THE GARDEN.

Calender of Garden Operations, July 23.

(BT HOBTUS.]

v^^f^Hr*^

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

• l^a-,-.T,AT# etc. ("Artiateur. ) _U_m_^_W_Wi^^^ i't^e^ ■jSU tvjWS}™ e™ SJ S ly obtain e«not mmfiWintiie nurseries, hero. mm_ v 5"« try and obtain somo Root s££e pl»n^n**, ( „.L to neat. Place about W'wJSSuWB ineaoh hole when WSM_^J_ Seed better in such Swu** RTterWiM have I&SaK^PO-blonow.asthe oDi9adT„TrAa'V-Yes. plant \__ thin.-ca om. i- "j hrabg (fty wilTjust flu, W*ftlSpKt to be Planted, when *t mrSftftn flu UP wth inferior ]m W_ffl*Wb_sit- nufse» for a few rK?»™ iitbtho permanent ones. * I,.S E _DLiNo9(Ainateur).-(llPriek. JSW^SKo soon will not hasten i»K°»^«ffo£nos? so-dlftHM are not HaJS te, bear removal till tie pant mt&Tfh or-left* proper leaves. Till __&_&___*■ "hereots are nottble toper- W -tw^nrnner functions, and if removed form 1 eirpwerrao . dama a;ed. tooearb- the plan § ar» «T IU; » „ lugs it ( . oe s »,'^te^f the injury is not permanent. *MMs> liVrtS during thcovcnirtgOr fflloitte deferred from using the n*h** _TA_wnf the sliiT't damage it does J^he^edUnps; It is bettea? to daiwa f c slightly toftSnflw risk of losing all with slugs.

Climates.

So as to P>:& Idea of the di-Terence be tween New Zea/and climates and those of Italy I append a monthly table of mean temperatures of two stations in each country. The data given arc for the hottest and. coldest stations in both countries, according to the data given in ff or& 6la-efoa•ence:--

h glancing at the above table anyone m %1: that, the lowest monthly . mean temperature of Milan is about 9 deg. lower lhaß Btt-iidin's, and the highest monthly me& is about 17 deg. higher than Dun edio's, the annual mean temperature of Milan being about 5 deg. higher than Dun edin., In comparison with Mongonui, Diib in tbi coldest month averages about 20 deg. colder than Dunedin, while in the warn ..tnmer month Milan is about 6 deg. higher than Mongonui. In comparing Mongonui and AncOna we find the latter is ibdjit 12 degrees hotter in th& warmest suafeer month. In the coldest month in the; winter Aneona is about 13 degrees row than Mongonui. Anyone with the slightest know ledge of plants' and tempera- Ju» willat once understand what an iminen?e advantage, those which can stand J*' cold, Italian winters will have over tiose which we from time to time try to giwKert). The cold in winter will give aostpUnta a longer rest in Italy than in Y^M Again, just t_y to imagine "Ms an immense advantage in ripening «w maturing fruit*, the ItaUan hot rammers have with from 6 deg. to' 12d.g. Tk'i.*- lißr Buramer mean, temperature. i ».'- *° difference of those cUmates wr the grape vine, for instance. . One J" to reckon not only the higher Mmoßphonc temperature, .but also the ■Ma greater Warmth the earth's sur al^ jaustf ' receive from the sun's nyswhenitis capable of raising the at *"pmn ao much lugher than the atmos ■m in *ew Zealand. Of course there are m 'T rtanb factots whicli should be a «ut.rah when trying to compare climates »t/\ Wi' • • fe> ™M> moisture in the air, ««•; but it is unnecessary to deal with those mn the range of temperature is so vastly Wm, and this should set the matter at SSS aS ttDy similarifcy of chmate is

1-nmiug (Continued.) till . a fr-**-to become well furnished MiiW ? upJ }1y of baches, care SKnn ak\ n t0 *«* theto fr* f™m all Bft' shoo^' as they nearly lh?Lt OWi, out fai" mt6 needed. &22 8h°ots *hen fchey fir«fc ™ake Sffi™ ncl n,!* nofc Beera to be too SKf ' Mt. ife Bhould be borne in m-S \P WIU nofc only increase in wS__Z T m al«o prince ■i*lß__ k>W° h- *T ld rapidly Pfill up •4 1? • tt fchl > litoW, causing m the ♦J?**'-*?? ?f ««»ll sprays WwL trl,^l nofc a fair B in«t ».¥* and air' The fcfiX Vhlchto curtail th*? tendency ?ffiT Mer ' pinchine back those te a hare,. nofe required to make •CSrfiS? -ndfi of fruit te*»> such on BP«rs of one *«hS_K ?*-?'^^bicbgrow from the r^vo2 Q !tf .establjshed wood. Every In^ « S it m ade vhile pruning .to ""^i WilieonH«ll PUr!' lf nob injured-or £>'' *X f"!ibeari^ for many years, h''" iS B hJI° per number °* *ah v*- - eoS^"*" 1"1* arranged, fr hi» a q^,n^ry^ !B houldonly iv ■ ta* S^. t0 keep the new '^ -*•*-% Uf\n-PMtnhv branch - . ,-.,£ M m ofitsneighbour and

