THE YOUNCt 
ment," as the foreign part of the city is ^^(^iier- 
ally called. The proraotors appear, however, 
to have reckoned without the Chinese officials. 
They probably thoug'ht that where ^sls was 
permitted there could be no objection to elec- 
tricity. The Chinese governor of the district 
appears to be of a different opinion. He has 
addressed a letter to the senior Foreign Consul, 
requesting the removal of all the electric 
lami)S. He has read, he says, in translations 
from European papers, that terrible accidents 
have arisen from electricity, and flatly refuses 
to permit the residents of Shanghai to be ex- 
posed to such dreadful risks. Hundreds of 
thousands of liouses might be destroyed, mil- 
lions of liv(^s might be lost, even the walls of 
the city might be blown down if anything went 
wrong witli the machines. He has stictly for- 
bidd(^n his own countrymen to use it, aud has 
peremptorily ordered tiiose who have already 
adopted it to discontinue it forthwith. 
Useful Trees. 
In setting out trees along the roadside too 
little regard is had to use. The trees that are 
only beautiful become in time too expensive 
luxuries, as they take up room which cannot 
profitably be spared. Some trees are valuable 
for bee forng(>, as soft maple, bass wood and 
locust. The latter is also a valuable timber 
tr(ie, and of late years the locust borer rarely 
troubles it. 
Shaping young trees may be easilj'- effected if 
taken in time, by summer pruning and pinch- 
ing. A 'nf^edless or misplaced shoot, which 
might become a conspicuous distortion if left to 
grow, is rubbed off with the thumb when an 
inch or two long. Branches which are running 
out too long are stopped by pinching off the 
ends. By those means a handsome and sym- 
metrical head is easily given to a young tree, if 
taken in time. 
Tlie Spanish. Marriage Stone. 
If Ireland has its Blarney Stone, which 
assures to any one kissing it unccmiuKm elo- 
quence and persuasiveness — " blarney," in fact, 
for there is no other equivalent for the myste- 
rious gift— Spain has her " marriage stone," the 
virtues of which are equally remarkable; for 
any single person, male or female, who touches 
it, is absolutely sure to be married within a 
twelvemonth. The stone forms part of the 
masonry of the college of Sacra Monte, in 
Oranada. About twelve months ago, two 
young ladi(^s paid a visit to the old Moorish 
SCIENTIST. 287 
capital, aud were shown over the college by one 
of the resident clergy, who acted as cicerone, 
and who treated the fair- visitors with umisual 
deference and respect. When they came to the 
"marriage stone" tlie padre smilingly ex- 
plained the peculiar powers with which pop- 
ular superstition credited it. " Touch it," said 
one of the ladies to her sister, who laughed in- 
credulously, but followed the advice none the 
less— touching the stone, not once, but twice or 
thrice. Now, the two young ladies were the 
Spanish Infantas, Dona Isabella and Dona Paz; 
and the latter it was who touclKHl the stone. 
She did so on the 3rd of April last year, and she 
was married to Prince Louis, of Bavaria, on the 
2nd of April of the present year. 
The Girl on a Tricycle. 
The girl on a tricycle has already made her 
appearance at the summer resorts. As ob- 
served at Newport she sat between the two 
wheels, which were connected by a short axle- 
tree, on a kind of saddle— astride of it, but not 
so circumstanced as to make divided garments 
necessary, as in riding horseback, man-fashion. 
Her feet reached down to the treadles, and her 
hands were employed in steering by means of a 
device connected with a low front wheel. Her 
posture was not that of sitting, however, but 
her figure was suspended nearly perpentlicular, 
and her legs were moved a great deal like those 
of a horse afflicted with springhalt or a swimmer 
treading water. Her kiwes came up high, with 
an action more productive of good exercise 
than of grace. And yet she was " a symmetri- 
cal and pleasing traveller." The prescribed 
costume is soft, thin flannel, with a blouse 
waist and a skirt reachijig just to the gaiter 
tops. It is obvious that the latter level could 
not be steadily maintained, in view of the high 
treading required to woi k the tricycle, without 
some special modification of the garment. This 
want has been supplied by taking an idea from 
the equestrian habit. Lengthwise of the skirt 
in front two gussets are set in at ]wints where 
the knees will protrude into them in rising. 
Incombustible Paper and Inks. 
Asbestos of the best quality is treated with 
I)otassium permanganate, and then with sul- 
plmric acid; 95 per cent, of such asbestos is 
mixed with 5 per cent, of wood pulp in water 
containing borax and glue. A fire-proof ink 
is made of platinous chloride and oil of lav- 
ender, mixed, for writing, with Indian ink 
and gum, and for printing with lampblack and 
varnish. 
