Bacon Breeds of Hogs.
Several years ago considerable was
being written about the TamworthH as
the only breed that would make good
bacon hogs. It la doubtless true that
this particular strain la best suited for
the purpose, but, on the other hand. It
la a question if It ever paid any farm
er to raise them exclusively. True,
there are specialists who have made
money In catering to the fancy bacon
market, but they found It profitable
only after long years of experimenting
' and fully learning the secret of feed
ing to produce certain results. With
the average farmer, who raises what
Iork be needs for home consumption
and perhaps a dozen bead besides. It Is
doubtful If It pays him to experiment
much with breeds, beyond getting some
strain that will give blm the best re
turns In weight at the smallest expense
for feed. If one Is raising swine with
an Idea of selling the progeny when
young to other farmers, then consid
erable care should be taken to secure a
breed for which there Is a demand, and
then to breed the animals on the plan
that will give strong, healthy and pure
bred young, and In this way work up a
reputation. ' It must be admitted, how
ever, thot there Is a demand for fancy
HOW CHICAGO BUTCHERS VALUE A CARCASS. I
I A Ty t,2,bv 1Z"A
To fatten cattle profitably, the
carcass which sell for most money.
anoui ouu pounas, ana or mis, ua
nest cuts ore tnken from the ribs,
weigh, In all, 34U pounds, and at the
tub less valuable cuts rrom tne rore
pounds, aim nnng oniy io.-o.
Imeou, and if one Is lu a position to
rlak quite a few dollars In the process ,
si I 1 A. I 4-1. 1 I... !
at learning how to raise this bacon,
offer a while he will reap gratifying
returns. Indlnnnpolls News.
How to Cond -ct a Stick Sale.
A brisk demand for well-bred Etock
of all kinds, particularly of the beef
breeds, has encouraged the sale of
ftiifh stock by public auction, the prices
being quite satisfactory. These live
(dock Miles first becamo popular In the
West but are now fairly common ev
erywhere In the stock-growing sec
tions.. A cattle denier of long experi
ence lays great stress on preparing mil
mills especially for tho sale. Even If
nil Hill mill Is well bred, has a good out
line and other requirements, If Its con
dltlon Is unsatisfactory In any way, Its
stood qualities will be overlooked. The
cuttle must bo fed Into good flesh and
must be well groomed ami thoroughly
cleaned. This expert believes lu Judl'
clous advertising as a means of promot
iiig a sule. He advises that the sale be
lield under cover, lu order to be prepar
ed for any kind of weather. Tho con
struction of temporary sheds of a few
bourds and props will make tho buyers
comfortable, Before the sale begins,
coffee and sandwiches, or food of a sim
ilar kind, are passed around. Well
fed people make lively buyers. Flually
provide a good auctioneer, one who
knows all about stock and pedigrees
and how to describe them to the best
Advantage. (Jood assistants should bo
provided to handle tho animals In tho
ling. The sale Is carried on briskly;
io unnecessary pauses. These sugges
tions apply to general public sales of
any kind. American Cultivator.
Why Ion't the Boys Rider
Why Is not something more being
done to encourage horseback riding
among the boys on the farm. Compar
atively few farm beys can rido grace
fully and with euse. They get astride
the old mare, and Jog along to and from
tho stable and pasture, and call It rld
lug a horse. It is as far from real gen
uine horseback riding as day U from
ulght
No class of horses sells better on a
market to-day than first class, well
broken saddle horses. There are deal
ers, who mitko a business of training
those horses for the purchaser. Why
could not the fanner's boy do this
work instead. If he were given some In
formation as to what the requirements
of a good saddle horse were, and how
to train such a horse for riding, it
would mean money In the farmer's
pocket Farm and Home.
Billions In Agriculture.
In the Industrial progress made by
the United Rates during recent years
there has been no more conspicuous
feature than the growth of agriculture.
The amount of fixed capital Invested In
agriculture la about $20,000,000,000, or
fouf times that Invested In manufac
ture. Mora than half of the people of
2
the United State live on farms, and
mors than a third of all the people en
gaged In gainful occupation! work on
farma. In one year the product of
American farm have reached un ag
gregate value of nearly $5,000,000,000.
How to Treat Heaves.