driving to itself more than its proper skatfe' o"f t&eß When large trees of the above class show any tendency to strong or rank growth the less pruning the limbs get the better. To curtail this tendency resort to pruning the roots. The above class when grown as dwarfs require con siderably more attention in the way of pruning in both winter and summer so as to keep them within proper bounds, as well as to promote f ruitfulness. The roots will also require more pruning than in the case of large *f em ~ -.- The peach, apricot, and nectarmeproauce their fruit mostly upon one-year-old wood, and it is therefore necessary to prune them in such a manner that a, general supply of o-ood bearing shoots will be annually pro duced. This is readily accomplished by cut tino- back the main or bearing shoots every year almost any time during the winter months, or by carefully thinning out during thesummertjje smaller and slender branches that are not needed. Thc-cherry tree, how ever, should never be primed except when it i 3 absolutely necessary for it is One of the few hardy fruit trees that ate said to dislike the pruning knife. When it is necessary to prune them it had better be done in winter thai* summer, for the reason that the ex posed wood becomes somewhat seasoned be fore the flow of sap in spring coms&ences. Pruning in spring, at or about the time trees eommdnce to grow, should never bo practised, except on those that are being transplanted, for when the roots have been disturbed there is no danger of sap flowing from wounds made in pruning. ■ But with trees that are not disturbed it is quite different, and if branches are removed or wounds of =vny kind are made upon the stems or branches, sap will be likely to flow from them, attracting noxious insects, or the spores of microscopic plants, all of which will prevent the rapid healing of the wounds. It is true that by painting the exposed wood, or covering the wounds with wax, or some similar material, decay may be prevented, but it is better to prune earlier in the winter ; otherwise delay these operations until tho trees are in full leaf in summer.

( To be Continued.)

Notes.

From a technical paper of Spain we give the following recipe for the preservation of vineyard stakes: It is claimed that the part of the stake which is put in the ground obtains the durability of iron by giving it three or four baths in a mixture of boiling linseed oil and mineral coal finely p6wdered. Employ men who seem to be the most intelligent. Use only skilled labour in working vineyards and orchards. Treat your men kindly, feed them plentifully, do not work thorn too many hours in the day, never use harsh language, and the results you will get from them will be 50 per cent, greater than those obtained by any other means. A novel device for holding trees at the proper elevation and in a vertical position while being planted is mentioned by the " Scientific American :" The planter has three inclined bars secured to each other at thoir upper ends, and connected by parallel and brace bars, forming a tripod, and pro vided with hanging springs having their lower ends bent forward, and provided with claws for suspending a tree in exactly the required position. Tb the upper end of the three inclined bars is attached a table pro vided with four sights, by which the planter can be adjusted from stakes at the side of the field. This invention, which has been patented by L. Gairaud, Santa Clara, Cal., may serve a good purpose in planting large orchards where it is desirable to have the trees stand upright and in straight rows. •' :

In planting orchards for profit in market ing it is important to select such localities as have proved favourable to the production of the fruit'selected. For home supplies less careis requited." The market orchardistmust be able to produce crops at so low a rate as to give him good returns after deduc ting air the expenses between his or chard and the final consumer. The man who raises fruit for his family only avoids the risk and expense of careful assorting, cases for packing, putting up for market, express and freight charges, commissions, and the risk of delay, rotting in transit, fluctuation in prices and glut in supply, which the shipper has to encounter in a greater or less degree. Hence in planting for market, the most favourable localities are to be chosen and their fitness determined by actual trial before large expenditures are incurred in setting out extensive orchards, and the same proof of experience must de termine the most suitable and promising vaiieties.

Exciting Adventure in a mine.

With reference to the accident which re cently happened to Mr Oakley, Master of the Atherstone Foxhounds, a correspondent informs us that Mr Oakley was desirous of inspecting somo of the deep workings of the slate quarries on his estate at Tan-y ---bwlch, in North Wales. He, therefore, descended, in company with Mr R. Greaves, on an ordinary truck down a very deep underground incline. At one point in the descent the truck should have run over a bridge, into a side working, but this bridge—crossing a disused work ing now full of water - had been displaced by accident or negligence, with the result that the two gentlemen were plunged frttd fifty feet of water, the truck, with both their lamps, descending to the depths below., Mr Oakley and his friend for tunately, got On to a. plank, and After, some delay, and with considerable diffi culty, .some, miners, came down to their assistance; But,their troubles were not yet over, for it was impossible to let the brakesman know what ,bad rhap pened, arid whdn the truck emerged from the depths on its return it was drawn past the scene of the accident* there being no means of stopping. The: two gentlemen eventually arrived at the surface, having had to climb on hands and knees up the long and precipitous ascent, being in dark ness for about 200 feet of the worst part of ifc* They emerged uninjured, except for a wetting, and very thankful for their deliver ance from a terrible danger.

A Western Love Story.

A romantic story from Tennessee is published in the " Woman's Journal" of Boston. Eighteen years ago a man called Frank Riddle was tried for the murder of a German pedlar. He refused to plead guilty and accepted fifteen years' im prisonments for life. The other day a petition for his pardon, signed by all the officers of the prison, was presented to the governor by a woman who, when he had read it through, said : - * ■• Governor Taylor, when that man was accused of murder I was engaged to be married to him. I did not 1 believe him guilty and did not break the engagement. During.the two or three years that the trial was pending I still believed in him. During the eighteen years of his confine inenfcl have stuck to hitfa. His parents have died. His brothers and sisters are all dead, except a sister, who lives out West. The people who were interested in the case then have forgotten him. I am the only friend he has in the world. My life has been wrapped up hi him. I believe in him, and havo loved him all these yearsj and I want you to pardon him. Ido not ask you to think him an innocent man, but for the sake of two lives that may yet behappy,'l implore j*ou to sot him .free. ' Without, Waiting to hear the governor's decision, she arose aud -left the office and Capital. Readei-s' of the '! Womarik Jdttfcnalj" both iirEn'glfttid'-Krid" Ariieriea, will look anxiously for the end of the stoVy;

STAGE AND STUDIO.

