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The severe winter was followed by a late spring. In April the snow was so deep in the neighborhood of Quebec that the moose and common deer were unable to escape the pursuer, and many were run down and clubbed to death. In May there were further falls of snow. On the fifteenth of the month ice formed in Quebec, and on the 93rd it was reported from Perth that there had been frost every night for a week. At this late date there was very little wheat sown, and there Was a danger that it would be impossible to get a crop in, for the frosts were constant and the snow held its ground in the neighborhood of the fences. Among the Upper Canadian politicians the idea prevailed that by the prosecution of public works on a liberal scale the depression could be relieved and new life could be in- fused into the commerce of the province. Grants, large for that day, were therefore made to various public enterprises. In the first place the sum of £500,000 was voted for the repair of roads. To meet the inter- est upon this sum, and to provide for the re- payment of the loan necessitated by the outlay, a system of provincial taxation was levied. Every hundred acre farm situated on a new or improved road had to pay five shillings a year, every two-horse wagon five shillings, every four-wheeled carriage ten shillings, and every horse on shilling and threepeuce. Assistance to the extent of £245,000 was also given in the shape of a loan to the Welland Canal Company to en- ‘ able the company to complete its werk, and £77,000 was voted for the Trent Valley Canal, an undertaking which remains un- finished to thi day. In addition the Legis- lature chartered numerous lines of railway. The first railway in Canada running from Champlain to St. Johns in Lower Canada was opened in the previous year, and there was a perfect mania for the introduction of the new style of locomotion into the Upper Province. One of the first lines to be au- thorized was a railwa from Hamilton to Sandwich, the Great Vestern presumably. A peculiar feature of the charter for this roaa was a. clause stipulating that if the railway should not yield, when completed, a profit large enough to pay the interest on the capitalflborrogvedfor construcbisn pur- poses, the Gore, London and Western dis- tricts, through which the road ran, were to be assessed to mcet the deficiency, and if necessary to pay off the principal. When this charter passed there were public rejoic- ings at Hamilton and London. In the for- mer city “the proud standard of England was elevated on the public buildings ;" the peo- ple shouted vehemently, and Dundurn castle was illuminated. In the latter “ the glow of lighted windows, the vivid blaze of bon- fires and the brilliant coruscations of fire balls” made the night famous. Two other railways were projected at this time, the Northern and a road from Cobourg north. To the Northern the Legislature loaned £1C0,003. There was a severe battle over the termini of this road, Toronto and Hamil- ton struggling for the southern terminus and Collingwood and Yenetanguishene for the northern terminus. As a result of the loca- tion of the terminus of the Great Western, then called the Hamilton and Sandwich road, at Hamilton a great land boom struck the city, and town lots were sold at as high a price as $200 a foot. In order to provide with a population the Legislature petitioned the Governor to send emigration agents to England. There were, however, no public funds for this enterprise, no subscriptions taken up to cover the expenses of one agency in the Mother Country. The inducements to emigrate to Canada were not very great in those days. The trip across the Atlantic by immigrant ship, usually a returning lum- ber vessel, occupied irom fifty to seventy- five days, and it was not a very safe voyage either, for two years earlier seventeen ships bound for Canada were lost, and with them 730 emigrants. The fare from London to Quebec was £6, and the emigrant rate thence to Toronto was£l 11s., food being extra. Mechanics’ wages in U per Canada avers. - ed $1.25 r day, and and was obtainabfie at five sh' ings an acre. There were no free grants except to' United Empire Loyalists. At that time what is now Western Ontario was called “ thefar west,” To this section the emigrants of an agricultural turn of mind bent their steps. A Hamilton paper reports that every day “ a dozen or two of well-laden waggons pass our office with re- spectable families on the way to the land of promisez” -.. u/u- .. , ,,,,,1 It may be interesting, if not profitable, a a time when everybody is talking of the half century of progress under Queen Vic- toria to glance at the condition of Canada in the year her Majesty ascended the throne. The winter of 1836-37 was an extraordinari- ly