There are three other kinds that I know of that grow in the woods. One is the yellow violet. It grows in dry places, and there is usually more than one violet on a stem. The leaves also grow on the stem, instead of starting from the roots, as most others do. The flower is a bright yellow, with purple lines on the lower petal. There is the crow's-foot violet, which grows in dry places and is a deep purple; also a little purple violet whose name I do not know. It grows much like the yellow violet, only it is much smaller, and often grows on rocks where there is very little earth.

The violet that grows in the fields is very small, and is oftenest a deep purple, but sometimes the petals are purple and white mottled together.

H. W. S.

CONNECTICUT.

A Bit of An Old Fort.

Not very far from Bluffton near Beaufort is situated the island called Paris Island. A friend of my father's owns a part of this, and he says that on it are the remains of old Fort Charles, built by the Huguenots in 1562. Will some one please write to me? I am fourteen. Bluffton is in the very southwestern part of Beaufort County, S. C. The steamer _Alpha_ plies between Bluffton, Beaufort, and Savannah, but she is the slowest steamer in existence.

AUGUST MITTELL.

BLUFFTON.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STAMPS]

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.

The stamp editor wants to make this column as interesting and as useful as possible to all the boys and girls who collect stamps. Is there any subject on which you would like to have information? Shall we talk about the United States stamps? Or about the great rarities which are so eagerly sought by the advanced collectors that they are willing to pay from $100 to $2500 each for these interesting little bits of paper? Or about the different stamps issued in the Confederate States during the great civil war? Or about the different water-marks, perforations, papers, etc., which will make two stamps which "look just alike" worth in the one case two cents and in the other $50? Or about auctions of rare stamps? Or any other subject? Let us hear from you, boys and girls.

This is your column, and it shall be made as interesting as possible. Do you keep the back numbers, so that you can refer to them? If you do, it will be possible to answer fully some questions which are asked frequently by simply referring to some other number in the current volume.

Several collectors ask how to distinguish the provisional stamps used in Peru during the war in 1881-83 between Chili and Peru. Counting all the different types of each stamp, there are over one hundred in all, and their enumeration in the standard stamp catalogues covers three or four pages. Collectors who make a specialty of Peruvian stamps make the number much larger. In general, these stamps are simply the regular Peruvian issue of 1874-79 with different surcharges. The victorious Chilians printed their coat of arms on these stamps--sometimes alone, and at other times the arms and a band in a horseshoe frame, with the words "Union Postal Universal--Peru." The Peruvians used the same horseshoe band as a surcharge, but without the Chilian arms. Another Peruvian surcharge is the triangle with the word "Peru," and above it a character intended to represent the sun. As almost all these surcharges were printed by a hand-stamp, they are easily counterfeited, and collectors should be careful to buy these stamps from responsible dealers only.

GILBERT JACKSON.--There are five varieties of the $5 United States Internal Revenue stamps first issue. The perforated ones are worth from two cents to thirty-five cents each. There are eleven $1 stamps of the same issue, worth from one cent to $2.50 each.

Twelve varieties of the fifty-cent stamp, worth from one cent to $1 each.

J. R. P.--The 1875 reprints of 1869 are on very white paper. The 2c. of this issue is worth $3. Many of the 1869 issue show little or nothing of the grille. The Cape of Good Hope are quoted in the catalogue mentioned by you. The drawing enclosed by you is of a German local which has no value. The other stamps are probably revenues, but your description is imperfect.

FRITZ BRANDT.--The United States envelope which you describe is the official service envelope of the Post-office Department. It is a franked, not a stamped, envelope. It is not generally collected.

PHILATUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ivory Soap]

To retain the brilliancy of Ginghams, wash them only in luke warm water, in which a tablespoonful of salt and an equal quant.i.ty of Ivory Soap to each gallon of water, have been dissolved. Dry in the shade.

THE PROCTER & GAMBLE CO., CIN'TI.

You Can't take too much of

[Ill.u.s.tration: HIRES' Rootbeer]

It quenches your thirst That's the best of it.

Improves your health That's the rest of it.

A 25 cent package makes 5 gallons. Sold everywhere. Made only by The Chas. E. Hires Co., Phila.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

BASE BALL, HOW TO PLAY IT.

A Great Book, contains =all= the rules; also the _secret_ or pitching curved b.a.l.l.s, and to bat successfully. Rules for Football and Tennis.

Every player should have it. Entirely new and handsomely ill.u.s.trated.

This =Great Book Free= to any one sending us 10 cents to pay postage.

=Also= Catalogue Guns, Revolvers, Musical Instruments, Magic Tricks.

=All for 10c. Order quick.= For =$1.25= we will send =Our Base Ball Outfit=, consisting of 9 Caps, 9 Belts, 1 Ball, 1 Bat. =BATES SPORTING CO., 100 High St., Boston, Ma.s.s.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: If afflicted with SORE EYES USE Dr. ISAAC THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Kombi Camera]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Carry in pocket. Takes 25 perfect pictures in one loading--reloading costs 20c. Ask your dealer for it, or send for free booklet "All About the Kombi."

ALFRED C. KEMPER,

Branches: London, Berlin. 132-134 Lake Street, Chicago

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CARD PRINTER =FREE=