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MAKING WEEDS EDIBLE.
Up to the present time scientific
research in the direction of converting
noxious weeds into edible plants by process of
cross-fertilisation and cultivation has
not made much progress in Australia,
and Mr. C.B. Luffman, of
the Burnley Gardens, Victoria submits
a suggestion on this point which
has at least the merit of plausibility as
well as of novelty. In the course of a
short interview lately he said that all our
economic plants are vastly different from
what they were in their natural state.
They have developed under cultivation to
such a degree as to have lost many of their
original characteristics having taken on
entirely new attributes, and been deprived
of undesirable qualities which existed before
they were brought under scientific
treatment Mr. Luftman cites a number of
plants in illustration ot his statement,
but to repeat the list
given by him will not be necessary. ft is
well known that the evolution ot cveiv da\
fruit- ind ve^ct.ibles has licui vciv m ti Lol
since c.ulicr time--, and tliit eli inges am«
unpio\ementa «ne lotist.intlv being eflect-1
ed bj tieatnirnt ( eioar- h.ivc developed
iintlet cultivation, and -o have todde«
plants ot du pis kinds and it is on this
lattin phase «it the question tint Mi
l.ii'tiniii spi.iks vvht«n li'feiini^ to the pos
Sibthtics ilieid in conmclioii willi a -\
tcmitic allai k mion -onie ot oin al pic-tut
u-cle-s vv(«.d- Hit -pim- oi Smith tin
tie», he as-.ii- uc is-mcdlj the îosill
' oi aoai.e natural coudiUaa o* tail at ch
mate, which renders these spines cssenti;
to the preservation of the plant. Reinov
those natural conditions, and treat th
thistle bj" cross-fertilisation or bj- mantuan
the roots, or irrigation, or perhaps bj
combination of methods, and the oharaet«.
of the plant is bound lo become changei
.Scientific examination should reveal somi
thing as to the clements contained in iii
thistle, and supply a hint as lo how tli
problem should be attacked. The Scoic
thistle, and indeed all the thistle f.amil
possess the virtuo of being able to wit!
stand droughc, and to thrive in arid spol
where fodder plants will not grow. Th
Bathurst burr possesses the same drough.
resisting character, and perhaps it coul
also be converted by means of propc
treatment into «a sound edible shrub. E:
perimcntalists in the past have 6ought t
impart to various grasses certain qualifie
that would "enable them to grow in dr
places and in poor soils, but the results <
all their efforts have not so far been sati
factorj:. Mr. Luffman thinks that perhai.
if tho question were approached from a
opposite direction, and attempts were mad
to remove, saj-, the bitterness from th
horehound, the bad taste from the burr
or the spines from thistles, plants whic
grow so luxuriantly and spread so rapidl
in many dry districts, resisting droughl
no matter how long continued, some vab
able effects might be produced. The- ma
ter is one for the scientist to investigat
in the laboratory and for the botanist t
experiment upon in tho field, and if, saj
the gentleman named, some systemali
work were dono in both directions it :
possible that the tabor involved woul
be ampi}- repaid. What Austral
wants is a vigorouslj'-growing, drough
resisting fodder plant. Tho salt bush fill
the bill to some extent, but it is only
sheep plant, and will not grow except i
certain localities. The weeds named wi
thrive anywhere, in wet as well as dr
situations, in cold and hot climates, on th
hill sides and on the flats. Make thei
edible, and the equivalent of millions «?
pounds sterling will be conferred upon th
stock raisers of the country,.
Mr. T. II. Brooker waited on the Premk
on Saturday on behalf of several leadin
residents of the district of Port Adelaidi
whose names had been omitted from th
electoral roll, and asked if there was any po:
sibilitj- of their being put on, as they di
clarcd that they had forwarded the necoi
sarj* forms at the time of the census. Ali
Jenkins said the rcturning-oflieer for th
district had the power to rectify error!
and if it could be proved to him that th
forms had miscarried he could deal wit'
the matter.
Last week the Conservator of Forest
(Mr. W. Gill) visited the Ayers Forest Ri
serve, near'the Burra, and on inspectin
the last season's planting found that abou
75 per cent, of the trees had stood the dr
summer well and were making exceller
growth. As a good rain has just falle:
the success of this plantation maj" now b
regarded as practically assured.
