The Press., 1895-02-21

Among the novel methods of raising strawberries is one recently promulgated, called the trench system. The object is to prevent the plants from suffering from the effects of drouth. By this plan trenches six or eight inches apart are dug some twenty inches deep, and filled with straw and coarse manure, pressed down hard. It is claimed that the litter will retain water for the plants growing on the mar row strips between the trenches; that larger berries and more of them may be grown in this way; and that by cutting the runners along the edges of the straw, the same rows may be kept for years with only a small surface to be kept free from weeds. Sensible strawberry growers will see more things than one to crlticise in this new scheme. Weeds would soon grow over the trenches as we'll as else where. Plants can be kept in narrow rows by cutting the runners in any meth cd of culture. By digging trenches twen- ty inches deep in ordinary soil, a good deal of subsoil would be brought up, to be removed, or remain a nuisance for years. It might not be easy to dig trenches six or eight inches apart in light, sandy soil, and have the earth intact be- tween them. And that straw or coarse manure will retain water longer than con- mon soil must be very recent discovery. The Art Amateur grows more interest ing with each number. What with it's charming color plates (two are given this month-"Sunset in Connecticut" win- ter landscape with snow illumined by the sunset glow; and "Chrysanthemums'O, it's practical Working Designs for China Painting, Wood Carving, Needlework, etc., and it's instructive articles on "Draw- ing for Reproduction" "Flower Drawing in Pen-and-Ink, "Artistic Anatomy" Landscape Painting" ''The Painting of the Head in Oil," "Glass Painting" "China Painting" Designing for Bind ings. ""Wall Paper Designing" ""Needle- work" and "An Inexpensive Country House." 1t is indeed indispensable to the artist, the teacher and the art student. All these articles are we'll illustrated. Be- sides all this there is an article on Carolus Duran, an account of "An Art Students Year in Paris" Drapery Studies by Jules Lefebvre and Jan Monchablon, Drawings by Martin Rico, Carolus Duran and J. L. Sargent, and Engravings by Charles Baude | from paintings by Trotter, V. Gilbert and Maris Roy. My Note Book is especially interesting. Price, 35 cents. Montague Marks, publisher, 23 Union Square, New York.
 The Hartford Times complains of the shabby treatment of the Good Will Club of that city by the Hartford county com- missioners who have just granted a license for the sale of intoxicating liquors under the very windows of the club where sev- eral hundred boys gather every evening, and are instructed in good department, temperance and the elements of a moral character. These boys, from 8 to 15years of age, ought not to be brought into close proximity to liquor-selling and liquor-use in the dining rooms that look into the club rooms, and are only few feet from the club-room windows. There are sev- enty kind-hearted ladies of that city who volunteer to give instruction to the boys, and wc venture to say that every one of them would have protested against this
 license had it been generally known that a petition for 1t was pending. The place
 is nearer to church than the law per
 mits; and there are several licensed sa- looms and hotels within short distance
 This house petitioned fol license last year ~ A viguron protest waa 4ezad,
 and the license was not then granted. Ii
 does not know where the petition for this
 license, according to the law, was adver. tised. But few people knew of 1t.