"it
O,
CORVALLIS
SEMI-WEEKLY.
WRttt&'&Z&m. I Consolidated Feb., 1899.
CORVALLIS, BENTOX COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1900.
VOL. I. NO. 14.
VOCATION.
If T might choose mj simple lot
Far from town and quite forgot.
All in a sheltered nook and warm,
Tis T would have a violet farm.
No daffodils should me entice,
Nor hyacinths with their breath of spice.
The tulip with her painted hood
For me should wither where she stood.
Instead of sheep upon the sward,
The modest violet I should herd;
Instead of golden heads a-row.
Should see my violet harvest blow.
Under an arch of wild, wild cloud.
Below an opal mountain bowed.
All in a humid world and cool,
With winds and waters beautiful.
What airs across my farm should fare!
"Tis sweet where pinks and roses are.
But pinks and roses hide the face
Before a violet-peopled place.
No shortest day of all the year
Should fade without a violet's cheer.
Invisible sweetness hid within
And folded up in swathes of green.
Though white and purple babes be born
When Daffodil his naming horn
O'er quiet hills and vales shall sound
And stir the sleepers underground;
What country bliss can equal mine,
With violets for my flock and kine.
With violets for my crn and store?
What could a mortal wish for more?
Under a mountain pansy-dark,
Loved of the eagle and the lark,
And set too low for fear or harm,
'Tis I would have a violet farm.
Spectator.
8
The Behavior of Cassy.
So 08
BT was plain that thought lay very
heavy upon the Impressionable
Cassy. He lounged in the long chair
which was his by ancient right. His
eyes had dreams in them ; he nursed his
right leg affectionately in the way I
knew so well. And presently:
"I'm a nice sort of a fool, taking
things all around," he burst out of a
sudden. And he sat upright and looked
as though he had thrown a challenge to
me and to the world.
"You shouldn't say that," said L
"Self-depreciation is the worst thing
possible in these conceited days."
"I didn't come here to listen to your
tinpot epigrams," said Cassy, fiercely.
I was not offended I flatter myself
that I have come to know Cassy a lit
tle. "Very well, then. Who is she?" I
asked him.
Cassy's lips moved, and I caught the
word before he spoke it aloud. "Grace,"
be said slowly. "It's a fine name for a
girl, isn't it?" The last assertively; the
challenge was in his tone again.
"It certainly wouldn't be much of a
name for a boy," I suggested.
He flared out anew at this, and I
forced myself into my old sympathetic
mood. And Cassy, growing calmer:
"Did you ever read do you ever read
children's fairy tales, where everything
Is right, and fits so easily into its place;
where the poor student comes always
to the princess, with arms held out to
ward her and a smile on his face. Aad.
If there be any wicked people they go
away, or die, or get out of the thing
somehow, so that they can work no
mischief. And everything ends just as
the poor student (and the princess) de
sire, and they are happy ever after?"
"I do read them sometimes."
"I sometimes think," he said, "that it
Is a great pity that we cannot live in
that pleasant land of fairy tales. When
I call now (he was applying his
thought to his own particular trouble)
I am never able to see her. The old
man's all right, rather a jolly sort of
chap altogether. But the mater hates
me like poison. She comes into the
room all smiling, and says that Grace
Is out, or laid up with a slight attack of
whatever illness happens to be fashion
able at the time. (I give her credit for
being a clever woman; she varies the
complaint so neatly.) And then we talk
about the weather ,and the last novel,
and so on, and when I go, 'So glad you
called, Mr. Cassy,' and I get out onto
the street. When I turn the corner I
ask myself why it is not fairyland, and
why I can't go back with my faithful
followers and carry her in triumph
from the house."
"Yet always," I reminded him, "the
poor student had many difficulties to
conquer."
"He did not have a Mrs. Hepworth
Smith to encounter," said Cassy.
"But she may be won over in time,"
I suggested.
"Not by me," said Cassy. "I'm no
body. You don't know Grace, do you?"
he added suddenly.
"It is my misfortune," I returned.
"Well, of course, then, you don't un
derstand. You can't possibly under
stand. She's "
"That'll do. I'll take Grace for grant
ed. The point now is Mrs. Hepworth
Smith, and the utter indifference of the
once kind gods. You can't see her; you
want to to let her know something?"
"Yes," said Cassy with deliberation.
"I think I do."
"Why don't you write, then?"