On Sunday evening two cyclists collide!
in King William-street, near the Suprcm*
Court building. One of them was soverel;
injured, and Dr. Giles, who was called ti
attend to bim, ordered his removal to tin
Adelaide Hospital, as he was suffcrin)
from concussion of the brain. The cyclist
were riding in opposite directions, and it i
believed that the tramway rails were re
sponsiblo for the accident. The polic
were unable to identify the sufferer.
William Finnc.v, who describes himself a
the champion high diver and the hero o
the Tower and Albert bridges, was, befor
Mr. Shed, at Westminster, London, eharg
ed with disorderly conduct. Constabl
384B deposed that-on Wednesday, Mare)
5, about 1,000 people had assembled on th
Albert-bridge, Chelsea, Finney having ad
vertised that he would jump into the rive
"at a height of 100 feet or more." Whei
the-defendant arrived, and was prcparin¡
to carry out his feat-, he was arrested. Mr
Shcil (to defendant)-What business havi
you .to collect a crowd in this way? De
fendant-All I did waa to give the nami
of a public-house where my friends wen
to meet me. The constable mentionee
that the defendant had jumped off bridge
on several occasions, and the police had de
cided to stop it. They had cautioned th!
defendant. Mr. «Sheil ordered Fiunej- t<
find a surety in £10 to be of good behavion:
for six months.
About noon on Saturday, March 1, thi
wife of an architecD living at Hampsteac
(London) left home, and an hour latci
Police-Constable William Morley was in
formed that the lad}- had jumped into thi
Regent's Canal, near the Zoological Gar
dens. The constable scaled a wall ant
fence, and, with the exception of his great
coat, fully dressed, jumped into the watei
to the rescue of the woman. The drown
ing woman clung lo her rescuer, renderin
him helpless, and both sank.' On regaining
the surface the constable attempted ti
reach the bank, but the weight of his sense
less burden and his saturated clothe:
caused his strength to fail, and both agair
sank. Ultimately the pair were puiieri
ashore by a spectator. On reaching the
bank the constable sent for medical aid,
and in the meantime removed his tunic, and
for 15 minutes practised artificial respira'
tion on tha woman before ehe regained con
scioueness, when she was removed to the
infirmar}'.
J Society has discovered a new game, a sort
of table football, which will, no doubt,
soon supersede ping-pong. From time
j immemorial the descendants of Adam and
i Eve have played with a ball, and that,
I perhaps, is,sufficient reason why so many
J people, otherwise sane and harmless, have
j gone mud on table tennis. But the new
i game is different. It is played ou a dining
¡ table, at cither end of which miniature
! goal-posts are set up, as iii tho football
i field. The ball, however, is onij- a coin
I par.ativcly light air-ball, and the game is
plaj-ed with inns, the competitors each en-
deavoring to fan the ball through tho op-
ponents' goal posts. It is said to be a
scientific game, but this claim is always put
forward for new crazes, und verj- little
science goss a long way with some people.
Some day, possibly, people will leam to
look at a gun before, thej- aim it in plaj\
Mr. William Perry, a ship's steward, on
shore leave, at Glasgow last month, jocular-
ly picked up a Colt's rifle, pointed it at
his wife, and pulled the trigger. To his
dismay there was «an explosion, and fhe
fell to the ground fatally wounded. At the
inquest «a verdict of accidental death was
returned. The unfortunate woman and
the still mole unhappy mau were married
onlj- at the beginning of February.
A decision of . tim courts of Indiana
(America) has- ndded a new terror to
matrimonial engagements in th.it «state*. It
is ruled that the death of one of the par
tie.- constitute:« a breach oí promise, en-
titling the survivor to receive compensatoiy
damages to such an amount aa maj- be
equitable in the circumstances. In the
case now decided «a young woman sued the
estate of her deceased fiancee, a young man
ol' substance, and recovered 6,000 dollars
(£1,200)-her claim was 7,000-for the
breach of contract.
