THE GARDEN.

<By Ho«tus).

Calendar of Operations, September 29.

f Hortus is billing to answor any quories. Cor respondents must give their hill names and adarcssos, though not for publication. J TO CORRESPONDENTS. Siikm. LI.MIC (J.M.. llclonsville).-lst. Shell lime makes a capital manure. Most aoila in Auckland are dcfluiunl of lime iv their com position. Lime bus, therefore, to bo applied in quantity. 2nd. To convert shells into lime lit for immediate use, make a largo round hole in the side of a hill. In the bottom place a quantity of sood burning timber, then a thick layer ol' shell, more timbur and shell, till the hole is tilled. When filling tho hole build up the face with turf, leaving an opening at the bottom for kindling. When all is complete fire at the bottom. As the tire burns the shell in the holo will subside. Put in more shell until you think you have sufficient, thon covcrwithsoilsoaatohusbandheat. Let uio fire burn out. When cold, cart soil and shell and spread over the surface—it will soon tell. 3rd. Tho best manner or killing cabbago trees. I have never had any bush work to do. and doubt my ability toanswerthis to the b»6l purpose. Perhaps Home of my numerous readers- with axuerience can assist J.M. next week. GII,VPE VISES (R. Wilson, North Shore).—l would advise you to tie them up permanently ' to tho wires for the season. If deferred much longer, you may break oil' some of the buds which are burst. Commonce closing up the house early in the afternoon, giving a slight Syringing with water, giving air in tho morn ings. Don't let the house get much over oigftty at present through the day.

Maxims.

Ihe roots of moat young seodlings arc not strong enough to bear removal till they have made from two to four proper leaves—for by this time tho roots will be able to perform their proper functions. Tno making of new leaves by a ncwiy-plantod cutting is a sign that growth haa commenced; when the leaves wither it is a sicn that the "laiit has not strength to perform the natural functions of throwing thorn off. No plants can bear sudden contrasts of tem perature ; therefore bring nothing direct from a hot-house to the open air; warm woather should uu ehostm oven for bringing out plants from a, greenhouse. Always harden off as much as possible before a change is made.

Kitchen Garden.

Continue sowing seeds as directed last week. Make the fortnightly sowings of mustard-cress, &c, for saladings. Keep the hoe stirring, earthing up advancing crops. Before doing so in soils which have not been heavily manured, sprinkle a little fine bone dust or Peruvian guano. The first rains will take the manure to where the advancing rootlets will get at them, thereby greatly assisting the crop. Strawberry breaks should now be attended to. Give a good dus'.mg o fine bones and lime all over the surface between the rows of plants, then gently fork to the depth of two or three inches, taking care not to injure any of the young rootlets. Make a considerable sow- Ing of French beans and runners. Becol ieut while sowing that this is a crop which wants successional sowings made. Plant out cabbage, cauliflowers, lettuce, &c, in succession as they become large enough to handle. Begin preparing hills for planting out cucumbers, melons, &c, from the frames. Dig a hole, and place about a barrow-load of well-decomposed manure, mixing some of the soil with it, making a alight hill. These holes will sweeten and be in good order for the plants when they are ready to come out. Thin out ad vancing crops as they become largo enough. Commence planting the later varieties of potatoes. Look well after slugs. Flower Garden. Hurry on the sowing of hardy annuals ; transplant from those already sown, and thin at the same time. A few of the moro xender varieties might now bo sown. When swing them, if the ground is lumpy and hard, make the circles or lines thin ; have a barrow-load of finely-sifted soil ; put a little of this in the bottom of thes • lines or circles, then sow the seed, covoring it up with a little more good soil; water, and you will find that the above treatment will give better plants and more flowers. Con tinue putting out the different bedding plants in their allotted places. See that the soil is well manured. Continue putting in bulbs for suecessional flowering. See to the staking and tying up of those planted, early. See to the young dahlia plants in frame, that they are potted oif when they require the shift. Slugs are very fond of them. Keep these pests in check. Cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes will want attention in the same direction. Attend to walks—hoe, rake, and roll them. Lawn : Don't spare the scythe or roller whenever there is a favourable opportunity. Greenhouse. Continue repotting the different stock plants. Cuttings which are struck, pot off into small pots. Water and shade for a day or two till they get established in their pots. Start another batch of cuttings. Pelargoniums and geraniums for early flowering keep near the glass. The same with calceolarias, cinerarias, and primulas. 1 hese ought to be making splendid plants now. Those which are not potted in the flowering pots should bo ropotted at once. \\ater with manure-water occasionally. Look well after the aphis." Fumijrate when they require it. Don t smoke the whole house, but have a little box made which will hold about a half-dozen plants. Put those infected in this, close the box up, then apply the fumigating apparatus, keep ing them in sulhcientlr iongto kill the aphis; take them out and fill up with others if more require the same operation. Dull Cloudy, or moist days are best for the above operation. \\ here greenhouse plants are kept in quantities, a permanent structure ought to be built for performing the opera tion whenever any of these insects make their appearance See that all dead loaves aro picked ofl without delay, keeping t very thing tidy and cloun. Give water and air freely on every favourable opportunity. Soasonablo Hints. * The mechanical condition of a good seed bed should bo regulated more by the kind of a crop to be grown tjjan by the'eharacter of the soil. Thus, barley requires a solid bot torn and n line surface Wheat and oats will not thrive in a very loose subsoil, thquo-h a fine top is of less consequence—to wheat at least. Koot crops, on the other hand, re quire a seed bed which is neither firm nor loose, but tine and deep. Grasses and clovers flourish best on a firm, hard soil with a fine surface. Xt is an indispensable requisite in all voting orchards to keep the ground mellow and loose by cultivation—at least for a few years, ""til the trees are well established. In two adjoining orchards, one planted and kept in grass, ami the other ploughed and cultivated for the first years, you will see an nimost incredible difference in favour of the latter. Not only will these trees show rich d-xrk luxuriant foliage and clean, smooth .stems, while those neglected will have a 'Starved and sickly look, but the size of the •trees in the cultivated orchard will be treble that of the others at the cad of this time. M\inEX-HAiR Ferns is Rooms.—These do uot succeed well in the majority of case* when crown in rooms. To attain the best result* it is necessary to give them as mucl li<>ht as -possible. Consequently they .wil bein close proximity to the windows whero the draught or cold air entering the room will bo sdmewhat detrimental to their well bpin" This should bo avoided as much as