Cassy was aghast at my brilliant
thought. He uncurled his knee and
threw himself back in the chair as a
man who has cast a burden from his
shoulders. He said: "It's great. I
never thought about that for a' min
ute." "I'm awfully sorry, coming round and
worrying you like this. But "
"I'm always glad to be of service," I
responded feebly, marveling at my
masterstroke of cleverness. "But
what?"
"Oh, nothing. Only, if you knew her
Wm sure you would understand,"
And before he left that night we
drank very solemnly to the rout of Mrs,
Hepworth-Smith and the complete suc
cess of the Knight Cassy.
"How long is it since I saw you last?"
questioned Cassy.
"Just over a week."
"A week? It seems like a month."
"Why," I said, a little amazed
"what's the new development?"
"I wrote," said Cassy. He glared at
me. "Don't you hear me? I wrote
"Yes," I said. "And "
"I wrote," he repeated for the third
time. He leaned forward. He stared
at me as if to read a riddle. Then he
receded into the chair again, disgusted
with life. A long pause. "I've had no
answer," he finished rather theatrically
"My dear fellow," I said, "do you
think the lady had her mind ready
made up for you? I suppose am I
right? it was not a letter to be an
swered offhand?"
"Offhand," said Cassy with great
scorn. "A week. One two three five
six seven days."
"Sometimes letters go wrong in the
post," I said.
It was only a straw, but Cassy jump
ed at It. I said (it was the only thing
which occurred to me, and U was not
good):
"Write again."
He replied:
"Yes, I suppose so," indifferently.
"I wrote again," said Cassy, desolate
and mournful. "It's just the same. No
answer."
This time I could say nothing.
"I've had enough of this," said Cassy
with emphasis. "I'm going to see a
steamship Johnny I know. Big pot in
a shipping office somewhere. There
must be lots of places where a fellow
can go and enjoy himself a bit; and
why don't you say something?" he ask
ed fiercely.
"I'll wait just a little longer," said
Cassy, later. "And If Then I'll
take a ticket for the Gold Coast, or
Timbuctoo. One of those places where
it's not over-healthy unless you're used
to it."
"I'm done," said Cassy. "I was com
ing through Stafford road the others
afternoon, and I met Mrs. Hepworth
Smith. I inquired after Miss Hepworth-Smith,
also Mr. Hepworth
Smith. She thanked me. She said that
Mr. Hepworth-Smith was in very good
health, but that Miss Hepworth-Smith
was rather unwell. She said:
" 'The doctors have advised me to
take Grace abroad somewhere.'
"I blurted out, 'Where?' like a fool.
I felt her look across at me (you know
what I mean), and she said:
" 'Oh, we haven't quite decided that
yet, Mr. Cassy.'
"I don't know what else I said, but I
know that as I said good-by to her I
hesitated for a minute. I must have
looked rather silly. She guessed what
was in my mind.
' 'Grace is quite too 111 to see anyone,
Mr. Cassy,' was her parting shot."
Cassy finished. There was a mourn
ful silence.
"Well," I said at last.
"It's as plain as anything to me,"
said Cassy. "It's just her kind way of
letting me know that it's no game. And
I wrote two letters one after the oth
er. What a supreme fool I must have
looked."
"It's not so plain to me," I said.
"I can't help it if you're so thick
headed," retorted Cassy.
I was not in request as a comforter
that night. Everything was wrong.
Things would never be the same again.
So the curtain of the last act but one
comes down (with slow sympathy) on
the Hero Sad.
The hero in the long chair, sad and
depressed beyond words. And finally he
said:
"I'm goin' away. Next week, I think.
This isn't like the others. You think it
is. I tell you it isn't."
But a week later the curtain rose
again.
"Oh, it was great," said Cassy. "I
went down to that shipping office I told
you about to get catalogues and dates
and that sort of thing." (Cassy was al
ways a little vague when he was ex
cited.) "It was' a funny kind of a show,
a long counter around three sides and
wire railing facing you everywhere.
And you can't guess there was a lady
there, with her back toward me, argu
ing with a clerk. I heard her say some
thing about Madeira as I pushed the
door open, and I seemed to know the
voice. There was another lady with
her. It was Mrs. Hepworth-Smith and
Grace. I had a good mind to bolt when
I saw her naturally but the swing
door creaked, and Grace looked across
at me. And somehow (I don't know
how I did it) I whispered, 'You got my
letter?' and she said, 'Your letter? No.'
