The suggestion has been put forward that, as a timely War economy, well-to-do people should give up their hot-houses. There seems to be a division of opinion, however, as to whether the hot-house plants should be given their liberty, or (as economy would seem to dictate) be killed for the table. *** Australia has suspended the trade-marks of 450 German articles. It would be interesting to know if the most historic German trade-mark, "MADE IN THE UNITED STATES," is among these. *** "Mr. Julian Kimball (of Covent Garden and the London Opera House)," says the Musical critic of _The Daily Mail_, "is a singer you can watch as well as listen to." The desirability of concealing the faces of some of our principal singers in the past is undoubtedly one of the reasons why England has lagged behind in the musical art. *** A well-known candidate for the East Herts Division is said to be urgently in need of motor cars. His opponents however point out that the need to economise in petrol was never more urgent than at present. *** Speaking on the question of the shortage of freights Mr. RUNCIMAN stated, a few days ago, that he did not know that ostrich feathers took up much room. Has he never been to a matinee? *** In the same connection a member of the Ladies' Kennel Club writes: "I let them take my husband for their horrid old War without grumbling, but when they tell me that poor little Nanki-Poo can't have his ostrich-feather pillow to lie on I think it is too much!" * * * * * [Illustration: _Midget_ (_as he comes to_). "I expect the War's been a bit bad for your regular business, Mister?" _Second_. "Not it. The boot-makin' trade's as good as ever." _Midget._ "Oh, you're a boot-maker, are you? Funny--I made certain you was a cab-washer."] * * * * * "The profits of the Bradford Dyers' Association exceed the most sanguinary expectations." _Morning Paper_. The influence of the War, again. * * * * * S.P.C.A., please note. "Dogs are generally from 9 to 18 inches long and the teeth from 3 to 8 inches long; the service pattern are from 12 to 15 inches long with 6 inch teeth. For straight dogs the ends of the teeth should be slightly further apart than at their root. Dogs when heated red-hot can be twisted till their teeth make any required angle with each other, generally a right angle; they are then known as skew dogs." _Military Engineering_. * * * * * "The offensive eggs were first placed in a mangle, and the slow, crude, and obnoxious process was gone through of crushing them. The pugnacity of the smell arising from this progress became appalling."--_Grocers' Journal_. Fit to knock one down, in fact. * * * * *