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THE FARM. Young Sows. In order to keep op the number of sows it u often very neosittry to use young owl for breedvn^. In nearly all caaea ir it the safest Mad belt plan to keep a *ow M long a* she bring* good litter* of good thrifty pig*. In a majority of oa*e* the true value of a M>W will not be folly known until *he farrows her Mcond litter, but if he i* giTen good treatment the oan be kept for *ev*ral yean without changing. A good low should not be bred until *he i* reasonably well matured, and generally a iaf* rule to follow is to let her be a year old when ib farrow* her tint litter. If tows a/e eeleotel from the early spring litter* and then bred to farrow in April they will be rather ever a year old. One advantage in having them farrow thai late 11 that in nearly all cam grail and clover will have started up and thi* will help materially in Mooring a good flow ol milk. On* trouble with young aow* U that they do not afford a snffioieui. amount of milk, and the feeding and care should be inch M u belt calculated to aid or develop thi*. Generally it i* b**t to allow the young ow to wean her pig* benelf, letting them nek a* long a* the ii willing, taking car* to feed ker a* liberally ai possible in order to maintain a good growth. ! order to allow her to do thie and at the aame time give her plenty of time to re- cuperate, it will not be advieabl* to breed her again for a fall litter. Tbii i* especial- ly the caee when *h* it to be kept a* a breeding animal and the breeding is done to improve. While the tire U an important item in improving, the v*Jne of the *ow* should not be overlooked, and good care mn*t be taken not only in the selection, but alao in the feeding anil management. Let the aowt make a good growth and develop- ment before breeding, and feed liberally while they are tnckling their pigi and give them plenty of time to recuperate. Tbeee point* are important in Mooring the beat result! in improving. It they prove good breeding animals after a fair trial, they can be kept M long a* they prove themtelve* profitable. A young tow i* easily injured by being bred too young or too toon after he ha* farrowed her nrt litter, not having tiie to recuperate. Automatic Gate Latch. The object of thi* improvement i* to pro- vide a fattening wbioh ihall give topport to the gate when cioeed tn that it oan not tag, which ihall be secure againit the acciden- tal .liaturbancet of animaU, winds, etc., and whioh admit* the gate to swing either way in opening, the device being at the *ame time simple and easily operated by the hand. Inorderto effeottheieieealtean iron pin. A, ii fixed firmly in the outer itile oft be gate, from one to two inch** in length and three qnarten of an inch in diameter. The re*t Band the tlotted latch C are *o placed with reference to thi* pin, that at the gate it clo*ed from cither lid* the pin peate* be- tween the two piece*, rising slightly (nay nn*-eighth of an inch) on the reel R, and pressing up the laluh ( until it come* onder the tlot A, when the latch returns to it* place and the gate u securely fattened. The latch C it held in it* proper position by mean* of the rod F.whioh paste* through the guide B. To facilitate the ea*y opening of the gate, the rod F.ntet to the top of the level of the gate and n bent in the form of a loop, C, lacge enough to admit the hand. Over thi* loop and concentric to it i* placed the tUtionary handle D. By grasping the two loopi at once in the hand, the latch-rod K i* easily drawn up and the pin released from the latch. The latch return* to it* place, by it* own weight, or if that it not lufficient a helical spring may be added at K. Beyond the fact that the latoh sir vet the p'irposw of a rest for the gate, it is es- pecially detirahl* in that it will lock autom- atically and thereby *ave much valuable time to the pedestrian or driver. Feeding: Rack For Cattle. The device illustrated i* to be oted in , feeding hay to cattle. The board* for the lower part of the box thooM be five feet long, nailed to upright poet* in the corner*. The potts, each four feet high, are boaHed from or near their lower .".J.. !.*u way to their top*, that it, two tent high, making a box without b'.>om, it tide* ouiy, witi. the posii ir. the ?nri.o. . -^tenJing two 'et abovt theiide* of the boa. Then two botu u urn feet long are taken and croated centrally by notching and interlocking to- gether edgewitw perpendicularly. They are then placed lengthwi** diagonally, or nearly so, from poet to pott above the aide boards tnd nailed or bolted to that* po*t to that they will p>n jent beyond the cr ners of the box, forming guard* at oh, corner, to prot' ?