possible. If I were to attempt growing this tern in a room, I would prefer it under a bell glass—ono with a hole at the top. By keeping this a trifle tilted on one aide, a constant circulation of air would be kept up, yet not too draughty. In potting this or any other fern for growing in rooms, it is best to pot firmer than for ordinary culti vation. Tho growth, though not so strong and well developed, will be more sturdy and robust, and better able to resist the drying atmosphere of a living room. Peat and sand will fsuit well, but a little loam may be added if not too retentive. Hybrid Inning Flowers. This to most amateur horticulturists will be the pleasantest operation and at the same time may give the quickest results. Say for example the amateur takes up the pansy, verbona, antirrhinum, etc. Let him choose two varieties, the flowers of which are indi vidually good in themselves, but would be improved it one or both had some of the good qualities of the other blended with it. Such a blending would form a new variety, which might turn out to be an improvement on the two parent stocks. "When a choice has been made of the two varieties to be oper ated on, it is better to plant them near to gether for convenience sake. When the flowers have arrived at a proper state, which practice only can determine (and the more practice the more knowledge and the greater the success), the necessary operation of hybridising must be performed. The Mowers are thon allowed to fade and ripen the seed. When ripe, gather, and carefully put away, labelled according to the strains from which the seed is produced, taking full notes for future operations. When the proper season comes round, either autumn or spring, sow the seed in seed pans. When strong enough, prick out into boxes, taking care to save every plant. When the young seedlings hare got well established, plant out into bed or bordei tor flowering. Perhaps you may not have produced a single really good flower, but persevere. I have known men in Britain to persevere for years in some of these special. subjects before they have gained even an average amount of success in the object they had in view. A nursery firm in Scotland, in whose employ I spent nearly two years, used to plant out about two acres of pansy seedlings every year, and if thay succeeded in getting about half-a-dozen first-class new varieties out of the whole, they would be amply repaid for all their trouble, labour, and expense by the sale of stock i^ropagated from these new kinds. I do not dream for an instant that operations on such a scale could be carried out here ; but still some of our colonial amateurs could do a great deal to further the hybridisation of flowers with benefit to the acclimatised flora of New Zealand. Here I would state that some of the amateurs in Britain take the lead in these special subjects, beating the professional gardeners. In concluding my present papers on the above subject,! will deal with a few facts which may assist any experimenting in this direction. When raising new varieties of fruit, flowers, and vegetable|,tlie m°st perfect and vigorous off spring will be obtained of plants, as of animals, when the male and female are not closely related to one another. When a.i experiment of the kind is made between varieties of different size and character, the farina of the smaller should be introduced into the blossom of the larger. Mr Knight, who experimented largely in fruit, says under these circumstances he generally observed a prevalence of the character of the female parent (there were some exceptions), probably from the following causes: "The seed coats rre generated by the female parent, and thoscs regulate the bu>k of the fobes and platule ; and he observed, on raising new varieties of the pea-h, that when one stone contained two seeds the plants thus afforded were inferior. The largest seed, which ripens most perfectly and most early, should always be selected. He further says tho trees from the blossom and seeds of which it is intended to propagate should have grown at least two years on soil of tho best quality. During that period they ought not to be suffered to exhaust themselves by bearing any consider able crop of fruit; and the wood of the preceding year should be thoroughly ripened at an early period in the autumn (which ripening in the colonies would need to be assisted by root-pruning early in the autumn), and if early maturity in the fruit of the new seedling plant is required, the fruit within which the seed grows should be made to acquire maturity within as short a period as is consistent with its attaining its full size and perfeat flavour These qualities ought to be sought in the parent fruits which are desired in the off spring."—[• Horticultural Society's Trans actions."] (To be continued.)

