Miscellaneous Extracts.

Hastings Standard, Issue 222, 16 January 1897, Page 4

Miscellaneous Extracts.

THE WORLD'S WHEAT MARKET

The Washington Post of November 22 says a conference of nations on the subject of the world's wheat market is understood to be desired by at least one of the great foreign wheat growing empires. It is stated in official circles that Russia is particularly friendly to such an idea, and is believed to be making overtures not only to America, but to Engbmd, the Argentine Republic, and Austria, which are the principal wheat growing nations of the world. The idea suggested as outlined here is that these nations, should they see fit to come to an agreement on the subject, could fix a price for wheat, to be maintained uniformly through various seasons of over-production or on the failure of crops caused by droughts or continued rain, and thus make the principal grain staple almost as unchangeable in value as gold itself has become. This would enable the producer in the event of an unusually large crop to store his wheat and obtain thereon as loan what would tide him over until the wheat was in demand in the world's market, when he would receive a full and fair price for it.

AN ENTERPRISING MINISTER

In America opportunities evidently exist for changing from one profession to another which are not so freely enjoyed in this country. The versatility of the Rev. Julius Feic-ke, of the Dutch Reformed Church, as described in a New York paper, is a remarkable case in point. This worthy minister resigned from the pulpit in -Jersey City last year because he could not make enough money at it, and opened a saloon at Fifth and Garden streets, Hoboken ; now he has also forsaken the liquor business on the ground that it was not profitable enough. Trade was brisk at first, but after the first few months fell off, and he finally coneluded to return to his profession. After paying off the 1000 dollars mortgage held by a brewing company he had 125 dollars left. Mr Feickle has gone with his family to Philladelphia, and intends to re-enter the ministry in that city.

A NOTED PICTURE

One of the faces in a certain popular picture by the late lamented Sir John Millais has a pathetic story attichedto it. The artist was upon a fishing tour in Scotland, and, being overtaken by a storm of wind and rain one day while 011 the hills, he and his companion sought sbelter in the but of a shepherd, the only habitation for miles around. The shepherd made them ivelcome, and as Sir John and his friend were leaving they pressed him to accept a half-sovereign in return for his hospitality. This he would not, however, do, but, having gathered from the conversation between Sir John and his companion that the former was "one of them picture folk," he suggested that perhaps, if it wouldn' take him more than live minutes more or so, Sir John woull make a sketch of a "wee bit lassie "of his. As it was evident the man and his wife had set their hearts upon it, the artist consented, and the shepherd then led him upstairs to where the child lay in bed. She was a little girl of about 11 years of age so delicate and fragile that it was evident her sojourn he re was not to be for long. Then the artist recognised why it was that the poor shepherd and his wife so desired the picture. A sketch was completed in a very little while, and was received with expressions of the greatest admiration and the warmest gratitude.

A ROMANTIC MARRIAGE

Anion" Archibald Forhe.s'sstories in " Camps, (Quarters, and Casual Places " is one of a wedding celebrated just prior to the battle of Pickeron during the Franco - Prussian war. The bridegroom Kckenstein had written to his betrothed to meet him at Saarbruckeii so that tliey might be married before lie entered ou a campaign from which he might not return. lie win encamped with his regiment within two miles of the town, and got two days' leave on condition that he answered the summons to battle instantly lie heard it. " l>y eleven,"' writes Mr Forbes, " we had all re assembled in the Hotel flaxen. In the great mom the marriage breakfast was laid out. Minna looked like a rosebud in her pretty low-necked bine dn-s. and the pastor in his cassock helped to give diversity of color. We bad done shaking bands with the bride and bridegroom after the Ceremony. and were sitting down to the marriage feast, when young Krkeli stein started and made tim e strides to the open window. Hfs accustomed ear had caught a sound which none of us bad beard. It was the sharp peremptory note of the drum beating the alarm. A • it came nearer and could no longer In mistaken the bright color went out <>f poor Minna s cheek, and she? clung with a brave touching -ileiice toiler i i. In two minutes more Feken- '■■■ i.■ i!j h;td !iis helmet on his head and his sword buckled on, and then his 11irued to -ay farewell to bis girl ere be left tier for the battle. Thu parting v.m silent and brief, but the faces of the two were more eloquent than words. I'oor Minna sal down by the w mdow straining her eyes as Hckeu steiti, running at full spend, went hid way to the retidez\<>us." Three days later Mr Fork w bile making his way up a slope cum-red with dead after a tierce eiK-afemeiit, cauie up<>u the bridegroom MtUng with his back to a hawthorn bu-h -hot through the throat and <pt:te di.td. Pressed against hid br t t his hand h.ld Mi una n photoi iph which Mr Forbes sent to the w ido % .

AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT

A Woodville young man was in sore trouble last Friday morning. He was at the station, and to wile away the time before the arrival of the train, he sat down on the platform, and dangled his logs over the side. The surface of the platform as everybody knows is made of coal tar and sand, and as the morning was warm, our friend unconsciously sat down on a pleasant soft substance. The train was duly signalled and our friend tried to get on to his feet but couldn't; and as the train was approaching close to the station, affairs became desperate. With the assistance of a friend, however, he was pulled off his seat, but at what a sacrifice—he had to leave most of his pants stuck on the platform ! Here was a fix, and there was a large number of ladies on the platform too, and we were astonished they did not even offer the kindly protection of an umbrella to the poor fellow. —Examiner.

UP-TO-DATE POTATO

Mr W. Shaw, of Jundee, recently exhibited in his shop the produce of a single plant of the Up-to-Date potato, which he had grown in his garden. This shaw had no less than 74 potatoes, the yield per acre, at such rate, being 50 tons. The seed tubers were planted a yard apart. Writing in the Irish Farmers' Gazette on the potato crop, Professor Maiden says : —" With regard to late varieties, Findlav's Up -to - Date, which was the sensational potato of last year, seems likely to add greatly to its reputation, and will be eagerly sought after this ' year. Its vigour, even on the driest soils, and "u here drought has been most severe, is very noticeable. Its companion potato Farmers' Glory, is doing well also. Among more recent varieties we are trying we like the Home Ruler : but the Challenge is likely to prove as popular as the Up-to-Date in the course of a year or two when its values becomes known. At present the stock is small and prices beyond what most growers can give, but it is bound to make a reputation before long." Another tine potato raised by Mr Findlay is the Jeanie Deans. A field of this variety on Lord Rosebery's farm yielded at the rate of 10 tons per acre, one shaw producing 45 tubers.

A SAD FAMILY TRAGEDY

Particulars have been received of a sad family tragedy at Uerdingen, says a Berlin telegram. The father, Emil Bredow, was the proprietor of a wellknown hotel at Budberg and suffered serious financial losses, which evidently unhinged his mind as well as his wife's They took a cab and drove with their children to Uerdingen. On the way the mother said to the children—two girls of twelve and five years and a boy of ten—" We will jump together into the Rhine." The elder girl and the boy answered, weeping, " But we don't want to die, mother," and the husband also said, "Then I won't do it either." At Uerdingen the family first took some refreshments, and then went to the Rhine. The mother kept looking ronnd to .see if anybody was looking, and then bound the eldest daughter, who struggled, to her arm with her hair ribbon, and with the words to the others, •' You will follow," jumped into the Rhine," dragging her daughter with her. " Jane, what have you done ? " the husband cried ; but the next moment he took the youngest child in his arms and the boy by the hand and leaped in. The boy saved himself, but the others were drowned.

THE LION SERMON

In tho church of St. Katherine Croc, Leadenhall street, on a recent date, the annual " Lion Sermon " was preached by the Archdeacon of Essex. The sermon has been delivered in the same church for 251 years in succession. Its origin is due to Sir John Gayer, at one time Lord Mayor of London, who found himsi'lf face to face with a lion when travelling with his caravan in a desolate place in Asia. 11 is position was one of extreme danger, for his party were far ahead of him and" therefore

powerless to help bim. Being a pious man Sir John fell upon his knees in front of the animal and prayed to God to stand by him in his hour of need. The prayer was answered, for on rising Sir John noticed that the animal was taken away. He considered his escape miraculous, and on his return to London set aside a sum of money to purchase gifts for the poor on every October 16, the anniversary of the day of his escape, and also to secure that a sermon should be preached to tell future generations how God heard his prayer and delivered him from the month of the lion.

THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF SEEDS.

That vegetables are considerably affected by the size and weight of seeds appears to be proved by the following particulars of trials in the growth of radishes as furnished in a paper on the subject by Mr B. T. Galloway. He states that while it is claimed by some that the size and weight of seed has no material effect on the product, the majority of those who have studied the subject take the opposite view, and have proved their claims by well-conducted experiments. The results of such trials are thus summarised at the end of the paper :— i; 1. The large seed germinated more quickly and with more certainty, and produced marketable plants sooner and more uniformly than the small seed. 2. The small seed gave proportionately larger plants than the large seed, but in practice this does not warrant the use of the former. The practical conclusions that may be deduced from the experiment are : 1. That by the use of large seed from 85 to 90 per cent of the crop may be brought in at the same time. 2. That practically all the plants thus grown being marketable no ground is wasted. 3. That enough time is saved by using large seed to grow one additional crop during the season ; in other words, if four crops are grown, using mixed seed, and, waiting for all the plants to attain sufficient size for market, five crops can be obtained if large seed is planted. 4. That the only additional expense is the extra amount of seed needed, all the smaller ones being sifted out and thrown away. The extra expense will average about 25 per cent, per pound of seed, and when it is known that a pound of seed will plant about 1500 square feet the matter of extra expense becomes trivial."