FOREST AND STREAM. 



37 



r oodhnd t Wmvn and (Bar dm. 



AN UNDERRATED ESCULENT. 



R. CharlesDudley Warner, in his charming "Summer 

 iYJUn a Garden," one of the nicest, freshest and cleverest 

 bits of witty writing we know of, unintentionally we feel sure 

 has done injustice to beans. ' ' There is no dignity in the 

 bean," he sacrilegeously cries. "The bean is a vulgar 

 vegetable without culture, or any flavor of high society 

 among vegetables." Pie almost intimates, rash man, that 

 it has no historic claims. We cheerfully forgive him his lack 

 of that familiarity which so many people possess in regard 

 to Phcenecian manners— almost a speaking acquaintance 

 we might say with Belal or Belu's or Baal or Bel— (zebub). 

 The latest agricultural reports declare that old the African 

 bean and the true Yankee bean are so similar in appearance, 

 as to lead anybody who grows them, to declare that they must 

 both have come from the same pod. What is the connec- 

 tion between the Phccnecian and the bean ? Why to-day 

 the descen dents of this very same people celebrate the ad- 

 vent of the bean. It is true they are colored people, but 

 that makes no difference, save to show that the love of the 

 bean commenced with Adam. A learned English maga- 

 zine writer states as follows: "During the period of the 

 .year called Ifissam, that is to say, when the bean-plant be- 

 gins to blacken, the negroes of Algiers and its neighbor- 

 hood assemble at the Koubba of Belal to keep what they 

 call the Aid-el- Foul, or the fete of beans. Previous to that 

 period they are supposed to have abstained from eating 

 this vegetable. An ox is then sacrificed and dancing is 

 next in order. Here men and women, seized with fits of 

 enthusiasm, often fling themselves into the sea, and at times 

 it is only with considerable difficulty that their companions 

 are able to rescue them from drowning." We feel sure that 

 after this high authority, the clever editor of the Hartford 

 Corn-ant, will somewhat modify his judgment in regard to 

 beans, and that some future fete de beans may be inaugura- 

 ted under his auspices. 



4 



—George May Powell, who has been recently investigating 

 the culture of the olive in Palestine regards that tree as es- 

 pecially adapted to the mountain regions of Virginia, North 

 Carolina and Tennessee. First results are tardy, but an 

 orchard of J 00 trees per aero requires far less care than our 

 fruits, and yields for centuries, when in bearing; from two 

 16. five dollas per tree. He says: 



1 No other country has such floral variety as this. 

 Flowers from the limits of the temperate on Herinon to the 

 tropical on Jordan are here, and all compressed in less than 

 the limits of the State of New Hampshire. From no other 

 country can we secure more of value in the line of seeds 

 and cuttings, and if a proposed organization of a Palestine 

 Farmers' Club succeeds, there will be a medium of ex- 

 change, As afield for the study of birds, flowers and stones 

 ih<- naturalist will always find Palestine remarkable." 

 ♦•- — — 



—In Acheen there blooms a flower the parasitical Rafflesia, 

 which measures three; feet across. One is a nosegay. But 

 then, in the vegetable way there is a tuberose edible root of 

 400 pounds, and with this a shell fish, on which twenty 

 people can dine. How the Dutch are going to starve out 

 the Aeheens remains to be seen. 



Grkexhouse asd Window Plants.— If new houses are 

 to be built and old ones altered or repaired it should be 

 done while there is plenty of time, and not postponed until 

 the houses are likely to be wanted. The heating apparatus 

 will need overhauling to see if it can go through another win- 

 ter without repairs. Supplies of loam, leaf mould, de- 

 cayed turf, and sand, are to be laid under cover for winter 

 use, and orders sent for the needed stock of pots. Camellias 

 and other evergreens from the greenhouses will need 

 especial care in shading and watering this month, and all 

 greenhouse plants that are set outside should be cared for. 

 If not properly protected they may be thrown over by high 

 winds or they may be attacked by slugs and insects or in- 

 jured by dogs and cats. Plants in the border which it is in- 

 tended to repot shouM not be allowed to grow out of shape; 

 an occasional pinching will prevent this. — Agrimltitritf. 

