The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-12-05 00:00:00

Illisaltant crit Jnfclljtnxe,

HOVE, FOREIGN, AND COLONItx.4

BRITISH ORCHARDS.—Last year there were 191,723
acres of fluit orchards in Great Britain. This year the
area has increased to 197,532 acres. Last year 52,975
acres were devoted to market gardens. There are now
59,473 acres devoted to this purpose.

_
FAO-Simms TELEGRAMS.—The "American Manu.
facturer " says: An inventor of New York has
recently patented a telegraph instrument by which
messages are transmitted in facsimile almost as fast as
they can be sent by a good operator in the ordinary
way. The message is written upon thin tin foil, with
ink, which forms a complete insulation wherever
makes a mark.

NIAGARA.—In a paper read before the American
Society of Civil Engineers, Mr. Ben'amin Rhodes givea
the average flow of the River Niagara, according to
the many careful measurements of the United States
Lake Survey, as 275,000 cubic feet per second; the
total height of the fall is 230 ft., and its total ealcu-
la+ ed power 7,000,000-horse power.
MALAGASY.—Students wishing to consult the Malaa
,asy Red Books may be interested to know that the
acting Consul for Madagascar has just presented
copies of them to the library of the British Museum.
The official correspondence is printed in both Malagasy
and French. The second Red Book contains full
details of the negotiations recently conducted by M.
Alaigrot, the Italian Consul at Antananarivo.
OLIVE CULTIVATION. —The olive harvest in the South
of France, just completed, is exceptionally good this
year. During the last few weeks the olive groves have
been crowded with women busily picking—oliveuses, as
they are called—some scaling the tress, others shaking
the branches and pulling down the fruit with long
sticks. Altogether olive cultivatiora in this district
brings in some 01,200,000 in an ordinra y year, and the
trees require little attention, cold being their greatest
der car.'
Trnt ZOOI OGICAL GannEars.—The additions to the
Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week
include a Rhesus monkey from India, presented by
Mrs. Barry; two black-eared marmosets from South
East Brazil, presented by Miss L. M. Graham; two
emus from Australia, presented by Lord Northesk;
emu from Australia, presented by lir. A. Garret
Smith; a Cuiver's podargus from Australia, presented
by Mr. Cromwell Collins; a tawny nal, British, pre-
sented by Mr. Phillips; an anaconda from Demerara,
presented by Mr. G. H. Illawtayne, C.M.Z S.; a Robben
Island snake, a hoary snake from South Africa, pre-
sented by the Rev. G. H. Fikk, 0.31.Z.5.
TITLES FOR SALE—An enterprising gentleman at
Kensington has been plying the residents of Vienna
with a circular offering stars, crosses, and titles on the
instalment system. The Papal decorations are the
cheapest; the Orders of Christ (which dates frorn
1317), St. Gregory, the Holy Sepulchre, and St. Syl-
vester, being offered for £125 each. But for the Servian
Order of Takovn, which was created by King Milan so
recently as 1878, £l5O is asked. The Austrian Orders
are the dearest on the list. Even a Knight's Cross of
the Iron Crown, which dates only from 1805, costs
£3OOO. A variety of titles cf nol4lity are offered at
prices ranging from £OOO for a barony to £3OOO for a
dukedom.
Forraras LIVB STOCK AND FRESH MEAT.—TIIO pest
week's arrivals of live steck and fresh meat at Liver-
eool from American and Canadian ports, although
mall in comparison with the imparts cf recent weeks,
e ere a slight increase in both live stock and fresh meat.
The conveying steamers, nine ia number, were as
follows: Toronto, 337 cattle and 25 sheep; Roman, 270
rattle; Palestine 36 cattle and 801 quarters of beef; •
Norseman, 205 cattle and 867 quarters of beef; Egypt,
720 quarters of beef and 50 carcases of mutton;
Indiana, 1200 quarters of beef; City of Richmond, 880
quarters of beef and 66 carcases of mutten ; Celtic, 720
quarters of beef and 30 carcases of mutton; and Aby-
sinia, 1320 quarters of beef and 100 carcases of mutton;
making the total supply 848 cattle, 25 sheep, 6568
quarters of beef, and 266 carcases of mutton.
MEMORIAL IV INDOW.—A new east window, coin'
pleted on the birthday of the Prince of Wales, has
recently been fixed in the Sandringham .church. The
window is filled with stained glass of elaborate design
representing the Crucifixion, the subject embracing the
entire area of the glass. The same artists have also
recently produced a window in the church as Trumr
ington, near Cambridge, in memory of the Right Hon.
Henry Fawcett, the late Postmaster-General. The
design comprises figures of Fortitude, Charity, and
Truth, the whole being treated very richly in colour.
At the base runs the fallowing inscription: "In
memory of Henry Fawcett. Born August 26, 1832;
died November 6, 1884."
INDIAN EDUCATION.—The fears which were enter-
ained that the policy of local self-government in India
would be hostile to the progress of education have
-hitherto proved groundless. In the Oeutral Provincee,
for instance, the transfer of educational administration
to the local boards, so far from injuring the institutions
concerned, has had the opposite effect to a marked
degree. Reviewing the Report on Public Instruction
in those provinces for 1884-5, the Government of India
have noticed the really good work done by the local
boards. The popularity of the new system is shown
in the most effectual manner by the increasing
liberality of the public subscriptions to the cause of
education.—" Athenieum."