severe one, and it was as enduring as it was intense. In both Upper and Lower Canada, owing to the poverty of the crops in the previous year, there was a scarcity of food. As a result, bread was selling in some portions of the Upper Province at elevenpence a two-pound loaf. In Toronto the mechanies were in a state of destitu- tion; while in the eastern part of Lower Canada there was a famine and the people were perishing by the score. In Montreal subscriptions were taken up for the relief of the hungry, and these were forwarded to the stricken Lower Canada districts ac- companied by a liberal consignment of friend- ‘ ly admonition. The advice to the'famish- ing farmers was that they should abandon husbandry and take to fishing. It was inted out that the American fishermen, in violation of the Treaty of 1818, were prose- cuting their calling in the Gulf, eighteen hundred vessels being employed in Cans.- dian waters, and it was suggested that the Canadians should assert their rights ;and catch for the market the piscatorial wealth swarming along their coasts. In'Nova Sontia the difficulty with the Americans was as keen as the trouble in the Gulf, and the Lieutenant-Governor found it necessary to announce to the Legislature when it opened in April that it would afl'ord him uliar satisfaction to make arrangements or the protection of the fisheries, by the employment of small cruisers, so that “ this open disregard for the stipulations of an ex- isting treaty, as well as the illicit traflic with which it is too frequently .accompani- ed, may be in a_ great measure prevented ” Postal and tariff matters were managed entirely by the Home authorities. From Toronto there was a. mail three times a week, and the postage on a. letter to Montreal was thirty cents. The Upper Canada Legisla- ture was, according to the proceedings of 1837, content that the English postoflice ac- counts should be submitted to it for con- sideration, and that the rates should be re- duced by one-third. The fiscal policy was FIFTY YEA RS AGO Canada In 1837. On the 2nd of June, Fishing Officer Fran ser. of Victoria Harbor, received instruc- tionsfrom Ottawa to proceed to Georgian Bay and seize the fishing boats and equip- ments belonging to Messrs. H. S. Davis & Co., of Detroit, Mich. Officer Fraser char- tered the steam tug Mabel. and secured Captain Landrigan, of the 35th Battalion, and a small company of picked men, adapt- ed to the importance of the expedition, and then sailed to the north shore of Georgian Bay, and near French River, on the 4th of June, captured six American fishing vessels, ‘ over 80,000 unds of fish and 200 nets. When the fis ermen found that they were prisoners, they attempted to retake posses- sion of their boats by force. Oflicer Fraser placed his men in commanding positions, and then informed the fishermen that, if they attempted to board the vessels, it would be at the peril of their lives. One of them made an attempt, with one hand on his revolver. Frasar ordered Mr. Swatze to draw a head on him with his gun, which he did ; for a moment life hung on a single thread and the excitement was great, but the fisherman recovered his senses and with- drew his hand from his revolver. On Sat- urday morning, June 4th, about 3 o’clock, Officer Fraser and party departed from French River, having in tow the three best vessels. They arrived at Byng Inlet North, at 11 a. m., and stripped the vessels of their canvas, rigging, etc., and then placed the vessels in charge of her Majesty’s Customs Oificer, to hold until further orders. The expedition then left for the fishing grounds, where the Americans have their nets set. Officer Fraser is to take with him the Mid- land and Collingwood fishermen to assist him in taking up the 200 nets. The vessels are strongly guarded night and day, and any attempt to take them without authorâ€" 1 ity would be useless. The vessels are Am. ‘erican built and rigged throughout and manned by American seamen. Lively times ‘ are expected and the end is not yet. arranged on a protective basis. All British goods, and all goods the produce of places under the East Indian Companies charter, except articles specially mentioned and all articles subject to duty, which had already paid duty at some port in the United King- d om paid on entering Canada, two and a half per cent. ad valorem. Gunpowder. arms, tea, sugar and coffee could not be imported at all except from the United Kingdom or a British colony. Spirits im rted from Great Britain were subject to a uty of six pence a allon; but spirits entering Great Britain From Canada were subject to a duty of £1 per gallon. There was a discrimination, however, in favour of Canada as against foreign spirits imported into Great Britain, for the duty on foreign spirits was £1 103. per gallon. At the same time the tariff on spirits imported into Canada was made to discriminate in favour of Great Britain, the duty on forei n spirits in Canada being a shilling 8. ga lon more than upon British spirits. 