 * 



Shade-trees a Protection Ag-ausst Fire. — An Oeegon 

 paper draws attention to the fact that the shade trees planted 

 around several blocks of buildings in Portland, preserved 

 them from destruction during the recent great fire in that 

 city, "it vas observed/' it remarks, " on the day of the tire, 

 what wonderful protection our maple and other trees 

 planted along the streets afford. Many buildings, anion a 

 them the First Cohgrgational Church, were saved by the 

 thick foliage of the trees in front of them. Were trees 

 planted along our business thoroughfares, they would af- 

 ford such a cover that a building would not easily kindle 

 from a burning structure on the opposite side of the street. 

 Fire thus could be prevented from spreading. The trees 

 are a cheap insurance, and worth as much for health and 

 comfort as For defense against fire." 



— . -^«»» 



FrxE Appetite,. -As a rule the half-breed, like the Indian 

 eats inordinately. If lie has fasted for a time his cravin°-s 

 seem never to be satisfied. An Indian and a half-breed sat 

 down to a pot filled with a fish which must have weighed 

 before it was cooked, fully twenty-five pounds, and * they 

 finished it, leaving only the bones", after which they swal- 

 lowed a quantity of pemican. They still looked so hungry 

 that it would have been dangerous' to have left any edibles 

 within their reach.— GctmMmn Monthly. 



—Otter hunting, has been revived in England, though the 

 master of an otter hunt was drowned lately. 



^thhtit pastimes. 



CRICKET. 



THE Waltham cricket club, in the absence of their ex- 

 pected visitors, the Manhattans of New York, owing 

 to the death of the latter's Secretary, concluded to play a 

 quiet game, when the rain interfered and the stumps were 

 drawn. Waltham's 133; picked eleven 55. 



August 23rd. A game was played between the Wal- 

 tham's and Alpha's of Salem, which was decided by the 

 first innings. Waltham 133; Salem 42. In the score for 

 Watham, Howarth being in fine batting form, made 

 54 runs. The Waltham's have played ten matches this 

 season, and have only been defeated once, by the Man 

 hattan's of New York. 



The St. George's Club have played already this season ten 

 matches, of which they have won seven, drawn one, and 

 lost two; the latter were one-day matches decided by the 

 score of the first innings. The Club's eleven went LB Boston 

 last Friday to play the Walthams, and Boston Grubs, 



The Manhattan Club have a. fine team this season, and on 

 one occasion defeated a strong eleven of the St. George's by 

 nine runs on score of first inning; this was a very creditable 

 victory as the St. George's played with their professional. 



The Prospect Park Club of Brooklyn is yet in its infancy 

 and turns out a goodly number on practice days. At an 

 early date it plays the Staten Island and Manhattan Clubs. 



There are. also several other clubs of note in the different 

 States, notably in Philadelphia where of course the German- 

 town takes the lead, next the Philadelphia and last but not 

 by any means the least, the Marion club in Vermont. Dr. 

 Coit's school (after the style of Rugby) we are pleased to 

 hear, can turn out on practice days four elevens, and some 

 of the school boysJiave been elected junior members of the 

 St. George's of this city. 



We regret to hear the death of Mr. George T. Keiller of the 

 Brooklyn Union, who was unfortunately drowned while bath- 

 ing in the waters near Center Moriches, L.I. He was a 

 great supporter of athletic pastimes, and was secretary of 

 the Manhattan Cricket Club, also Vice President of the Pros- 

 pect Park Cricket Club, at, the time of his sudden demise. 



The Dogget coat, and badge for the best Thames Water- 

 man, was founded in 1715. To win it the contestants 

 must pull five miles from London bridge to Chelsea. The 

 original condition was that it had to be pulled against the 

 tide, but people are more merciful now, and the race gener 

 ally comes off at slack water. It was run this year by Mes- 

 suru. 



Another swimming match took place last Saturday in the 

 East river, foot of 56th street. There were eight competi- 

 tors. The first prize, a gold ring, was won by August 

 Ernst, and the second by William Foster. This was fol- 

 lowed by a boy's race. 



The fourth championship game between the Athletics 

 and Washingtons was played at Philadelphia last Saturday, 

 the Athletics winni ng by a score of 7 to 2. McGeary and 

 Hines led off in batting, and Sutton and Thomas in fielding 

 for their respective nines. Brilliant fly catches were made 

 by Sutton and McMullin that resulted in double plays. The 

 weather was clear and favorable, and the umpiring im- 

 partial. 



