TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1190, 30 January 1864, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Princess' Tiieatjie.—Last night was performed for the second time the drama named " Mary Queen of Scots.' It is in reality but a fragment from the romantic history of that celebrated sovereign. Her imprisonment inLochaber Castle, her forced abdication, and her escape therefrom with the assistance of young George Douglas, and its consequences, are the incidents chosen by the author. The plot is meagre, and somewhat confuscd, but great opportunity is afforded for scenic display, and some of the language is really beautiful. Miss Aitken looked quite the queen; her rendering of the character in the abdication scene was magnificent. Mr. Newton played George Douglas very creditably. Miss Merton as Catherine Seton acquitted herself remarkably well. Sandy Macfarlane must have been created for Mr. Sliiels, his amusing sallies were given with a gusto which must be heard to be appreciated. On the whole the piece was a success. The afterpiece for the last three nights has been the burlesque " Medea," one of Mr. llrougli's happiest elforts. It is impossible to describe the ludicrous pantomime, and the absurd " quips and cranks" with which the travestie abounds. Mr. Eawcett, as Meden, would extract a grin from the most hypochondriac. Creon (Mr. Manly) was done very effectively. The characters of Orpheus (Mr. Howe) Jason (Miss Merton) and Sairee (Mr. Pollock) were well sustained; and except some small mistakes of the orchestra, the piece went oif with great spirit, to the unbounded merriment of the audience. Miss Morton's song " Good bye, sweetheart, good bye," was encored, and Mr. Fawcett was called before the curtain each evening. To-night is announced Tom Taylor's " Ticket-of-Leave Man." This drama caused great sensation in England, and from what we have seen at rehearsal, we may expect a very capital performance.

Pkovinoial Loan and Investment Society.—A meeting of the shareholders of this association was held last night at the Town Hall. Mr. C. W, Tnrncr at first occupied the chair, but vacated it when his retirement from the office of director was announced, and it was taken by Mr. J. W. Shackle-

ton. Tlii; principal business of the evening was the election of three gentlemen to serve as directors during the current year. After a long and very desultory anil somewhat animated discussion, in which Messrs. Ollivier, Foley, Worth, Lane, and some others, took part, the rearing directors were unanimously re-elected. Votes of thanks to the Board of Directors for their services during the past year, and to the chairman, were passed. Mr. C. W. Turner, in returning thanks for himself and his colleagues, mentioned that at the various ballots, some disappointment was felt by those who were unable to procure advances. The fact was that the directors had not funds sufficient to entertain all the applications made to them. The directors were now attempting to negociate a loan of £20,0D0 in England, on their own securities; should they succeed in realising this proposition, he did not doubt but that the result would probably be greatly beneficial to the association, and shorten its duration by about one year. This announcement was received with great approbation, and the meeting separated. Road Boards. —A meeting ot' the electors of the Bast Heathcote District was held at Christchurch Quay on the 22nd instant, John Ollivier, Esq., in the chair, when the following gentlemen were elected members of the Road Board:—Messrs J. F. Fisher, L. J. Kennaway, W. Montgomery, R. Brunsden, and John Ollivier. At the first meeting of the Board Mr. Montgomery was appointed chairman. South Rakaia District.—A meeting for the same object was hehl on the 26th instant, at Mr. Knyvett's Woolshed. The following gentlemen were elected for the Board:—Messrs. C.J. Bridge. R. J. S. Harman, C. F. Knyvett, E. J. Lee, and T. Overton. Mr. E. J. Lee was elected chairman. Melbourne Steamer.—Bv the arrival of the Gothenburg at Lyttelton on Thursday last, we have our Otago files to the 27th. Cricket. —A match was played on Wednesday last in Latimer.Square. between a second eleven of the Albion Club and eleven from the Heathcote Valley. Some good play was exhibited and high scores obtained by Messrs. Lord, Wood, Calvert, and Lawrence. The Albions were victorious by 62 runs The fielding was good on both sides, and we think it a pity there are not more matches arranged in which the younger players of the different clubs may have an opportunity of showing what they can do. The following is the result of the score: —Albions, 134; Heathcote, 72. The former were therefore victorious by 62 Robrery.—As will he seen by our report of the proceedings at the Resident Magistrate's Court yester • day, a robbery was effected on Friday, under rather singular circumstances. On the day previous, his Honor the Superintendent had placed the corner-stone on one of the projections of the new Wesleyan Church, Christchurch. It was discovered during the night, that the stone had been removed, and that the receptacle containing the coins, a parchment record, &c., had been stolen. The thief was enabled to effect his dishonest purpose without difficulty, as the mortar was quite fresh, and the stone easily raised by means of a handle conveniently and temptingly attached to it. It is satisfactory to be able to add that the miscreant was detected and sentenced to imprisonment. A very trifling loss was suslained by the trustees, as nearly all the property was recovered. It should he added that an offer was made by one of them to provide a guardian for the treasure until it could be properly secured, but the sensible suggestion was imprudently neglected. Central Avon District Road Board. — A meeting of the electors of this district was held at the Papanui Hotel, on Monday last, the 25th inst., for the purpose of electing five members to form the Board. The followinar gentlemen were appointed : Messrs. Bowen, Aikmun, Duncan, Richards, and Shand. Abstract of the quantity of land sold and granted in the different districts for the week ending 28th instant:— district. acreage. Jan 21. Jan. 25. Jan. 23. Ashley 90 Lincoin 26 ... 40 ... 31 Mandeville 20 Banks' Peninsula 20 Lyttelton 20 Oxford 100 Ashburton 20 116 100 151 Chinese Sheep.—We were, on Wednesday, shown two wethers, bred by Mr. W. D. Dangar, of Neotsfield, Singleton, l>y whom they were forwarded to Mr. J. N. Brunker, of East Maitland. They are remarkable for their extreme fatness, also for the sinallncoa tiud pooulint- shuju? of tho hood. Thoy- are bred from Southdown ewes, by Chinese rams; they are to be slaughtered this evening, and we understand they will be the first sheep of the breed slaughtered in the colony.—Maitland Mercury.

