The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-21 00:00:00

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

with a fine-rose syringe, taking care to wet the under
sides of the leaves. The following day the insects
generally seemed weak 'and inactive, and on the third
day after dressing the trees very few were to be found
alive, and any that may have escaped did no further
perceptible damage. Therefore, where foxglove leaves
can be obtained, these afford a ready means of getting
rid of this troublesome pest. Most fruit trees are
growing very freely, owing to the moist state of the
-soil, and peaches, &c., must be looked over occasionally.
Winter onions should be sown at once, also cauliflowers
for the early crop next season, a small bed of pickling
cabbage, brown cos, and some hardier sorts of lettuce
to stand the winter. The tops of the main crop of
-onions had better be laid down if they are inclined to
be too rank, going over the bed with a wooden-headed
rake, and pressing the tops down sufficiently to check
-further growth. Plant out a good breadth of endive
-on well-enriched soil of a light dry nature ; also see to
providing a good supply of lettuce, &c., for autumn
'use. Attend to celery, keeping it well supplied with
water in dry weather, giving it as much manure as
.can be spared for it, and keep the early crop rather
closely earthed up. Vacant ground, or that which
-can be cleared of early crops, may still be planted with
winter stuff, first giving it a good dressing of manure
-and a good deep digging. Stir the surface of the soil
among growing 'crops. Cut box edgings, and keep
every corner clean and neat.—Gardener s Chronicle.
EUROPEAN VEGETATION IN VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
—Many common English weeds are naturalised about
Georgetown, and some are perfect pests. Horehound
is everywhere by the roadside, and chamomile covers
the fields and paddocks ; in many places to the exclu-
sion of grasses. Thistles are fast going ahead all
through Van Diemen's Land, and no one seems to
trouble himself with them, although I have seen, I
suppose, some hundreds of acres given over to them,
and growing so thick in some places that I have walked
over my shoes in the bed of thistle-down which had
blown from the withered stems. Sweetbriar, originally
introduced as a hedge plant, is completely naturalised,
andin places forms impenetrable thickets. It annually
produces millions of hips, and if let alone will soon
become as great a pest as the thistles. The common
furze is also spreading, but not so rapidly in the
•western country. The hawthorn grows perfectly, and
forms excellent hedges as at home, but keeps within
bounds ; though it, too, fruits abundantly. I have
seen oaks heavily laden with well-grown acorns ; but
there are no trees, as yet, of large size. Elms and
ash are occasionally cultivated, but are not common.
I do not think I have seen any of the pine tribe in
-cultivation, except a few recently introduced to the
Botanic Garden at Hobart Town. The great staple
in •the garden way of the colony is in apples, pears, and
plums, and cherries ; all of which thrive remarkably
well, and they have already raised some seedling apples
and plums, which are well-deserving of cultivation.
There is a large trade in apples to Melbourne. The
smaller fruits are made into jams or consumed at home ;
and often suffered to rot on the trees, from their
abundance. Gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and
strawberries grow equally well. But peaches and
nectarines are only fit for tarts, and often fall off before
they are ripe. Grapes just ripen and no more, and
are of small size. I have been here the hottest months
of summer without experiencing greater heat than we
often have in England. There is less rain, and a
beater number of clear days ; but on the whole I
scarcely think the summers hotter than those of
England. People here complain, as in all the Austra-
lian colonies), of the rapid changes of temperature ;
but with less reason for complaining than in any other
country I know of. To me the climate seems as nearly
perfect as a sublunary climate can well be.—Harvey
in Hooker's Journal of Botany.