* the cattle from being booked. This ir vent ion hi use/: uaoe it it cheap and strong, ior the diagonal inter- locked board* brace it firm'- and at the tame time it is light and portable. By its n*a a great convenience in feeding is *- cured, and it oan bo filled from either sidu without the labor of dividing the hay for four cattle, and the consequent watte. Tha oroesnoard*, beeidet being guard* for the cattle, serve to ke^p the hay or other food from jeing blown or thrown out. Too Uprtyht Hoof. A too upright hoof in bone* i* often a consequence of acquired deformity of the limb*, inch at shortening of the flexor ten doni, consequent upon hard work, or in- flammation of the tendon*, whereby the hone assume* a crooked position of the knee*, or a knuckling position of the fetlock joint, and in which caw the wear of the toe ol the hoof exceeds Uiab f the heel. In cult* thi* formation of the hoof may be doe to congenital malformation of the lower part* ai the limb, whereby the p**- tern generally assumes a vertical iuttead of a normal oblique or tlanting position. If it it poatible, by gra lual paring down of the heel* to remedy this evil in the latter cte, it should certainly be done*vhile the animal i* yet young and the part* more amenable to rectification. The heel may be gradually lowered by fortnightly care- ful rasping or paring. A too sudden low- ering i* apt to be followed by evil conse- quence*, on account of the strain it would produce upon toe back tendon* and liga- ments of the limb. If a normal shape and position of the houf has not been entirely accomplished by the time the animal it in- tended for me, the thoe to be applied should have no heel part*, but abould be of the (hape of what i* known at a slipper, thick at the to* ai.d thin toward* the heel. Farm Notes. One item in determining what crop* are to be grown It to plant so as to distribute the work a* evenly a* possible through the season. In this wty the necessity for hir- ing ooteide help will be greatly reduced. Generally the more nearly all the work can be done with the regular help of the farm, the more profitable the farm can be made. There are many ftrms where beet could be added to the line* of work and materially aid the total profit without much increasing the labor. Many ton* of beeswax are im- ported every year from Cuba, Spain and other point*. There it no danger of the bee keeping buiineat being overdone very toon, at there never ha* been enough good honey on the market to make it seem othir than a luxury. To double the lupply would double the demand, a* ha* been vhe case with fruits. The manure oan be drawn odt to the brat advantage while the ground i* frozen and bare or when it i* covered with mow ennug h to make the tied run easily. Upon land win h wa* fall plowed, and i* to be worked in the ipriog with wneel harrow or culti- vator, or where the manure would natural- ly be spread on before plowing, it may well be done In the winter a* in the spring ; while where the land it to be plowed in the spring, and then the manure spread on and harrowed in, something may be gained by putting it in heap* near where it i* to be used. If the heap* are well made the coarse manure will get pretty thoroughly rotted, to that It will be easy to handle and available for plant food. There i* no good reason why the farmer should not do hittines* in a butmeii like manner, as well a* the merchant or any other man. He should take sn account of stock regularly every year, affixing a fair valuation to bit animal*, hu wagoni, tool* and implement! of all kind*, hit hay, veg- etable and fruit*, and all other property on hand, and figure it op with hi* outstanding account* on both tides, in order that be may know just what h* ii worth, and to be able to tell when the year comes around again whether he ha* made or loat money in hi* businet*; and he should, also, through the year keep an account of hit tale* and ex prases, so that he may be able to tell very closely what crop* or what branch** of farming hav* been nio*t profitable. There are t e tune reaaont for so win r <hc various kindl of grain together,** pea* with oats, when they are intended for feeding purpose*, a* there are for mixing our grass seeds. A variety tend* to a more cloee occupation of the ground, and a consequent- ly larger crop. Pea* and oat* or pea* and harlny grow well together, a* alto do oat* and barley, and doubtless the three would do well in the tame soil, the grain holding the pea* off the ground, a* they hav* not th* strength to stand alone. There i* also the additional advxntage of giving greater variety to the food. We believe in cutting oats green, to use as green fodder, as silage or at hay, and would advise all who intend to aow them for that purpo*e to tow pea* with them *ext spring. Th* >> atment of grain sued with hot water for the prevention of the tmut* ha* shown itelf efficacious, not in thii manner only, but alto in the more perfect germin- ation of the seed to treated. Thie 1* a result wholly reasonable, and which might have been 'predicted. A large portion of the ground ordinarily failt tn