Her mater was ragging the fellow be
hind the wire netting with her back to
ward us still. And I don't know what
else I said, or what she said, but it's
all right, anyhow. Mrs. Hepworth
Smith turned round sullenly. Dick, her
face was a study. 'Now, who would
have thought of seeing you here, Mr.
Cassy?' 'I should like my letter now,
mother,' said Grace, 'if you please.'
Then we went outside, and left her
mater to fight it out with the poor chap
behind the wire.
"He looked a bit surprised, too. And
afterward we all went home to Mr.
Hepworth-Smith, but he was all right
at the finish."
Cassy wound up breathlessly. I con
gratulated him.
"And I've got to thank you," said
Cassy, "for listening to me and letting
me tell you things, and all that "
I said I was not aware that I bad
done anything, which in truth I had
not
He flung himself In the long chair.
He remained there for perhaps ten
seconds. He got up; he stood with bis
back to the fire, his hands in his pock
ets, for perhaps another ten seconds.
He faced round suddenly and stared
Into the fire. Then he jerked his hands
out of his pockets. He walked to the
window and pulled the blind aside with
a huge noise. Outside it was raining
hard. The lamplight gleamed yeflow
pools in the pavement.
"Let's go for a walk," said Cassy.
"It's grand."
"Why, it's raining," I remonstrated
feebly.
"What's the matter with it?" he said,
staring hard through the window.
"You can't possibly stop indoors a
night like this."
That night he nearly dragged me oft
my legs. So that evidently Cassy's
fairy tale had ended in the old approved
fashion. Penny Pictorial Magazine.
WOULD NOT BUILD A CHURCH.
Asa Consequence He Was Compelled tc
(skip the Country.
"Twenty-five years ago," said a min
lng man, "1 was In a Colorado town
and one day a sheep herder came in
with a report of a gold find and collect
ed eleven of us to go -with him to it to
organize it into a district and stake oft
our claims. We got through with it too
late in the day to start home again, so
we camped in our blankets. We were
stretched around the fire when some
one proposed that we devote the time
before going to sleep to telling who we
were and what brought us to that re
mote country. Scarcely a man in the
party was known by his name, 'Judge'
and 'Doc' and 'Parson' and 'Shorty' and
'Cockeye' and such characteristic sobri
quets designing each of us. Most of
the men were simply floaters and drift
ers, and they were there because it
happened so and there was a chance to
get rich quick and easy. When it came
to 'Shorty's' turn to respond he star
tled us by the story of a tragedy in
which he uad killed two men in Ver
mont and escaped because the sym
pathy of the community was with him,
although not sufficiently so to permit
him to remain at home. The wild West
was his best opening and he had come
there to end his days In whatever way
he might. The story cast a gloom over
the assemblage, so to speak, which was
lightened somewhat by the spokesman
calling on the 'Parson.'
" 'Well, Parson,' he said, 'what
brought you out here?'
" 'You've called me right,' laughed
that member, 'for I was a parson. I
had a place in a small town in Penn
sylvania, a wife and five children and
$400 a year, with mighty dern few do
nation parties. I struggled along the
very best I could, trying, to be a Cbri
tian under the circumstances and will
ing to lessen my chances to enter the
kingdom of heaven by 25 per cent, for
a 25 per cent, increase of pay, when the
end came by my refusing to build a
church.'
"The Idea of a preacher in that fix
building a church seemed to be so fun
ny that everybody laughed, and 'How
was that, Parson?' came from half a
dozen questioners.
" 'Oh,' he replied, hesitatingly, 'the
congregation raised $7,314.60 to build
a church and I skipped out with it.' "
Washington Star.
FARM THAT FLOATS IN A RIVER.
Arsenal Island. In the Mississippi,
Constantly C hanging Its Position.
Many of the islands in the Mississippi
River are known to be constantly
changing their positions, but the most
restless of them, and perhaps the most
remarkable Island in the world, is Ar
senal Island, now of Illinois, but some
times of Missouri. Besides its jour
neys up and down the river, the Island
occasionally takes a trip across the
deep-water channel, consequently shift
ing from the Missouri to the Illinois
shore.
Major Thomas H. Handbury, of the
corps of United States engineers, be
lieves that Arsenal island will eventu
ally become a part of Missouri terri
tory, and says its constant movement
is easily explained. The dirt on its
upper end washes away under the force
of the river current and accretions
form at the lower end.