Best Thoughts of Best Men.

Sest men are moulded out of faults. Ho who asks timidly courts a denial. He injures the good that spares the wicked. Bo thyself blameless of what thou re >ukest. It is through inward health that outward things are onjoyed. A proud man never shows his pride so much as when he is civil. In all bodios, those who'lead must also n a considerable degree follow. It is only when the rich are sick that hey fully feel the impotence of wealth. Violent excitement exhausts the mind, md leaves it withered and sterile. Practice flows from principle; for as a nan thinks so will he act. There can be no kernel in this light nut; tho soul of man is in his clothes. It is almost as difficult to make a man un earn his errors'as his knowledge. Who can all sense of others' ills escape, is )ut a brute, at best, in human shape. It is well to be a man among men, and not i mere dreamer among shadows. It is tho error of youth to consider itself more happy or unhappy than it really is. He is poor who covets more, and yet wants a heart to enjoy what he already has. The stories of our neighbour's error tend but little to tho reformation of cur own. Sentiments of friendship which How from thu heart cannot bo frozen in adversity. Conviction is not conversion ; a man may carry his convictions along with him into hell. Bool;a are but white paper, unless men spend in action the wisdom they get from thought. There are many diversities of vice ? but it is one never-failing effect of it to live dis pleased and discontented. 1 vials of every kind may await you, aternerauddarkerthan any yet experienced. ",° . not anticipate them, but do not forget their possibility. sr.nl 6 nevor forK<=t the kind words we have hiVf X?"\ the retort wo havo leffc unsaid, Wk. ly wo recall the sharp words nmvl an Srily. and unkind actions that £i? fea tears to come to e*es that No r>W them any more, is tomffinn ? °on»pany, no age, no person ho wm n« free- Let n° maR b°*st tha* »iX. abT£W- Let him be. high that vnrv inrf 5' or "c may be surprised^ in wasn^r'^^^ho'boaßte^U.athe

A NAUGHTY GIRL'S DIARY.

By the Author of " A Bad Boy's Diary."

