The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-02 00:00:00

TILE COLONIAL MAGAZINE.

Never possibly before has the condition of our
colonial possessions occupied more profoundly the
attention of the reflective than at this particular
epoch, when the chances of their final separation from
The mother country appear to present themselves to
the imagination in the discontent pervading the inha-
bitants of the Canadas. Among the numerous
periodicals, therefore, which appear monthly,
not one is more provocative of curiosity
than the one whose name is prefixed to the
present paragraph. In its pages invariably
appear contributions of unusual importance,
among which, this month, we would particularly
direct attention to those relating to the Convict
question, and:the Canterbury Association. Others
referring to the "Anglo-Indian Army" and the
" African Squadron" are entitled to every conside•
ration.

TIIE ALARM OF " lIIGU TIDES " IN FRANCE.—
The alarmists have not been confined to England. The
French pipers show that at Brest, Cherbourg, Havre-do-
Grace, and Rouen, the sumo apprdlinsions were felt,
and every precaution taken by the local authorities
against the menaced deluge. Hitherto nothing of the
kind has occurred. At Havre, it is true that the tides
of Thursday last were extremely high, hut on Friday
the wind abated, and the three following " flood." pre •
canted a striking diminution in height. At Dunkirk the
tide of Thursday, seconded by a violent north-went wind,
rose within a foot of the quays, but no disasters are
recorded.

THE JEWS IN RUSSIA. -- ST. PETERSEUEGII,
DEC. 15.—The Imperial ukase of 1845, commanding
that by the lit of January, 1850, every Israelite of the
empire shall be prohibited from appearing in the Jewish
costume, and shall adopt either the Russian or French
costume, under pain of an annual fine, varying from three
to thirty roubles, has now been carried into full execu-
tion. The Russian Jaws no longer appear in their own
costume.

TIIE CRADLE FOR lIER MAJESTY.—We have seen
with much pleasure the progress of this important speci-
men of the art of wood-carving, and augur most favour-
ably of the effect the whole will produce in a state of
completion. The sides, which are finished. are carved in
the choicest box, the difficulty of procuring which wood
bas been one of the causes for the delay attending the
work. In the upper portion are friezes in relief, having
an alternate introduction of roses and poppies, designed
and executed with the purest feeling of Italian taste.
Beneath them is a bold torus moulding with pinks, in-
serted in fluted hollows. The two ends remain to be
produced, and to them the utmost delicacy of finish will
be imparted. The interiors of the rockers are orna-
mented with foliated dolphins, and even the flat edges of
the foot and head are elaborately carved into scroll-
work. It is a great satisfaction to all who feel interested
in this (until recently) neglected art, that her Majesty
has given the commission for so splendid an example
of it; and we feel assured that, when completed, it will
reflect high credit on the artist, Mr. Rogers, and add
greatly to the fame he has already established.—Art
Journal.