(BtEdterpe.)

The Ponsonby Choral Society will most probably perform Cowen's " Rose Maiden 'j duiing the first week of August. The solo parts have been allotted as follows: — Sopranos, Mrs Dacre and Mrs Johnson j contraltos, Mrs Edger and Miss Hariey; tenors, Messrs Searell, Barnes and Hosking; baritone, Mr George Smythe. As the " Rose Maiden" has never been given here before,! append the argument;—" The Queen of the jj lower Fairies, weary of a life of unbroken calm, prays to the newly returned Spring that he will bestow upon her also the gift of love that he bestows upon man. Ho Warns her of the risk she runs, but finally yields to her entreaties by changing her while she sleeps into the form of a beautiful girl. Under the name of Rose-Blossom she .vanders through the World to tind the love that she seeKs, and meets with a girl who, having been be trayed and deserted by her lover, loses her seizes and dies broken-hearted. But, un deterred from her search, Rose-Blossom becomes the wife of a fwestcr, with whom she lives for a time in such perfect happi ness that she cannot survive his death. The e.ves bewail the fate of their Queen, and curse love as fatal to peace and happi ness." The choir comprises 75 voices.

To Messrs Kidd aud Wiklman, of the Victoria Arcade, is due the credit of intro ducing to Auckland perhaps the most ex haustive and reliable work on ancient and modern music that is extant. It ia unques tionably the latest and most ornate, and in intrinsic worth the cheapest. I refer to Emil Naumann's -'History of Music," translated from the German into .English by i. I'raeger, edited by no less an authority than the Key. Sir P. A. Gore Ouseley, Bart., Mus. Doc. (Piofessor of Music iii the University of Oxford), and published by Ca3sell and Co. in their very best style. It is issued in two large volumes of nearly 700 pages each, printed urion enamelled paper, and richly bound, while the letterpress is profusely embel lished with autographs, portraits, fac similes of letters and music by cele brated j masters, and numerous wood cuts. The author has gathered his material from every field of research, and ransacked alt the great musical archives. He presents it to the reader in lucid and popular style unencumbered with technical detail, de voting his first book to the music of the ancient Oriental nations, the second book to the music of the Middle Ages, and the third book to the transition period, ending with tho 17th century. The fourth book, which comprises the whole of the second volume, is devoted to modern music. No one who has any pretension to musical taste or who cherishes a lovo for the divine art will fail to possess himself of such a work. Th_ copies which so far have come to hand have been, I believe, already snapped up, but Messrs Kidd and Wildman are now receiving orders for additional copies.

The same firm have just placed in the hands' of subscribers the Jubilee number of "The Magazine of Art," which is tilled with a superb collection of portraits of celebrated paintings of the Queen, her coronation, wedding, and tho weddings of all her children, these paintings being now reproduced for the first time by permission of Her Majesty. Tho Work, which also issues from Cassell and Co., is a marvel of cheapness-2s.

Herr and Mrs Goldenstedt (nee Miss Staunton) left Auckland last week for Syd ney, where they intend to permanently roside. The lady will bo a valuable acquisi tion to the musical circles of the New South Welsh metropolis. Thanks to the care with which M. Cailliau laid the foundation of her musical education, and to the artistic devotion.of the lady to her studies, she is a finished cantatrice. Her voice is of great compass, of far more than average volume, and rioh in quality, whilo her style'mani fests the indubitable evidence of true cul ture. I feel perfectly assured that Mrs Goldenstedt will soon make a name for her self in Sydney, and I cordially wish her every success.

In London, too, there is already talk of taking off" Ruddigore," and replacing it with no less a work than " Pinafore."

Alfred Gellier's " Dorothy " is rapidly ap proaching its 200 th night in London, and is a magnificent success. There is a new and beautifully-dressed ballet and " the finest quartette of singers ever heard in comic opera."

Rubenstein's " Nero " has proved one of the greatest' successes ever achieved in New York. At the last performance all the scats were sold a week ahead, and standing-room was at a premium. The sale of tickets was in excess of the sale for Wagner's greatest operas. Throe or four gaily-pained waggonettes with well groomed horses and plated har ness, have lately been parading the streets of Glasgow. In each waggonette is a board which bears full-length portraits of the four great singers, Patti, Nil-sson, Marie Roze, 4nd- the Singer's sewing machine. Verdi has no time to write anothei opera. This is the reason :—" I have promised the children of Sant' Agata to write new music for-their games, and I must keep my pro mise with my young friends. It is not so easy as. you might think. Some of the most popular passages in my operas have cost me less trouble than the ' Doll's Song,' and the ' Little Soldier,' which I have just finished."

.Mr Charles W. Wood states that in addi tion to 'V Lady orace," which is quite com plete, Mrs ; Henry Wood has left much finished work behind her. There is a long serial story that will run through the "! Argosy" of 1888, a long "Johnny Lud low " story that will go through maiiy months of 1889, another long -'Johnny Ludlow i story for 1800, and.various short "'Johnny Ludlow " stories that will appear in 1891. i

The supplement to Sir George Grove's great " Dictionary of Music and Musicians " will be edited by Mr J. A. Fuller-Maitland, and, as the omissions in the *ody of the work are both numerous and important, it is expected that this supplement will monopolise at least an additional volume of the average size. Is, would be interesting to know when the final volume of the original work will be issued—to say nothing of sup plements.