Opium Smoking.—An opium-smoking shop attracting our attention, we stepped in to " makee look see." A ghastly, emaciated-looking Chinaman passed us at the door, and narrowly escaped a fall, as he slipped off the tottering block of stone which, half buried in mud and water, forms the step into the house. Placing a few cash on a kind of table or counter, the shopman transferred them to a cup amidst a heap of others, whilst the lethargic-looking customer roused his energies sufficiently to take up what lie paid for. This was a dark thick-looking substance like treacle, which the dealer ladled out from a large wooden bowl, and after weighing it carefully in a pair of scales, placed it on small pieces of paper with scrupulous exactness. The smoker then took his place amongst a number of others, who ranged down each side of the long room, reclining on mats, were placed on raised platforms, their heads resting on bamboo poles which run down the two walls. Before each was fixed a lamp, from which, after having rolled a small quantity of the deleterious matter between his thumb and first finger, and then inserted it into the tiny hole, little bigger than a pin's he lighted his bamboo pipe (about a foot and a-half long), near the end of which was a small round bowl, into which the opium was put and pressed down with a small thin reed. When all was ready he placed it at the light, and drew vigorously, never withdrawing once from the lamp. Now was the time I saw, to watch the terribly fascinating effects of this powerful drug. The small eye of the haggard, weary-looking man lighted up with sudden brilliancy, and the melancholy expression of his face disappearing, was succeeded by a look of contentment, and even of temporary bliss. The stnoke I should think must enter his mouth in great quantities, though, as only a small thin vapour escapes occasionally from his nose, his mouth never being removed from the pipe, the natural conclusion is that by far the greater portion must be swallowed. On asking our guide how much each of these little papers of opiuin cost, he replied thirty cash—equal to about two cents and a-half or one penny farthing of our money.—A Lady's visit to Manilla ami Japan.

A \Vori> on Ro-uancj:.—A clever writer has declared that tliere is tin out-of-the-way corner in every man's miml where superstition, like a slovenly housemaid, sweeps up all sorts of bits and scraps; and there is, undoubtedly, a little green sward in every man's heart to the last days of his existence, sometimes parched up for the lack of moisture, sometimes scorched by the breath of passion, but always ready to spring up in brightness and freshness, give it but some reviving influence. Though we may not care to acknowledge the fact, romance is never wholly at an end.—Once a Week.

