Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-06-20

Earl de tray, OF lnula, IN BreaI
hunter, and keeps record of all his
killings, which lately footed up to
1868. 1t includes four tigers, forty
seven buffalces, $50 pigs, 467 deer, and
the rest small game. But the Anglo
Indian people not entirely given over
to sport condemn this wholesale kill
ing and particularly as no respect is
shown to the breeding season.
Six Algerian engineers who have
been consulted by M. de Lesseps on
the inland sea in the great Sahara des-
ert scheme, report that the cutting
could be made within five years at a
cost of 0,000,000 An average width
of eighty or one hundred feet would
be sufficient, as the current would
widen the canal; and since it would be
nearly in a straight line the navigation
would be devoid of difficulty. A vast
tract of country, lacking only moisture
to become very productive, would thus
be brought under cultivation.
1t is not strange that the farmers of
Great Britain are excited over the foot
and-mouth disease. In 1881 there were
1883 outbreaks of the disease, most of
them apparently of immediate native
origin, though the primary source of
infection may be traced to the French
cow imported in 1880; $4,000 animals
were attacked, and, though their value
was reduced for time and the farm
ers suffered severe loss in consequence,
it may be assumed that most of them
recovered, since the disease is not very
often fatal. In 1882 there were 1870
outbreaks and 81, $50 animals attacked.
The Women's silk culture associa-
ton of Philadelphia is composed of a
number of wealthy and philanthropic
women of that city, who desire to in
troduce and encourage this industry
among American women and girls.
They are glad to furnish all needful
information concerning the business
Oh application, and will supply eggs at
about five dollars an ounce-the ounce
containing 10000 eggs. In former
years a good deal of disappointment re-
suited from the attempt to grow silk
in this country. Recent experiments
have in many cases, met with better
success.
For the purpose of keeping pension
certificates out of the hands of pawn
brokers, a law was enacted last winter
which declares that any pledge, sale,
assignment, or transfer of any right,
claim, or interest in a pension shall be
void, and that any person who shall
make or receive such pledge or as
signment, or shall hold the same as
collateral security for debt, shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be
punished, if convicted, bya fine not ex-
ceeding 800 and costs. Those who are
enforcing the law find hundreds of pen
sion certificates in pawn shops. More
than 700 certificates have been recov.
cred from pawnbrokers and saloon
keepers in Philadelphia. Pension GER
tifcates recently granted bear the new
law, printed in red ink, as a warning
to pensioners, but many of those who
hold certificates granted before the en-
actment of the law are probably igno-
rant of its provisions
A monster prosecution has just been
brought to close in Mulhausen ( AL
sace). Thirty-eight men stood charged
in the criminal court with having tried
to free themselves, or having given
assistance to free others unlawfully
from the military service of the Ger
man empire Some $50 witnesses were
heard, and the sittings of the court oc-
cupied the greater part of three weeks.
Not less than six military medical OFF,
GERS were accused of having improper
ly given free certificates, and of these
six, not less than four are said to have
died suddenly of palsy of the heart
The prisoners, partly of very wealthy
parents, were sentenced to terms of
imprisonment varying from three
months to three years, without the op-
tion of fine. They all belonged to
districts formerly French, and gave as
their defense that they had seen moth
ing unlawful in the matter, and that
they would have produced substitutes
If they had been allowed to do so.
The varieties of apples and pears
have become so very numerous, and
they resemble one another 50 closely,
that pomologists find it nearly impos-
sible to give many of them accurate
descriptions by which they may be al
ways distinguished, The color, shape
and size of the fruit vary so much that
they can seldom be depended upon for
permanent characters. Recent inves-
tigators have determined that the flow-
ers of the different varieties give per-
manent and well-marked characters
which can be used for distinguishing
them. This subject has been well
studied by Professor W. J. Beal, of
Michigan. The blossoms of fruit trees
contain two sets of essential organs
the pistils, which ripen into the fruit,
ond {bo Oh n,np, ~ ,,,ol, o,.oo, ,,,b oh