0n foreign-made clocks and Watches, leather, linen, books, papers and silk there was a duty of thirty per cent, 27; per cent. more than upon similar British goods ; on refined sugar, tobacco, glass and cotton of foreign make the duty was twenty per cent. In order to force a trade between Canada and the \Vest Indies a duty of five shillings a barrel was placed upon foreign flour entering the West Indies,while Canadian flour was allowed in free. As, however, American flour had been sent to the West Indies via, Nova Scotia a duty of five shillings was placed upon flour in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward 'sland, but American flour could still enter Upper Can- ada free of duty, and it is said that much of that flour found its way by this route touching at Montreal and Quebec, to Jamaica. A somewhat similar tarifi' ar- : rangement was made in favour of the Cana- dian timber trade, for Canadian timber could enter the United Kingdom at one- ninth the duty imposed upon foreign timber. The duties collected at Quebec were divided between Upper and Lower Canada, the former getting one-third of the revenue and the latter two-thirds, until 1837, when a. new arrangement was made, under which the Upper Province secured five per cent. more of revenue. Montreal at this time was coming to the front as a port of entry. The Upper Canadians saw the possibilities before it, and with a view probably to secur- ing a. larger and fairer share of the customs duties they petitioned the King throu h their Legislature asking that the entire s- land of Montreal be annexed to Upper Can- ada so that the city might become their sea- port. Nothing came of this prayer, the un- ion of the provinces making an answer to it unnecessary. After the forwarding of this petition the people of Toronto prepared a memorial to the Congress of the United States urging that wheat, flour and lumber 36 admitted from Upper Canada free of uty. wheat could enter Upper Canada tree, com- pliance with this request would have been a reciprocal privilege ; but Congress was unwilling to ant it. Wheat, however, was bringing six and threepence, or a dollar - and a half a bushel in Upper Canada at the time. As at this time American flour and : Mr. Trimble says it is “now settled be- yond all question that the prairie dog hiber- nates,” That is to say, he falls into a state of profound torpidity, likea snake, on the approach of cold weather, his life suspended and practically extinct, until the return of warm weather revives him. It may be so in boreal Montana, but it is not so here. The prairie dog does not like cold weather, and he articularly hates it when it is wet and col at the same time. When it is raining, hailin or snowing he hugs his hole in the groun ; but he does not curl up for a three or four mthe' sleep and bid adieu to the world and all its jo‘ys. No, indeed; he is having a grand time of it down below with his friends. Perhaps he is tacticing the art of the pugilist or wrestles in riendly matches, perhaps improving his residence; perhaps holding high discussions on matters of state. Perhaps they distill some sort of intoxicant and all get drunk on punch. I am told that in Winter. when all- things are snowed up in Canada, Vermont, Maine and other circum- polar regions, the people have their greatest gayety, feasting, dancing, having a fine time generally, because they can’t do anything else. And it is evidently so with the prairie dogs in these parts. Mr. Trimble says they have “tons of hay” stored away in their holes. Why should they go to such labor if they know they are to sleep all winter? For they cannot eat while sleeping. Seizure of American Fishing Vessels. The Ways of Prairie Dogs. At the present time it will be interesting ‘ to Englishmen to take even a longer, retro- spect than the occasion of the Jubilee sug~ gests. Those u ho wish to do so need only turn to Macaulay’s admirable description of the condition of their country two hun- dred years ago. At that time the population of England was about 5,000,000 : whereas, at the last census, that of England and Wales was nearly 26,000,000. Thousands of square miles now highly cultivated were then moors overgrown with furze or fens abandoned to the wild duck. Down to the eighteenth century much of the country north of the Trent was in a state of barbar- ism. In Northumberland bloodhounds were kept to track robbers, and the judges on circuit, with the sheriff and his armed re- tainers, Were compelled to carry their pro- visions with them, for the country between Newcastle and Carlisle was a dangerous wilderness. At