She Gets up Some Tableaux,

Some folks believe in gosts an' some do not. Mary an' Fred do knot. Bridget an' Nora do belcve in gosts. There has been one in our house las' night. It made horribul noises, very strange. Mary went down with a lamp an' looked all around. it played the piano, but when she got there the piano was all shut up—all was silent as the grave, but when she was in the dining room it played agon ;so she cald up Fred because Nora was ringing her hands an' Bridget was giving Mary notis she would leave in the morning—"she would not slape in the house another night for any money, an' may God forgive her the sugar an' toy she had borrodo for her poor ould mother" —so Fred dressed an' come down an' went all over the lolior part of the house looking forthegost. "It sounds to me like a oat catter walling," said he, and then the piano played agen, jus' when wo were all looking at it, it was shut, not a sole near it, it was very strange, the girls shreked, Mary said it must be spirins, only Fred is awful brave. He walked right up an' raised the cover, an' out jumped—my, how Bridget yelled ! —my poor little kitten I shut up in there after the rest had gone to bed to see how it would like it. Fred says that's just about the way gost stories ushaly turn out. Ho did not scold me, but he looked hard at mo an' said he sposod kitty had opened the piano an' cralled in there herself. Fred is very good nachured the last day or two, i notis Miss Garner is wearing her diment ring agen. Silly girl, to get so mad at my brother because I told her it was Fred sent that bushel basket of roses to Mary ander son when she played in the town hall—l told her he side an' said if he had met Miss anderson sooner things mite have bin difrent —I said I guest he coresponded with her 'cause he was writing letters all the nex day »n I saw "anderson " on one of them ; then i told her he had gone to Newark to remane over night 'cause she was playing there so he could go to the theater agen. So she gave him back his ring. I expec' poor Frod had to purger hisself to make it up. He is a sad flirt all the girls say* I have asked him what is a flirt because I want to know. Ho ansered me it was a donkey. So now I know he is not a flirt. When I got up this morning there was a nasty rain, like it would vain all day, papa says it mus be the quinineoxshal storm, it is very stupid to stay in the house all day; Maggie an' I were going to the fotografers to look at my picture. I had to take Ophelia to granmas room an' sew on her close. Fred named my last doll Ophelia because she is insane. It is my fault, I jumped out from behind the door an' fritened her so she fell off the shelf an' got a dreadful crack in her head, some of her brains came out, since then she is an affirmed lunitiek, but she does not hurt anyone. I give her swetened water an' bread pils 7 times a day. Granma was not in her room so I borode her silk umbrella an' waterprove cloak ad' sliped down the back stairs an' out doora. Oit is fun alive to stand under an umbrella out in a hard rain ! I like it almost better than anything, it pored an' pored, it was delishus. I crep out by the alley, got on Mane street an' walked sloly along. I looked up at Maggie's window but she shook her head she dare not come, that girl never has any good times hardly, such a mother ! Pretty soon I saw Charlie ;he had an old umbrelaan' a long fishing-rod, he said it jus the day to fish, they would lite bo fast he wpuld need me to put the worms on, so we went in theoystir place an' borrode a tin pail; I told the man to please take a gallon to our house 'cause it was Friday, an' I heard mamma say she would have oysters scalloped for dinner. I asked her might I help scollop them, I had a nice paturn ; but now I did not.think I should be home in time. Charlie an me were perfeckly happy as we trugged along way out of town. •' I ex pec it will begin to rain cats and dogs be fore long," said Charlie, looking up to see if he could see any ; but it only rained rain water, wich dispointed us some j but we got lots of angel worms in a plowed field, so we didn't mind, Granma's uVnbrella broke, cause the wind turned it insido out. We laughed—it looked so funny ; but I was sory it was her best silk one. We laughed at the way her waterproof dragged behind, too, an we wishtwehad brot some lunch. I have had neumonia an bin very il. Granma did not scold me for breaking her umbrela and runing her cloak, she was too sori-y I was going to die. It seems it was too late in the season to sit on the wet ground puting bate on Charlie's hook. After* T" m fell in we had to walk 2 miies to get home. The wind was blowing, but I don't member mutch about it—that was 2 weeks ago. lam sitting up now, playing with six of my dolls an lisning to Mary grumbling bout my being such a awful naughty girl getting sick so her wedding prespirations had to be referred. Mary ie a selfish person as ever I saw. Charlio is a luvly boy ; he has jus brot me his snapping turtle to play with ; I have got it under my piMo. When Mary comes in she will take it away if she sees it. O, yes, of course, I am a horid, wicked crewel child, because my sister put her hand under my pillo to shake it up, an' the snapping tui-tle would not let go her fingers ! It is not the snaping turtle is to blame—o, no, it is dolly ! alwis alwis is Dolly. . . . It is very tiresome staying in the house. The doctor will not alow mo to go out at present. Char'ie has brot me his pupt to look at, an' gaanma sent to tho city for a new doll that can talk, but she only says a few things. lam dispointed she is not moro of a talker. Mamma said me an' Maggie might play tablos, seeing I could not go out of doors. We wanted Charlie to help us, so we asked him. Charlie said: "Slio, that was girls nonsense. Girls were always wanting to show off. Give mo sircus, or hop skotch, or bcse-ball ; he would not give a cent for tablos." So I had to promis him all my five cents grandma would give me for a week to get him to dress up in girl's close, an' play he was little Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin. O, he did look too sweet for anything in a white frock of mine, only his hair was too short, an' his feet were too large. I had to get him my brother's slippers, which would drop off if he took a sing stop, still he was beautiful. He wanted to be Uncle Tom, because Maggie's face was blaskened with ink, and I pinched her hair with my sister's curling tongs, which were too hot, Jan' burned off a good eel, but it was awful kinky, so she looked very like she had wooly hair, an' her facs was black an black. We put on 3 cotes of ink. So we printed onr program in big letters on a largo piece of brown paper, and pined it on the parlor door before tea. ENTERTAINMENT AT MQGGIN'S HALL. AT 7 P.M. ADMISSION TEX CENTS. Tablo I.—Little Eva. Tablo 2. —Fairy Godmother. Tablo 3.—The Fortune Teller. Grandma promised she would come an' pay 10 cents, so did mamma and papa ; my sister said she expected company ; jus' elik her ! Fred said he would take 2 tickets an

