A Japanese Prison.

Opunake Times, Volume XXI, Issue 750, 23 June 1905, Page 4

A Japanese Prison.

Imagine a park or garden in the Japanese style, with dwarf trees, surrounded by a hedge, instead of a wall. In this park one sees a group of Japanese houses, like those occupied by the peasants. The prisoners are all at work proportioned to their physical ability. Some are threshing and grinding rice; others are weaving coarse cloth, of a dark red color, of which the prison uniforms are made; the old and infirm are separating leaves of paper. All of them receive a percentage of their earnings. The younger prisoners are in school. The discipline is military in form, but in its spirit reformatory. There are few evasions, notwithstanding the ease with which they could be effected. One reason for this is the efficiency of the Japanese police, which ig said to be the best in the world. The prisoners are divided into three grades, and are differently fed, according as they are idle and refractory, amenable to discipline, or exceptionally well behaved. The only other punishment is solitary confinement in a sort of dungeon, not exceeding five days. No prisoner may be discharged, however short his term of sentence, unless his family or friends assume responsibility for him. The result has been the organisation of a large number of prisoners' aid societies. Where Babies are Salted. The remarkable custom of salting newborn babies is still practised in certain parts of Europe and Asia. The method varies with the differing nationalities of the people using it. The Armenians of Eussia cover the entire skin of the infant with a very fine salt. This is left on the baby for three hours or more, and then washed off with warm water. A mountain tribe of Asia Minor, is even more merciless than the Armenians. They keep their new-born babies covered with salt for twenty-four hours. . . #■—■—■""■— ""■ Sovereigns in Soot. Chimney soot is one of the richest fertilisers known. That from coal is very rich in ammonia. When coal is.burned ammonia is set free, and during the various changes which take place in the process sulphite and carbonate of ammonia are both formed. Soot is a highly compound substance, containing not only ammonia, hut lime, sulphuric acid, acetic acid, nitrio acid, chlorine, andiron, nearly all of which are valuable, directly or indirectly. Soot is sold in England for about £lO a ton. It is often thrown away as worthless by those who do not know its value, but farmers should save every ounce for use. Sprinkled around some kinds of plants, it often prevents attacks from insects, and the rains then carry it down into the earth, where it does duty as a fertiliser.