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About Mt. Scott herald. (Lents, Multnomah Co., Or.) 1914-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1915)
MEADOW LARK EATS MANY FARM PESTS ni5 KÄ 3TODY MABILVXN VODST ILLUSTPATiON5^kRAYWALTER5 *r ne Axw wwm SYNOPSIS. Tx Comte <1« Hebron, captain of French cavalry, takrs to hls quarter« to raise by hand a motherless Irish terrier pup. and names It Pltchoun«. He dines with the Marquis« d'Eaclignac and meets Miss Julia Redmond. American heiress, who since for him an English ballad that lingers tn his memory Sabron la order«.! to Algiers, but Is not allowed to take servants or dogs Mlsa Itedmond offers to take care of th« dog during hls master's absence, but Pltchoune, homeelok for hls master, runs away from her The Mar quise plans to marry Julia to the Due de Tremont. Unknown to Sabron. Pltchoune follows him to Algiers. !».<« and master meet and Sabron gets pennlsslon from the war minister to keep keep hls .......... dog ... with ........ him Julia wrttee him that Pltchoune has run away from her It« writes Julia of Pit choune. The Due de Tremont finds the American heiress capricious. CHAPTER XII—Continued. “My dear Julia." she said to the beautiful girl, looking at her through her lorgnon; "I don't understand you Every one of your family has married a title, We have not thought that we could do better with our money than build up fortunes already started, than tn preserving noble races and Meadow Lark (Sturneila Magra.) noble names There has never been a divorce In our family, I am a niar- {Prepared by the United States Depart ' weed, barnyard grass, and smnrtweed. quise, your cousin )s a countess. ; ment of Agriculture'.) , are eaten from November to April, in aunt Is one of the peeresses of 1 May is the month when the meadow clusive. but during the rest of the land, and as for you. my dear . lark does some of its best work !n year are replaced by insects. Miss Redmond was standing by tlie aiding the farmer, for that is when Briefly stated more than half of the and the cutworms begin their career, and meadow lark's food consists of harm piano. She had lifted the cover 8ho was about to sit down to play, this little bird devours them by thou ful insects; its vegetable food is com sands. It also eats many caterpillars, posed either of noxious weeds or smiled slightly at her aunt, and seemed and in the same month these crea waste grain, and the remainder is in the moment to be the older woman "There are titles and titles, ma tures form over 24 per cent of its | made up of useful beetles or neutral | whole diet. Caterpillars which are ; insects and spiders. A strong point I tante: the only question Is what kind ground feeders are often overlooked in the bird's favor is that, although do you value the most?" “The highest!" said her aunt with- by birds which habitually frequent i naturally an insect eater, it is able out hesitation, “and the Due de Tre trees, but they do not escape the I to subsist on vegetable food, and con- meadow lark. Ants, wasps, spiders, | sequently is not forced to migrate in mont Is undoubtedly one of the most and chinch bugs are other harmful cold weather farther than is necessary famous partis in Europe ” “He will then And no difficulty tn pests eaten by this feathered friend to find grounds free from snow. marrying." said the young gtri, "and of humanity. The eastern meadow lark is a com I do not wish to marry a man I do not In 1,514 stomachs of the meadow mon and well-known bird, occurring love.” lark examined, anima! food (practi from the Atlantic coast to the great She sat down at the piano and her cally all insects) constituted 74 per plains, where it gives way to the hands touched the keya Her aunt. cent of the contents and vegetable closely-related western species, which who was doing some dainty tapestry, matter 26 per cent As would natu extends thence westward to the Pa whose fingers were creating silken rally be supposed, the insects were cific. It winters from our southern flowers and whose mind was busy with ground species, as beetles, bugs, grass border as far north as the District of fancies and ambitions very like the hoppers and caterpillars, with a few Columbia, southern Illinois, and oc work she created, shrugged her shoul flies and wasps and spiders. A num casionally Iowa. The western form ders. ber of the stomachs were collected winters somewhat farther north. Al when the ground was covered with “That seems to be.” she said keenly, though It is a bird of the plains, and snow, but even these contained a “the only tune you know. Julia.” finds its most congenial haunts in the large percentage of insects, showing “It's a pretty song, ma tante.” prairies of the West, it is at home the bird's skill in finding proper food “I remember that you played and wherever there is level or undulating under adverse circumstances. sang It the first night Sabron came to land covered with grass or weeds, Of the various insects eaten, crick dinner.” The girl continued to finger with