Mr Matthew Brodie (who was here with Miss Marie De Grey) was the subject of a very funny stage interruptionat Oldham recently. The play was "Sophia," and in -a garret scene in the third act Mr Matthew Brodie as Tom Jones has to say to Miss Maude Millett as Sophii," I have nothing ,leffc to offer you, not even the hope of better 'days to come." Judge of the consternation of • this engaging couple, ant* the shriek of laughter which came from the audience, when Mv Brodie's landlady, who was in front, cried out on the top of this line, ■' Never heed, lad ; thee hast gotten a reefc good sooper at home ; bring wench wi' thee."

Gilbert and Sullivan's latest operatic pro duction has not taken the <•• States' by storm. In fact, " Ruddigore " has not " caught on "—to übo the phrase of the day —in New York at all. Since the first; week the audiences at the Fifth Avenue have been elim, and an many occasions not large enough to pay the running expenses. Stet son has actually lost money by keeping the play going, though Carte has not, the con tract for its periormance at the Fifth Avenue, making him secure aa long as it should be kept on the istage. The Ameri can critics say fchafc " Ruddigore" is " a dull thing in comparison with its predecessors. Its humour is forced, the plot flimsy, and tho", music only so-so. It was only its authoi-ship that gave it any chance at all."

THE LATEST PARISIAN SEN SATION.

Adoption of Malo Costume.

The Paris correspondent of the Globe gives the following account of the doings of a lady who has scandalised even easy-going and unpuritanieal Parisians by appearing in public clad in masculine costume : —

On the day that the Chamber put M. Goblet Cabinet in a minority there was a premiere at the Opera Comique. Tiie houso was as fashionable as usual on such occasions. During the first entra' actc I ob served all eyes and"lorgnettes fixed upon the box of M. Kaempfeh, director of the Fine Arts Department. As that honourable gentleman, high as are his merits, is hardly a personage to attract popular attention, I supposed at first that the portion of the box not visible from my 9eat might be occupied by some distinguished Parli?.mentary man talking over the events of the day. In the hopes that an observation of them might af ford some clue as to the outcome of the crisis. 1 moved to a place commanding a view of the entire box. To my astonishment, I then saw that it was neither M de Frcycinet, General Boulanger,' nor yet M. Clenineau, at whom everyone was looking, but to all appearance, only a young gentleman in evening dress, and decorated with the cross of the Legion of, To .our. What new celebrity, I asked, can this be, who at so youthful an age has deserved such a dis tinction, and who excites more interest than all the rest of the house put together V I soon found out the explanation to the mystery. The young and brilliant wearer of the swallow-tail coat, tho white tie, and the daW-dine- shirt front was of the female SOX. On inquiring of my neighbours, I learned that she Was none other than Madame Dieulafoy, who, with her husband has lately returned from archaeological ex plorations in Persia, the results of which have considerably enriched the Louvre Museum. M; Kaempfeu looked as uncom fortable as might be, but the lady seemed perfectly at her ease. She has been ac customed, from considerations of con venience, to dress as a man while engaged in antiquarian researches in uncivilised counti*ies, and it may be assumed that she is anxious to set the example of a change which, in her opinion, will he conducive to the well-being of her sex. The'incident has caused no little sensation, anil the opinions on the taste of Madame Dieulafoy are much divided. Of course, it is natural that most people should condemn the pro ceediug. That Madame Dieulafoy found a rough tourist suit very convenient in the interiors of Asia and Africa is justly held to be no reason why she should don a dress coat at tho Opera Comique. It is sug gested that perhaps she considers male dress more consistent with her title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. But other women so decorated, Rosa Banheur, for example, have been content to wear their crosses pinned on her corsage. Madame Dieulafoy should take example by Joan of Arc, whose first request was, when her fighting days were over, to be provided with the habiliments of her sex, But the novelty initiated by Madame Diuelafoy is by no means universally condemned ; and it- is to be assumed that tho authorities appre hended imitation of the example to an in convenient extent, for the Perfect of the Police has been promped by the occasion to Call public attention to an enactment of the ninth year of the 16 Brunaaire which formally prohibits women, except during carnival season, from dressing as men unless specially authorised by tjie Pre fe"t of Police. We are at the same timo given to understand that Madame Dieulafoy has received the special permission. If so, it is not likely that in this free country she will bo allowed long to exclusively enjoy the privilege. We may, therefore, antici pate an early repeal of the enactment, for which a campaign has already begun. Those who advocate it contend that mascu line attire has become absolutely necessary now that many women have to fill vocations hitherto confined to men, and that alto gether the lives of the fair sex are more active. It may, therefore, turn out that the action of Madame Dieulafoy will be the starting point of a radical change in female dress, and this has been my principal reason for referring to the subject.

KHYBER PASS.

Description of tbe C lebrated Afghan

Strategical Point.

