Five new cannons, the largest yet manufactured in France, have been successfully cast in the foundry of Ruelle near Angouleme. They are made of steel, and are breech loading. The weight of each is 97 tons, without the carriage. The projectile weighs 1,716 pounds, and the charge or powder is 616 pounds. To remove them a special wagon with sixteen wheels has had to be constructed, and the bridges upon the road from Ruelle to Angouleme not being solid enough to bear the weight of so heavy a load, a special roadway will be constructed for the transport of these weapons, which are destined for coast defences and ironclads. * * * * * WOODLANDS, STOKE POGIS, BUCKS. The illustration represents a house recently reconstructed. The dining-room wing was alone left in the demolition of the old premises, and this part has been decorated with tile facings, and otherwise altered to be in accordance with the new portion. The house is pleasantly situated about a mile from Stoke Church of historic fame, in about 15 acres of garden, shrubbery, and meadow land. The hall and staircase have been treated in wainscot oak, and the whole of the work has been satisfactorily carried out by Mr. G. Almond, builder, of Burnham, under the superintendence of Messrs. Thurlow & Cross, architects.--_The Architect_. [Illustration: WOODLANDS, STOKE POGES, BUCKS] * * * * * CHINA GRASS. The following article appeared in a recent number of the _London Times_: The subject of the cultivation and commercial utilization of the China grass plant, or rhea, has for many years occupied attention, the question being one of national importance, particularly as affecting India. Rhea which is also known under the name of ramie, is a textile plant which was indigenous to China and India. It is perennial, easy of cultivation, and produces a remarkably strong fiber. The problem of its cultivation has long being solved, for within certain limits rhea can be grown in any climate. India and the British colonies offer unusual facilities, and present vast and appropriate fields for that enterprise, while it can be, and is, grown in most European countries. All this has long been demonstrated; not so, however, the commercial utilization of the fiber, which up to the present time would appear to be a problem only partially solved, although many earnest workers have been engaged in the attempted solution.