other officials have been ordered to go to The Viceroy: Chang Chit-tang and twelve Peking to confer with the Emperor, it is said in consequence of a memorial presented to the Emperor by the Viceroy, supposed to have related to the handing over of the tea and salt duties to the foreign Customs, All these rumours come from native sources, so at present it is impossible to ascertain whether they are true.
AGRICULTURE,
last year the Viceroy engaged an American Some of your. readers may remember that Professor of Agriculture, and an assistant should now be on his way to join him. We have hoped that they would been given a real opportunity to do something towards introducing improved -methods of fruit cultivation and general farming. Two hills outside the city were to have been given over for planting trees and the cultivation of vegetables and cereals, but now the professor is asked to content himself with three or four acres of land inside the city that were originally intended for a military ex-escape.
Meantime we have had a reprieve from theheatofsummer. During the past week it has been singularly cool and pleasant for the season. Ever since the thunderstorm on the 22nd inst. it has continued fine with 'a strong breeze, the temperature ranging from 69 to 74.
The only excitement late has been over the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Spain, particulars concerning which are eagerly looked for in Reuter's daily messages.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.