germinate, although the teed may be good, but if there ii not tuflioient moisture the germ often shrivels and diet before it can penetrate the epidermic. By the hot water treatment the shell or hulk it softened, and the plant* start into growth more quickly and with much gre:*' ,r uniformity than they other- wine would. The writer hat long practised soaking the seed for early peas, bean*, corn, lettuce, etc. , in hot water, and with good retail* both a* regards procuring oarlineM and an even stand, and the even stand ha* much to do with a good crop. A carefully planned rotation make* agri- culture a much more certain business than a haphazard planting from year to year. The man who pursue* the latter method rarely ha* the right crop when price* are right. II your clover freeze* out it i* because your land i* to,, wet, or alas you have cut or pastured it too close in the fall. For all these reasons the remedy i* in your own hands. Do not condemn the teed, unless yon at* certain that is the cause of a poor stand Use good teed . Spice* are not, at a ru 1*, noisy, but yoo have all heard the gingennap. Jessie C. Mill, a girl of eighteen, com- mitted suicide oa Friday night near Kffing ham. 111., by throwing herself in front of a I MI mail train. Mr. Isaac Pitman, the inventor of phono- graphy, replying to the many greetings he received on hi* eighty -firit birthday, writes at follow* in the " reformed spelling " "I am h pi tu say that bei the Divein meni. I am in ekcelent halth, and enjoi desk wurk (at mei resident, 12, Royal Crescent, not nou going tu the Phonetic Institute) from seven o'klok in the morning (in winter, and from tiki o'klok iu turner) tu tiks in th* evening, talking a siesta ov an our after th* mid-day meel ; that roei ei is not dim nor mei hand shaiki ; but I kanot say, with M .itea and Caleb, that mei "uatinral fi.rrs i/. not abaited. " Mei dtithan rekomenda me tod if | kiintiniu publik. speeking, the hajs tboir/g ' Minx ov wtekr " "HELLO, ^LONDON!" It May Hot Be Long Be 'ore There Will Be a Telephone Wire Bonk Under the Atlantic Ooeaa- !, TBUB, IS) *>*>*. llirB(IM>4. - It begins to look now as if we would be able pretty soon to " ring up" Enrope over the 'phone. The question of ocean telephony i* being earnestly studied, and for a months past experiment* tending toward* that end have been carried on. The results that have been obtained are the talk of the scientific world. Keen attention to the subject has been caused by the invention of a new electric wire, and, according to someeminentauthori- ties.it may revolutionize the present system of long-distance talking The problem of how to bring both sides of the ocean within spoaking distance of each other ha* been rendered difficult be- came of the breaking up of the sound-waves, ths leaking of the insulation and several other technical obstacle* of a like nature. But it look* at protect ai if all these might be overcome, for the new wire carries sound perfectly and does not need any insulation at alL Strange a* it may seem, however, this very wire wa* known eleven yean ago, and has actually been in use for that time, though ite ownen did not know it and re- mained ignorant of ite great possibilities. It i* compoeed of a *teel win coated over with copper, and, timple at the combination it, it apparently solve* the problem ot long- distance communication. Another point in it* favor i* that it may be used with any style of transmitter, so that there will be no interference ot valuable patents to increase the cost. Also, a** communication can be j made by it at the rate of 1.10 word* per | minute, the advantage over the present ' cable methods, which will only allow of i twenty, is apparent. tvtrly in 188.1 the Amercian Postal Tele- graph Company, in extending ite lines to the West, employed, a win consisting of a steel core upon which a thick layer of copper was deposited. This conductor had a tentile I itrength greatly exceeding that of any | similar line theretofore employed, and, in addition, had a much greater conducti- I vity. The result* obtained with thi* win I wen telegraphically so good that they ' at once suggested the possibility of employ- | ing the line for telephonic transmission at I wall. The voice could be easily heard between ! New York and Chicago, and between New York and Cleveland the ordinary Bell , magneto-receiver used M a transmitter was | sufficient to carry on (Jonversat on. But i these good result* ware attributed to the , large amount of copper in the wire, and it wa* not thought that the steel had any- | thing to do with th* inoreased transmitting property of the wire. To the general public these fact* will be , absolutely new, tor it i* generally supposed i that the recent trials of ihe telephone be- I tween Boston, New York and Chicago wen th* final results of a long serins of experi- , mente. Among those who witnessed the experi- ment* on the