned to Faith House, as the Manor was called, in the order in which they had left it. "Well, if I ever did!" exclaimed the loose- haired maiden, She fled home while crying the words. The others also dispersed, some solemn, others sniggering slightly and making their comments. Wiliie Burrows, though brown as a nut before the spectacle began, seemed almost pale as he now looked about him in bewilderment. He had a broad blaze on his right cheek, the mark of fire; that alone retained its colour and something more. Dick Stamp, the landlord of the Old Bear's Head inn, at the lower end of the village, came his way conveniently for interrogation. What's the history of all that ? he asked Mr. Stamp. A stranger, sir ? suggested the innkeeper. t! Yea. I've walked over from Grapstone this morning." My word, you're about early!" said Mr. Stamp admiringly. "Maybe you've not break- fasted ? "No," > aid Willie. Then if you'll put up with eggs and home- c ii-ed bacon, sir, my inn's the place for you. I'll toll you about it in there. It's the rum tale of a gentleman with too much temper to begin with, and too tender a conscience as a finish. That's my view, anyway. And of course there's a woman in the mattor. There is mostly, in general." Ah said Willie. Thank you. I'll come with you." Mr. Stamp told the tale in his pretty rose-clad porch while breakfast was being prepared. Mr Oliver Daintree, him you saw ivhippcd-and I shouldn't think there's never another sight like that to be seen in Edward the Seventh's reign-he and his missus that's dead adopted a young lad when e was quite a boy, and brought him up as their own like. A fine decent young gentleman he grower up, too, spirited, and with a natural eye for £ pretty wench. And the pretty wench, if you'll excuse the word—being a stranger, and per- haps not used to it-her was ready to his hand to fall head -.n' cars over in love with. I'm meanin' Miss Jessie Daintree herself, bless lier! It hurts her a deal more that anniversary whippin' does, than it hurts her father, I'll sw^ar. Well, them two fell in love, after the old lady died, and you'd think it was just as proper a case for marriage bells as ever was. But the old boss's queer proud mind had to be took into account. Though he'd eddicated t'lat young feller like one of his own breed, he'd a power o' private pedigree in him-loolced it just now, bent back and all, didn't he? He'd other views for Miss Jessie. Pushed 'em, too, for all he was worth. A young spark !lamed Carew, of these parts, was the chap he wanted for a son-in-law, and Basil Carew was just as keen, I'm thinkin' you can gress some of the rest. When he found how thirgs stood with them, and that adopted son of his wasn't giving an inch of ehaner. to Carew, he just let the devil rage in him. H" thrashed the poor young feller before his 3 vighter's face, and when she lay fainted, he kicked him out of his door for ever, and dared him to show his toes inside Faith House again. And that was the end of him, for they dp say, quite r -cently-last week the news came for certain, indeed-fhat the poor chap died out in British Columbia this very year, burned to death in his own farm. Young Carew's dying, and his daughter's illness, and, if you ask me, the proper woriun' of his conscience in him, changed Mr. Da.int.tce himself wonderful not a year after his mad act. Ho advertised for the young feller, and then, taking a religious turn, and bein' fond of Thomas a'Becket's life-a holy man that did much the same as him in ancient times, in these parts, too, I've heard he took the fancy of this public whippin' to atone for his sins. And he does it every eighteenth of March, "wet weather or dry, bein'the day he made such an old fool <>f himself, eight years ago to this minute! That's the whole yolk of the egg, sir. Funny piece, isn't it ? Willie Burrows leaned against the porch, with his gaze on the three gables of Faith House, while Mr. Stamp told his tale. He showed no interest until the tale was ended. And the old man's daughter," he then asked quietly-" what of her?" Mr. Stamp heaved his great shoulders. "I only know what I hear," he replied, "and I don't believe not a quarter of that, but they say the Mr. Hurrish—yes, sir, Mr. Hurrish, he's stoppin' there it's him that brought the account of the poor chaps death. They say he's crep' into her affections wonderful quick. It's not for me to talk but he's a smart un. Quite the gent, of course, or you may lay old Oliver wouldn't have took to him so rapid. He's stayin'at Faith, and they say he's goin' for her, hot and strong." Willie Burrows seemed to grow very tall as 110 stood erect. "So she has forgotten her first love?" he suggested, smiling, yet with a curious glitter in his eyes. I'll be hanged if I think so, sir!" exclaimed the landlord. Excuse my language, but I'm a warm un in favour of Miss Jessie. All right missus It's your breakfast, sir. Quite a ro-mance, isn't it? I don't take to this Mr. Hurrish myself, though he's often round here for a nip of some- thing." Willie Burrows went to his breakfast in silence. He seemed very thoughtful, and not at all hungry during the meal. Afterwards he asked Mr. Stamp if he would send to Grapstone for his luggage, and pay his bill there. I feel like stopping here a day or two," he added. To be sure, sir," said Mr. Stamp. I'm driving over myself. What name shall I say ? Willie Burrows hesitated and changed his mind. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I'll go over later perhaps. I mayn't stay here after all. How much do I owe you ? Mr. Stamp referred the question to his wife, and returned mentioning eighteen pence. He men- tioned something else. That Mr. Hurrish I just spoke about is crossin' the green," he said. He's fond of a drop o' whisky before his breakfast. More'n I am, but live and let live's my motto! He laughed in easy condonation of Mr Hurrish's frailty, thanked his guest for his money, and left the parlour. Willie Burrows looked through the latticed panes. He drew a deep breath, and waited until Mr. Hurrish was near the inn. Then he went out and faced him. Good morning," he said calmly, but the next moment it was as if he, too, like Mr. Daintree, had a temper he would be sorry for by-and-by. He took Mr. Hurrish by the throat in the midst of the latter's plain consternation, and hurled him into the porch of the Old Bear's Head." You scoundrel!" he