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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1917, 24 February 1875, Page 3

A Useful Plant.—Many will be glad toj hear- that ; Boldoa fragrans, the plant yielding the new drug " boldo," to which attention has been drawn by the medical press, may be seen in the economic collection of the Royal Gardens, Kew. It was^ introduced ln"18&4j land Ms been; known under the names'" Pewnios fragrans, Pers. ; P, Boldu, Molin; and Ruizca fragrans, Ruiz and Par. iVThe properties alkaloid " boldine" are chiefly that of stimulating digestion and acting markedly on the liver. The discovery was somewhat accidental, but it is likely to be of much value. Some sheep" with diseased liyer having eaten the leaves and shoots were found rapidly to recover. It is a native of the mountain regions of Chili, where the wood is made into valuable charcoal, the bark is used by tanners, and the fruit is eatenr -:A figure is.given in the "Botanical Register" and in Lindley's "Vegetable Kingdom." It belongs to tKe Mominiaoese, and; forms . a small: much-branded tree, aromatic in all its parts. The leaves are opposite, shortly petioled, rough, arid contain much essential oil. The flowers are borne in axillary racemes, the sexes on different plants. Boldu is the Chilian name of the tree, whence its generic name. In general it much resembles Jtondeletia specioso; the branches, however, are much more rigid, and the internodei shorter.

"/Counting- .the Cost.—A very much married friend has fallen in with this piece* of statistical information:— -" The annual cost, of funerals in London is estimated at over a million of money." He .s&ys t^t seems a large stjm, buj; tjiey don't say how muph more ihe weddings cost, and £j)w miiph less you get for the outlay.

ApriiTEßATioir of Win.i!.—-M. de Cherville, in Le Temps, gives the following useful hints for deciding whether red wines are, or arenot artificially, colored: —" Pour into a glass a small quantity of the liquid which you wish to test, and dissolve a bit of potash- in it. If no sediment forms, and if the wine assumes a greenish hue, it has not been artificially coloured; if a violet sediment forms, the wine has be«n coloured with elder' or mulberries ; if the sedinaent is red, it has been coloured with -beet-root or Pernambnco wood ;if violet red, with logwood; if yellow, with ' phytolac 'berries ; if violetblue, witbprivet oerries ;,and if pale violet with sun-flower."

IA young" kdy named Lucy Lee, who says that jnp is of good birth and education, Jti^jsfjhtf a strange advertisement in a Mississippi paper, informing the world of her willingness " to marry an editor, as she, believes herself able to support one/ Wliat fascination an editorial sanctum can have for Miss Lee will be a subject of wonder to those who are familiar with the I life )ofva newspaper office. Whether she is anxious to obtain the first news about 'everything, and purpose to assist her husband in opening telegrams, or whether slje ; sis, afflicted with tli9 cacoethes scribendi, and wishes.to ensure the publication of a series ofiirticles oa subjects of" feminine interest, is., not apparent; and w© think that Miss Taee ought to give feditors more information about herself if her willingness to marry one is at all tempted with anxiety. We do not hold the young lady's choice to be a wise one ; it is, indeed, about the worst she can make. As a rule, we can, assure her, editors are exceedingly irritable and domineeringi and not at all likely to grow into a good husband and make home happy. Perhaps, however, Miss Lee is gifted with a sort of feminine Mark Tapleyism, and wishes to show that slia can be jolly under the most trying circumstances. The winding up of her advertisement,, that she "bel\eves herself able to support one,", may not signify that she is possessed of wealth, bukthat she has a goQd^opinion of her capacity for putting lip with the trials ,pf this life, even when they fall as thickly as they frequently do in editorial Lomes. Wo hope that Miss Lee may find a suitable editor, and that she may not find that she has over-estimated her powers of endurance. | Lady: "Before I engage you I should like to-know what your religion is?" CookY " Oh, ma'am, I always make it my duty to be of the same religion as the family I'm in." .■:>. jA disgusted " interviewer " has given up the business. He said he was wailing to; be a sponge, and-absorb whatever came within his reach, but hs didn't want tojbeapumpandhaveto work the handle himself. Bather a good sentiment, but his friends understood him to say "beer pump, "and that rather spoils it. ?;.■ Difficult Pukctuatiok-:—-Putting a. step to a gossip's tongue. -„-