Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-03
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The Amazon begins to rise in February
or March. and is at its highest flood in June.
Tea is probably now in daily use as a
beverage by one-half of the population of the
world.
Green teak timber is heavier than water,
and unless thoroughly seasoned it cannot be
foated.
There are over ten species of wild bees
in Brazil, the greater number of which pro-
duce honey.
"A canary has learned to articulate
Sweet pretty boy" the constantly repeated
address OF its mistress.
The metallic tones of the urafonge,
Brazilian bird, are said to resound through
the forest like the strokes of hammer on an
anvil.
France, we read, exported last year no
less than s32O,OOO worth of fondants pralines
and marrons glaces to the harems of Turkey
and Egypt.
They are now raising English walnuts
out in California. and single trees yield SO
worth of nuts. which IS far better than can be
done in England.
I'm favorable circumstances the tea-plant
'.fushes" or sends forth fresh crop of tender
young shoots from 20 to 25 times in the course
of its growing and picking season of nine
months.
After being chased couple of miles BY
hunters and a pack of selected hounds, a
Georgia wolf slowed up lunched off the leader
of the pack, disabled several others and retired
in fine shape.
According to the fancies and vivid i'm
agination of early navigators and cosmogra-
pliers, the aliases of that time pictured the
Northern Atlantic as being almost as full of
islands and shoals as the heavens appear 70 be
of stars.
When the Russians took possession of
Siberia they found it so densely peopled with
deer, antelopes, squirrels and other sociable
animals, that the very conquest of Siberia was
nothing but hunting expedition which lasted
for 200 years.
Teak wood is noted for its extraordinary
durability. In India and Burmah beams Of the
wood in good preservation are often found in
buildings several centuries old, and instances
are known OF teak beams having lasted more
than 1000 years.
The average annual yield per tea-plant
is very variable, but may be stated at about
one-ffth of pound of finished tea; and, as
each acre of garden holds ], 500 to 500 mature
plants, the yield per acre may be from 300 to
$50 pounds per annum-
1t is worthy of notice that the quagga
zebra, which never comes together with the
terms, not only with ostriches, which are very
good sentries, but also with gazelIes, several
species Of antelopes and gnus.
1t can be truly said OF Washington that
during the winter the sun shines upon more
days than in the most favored hooks of Italy.
Its skies are bluer and its temperature more
genial than even under the shelter of the line
OF hills which protect the Riviera.
Separate groups of penguins have
azL,;-
abodes. and do not fight for them. The droves
of cattle in Australia have particular spots to
which each group repairs to rest, and from
which it never devlates, and SO on.
The Young Women's Christian Asso-
citation, founded in London in 1857, now has
143 branches with a membership of 1000
There are 40 institutes, evening homes and
boarding houses where young women from the
country can be lodged and cared for at small
charge.
The genuine Alpine edelweiss has been
successfully cultivated at Berlin in the Pam
kow Royal Park. and also on the sandy plains
in the March of Brandenburg. where 10000
plants have been raised this summer, the
flowers of which are much larger and finer than
thsoe obtained in the Alps.
Black tea of good quality should in in
fusion yield clear, bright brown liquor, emit
ting subdued fragrance, and in taste it should
be mild, bland and sweetish, with an agreeable
astringency. Green tea yields u hght-colored
liquor of high fragrance, but thin, sharp and
somewhat rasping in taste as compared with
black tea.
The latest variation of the coniurers'
box trick, performed by Mr.. Hertz in London,
manacIes man and padlocks him to board,
and then suspends him mid air. Curtains
are then drawn around him, but not reaching
within several feet of the ground. In few
seconds a woman is found in the place of the
man, and the man himself is in the audience,
The names distinguishing the different
qualities of teas are almost wholly Of Chinese
origin. Pekoe is derived from pak-ho white
ha1rs), the pekoes showing the fine downy tips
of the young buds; sonehong is from siaon-
chung, little plant or sort; congou tkung-ful,
labor; bohia (Wu-t). the mountains IN Fuh-
keen, the center of the black tea country; and
hyson (yu-tsing), before the rains, or tu-chun,
hourishing spring.
Forestry differs from other kinds of in
dustrial enterprise from its requiring an ac-
cumulation of capital, exposed for a long time
to great risks, and from slow returns of the IN
terest on the capital invested in the forest,
Therefore, forestry offers but little encourage
ment to private owners Of land. The perma.
nent administration and continuity of action OF
a government is needed to bring this form Of
enterprise to successful issue.
One species of swallow is said to have
caused the decrease OF another swallow species
in North America; the recent increase of the
missel thurst in Scotland has caused the de-
crease of the song thrush; the brown rat has
taken the place of the black rat in Europe; in
Russia the small cockroach has everywhere
driven before it its greater congener; and in
Australia the imported hive bee IS rapidly ex.
terminating the small stingless bee.
AT a very early period in the European
history of tea the probable effects of its use on
the health and morals of the population at
tracted Jealous attention. and great deal was
written, mostly in hostile sense, on the SUBJ
ject. In 1878 Henry Savile. writing to his uncle,
Mr.. Secretary Coventry. in sharp reproof Of
certain friends of his who call for tea instead
of pipes and bottles after dinner-a base, un-
worthy Indian practice, which must ever ad-
mire your most Christian family for not admit
tinpo And he adds. with audible sigh:
s'The truth is, all nations are growing so
wicked as to have some of these filthy Gus
TOMS"