plenty of water at hand. ets and grasshoppers are the most Im among the chords. “And since then “Some Common Birds Useful to the never a day passes that sometime or portant, constituting 26 per cent of the food of the year and 72 per cent Farmer" is a new Farmers' Bulletin other you do not play It through.” of the food in August. It is scarcely (No. 630) of the United States de “It has become a sort of oraison, necessary to mention the beneficial partment of agriculture, which de ma tante." scribes this and other interesting and effect of a number of these birds on “Sabron,” said the marquise. “Is a a field of grass in the height of the I valuable birds. fine young man, my child, but he has grasshopper season. Of the 1,514 nothing but hls officer's pay. More- BtomachB collected at all seasons of FOREIGN BODIES AND CATTLE over, a soldier's life Is a precarious the year, 778, or more than half, con one." tained remains of grasshoppers, and More Care Should Be Taken to See Julia Redmofid played the song soft- one was filled with fragments of 37 ly through. That Animals Do Not Eat Nall* of these insects. This seems to show The old butler came in with the eve and Pieces of Wire. conclusively that grasshoppers are ning mail and the papers. The Mar- preferred, and are eaten whenever <By I. E. NEWSOM. Colorads Agricul quise d'Esclignac. with her embroid they can be found. Especially nota ery scissors, opened Temps from tural College.) ble is the great number taken in Au The average person does not seem Paris and began to read with her usual gust the month when grasshoppers to realize how many good cattle die Interest. She approached the little reach their maximum abundance. from foreien bodies such as nails and lamp on the table near her, unfolded Next to grasshoppers, beetles make pieces of wire that pass from the ! the paper and looked over at her op the most important item of the second stomach forward in the niece, and after a few moments, said meadow lark's food, amounting to heart sac. More cattle, particularly with a slightly softened voice: 25 per cent, about one-half of which those which are kept up around the “Julia!” Miss Redmond stopped are predaceous ground beetles. The cities, pick up foreign bodies in their playing. “Julia!” The girl rose from others are of harmful’species. food and these are nearly always de the piano stool and stood with her Forty-two individuals of different posited in the second stomach. This hand on the instrument. kinds of May beetles were found In stomach lies just back of the dia "My dear Julia!” Madame d'Escli the stomachs of meadow larks, and phragm, whereas the heart lies just In gnac spread Lo Temps out and put her there were probably many more which front and on the opposite side of this hand on It. “As I said to you, my were past recognition. To this form partition. Consequently, if one of these child, the life of a soldier Is a pro- and several closely allied ones belong sharp bodies starts forward, owing to carious on«.” the numerous white grubs, which are the movements of the stomach, it is “Ma tante," breathed Miss Redmond among the worst enemies to many very apt to pierce the heart sac. This from where she stood. "Tell me what cultivated crops, notably grasses and carries infection and the heart sac the news is from Africa. I think I grains, and to a less extent strawber fills with pus; finally after some weeks know what you mean.” ries and garden vegetables. In the or even months the animal shows She could not trust herself to walk larval stage they eat the roots of symptoms of disease and dies, even across the floor, for Julia Redmond in these plants, and being large, one in without the owner knowing the real that moment of suspense found the dividual may destroy several plants. cause of the difficulty. room swimming. Tn the adult stage they feed upon the Prevention is not easy, but more “There has been an engagement,” foliage of trees and other plants, and care should be taken to see that the said the marquise gently, for in spite In this way add to the damage which cattle do not eat out of the mangers of her ambitions she loved her niece. they began in the earlier form. As or in feed lots where there are many "There has been an engagement, Julia, these enemies of husbandry are not nails and pieces of wire. It is not at at Dlrbal.” She lifted the newspaper easily destroyed by man. it is obvious all uncommon to find twenty-five or and held It before her face and read: ly wise to encourage their natural thirty nails in the stomach of a cow. foes. Thar* has been some hard fighting In •hs Seserv, am i. nd about Dlrbal Ths Among the weevils found in the in «»-)«<! by Captain <1* Uasron stomachs the most important econom FOR SUCCESS WITH TURKEYS treoyv wera rnatsS by the nati vs« al awn r>n ically are the cotton-boll weevil and Thu-»4ay They <11-1 net rally *«4 ws.