The Seymour correspondent of the Mel-
bourne. "Age" telegraphed on Friday:
What appears to have been a determined
case ot suicide, but which admits of a sus-
picion nf foul pia}-, occuned in the Goul-
burn River, about a mile and a halt from
the town, ii is believed, pome lime thi¿=
morning. Mr. C. Smyth was walking down
the b.ink this aiternoo.i, when he noticed
a man's booted feet sticking np through
the water clo-c by the bank. Smythe tied
a piece ot -tring round the le;:, thus seem-
ing the body norn floating away, and then
infoimcd the police. Constable Treacy
proceeded to the place, and found the
body oi a man in about 4 ft. of water, with
the head sticking fa-i in the mud. the lons
and bodv being in an upridit position.
When Liken out U was found that the legs
and hande were securely tied, evidently,
from appearance», by the maa hirnscÛ.
There was nothing on the bodj- to reve;
the man's identitj-, which so far is ni
known. It is obvious that he did not belon
to the travelling class. The hands sho.ve
no trace of his having worked, ile was ai
parentlv- about 30 years of age. some 5 f
7 in. high, of slight build, lair complexio
and hair, and clean «ihavcd. except for ti
moustache, which was of sandy color, li
was dressed in a blue serge coat and vos
grey striped trouseis. new light boots, bca
ing the stamp of Ro.-îs, maker, Malvern an
Haw thom, and a clean white shirt, stani!
ed Foy & Gibson. About 10/ in «¡Iver w:
found in one of the pockets. The embani
ment from which he appears to have take
his fatal dive was about 5 ft. high.
Mr. A. S. Raine, of Mount Dandenon
Victoria, claims to have discovered a ne
process of preserving fruit, which will kel
it in a marketable condition, tit for coo
ing or turning into jam, for «several month
Tho method is very simple, and its meri
the Melbourne "Age" is informed, has bet
established by satisfactory experience. TI
idea is not one that can be patented, bl
as great advantages aro claimed for the pr
cess Mr. Raine proposes to submit his plai
to the Victorian Minister of Agricultur
with the view to his purchasing the righ
of the process for the advantage of frui
growers generally.
Very evidently the servant difficulty
not affecting China to any ver}- great e
tent. The beautiful widow of Li Hur
Chang, who lives in a magnificent* home c
the banks of the Pei-ho, employs a tho:
sand sen-ants. She maintains great stat
and is reported to be as wise as sho is bcai
tittil.
The Bendigo Exhibition, which was d
signed to commemorate the discovery <
gold in Victoria in 1S51, has proved an ni
qualified success, upwards of 185,000 peep
having passed through the turnstiles du
ing the five- months of its existence.
The primary disadvantage of India as
health resort has long been admitted to I
its excessive heat. An ingenious invento:
however, now proposes to overcome this di
ficulty by ueing liquid air to reduce th
temperature. With science to assist us i
getting over the little difficulties affordc
by the weather, we may yet skate at Ca
cutta and play cricket at the North Poh
Last month Mr. Justice Walton, whe
presiding in an English court, took occi
«¡ion to remind employers that to dismiss
man because he is detained on a jury i
practically contempt of court, and an o:
fence which a judge might have to coi
sider seriously.
"And where was he sitting';" asked on
.countryman of another, on the question c
a stranger who had been seen in churel
*'Behind the fool," was the reply. "Whic
fool?*" asked the first,' who seemed to thin
the word somewhat widely applicable
"Why the big fool, to be sure. The Tool
key, do you call it, where the parson put
the book.*' Was ever (say« the Londo
"Globe") a lectern so familiarlj* deseribei
or ornithology more outraged?
As a means to the improvement of th
complexion, camphor-eating is said to b
greatly resorted to. The idea <=eems to pre
vail (says "Science Siftings") that this gum
taken in small «and regular doses, gives a pc
culiar clear creaminess of complexion. Th
habit is, moreover, very difficult to cast oil
for camphor produces a mild form oí es
hilaration «and stupefaction; and in man;
instances, where very large doses have beei
swallowed, the habit has become a »ort o
slavery. Camphor-eaters all have a dream}
dazed, and very listless air, and iu mos.t o
them there is an ever present longing ti
sleep, or, at least, to rest. Extreme weak
ness generally follows the taking of regula
dosée.
Mr. J. n. Gartside, Manchester, cottoi
spinner, has given Owens College £10,00
for ' 10 years' provision of scholarships o
commerce and industries, intended to in
duce young men of education to devote a
least ni year at the college to the specia
study of subjects bearing on commerce ant
industry, and then go abroad for the stud}
of some particular «subject. A« much a¡
£250 a year will be paid in the case of thi
United «States. The Manchester Chambei
of Commerce will have a voice in the elec
tion of the scholars.