wire *tr*tched from New York to Chicsgu wa* William II. Kckort, general manager of the Metropolitan Tele- giaph and Telephone Company, and a hro- tni-r of i ;n. Eckerl, president of tho West- ern Union Telegraph Company. Mr. Eckert attributed the great success of the wire to it* being composed of bath steel and copper, but his theory was laughed at and the affair was dropped. During the last month he mad* a series of experiments with a similar. i ly constructed wire, and th* wonderful I tuccues obtained is what is now tho talk of i the scientific, and especially the electrical, world. The experiment* were carried on near ; Plainrield, N. J. A fine wire composed of | steel and copper wa* laid without any in ! tulation on it for a mile and a half through the water, mud and ilush of a country road. When that length had been stretched out a common, ordinary telephone receiver was placed at each end ot the line and whispen wire distinctly heard by the men at each end. | A heavy truck loaded with (tone ran , across the win, but it was merely pushed deeper into the mod, and the talking stil, went on. A remarkable fact about thi* line is that only, one win i* used. Th* earth takes th* place of the other wire. The fact that part of the line ran through a brook seem- ed to mak* no difference in its working; hence the inference of it* working across the ocean . Mr. Eckert, who helped to carry on the experiment, says regarding it : " From it* performance I have no doubt it would work perfectly veil acrots the ocean. Of course that is a point to be arrived at, but the little experiment* that have been tried ought to demonstrate its practical utility. I was present when the experiments weie made between New York and Chicago. The distance is, I believe, about 1,050 miles, | and the line worked perfectly. Had it I been stretched to San Francisco it would ' have done just a* well. In fact, strange as it may seem, distance seems to inciease rather than retard \< working. The dis- tance between New York and San Fran- cisco and New York and the nearest pom' on the other side is aboot the same ; then- fore the scheme it feasible. " The large and important point in favor of the aew tystem is that i* require* no pa- tented attachments to work it. AD ordinary telephone receiver will answer, and tho conversation goes on just the same. Then the difference in the rate that words may be received is the largest point in ite favor. Conversation could be transmitted from London to New York as fast as one could { talk, while under the present system twenty j words per minute is the most rapid rate that ru be achieved. " 1 may be a little enthusiastic concerning it* great qualifies, but I should like to bear an electrical or other scientific man tell me why the resulti cannot be accomplished. To review it* good qualities, we can say that it doe* away with o&e wire, no trans- mitter is needed, any person con use it, the expense is greatly lessened and the whole system is placed within the reach of ever-, body. Just think of being able, for instance, to take up a telephone receiver in a New York office and asking to be placed n connection with its London office, and all a* easily as though it were merely the Harlrni branch." The bimetallic wire, as it is called, is just BOW calling forth a great many opinione pro and con in ths scientific world, but all agree that there an imintmee pottibiliUe* back of it, and that in the near future we may be able to converse readily with oar transatlantic neighbors, orwithKamscbatka or Queen Laliuokalani by telephone). MERRY MOMENTS. A stage Coach the prompter. Complaint of the stage carpenter all work and no play. "Her hair it just too sweet for anything ' "Ah, indeed ! Perhaps sht dresxw* it with a honeycomb. "Mr. Scribbler is a wonderful man hat tuch a variety of talent*." " I've noticed that in society he is a lion and at home a bear." May -"Fred, do you aver go to horse- race*, or drink, or play cards for money, or twear '" Fred (gently) "No, dear, I never swear. " Johnnie (teeing hi* twin cousin* for th* first, time) "Isn't it funny, mamma !" Mamma "What dearT" "M hy, thi* baby it ohiiine (to little titter) "May, can you tell me when mamma's a papa ?" May "No ; I don't see how." Johnnie " When the 7 * a ligher" (tire). De dentis' it er cunnm gent He'll never have ter beg ; He goes ter work an' pulls yer tooth, And then he pull* yer leg. R'sie "I always knew he wa* too timid to propose." Alice " Bat he got married % abort time ago. " Kltia "Ye* ; but that's nothing ; h* only married a widow." Mr. Dooley " Gimme a bar of soap, please." .Shopman" Yet, tir. Do yon want it scented or unscented T" Dooley " Aw niver moind ; 111 jist take it wid me." House-cleaning time i* near at hand, When man will sadly roam And realize as ne'er befon " There is no place like home." Judge Welde " Will you swear that the prisoner told you whiskey