On the same day, at the Union grounds, Brooklyn, E. I)., 

 the Atlantics beat the Mutuals by a score of 6 to 5. 



The Atlantics left, on Monday morning for a tour to 

 Washington, playing the Athletics at Philadelphia in the 

 afternoon ; the Baltimores at Baltimore on Tuesday, and 

 the Washingtons at Washington on Wednesday. On Thurs- 

 day they play the Athletics again in Philadelphia. On 

 Saturday the Athletics and Bostons will play at Boston. 



—Emma Black, who lives in a small town in Mississippi, 

 saved a man's life recently in a curious way. He was Ash- 

 ing, and having fallen out of his boat, was making all pos- 

 sible haste to drown when the maiden- perceived his plight, 

 and swimming out to him, threw her hair, which is nearly 

 four feet long, into his grasp, and towed him ashore. 



Waltham. Mass., A.ugus1 23d, 1873. 

 Editor Forkst and Stream :-— 



DEAR Sir —Cricket certainly is looking up in this section, more so than 

 for years. Several new and strong clubs have been- .organized. One or 

 i wo of the older ones are at present making more stir than usual. Salem, 

 "Needhani. Boston. Waltham and Harvard still live, and have their annual 

 interchange of matches with varied results. For the last four years the 

 most matches, have heen played by the Walthams. which, as a club, has 

 existed since 1857, and has been the fosterer of neighboring and junior 

 chilis : the result of this care is evidenced in the improved elevens of the 

 last four years. Since the addition of A. Eastwood lo our number the 

 Cbib tanks with any in the East, and is a good opponent to those of vour 

 city, as the result testified in a recent visit to New York, winning easily a 

 match with the "Jersey City," losing only with the "Manhattans," and 

 playing a fine batting and fielding innings against the St. George's, which 

 deservedly merited the praise given and success earned. Next week we 

 may look for some excellent cricket all round, as we expect the St. 

 George's, the United eleven of St. Louis, and are daily practicing; so that 

 we may give them a hard road to travel. WxWl ;thefce= interchanging 

 games we look for still more interest being stirred up in all Athletic pas- 

 ti mes. in which cricket undoubtedly stands pre-eminent. The matter of 

 factne-s of base ball, coining and going in two or three hours' time, looks 

 too much like business when compared with the genial sociability which 

 cricket tends to engender. It brings about a contact individually which 

 the nature of our national game forbids as at present conducted. 



Fkltx. 



The seventeenth annual games of the Ncav York Cale- 

 donian Cliit. will be held at Jones' Wood on September 4th : 

 These games are of very ancient date in Scotland, and are 

 carried out here with all the energy and success worthy of 

 " Old Caledonia. " They consist of running, walking, jump- 



ing, pitching the stone, tossing the caber, dancing the High- 

 land fling, sword, dance and other equally difficult pastimes. 

 The Scottish games of the Brooklyn Caledonian Club take 

 place on Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, August 29th, when a 

 large delegation from other Scottish Clubs are expected to 

 send their best athletes. 



We find in the Brooklyn Eagle that a strong nine is organ- 

 izing from the several leading ball clubs, Co list of names 

 including Start and Matthews, of the Mutuals, Carey and 

 York, of the Baltimore, and* Ferguson, Burdock, and Rem- 

 sen, of the Atlantics. Ferguson is getting up the club, and 

 hopes to get in Allison and Eggler, of the Mutuals, in which 

 case the nine will be complete. 



In Philadelphia on August, 25, the Atlantics beat the Ath- 

 letics— 10 to G. 



In Easton, Pennsylvania, on August 25th, the Fly Aways, 

 of New York, beat the Easton club 30 to 5. 



Several gentlemen of New York have recently started a 

 Club at Summit Lake, Orange Co., New York. They have 

 eighty acres of land and a lake half a, mile long, with a 

 club-house and shooting box, black bass and pickerel iish 

 hvj, etc. 



The officers are Fred. \V. Jones, of New York, President; 

 Jos. F. Meeker, Brooklyn, Vice President; Elisha Stock- 

 bridge. Highland Falls, Treasurer; Isaac L. Noxon, High 

 land Falls, Secretary. 