In answer to an Inquiry as to the
treatment of heaves, a correspondent
of the National Stockman writes as
follows: "To answer you In relation to
what you particularly wish to know, I
would have to know the age of your
horse and manner of breathing, that I
migm locate the trouble which pro
duces his Irregular breathing. I will
say, however, that all forms of heaves
are Incurable. The best that can be
done is to alleviate. In old chronic
cases of so-called bilious heaves the
first thing to do will be to regulate the
feeding by feeding hay very sparingly
and oats plentifully. Wet all hay with
lime water and give Fowler's solution
of arsenic In tablespoonful doses three
times per day. This Is best given by
mixing with a half pint of water and
use to wet the grain feed. So-called
bronchial heaves can be relieved by
feeding as above recommended and giv
ing In the grain feed a tablespoon of a
mixture of powdered elecampane root
3 ounces, ginger 2 ounces, powdered
squills 2 ounces, powdered lobelia 3
ounces, fenugrec 2 ounces, chlorate of
potash 4 ounces.
Green Fond fnr Poultry.
T f .4 . .. 1 I. - 9
f ati( fnr f rt i-1 a In nrlnta, lio n (1 tham '
. ..
sample and see the voracity with
which It Is devoured. When In doubt
as to chicken feed, ask the hens about
feeder should know the cuts of the?
A good 1,200-pound steer dresses Z
pounds are marketable meat The f
loin and hind quarters. These cuts
prices In the diagram sell for $44 Rft. 9
quarters, belly and flank, weigh
It They know what thev want n1
what they need. Everybody who raises
t a
buouiu make provision for some
green stuff for the winter. A little
patch of winter grain, alfalfa, rescue
grass, turnips, beets, cabbage or any
root or vegetable that fowls will eat
Is good for them and will encourage
hens to lay. Hens have no almanac,
and the only way they have for distin
guishing the seasons Is by the sort of
stuff they have to eat Feed spring
victuals and give physlcnl comfort, and
you will have eggs to eat If not to sell.
Oiling; Harness
Unbuckle every strap, and wash care
fully with water, castile soap, and
sponge or cloth. Allow to dry for five
or ten minutes. Then oil, rubbing every
part of the harness, except the patent
lenther, with a cloth well soaked In
neatsfoot oil, or pour out two or three
quarts of oil Into a pan and draw each
piece through It slowly, bending and
rubbing the strap. The buckle holes
should have a little extra oil, also the
bollybands, 'breeching and the straps
thot buckle to the bits. To give the
leather a new look, odd to one pint of
oil a large teaspoonful of lampblack
and an ounce or two of beeswax.
Held and Farm.
Farm Notes.
To have clean, smooth-barked trees,
whitewash them.
A lighted lantern under the lap-robe
on a very cold day will help to keep
you warm.
If you did not cut out the borers
from peach, quince or apple In the
summer or fall, do It now.
Equal parts sifted coal-ashes, salt
and clay moistened with a very little
water will cement cracks In stoves.
Do not let the apples freeze either In
bins, or on the way to market They
may tell you it will do no harm, but
It will.
Small apertures In the walls of build
ings often admit draughts of air sufll
cleut to cause great lujury to stock,
especially the dairy cow.
Some people study how to get along
with but very little feed In the dairy
born. It Is far better to study how
much can be given to good cows Bnd
have them assimilate It The more
feed digested tho more butter.
Ulve geese a dry shed from damp
ness and drafts. They will stand al
most any amount of cold If their
quarters are dry. Whole oats and
corn, some cabbogo or boiled vegeta
bles aud pleuty of pure water make
tho best rations.
A woolen rag moistened with castor
oil rubbed over the harness will keep
mice and rats from gnawing them.
He sure the colts have strong, well
fitted halters. If the halters are not
well-fitted, they will soon learn to
rub them off. and a habit Is formed
that Is almost Impossible
A Woman's Aspiration.
What can I be to show my eratltude?
Sincere at least down to the verv core.
uraeious and quiet ever in my mood.
Yiia Kindness speaking feeling It
much more:
A woman truly worthy to be loved,
A woman by no sickly motive moved.
Hut guided by a brave Integrity.
At whose approach all evil thoughts must
nee.
No words or acta of love shall be too
small
For bands and heart with power like
mine to do.
