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!(restt Gold Isar. We recently saw at the Bank of Call fornia, the largest gold bar ever oast in the United States. It was shipped to the bank by the' North Bloomneeld (hydraulic) Mining Company, of Smarts. ville, Nevada County, Cal. The value of the bqr is $114,000. and weighs 5111 pounds troy. Its length is 15 inches, width 6 inches, and -depth 7 inches. 1t contains 630 oube inches of gold, and is worth about $19 per ouneo. The mould for this bar was east at the Nevada foundry of George G. Allan, Nevada City. The entire dimensions of the mould are us follows: On to), 17 nehes long and 7 inches wide; on bot tom, 16 inches long and 6 inchos' wide. It contamis 715-20 cubic inches. The thickness of the sides is -I inch and bot tom 1 inch. The mould weighs 188 pounds, and was cast expressly for Making this bar. The castings were from iron produced at Clipper (lap, in this State. Tho North Bloomfield mino, from which the gold came, is one of tho most prominent hydraulic mines in Cali fornia. The run is not an exceptional one, though tio bar is. The line of the tunnel is cleaned up about twice a year, and this time they thought they would sce what they could do in the way of casting a big bar. Tho bar is said to have been tho result of a twenty days' run. It was in 1878, if we remember aright, that the Spring Valley Mining Company sent down to this city a bar weighing 141 pounds, worth $11,000. At the time they thought this tho largest bar ever made, but at their request we mado inquiries and found that Selig man & Co., bankors, of this city, had received one from Helena, Montana, wort i an ovon $50,000; the London and San Francisco Bank had one worth $35,000, and the Mint and Bauik of Cali fornia had each had one worth $40,000. The San Fruncisco Assaying and Reflu ing Company had alo had ono worth $11,000. The3 Spring "Valley peoplo then went to work, and after thirty-flve days' run. withi 1,000 inches of water, with a par tial clean up of 800 fcot of hoad 1tiumo and 14 undercurrent.4, produced a bar worth $71,273.15, weighing 299 pounds. Since then, however, tho Spring Val cy Mine, Cherok..o Flat, Butte County, shipped to this city a gold bar valued t about $90,000, amt that was consid vred an exor ptionally large ono. Theo Norti 'Bloontield Conmny, consider ing it ow'ned the bigost hydraulic mino in the State, thought it woul make the biggest bar, with the result noted. There is n1o spee:al advintage in matk ing bars so hrgo, except in happening to have the gol to do it with. Smaller bars are more convenient to handle, and some people1 even1 p~rofer the metal in small circular shape, such as we are accustomed to seo on hankers' trays. Tihe big h~ar we refer to is on the way to the Mfinit, out on FfIuh street, where it will soon) lo tr'an~xferred into coin. The N4orthm Utnoumfield and thme Milton hy draulic mines, both under tho same m.mnagement, have produced this aaon about .51,000,000) ini gold, and tho ground they aro in is increasing4 in rich ness right along. T1his doesn't look iucuh as though dydrauihe mining was a dead ;ndustry. it, is a go od rule in receiving bank notes to carefully examno the general appearanceo of the no.e, the geometrical lathe wvork, shading of the lettera, rul in;g engine woerk, vignottes, and solid print, carefually noting whthier they compare with stamdard work. Th'le ink, prinin mg and paper mm~nu be considered. Thoe charter umumnbor appears on all b~ank notes issued sinco 1875. All National hank notes arec signed by F. E. Spinner, Treasurer, pior to 1875. All genuine notes (f thme Umated States Triea'suriy btear check ltr, A, B, Cor D, and are inubered conseutively, commienc ing with 1, thus: A is 1; B is 2; C 3 and D 4; or a mber, wIch if divided by 41, will ihow the number to be even. edon iaper of good quality, though varying nmuch m thickness-some b~eing qito thin, It is not imnpossitilo for coumnte rfeiters to procuro good quality of paper, yc~t counutet feits usually have a mohgrea'sy :ouch, while the genui inonot ha no, bt wllcleave to the lmger2. The papor )0, I Lough imnportant in question, m.s not intallihlo, and1( it will not do to rely too much eu thte quality. All notes in the ~Uit-)d Shtts are now prited on Jiber paper, the liber con sistutg of silk threads which arc in and form a part of the substance. Thme gov erunment are no w also mauuitfacturing the note pap'er, havmng two silk threads which extend thle whole lengthI of the note, one a red, the otheri blue, which are dicenible b y holding the unoteo to thme hghmt.*'1i Teso the counterfeiter has tindeaivored to imuituite, by drawing two paraullel lines on the surface. This will - be found in the conterfeit Unie States silver cer tilleat es. Water anid sky, when done wvith thme ruling engineu, cannot be successfully imitated, .t is rare to see finto vignettes on counutereit notes, yet n..auy very * ~dangerous imnitatiouns have been pro duceed. But, however, perfect, a coun terfeit catn not be the samne as tihe origi nal or genuine. Theu there is the geomueticial lathe work. All designs, such as cirles, 'I ovals, squares, elo., and upon which tnme denomination is usually laCed, comn posed of a net-work of flue lines cross ing each other at. such angles and dis tances as to procuro theo desired effect is called the geometrical lathe wvork, and is produced by thme geomeotri2al lathe, a wonderful as welt as beautilul machine. T1he patterns prodtuced by the lathe are of every