Flksii ix Vuohtablks.—All vegetables, especially those eaten by animals, contain a certain portion of tlesh; for instance, in every hundred parts of wheaten flour there are ten parrs of flesh; in a hundred of Indian corn meal there are twelve parts of flesh; and in a hundred of Scotch oatmeal thoivare eighteen of flesh. Now when vegetable food is eaten it is to its fleshy constituent alone that we are indebted for restoring to the body what it has lost by muscular exertion. " All flesh is grass," says the inspired writer, and science proves that this assertion will bear a literal interpretation. No animal has the power to create from its food the flesh to form its own body; nil that the stomach can do is to dissolve the solid food that is put into it ; by and by the fleshy portion of the food enters the blood, mid becomes part of the animal that has eaten it. The starch and sugar of the vegetable are consumed (burned) for the production of warmth, or they are converted into fat and laid up in store as future food when required. Grass consists of certain fleshy constituents, starch and woody fibre. If a cow arrived at maturity, eats grass, nearly, or the whole of its food can be traced to the production of milk; the starch of the grass goes to form fat (.butter) and the flesh appears as casein, or cheese. VVhen a sheep eats grass, the flesh of grass is but slightly modified to procure mutton, while the starch is converted into fat (suet). When a man eats mutton or beef, he is merely appropriating to his own body the fleshy portion of grass, so perseveringly collected by the sheep or oxen. The human stomach, like that of a sheep or ox, has no power to create flesh; all that it can do is to build up its own form with the materials at band. Iron is offered to a workman, and he builds a ship, makes a watchspring, or a mariner's compass, according to his wants; but although he alters the form and texture of the material under his hand, yet its composition remains the same. So as regards flesh, although there be one " flesh of man, aiiother of beasts, ano-

ther of fishes, and another of birds," yet their nlti. mate composition is the same, all of which can )». traced to the grass of the field or a similar source Flesh, then, is derived from vegetables, and i lo j from animals; the latter being merely the collectors of it. And, as though the plant knew that some future destiny waited the flesh which it makes, j t will not use a particle of it to construct a leaf tendril), or a flower, but lays it all up in the so «]'.-' Piesse. The Ice Trade.—For many centuries the annual frost and snow have covered the earth, and acres of water, changed by the subtle chemistry of nature into sparkling ice, have melted again upon the approach of warmer suns, and no one seemed to have conceived the importance of storing it up for use during the sultry portion of the year. At length Mr. Frederic Tudor, Boston, conceived the idea that ice might be made a source of profit; and in 1805 h« shipped a cargo of it to Martinique. The ice was cut from the lakes with axes, and shipped at once. As in nearly every commercial enterprise where the field is novel and untii ed, and experience has not suggcM,.,] a proper method of procedure, the venture proved a failure, as did also several succeeding ones, until ti u . war put an end to all trade whatsoever. Mr. 'J'u'lor was not, however, disheartened; and with an energy and determination sufficiently remarkable, considi?,-. ing the nature of the case, immediately resumed tinbusiness in 1823; and at length, extending his .shin, ments to the West Indies, found his scheme m/ c . cessful. Of course, so long as it was a losing buy. ness, mercantile men kindly permitted him to enjoy the field undisturbed; but so soon as it was clearly shown to offer profitable employment for capital, a number of disinterested persons gave it immediate attention. Up to 1832, Mr. Tudor was alone in the ice trade; but he then began to ship to Calcutta in addition to other ports. Such was the rise of the ii.-e trade in this country as compiled from good authority. The progress of it may be noted in the fact, tlut while in 1832 the amount shipped was but 4302 tons cut from French Pond, in 1854 it had increased to 154,540 tons. The annual consumption of ice since then is stated to be 70,000 tons in New England, am! in New York nearly 285,000 tons. It is said that all of this vast quantity is obtained from lakes along the watercourse of the Hudson River. The large cities in the northern and western part of the State also lay up vast quantities in addition to these enormous amounts, and tons untold are sent abroad to various parts of the globe.—Scientific American. A Citv Churchvard. — A few sparrows occasionally try to raise a lively chirrup in their solitary tree, perhaps as taking a different view of worms