No task Imposed by love shall e'er ap-
' pa".
But cheerfully I will the end
Knowing that help will come, tho I am
weak.
To do my duty that Is what I seek.
I care not whether It be great or small
email things done well are greatest after
all.
No human brother, fallen howe'er low.
Shall ever look to me In vain for aid
Within the power of man, but he shall
go,
Revived and cheered, his pathway
clearer made.
i "lieneer I may. I will a hand extend
Of friendship true. Each word I speak
shall tend
lo rouse, encourage, strengthen and
jnsplre.
And make my hearers seek for something
Higher,
Love, not ambition, be my guide through
life,
Not selfish love that only seeks to lind
A place of shelter in a world of strife:
Hut self-forgetful love for all mankind.
To counsel strong, yet stronger still to
aid;
A woman fit to live; a lifetime made
Hy thought and deed, thro' guidance of
the soul
Though not a perfect, yet a noble whole,
Elizabeth P. Miller.
Do Men Prefer Brunettes?
The popular heroine In a story book
Is usually blonde. She has hair of the
color of ripe corn, eyes blue as a violet,
the complexion of a wild rose, and lips
of ruby red. If a dark woman appears
at all, she is merely Introduced as the
enemy of the golden-haired one, arid is
quickly disposed of.
In real life things are very different;
the heroine of most love stories Is
dark, the yellow-haired girl Is at a dls
count, nine out of ten men preferring
her brown-tressed sister.
Why? Well, In the first place hair
of corn-ripe gold Is one of the things
one often reads about, and very seldom
sees, and the ordiuary flaxen nonde
script tints which are summed up in
the term blonde are apt to strike a man
as Insipid. Then, too, he has a feeling
quite absurd, I dare say that a fair
woman does not possess as much depth
of nature as a dark one. As a matter
of fact, the golden-haired girl may be
as capable of passionate extremes as
a black-haired one. but somehow the
Idea Is fixed In the minds of most men
that a fair woman Is placid by nature,
amiable, Indolent, and sure to become
portly in middle life.
They mny be prettier, perhaps they
are," a young fellow confessed the
other day, "but there's no Are In them."
Certainly, as a general rule, dark
girls are more vivacious, more spirited,
more full of vigor, and decidedly less
Inclined to be anemic,
The man who wants a good chum, an
... '
Intelligent companion and a sweetheart
capable of Intense emotion, has a bet
ter chance of finding her among the
dork-haired portion of his acquaint
ance than in the ranks of the light
haired. New York News.
Home-Made Velvet.
As panne velvet is used so much for
belts, bodice trimmings, hats, crush
collurs and the like, It Is a Joy to the
economical housewife to realize that
In her scrap bag she can undoubtedly
find material enough to help out her
winter costumes.
The directions for transforming pin
pricked, shabby velvet Into the more
fashionable textile are: Use for the
purpose a good steel-faced Iron, per
fectly cloan and smooth on both sides
and face. Have the Iron only moder
ately hot Spread the velvet face up
ward on a clean Ironing board and
smooth It with the Iron, taking great
pains to press the right way of the
nap, as It must be Ironed the way the
pile faces best Keep the Iron moving
all the time, for If allowed to stand at
all It leaves a mark that you cannot
get out
After going all over the surface of
the dry velvet Ironing always In the
same direction, steam the velvet thor
oughly and then go over It a second
time. You cannot press too much, pro
vided you always keep the iron run
ning with a heavy, even stroke. This
soon transforms It Into the fashionable,
shimmering panne.
Successful Women.
It has been wisely suggested by an
exchange that the women who suc
ceed are those who go to their work
with a determination born of courage
and positive convictions, and whose
energies are absolutely tlrelens.
It is true they are often not so well
paid for the same work as men, but
that Is one of the mistakes of the day
that will soon be rectified. We are
growing wiser, and one of the things
that Is most Important for every one
to know is that there Is no sex la
brains. Those who fall are usually
those who expect too much and pre
sume on account of their being wom
an. There la plenty of work and
oOo
money for the sharp woman who will
fight every difficulty.