conceivable variety of form and shape. The flue lines is the oha aoteristio of this description of ongra ing, and in the genuine note can I traced throughout the design, nev4 breaking or losing itself in another lnl or having any irregularity whateve The line Is usually white, on black green ground, or sometimes red, bi may be a black. green or red on Whitt In the counterfeit engraving the desig is engraved upon the plate and falls I various ways. First, it is impossible I produce the perfect line as in the gem ine, arid the effect to the eye will 1 more or less dull or sunken in appea ance as well as having a scratchy lool The design-will also bo darker or lig in spots, as the lines are somotimr heavier and sometimes lighter, as we as the spaces botwoon are somtimi( wide and again near tgether, bein irregular in size and sometines brokoi Second. it if impossible for the contel feitor to produco two designs exact] alike. As the counterfeit is engrave by hand and seperately, it is impossib) to prodtuce two exactly alike. On e: amination of the gemwinro bill the (tesigi of the geometrical lathe work will sho the beautiful clear raised impressic produced by the correct and reguli lines in the engraving. domctimes th whole, face of the note except the vii nottes and dios will bo tinted, The ti is composed of fluo carved or loope lines running across the whole face the bill. Genuine bank notes are alwav prin ed with great care. Tho plate is covere with ink, which is then carefully wipe off, except what remains in the lines < the engraving. The enUraving is the taken with a powerful press. Shiul any irregularity appoar on tMre note it: immediately eauceled, and not issue( Thus all genuino notes have a clear an bonutiful impression, which is very un sual for a counterfeit. Tiro ink used i bank-noto printing gives a clear inpre son, without any slutty appearanc Tilo green ink, anid also that used ft the numbering of United States note( is with great dililculty prottucod by tl counterfeiters. Tio ink usually use by them for printing counterfeits fis heavy, dull look; whilo tIr be mnnb1eriln las ia bricky apparnuc 1. Wrot erasp. This ailmcuit consists rmninly < spasms caused by excessive labor of 11: muscles of the hand, especially of tih fingers. It is not contitned to w iritr as till namio would imply-burl perionis a liable to it who are ongaged in sowin1 knitting, drawing, playing on the piar a:nd in otlhor employments which d mand continuous uso of thre lingers anl hands. Only those, however, seemt have a special tendoncy to it who are ( a nervous diather~sis--have inhreritedi n undue nervous senrsitiveiness. Writing is a very comptioated~ procesi involving the hiarmronious action of sc1 oral small muscles of theO lingers, and few of tire hand anid forearm. Some of these mruscles' draw thre iih gers in toward each other; others dia threm ouitwardl; stl othiers tarnr tIl hanrd to thre right or left. Tire apasn: so acet on thesoe muscles ars eitber cause the thumb and forefiniger to grm thu ponr convulsively, or to twirl it< its axis, or to lift it- suddenily fromi ti papoer. in thre earlier stagos of the dism thiere is a slight, harrdluy noticed sons tion of tension in thro hamd. If ti trouble jrogres, thre han rd becoim fatigued, aind there is a tremor of tI fingers; thre formration ot strokos b comes moure arnd more diflloult; tI spasmrs anid weakness increase, and ti lenrsioni becomes painful, arid extends thre forcarm, anrd Cvena to ihe innsele.j tire shoulder and breast. Ini somec pantionits nicuralgic Ipainrs or ho added. Rosenthal ro;;ardls it somewhrat arnalogous to stuttering, am says it may be termed a "'stuttermng thre muscles." The1~ lighter forms connected with a imrpoverishred coniritioin of tire blot (amnemaia), dy~ eppra, or over-exertio may bre arrersted by thre rest of the. liar and a tonic treatmerrt of thre system. T'he severe forims are i neurahl throuh they nmay bo heiped by pr longed rest, arid by whatever will teor to mioderate tire nrervous exci tabi lity. 5taxo hInnen< of nw, a'ien.i ibv. Henry Ward Boeccher sihou have gone onn thre stago instead of ti pulpit. Hie makes of hris pulpit a stag Ire does commonplaco things in such .rrrrmtio way. Plymouth Church w, crowded oir Monday evening with 'a of its characteristic audan(~ces, mand Mi Frances E. V1ilbu'rd, of Chicago, deli ored a lectrure on tire wvork of ti WVomnen's Gospel 'Tomnpernrce Unio: whichr was received with great enthuin asnm. As thle rlonrgod atpplausor at ti close of her lecture (lied away Mu Ileecher ascended tire platformr, slow, thoughrtfully, and stood for a monad regardong-aithrnost nstaurig at-tire Ie turer with an expressionr of minigh wvonder anid adnmiraition. Theni, tur inig tothli audience, tie remarked, slow and med~itatively, emphasizing tI words with nrods of Iris hiead: ''Arid. yet--sire cannot voiol" It is hard necessary to add thrat it was some tin before the audience was quiet enour for him to add~ ini ringing tones: "'A you not ashamed of it?" | 5CNGEDnr his tune: F"ogg sarys thr dellemn is the most fickle-minded mnanr I ever sawv. For tire hast six months I has been talking about Ihis flino counta house, with its spacious rooms, grar views aind splendid surroundings ar not an "cut" about it. "Well," sa Fogg, "will you believe it, he told ni to-day he hand sold arnd mighty glad I was to get rid of the old rattle trin Yes, sir, bellem is the most chrangeab fellow T ever aw." r- The Year and thie Calendar. r- On the day