Useless Inventions

patentcd furniture, in the Cabinet Maker says of the thousimds of bed bottoius that have been patentad within the last five years, probubly not ono in one hundrod lias ptiid back to tho putenteo as ïnueh money as he expended in proCTiring liis patent papers. Washing machines havo suffered a like result. A good washing machine is a rare prize, but poor ones are fearfnl curses, and their nann.s ure legión. Tfaenumber of sofa teds and folding bed lounges is larpe, and several of them have proved valuable property to the inveutors and to tho manufacturéis. Jbsh Billings says : It strains a iuan's philosophy the wust kind to laff when he gets beat. " Providenco paper speaks of the ladies appearing on toe atreete " animatiid tong ments of shattered rainbows." A. mineral wfaich performs all the duties of soap, and has an aromatic odor, has been discovered in exhaustloss quantities near Iówa City. Lady Yarmouth nskcd Garrick ono day why Love was ftlwaya represented as a child. He replied, "Because lovo never reaohes the age of wisdom and experienee." ït is oxpected that Üie chango of guagc of the Ohio and Missi.ssippi llailroad from six feet to four feet nine inohes will bu comploted by the first of August. Ilesolutions for the admission of Rritish Columbia into the Dominion wore introduced into the Dominion House of Couimons ïuesday cvoning. Uhe coal minors of Groat Ikitain produccd last yearí 07,000,000 tons worth L27, 800,000, and the f urnaces made 5,000,000 tons of pig iron, A down East editor plaiirfiVoly says he lias original poetry enough to "shingle a meeting-house;" but, as he has no meeting-house to shinglo, the "original pootry" is useless. The Saturdiiy Review says-; AThe or.Jy fact that can be prcdicated, witïi ar.y degreo of confidencc, of many youths, is that Providence does not seen to have designed thcm for any thing in pax-ticular." The Kmperor Alexund. ■■■ ', lu1 Senond'is generally known in St. Petersburg to htive beoonae a confirmed drunkard. He imbibes nothing put the srongest kind of aleoholiü liqnors. All the eftbrts of hifi family r!t:hiin. him have provcd fruit Iésb. ■ Ared leafl ninnufectCrer of Franse Bas diseovered that the use of milk at their eoaak, which he has made obligatory on his wovkmen to rhc ixwnt ofonn litre daily, preserves those employcd in löad works free from anr syniptons of U;ad disease. The Nw York WtiiM QHitgtt t oaatióni agitinst the use of tobáceo packetl in foil, as several cases of lead poisdniiig have oecuiTcd which hint at the use of tobáceo so paoked as the cause of the ditficulty. Poisoning from snuif inclosed in leuden oanisters has been dctcctcd in England and India. From the Boston Post we learn that "Mr. Greeley advocates sowing asparagus in Mai-ch, or grafting the cuttings on good hardy quince or pear stocks. The fruit is excellent, cut up with sugar and cream like peaches. Some people ïoiin asparagus trees by pruning too uiuch. They should only remove dead lhnbs and j thin out gulüceuüy to-dmit the air and i NI '