Everybody loves a fighter, whether
It be man or woman; fighters who see
nothing but success at the other end
of the long road; fighters who believe
In themselves and their efforts, and
who plan their dally battles as a gen
eral plans campaigns; fighters who
are brave, "above board and generous
In the struggle these are the heroines
of daily life, and they command suc
cess and respect by thoroughly deserv
ing It New York News.
Care of Hair Brushes.
Hair brushes with Inlaid backs
which should not be wet may have the
bristles cleaned by being rubbed vig
orously with powdered pipe-clay; but
If a little care Is used the bristles may
be washed without dampening the
backs of the brushes. Take two dishes
little more than Inch In depfh deep pie
plates will answer. Put a small lump
of soda In one of the vessels and fill
the dish with boiling water. Stand
the brush In this and shake It about
until the bristles seem quite clean and
white; then plunge up and down In
the other dish, which should be full of
cold water, to which lemon Juice ot
vinegar has been added to whiten the
bristles. The cold bath after the boll
Ing water stiffens the bristles again
and keeps the brush In good condl
tlon.
Cat-Tall Pincushion.
Take a cat-tall (the species, not the
animal variety), that Is dead ripe, and
dry. Get a piece of plush Just the
same color, nnd
Just large enough
to cover the brown
tall. With brown
silk thread, catch
It Invisibly, until
the covering 1 s
neat and smooth.
The ends of course
must be gathered
into the shape.
That Is all It needs,
and you have a
unique pincushion, that will please
any boy or girl. Two of them crossed
and tied together with ribbon would
be a novel and useful wall decoration.
Mary Myrtle, In Farm and Home.
Washing; Sheepskin Ban,
Make a strong suds with white soap;
to each gallon of suds add one table
spoonful of borax, dissolved In half a
pint of boiling water. When the suds
is tepid put In the rug and let it soak
for half an hour or more. Wash well;
then wash In a weaker suds and rinse
In cold water to which a very little
soap has been added. Press out the
water and hang the rug In the shade
to dry. When It Is half dry rub It be
tween the hands. This will soften It.
A Dan enter of the Woods.
Of the 1,800 registered guides In
Maine only three are women, and only
one of the trio Is regarded by the men
as thoroughly competent. This Is Mrs.
S. Freese of Riverton, who has shot
every kind of game to be found In the
Maine woods. She Is also an expert at
tanning skins and has In her home
some beautiful specimens of her handi
work. Mrs. Freese hunts all through
lhe,Wlner' 8P?ndln camp
illlfltlAt triA SSS-V ! Alii AS w AM tl
during the coldest of weather.
Gleanings.
To dust carved furniture there Is
nothing better than a painter's brush.
A great convenience ' In cleaning
gloves at home is a wooden hand, such
as is used In the shops for displaying
gloves. . The thumbs on these hands
are detachable, so only one hand Is
needed. ,..-.
To polish fine glass, dust It over with
a bag in which Is a little powdered In
digo or other blue. Afterward the
glass Is rubbed hard with a piece of
chamois.
Light fur may be cleaned by rubbing
with bran moistened with warm wa
ter. ' Rub until dry; then rub with dry
bran. Rub against the way of the fur.
After using tho dry bran rub with
magnesia. ' '
When velvet has been wet and be
comes spotted, hold the wrong side
over steam, and while damp draw the
wrong side quickly over a warm Iron.
It takes two to do this well one to
bold the bottom of the Iron upward,
and the second to draw the velvet
across It."
When rubbing up your stoves do not
forget that the Isinglass windows may
be most quickly and thoroughly bright
ened by vinegar and water. Rub them
quickly with a soft rag dipped Into the
water and vinegar, being careful to go
well Into the corners. This will keep
the windows clean for a long time.
Shoes that have been hardened by
exposure to rain or sea water may be
softened and made as pliable as when
new by being well rubbed with kero
sene, applied on a bit of soft flannel or
cloth. The shoes, after being rubbed,
should be allowed to stand for several
hours, after which the usual dressing
or polish may be applied.
Flaxseed Is one of the best remedies
for a cold on the lungs. Use the seed
either ground or whole, pour over It
boiling water, let It steep and drain off
the liquor, thin It sufficiently so it can
be used for a drink. To every bowl
ful add the Juice of one lemon, and
sugar to make It palatable. Drink free
ly of this whenever thirsty, or oftener
If there Is little thirst The result if
wonderful.
