The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-06-29 00:00:00

VARIETIES.

It is generally the fate of a double dealer to lose his
friends and keep his enemies.
SLUGS.—Gardens may be completely cleared of slugs:in.
two or three days, by means of a few handsful of brewers'
grains laid as bait.

- Tun EMERALD.-The true emerald was most probably
unknown to the ancients. The enormous green masses
frequently spoken of by classic authors as emeralds are
supposed to have been fluor spar.
The late Mr. Wilberforce believed that Sir Samuel
Romily and Lord Castlereagh became deranged from
over exertion, the consequence of continuing to labour on
Sundays as on other days.
A New York paper states that a man named Neville is
in custody for taking " a drop too much"—namely, for
marrying Miss Amelia Drop, whilst he had another wife
living.

1-16 w TO READ WHEN ON THE RAILWAY.—By holding
a card or slip of paper over the line below that which you
are reading. the eye is freed from the disturbance caused
by the motion of the carriage, and you may then read with
comfort.

A BRAVE OLD OAK.—There exists in Normandy an
oak tree called La Vieille Chenesse, at Lettry, in Calva-
dos. It is supposed to be the Nestor of the forests of
Normandy. It is upwards of nine yards in circumference
at its base, and is nearly hollow, though still crowned
with verdure. A chapel in hewn stone has been con-
structed lately in the interior, where sixteen persons at
least may place themselves. A fete is held round it every
year, which is very attractive. This is something like our
own Fairlop fair, which will be held on Friday_next.
MODEL WORKHOUSES AND MEDICAL TREATMENT
OF THE POOR.—Only the other day he was shown through
a workhouse, which was regarded as a model of excellence.
A sample of the food was produced, which appeared to be
better than what the dietary table allowed. The master
was asked whether he always adhered to the dietary
table ; his answer was, " Whenever I find the poor are be-
ginning to get weakened by my adhering to the dietary
table I to the allowance, but I take care never to let
the Poor-law Commissioners know it." (Laughter.) " A
complaint (said the master) was some time ago made to
the commissioners upon the subject, and an assistant-
commissioner came down and walked round the walls of
the building, but he never came in, and we have heard no
more of the matter." Now, he (Mr. Ferrand) knew not
what the report of that assistant-commissioner might be
in that case ;—perhaps he would not make any report at
all. Then, with respect to the medical treatment of the
poor,—he would ask Her Majesty's Government whether
they were prepared to allow the present system of medical
treatment of the poor to continue ? There was not a
sportsman in England who would suffer his dogs to be
treated as the poor were treated by the present system.
The remuneration received by the medical officer in many
unions did not exceed 4d. or 6d. each cage. He would
anneal to his hon. friend the member for Finsbury (Mr.
Wakley) whether any medical man could perform his
duty to a poor patient at such a shamefully inadequate
remuneration ? He was told by a medical officer in his I
own neighbourhood, that he had in hand the case of a man
whose life he could have saved with ease, but it would
cost him more than his salary to do so, and therefore the
man must die. He would repeat it,' the medical officer
declared. that by giving the patient medicine he might
save his life, but it would cost him his salary to do so.—
Mr. Ferrand's. Speech on the New Poor-law.
FLY-FISHING.—INSTINCT OF FISH.—The chief point
for the fly-fisher to attend to is, the colour he uses in
making his flies. Neat tying is as nothing compared with
colour. The natural flies on which trout and salmon feed,
are bred on trees, on the banks and at the bottoms of
rivers. They change with the seasons. Every month
gives birth to a different description, varying in shape and
colour. The great art for the angler to learn is how to
mingle and arrange his colours so as to imitate, as nearly
as possible, the natural insects he intends .to represent.
Experience can alone make him proficient m.' this ; and if
he learns to tie his own flies ; and becomes an adept
in selecting and combining his colours,. ha will have
a commanding advantage over those who, from ig-
norance, are obliged to rely on the judgment of ethers.
Some writers assert that the resemblance.between natural;
and artificial flies is altogether fanciful ;. that a trout or a.
salmon does not rise at and take the artificial fly, because-
it represents any natural insect ; that fish are never de-
ceived by imitations, and that they are always more suc-
cessful in angling with flies in shape and colour' as different
as possible from the natural flies that may be on the water.
We cannot imagitae how any experienced angler could broa,ch
such an absurdity. The instinct offish is undoubtedly re-
markable, but it is going too far to-say that they cannot
be deceived—that skilful imitations of the insects they
feed on will never allure them. Ephemera combats this
heresy most successfully, and we entirely agree with him
that theless imperfect an imitation, the more attractive
will it be found in fishing.' We-know of no inquiry more
interesting than an investigation of the habits and instincts
of fish. The angler who desires.to become accomplished in
his art, must make them his study. By patiently noting
facts, and a careful observatiou, he will in a short time ac-
quire a stock of knowledge which will be found most use-
ful, without which, angling is a chance, not a certainty.
For instance, successful angling depends on the state
of the weather—on the selection of flies—on the adapta-
tion of the angler's resources to the height and colour of
the water. You need never fly-fish with an east wind, nor
when heavy rain is overhead. When the water is clearing,
after a flood, fish rise eagerly, and take freely; but when-
ever you see trout throwing themselves out of the water,
or splashing your flies with their tails, you may wind up,
and go home. These, and a hundred other observations,
all referable to the habits and instincts of fish, can only
be made practically available by experience, One golden
maxim is, invariablf to fish up a stream, and stand as far
from the water as possible. Trout are argus-eyed. The
faintest shadow startles them. Drop your flies softly on
the water. Observe the natural fly how it skims along.
Endeavour to make your imitations follow its motions..--
kuNin University Magazine.