after the 4th ot October >0 ik2, the people of Italy, Spaiu and >r Pi tugal wrote the date October 16. Tan days had been dropped altogether. Tuis was because of tho adoption of o what is known as the Gregorian calen odar, because it was decreed by a bull it issued by Pope Gregory XII 2 . The early division of time was very n irregular and inaccurate. The reckon u ing by nmonths did not bring out even 4 o years, and it was - only when astronomy v tecame something like an exact science, thut the actual length of the year was 0 known. In the tame of ancient Rome, there wore but ton mouths an .1 the RoIan Lt knigs iixet the lougth of the year at v a tin o hundred and fifty-fivo days. When a this inexact division caused tronble, an I extra month was inserted here and there S to reskre the system to a degree of ordor. We owo it to Julius Casar that the year was fixed at three hundred and t sixty-flve dlays, with an additional day C Y once in four years. Tho fourth year in d which the day is added is bissextile, or e as we call it, leap year. The year of 865 1-1 days is known as the Julian year. But even this is not accurate. The C v true solar year is 365 1-4 days, 5 hours, n 48 minutes and 49.62 seconds long. That is, it is 11 miutes and 10.38 see 0 onds shorter thian the Julianycar. The I . Julian calendar was adopted forty-six i years before Otist, so that in A.D. 1582, 1 d more than sixtoon epituries later, the error had amounted to about ton days. of it was this error whichi the Gregorian calendar corrected. But in making the correction it was necessary to guard I d against ia similar acoutulation of error. That object was accomplished in this d way. if The error amounts to very nearly n eighteon hours oi at contury. Accord ingly it was decreed that each year C whoso num bor was divisible by one huii- E s dred should not be a leap year unless it i were divisiblo by four hundrod. Consottuently the year 1900 wil not - be a leap year bat the year 2000 will be n one. Tireoleapyours ar oenitted overy four hu tdred ye.trs by this plan, and the I result is that the average ciyil year dif- I - feronco will amuount to a whole day in ar something .less than four thar,utand years. The niew sytom was adoptod gradu- I d ally. By the Ronau Cattholic world it was adopted almost at once-tho last of t a the Catholic countries making the c Schango in 1587. But it was not until 1700 that. Protestait Guriany a(Lopted it; and in ELigland and Anierict the Gregorian calendar was not used until 1752. c The Grcek chireh has never pano. c tioned the chauge. In Russia to this ' day the old style is in use, and the error, 3 which was only ten dtays in 1582, is now more thain twelvo days. Thi'e llussiani r Christmas does iot coio uutil nearly at fortnight after all the rest of the Christ- I iC aw world has celebrated it. , It is also a cuirious flot of which few ~ o are probably awat e, that until one hun - dret and thirty years ago, the year be- t d gan in Eugland and this coiuntr'y, not 1 - owith the first of January, but on the ~twenty-iifth of Xlaech. llefore th . t timie, howvevcr, the prae n tice had becomoa. commi~on of inidicatinig that there wuas a doubt to which year the days in the lirst t bree months belonged. .Thus ini the old Boston news-paperuis of the lost caentary we see Suesl ates as Sthis: ' .Febrary 4, 1723 4,"-f rom wvhich antybody caui discover that the date, ac - cording to the Grmegoriani c.leudar, is w February 15 (e-leven~ ays ~ome', 1 n ), *1724. Theyea isa varyilug quantity accord 0ing to the standarrd iy which it is imeas-) nired. Of course, it is the time within 'which the cauth makes her passage iaround the sun, e .lut if this timo h) nimaured by the period of the caith's return to the same appiarenlt place0 in the heavaens, as soon from thte sun, it is a ''sidereal year ;"1 8 65 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 9,6 see s The time mn whiichl thie. earthi makes the circuit ftront her p~eriheclion, that is, the point of her orbit where sho~ is near ~-est to the suni, aroun~d to the same point ~.again, is th "t anomal istic"' year, 365 e days, 6 hours, 13 mlinuites, 4S.ti seconds. T e rpical" year, however, is that whieh astrouome-s have so eeted as the bet woon~i t wo) "v~ernial equinoxes." T jhiis y ve-rnal equinotix is that instant in the s sprinig of tihe year when the equator of (thle eth i, if extended, would pass8 Sthrough the ceniter of the sun. 1t its also thte timie wheni the days and nights, all over t ho globe, are of equal n length. The perijod between two vernal at equiinoxes is 365 (days, 5 hioiurs, -18 mini utest, 48.6 iecontds. Lnixit'ous Roonaa, c, The latest sensation in Washington is Sover the newly furnmshed and dlecorated I rooms of Attorney 0 ameral Brewster in the dDepartment of Justice. rThe fuirnituire and dlecortions hatve till been madoe from de signs sipecially p~rep~ared in pursuance of ain order from Attorney General Brewstera hiims'-lf, with carte blanche to make the (rooms perfect. The p~rintcipal room, the one used by the Attorney General to trans act official business, is furnished with "ebiony chairs andi loun~es coveredl with the a finest, morocco leather, and said to be (lie is most elegant and costly sutt of furniture inij to Washington.