Bishop Thornton (late of Ballarat)
preaching at Blackburn (England) on Sun
day, March 2, on recreations, said In
would not condemn as "anathema" dancing
racing, golf, cricket, and artificial locomo
tion on Sundays, or even moderate smokinf
and drinking; but amusements were vcrj
seductive, and the man who lived entire!}
for them could not live a truly Chrietiar
life. Touching on the Betting Commission
the Bishop said he had only been to ont
race meeting, and he had nevar before 6i
since found himself in the midst of sue!
vile blackguardism.
A bullock was shot at Merthyr (Wales)
slaughterhouse last month with an ordinarj
rifle, and the bullet, after passing througii
the animal's head to the floor, struck one
of its hind legs, perforated a wooden door,
and wounded in the groin a boy named Daly,
who was passing by. Daly was medically
attended and taken home.
Every poet and every author, high or
low, known or unknown, has a favorite
word, and it may interest read«'-is to know
that the favorite word of Burns was
"heart." At least, the quotations under
that word fill no fewer than six minutely
printed columns of a concordance. It will
give some idea of tho vastness of this pro-
portion when it is mentioned that even such
a common auxiliary as "hac" has little more
than a column and a half in the same pub-
lication. "LasV "friend,'' and "heaven"'
come next io "heart,"' each having about
two columns.
An Austrian captain has just completed
his walk along the D.anube River from Lintz
I to Vienna on a pair of new water-shoes,
which ho has invented. The capt.ain towed
behind him a small canoe in which Iris wife
was seated. The new watcr-nhocs are 6
ft. long.
The Rev. IT. Ii. Blogc. vicar of Fiodsham,
Cheshire, has been advocating cricket and
football for young people on Sunday after-
noons. He maintains that it is better that
they should bo playing healthy, manly
games than loafing about smoking pernicious
cigarettes.
Two students, who declared that they had
fought a duel for the truly noble purpose
of acquiring scars as "face-ornaments,'' have
each been sentenced by the German courts
to three months' detention in a fortrose
under the laws in force against duelling.
There is no immediate danger of «» Scotch
whisky famine if one may judge from the
return showing the quantities of whisky in
bond in Bonnie Scotland. Although the
figures of the excise collections on .January
31 last may send a glow through the hearts
of the "Heilander" and his southern
brethren, the}- will cause the temperance
advócalo« to shudder perceptibly. Elgin
leads the way with 19,900,044 proof gallone
in the distillers* warehouses, and 5,140,510
in general warehouse«-. Stilling and Edin-
burgh come next with over 11,000,000 gal-
lons in distillers' warehouses, while the
total quantity in 12 Scotch cities is no less
than 109,260.191 proof pillons.
The teacher*- of a certain parish Sunday
school in Dumfriesshire decided to intro-
duce a cinematograph at the annual soiree,
and in order to suit the wishes and tastes
of the children as much as possible the
minister asked them whether they would
prefer pictures of the war. of the late
Queen's funeral, or the Passion Play. The
vote was in favor of the fitt=t-named, but
a doubt lingered in the minister's mind, and
he asked the scholars if they knew what
was really meant by "Passion Play." For
a few minute» fcay« the "Slate") silence
reigned, mid then one youngster, jumping
up. exclaimed triumphantly, "Please, sir,
it's ping pong!"
A somewhat remarkable quarrying feat
wa- (according to tho Aberdeen ".lournal"')
accomplished at Rubislaw Qu.airies, Abei
dcen. recently. A l.npe stone had been
drilled ready for splitting, when the thought
.truck, .thfi foreman that nttturg might ¿id
in the object to be attained, the idea bsing
suggested b\ the severe fio=t which pte
va led W atci was poured into each of the
('rill holes, nnd it bang Saturdai afternoon
vvotk «vi«» sut-pended until Mondav morn
ing, when it was lound that the block of
grinite had completelv burst open An idea
oi the Jmmcnse povci of the fro-t will be
githeted when tt is stated that the stone
thus detached mea-sure« 12 it bj 3 ft , ami
ha- i w eight oi about ta\ ton«
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