A recent cablegram stated that the-Afghan insurgents now hold Khyber Pass and the surrounding hills. Previous report stated that the Ameer's troops had been routed near Jellalabad d Ma-uf ; that Khelat-i- Ghilzai had been captured and that Ghuznee was surrounded by the rebel lious Ghilzais, while Candahar was threat ened by them. Ghuznee and Khelat-i- Ghilzai aro important fortresses on the highways between Gabul and Candahar, and the Khyber Pass is the famous mountain gate on the direct road ie tween the Punjaub and Cabnl. Khelat-i- Ghilzai, one of the places which have fallen into the insurgents' hands, is eighty-seven miles north-east of Candahar. although it is an isolated spot, and the defences of a meagre character, in the wtir of 1841-42 Captain Cragie held the place for months with but 900 men, of whom only forty were Europeans. Khelati -i - Ghilzai is at the southern extremity of the country inhabited by the Ghilzai tribe,,which is now in in surrection. The fortress stands on a barren eminence to the right of the Tarnak, and is described by Kaye as-".one of the dreariest spots of all the country." Ghuznee^ which is surrounded by the insurgents, is one of the most important fortresses in Afghanistan, and has had a history of remarkable vicissitudes. It lies 2JO miles northeast of Candahar arid only 88 miles southwest of Cabul. It stands on the left bank of the Ghuznee river, on a somewhat bare and -dreary plain, close to a spur running out east and west from the Gulkoh range. The town forms an irregular square about a mile in circuit, and is girt by a high wall rising from the top of a mound and built of stone and brick masonry laid in mud and clay. It is flanked at irregular intervals by towers and .sur rounded by a ditch. The citadel formerly stood at the north angle of the town on an abrupt detached knoll, and being 150 feet high above the plain and fortified, it com manded the city completely. In 1842, how ever, ifc was destroyed by order of General Nofcfc ; and it would appear from the recent telegrams that no restoration of the fortifi cations has been attempted. The position of the town is one of the greatest strategi cal importance as part of a line of defence from Cabul to Candahar against an invader from the west, or as a point whence to con trol the Ghilzais, Hazaras, and other inhabi tants of this elevated portion of Afghan istan. The city itself is composed of dark and dirty irregular streets of mud-built houses, and will not bear comparison with Cabul or Candahar. Ghuznee figured con spicuously in the British campaigns of 1841 ---42 and 1a*.79-80. It was captured by General Stewart in April of the last-named year, after a battle in which the Afghans lost over 1,000 men, while the British lost only 17 in killed and 15 wounded. Mo-e important even than Ghuznee is the possession of the Khyber Pass, a mountain defile twenty-eight miles in length,,in which there are few places where an army can find cover. For a distance of two and a half miles beyond Ali Musjid, entering the pass from the direction of Peshawur, the defile retains its difficult character, the width of the gorge varying from 290 to. 400 feet, and the hills on either side, about 1,500 feet in height, being slaty,, bare, and to all appear and '.- ii- visible. .The bed ; of the torrent

is likely to be filled with a sudden fall of rain, when the stream, whiohordinarily creeps through the gravel, sometimes disappear ing completely, swells to raging violence. Beyond this section comes the Lala Beg Valley, six miles in length and a mile and a-half in breadth, and in Which there is tt great tope, or artificial mound, on the north of the road. At the western end of the valley the road contracts again till there is scarcely room for two meeting camels to pass. In this section, for a distance of a mile and a-half, the traveller passes along a gallery twelve feet wide, with on one hand a towering cliff, and on the other a yawning precipice. He then enters the section known as the Lundi Khana Pass, in whioh is situated the village of same name. In tho Lundi Elutaa the greatest height, 3,373 feet above the sea level, and a rise of 2,208 feet since leaving Peshawur —is reached^ 'In ascending this pass the invaders encounter the greatest natural obstacles of the Khyber. The as cent is, over such a narrow, steep and rugged path, that guns can be drawn up it on'v by men, and by them only after the roadway has been carefully prepared. The descent from tlve summit, near the village of Lundi Khana, to the end of the defile at Dhaka, nine miles distant, is over a practic able road, and is not difficult, although the descent is sharp. The Khyber Pass has played a vital part in all the Afghan wars.

Marriage Rites in India.