- T1he center-table, designed and~ 11( ma to ordler, is a gem of Its kind. Althouiah measuring only six feect by tur, Sit cost $250. Tils table has for a cover an I e x- uisibe piece of Algterian 1ace wvork, said *to have cost $ 100. rThe smaller I aitht s arc also cloe~antly Itimshied aind strictly ini keepi o ing wIth the centrad one. Tlhe carpet inii tis room, co't~iit of a turkish lug, cost t'- lhe Govermanenut $1, 200. TIo walk upon ata f, miak-s onie imagiane uasaielf to be ireatmgj it upon1 downi. T'o iomnplete this, there is also' ai rict, llcer: iru, (eltinig $150. But ti hmotgorgeous fltadnierits ini Ihais room are (lie cur tans. Thcay are nuode of thr 'afnest silk phish, rich and dtazz'ing. ini tex y tire, lined andi imteihnaed wvithI fine Turkishi e saltie, withI cardimal cords andi tiassels. _The braiss rods, ha' lets, amd othier aicces series are equally elaborate ian patttern, anad were specially de-siganed for bte ih)apirtmnet 0of Justico. Thiere tire foui- windowvs InI :h the room, andl as the price p~ai't for cacti, r0 cuaritti was $300, the cost is $1,200 for cur-tadis alonic. Tlhie Attornecy Genearal's prIvate office, i his sanctuim sanictrum, is certainly remiar-. I st kablo for splendor and elegiaice,. 'r'urkish to carpet and rugs, haniidsome Orienital faurt 10 tre, cove-red withi " Fenich velouirs, with ~y silk plushi traumiang, ant elaiborato fres id coing an~t fine piciturt ii, makte this a most 1 ad luxurious room. The Attoraiey Geneiral's ya c xp-aisive tastes htave alreatly cost thie tax 10 payers5 over $5&,000, and by the tine thie < to itnnmeratble aciain anid flInshIng touch- . >. es are given to these oI1lees, makIng thom c Ie what lhe decigned they shtould be, the cost i will reach $10,000. The Assault en Tet*ol-lteber. The daik line in front lit up with a >laze of fire ; rifled and big guns roared nd crackled ; rooket. whizzed overhead. ad at the magic word 'Charge I" the vhole brigade sprang to its feet and ushed straight at the blazing line, the mtation on the left meeting so hot a ire that five officer% and sixty men went luwn before they got to the ditch. For i instant the onward rush was checked, mut the bugler beside Sir Archibald ounded the "advance." A wild cheer mas the response, and the Highlanders lashed forward with a bound, and, after ,race of some 150 yards, found them. elves under the great sand heaps which ormed the enemy's stronghold. No ime to stop now-over they went, clam. >oring and climbing, using each other's houlders as ladders ; sticking their ri les into the sand as posts to hold on to; no way and another they got over and aside. to begin that short, ghastly vork, the beginning and end of a 'glorious victory." There was no lause on the pliarapet, but each group I soldiers as it gained the crest dashed ,t the enemy, and the melee became ,eneral and desperate. The Seventy iuth and Seventy fifth could be seen n a large knot engaged in a haud -to aud fight with a body of rebels who vero desperately defending an inner ine of works, which met the front line ,t right angles and was strengthened >y redoubts at the angles. The men |aliantly stormed these, which were as esolutely defended. Uens. Alison and ialeny, the former revolver in hand, rero in the thick of it ; the Scotchman in foot, leading a dozen different as aults, where the Highlanders rushed n and bayoneted the Egyptians. The ighting had lasted about half an hour ; here was still a strong redoubt to be aken, and a crowd of men went at it. he enomy's fire was extraordinaty orisk and rapid ; the air was alive with >ullets and shells. The Highlanders a front of the curtain found themselves tred on on thrso sides, and 11 great Lumber began to retire, That was a icklish moment, but the ofieers suo ceded in stopping them, and thoy rere reinforeed from the second line, ud again went on. The point in the atronchmeit which the Highlanders arriod had beei fortified with imuch are, and was apparently the key to tho osition. 4' strong line nearly two ailes long had boonl constructed, at ight angles to the main line to guard gaiust a turning movement; a second ine parallel to it in the same direction. verywliere redoiibts had been con tracted, and wherever there was cover here the Egyptians stood. Gen. Hanley owever, rallied the mOn who wcre tanding thickly, but in no formation, uside the front line which they had uist carried, andu led themn straight along ioso intrenehlment~s, getting on both ides of them, and thus takiug their de endera in reverse. As one of the B3lack Vatch says: "Up the bank we went, Lud it was in:1 of meni and they turned in us like rats in a trap; but the intau ry did not staud long. However, honor o whom honor is due, the artillerymen hood to their guns liko men, and we ind to bayonet them. As soon as that ob was done I saw two regiments of ~avatlry forming on the right. 'Prepare or cavalry' was given, and in less time hi an it takes to writo this woe formed in square and were waiting for them; ,ut when they saw this they wheeled o the right about and off'; they would 'ot face a square of Scottish steel. "st thi n two batteries of our artillery mec into the field in fine style, and ar men cleared out and gave them ~oom to work, Our men helped to heel the guns into position, and so ar as we were concerned the fighiting vas nve.r Eltilcing to h~eath. T. A. Cox, a young man emp jloyed as >ook-kooper by a merchant of Bucka unna. Alabamai attended a party in the ieighborhood of that town recently and lanced with the young ladies until mid iight. H~e remarked once or twice to uis partiners in the dance that he would lie that night after the dancing was :oncluded. About one o'clock, when ho participants in the entertainment vore getting