Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

the cereal crops , and may be observed immediately after the ears have shot out . It destroys the entire head , which crumbles away and disappears . Some soils are subject to this disease , whicli seems to be communicated to the seeds by spores , ivhich remain in the ground . Laying down the land to grass for a few years , is the best method of banishing this variety of smut . The second kind of smut is named nreda feticta , from its stinking smell . This takes the place of the grain , and is composed of an immense number of minute spores , by means of which it is

propagated . It is said that a single grain of smut contains about four millions of spores , and they are so minute that they are absorbed by the roots of the wheat , and carried upward to the head . B 3 ' the aid of a microscope , the pi-ogress of these spores may be traced through the plant . In the operation of threshing , the grains of smut are sometimes broken , and the sprouts adhere to the wheat by means of an oily substance , which pickling and washing entirely dissolves and cleans away . Smut is about the worst disease that attacks the wheat crop , and farmers should be extremely careful in guarding against it . Pickling the seed in a strong brine , and then drying in fresh lime , are excellent preventives of this disease : some , in addition to the brine , use a small quantity of sulphate of copper ( blue stone ) dissolved in the water . "

Professor Rogers , in his recently published book on Education in Oxford , remarks : — " The out-door amusements of undergraduates are sometimes excessive , but generally very sensible . Boat-racing and cricket , tennis and racket , are favourite sports . As a rule , the occupations of Oxford men are muscular and fatiguing . Many men play billiards , and , as usual , the constant habitues of this amusement are the most disreputable to

among persons be found . Everybody knows that no game presents more convenient opportunities for the dishonest dissimulation of skill ; but , of course , where everybody is known , there are , comparatively speaking , few occasions on wliich the wily errors of a practised player may be turned to pigeoning . As may be expected , the worst discipline is found in those societies where there is scanty supervision , or a divided and contradictory authority , or the presence of undergraduates who are not amenable to academical penalties because they are indifferent to themWhere

. young men are left entirely to their own discretion , without any authority residing within the walls , as at Magdalene Hall , there is not likely to be any great sobriety of demeanour ; or , if there he , it is from the fact that the junior members themselves establish a quasi Committee of Public Safety . Where , again , as at Christ Church , the preposterous combination of a disunited capitular body , and a staff of tutors without personal authority , represents what should be the domestic control of a larire

body of young men , one is not prepared to expect any very good product . " We have to record the death of the Rev . Joseph Hunter , the historian of Hallamshire , and one of the Keepers of Her Majesty's Eecords , which took place on the 9 th inst ., in the eighty-seventh year of his age . He was born at Sheffield , his father's name being Michael Hunter ; and he was educated at York for an English

Presbyterian minister , in which capacity he officiated at Bath for twenty-four years . In 1833 , he became Sub-Commissioner of the Public Records , amongst ivhich he has ever since been a most indefatigable labourer ; many records having been properly arranged , and their contents made public , which previously were inaccessible . Besides contributing to the Archaologia , the

Retrospective Mevieio , & . <_ ., Mr . Hunter was the author of the History of Hallamshire , in a folio volume ; The Hallamshire Glossary ; English Monastic Libraries ; The History and Topography of the Deanery of Doncaster , South Yorkshire ; Illustrations of the Life , Studies , and Writings of ShaJcspere ; A Disquisition on the Scene , Origin , ancl Date of " The Tempest ; " and other works of great research . Mr . Hunter was one of those laborious literary men to whom society owes more than ifc is aware of , and certainly more than it generally repays .

It is reported that a biography of Garibaldi , by General Turr , will shortly be published in London . Two portraits , painted by Mr . Charles Mercier , have been added to the museum in Peel Park , at Salford ; they are those of W . N . Massey , Esq ., the member for the borough , and Mr . Thomas Wright , the well known prison philanthropist .