give them to Nora and cook—he wanted to paternizo us, but he had an engagement out at that 'our. Fred is always kind to hi.s little sister. I cannot say as much for Mary ; but I know a trick worth two of that; so when her fellow came I asked him, an' he bot 2 tickets, too, which made 70 cents, enough to pay Charlie 50 cents an' Maggie an' me 10. Charlio being the star actor, had to have the most, but he was real cross part the time, 'cause he wanted to bo uncle torn an' have his face black, insted of that sweet angel ova, which was the star part.

Nora helped us put up 2 shetes across tho end of the dining-room ; we had the chairs in 3 rows, 'cause we had asked Ella Rice an' Tommy scuder to come in free ; but the curtin braked all down just as evry boddy was seted. We could not mike it stay no way; so we ast the oddyence to please turn their chairs an' sit with their backs to the stage, an' turn around when the bell rang, as our curtin was not a sukcess : so they did it. The 1 table would a bin as good as grono up peples, only little Eva snickered insted of reading her bible like she ot to, an' her slipper came off ; so poor old uncle Tom snezed dredfuly, his specticles Hue off way over in granma's lap, which was lukky they did not broak, for they were granma's gold onus which she would not lend me.

I was the promter, out of site, an' I said what lie mus' say in a loud wisper, but lie only snezed again because Fred had put pepper in hi.s big ycllofr hankerchief which he lent to me for Tom, an' his bed broke down because it was only a leaf out the dining table on 2 chairs, then the oddyence laughed haitlessly, an' we couldn't ring the curtain down when there was no curtain : I had to step into vu an' ask them would they please turn their backs till we get tablo number 2 reddy—it would be reddy in a few minits if they would have pashunce. Mama came out the oddyenco and said to me she was afraid Maggie's mother would be displesed the way t had inked her face, but I ast her to go back for I was in a hurry to put on tho fairy god mother's dress, while Charlie was Cinderella an' Maggie was ono of her bad sisters—-the other was supposed to be in the next room, 'cause there was nobody to take that part. I had on Mary's long red merino rapper with a beit of gold paper around my waste an' a gold crown on my head, an' a spectre in my hand ; but the oddyence got out of pashunce because the ink would not wash off Maggie's face an' hands ; we were in despair, only Charlie had some chalk in his pokkit an' we chalked her at last she was so white agen, then all was reddy. Ciaderella was dressed for her weding with the prince, the wicked sister was scowling at her, I was waving my spectre over her head. Norah told 'em to turn theirchairs, suddenly ashreikrangshrily thro the oddyence, my sister Mary rusht upon the stage frantically, seized Cinderella and draged her out the room like she was going to whip her, it jus spoiled our tablo. What you spose twas all for ? Just cause I had bor roed her new wedding dress that came from the city this morning for Charlio to play Cindorella in. I think she is real mean. If she had not jerked him so he would not have stepped on it an' tore the lovely duches lace on the train ; the vail got awfully tored when she pushed him thro the door, cause it cot on tho latch ; she will have to have another vail. She jus sat down in the kit chen an' cride and called me insnufferable, she was glad when she did marry she wotild be free of dolly, so Charlie went home be cause n!ie gci-ked him, an' we didn't have the 3 tablo at all. I call that too bad ; but I am glad he knows where there is a hor nets nest he is going to throw into her window to-moro night so when she goes to bed she will step on them in her bare feet.

I have told Fred not to tell, only he says Charlio must not do it ; my sister might have lockjaw, an' that is a friteful disese for a woman to have, so he will not throw it, but he has got a little green garter snake lie wil throw in, wich is better.