CORN AVERAGES.—The following are the average .
prices of British corn for last week, as received from
the inspectors and officers of Excise: Wheat, 30s. 9d. ;
barley, 295. 5d.; oats, 18s. 7d. per imperial qr.
Corresponding week last year: Wheat, 30a. sd. ; barley,
318. 3d.; oats, 19s. 4d.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.—The memorial to Con-
gress on international copyright will have appended to
it remarks of a number of American authors. Miss L.
M. Alcott says: "Let justice be done though the
heavens fall." Robert Collyer writes: "A good text
for publishers, likewise printers--Exodus xx. 15." Bret
Harte remarks: "I am in favour of any and all legis•
lation that recognises the equal rights of any and all
authors to their own property ha any and all countries."
W. D. Howells believed that •" there is nothing to sal;
except that the present. condition . of things is a
national dishonour, and a personal shame to every one ,
of us." Mr. Charles Dudley Warner is "decidedly in
favour of insisting upon a simple international copy'
right for authors, without any reference to publishers,
printers, or importers."
Cumous SHIP.—At a shipyard in New York, U.S.A.,
there is a vessel under construction, and nearly .
finished, which is very attractive to the curious. The
boat is 75 tons burden, 100 ft. long, and 12ft. beam, and
is provided with four long breeclaloading cannon, which `
project from ports Bft. from the ends and a few feet ~
above the keel. It is proposed to propel this craft by
firing blank cartridges from the stern ports; charges ,
from the forward ports will back her, and charges fired
at one side change her direction. The inventors make •:.
enthusiastic claims over the expected speed and low
cost, but the cost of fuel (gunpowder) is claimed to be '
trivial, the claim being made that they will be able to
navigate from New York to Newport, some 180 miles,
at a cost of 80c. for powder. The vessel may go, but ita
occupants cannot sleep.—" Engineering."
ELLIMENTARY EDUCATION.—A Parliamentary return
has been issued showing during the period from 1870
to 1884, in each year, the number of children attending
voluntary schools, the total amount of expenditure, the
amount of school fees, the amount of voluntary a .
subscriptions, the amount of Government grant, the ,
amount received from other sources, and the number
of new schools established. In the par which ended -
on August 31, 1870, there were 1,693,059 children on -
the registers of the voluntary schools and 1,152,389 in
average attendance. Last year these figures amounted •''
to 2,853,604 and 2,157,292 respectively. The total
expenditure in 1870 was £1,527,023; in 1884 it had
risen to £3,812,149. £502,023 were paid in school fees
in 1870, and 4205,440 in 1884. The voluntarY '
subscriptions in the former year came to £418,839'
the latter to £732,524. The Government grant amountea
in 1870 to £562,611. in 1884 the sum was £1,765,140. i
The amount received from (all) other sources vras----1°
1870, L 76.509 • in 1884, £192,975. 436 new schools .
were established in 1870 and 89 last year. The returns
for 1885 are not yet complete.
-
LA.IIARTINE.—A correspondent writes: "A tardy act-
of justice is being done to the memory of the French
poet Lamartine. Lamartine died, it will be remere:
bored, on March 1, 1869. A subscription list vif:
immediately opened towards erecting a statue of the •
poet. The comparatively small sum of £lOOO was ne; .. .
without difficulty collected, for even among his nrfs
fervent admirers he had lost much of his porialarl, l, '-, '
through having accepted a year or two before he dirr_. .
pension of £2o_o, rendered necessary by his e ta:i
ordinal.; prodigality. The Franco-German war _u, :
other causes supervened to disperse the members !"
the original Memorial Committee. Last year, howeov °T.
s .
a talented sculptor, M. Marquet de Vasselot, was , '4l
missioned to undertake the statue, which is at 155 ,',6
,-
the point of completion. The statue represents
poet seated, holding in his band a manuscript; r,`
having at his feet the leveret which he has rendeee,.ib:r. .
famous. It is to be ereeted in the arrendiserl;l
_This,
_, =
I'assy, where Lamartine passed the last yea of ri-00.-.: d
l'
life, near to the arteoan well, and diiectly °pit
tber
but at some little distance from, the statue of t e-° '
poet of France, ,Victor Hugo. •_.
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