The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-18

month or so and then proceed to Cronstadt &c
| assist In keeping tho sea open for commerce
during the winter season-the difficult season
which extends from the middle OF No
vomber till May. The Yermak reports having
passed the Prince OF Monaco at Advent Bay
Spltzbergen. on Aug. 80. Hia Highness. who
IL conducting scientific observations, had
had his yacht 90 ashore. but she was got on
and her crew. who had prepared to winter
ashore. returned In perfect safety.
Tho Postmaster Gen erals annual report con-
taihs. as usual. some interesting figures. The
total numb Der OF postal packets delivered dur
ing the year was 3,4p0513 900. an increase Of
5.5 per cent. on the preceding year. This
enormou total was made up OF 2. 1886. 300. 900
letters. $3.50 100000 post cards. 7O1 100000
book packets and circulars. 1874, 100000 news
papers and 71.9l3.000 parcels. London alone
received % rer cent Of tho total number OF
lettors. The mum Der OF newspapers shows an
advance OF about 3.0OO.000 on the preceding
year. No less than A. 800 letters were posted
without address. or these 2.421 contained
property to the value OF f7.076. one letter hav-
ing In 1t check for $500 payable to bearer.
Other articles posted without address were
1925 post cards. 102. 800 books. 100. 835 news
papers and IA. 060 parcels.
The number OF packages which could not for
various reasons be delivered was enormous.
including no less than S.553.038 letters.
1880 post cards. IL .301 900 book pack
cts. 553.022 newspapers and 1887 parcels.
Many OF these. OF course. were successfully
returned to their senders but 67.274 letters
could neither be delivered at the place Of their
address nor returned to their senders.
Although cricket will be played for several
weeks to come II tho present weather holds
out. the cricket season proper 10 over. Cricket
is certainly aflno-wsather game. and 1t is sell
dom that England has rejoiced In so fine n
summer Equally certain Is ii that English
men call cricket their national game. though
some cynio has said that looking on at crick-
ct" Ia really the national sport OF the Briton.
Whichever is the case. the season ought to
have been eminsntly satisfactory. The coun-
try seems full OF great crlcksters. cricket
grounds have never been In such fine condi-
ton. onlookers have never been moro numer-
Gus. there has been a keen struggle between
tho leading counties for the championship. and
to crown 1t all tho Australians have been here
with a team that Is called tho best thoy
ever put in the field. And yet cricketers and
cricket spectators are not satisfied. They arc
beginning to think that there Is something
wrong. IL not with cricket at my rate with its
rules. Their perplexity would be amusing II
it were not almost pathetic. They present the
appearance OF faithful worshipper who has
begun to suspect that his idol has clay feet, but
is afraid to take it's boots Off and look. The
serious question. as may be imagined. has
been most seriously. not to say ponderously.
discussed. But IL docs not really require
many words. The Englshman after all is. at
bottom. a logical creature. He knows that one
side plays another at cricket. not only for the
mere love OF the game. but to see which side is
the better The counties. schools and univers-
ties play against each other to sec which is
best. They have been hard at 1t now day after
day for four months. making thousands upon
thousands OF runs but they cannot set
tie this important question. because
they cannot get each other out in three
days. The Australian team has PLAYED
five matches against Al-EnRland Only
one Of the five was completed. tho Aus
traians winning II by the bye, the other four
had to be left uncompleted. Two OF them
looked certain wins for England II tho
games had been played out. but who would
really have won the rubber 10 absolutely un-
known. To finish with the Australians. they
played. Ia all. thirty-fve matches. OF these
they won sixteen and lost three the remaining
sixteen were left drawn" or the first
class" counties. Surrey. which finally came out
at the head OF the list. played twenty-siS
matches. but only finished twelve games four
teen. more than half the matches begun. being
drawn. Out OF twenty eight matches York
shire had ten drawn: Lancashire played TWEEN
ty-nve and drew seven; Sussex twenty-five
and drew ten: Essex twenty and drew eight:
warwickshire twenty and drew eleven; aud 80
with the rest Among themselves these fifteen
counties played 20S matches. and were unable
to finish 100 OF them: to these 12O unfinished
games must be added twelve I'm finished games
played by the Counties against the Australians.
How to remedy this state OF affairs seems to
completely puzzle the authorities. Sugges-
lions have been made OF all kinds. such as in
creasing the size OF the wickets. decreasing
the width OF the bat, extending the present
limit OF three days, not to mention other
methods OF a feariully and wonderfully com
plicated description But none OF them has
found favor. and the only hope for next year
seems to be tho chance OF a wet summer that
will give the bowlers a chance"
The wheat problem would appear to have a
fatal fascination for Sir William Crookes
When he made his extraordinary calculations
on the early exhaustion OF tho worlds wheat
supply in his presidential address to the
British Association year ago tho American
authorities. from the Minister OF Agriculture
down. found 1t light task to demolish his
case. But Sir William declines to realize that
his merted reputation in his own branch OF
science will not secure acceptance for his
conclusions on subject In which he
has no practical experience and which
ia remote from his own liies work. He has
produced book on The Wheat Problem" in
which he reiterates his contentious and sets
forth the data on which they are based. The
actual aud potential wheat producing capacity
OF the United States is. and will be for years to
come. he says. the dominant factor In the
worlds bread supply. and hence he gives
prominence to criticisms that have been
launched against him In refutation OF
tho intrinsic part OF his argument.
The Times agricultural reviewer. on his
notice Of the book says: THE FIRST OF his
critics with whom Sir W. Crookes crosses
swords is Mr.. Edward Atkinson. OF Boston. U.
S. A., to tho refutatlon OF whose rash state
meuts.' as the author terms them. about one
NTH Of the volume Is devoted. Much OF Mr. At
kinson's argument bears a strong family like
ness to the evidence with which he entertained
the Royal Comm ission on Agriculture when he
was in England in tho summer Of 1894 and In
the course OF which he volunte ths opln-
ion that cheap bread Is assured for all time TO