last Sun- day?" Witness " No, your honor, I wouldn't like to swear to it : but that wa* what I paid for." Cbollie " Are yon fond of the tea water ?" Elsie " Exceedingly ! At the mere thought of sailing over the bounding waves I can scarcely contain myself. Chollie " Yes, that's the way it affected me," " Don't ynn see. Sister Jones," say* Brother Gardusr. " de cause ob di* 'dustn- al deprossi m"i>n dat dera i* too much money in building* and der* ain't 'nntf in I circulation ; and dere am too many people ' in circulation and dere ain't 'nuff money." On the hearse he sat and merrily smote His hones and made them run. For he had inside the man that wrote " Johnny get your gun." Mr. Isaacs " Hellnp ! Hellup me. Yakey. Hellup me get in do*e cloding*. It i* starting to rain and I can see dem shriii!:. ' Yaky "Nefermind, vader. Lei some of der suite shrink, for we are yust out of boys' clo ling." First Man" I think I shall go to the next fancy ball in costume, you know. What would you advise, now? I want somn'hmg striking, you know. " Second Man "Something striking, eh? er ah well, why not go as a clock ? " Birds That Come and Go. There an some birds that depend almost entirely for their means of subsistence upon the light-winged Summer flies that love the sunshine. These the economy of our cold season docs not provide for. The ' treecreeperssnd the tits, insectivorous in I their propensities, are content to seek food in the crevices of bark up aol down the branches of old trees.in the cr*>cks of walls, iu and out among the stones and brickt of old buildings, pouring, probing, pecking, at the creatures that have thought to get safely through the cold weathar by hiding. Not *o onr migrant lingers. Many of them, like the twallowt, eat only such things a* they can uatoh in their iwift flight open-mouthed through air; theae an few and far between in the raw and cold atmosphere of Winter here Swift and swallow, nightingale andcnckoo. warbler, wheatear, whinchat, blackcap,, wryneck, flycatcher all the merry troupe I of strolling singers, mutt follow the tun ' and ths creatures that dance in th* sun- beamt to lands that an tunny in Winter. Tbe movements of the bird* that come and of the bird* that go in Spring and Au- tumn are prompted by the abundance or the scarcity of certain kind* of food among the varied store our land affords. The nomadic wanderings of our resident birds are also foraging expeditions. Only in the : Spring, and the early Summer are any birds able to find the food they require in one particular neighborhood. Then insect life abounds, and round about the nesting place enough and to spare is to be found both for the busy par- ent birds and the insatiable chicks and squabs. But in the Autumn and Winter there is, strictly (peaking, no such thing s* a stationary population of bird* in any place. Then all turn gypsies and hither and thither wend their restless way, elud- ing the famine of a frost here, the dearth of a inowttorm there, or the buffeting of form windt, by continually moving on. [The Corchill Magazine. Japan u a Coal Exporter For two ur three years past Japan, with an annual output of about 3,250,000 tons, ha* had more coal than is needed for home oomnmptioo, and, with characteristic en- terprise, ths Japanese have been looking for foreign market*. Their exports now amount to fully 1,225,000 ton* a year. There wa* some talk of shipping coal to America, which ha* not yet, however, been done to any extent, hat several cargoes have been sent to Bombay and there found a market. Whenever the ex Kmpress of the French writes about her lamented husband, ths in- variably uses the diamond pen which signoi the Treaty of Parisjt Kach :>f tho fourteen plenipotentiaries wanted to keep the pen which signed ',hc Paris Treaty, a* amemen- to of the oceasi in. They, however, yielded to a request of the Kmpress Eupenie, whs> begged that oniy one pen should be used, which should be retained by her as a souvenir. Only one pen wa* according used: it was a quill plucked fram a golden eagle's wing, and richly mounted with diamonds 1 - gold. BRIGHT AND BBEEZY. Then are 206,490 mile* of telephone wires in (Ireat Britain. China i* mai.mng a chain of forte all along her sea coast with Krupp gun*. Th* estimated number of person* at present out of *rk in Now York is put at over 70,0(ia Tbe membership of the Young Women'* Christian Association of London has reach- ed 14,000. The Salvation Army ha* now in ite rank* more than 200,000 " soldiers," 10,237 local officen, and ,1,268 bandsmen. Profeteor Garner, who ha* been mveeti- *ting the supposed monkey language, say* Lhat gorilla* do not converse with chimpan- Tlie newest idea in table decoration U to match the colour u*ed with foliage, and this i* to be done throughout the coming season in a way that will b* astonishingly lovely. Prince Henry ot Battemberg, Governor of the Isle of Wight, i* taking great