-e Young Poults Should Be Penned Up the recently introduced alfalfa weevil VerceS t* r««r««t. Thera w»a a g-cit loss of lMa «rnong ths nativa« a«J sev for First Week or Two—Give of Utah. Several hundred meadow eral ef tha «egunent were alee k'.'ted. larks were taken in the cotton-grow Old Ones Free Range. There h«« b««n no late ar news ing region, and the boll weevil was from turbal, hut the last dlspaicbm give There is no doubt but grown tur th« <J«earte>ent of war te u»4«i«tsaj tl.at found in 25 stomachs of the eastern meadow lark and in 15 of the western keys must have free range to make Ssbran aisssalf Is irnonf toe r««««i«/ species. Of the former, one stomach any success with them, but I believe Tka Marquise d'Eicligns" slowly put contained 27 Individuals. Of 25 stom that the young poults should be penned down '.be paper, and rose quickly. She achs of western meadow larks taken up for the first week or so, as the went to the young girl's Bide and put in alfalfa fields of Utah, 15 contained mother turkey hen always starts out ber arm around her. Miss Redmond too early in the morning, when the covered her face with h«r hands: the alfalfa weevil The vegetable food consists of grain dew gives the young ones a chill and "Ma tante, ma tante!" she mur- and weed and other hard seeds. Grain as a consequence many of the poults mured. in general amounts to 11 per cent and are lost. “My dear Julia,” said the old lady, weed and other seeds to seven per So many advocate, “there's nothing "there Is nothing more uncertain than cent. Grain, principally corn, is eaten like giving the turkeys free range with newspaper reports, especially those mostly in winter and early spring and their poults.” This may be entirely that come from the African teat of consists, therefore, of waste kernels; all right in a dry season, but the morn war. flit down here, my child." only a trifle is consumed in summer ing dew and sudden rain showers are The two women sat together on the and autumn when it is most plentiful. apt to catch you any time and a num long piano stool. The marquise said: No trace of sprouting grain was dis ber in my vicinity lost over half of “I followed the fortunes, my dear, covered. Clover seed was found in their free-range poults last year on of my husband's cousin through the only six stomachs, and but little in account of the sudden rains and heavy engagement in Tonkin. I know a little each. Seeds of weeds, principally rag- dew during the hatching Season. what U was." The girl was fmmov able. Her aunt felt her rigid by her side. *'! told you,' she murmured. "that a soldier's life was a precarious one " Mice Redmond threw away all dis- guise “Ma voice, known is becoming my life." As the marquise looked at the girl's face and saw her trembling lips and her wide eyes, she renounced her am bltlona for Julia Redmond She re nounced them with a sigh, but she was a woman of the world, and more than that, a true woman She remained for a moment in silence, holdlug Julia's hands. She had followed the cntnpalgn of her busband's cousin, a young man with an Insignificant title whom she had not married In this moment she relived again the nrrlval of the eve- nlng i>apera; the dispatches, her hua- band’s news of hls cousin, As ahe kissed Julia's cheeks a moisture passed over her owu eyes, which for many years had shed no tears, "Courage, my dear.' ■he Implored, "We will telegraph at once to the minister of war for news ” The girl drew a convulsive breath and turned, and leaning both elbows on the piano keys—perhaps In the very notes whose music in the little song had charmed Sabron she burst Into tears. The marquise rose and passed out of the room to send a man with a dispatch to Tarascon. CHAPTER XIII One Dog's Day. There must be a real philosophy In all proverbs "Every dog has his day" is a significant one It surely was fur Pltchoune. He had his day It was a glorious one. a terrible one. a memor able one. and be played his little part In It. He awoke at the gray dawn, springing like a flash from the foot of Sabron's bed. where ho lay asleep, in response to the sound of the reveille, and Jabron sprang up after him Pltchoune In a few momenta was In the center of real disorder All he knew was that he followed bls master Pltchoune Smelled Him From Head to Foot all day long. The dog's knowledge did not comprehend the fact that not only had the native village, of which hls master spoke In his letter to Mias Red mond. been destroyed, but that Sab- ron’s regiment itself was menaced by a concerted and concentrated attack from an entire tribe, led by a fanatic as botmlnded and as fierce as the Mahdi of Sudanese history. Pltchoune followed at the heels of his master's horse. No one paid any attention to.him. Heaven knows why he was not trampled to death, but he was not. No one trod on him; no horse's hoof hit his little wiry form that managed in the midst of carnage and death to keep itself secure and hls hale whole He smelt the gunpowder, h» smelt the smoke, sniffed at It, threw up hls pretty head and barked, puffed and panted, yelped and tore • bout and followed, He was not con- sclous of anything but that Sabron was in motion; that Sabron, his