Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-07-13
The ELDER. The Irish Farmers Gaz ,tte

says.
In truth, with us n lowly and little regarded
tree is the elder 1t is only beside the cabin Of
the peasant, or his last resting place, it finds 4
home Small account too do we make of It's
fruit, and yet it appears the latter plays most
II not the most, important part IN the production
of that pleasant after dinner beverage on whose
merits, believing 1t 10 be the real thing" the
connosseur loves to dweli-thAt restorative, too,
which the physician, knowing the value of the
sugar peculiar to the fruit of the vine and tn Z
tonic properties of its iron and other compo
nents recommends So confidently to hi conval-
escing patient. We commend the following
little paragraph, cut from ,ur excellent contcm-
porary, the Gardeners Magazine, to the consid-
Grafton Of both 1t should, no doubt, cause them
to regard our lowly elder with IN interest its
claims to which they would hitherto have been
slow to accord "Jerrolo's joke about the old
port and the elder port, will be unpleasantly
recalled TO 'cruSty' drinkers by the following
paragraph on the manufacture of Portuguese
wine, from note by our Secretary Of L., Z ton
at Lisbon All port wine hitherto exported for
the English market, is largely mixed with BRAN
dy, and is culnrosed as much of elder berries rs
OF grapes. The why in which what in England
is called port wire has hitherto been nnnufnc-
turcd for the London market is this: The P.iz
do Y cnhaterlu abounds in elder trees the brr-
lies OF these trees are dried in the sun or in
kilns. The wine is then thrown on them, and
the berries are trod1en Ms previous the grapeS)
matter of the berries. Brandy is then added in
the proportion of from three To sixteen gallons
to every pipe of ll5 gallons. This is the compo.
sltion ui ali the port wine hitherto drank in Eng
land No pure wine, no win" not thus specially
adu turated for the English taste, was allowed
by tho Government Committee ut TAstcrS To pnss
the bar of D,uro before the year 1863 The
writer OF tie above note Is, we may cnton,
Mr. Robert Bulwcr, son of Lord Lytton, but
better known to the public Ms Mr. Owen Mere
dlth, under which namo he has published sever
a volumes ot graceful poetry.
TIE WOMAN QUESTION IN FILL "A very
painful controversy is raging at present iu + il
over point Of etiquette. Ouc party coutcuds
that only the men should be permitted to dance,
around the fire when missionary is being
cnokcd, WHALE the other party hold that the
WouIcn should be allowed to cutcr the circle
aud participate IN the dance Thus far the
anti women people have the best Of the dis
putc, aud II is feared they will carry the day
Oar own experience IN these matters has been
sIngulary small, and We can hardly speak
with authority upon this particular subject
But we observe with much regret the ten
dency Of the t jams to exclude women from
share IN their MERRY making, aud To re-
ducc her to IA level with inferior beings Simple
polltcness we should thu "a mere gentle
mauly instinct would prompt these men t.
permit women to take part in these festivities,
when il is reflected that women llaye precisely
the sauc interest in seeing that the missionary
Is well done as the men have, and moreover
that they may probably be able to offer some
valuable suggestions respecting the best meth
DDS OF preparing the gravy. We had hoped
that these controversies upon the woman qilcs-
ton Was ended, but it is hard to induce men to
conccdc justice To their weaker bclugs We
Trust that W. may soon be able to record the
TACT that these ungenrruus differences are end
cd, and that the bountcous provisions OF nature
and OF the theological Summaries may be en-
rloycd BY both sexes.
Olc OF the greatest curIositcs in Japan to
the stranger is the wonderful variety of coins
that are used daily. In some instances il takes
1000 pieces to make one dollar These arc
called cash, and are seldom received by for
clgnerS, who, As ii general rule, refuse to take
them IN change. Imagine making Il trade OF
i've cents and giving i man IA fifty cent piece
then receiving IN change $50 OF these coppcrs
| his coin Is peculiarly made, having Il square
hole in the centre. They are about the srz: of
our dune pieces, and nearly two,thrds the
thickness. Next to this comes the quarter of a
ccut, then the half cent, eight tentGs of a cent,
and the one and Two ccut pieces In silver coins
they have the five, ten, twenty fIly cent and
one dollar pieces. La gold the Que two, five
ten and twenty dollars which are very pretty
coinages indeed. Next to this comes the gov
erumcnt series oil paper money, in various de-
nominations ranging from trc cents to loo dol
lars. Inns money is made Oh quite inferior
paper to ours aud from general appearances
will not last like the American money
THE VALUE OF Fruit CULTURE f. Il.
ElIott,a writer on agriculture has been collect
Ing certain data in regard to fruit culture, and
gives the total market value of the crop of the
cutrc country at ST., 100000. New York
leads all the States 10 amount with 81 900 900.
California $ figures are largest in proportion to
population, being ST, 600, 900, this sum proba.
bly, including the yield from vineyards. The
total sum for the New England States is put
at 5000, 900, the individual States not being
lIculz"d La commenting on these figures the
San francisco Bulletin, which already claims that
California Is the leading wheat growing State,
thinks that 1t will speedily stand u the front
as The greatest producer OF fruit, and holds that
50 lar from being ovcrdOne there the fruit bust
ness Is but 10 It's infancy.
OPIUM EATING-A New \ urk Journal makes
the startling announcement that there are 100,
600 confirmed opium caters 10 the United
States. In tracing the history OF the terrible
habit the article states that it is the result OF
two things. First, careless prescriptions by
physicians, who allow patients to acquire the
habit aud second, the deliberate preference of
many for opium eating to dram-drnklur. rha,
an immense amount OF opium is consumed in
this country there can be no doubt There is
probably no remedy for the diseased appetite
when once acquired, but greater care in pre-
scrlptlons anl sale c ud prevent the acquisition
Of the deadly habit in many cases.
LETTER FROM Col. MoSBY. John S.
Mu>by, OF Virginia, has declined the Invitation
to deliver an address 10 Fremont Temple, Bos-
ton. Tie says: although circumstances com-
pei me to decline it, assure you that do 80
irou no want of sympathy with the noble OBJ
Jet you profess desire to promotc--thc res
turatlon OF tratcrna relations between the PEG
pie OF the loug cstrangcd sections OF our coun
try tbuS ,I.i II. ..,II | /