cried. He left the man prostrate between the porch seats, with Mr. Stamp in astonishment above him. He passed the stocks and whipping-post, and crossed the road slowly towards Forth House. The old church clock struck the half-hour after seven as he pushed the high gate which aided the Manor's privacy. Inside he seemed to tremble as he peered along the short avenue amid the shrubs. He stood and gazed furtively. There were poppy- red blinds to many of the windows, and well they went with the mellow mullions of this rare old mansion. I daren't—I daren't!" he murmured, when he had stood thus for fully a minute. He returned a pace or two, and vanished amid the shrubs where a narrow track led to a rustic summer-house near the outer wall of the property. Snowndops and daffodils were on the grass in front of the summer-house; but there was a thick tangle of shrubs beyond, hinding it from the windows of the house. Entering, he sat and covered his face with his hands; and he was still thus sitting when a young lady came through the shrubs, .and began to pick daffodils. Something (scarcely the noise she made) induced him to look up, and he saw her. I Instantly he was on his feet, with a glow in his I eyes. "Jessie!" he whispered from the threshold of the arbour. She, too, stood up, and the flowers fell from her hands as she looked at him, terrified, yet with an eagerness that was an astonishing beauty in her. "Jessie," he said again, stepping towards her, don't you know me ?'' All the terror then left her. It is Will!" she cried. It is-it is! Though she:was twenty-five, she gave herself to his embrace with the impetuosity of a child, and for fully a minute they were like a pair of lovers in no doubt of the blessing of their mutual love. They seemed just to take up the thread of their lives where it had been broken eight years ago. The girl was the first to become practical.0 Oh, Will," she said, as she drew herself from him, I am so selfish-so selfishly hapyy I am forgetting papa. He is so unwell, and this morning I know, dear," said he, stroking her hair. I saw it." Jessie Daintree shuddered. The doctor says his heart is so weak he ought not to do anything to-- And then Mr. Hurrish's coming! How Mr. Hurrish must have lied to us! And that, too, has been bad to papa. How did he know about you, Wiil ? Sweetheart," said he, I was foolish enough to give him my confidence on board a ship a few weeks ago. I told him, too, that nothing should induce me to even look at dear old Faith again. I didn't think he was this kind of man. And-you see how I have kept my word." She put her arms round his neck and kissed him. If you had not come, I should have died Will," she whispered. I believe I should have died." And then she broke away, and ran gaily towards the house, beckoning him to follow. But in the hall, she was met by a servant with a troubled face. The master's senseless, miss," he said. He fell down a few minutes ago, and- Where is he ? she cried. She hurried into the library, whither the man had pointed, and there Will also joined her. Oliver Daintree was in his chair, quietly ending his penance. "Father, dear father!" sobbed Jessie, "Will's —come back." Perhaps she could have said nothing more effectual to revive him for a moment or two. Hia eyes opened, and he smiled feebly on them both. Will!" he said, and that was all. Faith House was still in the early throes of its grief, and the breakfast table still waited for Jessie, when a messenger came from the Old Bear's Head "inn for Mr. Hurrish's portmanteau. The man brought also two half-crowns for Elias Johnson, one of the servants. Elias was to see to the packing and delivery of the portmanteau. By Jakes!" muttered Elias, I'd like to portmanteau 'im, that I would." James the coachman, with a sore heart in the memory of that whipping an hour or two ago, joined issue with Elias Johnson. Tom Green, the second gardener, was just as eager for vengeance. Thrashin', be too good for such a liar as he," said Tom Green, but my thumbs fair itch to be doin' summat." Elias whispered a word or two; and after a short confabulation, he went out and sent Dick Stamp's man off. The portmanteau should be on the grerYJ in less than half an hour, for the carrier to Grapstone. Mr. Hurrish wished it, and so it should be, said Elias, with an half-hidden battle light in his eyes. He went straightway to throw Mr. Hurrish's things together anyhow. James, the coachman, went for something else. And Tom Green, with a hungry look on his face, went off to the black- smith. He had words with other stalwarts of Sandon Manners before the portmanteau, on Elias's shoulders, came forth towards the green, where Mr. Hurrish was eagerly waiting for it and the carrier's cart. That day was one long talked about in the village. It had opened with one whipping. It now saw another. Four men, including Elias, Tom, and the black- qmith, Wizecl Mr. Hurrish, and, notwithstanding I his struggles, got his wrists into the whipping- post's gyves. And then, having moistened his palm, James the coachman laid on. He used an ash stick this time, and never did coat have a sterner dusting than Mr. Hurrish's, while the carrier and his cart drew up to their position. There, I reckon I'm tired out!" said James at length. Mr. Hurrish said little when he was released. He looked mad, but he uttered only a few words. Curse you all!" he exclaimed, as he staggered away, having bidden the carrier pick him up on the road by-and-by. Its sorrow for Oliver Daintree's sudden death notwithstanding. Sandon Manners laughed relishingly at Mr. Hurrish's curse.

LONG LIVERS. More people over a hundred years of age are found in mild "climates than in the higher lati- tudes. According to the last census of the German Empire, of a population of fifty-five million only seventy-eight have passed the hundredth year. France, with a population of forty million, has two hundred and thirteen centenarians. In England there are one hundred and forty-six, in Ireland five hundred and eight, and in Scotland forty-six. Sweden hasten and Norway twenty-three, Belgium five, Denmark two, Switzerland none, Spain with a population of eighteen millions has four hundred and one persons over one hundred years of age. Of the two million two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants of Servia, five hundred and seventy- five have passed the century mark.