ready to go home, young Jox called their attcntion so the way he uad arranged the chairs around the room mid how ho had placed one chafr in the ontro and covered it with a shawli. He equested the ladies to be seatef,. One f the ladies took the centre sept, but ic asked her to seat herself elsewvhere, ,a that particular chair wais reserved or himself. After aJI had taken placris he acated iaiself in the centre, and placing his iand in the bosomi of his coat remarked hat, he would certainly die before the lay andl desired the presanit witnesses o stay with him until the ed wvas eached. He said lhe had been raised volt by his mother, whlo had sonit him o Sunday schook and tried to make a ood Christian of him, but in spite of ter care lie had strayed from the paths f dutyk and could never face his mother gaini. lie then drew a pistol from an asido pocket and saying, ''This never ails," placed the mnuzzle against his ear ,nd1 firs d. T1he spetators wore taken so enitirely >y surprise that they could muke no aovemient to prevent the rash not, and L was not until his hand dropped ato) his lap and the p)Istol fell to the loor that they fully realized the horri do deed which had been committed. YVhen the gentlemen rushed to the eon re of the room they found the young aani dead. Tum meanest man: The meanest man n record sent through a post office resided over by a woman a p~ostal card *n which was written: Dear: Here's the etails of that scandal." And then the nat wan in Greak. KuEP THE THonoUonDRitDs Puna. There is quite a dinerence between oros sing pure-bred animals of eeparate breeds and crossing the pure-breds on common stook. Dy usiDg thoroughbrea nilea the common herds or flcks can be elevated to a higher standard, and at small cost, for the reason that the thoroughbreds are fixed In peculiar characteristics, and have the power transmit and impress their qualities strongly on their offspring. They inipart uniformity of color espeoially, and as all breeds excel in Gertain peculiarities, while Inferior kinds possess no particular abilities the dominant quality becomes a fixed bau it, and it is to this fact that we are able to breed in any direction for the attainment of special objects. But it is something else in breeding together thoroughbred animals of different breeds. The Jersey cow is the result or years uf iabor. Her qualities for making beef have been sacri ficed, her muscles weakened, her frame re duced and the chraacter of her milk chang ed in order to create the butter cow. She is not a great nilker in quantity, nor is she ft for the dairy when the quality is no ob ject. She bus been bred for a singlo pur pose only, which is the production of but ter. She is exactly the opposite of the larger brceds, and bears no relation to them. As the Jersey cow is a butter-pro. ducing animal she is therefore a living factory for butter production, and if we desire an animal for milk alone we .imst breed the Holsteine and Ayrshires, which are rpecially adapted for such a purpose. By crossing the Jerseys and Ayrshiros we divide the propensities for both milk and butter, and the crossed -anil is iiferior to both parents. ts heavy milking pro perties are lessened and the butter yields are smaller. Sometines by the superior power of either parent first class animals are produced, but the breeder can go no further with the cross, as the crossed ani mals are of no flxed type and cannot re produce their polis of excellence with any degree of certainty cn their young. The' same may be noticed with horses, 'I he thoroughl'red will improve the common stock, but a cross between the runner and a trotter will not produce a runner, though the trotter is sometimes beneitted because it is not exactly a thoroughbred, and the benefit is derived from the finer bone, strength and etiurance of the higher bred horse. A mei ino and Cotswold cross de stroys the combining qualities of the wool from the Cotswoin and takes away the flueness of belonglug to the merino, and the produce of the white-colored Chester hog and black Berkiluro is infoi !or to eith er. Thie thoroughired-; are posaesaors of only one particular daominant qudity to each breec, tilu..h often good in other quahities. 'TVhis excellence is itamil e I on inferior kinds, or its own, only. W lien united with another of equal intensity the union is inconipatible andi is not perima nent. .No animal is a general purpose animal, and the only way in which we can impreo e our thorougnbreds is to kep tht-n pure, selecting our breeding anixuals from the best of tile breeds, eacti year cu'Jeavor ing to more permianently estabish and adapt the breed to the services required of it; but as it required long periods of time to bring each breed to its characterib tic excellence an outcross only renders it difficult to improve, and is often a tck ward step GA'I i RiNo OInAPRs --Miany Ked vari odcr Ot grapes are injured in their repu La lion fromi being gathered and eaten before 'hey are fully ripe. 31ost persona consider that, a grape is t to eat wl.ou it has color ed, which is a great m~istake. The color ing is a procss tOwarat ripening, but is not by any nmaut an indication of full matunity. beime grapes--Ive's Seedl11ag and Ulmnt'n for example--are pretty welt coloredi blck for weekis before they are fit to cat.. T his is one reason ftr diversity of ('pmion0 uponi the merits of grapJa;tlud one who eats the Lves grapo immediately. after it turns black will certainly net have a very high opinion as regards