dip the corner of a white linen kerchief into a solution
of common lime, suffer it .to become•dry, and inscribe
any characters you may please upon the surface pre-
pared for the reception of the balu juice. The imprint
will prove indelible.—Bell's Weekly Messenger.
FIBRES OF THE WILD PINEAPPLE.—For the last
six years, since this exotic fruit has been imported
into the London markets, we have had occasion, from
time to time, to notice and observe that the leaves
which constituted the crests of the fruit have been
capable of producing, under proper care and manage-
ment, a course of the most delicate and textile fibres,
which have, perhaps, ever been discovered. This year,
although the introduction has been by no means
limited into our metropolitan markets, the whole of the
pines themselves have been deprived of the "long"
leaves, which usually constitute the crests of that
luxury. Upon inquiry, we have been assured that the
fibrous matter has been adopted for the manufacture of
paper. As we possess exact specimens of the fibrous
samples produced from the leaves of the wild, unculti-
vated West Indian pine, prepared two years ago, the
fact adverted to must speak for itself.-1-bid.
THE SITE OE ANCIENT LONDON.—When Sir Chris-
topher Wren began to build the new St. Paul's, in dig-
ging for a foundation, he came to a layer of Saxon
graves lined with chalk, some in stone coffins ; and at
some distance below, the bodies of the British, only
lapped in woollen shrouds, fastened with pins of hard
wood, most probably box-wood. In the same row, yet
deeper (this was 18 feet and more), were the ashes of
the Romans, in urns—Britons and Romans together
—the conquerors and the conquered, both vanquished.
Lower than those graves stood the foundation of old
St. Paul's, resting on very close pot-earth ; and still
lower, nothing but dry sand sometimes mixed un-
equally, but mostly so loose that it would pass through
the fingers ; then water and sand mixed with peri-
winkles and other sea-shells,—this was about the level
"of low-water mark. The gradual rise of the site of
London by the formation of shoals, &c., will be readily
understood by the above account. It grew by natural
causes, and at the time of the arrival of the Romans,
was probably a rude British stronghold defended by
earthworks, and backed by thick woods towards the
north, and surrounded on other sides by an immense
extent of water, amid which the present course of the
Thames could scarcely be defined.—The Builder.
THE ANCIENT EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES.....
The embankment of the river, a most gigautic work,
was, although we have no particular account, executed,
or at least directed, by the Romans. Few of the thou-
sands who enter the Thames think that the great
stream on which vessels of the largest size are afloat,
is, in fact, an artificial canal, raised in many places
considerably above the level of the surrounding
country. It is a wonderful work, and it is singular
that we should have no record of its first execution.
The artificial bank of river extends, either on one side
of the river or the other, almost from the Nore to
Richmond in Surrey, and some judgment maybe formed
of its magnitude, by the difficulty of repairing a breach
made by a high and violent tide at Dagenham, in
Essex. On this occasion (1707), a breach was made in
this bank of the river of 100 yards wide, and nearly 20
feet deep, by which alarming accident, 1,000 acres of
rich land in Dagenham level were overflowed, and
nearly 120 acres of rich land washed into the Thames,
forming a sandbank nearly a mile in length, that ex-
tended over one half of the channel. After several un-
successful attempts, Captain Perry, who had been em-
ployed in similar works by the Czar Peter, in Russia,
at an enormous expense and with much difficulty, com-
pleted a wall. It is difficult to estimate the advan-
tages of the Thames embankment. After that was
completed, many districts would be gradually gained
from the waters ; and Thorney Island (the site of West-
minster Abbey), a small place, partly covered with
' scrubby bushes, and on which, at an early period, a her-
mit established his cell, extended in various directions.
Southwark also increased ; but then Lambeth, Vaux-
hall, and Battersea, now occupied by so many thou-
sands, were under water, as was the greater portion of
the land from Wandsworth to Woolwich, to Dartford,
to Gravesend, and to Sheerness ; and from the north
range, from Poplar to the Isle of Dogs. Scores of
miles of that waste are now covered by multitudes, or
converted into rich pastures or cornfields • and year
after year, in our own days, we see the skill of man in
all directions, either making a scene of industry, or a
" garden of a desert waste."—Thy VffiWer,