be- loved master, was In actlon of some kind or other and he, a soldier's dog. was In action, too. He howled at fierce dark faces, when he saw them, He snarled at the bullets that whls- tied around hls ears and, laying his little ears back, he shook hls black muzzle in the very grin of death. Sabron’s horse was shot under him, and then Pltchoune saw hls master, sprang upon him, and his feelings were not hurt that no attention was paid him, that not even hls name was called, and as Sabron struggled on, Pltchoune followed. It was hls day; he was fighting the natives; he was part of a ttle; he was a soldier's dog! Little by little the creatures and things around him grew fewer, the smoke cleared and rolled away, there were a few feet of freedom around him in which he stood and barked; then he was off again close to hls master's heels and not too soon. He did not know the blow that struck Sabron. but ho saw him fall, and thru and there camo Into hie canine heart some knowledge of the Importance of hls day. He had rac.nl himself weary Every bone In hls little body ached with fatigue. Sabron lay hls length ou the bed of a dried up river, one of those pbautotn- like channels of a desert stream whoss course runs watery only certain times of the year. Hebron, wounded In the abdomen, lay on hls side Pltchoune ■ moiled him from head to foot, ad dressed himself to hls restoration In hls own way He licked his face and hands and ears, eat sentinel at the be loved head where the forehead was covered with sweat and blood Ho barked feverishly and to hls attentive oars thure came no answer whatso ever. either from the wounded man In the bod of the African river or from the silent plains. Sabron was deserted He had fallen and not been missed end hls regiment, routed by the Arabs, had been driven Into retreat. Finally the little dog. who knew by Instinct that life re mained In hls master's body, set him self at work vigorously to awaken a sign of life. He attacked Hebron's shoulder as though It were s prey; he worried him. barked In hls ear. struck hltn lightly with hls paw, and Anally, awakening to dreadful pain, to fever and to Isolation, uwakonlng perhaps to the battle tor life, to the attentions of hls friend, the apahl opened his eyes. Sabron's wound was serious, but hls body was vigorous, strong and healthy, and hls mind more so Thure was a Alm over It Just now. He raised hltn« ««•If with gn at effort, and In a moment realized where he was and that to linger there was a horrible death On each side of the river rose an Inclined bunk, not very high and thickly grown with mimosa bush This meant to hltn that beyond it and probably within easy reach, there would bo shade from the Intense and dreadful glare beat ing down upon him, with death In every ray Ho groaned and Pitchouno's vote» answered hltn Sabron ixtd no attention to hie dog. did not even cal) hls name Hls mind accustomed to quick decisions and to a matt»r of fact consideration of life, instantly took Its proper course lie must get out of the river bed or die there, rot there What there was before him to do was so stupendous an undertaking that It made him almost unconscious of the pain In hls loins He could not stand, could not thoroughly raise himself; but by great and painful effort, bleed ing at every move, he could crawl, ha did so, and the sun beat down upon him. Pltchoune walked by hls aldo, whining, talking to hltn encouraging hltn, and the apahl. ashen pale. hls bright gray uniform ripped and stained, all alone In th« desert, with death ubove him and death on every hand, crawled, drugged, hitched along out of the river to the bonk, cheered, en couraged by hls little dog For a drop of water he would have glvon oh, what had ho to give? For a little shade he would have given— about all he had to give hail bean given to hie duty In this engagement which could never bring hltn glory, or distinction or any renown The work of a apahl with u native regiment is not a very glorious affair, Ho was simply un officer who foil doing bin dally work Pltchoune barked and cried out to him: "Con rage!" "I shall die here at thn foot of the mimosa." Sabron thought; and hls hands hardly had the courage or strength to grasp th» first bushes by which he meant to pull himself sip on th» bank Thn little dog was close to him, leaping, springing near him, and Habron did not know how tired and thirsty and exhausted his bravo little companion was. or that perhaps in that heroic little body there was as much of a soldier's soul us In hls own human form. The sun was so hot that It seemed to sing In the bushes, Its torrid fever struck on his brown, struck on his chest; why did It not kill him? Hs was not even delirious, and yet the bushes sang dry and crackling. What was their melody? He knew It. Just one melody haunted him always, and now he knew the words; they were a prayer for safety. (TO HE CONTINUED.) Civilization’s Peril. America Is closer to the heart of Europe than at atty time since Eng land's colonies became Independent states, To the most Isolated farm- house It has boen known for a half year that we are not remote from the por tentout events beyond the sea; that the fate of our brothers over there, In some way which we do not well discern, involves us also We are. whether we like It or not. full share- holders In the civilisation which Is Im- periled. Our commerce and Industry, our prosperity and well being, our cul ture and religion, the foundations of our common humanity, and the Ideals of our common aspirations, are all at stake.