its quality. The same applies even with greater signi. ficance to the Chnton grape. Although n late ripening kind,it changes color as early as some of the most lorwarit sorts, and if eaten when it first uurnis black it is ais alcid as the greenest grapes, althiouih when per mitted to remain on the vine until ripe it is one of very late grapeo. It is also a good keeping grape, owing to the large percentage of eugar it eontains. Thiere are but few varieties of native grapes thait show so large an amount of sugar in their juices as that to he found in a iipo Clini ton, as analysis has frequently demoi.. stratedi, and yet the general opinion is that it is so acid as to be worthless as a tabile truit. The maturity ot the shoot ul.on which the fruit is growing ma a sare g.:hie as in - dicating ripenese. When the wood be comes brown, and hardening towardi ma turity, the fruit is also ap~proachinag to ripenes. A ripe bunch ot grapes cannot be gathered from a green shoot ; no mat, ter how mutch the berries mayi~ be co'ored, the unripe shoot upon whichi the y are~c growing Is uroof of immlatuirity. Tnia manner of milking in the Uhannel islands, the home of the .Jersey caw, or, more properly, perhaps, the Atlerney, is peculiar, and has the merit of cleanhness, at least. Milking and 'raiinlg the miilk are (lone at one fipemation. The milkmiaid with her tin pall, linen strainer, anti sea shell proceeds to the panstu~re Seating lher self beside the cow, she thuis COmletes lier arrangements: 'iThe strainer is securely tied over the narrow-rmoutied buciket, anri placing the large shallow shell en tihe straieer she vigorously directs the stream into the shell. Overflowing the narrow brim, the mille passes through the strain er into the receptacle beneath, the lihli beting used simpllly to prevent wV~ .on hole in the linen strainer. IN Professor Banbiorn's experiimentsa the effects of warmth regulatedi the degree of increase. The hay eaten was (lidy weigh ed for each lot of cowI fed; the w- ighit of' the cows no!.edh and the amount of biutte r~ tromi a given) 'luauily (of mlkh takeni. Thie food( tavedl by the wvarmer stalls wvas cai.th pounds stover and inei pouilds1 hay 'per co.v per dasy, arnd flhe increase of mik flow 2.8 per cent. With hay at $16 ier ton, stover at $8, and~ a cow givmng ten quarts of silk per (day worth 2A cents per quadt, we have a re: al in I avor of thie war mer stail.hof lt cnftMs per cow~i psr (lay, 'Tue differencee iri temperaiture of thle cel led stalls and~ those of the open bar. was from leon to twelve dlegre. 5. IThese expenmemnts demonst rate the iinp->rstaneo of furnishing goodi, warm giaa ters for cattle, TulS ycun~g 1turkecys have, abhouf.i(accam pullihd their growtii now, ant my be put nothinig is balli r tI in old1 corn, boi led po. tatoes anti iiik. IDo notl pent thieii up. L'jt them have free run. iFeedi themi modl erately of corn eal n ashevd pobutae anmi 11ilk miixed togthler, in ihe morning. iDur ing the (lay they w ill raiie( over the farm, devour miz bugs, war ms, yoiium graiss fallen appl)1 s and so ont, gi v iog them the yal lety of loud Mn ei xerciso neud for goodl heath. iiIn tho evenuing give what wbole (old) corn I hey will eat clean. Trhis course involves but little t ouble, and it is DOMESTIO. A n old English lady contributes this recipe for a Christmas cake: She says:. "It is wise to try maknig it once before that day, so as to be sure of success then." To five pounds of sifted flour allow one tablespoonful of salt, one pound and a half of butter, half a pint of fresh baker's yesst, or five teaspoon fuls of baking powder; if you use the yeast in preference to the baking pow der, you must allow it time to rise be fore putting in the fruit, eto.; wash and mix in the dough three pounds of our rants, one pound and a half of sugar, a whole nutmeg grated, one-quarter of a pound of candied lemon peel chopped very fine, one wineglassful of brandy, and four eggs beaten till thoy are very light; line the cake tins with buttered paper; bake in a moderate oven for a Long time, from an hour and three-quar ters to two hours; the brandy used in this recipe is not intended as flavoring, but to keep the cake from drying, REED BIRD PIE.-Pluck and dress the birds, leaving them whole; either stuff them as already directed in the recipa for STupwED, ROAST and ]3oll.i.ED REED Bums, with veal and ham, broad-crumbs or oysters; line an earthen baking-dish with a nice pastiy. Put the birds into the dish, in layers, with flour, butter, wino or gravy, and seasoningo, allowing to each dozen birds a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, a glass of wmno and i cupful of gravy, and a rather higi t a soning ol salt, pepper and Powdered spice. Cover the birds with pastry, wetting the edges of the crust to make them adhere; cut some plaet s in the crust to permit the escare of steam while the pie is baking, brush it with beaten egg, and bake it in a moderato oven until it is nicely brownaed AN elegant mantel lambreqin is made of dark green velvet, and is with out decoration except across the edge at the bottom; crescents of thin brass are attached to cords, and a small tassel is fastened to each; this hiaseffect of a rich fringe. A great addition to the ap eitrance of the mantel is to have a Piece of the velvet of thei width and depth of the lambrequin fastened to the walli above the shelf. It may be tacked with brass-headed nails, or fastuned to a regular curtain pole with brass rings. This makes a good