from that entertained by humanity—but they are flat and hoarse of voice, like the clerk, the organ, tin; bell, the clergyman, and all the rest ot' the church works when they are wound up for Sunday. Caged larks, thrushes, or blackbirds, hanging in neighboring courts, pour forth their strains passionately, as scenting the tree, trying to break out, and see leaves again before they die, but their song is Willow, willow—of a churchyard cast. So little light lives inside the churches of my churchyards, when the two are co-existent, that it is often only by accident and after long acquaintance that 1 discover their havins stained glass in some odd window. The westering sun slants into the churchyard by some unwonted entry, a few prismatic tears drop on an old tombstone, and a window that I thought was only dimis for the moment all bejewelled. Then the lylit passes and the colors die. Though even then, if there be room enough for me to fall back so far that I can gaze up to the top of the church tower, I see the rusty vane new burnished, and seeming to look out with a joyful flash over the sea of smoke at the distant short of country. Blinding old men, who are let out of workhouses by the hour, have a tendency to sit on bits of coping-stone in these churchyards, leaning with both hands on their sticks and asthmaticaily gasping. The more depressed class of beggars, too, bring hither broken meats and munch. I am on nodding terms with a meditative turncock who

lingers in one of them, and whom I suspect of a

turn for poetry; the rather, as he looks out of temper when he gives the fire-plug a disparaging wrench with that large tuning-fork of his. which would wear out ilie shoulder of his coat, but for a precautionary piece of inlaid leather. Fire-ladders, which 1 am satisfied nobody knows anything about, and the keys of which were lost in ancient time?, moulder away in the larger churchyards, under caves like wooden eyebrows; and so removed are those corners from the haunts of men and boys, that once on a fifth of November I found a " Guy " trusted to take care of himself there, while his pro prietors had gone to dinner. Of the expression of his face I cannot report, because it was turned to the wall; but his shrugged shoulders and his tea

extended Augers appeared to ricnutc thai Jr si.ul moralised in bis little straw chair on the mystery of mortality until he gave it up as a bad job.—Dickens' Alt the Year Round. Cultivation of Fruit-trees.—We have already mentioned the Emperor's visit to M. Jaequesscn's extensive grounds near Chalons, where a new system of aboriculture has been introduced, under the management of 31. Daniel Hoolbrenck. The following description will give an idea of that horticulturist's

