November, 1878.
THE WEST SHORE.
85
THE
FRENCH AND OUR ISTHMUS
CANAL.
The last moating of tho International Con
great of Commercial Geography waa recently
held at the Trooadero, in Paris, when ipeechei
were made by moat of the foreign delegates.
The moat important subjeot diaouaaed, and the
one wiiicu cuumea tne principal attention of all,
waa the ahip canal aoroaa the American Isth
mus. The people of the United States will be
glad to learn of the progress that haa been made
towards the accomplishment of this) work. At
the opening meeting, Mr. Ferdinand de Leaaepe
declared himself entirely in favor of it, and
said that one reason for nit opinion was that he
was entirely opposed to monopolies. He liked
to see competition and many routes of commu
nication opened. He waa of the opinion that
a canal without locks waa absolutely needed
for ship navigation, but he did not believe that
a tunnel would be objeotionable. The two
routes surveyed by Lieut. Wyse. and both pro
nounced as feasible, need tunnels of only U and
7 kilometers respectively, while the entire length
of the canal will be only from 80 to 70 kilo
meters. The Suez canal, he said, was 165 kilo
meters Ions, and had cost 405,000,000 of franca.
Statistics shows that at the present time it is
paying handsome dividends, and its stock is far
above par. He estimated the expense of tho
American canal at something like 300,000,000 of
francs, and thought that a capital of 500,000,000
would amply cover all expenses. He also said that
Mr. Levallerv. who had been in charge of the
work of the Suez canal, had told him that it
would be easier to make a canal such as this
than one for railroad purposes, on account of
the greater room for working.
Mr. Nathan Appleton spoke most strongly in
favor of the canal, in behalf of the United
States. He was convinced that when Mr. de
Lesseps rang the bell, and gave the word to aay
that the explorations had been sufficiently made,
and that they were ready to decide upon the
route, delegates from all nations would come to
the summons, and that when the line was de
cided upon, and Mr. de lessens would start tho
work of execution, and form the company, the
capital of 100,000,000, or even twice this sum,
would be easily secured. He hoped the com
pany would be organized in France, with its
office alongside of those of the Suez canal, with
Mr. de Lesseps aa President, and that there
would be a branch offloe in New York. He
felt a juat pride in what France and the United
States had thus far done towards it, and trusted
they would continue to work together in the
future..
A SCENE IN BRAZIL
Rio Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, a country
whose liberal and high-minded Emperor visited
us a few years ago, is deservedly called the fin
est and moat important city of South America.
It is situated upon a high strip of land and at
its feet lies the bay, the entrance to which is
guarded by torts. The harbor, which is very
large and deep, is defended by a castle. The city
is built upon one side of the bay and ia entirely
denrived of the inland breezes by the mountains.
The heat therefore is tremendous daring the
forenoon, bat in the middle of the day the
breeze brings fresh air and comfort
How Galveston IliWi The people of
Galveston have proved that the way to keep
vellow fever out of a place is to keen It el.
and drained. Although that city waa formerly
subject to a severe visitation of the plagns once
in three or four vears. it has had none for 1 1
years past, owing to the means taken after the
great epidemio of 1807 to pat the town in good
sanitary condition. This experience is of value
POULTRY NOTES.
IXttlNK THI count.
It is the easiest thing in the world, when you
know how 'tis done, to tell when your fowls are
in ill health, even in the incipient
stages of any diseaae or ailment, if
you but examine your Hock carefully. The
onmb of eaoh fowl ,-.... ;.,...-
ingof its system. If they be in ill health, the
comb will loae color and become far less firm in
texture; as the malady increases, the color de
creases, till a very sick bird will show a comb
almost devoid of scarlet, lieing of a livid dull
crimson, or else pale or ashy iu appearance. If
the cholera, or any other disease, should coma
into the flock, osrefully examine the combs of
each bird, morning and night, and all those
hioh are wanting in that bright, rich color
which denotes perfect health, remove at ones
from the Hook to a place remote, where they
should at onoe be put under medical treatment.