background to bring iato relief anmy haidlion e n tiel s of mana tel luiniture. Brasses tand paint in;:s ol any kind atre shoi to good a ivantiage; china ailso. i_ Ka R Elm BirDs, CARoiNA STYLE. -Pluck and dress the birds, leaving them whole; in oach one put a toaspoon ful of butter and a little salt and pop per. Wash as many small, thick sweet potattoes as there are birds; split them Jengthwiso, and hollow them out in the niddle, so that a bird can be placed in tach on; tie them together with pieces of tape ai'ter the birds are placed in them, and then bake them until they aro boit, in a moderate oven; remove the tapes when the potatoes are done, but take care not to openl them, ind s rve them hot at once. DAINTY and yet serviceable aprons are made of the darned net, which has been and is so popular ai material for dress trimmings and for pillow shams. A pretty apron is made -of the plain net, with a deep ruffle, with the p.attern darned in. Th'le bottom and top of the ruil should coth be finished with scal lops, and thea the ruille needs nao head ing, and is easily put on, Above the rudllio and up the sides of the apron the prttorn should also be worked. One or tn 0 pockets may be put on; one gives a little jauntier appearanco to the apron. .I only one is put on, plaice it on the left HoT CannAosI SALAD. -Carefully wash a mediluan-sizedl head of tender white tabbuage andl cut it in very thin slicesa. Cut a quarter of a pound ot ham in half inch dice, fry it brown in a tablespoon. ful of butter, and lay it on the cabbage; into the fat in which the ham was fried stir a wine-glassini of vmiegar mixed wvith the yelks of two raw eggs, a salt spoonful of salt, and a quarter of a salt spoonful of pepper; stir alt l thse 10gre tients over the lire until they began to Lhieixo, and then pour them iver the cabbage, and servo it at once. FIED ItEED fliims,--Pluck aad dress the birds, splitting thcm down the back; season tucem rather highly with salt and lppper, roll them in ilour, Iinuiain meal or bitted bread or cracker-crumbs, and fry them brown in butter amid hard eqlually ilxed and made smoking hot befcre the birds aro put inta it; or, dress them and( spht, season and fry them without bre-aihing or flouring them. They must be served ve'ry hot, as soon us they are brown. BROILED REED BiitDg. ---Ptick anad dress the bird, splitting them dlowni the back; season them with salt and cay enne pepper, and broil them brown over a very hot firo. Serve thoem on toast, with a small pice~ . :maeLr on each bird. Ii the Iards are broiled in front of the fire, the toast may be placed uuder them to catch their gravy as it falls from them, A NieE ginger cup-cake is inauhaa ci tw cups of powdered sugar, stirred to a cream iinht two cups of butter. The butter ray first bie wvarmed until it is solit, but not melted; add three wvoll.. beaten eggs, a cup of molasses, four cuips of flour, a taiblespoonful of ginger, and onie of soda-h 50oda dlissolved in a little hot water. Mlix well, andl bake in buttered gem pans, ini a itoderate Iven. A 510E dish for then supper of a coniyal lescent is madae by toatinmg two thin slices of breani; flatton ann souften~u the crust by poniadmg it a lititle; butter thme toast. while hot, put on1e slhee on a warm palate, aid spread over it aL 11hin laycr of cooked chaicken cho(pped or cut ini uinall bitls; acason with popper ad salt. add am soIt-boiled eg~g, thena lay the i taer slice of toabt (over it. 11 aE is anb eonical rC1s e01o at iiLunn: Oneaac aspoonuful o1 sugair, one0 egg, twoa tatblespooflOsth oh butter, onae cap of milk, two teaspboonfuls of baknag powder, flour enough to make a batter asn at i' as5 for paiucake. T1his is nice for breakfast. or ior tea, anid mnay be balakd in 4 c I ui or ini gem~ piats. Pnwm-i-r v i el-puulls, to bea used ill place (f cPIrds, rle miaado ofh st rips 4 .f P.' as he wiith heamvy' ennava,. or of ribbon heai y une~d. '.1he c ..y be ornamnen t by emabroidelraa a vino on them, or htguresh, las tine 1la., faiucy. Thae endts should bea hiled wu ih ts'els or with hwEEW eider cani be kept fresh anid si-arkliing b~y hein2L~g it., not boaihiag het 4 but hecathlig unatil abnost Iboihu~g, and then bottling it, and scahmng tight at once, It is advisable to put cue or two raisims in each bottle. HUMOROUS. A rouxo fellow iding down a steep bill, doubting if the foot of It was bog gish oalled out. to a olown that was ditcaing and asked if it was hard at the bottom. "Aye," answered the conutrytnan, "it a hartd encugh at the bottom I warrant you." But In half a dozen steps the horse sank up to the saddle-girtls, whiolh made the young gallant whip and spur md utter caths. "You rascal," said he to the ditchor, "didst thow not tell me that it wias hard it the bottom?" "Aye," said the ditober, "but you 11r1 1ot half way to the bottom yet. SAFE, aUyhow: ohSeomourg, upon re Lurning to his store, on Galvoeston ave nue, from dinnor, found his clork very much excited. The clerk said that a itranger came in and after asking andl paying the price for a eravat, which was uno dollar, picked up the entire bo2:, ,ontaiuing a dozen, and N% ont off with them. "Did ho pay you do- dollar?" osked Mos . "Yes," responded the lerk. "Vell, then, yo makes, dnyhow, Mhfty per cent, profits on do investment," PJmrsEaNoE of mind: A fiew Suindoys ago a Western church wais discovered to be on fire,' but the proachor, with grit " presonce ot mind, said nothing about it. [le merely rolntrked: "This building is heavily burdened with