"Torpedoing" an Oil Well.

Whk.n- a well fails it is usually " tor pedoed "to start the flow afresh. A long tin tube, containing six or eight quarts of nitro-glycerine, is lowered into the hole and erplodod by dropping a weight upon it. The tremendous force of the powerful ex plosive tears the sand rock apart and loosens the imprisoned oil and gas. No thing is heard on the surface save a sharp re port like a pistol shot, but the ground heaves perceptibly, and pretty soon the oil comes spurting out in a jet that breaks in spray above the lofty derrick. The "torpedo man" is one of the interesting personages of the oil region who is seen with most *atisfaction From a distance. He travels about in >i light vehicle with his tubes and his nitro-glycerine can, tra versing the rough roads at a jolly round trot, taking the chances of an accidental explosion, and whistling or singing as he goes. Sometimes the chances are against him, and a blow of a wheel against a stone sets free the terrible force imprisoned in the white fluid in his can. There is no occasion for a funeral after such an acci dent, for there is nothing to bury. Man, horse, and " buggy " are annihilated in a flash, and an ugly hole in the ground and a cloud of smoke are all that is left to show what has happened. The torpedo com pany buys a new horse and hires a new man, and there 1-; no more difficulty about one transaction than the other. The business of "torpedoing" wells is in the hands of a single company, which has made a large amount of money from a patent covering the process of using explosives under a fluid. Mont oil producers regard the patent as invalid, because Nature sup plies the fluid in the well into which the nitro-glycerine tube is lowered; but the courts have sustained the patent. Some times well-owners "torpedo" their wells stealthily by night to avoid paying the high price charged by the company. This opera tion is called "moonlighting," and many lawsuits have grown out of it. —E. V. Smalley, in the "Century."

A ColNer's Silk Umbrella.

A COLMKR lad near Glasgow married a milliner, and when his oh-no-we-nover-men ems wanted repairing, hinted to his wife the wish to have tho aid of her needle. But day after day went by, and the rent grew worse, till at last he determined by a novel device to shame his lady, if he could, into tho performance of her duty. Rising, as was his custom, at peep of day, ho proceeded to array himself in his holiday attire. Sable dooskin trousers, vest and coat were donned with the utmost gravity ; nor were polished Bluchers wanting to complete the unifor mity of his vesture. Having finished dress ing, he deposited his "bait" in one ccat pocket, his oillia^c in another, hung his lamp from the brim of his castor, took his tea-can"in his hand, and strode towards the door with a stolidity of manner and air truly histrionic. During all his manoeuvres his wife was lying in bed watching his every movement. He was aware of it, but neither spoke. When his hand was on tho latch, however, she suddenly called out, "Johnny ! ye hae forgotten something." "What is't?" said he, involuntarily. "Yer silk umbrella." Alas! alas! for John's determination. His wife's coolness and the idea of an umbrella in a coalpit were too much for him.

GOSSIP FROM STAGE AND STUDIO.

[By Euterpe.]