A complaint of a very singular character reaches this country from Bengal. Our edu cational system is said to bo creating a marked effect upon the, native marriage market throughout the Presidency, and the price of bridegrooms is statod to be rising • rising, it appears, moreover, in proportion to the young gentleman's successes at tho University. At least, such is the assertion of a Hiudu pundit who has recently written on the subject to a Calcutta journal. A boy who is fortunate enough to-pass his entrance examination at college is now rated at 3UO rupees, while Bachelors of Arts and those entitled to place the mystic letters "M.A." after their names are fetching fancy prices as prospective sons-in-law. The result of which the learned Bengalee complains is certainly one of the oddest that has ever been attributable to the system of education in any land, and tbo.ie who are responsible for the University competitions introduced into our great Eastern depen dency will assuredly be acquitted of ever having entertained the idea of "rigging" the marriage market, or making their ex aminations a means of running up the price of bridegroom.. To the majority of English men the grievance aired in the columns of the Calcutta journal will not appear of any moment. We in this country have also Jtnard something of the value young gentle men now-a-day3 set upon themselves as husbands in passe and the disinclination to matrimony that is alleged to be character istic of the nineteenth century bachelor. But it must not b$ forgotten that the Hindu has peculiar notions as to the marriage of daughters, a»d cannot possibly be as philo sophic in the matter as the less prejudiced residents of the West. On the con trary, indeed. To a Hindu father who firmly believes in Menu and his prescrip tions as to marriage a scarcity of bride grooms, or a price beyond his means, may prove a veiy serious matter indeed. The Brahman code of laws regards matrimony as one of the jueans of ro-birth, and for a girl to remain unmarried after attaining the age of puberty is not only a sin, but an unpardonable sin. It entails disgrace upon the ancestors of a fauiily and upon the descendants. So far is this idea carried that a marriage contracted after the bride is of mature .age—that is to say, 11 years old—is regarded by many native legalists as invalid. Hence the anxiety of every Hindu parent to befroth his daughter before, if possible, she is of age. Thore are many districts where the non-marriage of a girl within a reasonable period of her attaining religious adolescence is regarded as fixing so disgraceful a .tigma upon the parents that they will commit suicide. Amongst some of the subordinate castes a girl is solemnly married to an Ashwatta tree— the so-called Hens religion. —when all other devices to secure her a husband have failed. It is easy enough, therefore, to understand that a rise in the price of bridegrooms is re garded by orthodox Hindus as anything but a trifling matter. Though the avarice of the Bengal bridegrooms is not a thing to be commended, yet the enhanced value of the young men who havo passed their college examinations with success as sons-in-law is in-doubled tribute to the worth of the edu cational system we have established in In dia and its intrinsic soundness. It is, at all events, clearly evident that ib is apprecia ted by those for whose benefit it was de' vised - a circumstance upon which Eng lishmen may fairly congratulate themselves. But the fact that the bridegrooms havo now to be bought by payment is other wise most significant and interesting. For it shows that a striking change has come, or is coming, over Hindus in the matter of marriage and giving in marriage, if only to the extent of stopping the evil system of soiling the bride - the general custom nowadays among the members of this great historic religious denomination. Gloss over the mntteras pundits will, and quote Menu's sayings as Indian lawyer? do, it remains beyond all question true that marriage with the majority of Hindus is only a matter of business arranged by the "Ghataks," or brokers, just as any other commercial tran saction. If there is any matter upon which j our Indian administrators have been careful toi touch no prejudices, it has been in the matter of marriage. Among our Indian fellow-subjects will be found evory imaginable form of tho conjugal relation, from tho polyandry verging on pro miscuity to the highest and most ratiom-il form of monogamy. There are tem porary and permanent unions, exo gamous and endogamous marriages, to say nothing of those who only marry once, and others who marry not at all The ceremon ies aro of tho most varied kind, ranging from the elaborto symbolic rite of the Brah man to the savage practice of the hillman, who stuns his bride with a club and drags her to his hut; from the Jewish ceremony of tho Beni-Israel to that of the " Hans,' who merely drink beer together ; from the " Phulbibnhi," or marriage by exchange of garlands of flowers customary in Rajpoo tana, to tho practice of the "Kariahs" of Central India, who merely throw a pot of water over each other, and are by this act indissolubly united. All these rites are re garded as valid by our courts, and no at tempt has ever been made to interfere with them. In fact, our tribunals have gone so far as to recognise the polyandry of Mala bar, and have refused a father the custody of his children on the ground that in a community where such marriages were cus tomary an individual has no parental rights. — London " Morning Post."

Sciences and Industries

Ahh vegetables, when cut, may be kept fresh by putting the stalks into water. Servants generally insist on immersing them, which favours decomposition. Parsley, in particular, can seldom be guarded from a watery grave. Carrots, turnips, and the like, if placed in layers in a box of sand, will keep for many weeks. A new kind of glass has been recently perfected by Professor Abbey and Dr. Scott under the auspices of the Prussian Government. Common glass usually con tains about six different substances, but tliis new glass contains fourteen, among them the very ui.usal constituents boron and phosphorus, hover " found in, the ordinary product. The. new glass .Maid to posses, oxtt-hbr'diriary reflective power,

and will Be used for Ktisls SBE ffiidtO-fCiSpes and other optical apparatus, with the expectation that present available magni fying, powers may be enlarged a hun dred-fold.

It seems strange that but of more than 120,000 species of plants known to botanists, only about 250 have been put to use by man. Yet this proportion is much greater than in the animal world, from which only some 200 species have been selected, while the animal kingdom reckons millions of species. De Candolle names 247 useful cultivated plants, of which 44 ap pear to have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years, and 67 for less than 2,000 years. The plants of modern adoption are chiefly artificial fodders, and within the last 2,000 years men have commenced the cultivation of not a single species which can rival majze, rice, the sweet potato, the potato, the bread fruit, tho date, cereals, millets, sorghums, and the banana.

The vise of salicylic acid in preventing fermentation of articles of food and drink especially susceptible to this change during scoa-age or transjiortation has become quite prevalent during late years. As salicylic acid and its salts tend to retard the action of the digestive fluids - saliva, gastric juice and pancreatic fluid—it is easy to see how they might act deloteriously on such per sons as are affected with weak digestion or venal troubles. In fact, the com pounds have come to be viewed with gravest suspicion, and their use inter dicted by many officials of boards of health. The French Government has re cently had this matter carefully investi gated through the Academy of Medicine. Their conclusions show that salicylic acid, in small doses, is probably harmless, but in larger quantities acts injuriously. As the acid is decomposed into other products it is practically impossible at present, by chemi cal methods, to determine the amounts ac tually added originally to the solution, and therefore to fix any definite limits for safety in using; It was therefore thought advis able to recommend total prohibition of the salicylic, acid and its compounds for such purposes, eveu in small amounts. A little ammonia or borax in the water you wash your hands with, and that water just lukewarm, will keep the skin clean and soft. A little oatmeal mixed with the water will whiten the hands. Many people use glycerine on their hands when they go to bed, wearing gloves to keep the bedding clean ; but glycerine makes some skins lafli'sh and red. These people should rub their bands with dry oatmeal and wear gloves in bed. The best preparation for the hands at night is white of egg, with a grain of alum dissolved in it. "Roman toilet paste ',' is merely white of egg, barley flour, and honey. They say it was used by the Romans in olden time. Anyway it's a first-rate thing ; but it's mean, sticky stuff to uso, and does uot do the work any better than oatmeal. The roughest and hardest hands can be made soft and white in a month's time by doctoring them a little at bed-time ; all the tools you need are a nail brush, a bottle of ammonia, a box of pow dered borax, and a little fine white sand to rub the stains off, or a cut of lemon, which will do even better, for the acid of the lemon will clean anything. Manicures use acids in the shop, but the. lemon is quite as good and isn't poisonous, while the acids are.