Enfield, scarcely out of sight of London, was a re ion twenty-five miles in circumferencewhicfi contained only three houses and scarcely any enclosed fields Deer wandered there by thousands. In 1696 only.2,0-.’0,000 quarters of wheat were grown, and the product was consumed only y persons in easy circumstances. The cul- j tivation of the turnip had only recently been Introduced, and that vegetable was not used as food for animals, so that when grass was scarce it was difficult to keep cattle and sheep alive. The latter Were killed and salted in large numbers at the beginning of the cold weather, and for several months even the gentry tasted little fresh animal food, except game and river fish. The sheep and cattle were small, and horses sold at about fifty shillings each. The greater part ‘ of the iron used was imported, and coal was utilizedlfor domestic purposes only. The ‘ incomes of the country gentlemen, who sel- dom left their homes, even to go to London. were not more than one- fourth of what they are now. The yeomanry numbered about 160,000, with an average income of from £60 to £70 a year, and they were more in number than those who farmed the lands of others. Four-fifths of the “ common-people ” were employed in agriculture at 4d. aday with foodâ€"8d. without food. Four shil- lings a week was considered a fair average wage. A mechanic could exact a shilling a day; handloom weavers had been reduced to sixpence a day. The great majority of the people lived almost entirely on rye, bar- ley and oats, andsuch articles as sugar, salt, soap, shoes and all articles of bedding were much dearer than now. Blankets were un- known until 1705. The class below the laborer and the artisanâ€"one~fourth of the whole populationâ€"depended for a living upon parochial relief. No canals had been dug, and many of the roads during the greatenpart of the year were almost impass~ able for vehicles. The jud es were unani- mously of the _opinion that iy the courm‘on Sonic yearsvago one of the most interest- ing newpaper columns of the day was writ- ten for the Illustrated London News by one of the famous Punch crowd of journalists, the late Shirle Brooks. It was entitled “ Nothing in t e Papers.” It always struck us as singularly inappropriate for the simple reason that the article itself was in a paper and it was as full of good gossipy news as the average egg of meat, to use a rather ancient and common-place simile. If Mr. Brooks were living now and visiting in Canada he might with some show of reason head his article, “ Nothing in the Papers,” for prac- tically it is true, unless from twelve to fif- teen hard solid columns of religious conven. tion routine day after day can be called “ something." It is certainly not“ news,” and the vast amount of it could well be left to the different religious papers to chroni- cle. The pattern newspapers of today are the big New York dailies. It is true they are not so substantial in their contents as the big London dailies, but they are more readable from their snappy, newsy character. They would not dare to sling two or three pages of nonpariel seven days of the week of mere records of business religion at their readers. If they did their circulation would rapidly disappear, and the paper that returned to secular subjects first would get the run. That is just what is happening in Toronto, and the big dailies, whose diffusion is constantly becoming more and more circumscribed, will, in time, real- ize the fact, but it will be too late. It is not in the order of things that seven days a week should be given up almost entirely to our devotions. if it were so then the order would be reversed, and the devotions would become “labor,” and instead of seeking re- pose in the blessed calm of true Christianity on the seventh day, we should ha Ie to seek recreation in things worldly on that day. We submit, with all respect, to our big con- temporaries, that a couple of columns each day in larger type of personal and material description of these May and June religious meetings would be far more wide- ly read, and tremendously of more general interest than the routine cart-load that is now shovelled up morning after morning. Nowadays all things have to be made palat- . able. \Ve furnish our churches after the fashion of opera houses and we sugar-coat our pills. law nfvEngland ‘no man not Euthorized by Crgwq had a‘ ‘righ‘ti to‘puylisb politian ngws‘. Such was the England of -two hundred years ago. At the time of her Majesty’s accession, of course, a wonderful change had taken place, but as we have already pointed out, the history of the national pro- gress during the past halt century is un ar- alleled in any similar period. Never be ore was there such a vast; increase of industrial and social advantages, such a. growth of edu- cation and of wealth, such develo ment in the application of science, not on y to arts and manufactures, but to all the needs of humanity. Omaha. manâ€"“ Are you making a fair liv- ing out of your Kansas farm ‘3” Kans s imanâ€"“ Living '3 Why, I’m rich 1 You see there was a little piece of poor ground back of the dug-out which wasn’t fit for anythin . Well, one night Brother Jake dreame there was gold under it, and the next morning he offered me $ 00 for it,-â€"on long time, of course, for he hadn’t any money,â€"and I sold it."