—Edward T. Devine in the Sur vey. Highway of Commerce. Dardanelles Has Ever Brvn Looked Upon as ths Rost Mouth of the Groat Waterway of Eastern Europe, With Reason. Probably moat Amcrt'ans know mur» about the IMoubo us the subject of a popular walla than as a hlstorta highway of commerce and a strategic frontier. Perhaps some of our read- ore wore astonished to learn that tbo allied fleets ar» "opening the mouth of tho Danube" by forcing the l>arda- uellea. They know that th» Danube empties Into the Black sea and cannot understand tho statement. Technical ly, they are correct, but, the Pblla- delplila Inquirer says, from time Imme morial tho Dardanelles has boon looked upon as tho real mouth of the great river of eastern Europe, and for tho beat of reasons. In hls will Caoaar Augustus ex pressed a wish that Roman conquests should never proceed north of the Danube, Ho hud succeeded In mak ing that river a strategic frontier by adding a chain of forts which extended to the Swiss Alps. Behind this barrier were unknown hordes of savages and barbarians who were certain at some time by economic pressure or by a restless spirit to assault tho Integrity of the empire, and Augustus foresaw that any extension beyond this fron tier would bo dangerous. Unhappily, hls advice was not accepted, although tho reasons for a forward movement seemed excellent at the time. Tho Imperial legions cressed the Danube, and th» name Roumanla remains us a relic of their forward movement. It proved a fatal mistake, for pretty soon the Danube became the danger spot of tho empire end th» seat of th» gov ernment was transferred to Byzanti um. thn modern Constantinople Grad ually thn Roman empire divided and fell under thn oncoming rush of Goths, but the struggle along tho Danube has continued to this day. Hun and Turk entered Europe along this great highway and were with dif ficulty turned back at Vienna. Sine» that tlmo thn Balkan question, with Its control of the great river has been dominant in European politics, and never was more Important than today. TO FOIL THE PICKPOCKET Barbed Guard la an Old Device, but It Is Guaranteed to Hold the Watch Secure. Though patented so long ago that tho patent han run out, thn device fur holding a watch secure from pickpock ets, which in Illustrated herewith. In no Ingcnloun and no little known that It denerven to have attention called to It. It consists of a little acorn- shaped bulb between tho hasp and tho ring to which the chain la attached, ami In thin bulb three slender, sharp spikes that protrude tho Instant th» chain In pulled. The spikes stick into the lining of tho pocket, from which tbo watch cannot possibly bo pulled. As soon as tho pull Is released tho A, the Watch as It Rests In the Pocket. B, tho 8amo When tho Chain Is Pulled. spikes drop back Into tiny holes. Tho owner of tho watch has to take hold of Its ring and not of Its chain when ho wants to take It out. ---------- »---------------- Would Leave Bullet In Docfy. “The mero preaonco of a bullet In side tho body will of itself do no harm at all. Tho old Idea that it will cause Infection died long ago . . . We now know that, provided they aro clean, wo can introduce steel plates, silver wires, silver nets, into the body with out causing any troublo at all, and a bullet Is no worso than any of these. It Is a matter In which tho public aro very largely to blame, for they con sider that unless the bullet has been removed thn surgeon has not done hls job. Unless he has some specific rea son for IL I know that the surgeon who removes a bullet does not know hls work. “It may bo the mark or a Scottish ancestry, but if ever I get a bullet In Child Research Work. Miss Elizabeth Moore of St. l-onls, my own anatomy, I shall keep IL"—“A who is a member of'the children's bin Surgeon in Belgium," by 11. 8. Souttar. F. It. C. 8. reau department of the government, has returned to Saginaw. Mich., to E Plurlbus Unum. continue her Investigations In regard Dribble—Hello, old boy! What aro to the woman of the lumber camps and health of the children. Miss Julia you doing now? Scribble—Writing for the maga I-athrop, head of the children's bureau, ordered Miss Moore to Indianapolis zines. Dribble—Don't you find it rather shortly after the holidays to assist in making preparations for a child thankless sort of work? Scribble—On the contrary, neArly welfare exhibition to be given In that city. Miss Moore was there ten days everything 1 write io returned with before returning to her regular work. thanks.