Dorry'a Fir Alarm.
A head of fluffy yellow curls, two
big blue eyes, a turned-up nose, a but-
tonhole for a mouth -that was Dorry.
Ttia vara Minnlait 1 1 1 .1 fl Aw In all
The very sunniest little fellow In all
the world.
Always ready to drop his playthings
to run of errands, that was the rea
son he was asked so many times a
day by papa, mamma and aunties.
A new aunt had come to visit them,
and Dorry was not surprised to see
her approach him with a letter In her
hand.
"Dear little Thistledown, will you
take this to the mall-box for me?"
Dorry tossed aside his spade, took
the letter, and ran to the corner. But
when be got there, be was puzzled;
for there were two Iron boxes Instead
of one. Which was the letter-box?
One had a door, so he opened It, put
the letter In very hard, so It would
stay, and shut the door.
Hark! What 'was that noise? Away
down the street came the sound of bell
and - gong. Nearer and nearer, until
up dashed a fire-engine, the smoke
pouring from It, and the firemen In
their great hats ready for work.
Dorry was surprised. Where was
the fire? Around the corner came a
hose-cart followed by another. The
firemen ran from house to house, look
ing for the fire. The neighbors won
dered if It could be In the bouse next
to theirs.
"I should like to put my hands on
the boy who sounded the alarm!" said
the flre-cbief; and all the little boys
trembled In their shoes at the sound
of his voice.
"I have found what the trouble Is,"
said the fireman, holding up a letter.
"I knew It would be the way when
those new boxes that could be opened
without keys were put up."
"Why, that's my letter!" cried Aunt
Fan.
Dorry's heart gave a great throb. It
was the very letter he had taken to
the corner a few moments before. He
had put it In the fire-alarm box In
stead of the letter-box.
"Will they put me In Jail?" he whis
pered, creeping close' to Aunt Fan.
"Not this time," said the chief, "be
cause you made a mistake; but, If you
should ever do It again, I cannot say
what would be done."
But Dorry never did It again. Our
Little Ones.
The Brave Soldier Bar.
Wee Bobby is a soldier boy,
As brave as be can be;
He wears a soldier's uniform !
With buckles at the knee. .
He carries both a sword and gun,
Which makes him very proud;.
He marches up and down the street
And blows a whistle loud.
The people stop and look around
When he goes marching by,
But Bobby looks right straight In front,
Aud holds his head up high.
Wee Bobby takes his sword and gun
To bed with him each night;
"For you can never tell," he says, '
"When soldiers have to fight!"
A Novel Agriculturist. -
Among the many curious Insects
found In Texas is the "agricultural
ant" It Is truly an agriculturist,
planting, tending and harvesting crops
as regularly as any farmer In the
land. . .
When getting ready to do Its plant
leg, this queer little farmer makes a
circular clearing, from ten to twelve
feet In diameter, sometimes In the very
heart of a cotton field or a corn field,
sometimes In rough, wild pasture land.
The work It accomplishes, considering
Its sice. Is really marvelous, for with
Its teeth It cuts through tough, thick
stems, and by twisting, pulling and
biting, finally clears away everything
that would be a hindrance to Its crop.
If a fruit tree Is near and shades
the ant- farm too much, the ant sets
to work 1 and strips the tree of Its
leaves. Its farm' Is kept clear of all
weeds and other growth, until the
crop Is ready to harvest, which Is In
the latter part of June, and consists
of tall, yellowish grass. With great
care the ant cuts the seed from the
stalks and stores them for Its future
sustenance. The harvesting done, the
dry stubble Is cut and the weeds once
more take possession of the ground.
Agricultural ants frequently injure
fields and destroy many an acre of
produce, for, when making their clear
ings they ruthlessly cut down corn,
cotton, wheat, or anything else that
chances to be in the way. When once
they take possession of a piece of
ground they absolutely refuse to be
driven away until they have harvested
a crop of "ant-corn."
Poultry Raisin-.
There Is no kind of stock that can
be housed as cheaply as can poultry.