â€"“ Yes.”â€"“ Well, Brother Bill heard of Jake’s dream and bought the lot of him for $1.000â€"in the same way, you know. Then I got scared and bought it back for $5,000. Then I sold it to Bill for $10,000 ; and so it went until a few days ago, when I got the lot again‘ and sold it to Jake for $100,000. Just think of it I No more farming for me.”â€"â€"â€" “ But what security have you to show for all that value if Jake has no money ?”â€" “ Why, l’ve got a. mortgage on the lot.” Two Hundred Years Ago. A Land Boom In Kansas. The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh lived for many years in England on an income of £40,- 000 a. year allowed him by the British Gov- ernment as compensation for the revenues which he would have enjoyed as an Indian Prince. To fill the position and discharge the duties of an English country gentleman seemed to be his chief ambition. He pro- fessed Christianity and took an active part in county affairs. He even became candi- date for a seat in Parliament. He remained in some respects, however, thoroughly Ori- ental. His expenditure exceeded his large income, and he imagined that the British Government should pay his debts. Because they refused, he renounced Christianity, left England, and under the name of Pat- rick Casey made his way to Moscow, where he now is in constant communication with M. Katkofl“, owner of the Moscow Gazette, who has for some time played an extraordi- nary art in Russian affairs. It is supposed that huleep contemplates rendering such aid to Russian desi us on India as the grand- son oi the Lion of ahore may yet be able to render. He thinks that the Sikhs would still recognise him as their Prince and re- volt whenever he gave the order. The Russians ima ine, it is said, that his influ- ence is power ul in Afghanistan also. The London Times asserts that he possesses little influence either in Afghanistan or in the Punjaub and that his “weight in the Anti-British scale ” is trivial. His name, it says, is likely to be as potent or as insigni- ficant at one spot as at another. Still he may serve M. Katkofl’s purpose for a time. A m sterious personality in the opinion of the ussians, he may serve as an element for stirring to efl‘ervescence Russian fancies and hopes. More than that he cannot do, and the Government of India, the Times thinks, can regard his “series of superflu- ous vaunts, privationa and pilgrimazes with placid and unremorseful indifference.” The, advance of the Russians towards Herat may however, give an appearance of more im- portance to his movements. - . . - ' ' ' - d _ mutter lately makes public the following : grad dld m the house 0f the HOmenc 0 ya “ During the last twelve years there have . . . . . . . been imported upwsrd of 200,00' horses, - - for which we have p Lid £10.000,000. \Vhile thfifisgzgz i: pigggfd £1,111; :33?::?: farmers and landowrlers have been bemoan- - - f 1 manna mg the adversity of the times, the breeders “Etgsgzggleofhrsxfilrizs [:53 comfor t; on the contmcnb have utilized the material that would seem like suffering to most of us. I We Possessed, and have? sent us, in , man? In order to escape from a sudden shower, I ‘ cases, the progeny of animals bought in this sought shelter in a cottage by the wayside. country. Many of our best can mares have I found in it a. smell fire on the ground. By b.een mile“ a’way’ and n seemed at one- this fire was reclining an aged man, too’tlme as If. the country would be denuded of»: feeble to sit up long. A‘1 infant was lyingv every animal worthy of e. premier prizeM on some boughs in a comer ; a small boy I And on the other hand, With tnoroughbreds; was playing with a smell kid, Two or three 5 only devaloped for speed, tnerc Wit-s grave- rude shelves held the family atomsl My 1 danger lest the quality of our native-brat}, agogiates [guides] led my home without horses would suffer to an almost irreparable: ceremony into the but. and gave him the extent. Perhaps this was partially owin Plalce of the family donkey in the one com_ ;' to the old rural notion that railways woul mon room The dwelling had neither floor, 3 completely obviate all need for horses, but. . . ‘ it was principally due to the lack of aim in fil‘lggnaz’ngzzvgdfilm “A3322? 