The Rev. Dr. Wordsworth, Bishop of St.. Andrew's, will shortly publish his reminis cences of his pupils at Oxford. Among these was Mr Gladstone. The Marquis of Ivry, wlso composed " Les Amants de Verone," forCapoul, some years ago, is busy upon a new opera to be called " L'Orfevre dv Roi," tho subject of which lias been taken from one of Balzac's novels. During tho interlude of a benefit perform ance at Dunedin a woek or so .since, Miss Heath, who made such a " hit " here as "the clean and tidy widdy" in "The; Sorcerer," came forward and sang a song. The Conversatory of Music at Aix was^ founded in ISSO. Angers had her's in 1857. Besanc;on, in ISGI. Bordeaux, 1552. Caen, 1535. Boulogne, 1529. Lille, ISOI. Mar seilles, 1820. Nantes, 1544. Nismes, ISG4> Toulouse, IS3O. The oldest member of the English news paper press is J. Payne-Collier, who is ninety five. Mdme. Christine Nilsson has written a paper on public singing, which will appear vi the next number of the " North American Review." An American publisher has just issued a volume entitled "The Essays of George Eliot," consisting of her early contributions to the " Westminster Review." Mdme. Minnie Hauk, the popular Car men ; Mdme. Dtirand, who created Gio conda; and Mdme. Alice Urban, the dramatic soprano of Italy, all began their career at New Orleans, and were members of a Catholic church choir there at the same time. Dr. Schlieinann has in the pi-ess a new work on Troy, giving an account of his re cent excavation of a larger town than any he has hitherto laid bare. The well-known New York daily news paper, "The World," was recently acid- It was stated that the purchase money was £80,000. Messrs Bentley are about to publish a cheap popular edition of the life of the late Rev. John Russell, popularly known as " the sporting parson, Jack Russell." Mr Walter Reynolds, at the end of July, was announced to appear at an early date at Niblo's Garden, New York, in a drama written by himself, and entitled "To-day." It is said to be a picture of modern life,, sensational, spectacular, and highly romantic. Canon Liddon has in preparation a life of the late Dr. Pusey, which will be published by Messrs Revington (U.S.) Henry Holt and Co, (Boston) have just published "Master Bieland and His Workmen," the last novel written by Auerbach. Ristori, the tragedienne, who is now in. Europe, announces her intention of making a farewell tour of America. It is reported that M. Marius, the comic opera artist, has lost his voice entirely. If this is the case (remarks an Adelaide paper), he will soon.be in Australia. Miss Agnes Leonard, who was recently married to an American actor (Mr F. C. Bangs), is a daughter of Mr Singer, of sewing machine fume, and has an annual income of £12,000. Professor Crouch, the author of " Kath leen Mavourneen," had a benefit recently in- Philadelphia, a handsome sum being realised. He has been in indigent circum stances for some time. llorere, the tenor, has been shut up in an asylum, incurably mad over his pet hobby— whistling. For years he cultivated that faculty, until he was able to emit a blast that would frighten tho cab-horses on the boulevards of Paris, and drive cornet players wild witli envy. Once he was arrasted and fined for disturbing the public peace. At the Florence Theatre there is now being played a drama entitled " Gilberta,"' which represents the love episode in the life of Leon Gambetta. Henry Ward Beecher is lecturing in America on "Evolution." The Now York Dramatic News refers to- Martin Simonson as "California's pioneer violinist." Mdme. Nilsson has a clause in her contract with Mr Abbey that no artist to be engaged shall be paid a larger salary than that to be received by herself. The sixpenny issue of the " Cornhill, >:" which commenced in July, is much more profusely illustrated than the shilling series was. There is a talk of giving fourteen full page illustrations in each number. The census reports of 18S0 show that there are 3,000 actors and 2,000 actresses in the United States. Sir Julius Benedict, though very old, is^ preparing to go to America, where he has not been since he went with Jenny Lind. Bailie Hamilton's new musical instrument, the vocation, is becoming widely popular in England. In many instances it has replaced the organ in churches. Henry Irving has ordered one for use at the Lyceum Theatre. At a recent performance at Toolo's Theatre one of the boxes was sold to two parties, and a squabble was imminent, when the inimit able Toole sent a request asking that one of the gentlemen, as a favour to him, would accept a better box—a box of chocolate.. The jest restored good humour. The first place in the competition for drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts, Paris, has been gained by an English student named Fox, a pupil in Gerome's studio. Mr Fox is only sixteen years of age. A Jew has for the first time gained a Hebrew scholarship in Oxford. A posthumous work by Carl Engol, " Re searches into the Early History of the Violin," has just been published. The author lays down the axiom that the fiddle bow was introduced to Europe by the Arabs in the beginning of the eighth century, and that before that time the at rings were twanged. Twenty editions have already been printed of Fritz Mauthner's "Nach beruhmten Mustern," in which he parodies the style of the loading German writers of the present day. M. Gounod is engaged upon what he says will be his most important composition. It is entitled "Death in Life," and is an oratorio with a requiem. It will be per formed at the next triennial Birmingham Festival. He has given up writing for the theatre. Mem. for Professor Tucker :—President Seelye gives the remarkable testimony that in eleven years' trial of a scientific course in Amherst College (U.S.) running parallel to the regular curriculum, the men who take Latin- and Greek make better scientific students and reach higher attainments than those who take a short cut into science direct. Princess Louise will send several oil and watercolour paintings to the Boston Foreign Exhibition next October. The National Opera House on the Thames Embankment will soon be put to practical use. It is expected that it will be completed in time for the next season ; and the in tentien is to devote it in alternate sections of theyear to Italian, German, French, and English opera, and during ono-month to promenade .concerts..

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, SEPTEMBER 29, 1883.

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