The demand for ornamental stands for halls, passages, and parlors, has caused inventors to exert their ingenuity to produce articles of luxury such as we exhibit in the present engraving, and in great variety. This pattern recommends itself by its symmetrical appearance, no less than its just proportions, and will be found very useful in those apartments where a daily change can be kept up by those who possess a greenhouse or a good glazed pit.

J. Jay Smith, Esq.: - Dear Sir: - I notice in the January number a call for information concerning Schooley's method of preserving fruits, etc. As you will notice by the plans and cut annexed, I am the assignee for New York and Pennsylvania, and have used Schooley's plan two years as a pork house for summer curing. In 1858 our house summer-cured 20,000 hogs, and we have now on hand 150 tons of ice, having used about 300 tons.

Mr. Phoenix, I think, is not aware of Schooley's improvement of 1857, which used less ice than the plan of 1855, with which it is also combined. With reference to preservation, I have seen eggs kept an entire season; beef three weeks; ripe peaches and pears forty-five days; milk 20 days; Havana oranges and lemons, six months; and have just concluded an experiment with Black Hamburg grapes, from Mr. H. Williams' graperies in this city. Jan. 10th, these grapes were in splendid condition, when Mr. Williams took them away.

Yours, respectfully, J. L. Alberger.