3:33:12]: ’ breeding, and to the use of mares without haractcr of an hind Horse breedin was serve as bedroom. The better cottageslc y ‘ L g . have two stories, the lower floor being the couducwd on the haphazard Shyle thh , - - can only result in failure. Happily, how‘ Sizzlfi’ngnd the floor abo‘e being the family ever, there has been an alteration in this MM respect. The societies follide in Elie pres~ . ent decadeâ€"name] , the untera’ m rovo-. “[aharalah nhuleep Singh' lment Society, th); Hackney StmlPBook The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh lived for Society, and the Shire Horse Society many years in England on anincome'of £40,- especially, have been instrumental in 000 a. year allowed him by the Britmh GOV- creating a. change of public f: eling, which ernment as compensation for the revenues already has had the effect of at once im. which he would have enjoyed as an Indian roving the qualityof ourrhorses and stimm Prince. To fill the position and discharge. eting breeding. while the various home the duties of an English country gentleman F parades have bred the ambition on the part. seemed to be his chief embifion. He pro-10f horse owners to possess better animals, fessed Christianity and took an active part and on the pa,” of horse keepers to calm in county affairs. lie even become candi- ‘ Pride in the appearance.” 1 n Considerable sensation has been caused in medical circles in Viennaâ€"so the correspon- dent of The Daily Chronicle saysâ€"by the discovery of a sup osed cure for consumption and other tubercu ar affections of the lungs and other arts of the body. The discover- er is Dr. olischer, a young operator in the clinical department of professor Albert. Dr. Kolischer, starting on the assumption that tuberculosis occasionally heals naturally, owing to the tubercules becoming calcined, hit upon the idea of causing artificial cal- cination by means of hypodermic injections of a compound described as “ calcium phosphoricum" into the limbs of persons af- fected with local tuberculosis. He made a number of experiments with a view of test- ing his discovery, and in every case the ex- periment turned out successful. At the last meeting ofrthe Vienna Society of Physicians: Dr. Ko‘iischer read a. paper on the result of his experiments, and introduced to the meeting several persons who had been cured by his method. He is about to carry his experiments further by makin similar ex- periments upon persons su ering from tuberculosis of the lungs. The inns of Greece do not abound in fur- niture. -In the best hotel in Sparta, a cit of nearly 10,0.0 inhabitants, one smal washbowl, no larger than a. soup plate, serv- ed for all the guests. The street is the usual slop~jar. In small hamlets washbowls are unknown. A request for water for washing would bring a small pitcher full; this was to be poured over the hands in an- cientGreek and modern school-boy fashion. Once at Thebes, at a hospitable private house, I found no water in my room, but when I came to the sitting-room in the morning, a trim servant-maid came forward with basin and handsome silver ewer, to pour water for my ablutions, just as the maid did in the house of the Homeric Odys- sells. Quick upon the heels of the report of the death in Brooklyn of Henry Chatfield, caus- ed by an orange seed lodging in an Intestine, comes a. report of a. like nature from Not- wich, Conn. There Miss Marion Elsie wich, Conn. 'l‘here Muss Marlon name What help. There is a. great sxgh going u Blackman, a. teacher in the free academy, from the world, and the preacher 51101113 died a. few days ago from the same cause. hear that sigh.” Traveling in Greece is no longer attended by the spice of danger from brigands. ' When I was in Greece in 1872, our party] was escorted through Boeotia and Phocis by I r a. squad of soldiers, telegrams were sent to . half a. dozen military posts to be specially watchful on our account, and the American minister thought it worthy of a. paragraphl in his report to the Department of State at Washington, that we had seen no brigands. l Now, the evils of brigundage have been ef- ; fectunlly quelled. The removal of the ; northern boundary of Greece has aided , greatly in this. Peloponnesus has been safe ' Ior years,‘ but brigands with fleet horses could come from the Turkish frontier into l Attica. itself ir a. few hours, and return be- ' yond the reach of Greek pursuit after they had done their work. A particularly pain- 1 £111 transaction in the spring of 1870, when ' three young Englishmen and a Frenchman were killed, aroused the Greeks to do their utmost to put down the infernal disgrace that had grown up during the times of Turkish domination and the anarchy of the revolution. \Ve find in the New Englander for April, from the pen of T. D. Seymour, an interest- ing article on life in modern Greece from which we copy thé following