New-York tribune., 1908-08-09

sands
tile that with further cultivation than tnat az
forded by the wooden ploughshares which have
been in use for thousand years three crops
wear can be garnered Grape cuttings stuck rough
~ in the ground will IN a few years yield good
fruit without being bestowed on them Last
wear the best black grapes cost only one cent q
pound and figs one cent dozen. Melons can be
had for nothing.
captain Einar Mlkkelsen. the Danish explorer,
has returned to Copenhagen after his two years
sotourn in the regions north OF Alaska The chief
object OF the expedition was 70 decide whether
there was land to the north Of Alaska or deep
sea- The captain and Norwegian started IN three
sledges with eighteen dogs on a trip over the Ice
toward the north. About fifty miles from shore
they found water which they sounded with newly
invented machine to the depth Of eight hundred
metres without reaching bottom Sixty miles rnr-
ther on no change vas recorded, untI at 4as''
turning toward the southeast. they found bottom
They followed this edge of the continental sheH
toward the east. but had soon to return owing 10
the strong current Captain Mikkelsen was thus
able TO prove that deep water runs north OF Aasha
TO a great distance.
Nuneaton parish church In warwickshire Eng
land is one of the few sacred places where ths
curfew bell Is till rung. In the old days ths pea1
Of belIs-often described as one OF the sweeteSt u
EngIand-perforned some peculiar offices AIO7I
more than one famous prizehsht in the neign0or-
hood of Nuneaton in the earlier half Of last century
the bells of the parish church were rung Wnene'es
a local champion the victor.
A new rubber yielding tree has been discovered
In Indo-China 1t is new species Of hieckroOea'
called b. Tonkinenss. belonging to the urtieaeeSs,
the latex of which contains a large proporuoh OF
rubber of the highest quality. B. Tonkinensis IS
tree from ten to fifteen yards high. Win many
branches and obiong leaves The male flowers are
often grouped around central female flower Inis
is the finest rubber producing tree yet discoVeIea
in Indo- China.
There was recently exhibited at meeting Of tns
Vienna Medical Society a who possesses
peculiar leonine appearance. He IL a young HuS
sian. said to be seventeen years old covered ~ ".
the whole body with long. soft yellow nalr' exp
on the head. where the natural hair Is PIes
Lionel the youth is styled. has ony '"V -
corresponding to nCisOrs. in the lower ai'e
Cases of this kind are said to be rare one % -
oldest ls the family described and pain'eu II -
by Platter. consisting of father. motheF' w. - -
and girl, all of whom were coVefeu WI"
ample cloak OF hair.
The largest known flowers those OF the raiI'e-
sia. plant which grows in Java This cupiNe No. nv
is over yard in diameter each Of its nve rOuIu' @
bright red petals being about a foot acruss- -,
flower weighs over fourteen pounds sHeiiS % I'M
putrid meat and is visited BY carrion loNlls - -
The raff1esia ia parasite or the roofs oL 49, 49,
plants Instead OF stems. leaves and roots II !. l -
the host plant and the huge flower burst OUT anu
appear above ground.
An immense tray OF solid silver. weighing nor
than ten thousand ounces, has just been hlAoe %
firm in London for an Oriental potenta'e- ms
tray is feet In diameter and Is said 70 os 'ne
largest ever executed. 1t has been IN the hahds ..
the siiversmiths for year The tray WIZ
stand upon solid silver table OF the same SIZE
The weight OF the table complete will amount ID
about ton
The common punishment OF decapitation in Cnins
is consderd to be the most severe OF all punish-
ments. This TO a Chinaman, Is the greatest dlsas-
ter which could possibly happen to him. He WOULD
rather die a thousand deaths. each more cruel tnan
the other. 10 he could only retain perfect body 70
the end. believes that after death he goes INTO
the dark land" where life is continued much as
II Is In this world. He believes that II he Is de-
prived OF his head he viii become headless gnost
and be doomed to perpetual sorrow Should hs
wish to marry. no woman would ever dream Vi
taking man without head HIS hands might
grasp the chepsticks. but there would be no nOusn
TO receive the food. He would never De aOle 20
find his road anywhere and the shades n thAt
mysterious land would start with terror trcsn nl;a
as he grOpvG his way through the shadows Glvo
anv Chinese criminal choice between decapsta.
Instantly choose the latter.