method. In the case of vines, M. Hoolhrenck, at 1 the end of winter, bends down one or two vineshoots of the preceding year upon each stock, so :i> to lie below the horizontal, at an angle of li 2 ik-u r . counted from the vertical. All the other shoots are pruned away. In consequence of this inciinatiou. the sap lingers under the bark, and favors the development of a,|great number of buds, which in tine time become branches laden with grapes. On th«. other hand, the sap produces at the base of the inclined branch a vigorous shoot, which springs up vertically, and which, in the following year, will replace the fruit-branch. When several buds appear on the stem which, in the preceding year, produetd the shoot laden with grapes, the weaker ones are removed, and only that which appears most vigorous is preserved. Bv this means the exhaustion of the stock is prevented, and in the following autumn a long and vigorous shoot is obtained, whieh replaces the other M. Hoolbrenek prepenses to apply this method to all fruit-trees. Nevertheless, as the pear, apple, and plum trees produce fruit on the old brandies, those whieh bore fruit in the preceding year cannot be suppressed. The bending of fruit branches on the pear and apple tree have produced extraordinary results in MJacquesson's orchards. The Emperor examined some young pear trees in the nursery with great attention and found their branches, two years old, laden with abundance of very fine fruit. The bending down of the fruit brandies is peculiarly well adapted to trees that are slow in producing fruit. It gives the shoot which would only yield wood, time to be transformed into fruit branches in the course of a year, and it favors the production of fruitful shoots even on the old branches and bark. The Kmperor's attention was especially attracted by certain old lemon trees, the branches of which were inclined at 11 - degrees, and whieh now display voug lemons directly implanted on ohl branches deprived of twigs and leaves. Experience can show whether the trees subjected to M. Ho.dbrenek's mode of treatment will live long, ami continue to yield the abundant crops they have been producing for these last two years. Certain it i> that his system is also applicable to herbaceous plants, such as asparagus, for instance, the stems ot which, being bent down, produce new alimentary shoots from the middle of August to the midtilo ot September. But M. lloolbrenck does more: it j" well known that the white part of asparagus is bitter and hard, and, therefore, unfit to eat. -»• lloolbrenck takes a bottle with the bottom broken olt; and gives it a strong coating of whiting. |I ' l this fragment of a bottle thus prepared he covers each shoot of asparagus as it makes its appearand, thus preventing the admission of air and light, b) this means all that part of the asparagus so protected becomes as edible as the upper part. lloolbrenck treats the ailauthus, or Japan varnish tree in the same way, in order to provide a quantity of food for the new species of silkworm that feeds upon it, and as this insect thrives in l ' lL ' open air, he protects it from birds by means of u^ t3 ' —Galignttni. Bykon and ins Cnti,s.—When Byron was at Cambridge, he was introduced to Serope Davi=> their mutual friend Matthews, who was aftemaiy drowned in the river Cam. After Matthews's drat i, Davis became Byron's particular friend, and «'«> admitted to his rooms at all hours. Upon one oecasion, he found the poet in bed with his hair eu /«'/"" lote ; upon which Serope cried, " Ila, ha! By have at last caught you acting the part of (l j e "Sleeping Beauty." Byron, in a rage, exclaiui 1 ' 1 • '• No, Serope ; the part of a fool, you should said."—Well, then, anything you please; but have succeeded admirably in deceiving your for it was my conviction that your hair curled turally."—" Yes, naturally, every night," Byron ; " but do not, my dear Serope, let t' K ' out of the bag, for I am as vain of my curls as a S 1 of sixteen." , A Wick for the Bush.—A down-easter. tising for a wife, says:—" Any gal what's got aco a good feather bed, with comfortable fixing , hundred dollars in hard pewter, one that lm 9 J' the measles, and understands tending children, ei have a customer for life by writing a small billet* t ■ ? addre.-sed Z. 11., and stick it on Uncle Ebetiw 1 baru door, jining the hog pen."

Sugar from Serpents' Skins.—ln ISGI, M. de T tics made some experiments from which it appeared that the skins cast off by silkworms might be transformed into sugar. The same chemist lias now sent in a paper to tiie Academy of Sciences, in which he describes a similar process for changing serpents' kins in to sugar. These skins contain a small quantity of a substance resembling the cellulose of plants, soluble in nnimoniuret of copper, and transformable into glucose, which reduces the tartrate of copper and potash, and ferments under the influence of venst! yielding thereby carbonic acid and alcohol. Concentrated snlpuric acid and a solution of potash flre the best re-agents for depriving serpents' skins of their nitrogenous matter. The residue, although verv refractory to chemical agents, may nevertheless be transformed into fermentable glucose recognisable from its property of reducing the tartrate of copper and potash. Thus M. de lues boiled 50 grammes of serpents' skins in a litre of water containing 40 grammes of caustic potash, the skins having been previously treated {ritii concentrated sulphuric acid. The liquid having teen allowed to cool a great deal of water was added, nnd the undissolved residue was several times washed by decantation, and then treated with amm'oninret" of copper, whereby an alkaline solution was obtained, which, on being neutralised by hydrochloric acid, yielded a white precipitate; this, heated in slightly acidulated water, reduced the tartrate of copper and potash, thereby showing that it was Glucose, or the base of sugar. In another somewhat similar 'operation, glucose was obtained which fermented in contact with yeast, producing carbonic acid and alcohol. The former was completely absorbed bv caustic potash ; the alcohol extracted from the solution by distillation, and insulated by means of crystalised carbonate of potash, was nearly pure, since it would burn without leaving anv residue. Rubbed between the hands it evaporated, emitting an agreeable smell, though still partaking of that of animal matter. From all this it may be concluded that serpents' skins contain a very'small quantity of sugary matter or glucose.— Galignani.