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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10908, 12 November 1898, Page 5

There are a sufficient number of men even in cities with enough. strength of mind to show practically by example that a flannel or woollen shirt may look as neat and clean as a linen, and it would be a good thing for the public health if they had more imitators. Another point worthy of attention is that tailors have the absurd custom of lining waistcoats and certain parts of trousers with cotton material. One of the miseries of the stout man who goes for his holidays on the moors or the mountains is the chafing at what the tailors call " the fork" of the trousers. This is due to the insane and dirty custom of sewing a piece of cotton stuff into the inside of the trousers at this point. This soon gets nloist or wet with perspiration, forms a kind of poultice to the skin, and quickly produces intertrigo. There is absolutely" 110 excuse for this sartorial eccentricity. Fine woollen material can be obtained for the purpose, and the tailors will put it in if told to do so, though it is necessary to give strict orders that no cotton shall be used in any part of the garment, otherwise it will be introduced somewhere. In a flannel shirt and a woollen suit a man may with ordinary prudence defy any weather, hot or cold, likely to be met with in these islands, provided that in warm weather he eats in moderation of a diet mainly vegetarian. and quenches his thirst with beverages which are not alcoholic. If the attempt to reform men's dress is arduous, in the case of women it is desperate. In cold weather most of the well-to-do class now wear woollen " combinations," which make the danger of their over-garments less imminent. But with the approach of hot weather tTTev discard these safe articles of clothing, and take to a cotton shift, cotton coverings for the thighs, and a stiff, impervious corset. Anything more atrociously unhygienic could not be. imagined. Women now lead more natural lives, whv should thev not wear more rational clothes? Unfortunately rational dress has come to mean bloomer costume, which lias gone out of fashion even with the most " advanced."

Messrs. Peter Lawson and Sons, wholesale seed merchants, have lately issued their report on grass and clover seeds, from which the following particulars are gleaned : From all districts abundant yields of peremiate and Italian rye grasses are reported of superior quality, both as regards colour and weight per bushel, perennial turning out naturally from 241b to 281b, and Italian, extra well awned. from 201b to 221b. Prices are abnormally low; this, coupled with the fine quality, and at a moderate price; but, looking to 'he superiority and cheapness of home-grown seed, it is not yet considered to be of corresponding value. With the 'exception of white, all kinds of clovers were expected to bo plentiful, and of good quality. In respect to grasses, meadow foxtail is offered in much better values than last year. Cocksfoot is not very .plentiful: supplies are forthcoming from New Zealand, America, Germany and France; but superior brightcoloured samples of New Zealand are not offering freely, and American is not up to the average in quality. Meadow fescue is not nearly so plentiful as last year, the low price having much reduced the acreage seeded. Crested dogstail is coming forftard in fairly large quantities at very low quotations. The crop of American has been large, and prices rule low. Samples of rape were very fine and prices lower than last season. Prices of swedes, turnips, and mangolds were reasonable.

Speaking recently at Durham,on the subject of agriculture, Lord Londonderry remarked that they had great reason to be thankful that crop prospects were so much better than those of Russia, at the present time. In most of the other wheat-producing countries the orop was a fair one, and, despite the failure of the Russian crops, he thought it was in every way likely that the price of wheat would not be any higher during the coming winter than it was now. He believed, with regard to grain products generally, the course of prices during the coming winter would be very similar to what it was in 1897, which Mr. Long had described as having been " the best year experienced by agriculturists for certainly 40 or 50 years."