I he omul) at a owl is an honest index
of the true inwardness, aud should be daily
consulted by the fanoier who values tho health
and well being of his flock. look at the comb of
depends upon the way it is fattened, aud on
what it is fed, too, in a great measure. To
make a bird tender and juicy, it must be fat
tailed quickly. The food which gives it the
best flavor is undoubtedly a grain Food partak
ing largely of corn in soma of Its different forms,
the amount and manner of feeding depending
upon circumstances. - A ntrririin I'oultry .our
A Bam, SAre-rr-VAi.va.--A recent Knglish
invention has for its object the adaptation and
applioation to steam -boilers of an entire hall,
for the purpose of a safety-valve for the capo
of steam as required, mob valve lieing capable
of being moved repeatedly, so as to present a
fresh face to the seating, and thereby econo
mize the use of the valve. And his invention
consists in the use of a ball made of brass, or
othor suitable material, resting on a seating of
steel or other suitable metal or substance harder
than that of the ball, and pressed down aa re
i pi i red on to the seating by moans of a weighted
frame capable of swinging freely on the ball.
This ball is sufficiently large in diameter to a. I
inlt of its being moved a numlier of times on its
&llj JTftf sr MaJBlV tlE
flWenp"' wmm m fHBHfyft'
!ill
V pVr - flfl WV fa
IIOUI.KVAIU) I.A (ILOIUA ItIO JANKIHO.
light n
ufailiiii
with regard to other dii
than the yellow
fever, and should be duly beaded throughout
the country both in cities, villages and country
a laying hen or pullet ! She is in th
health ami strength, and carries her unlading
sign of In all Milium on her head, in the shspe
of a blood red, bright, and full uomb. A vigor
ous co. k or cockerel will carry the same sign,
though not, arhsps, in so eminent a degree as
his harem. I'uuUry Yard.
TAHI.I row i
There ia considerable difference in the merits
of the different breeds of fowls for the table,
although taste has much to do in determining
which are the best; and, while lin ed haa some
thing to do with it, the age haa a great claim,
for some are better at certain ages than at
others. The young immature and slow growing
Brahma, for instance, is not desirable until it
has nearly gained its growth, and even than it
is far better when a year old, whan fatteuad up
quickly. And, in fact, a year old bar 1 of any
breed we prefer to ohlcken, no matter how it ia
.okrd, though many have a weakneaa fur
broilers in the sbaiw of young chicks. Young
Ughorns, which feather up more quickly than
, I .1 A ......41.. . L -
do ine Asiatics, ana muwrw no,- ,. .....
the I eat broilers, ami many a nice one have wa peopled, and aa d
hel-d toiliaeectafUrit baa oome from the hands
of a akillful cook.
Although but few persona seem to know it,
much of the table menu of fowl or chick
seating, so aa Ui present each time it ia moved a
fraah face to the seating, no una fees niff m t
iug another, The hall may also be moved at
couveiileiit intervals before being worn on any
one face. The valve or ball is weighted with
onllrary doad weights, but the frame by which
the wrighla are suspended, instead of being fast
to Die valve, aa usual, ia made to awing freely
on the 111 at the top by insane of a center
piece of suitable concave form, lined with soft
metal or other suitable material, to prevent in
jury to the ball.
I'maitm i. ItMi'i.r or a Aecri Ksi miha-mo-.
Wheal from a new eourae made its ap
Rwrauce in K.uroiie this year, the Ifaniah vessel
t having brought a oarsm from th. llbi
river in Siberia, to Hamburg. The voyage from
llaiiimarfest, m Norway, through the Arelin
aea to the mouth of the Obi ami return waa
made in five weeks, and without any serious
difficulty. Siberia Is a great country in astenl
and there are said to l almost limitless puae.
hilitiee In the way of wheat raising on its vast
stepe, hut as long as the country la a thinly
fsMM of acceaa as at nresent.
our Waatern wheal growera will have little to
fear from lie competition The voyage of the
AVatea waa suggested by reseat explorations
made in the Arete sea.