inter- eat in a roheme for ~" w 'fg a tunnel under the river Medina, to oooneot East and \V*t Cowes. The Skinner*' Company "l*jm to be on* of the oldest in the City of London. In the reign of Henry VIII. many rich foreign Fur* wen imported, and than the trade of the skinners wa* a flourilhing and import- ant industry. A Chine** missionary state* that seven- tenth* of toe natives of China are opium smokers. Bull-fighting is in full swing in Spain ju*t now, fights taking place in every village of importance. At the present rate of increase, it is es- timated there will he 190,000,000 people in the United States in fifty years. British North American Indian* live on reindeer meat almost exclusively. They art) big and strong, many of them being iix feet high. Advanced view* an being held in th* States on the subject of the wedding ring. Krides an declining to wear it unless bride- groom* follow tuiu A new French submarine cable it about to be laid in the Red Sea. It i* 31 i naut- ical miles in length, and will be laid by the despatch boat La Chamte. Mr. Rudyard Kipling i* by no mean* dependent upon the frutti of hit pen for an income. He ha* estates in Vancouver which bring him in a handsome amount yearly. The eight unmarried ladies who hold of fioe at th* Queen's maid* of honor have some onvilege*. They are given tfao prefix of " Honourable," and, on marrying, receive from the Queen the gift of 1,000. The mean annual temperature of a tree i* nearly the same as that ot the surrounding air. Some of the largest ocean steamen oan be converted into armed cruisers in thirty hours. The Chine** wall is more than 1,200 miles long, generally over 30 feet high and -i feet thick. Mr. Gladstone claim* to be able to pack mon book* in a given apace than any man bo know*. Since the beginning of the century France hat fallen from the second to the fourth place in point of population among Europ- ean countries. Charles Lewis Becans, who stand* (i feet 1 J inches, is the tallest soldier in the Bel- gian army. Because of Becan's sise he get* double rations. Over ftt.OOO people spent Christmas Day in ths London workhouse* alone, and 31t,000 would have been added to that, number if outdoor nlief had not been given. A wonderful nugget of tin has been dis- covered in the mine* of North Dundaa, Tas- mania. It is estimated to weigh '2 tons 14 owt. The assay of a small piece show* that the large mass of ore contains 07 pe. cent, of metallic tin. Whatever may b* the faults of London cabmen, they, are a* a rule, honest men. The property that has been left in cab* and restored to the ownen duting the past five yean is shown by police ttetittics to repre* ant a value of no let* than 100,000. The number of hone* and mules poateved by tho British army is about '27.0OO. Of these rather more than 12, 000 are with the European troops in India, and th* remain- der at home, in Egypt, and at the < 'ape. Tho cavalry regiment* have 12,000 hone*. Th* total number of fever paiiunte re- moved to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylum Board, London, last year wa* IS,- 48IJ, as compared with 10,118, in 189*2. 7.- 7i"> in 1891, and 8,235 in l.S'.Hl. The n- movsjt of tmtlUpox rmtiente numbered 2.389. at compared with :<O6 in 1892, 64 in l?m, and 20 in IXJW. Tht conductor of a St. Petersburg paper had adopted the novel method of printing his publication on cigarette paper. It is iser-^d that ite circulation has been in- creased by this means, a* the Russian* are addicted to smoking cigarettes, which they make tnemselves. We pity the newsboys on n wet day. The larpe-t place of amusement ever con- structed is the Coliseum at Rome. Ite ex- ternal circumference is 1,628 feet, its long diameter 61."), its short 510, ite height 15A. It had four atcrie*, and could seat 87,000 spectators, while 60,000 mon could find steading-room. Rucua nanquma is the name of a new specie* of fibrous material recently dis- covered by Senor H. Klvoy Valenzuela in the UnitedStacetofColnmbia. It ha* many of tha remarkable properties of asbestos, and it perfectly transparent as well as in- combustible. It can be reduced to pulp and moulded. Another literary man has followed Mr. R, L. Stevenson's example, and sought out an island amid sonny sea* in which to found a home. Mr. Julian Hawthorne a name well known in America has left Nsw York and established himsolf in Jamaica with his wife and family to combine farm- ing with his literary pursuit*. The Britannic recently arrived in the Mersey on tho completion of her "JOOth round voyage. The Britannic and Garmanio have no,w both completed their 200 th round voyage, and their 400th passage across the AtlantU. This mean* that each steamer has trev.,~*.Ml a distance of tWO tumm ii,2(O nautical ih'les, or nearly Ii million statute miles' ith their original engines and hollers, an act isvwt vent probably without parallel in tU ii u. v of steam navigation-