FASHIONS

oc
AMONG the materials now generally elnl3l-iave for
mourning dresses;may be mentioned black -rave
evening, and barege and silk for out-door rv'entd
Some of the crape dresses have been richly 000
with trimmings of jet bugles.
A dress of black silk, just completed, hss,
flounces, each edged with a triple row o f 0911
bugle trimming. The corsage of this dress 01
the sleeves short, and with it will be worn
of black crape trimmed like the flounces, wull
crape headed by bugle trimming. This eljoir
fastened up the front by seven smalle ties foile,.oi
one being placed at the point in the centre of tP:iit,stl
the sides of the basque, which meet at the `c,i,e lost
gradually sloped off so as to
pa 0
are Bath g
widen apart
leelTero, st of v
end, and the corners are rounded. The s 1
canezou are of the goda form, and co 0.!
in front of the arm by a jet tie. In out-411A
a mantilla of black crape will be worn with ;t'il
it is trimmed with three deep frills edgedlv" oleo
of floss silk, and the frills are surmountea it),4
of crape with a bugle heading, correspencl; Tgz
trimming on the flounces of the dress. , ofs
edge of the mantilla is finished by a deep r°" io
of the same kind as that on the edge oF the ,
.0 ,ev
bonnet is'. of black straw guipure, and is tr t
each side with a bouquet of pinks in differeo lop
of violet, streaked with black. The sail
with white and black blonde intermingl blab
ployed for the inside trimming. Gloves °'
trimmed with quilling of lace. tS dtetn
A mourning dress, just completed, 641° aQ
'3C 1Y
watered silk, and with it is to be woo Pei
richly worked muslin. The jacket is fasthe,llo..
front by bows of black sarsenet ribbon ;',;014.
same loop up the sleeves. We may et Od!
dress of plain black silk, intended for sligr,aeliV,
The skirt is flounced, and the lower half b 9 ~be
is covered with a chequered pattern forint
velvet and tulle. At the edge the flounces' C
f so,
by narrow, light fringe in chenille.
Ladies' equestrian costume does nekoece,';cleta
considerable change. The riding-habit 0705,,,x
always a long skirt, and the corsage is ''',.slo;
fit close to the figure. The most fade ate Q`ger
habits which have recently appeareciZeolVA
either black or of some dark colour. bUdr
a long basque, and is ornamented in fr'3',
bourgs and fancy buttons. The slee'4",' 91.,
very wide, descend only midway betwee.,44ll4
and the wrist, and are finished by 0,t013V4
which is slit down on the outside of the
each side of the slit are brandebourgs
rows. The under-sleeves consist of 011410 17,,
cambric, covered with very narrow L:rovi
longitudinally, and having on each sicle'ea
stitch. The collar is of cambric, vanart
mented with hem-stitch. The riding'''. ac AO
)
grey felt has rather a broad brim, and I:l„lteiliii,i
what over the forehead. It is ornall',6o6
feather of the same colour as the felt, 01,—
to wave towards the back of the Ilee„"t. I'
"
'
frequently consists of black tulle eit' el
plain, and edged with a broad hem.
Of the various silk dresses made in afof
the week we may mention one intendeThe,
costume. It is of rich lilac glace. s
trimmed with four flounces, edged scl" t
pinked silk. The corsage, which is
front, is low and plain, and has a bertiie 01 f
t ; ;rtti
at the back and with ends crossing in ft-00,14'
is trimmed with a pinked ruche, and tui‘,o
in front of the waist by a bow of rihrb.icAri,
ends. The sleeves are very short nitoe")?
has been made for this dress, to be sil„%bst,'ltt
low one as occasion may require. We'cl eY)
to the throat, and has a basque ecThreer,tl'
ruche. The sleeves are trimmed with
with the same trimming. A dress e'ktiAlve
tended for evening costume, has three,
mented with a pattern in black velae"
Newspaper. rr

LIVERPOOL; gol,'ll,Al
Printed mut Published every TiresDA,lo:t, ~eft
Proprietor, ROBERT PEARSON E'sgtv
Percy-street, at tke STANDARD 9E,,,,c0r41'
OFFICE, No. Si. .GIIQIMiIFa-• VP."'
Tuesday, A.uVitt 21, 1855.