— Newtown Creek is becoming a favorite training-ground 

 for oarsmen. William Gannon, who is to row a race against 

 Hughes, Sept, 3rd. has his head-quarters at the American 

 Boat-house. Hughes puts up at Burnett's and starts out 

 every day from the Seawanhaka Club-house. They can be 

 seen every day on the creek pulling lustily and getting in 

 condition for the approaching contest. 



— A Halifax dispatch says George Brown is still willing 

 and anxious to row Biglin upon the same conditions as those 

 partly agreed on for the 28th inst., and will extend the time 

 for three weeks, and make a deposit of half or of the whole 

 of the stakes when and where required. 



— The annual regatta of Riverside Rowing Club tak" 

 place on the Genesee river, Sept. 8th. There are eleven 

 boating clubs in Buffalo and nine in Rochester; with this 

 force at hand, there is no reason why they should not }-,<■ 

 come the greatest boating centres in the State. 



A Disconsolate Natural History Man. — M. Houzen, 

 author of a ponderous work on the Mental Faculties of Am 

 Dials compared with those of Man, is deeply exercised over 

 the apparently impending extinction of the anthropoid 

 apes. In a letter addressed to a well-known Scotch natural 

 ist, he expresses his regret that none of the anthropoid 

 apes inhabit Jamaica, where he himsel lives, and thai he i<= 

 thereby deprived of the opportunity of studying them. 

 "They should," says he, "be tamed, domesticated, and 

 studied in their own climate — at home. The gorilla, for 

 instance, should be perpetuated in Guinea, in domesticity. 

 As I stated in my book, it does not appear impossible that 

 lie might learn to talk. Should the attempt succeed, even 

 partially, what would be the bearing and importance of it 

 physiologically and historically-'" We wonder what M. 

 Houzeau understands by the word "talk." If he alludes 

 merely to the utterance of articulate sounds, it is quite pos- 

 sible that the gorilla might be taught to "talk" at least as well 

 as a parrot or raven. Those, however, who see in language 

 something over and above the mere emission of articulate 

 sounds, and who recognise it as being fundamentally noth- 

 ing more than an expression of reasoning mind, will have 

 some difficulty in realizing to themselves a " talking" go- 

 rilla. Why not a "writing" gorilla, since writing, after all, 

 is only another form of talking'? What would Mr. Mur- 

 ray give for an " Autobiography of a Gorilla," edited by 

 M. Houzeau? 



According to a statement made by the Washinton cor- 

 respondent of the Boston Post, Secretary Belknap will as- 

 sign colored graduates of West Point, exclusively to com- 

 mands in white regiments. The Secretary explains that 

 the law leaves no option; he is required to officer coler 

 ed regiments with white men, and, therefore, he must as- 

 sign colored West Pointers to duty in white regiments. If 

 the law really leaves no choice to the Secretary but to place 

 white officers in command of colored regiments, then it 

 follow of course that the colored officers must' go into 

 white regiments, if assigned to any regiment whatever. 

 We, can only say that thislaw, which we cannot find in 

 our compilation,' does injustice to both races, and will be un- 

 popular with both, and will causeapoor state of discipline in 

 regimen thus officered by men of color different from that of 

 their commands. Black regiments would ask why a black 

 man is not good^nough to be officer over them ; and, precisely 

 ii i lie same spirit of race feeling, white soldiers will want to 

 know why negroes are put above them. The effect of the 

 law will be to stimulate prejudice, and both races have 

 reason to be offended at it. It would be better for white 

 and black regiments alike that the lawmaking this singular 

 requirement, if it exists, should be repealed,' and things be 

 allowed to take their natural course. Evprit de corps is a 

 sentiment of the highest conceivable value in a reo-iment, 

 This, it seems to us, must be impaired, by arousing race 

 prejudices between men and their officers, 6n the plan pro- 

 posed. Of course, the Secretary of War has means of com- 

 pelling white men to submit to colored officers and colored 

 men to obey white officers, but it does seem foolish to take 

 the risk of causing insubordination in the army, when ii 

 could be avoided by a repeal or modification of the law on 

 the suggestion of the Secretary.— Journal of Commerce. ' 



The " Opitimus" Guilford coach, driven by a veteran of 

 the old school, ami guamed by an amateur " of the 

 first water," leaves Picadilly, London, daily. Fare 8s ; box- 

 seat 2s (Id extra. You can coach it too to Brighton. 



Englrh gentlemen living m New Zealand, declare it to 

 be no paradise, " because there is nothing to shoot." 