In noticing the death of Mr . Adolphus M . Madot , the Art Journal of this month observes : — " We record , with much regret , the death of this promising young artist , who , if health and a prolonged life had been granted him , would , undoubtedly , have reached a good , if not a high , position in his profession ; but within the last year or two , a delicate state of the lungs incapacitated him for arduous labour , and , resulting in rapid consumption , prematurely cut short his career on the llth of last month . Mr . Madot had passed through the schools of the Royal Academy . The few small pictures—figure-subjects—painted and exhibited by him , bore evidence of careful study and true feeling : some of them , wc know , are in

Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

good collections . The Chancellor of the Exchequer purchased that exhibited last year , or the year before , we forget which . To us his loss will be severely felt , for we were indebted to his pencil for very many of the copies on wood of the figure pictures whicli have illustrated the series of papers on "British Artists . " Considering the difficulty of reducing large compositions to our miniature scale , these drawings were , almost without exception , executed with great accuracy and truthfulness . Mr . Madot ' s quiet , unassuming , and gentlemanly manner , and his amiable disposition , endeared him to all who had the pleasure of his acouaintance . "

A subscription has heen commenced , and several of our best artists are amongst its contributors , to give a commission to Mr . Foley , the eminent sculptor , to execute a duplicate of his noble equestrian statue of Lord Hardinge for this country ; the original , it will he veme-mhered , having heen sent to Calcutta . The anniversary of the Royal Geographical Society will be held

at Burlington House , on Monday noon next , the 27 th inst . The distribution of medals and prizes to the students of the Female Schools of Art , and female students of the Metropolitan District Schools of Art , will be made on the 1 st . of June in the lecture theatre of the Museum of Geology , Jermyn-street , by the Earl of Granville , K . G ., President of the Council . An exhibition

of the works of female students is to be opened at the Society of Arts , on the same clay , together with an exhibition of works illustrating the history of water colour painting . The Rev . Leslie Stephen , M . A ., Fellow ancl Tutor of Trinity Hall , Cambridge , has in the press a translation of H . Berlepsch ' s work , entitled The Alps ; or , Sketches of Life and- Nature in the Mountains .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . KNIGHTS TBMPLAE . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FBEEMASOBS MAGAZIN" !! AJJD illASOXrC . VlfiKOE . LEAK . Sm AND BIIOTHEK , '—Sir Knt . " % :. '_ . " reply is virtually begging the question . I am not in the habit of disputing

either the authority or commands of my superiors in office . Having therefore received the M . E . and S . G . M . ' s commands , in conjunction -with others , to do a certain duty , and not seeing anything in sneh order contrary to the ancient landmarlis of the Order , and being confirmed in this opinion , by one who ive have every reason to believe the highest authority in the North , on the orders of Knighthood in general , and those attached to the Masonic Order in particular , there was therefore no reason whatever even to make a friendly observation to the commands I received .

I don't dispute that there are eighteen Prov . G . Commanders , nor that it might have been better to appoint a Prov . G . Commander , if within hail , for che ceremony of installation , but I deny that Bro . Ogle ' s installation is not as legitimate , because performed by a commission , especially appointed for the purpose . Another of yonr correspondents says that the Grand Chancellor should have installed the

newly appointed Prov . G . Commander . If the G . Chancellor cannot attend , why could not the G . Captain , if the Grand Master sowilledit ? They areboth G . Officers , andnotinstalled G . Commanders . Onr ' s was a newly appointed province ; it was not therefore correct to say that in oar case the Past G . Commander should install . Our case assimilates to the one of our present Grand Master . There ivas no Grand or Past

Grand Master present to install him on tbe 10 th ; ancl that ceremony was ably performed by the Bev . J . Huyshe , Prov . G . Commander for Devon . Then , if that was right , why not the installation of Sir Knt . Ogle ? My worthy frater " + ¦ ' ¦ " may certainly be a great authority . I regret that our lato M . E . and S . G . M . had not him by his side to refer to , and perhaps he would have kept tis riht . But I can assure

g you that our venerable Northern authority has been consulted , and his counsel taken by the most punctilious Masons in North Britain , who are loath to acknowledge any knowledge from this side of the border ; but facts are stubborn things , and as our venerable Masonic authority gave his counsel , not dictatorially , but with that simplicity