A WOHAN'S ADVENTURE AT LOCH MAREE.

Extraordinary Escape.

A. remarkable and almost incredible ad venture is reported by a Ross-shire corres' pondent. While Christina Mclvor, a middle-aged woman, belonging to the parish of Lochbroom, was on her way to Kin lochewe a few days ago, she accidentally stumbled and fell over one of the many precipices that skirt the margin of Loch Maree. A tree growing from a cleft in the rock miraculously intercepted her fall, 'and prevented her plunging into the deep waters beneath. To this tree the woman clung with the grip of despair until she had partially recovered from the stunning effects of her dreadful fall. Beneath her was a sheer rock washed by the dark waters of the lake ; above, a rock impossible to climb, and to add to the misery of the poor woman's situation she became painfully sensible of the fact that her right leg was broken below the knee. The place was miles away from the nearest houso. In this painful extremity she noticed a projecting ledge close by the tree, and by efforts which can be more easily imagined than described she managed to crawl or drag herself to this place of com parative safety. The pain in the fractured limb, intensified by her efforts, was fright ful, and she lay quite exhausted and exposed to the elements, having lost her shawl in the fall. In this perilous and exposed condi tion she remained from the Saturday till the following Monday afternoon—three days and two ni-jhts—without food or shelter of any kind, slaking her feverish thirst by water that trickled from the rocks overhead, and whiph she caught in her boot. On Monday sho noticed"a boat passing, and, using her little remaining strength, she managed to attract the i. ttention of its oc cupants to her dangerous position. By skilful uianreuvring on the part of the fish ermen the poor woman wa_ lowered into the boat, taken to Poolewe, and thence sent to Ullapool, whero sho now lies under the care of the parish doctor.

Mr Spurgeon Described in Grenville's Memoirs.

February Bth, 1557. lam just, come from hearing the celebrated Mr Spurgeon preach iv the Music Hall of the Surrey Gardens. Ifc was quite full—he told us from the pul pit that nine thousand people were present. The service was like the Presbyteriau - psalms, prayers, expounding a psalm, and a sermon. He is certainly very remark able, and undeniably a very fine character. Not remarkable in person ; in face rather resembling a smaller Macaulay, a very clear and powerful voice, which was heard through the wholo hall; a manner natural impassioned, and without affectation or extravagance, abounding in illustration, and very often of a familiar kind, but without anything either ridicu lous or irrverents He gave me an im pression .of his earnestness and sincerity, yet his discourse was evidently very care fully prepared. The text was "Cleanse me from my secret sins," and he divided it into heads - the misery, the folly, arid the danger (and a fourth, which I have forgotten) of secret sins, on all of which he was very eloquent and impressive. He preached for about three-quarters of an hour, and, to judge by the handkerchiefs and the audible sobs, with great effect.

POETRY.

STARS.

How desolate would be the night Without those starry jewels bright bet in the midnight sky. .Their light, clear, sparkling and intense. Js heaven's eternal eloquence Which speaketh from on high. How sad this life would be to us (A3 sad as if from Erebus Some mocking friend it sent) Without the light of woman's eves To brighten up life's winter skies With radiance luculent. Ye ever-distant stars above, Ye were my childhood's early love _ Through hours of cloudless mirth; But now, in manhood's prime, to me Ihe eyes of woman aye shall be Tho glowing stars of earth. o. E. Hugo

ADVANCING AGE.

(Aktkr Vandykk Beown.) A When I had lived of years a brace I thought little of. life's long race. One rear foll'd by, I then thought more: My brother looked old-he was four. ' When I Was four, strange to relate, Then I thought people old at eight. My eighth year came, arid smile, ye men) I said, "A man I'll be at ten." But, having reached my first decade, Polks of sixteen looked far more staid. Sixteen passed with peace and plenty; i Troubles come, thought I, with twenty But when I'd lived of years a score, Says I, " Six years, and life's a bore." But here am I, near twenty-six, Yet age has played few of her tricks. 'Tistrue my hah- is somewhat thin, And to look young I shave my chin. "fis true that, ron'ie acrcss the sea Says "uncle !■" when she speaks of me True, jrricf *s shadow has not passed me c er £ True, a drar face I shall see no more i >_ Bu', believe mo, folks, that up to date I feel a"< young as when only eight Perhaps, T am a little more staid In my old ideas, some changes made; But wondering still, while years roll past So folks get to feol old at lasc ? .1, ,T , „ R. E. Tbahc., Auckland, July, 1387

OLD MAIDS.