debt, and I Wisha some one would lock the doors umlh the amounit is rased." Everybody voluu teered to do the lochting, and as every body forgot to come back thero was nio panie, and no one was hurt. FoNx pareit., ainst burting ino. I tears--' 'Aigvlina, my love, I lavi hild V" news for you. Heaven isnows my child, 1 would ispare% * you the .orr)w if I could, but Edwin-" Daughter - "Speau quickly I My love, my prinmised hus. i)aid-" Fond parent- 'Is a gaiblor " Daughter-"0), pa, i ho lucky?'' A n'rour ofi tih Ptreet emt: 'Alas we must part," as the coat-tijls said when the street-car passenger took his scat. "But we'll meet tgaiin," as the coat tails said when three fat women got aboard. "United we staind," as tim coat tails said "for tho rest of the ride.' Tiu-:.vr.trI' of chilrein: "'Pa," asked Fogg's hopeful, the other cvening, "what kind of combs do they use to curry clickens with ?" "Coxcombs, replied Fogg, promptly. Fogg says he believes Mi always answermg a child whnc ., on can. DEi-INITIoN of a novel: Mr. Swing says "that. a novel is the world's truth, with a beautiful woman walking through .. it. Generally, we may adel, with a nini after her, DEC10EinY practical: WiiIianx Hen derson has been iirrested out in Utah for a desperate asauillt on uimti-polygamy Bill. About the Diamonrt.-T'he dimomf Is nothinir but crystallized carbon;but how has it been formied? We cannot make - carbon take this crysta'hine form, and now w it can have been btroughit about in nature Is one of the most perplexing of scen tifie enigmas. Mr. A. 1.3. Grifibhs, in a coin m'tment icnu to the Londlon Chemicat.News -~ suggests the followIng as a solution of the "'conunidumi:" "'We know that the dia mondh has been found in a lin(-.7raine.I sandstone in Brazil, and is iticipally -~ found In an alluvial neutrix of sandston. e and quartz peObbles. Knowving these facts and that there arc only 'three methods by w hich cl yst als are torined-niame ly by fuebn, by solution and by sublbmation andl as the diamnond haus been tound in se dmlienttary rock?, aind in an alluvial matrix of sainds'oue and pebbles; anud knowing that saindstone andi pebbles are producedl by the action of wvater--hence their name " of aqueous rocks-and as aqueot or sedli mlenitary strata are often fisslihferous, we may dIraw~ an inference that the carbona- ~ cotus matter of the fossits (plants and aint mal remnains) lhas ueen (11sso1ved by highly heated water, aoded by great pressure ex irt-ing in the ci tst, of the iarth. 1t is a wvell-known fact that highly-heated wvater, iaidedh by pressure, can dissolve sibica,ans in the tgeysers of ]eeland, et"., where it is deposited around Ihe mouth of the vent f rmtng the 'slutter; ' andh also we I ave the experimiental researchtes of De, Senarmont, and others, on the artificial prodhuction of crystallized minerals, as quartz, ispickel COrundu m, hecavyspar, etc., lby the prolonged act-ion oi wvater at highi tear peratures andi Pre'ssuies; aind I think we can see no rea-t son why highly heatedl water or water-gas - should not have dhe powecr of dissaolving the carbonaceous matter of fossibferona ' plants andi animals and then, on cooling, de(positing the eurbon mn the crystallizedl condition, fovinintg the gem known as the diamind~. A S to whether the dilamfond was formed by sublImahion, ito can dtraw no Inference f romn far'ts or from nature, s'o in it, put this method of forming crystals :b on one side, as not1 being able to solve the problem; and further, the diamlond cannot be formed by fusion, bcause we knowv that crystalhzed carbon, in the formi of graphtte, is formed by fusion. '1 herefore, it iypeara fronm these views on thie subject that the dliamonid has tbeen formed In na. ture by the solvent action of highly heated water or wator-gas, aided by enormoi's p)Creueon the carbonaceous matter of' fossils contained in sedimentary racks, fol howeud by slow cooling." A Co rspondent aks how doubtful din m')ndl may lbe tested without iujury. , llydroiluor-ic acidl will not affect the dia mend, while it 1nmekly corrodes glass, which is the matemis of mtre of the imi tation gems. Th'le only objectllon to Its use' is th it it will atftack certain stones of mnn or-, l'ut real value, lhke the topaz, whih are soo'eumecs passed off as8 diamonds. Of course, being a udaitgerous agent to experi ment with, it mutit be employed w ith great caution. The fAl~owing directions from the Afanufacturer and B~uide. may be safely tollowed: '"Take a leadent vu-"el, of sucer' shape ar d moderate ien ii which place tomoi powvdeied lounrapar, which cover itlh eno:;h il ot' vitriol tt> Conmple(tely mnoislen the powder. Th'len putL ini the stone to be tested. and gently warmi the ma Litre Over a gas lamp or any otheri (coinvenlient SOurce oh heat. Tlhis shiould be dhole mi a co0:1 draf't, wvhere the ' vipors will be do(rswn upl a chimney or dis 8ipaui-(, as they are daugerous to breathe. ' When thie evohuitiont of' vaporas appears1 to have ceasid, wvhich will occur in fiomi five minutes to a urteltr o1 ani hour, accordling to the quianity of maiiterih employedh, the hteat sbould be withdrawn anit t.ho Y ssel allwed to cool. TJhie atone may be now fished out f'romn the pasty nmass and exam nied1. If it ShUNS Ino signs of licng a ,tack-, ed you may be atssured that it is a genulne utoine. A pa -to ste'ne will be found to be strongly corr-odod by the hydrofluorlo acid1 thiat has comoi in contact with Itt and, if a imall ene, it will probably have been mtarely dissolved."