paragraphs : Can Consumption Be Cured? Modern Greece. Rev. Dr. Talma 6, being asked to give his. main idea. of prose ing, said :â€"â€"“I have just one idea. in preaching, and have had that in mind for twenty-five years, it is helpfulness. Every man in this world who is not a. fool needs help. He needs it because of domestic troubles, physical ailments,-depression from overwork, and a thousand other things. I P start out with that idea. always in the pre: $paration and delivery of sermons, and have .found people will come where they can get lthat help. There is _a. great sigh going ug Of the plants that grow in the woods therq are none more interesting, to my mind, than the ferns. I well remember, when a boy, I noticed for the first time the brown spot: that appear on the under sides of the fronds in the latter part of the summer. I wondered what the strange bodies were ; what part they had in the life of the plant. I did not know that for a. long time "it had been a great puzzle to the botanists to tell what these brown patches were. A few years later, when I learned a little geolo . my interest in fer s was greatly increas ; for then I knew that this family of plants grew and flourished upon the earth 3 es and ages before the tall, thick~stemme trees that now tower above them. In those days, we are told, the rich young earth was well nigh taken possession of by luxuriant fem forests. Their huge fronds bent and waved: in the air ; perhaps strange birds flew among them, and odd, ungainly reptiles hid in their- cool shade. And these fern forests, growing, year after year and century after centqu gave rise to the immense coal deposits, the, benefit of which we enjoy. From one-third to one-half ofall the known species of coal. plants, both in America and Europe, belong{ to the fern family. . Two quarts of barley perched to a. very dark brown ;two quarts of corn browned to. the same color; two quarts of nice, dry hops ; one cupful of ground ginger, or mash~ ed ginger root can be used, "'Boil all to. gether in a. large sized kettle 'until the strength is extracted. Frofii 0115 71:0 two hours of hard boiling will be required. Then pour the contents of the kettle’dnfi & sack and drain it into an earth -' .V Squeeze the sack as when maki ' je y. While this work is in o erstion, be four quarts of nice, fresh ran soaking. Put this into the sack and strain the water into the jar. Add brown sugar or molasses until it is slightly sweetened. When almost cool, add two dry yeast cakes, or one cup of li~ quid yeast. Stir it thorou hly, put it in a cool place, and in twenty- our hours it will be ready for use. If a. tonic is needed for debility, add to the above ingredients, while. boiling, sarsaparilla. root. dandelion root; and Wild cherry barkâ€"Ex. The horse stock of England has uf late been kuown'not to have been entirely nor even nearly supplied from home breeders. Journ-sls there have given the subject much; atunnion within the past two or three years.‘ A London contemporary. on this. matter, lately makes public the following : 11“ A Drink for the [lay Field. I have just learned to make a very planar ant, mild, home-made beer, which is very suitable for a. summer drink. As it scum quickly it shoulq l_)e lfept in a c091 place. ' " That makes 84 [have won to day, ” 110 said, giving the horse a congratulatory slap. “ It’s rather tough on the critters, but a fellow must live, you know. You can u so a fly for one experiment only, but when you have a bottle full, as l have here in my pocket, you do no: mind the 1 ms.”â€" “ Give me the Enoney ; I win the bet,” ex. claimed the mm: with the white hat, amid A series of wheezes and snorts from the laugh- in? beast. The sad-m ed 1mm gave up his dollar and passed 9!). Just as the animal was about; todsop down from exhaustion the man with the white hut; puned a. blue-bottla fly from his victim‘s nostrils “ See him laugh ‘2" yelled the man with a white hat as he danced a. Lancasbire step on the flagging. Tears leaped to the eyes of the horse and his respirations came heavy and fast as he lifted his head into the air and uttered a hoarse gufl'aw. The man with the white but passed his hand over the nostrils of the beast, and than stepped back upon the sidewalk. A moment later the eyes of the horse began to roll, and then his upper lip shrivelled up so high that; seven teefih sprang into yiew. _ luck.” _ “ Does the horse kno‘vjv you ?" afiked a. and; eyed man, to whom the challenge was adx dressed. “ Bet you a. dollar I can make that homo laugh,” said a man with a white but as 1m pappgfl a. dqmqre loo‘king beastmon fihq flank. Never saw him before in my life.” Is he the same as any other horse 1‘“ Just the same, as far as I can see." Well, I’ll have to go you a. dollar for England's~ Horse Supply The Horse Laughed. Ferns.