\ ot' pity the poor "old maids," you say, My thoughtless darling, with locks of goi<_ . You hope you nover will see the day When you shall be in their ranks enrolled. Nay, hear one moment before you jest; When you shall have reached life's evening shades, You will know that tho loveliest livrs and best Have often beonlived by obscure "old maids." True it is she has missed life's crown. Or what seems so to our vision dim; But why God willed she should lay it down He knows—what is often but known to Him. She had her dreams, be you very sure, Aa sweet as yours in your i looming spring; If hor buds of promise did not endure On earth, you know not what Heav'n may bring. It may be she wa ii» for a meeting there With one, home-gathered, whoso soul she knew To be worthy the waiting, how long so e'er, And so she will ever to him be true. It may be he left her, feeling soon A warmer lave for a fairer face. And sho lost her lover in life's bright noon, And proudly hid of her grief each trace. It may be. else, that she found his heart Beat not as hers, to a hoavenly chime, And though it was bitter thus to part. She prays that the parting bo but for time. In tho Better Land, when they meet once more His soul may answer hor yearning then, ! For now he dwells on a distant shore, And they meet no more in the haunts of men. What matter? She loves her Saviour more, Alitt so, rhou'gli lonely at times, arid sacT, Sho lives her life in His service o'er. And thanks Him still for the joy she had. She welcomes the Sundays that He sends And strives each sorrowful isiph to still; I think she is one of His deur friends. For in all things she tries to do His will. Then never, my darling, dare asraii To speak in scorn of a "poor old maid,"' Anil if you should s-ufFor their loss and pah Still God is your Fathor; he not afraid , Inda.

A Remarkable Adventuress.

Oxe of'the1 ablest and most remarkable ad venturesses who have ever appeared before the Paris tribunals has just been tried for a series of clever swindlings. She is a thin, delicate, nmb_r-vi_uged woman, about forty years of age, who described herself as a de scendant of the famous First Grenadier of France, whose name is still called out afc themuster parades of his regiment, the reply being dramatically given, "Dead, on the field of honour." Her name, in short, was printed on her cards as Henrietta de la Tour d'Auvergne, and she passed as an illegiti mate daughter of a prince of that house, and "' accordingly as a niece of the late Arch bishop of Bourges and of General de la Tour d'Auv ergne, who died in Algeria, Assuming this title and name, the sham princess bam boozled a lot of pious people, priests and parvenus who liked to hang on to a scion of nobility, and she had actually lived luxuri ously and in great state ou the.donations which were sent to her for the poor. Strange to say, the present Prince de'la Tour d'Auvergne knew that the woman was passing herself off as his natural sister, but never took any proceed ings against her. It appears that the Wornna had been a nun, and while engaged' ' in hospital work was criminally assaulted by a relative of one of the patients.l The man was condemned to ten years' solitary confinement, and the nun, who became seriously.ill had to leave, hei* convent and re turn to the "world: Then she began her career of adventure by pretending to make a matrimonial match between the daugh ter of a Madame Bigot, whom she had met at church, and a Gascon gentleman. Madame Bigot had . been mulcted for a sum of LI 60, which she lent as a friend to the self - styled princess. After this the murder was out. Madame Bigot discovered that the gentleman from Gascony was a mythical personage, and she accordingly commenced proceedings to re cover her money. During the trial the' prisoner's mask was thrown'off, and she, stood revealed before the gaze of the publio as one Emeranciervne Bcudeau, whose only relatives were a, brother who keeps a wine shop, and a sister who occupies the respon sible position of concierge in a Paris house. The sentence on the prisoner was deferred,

The Cost of a Kiss.

A sensational society scandal was given general publicity to a#Higginsvile, Mo., the other day, by the trial of the Rev. Richard Highleman, pastor of the German Methodist Church at Aullville, in the same county, for kissing Mrs Laura Huddleston, one of the female members, at the latter', residence on the Oth ingfc.. The pastor had made a social call, and found Mrs Huddleston in her bed suffering with sick headache. , He proposed attempting a cure by chafing her forehead with his hands, which 3 was assented to in good humour by his patient, and after he had smoothed away the pain the lady declared herself much relieved. Mr Highleman said he wanted pay for his treat ment, and the result of a little argument was that ha got his '* pay "-which was a kiss. The lady's husband learned the par ticulars of the'ease, had the preacher ar rested, and nt the trial the evidence ad duced, was such as to warrant a jury in bringing in a verdict of guilty of assault and battery, assessing the penalty at 40dol. arid costs/amounting to exactly 57.65.d01. Whether theaffair was an, outrage uponfcho husband or a breach of theological ethics, all concur in the belief that 57d01. is * pretty high price to pay for a single kiss,

THE ADUKLAND JSVJSNING STAK,. SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1887



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A new patent medicine has found its way j to our shores—Dr. Henley's extract of | celery, beef, and iron—proved by the lead-1 ing physicians of Europe and America to bo nutritive and invigorating, while the iron i is a tonic for the blood and food for the j brain. Sharland and Co. aro wholesale agents. The extract can be had from all chemists.—[Ad vt.]. Be sure that the butter you purchase is branded with the words "Freezing Com pany " on the margin around the shell. Re- j fuse imitations.—-(Am T.) CiK^nKKN vTAKviNd i'-jUraTU qb ftccount of tlieir I inability to digest food, -vill (mil a most mnvVellou-! food am) remriiy in Scot r's Emi.msion or Pcrs Cob ! Liv«* Oh. with Hv.^'nosriicrKK. \'«ry. tjoJattxble .| and easily digested. R-ad, the following, testimonial: J " i liavf,pre.scrilied' St' >> '' T\. KM ULSti >N T' in eases j of children suffering i«'m wasting and ran .-nutrition, ; and can report most fa nobly of its good effect; it lias. i been in each case taker moM readily, i >,_{■_ W. I'k.kkins, M,R r C.S., Medic.d $u\h., Kurleigh Ho.<yital, F.r_a, I Urge end small bolt Es «t »ll CKSfflwwj ii W and ss 64.