Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-10-31
An Old Costume.

correspondent of the Philadelphia Sun, now
travelling in Europe thus speaks OF the costume
Of the peasant girls Of the town of Giessen, in
Hesse Darnstadt -
"'rhe female peasants wear here. the most Pc
culiar dress have yet seen. Their hair, gener-
ally ofa light color, is cut off close behind, while
on the top it is gathered into tight plat, and
folded round and round, forming a projection re-
sembling very much an oval crown. On this is
generally placed black cap. just covering it, ell
ther plain or ornamented with a few beads. or
worsted work. with two broad full tabs falling o.
yer the ears, and tied under the chin. The neck
is Sars, and the arms, shoulders, and bust, cover
ed with plain. smooth body, without fold or
pait, fitting tight to the arms and wrsts-in this,
very much resembling boys jacket, while the
skirt, made very full, goes right straight out from
the hips for several inches before it curves and
hangs down. The effect must be produced by an
enormous hustle. or something OF that kind
Whatever it may be, 1t is enormous indeed. The
most exaggerated carcature OF The elect OF coflee
bag skirts, &c., on the dresses OF our ladies',
few years ago, will give you but faint idea OF
the dress am attempting to describe. ihls
skirt reaches to about an inch below the knee,and
here it has attained diameter OF about yard
and half. and circumference, Since that part
of the circle is three lines the diameter.) of tour
yards and more, The dress is always ofa blue,
coarse muslin. or woollen stuff, and by coarse,
blue, tight fitting stocking the oalf and an
ke-the first extremely well developed. and the
last often we'll turned and by no means desplcabr,
while heavy, hob nailed shoe completes the cos
tune. From the skirt down, nothing in the
world so resembles mammoth mushroom With,
you please. daube stalk, while an energetic.
masculine action, and huge stride. robs the
whole figure Of any feminine appearance"
REMARKABLE EXPERIMENTAL recent work
of science gives the following novel experiment,
which settles question of some Importance IN
philosophy. Two hundred pounds weight of
earth was dried in an oven, and afterwards put
into an earthen vessel The earth was then
mois,enpd with rain water, and willow tree,
weighing five pounds. was placed therein. Du.
ring the SPACE of Ave years the earth Was careful
ly waterei with ram water, or pure water; the
willow yrew and fourshed. and to prevent the
earth being mixed with fresh earth or dust blown
to it by the winds. it was covered with metal
plate perforated with a great number OF small
holes suitable for the free admission OF air only
After growing in the air for five years. the tree
was removed and found to weigh 10y pounds and
abaut three ounces the leaves which fell from
the tree every autumn were not Included IN this
weight. The earth was then removed from the
vessel. again dried in the oven and afterwards dis
covered To have lost only about two ounces OF It's
original weight: thus l64 pounds of woody fibre,
bark and rnois. were certainly produced. but from
what source? The air has been discovered to be
the source of solid element al last. This state
ment may at first appear Incredible. but on slight
reflection its truth is proved. because the atmos-
phere contains carbonic acid, which s the com
pound VA parts by weight, of oxygen. and $50
parts by weight, of carbon.