A comfortable poultry-house can be
IHItHIHim MM It I II HI H H I I HI l
Little Stories and
Incidents that Will
Interest and Enter
tain Young Readers
II H 11 Hlflttl I I I M I r
1 made out of refuse boards. It can be
8lmpiy a Bquare box covered on tfc
outside with cheap building paper held
,u piace wlth pla8ter ,atng fl
1 .
ana down about six Inches apart A
house 8 by 20 feet could be made for
less than $10. Instead of glass for a
window stout muslin can be used.
Such a house was built in the spring
by two boys and used until winter.
Then the boys tacked newspapers up
all over the inside, putting on several
thicknesses and tacking them so as to
make a complete covering over sides
and top. The fowls were kept In this
house for two years and were never
touched by the frost
The Robber Artist,
Old Jack Frost is a robber bold,
He frightens the Sun and steals his gold.
He scatters it over the autumn trees.
The Sunbeams try, but they cannot seize
The gold again for their Father Sun,
So well is Jack Frost's painting done.
He steals from the glowing sunset sky
Radiant colors to mix in his dye.
He paints the world with such wondrous
skill,
We do not arrest him. He's stealing still.
New York Tribune.
Incriminating; Evidence.
Sometimes a little colored boy, who
Is quite rough, comes over to play
with Bennle. During their play one
day Bennle struck the colored boy la
the mouth with a decayed apple,
which, of course, thoroughly besmear
ed his face. Blowing and sputtering,
he cried out: .
"Benny Smir, Ise gwine to tek dls
countenance right In to your mother."
Had Not the Tools.
One day papa went to the city and,
not returning until late, mamma took
the pall to the pasture to milk, taking
with her little 5-year-old Milburn.
One of the cows becoming restless,
mamma said: "So, Bossy, so!"
Instantly Milburn exclaimed:
"Why, mamma, Bossy can't sew,
she hasn't any needle and thread."
Moderate Temperature.
Little Edith was out walking with
her mother one lovely day In Septem
ber. "Mamma," she said, "isn't to-day a
pretty day. It's not vehwy (very) hot
or vehwy cold. It's Just middle
sized." - A Novel Diagnosis.
A little girl was once taken to visit
a hospital for the Insane. When she
got back one rt her friends asked her
where she had been and she said she
had been to a big hotel where all the
people were dizzy in their minds.
A LITTLE THING TO DO.
But It Was the Kind that Tests a Man's
Breeding;.
"There are some lovely men In the
world, even If they are scarce." ,
It was a pretty girl who thus philo
sophically mingled optimism and pes
simism in her view of the less assuring
half of humanity. She proceeded to
Illustrate her position as follows to the
New York Times:
"The' other day I had to go down
town by myself. I am not so very used
to going down town, and there Is a
preponderance of masculinity ' down
there that always scares me a little.
This time I went on the elevated and
got off at Rector street. It was about
10 In the morning, and the train and
station were black with men.
"There was not a woman, a sister
woman, to be seen when the lace of my
skirt caught In something Just as I
was leaving the car, and with a loud,
triumphant z-zlp-p ripped off to the ex
tent of about two yards. There was
all this white Muff banging, and I had
to get rid of it some way. I stepped to
one side and began trying to tear the
lace across, but It was as strong as the
sewing proved weak; not a thread of It
would give. Every one of the stream
of men passing turned his head to look
at me struggle, and I could feel my face
crimson with exertion and mortifica
tion. "That kind of a situation has a hash
eesh effect, and, though It seemed like
hours, I suppose It was only a minute,
till a gentleman, busily talking to a
companion, passed close to rue, and,
hardly turning his eyes my way, held
out an opened pocket knife; then be
walked on very slowly and apparently
absorbed In conversation. It was the
work of a second to sever the lace, roll
It up In my bag, and return him his
knife. ,
"My gratitude was too deep to ex
press Itself In what the plays call the
'smooth, hollow phases of society.' I
am not sure that I opened my lips, but
I am sure that I looked things unutter
able. . - .,
"He took the knife with Just the
slightest bow, and, touching his hat,
returned to bis muttons with his
friend.
"It was a little thing, you may say,
but It was Just the kind of little thing
that tests a man's breeding exquisite
ly." Real Estate Note.
Governess How many feet make a
yard?
Ethel I don't know, butl heard Mr.
Johnson say last night that there were
5,000 square feet In his. SomervlUe
Journal.
A double-barreled shotgun Is the
worst type of the deadly parallel '