The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-20
CLAIMS RAINFALL
 SHOWS INCREASE French Astronomer Gives In-
 teresting Statistics BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN BUST Standing on the High Pedestal Flank ing the Opera Attracts All Wis
 itors to the Community
 Charles Garnier.
BY PAUL VILLlERS.

BY PAUL VILLlERS.
 Paris, Oct. 1s-(specisl Cable.)-Camille Flammarion, the popular French astron- omer, has just proved by statistics, which he has collected. going back to the end of the seventeenth century, that for the last three hundred years, the amount of rainfall has increased progressively each year.
 From 1889 to 1719 there fell about twen- ty inches of water (4s centimetres) per annum. while from 1890 to 1906 there fell just about twenty-four inches per annum (5S centimetres.) Again the annual fig ures show that there Is a certain perio- dicity about rain of five or six years, though it is irregular.
 Thus, one period of five years or there abouts will be very rainy, and another similar period will be very dry. In 1898 there was a maximum of rain. in 1907 minimum, and last year we again had a maximum.
 An interesting article is published in the Review, La Villa ct il Giardino, by Signor Seveil director of tthe public gardens of Rome, on the history of the famous gar
 
 cupy the site of the circus and the gar dens Of Nero, where the first Christians of Rome were burnt like torches.
 The Papal gardens were first laid put in 12S0 during the reign of Nicholas III. All the Popes who have succeeded have contributed to the beautfyng of these superb lawns and alleys. The numerous rich fountains which now keep the gar dens fresh are due to Paul V. The style ia hot nf ha Gtxrta aa1atI1 ot.H seventeenth centuries-ygeometric and somewhat monotonous, but harmonizing with the severity of the neighboring pa aces and monuments.
 Gregory XIV. cut down a large area of old plantations, and turned the wood which formerly surrounded the pavilion of Plus ". into what was at that time called ''an English garden" All the Popes practically have been of Bacon's opinion that God first planted a garden" and as his vice regents on earth have always taken an intense interest. as was fitting in horticulture.
 Their ambition seems always to have been to be the first to cultivate rare and exotic plants and new vegetables and to introduce unknown perfumes.
 The whole of the older part of the gar den is planted with "quercus Hex" and the alleys are bounded with laurel and box hedges. The famous secret garden
 
 which Is planted with shrubberies and lawns and vines, was designed by the famous architect, Bramante, and is an exact specimen of q fifteenth century garden.
 It has now been established that the firsa botanical garden known in Europe was in the Vatican. This interesting history makes it all the more deplorable that the Vatican gardens are under the present Pope in a lamentable state of neglect Leo XIII. was proud of the gar uens and himself personally gave much attention and thought to them. Plus K, however does not take much . Interest in them. and it is difficult to be- leve that the TOO francs which, on the administrative budget of the Vatican, are put down for the gardens and their up- keep are really and truly devoted to this object,
 Visitors to Paris are always struck by ie beautiful golden bust which stands on high pedestal 1anking the opera. If
 ey inquire they find out it is the head ld shoulders of Charles Garnier. the rchtect of the opera. a remarkable ge-
 lis who was cut off in the prime of his fe
 The National Society of French Artists. wishing to do honor to the memory of Garnier, have now petitoned the govern ment to have his remains removed to the Pantheon. But the widow, Mime. Charles Garner, though very much touched at the suggestion. does not like it.
 She prefers that the ashes of her hus- band in their modest resting place in the . Montparnasse cemetery, where ono of their children Is olso buried, should be left there, where she may go undisturhed and pray over the grave. and where she may when her time comes be laid beside him.
 At the shop of the wel-known silk and lace firm at the Hague is now being ex ! hibited a mantle which was made for the coronation of the Empress Eusenie, which however. never took place. 1t was worn ' once only by the Empress. at the opening of the Suez canal, in 1869. Napoleon III. himself appointed a celebrated artist to design the lace, the sketch being destroy ed after the lace was made.
 The lace, which was made in one piece, was mounted upon velvet and embroider- ed in gold and lined with silk. It took seven persons five years to make 1t and cost nearly s50,o0o.
 The mantle is still in fairly good preser- walton. being but slightly faded, although 1t lay for twenty-eight years hidden in emal pawnbroker's shop at Athens ] Miss Mariette Cockton, the well-known American artist who lives in London, is at present in Paris and is engaged in painting portrait of the famous sculp- tor Auguste Rodln, Whlcn, as soon as IL Is finished, will be exhibited in New York. M. Rodin. in an interview specially &C., corded your correspondent, was good enough to give some details of the work he is at present engaged upon. He has just completed a bust of MT. Pulitzer, which was begun last winter at Menton. He has also been at work on a bust of MT. Bernard Shaw. the English drama list, and on another of Mile. de Munster, daughter of the ex-German Ambassador to France. All these busts are in marble, as Is also a fine bust of Napoleon l., , which NJ Rodin is executing for MT. c. w. Simpson, the well-known lawyer of New York, but which is not yet finished. M Rodln has also Just completed bronze of M. Leygues the well-known ex Minister of the French colonies
 The splendid new statue of Victor Hugo by Rodin, who knew the poet in his lat ter days. is for the Luxembourg gallery. 7 1t represents the poet as dem-eod