BOTTLING OF WINE.—The secret of bottling wine
with success consists in the simple exercise of care and
cleanliness. The bottles should be all sound, clean, and
dry, and perfectly free from the least mustinc as, or other
odour. The corks should be of the best quality, and
immediately before being placed in the bottles should be
compressed by means of a "cork-squeezer." For
superior or very delicate wines the corks are usually
prepare tl by placing them in a tub or copper, covering
them with weights to keep them down, and then pouring
over them boiling water, holding a little pearl-ash in
solution. In this state they are allowed to remain for
24 hours, when they are drained and re-immersed for a
second 24 hours in hot water, after which they are well
washed and soaked in several successive portions
of clean rain water, drained, dried out of contact
with dust, put in paper bags, and hung up in-
a dry place for use. The wine should be clear
and brilliant, and if it be not so, it must undergo
the process of "fining" before being bottled. In fact,
it is a common practice with some persons to perform
this operation whether the wine requires it or not; as,
if it has been mixed and doctored, " it amalgamates and
ameliorates the various flavours." The bottles, corks,
and wine being ready, a fine clear day should be pre-
ferably chosen for bottling, and the utmost cleanliness
and care should be observed during the process. Great
caution should also be observed to avoid shaking the
cask, so as to disturb the bottoms. The remaining por-
tion, that cannot be drawn off clear, should be passed
through the " wins-bag," and when bottled should be set
apart as inferior to the rest. The coopers, to prevent
breakage and loss, place each bottle, before corking it, in
a small bucket having a bottom made of soft cork. They
thus seldom break a bottle, though they " flag" in the
mks very bard. When the wino is all bottled, it is
stored in a cool cellar, and on no account on the bottles'
bottoms, or in damp straw, but on their sides, in sweat
dry sawdust or sand.
CULTIVATION OF HEMP.—(From a Correspondent.)
—Hemp has been cultivated in the counties of Lincoln
and Suffolk from time immemorial, but chiefly for the
purpose of local manufacture; and although it has been
very little attended to in Ireland, some experiments
made this year by the Royal Flax Improvement Society
to grow this plant in the south turned out very well.
In county Limerick some stalks attained the height of
seven feet. Hemp may be cultivated on the western
coast of Ireland, where it would bo of great use as
affording material for the nets, lines, and cordage of the
fishermen, who are generally destitute of these neces-
sary articles. It might be grown by themselves, and
scutched, spun, and twisted, or netted by their wives ,
and daughters. The quantity of this article imported
annually into Great Britain and Ireland is about 45,000
tens, valued at 1,600,000/. About I,ooo,ooo.sterling of
this comes from Russia. In entering upon the cultivation
of hemp, the first thing to be attended to is the selection of
proper soil. Tho best suited for hemp is a deep black
vegetable mould, with a low situation and inclined to
pafosrmeadow moisture;
phfio:rrxae. t
preparation
doestbhoadenddpaiproper
the
og pewwer erpe
ol lsafl
act:el:as
eoid nasey pot
for the rotation
young
sowingofpct' raatyni oite nt.gyi
receiving
areeloam,ATph:
vhre ngas
il, ananoi dnmd
jeeno
soonrael
3dsf.
is
from the frosts. The teed is sown broadcast, from two
to three bushels to the statute acre, according to the
quality of the land. The quality of tho seed must be
fresh, heavy, and bright in colour. Hemp is one of the
few plants employed in the agriculture of these countries
in which the male and female flowers are in different
plants, which circumstance has some influence in its ma-
nag( went so far as taking it off the ground is concerned.
When the crop is grown entirely for the fibre it is pulled
when in flower, and no distinction made between the
male and female plants. But, as is most commonly the
case, when it is cultivated with a view both to fihro and
seed, the usual practice is to pull the male pla its, the
stalks of which are easily known by their yellow ish hue
and faded flowers, as soon as the setting of the seed in
the females shows that their presence is no longer ne-
cessary. The reascn for thus pulling the male so long
before the female is, that the latter requires four or five
weeks to ripen the seeds. The operation of pulling the
females commences ashen the seed is ripe, which is known
by the brownish hue of the capsules and the fading of
the leaves. The after treatment, such as steeping, &c.,
is the same as flax.
THE BRITISH ARMY IN INDIA.—In onsequence
of a general order issued to the troops in India the fol.
lowing changes have taken place:—Tho 22d Regiment
of Foot,
Rifle corps,
der the command of Lieutenant-Colonel S.
B. Boileau, and the Ist battalion of the 60th King's
Royal
Hon. H. Dund Ku. Cn .dße .r, ht ha
vee moveda frome the Cn.
l Bombay
e
to the Bengal presidency, where they are now stationed.
The 78th Highlanders, the Ross-shire Buffs, are at Aden
and Bombay, the head quarters being under the com-
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel R. N. Douglas. The 59th
Foot, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur
H. Trevor, K.H., a brave Waterloo officer, are now in
China; and the 95th Regiment of Feot, under the
command of Colonel James Campbell, K.H., have em-
barked at China and are now on their way home to
England. The 95th went abroad in October, 1838.

vAIt.IBRIDOE, DEC. 31, 1849.---HumeAN PRIZE
The above mentioned prize, left for the best dissertation
in the English language on the Evidences in general, or
on the Prophecies ur Miracles in particular, has been
this day adjudged to Samuel Tomkins, of St. Catharine's-
Subject—" The Influence of the Jewish and
Christian Revelations on Pagan Writings."
THE WESTERN JEWISH FRER-scnooL.—The
anniversary ball in support of the funds of tbis excellent
institution takes place to-morrow evening at Willis's
Rooms, when a large and fashionable attendance is
expected. The object of the charity is to provide educa-
tion for the children of indigent Jews residing at the
west end of the metropolis; and although, comparatively
speaking, it is a small establishment, it affords another
reeof of the spirit and energy the Jewish community
always display in providing for the wants and welfare of
its poor.
DICE Turtriet.—Died, at Collyweston, on Tuesday
last, at the advanced age of ninety-two, Mrs. Elizabeth
Freeman, relict of Mr. Francis Freeman, butcher and
publican. In the time of the celebrated Dick Turpin
she had the office of taking a quart of ale to him at the
door of the Bull and Swan Inn, St. Martin's, Stamford;
of} d, putting
his favourite mare
putting the silver
hetan
khaeradr heartily y
his drank
pocket, o
gallopedth e ale ,
ti
Black Bess, to the wonder and vexation of the landlord,
Mr. Turtle. On her marriage with Mr. Freeman, she
became landlady of the White Swan
where she resided upwards of flfty..five years.—Lineobe-
shire Chronicle. Cully weston,
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—This company in-
tend constructing warehouses at their Paddington ter-
minus, to accommodate the traffic in corn and flour;
which of late has increased considerably.
DUBLIN, DUNDRUM, AND RATHFARNHAM RAM.
WAY.—A meeting was held on Monday evening at the
house of the Commissioners, Rathminee-road, for the
purpose of ascertaining the opinion of the ratepayers as
to the propriety of opposing the contemplated railway to
Dundrum. A considerable time having elapsed after
' the appointed hour for meeting, the chair was taken by
' T. T. Dolan, Esq. After some irrelevant discussion the
; meeting was adjourned sine die.