Arsenal Island has also been known
as Quarantine Island. Both names in
dicate the use to which it was put be
tween 1850 and 1867, when a quaran
tine station and the United States ar
senal were maintained there. But Ar
senal Island Is the official name and is
used in all land grants and deeds that
have been made with reference to it.
The island Is the property of J. S.
Plttsfield, of Illinois, but is leased by
Joseph R. Jobln, who lives upon it.
His house is in the midst of a pretty
grove of willows, elms, sycamores and
cottonwoods at the upper end of the
island. It is a modest little one-story ;
building with five rooms, which are
very clean and comfortable. It is sur
rounded by storage-houses and poultry
yards. Stretching away from the grove j
are many acres of fertile land, which Is
in an excellent state of cultivation. The ;
proprietor told a reporter of the Post- j
Dispatch that his hope is to convert
the place into a stock ranch. Since he
landed there in 1893 he says that more j
than fifty acres have been washed from
its upper end and fully as many acres
have been added to Its lower end.
Since 1853 Arsenal Island has moved
southward 8,000 feet. St. Louis Post-
Dispatch.
A Feminine Trait.
Mrs. Hoon "They say that Mrs.
Swif tsmith is greatly troubled with in
somnia." Mr. Hoon "Yes; I understand that
she discovered the fact a week or so
ago that her husband talks in his sleep,
and she hasn't slept a wink since for
fear of missing something." Harper's
Bazar.
Some DeoDle are chronic liars, but the
dumb man always keeps his word,
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
A DEPARTMENT FOR LITTLE
BOYS AND GIRLS.
Bomethine that Will Interest the Ju
venile Members of Kvery Household
Quaint Actions and Bright Sayines
Many Cute and Cunning Children,
"Little G-Dropper" that was what
Aunt Professor called Natalie. It was
quite a grief to Aunt Professor. Of
course you couldn't be the wife of a
professor in a great college and enjoy
hearing your only little niece that ever
was drop g's!
"I'm sorry, auntie, and I'm goin' to
stop droppin' 'em right straight off,"
Natalie w-ould say, penitently; and then
Aunt Professor would squeeze her and
laugh and say: -
"There must be two somewhere un
der your feet this minute, Little
G-Dropper S"
It grew worse. If anything. There
were so many "ing" words in Natalie's
language, and they always ended in
"in'," without any g's at all.
Aunt Professor corrected the little
girl, in her gentle way, a dozen times
a day, and a dozen times a day Natalie
said, "Oh, dear, there goes another one,
auntie! I keep droppin' 'em!"
When mamma and Natalie and Baby
Boy went away to the seashore there
was no one to correct Natalie, for it
took all mamma's time to pick up other
things besides g's that Baby Boy kept
dropping.
In August was Natalfe's birthday,
and of course there came an express
bundle from Aunt Professor. Natalie
had had nine birthdays and nine ex
presses from Aunt Professor. This one.
made the tenth, and it was such a
beautiful fat one!
"Oh, what do you suppose there's
goin' to be in it. Baby Boy?" cried Na
talie, dancing round mamma while she
untied the strings. "Let's guess. A
new jumpin'-rope, a box of writin'-pa-per,
a doll, a oh!"
For the bundle was open. It was full
of birthday treasures ten of them, to
match Natalie's years. The tenth one
was a little square box wrapped in
dainty pink tissue and tied with silver
tinsel. Natalie felt of it and smelled
of it and shook it "e-a3y."
"What can it be?" she cried. "Can
you guess, mamma, ever in your
world ?"
"Never in my world!" laughed mam
ma. And no wonder, for in the dainty little
box were oi all the blrtfcriay presents
a little pile of gingerbread g's! Brown
and crisp and spicy, good enough to
eat!
"Oh! Why!" cried Natalie. Then she
spied a little white label on the Inside
of the box cover, written in the form of
i. doctor's prescription. Mamma read
It over Natalie's shoulder.
"Take one every time you feel an
'ing word' coming on. Repeat dose, if
not relieved."
Natalie laughed and mamma laughed
and Baby Boy laughed.
"Isn't she just the darlin'est aun
tie " began N'atalie; then she looked
it mamma with a queer little grimace.
'I guess I'd better 'take one'!" she said.
Youth's Companion.
The Humming Ball.
Here is a copy of a picture in an old,
old English book on games. The game
that It illustrates is so ancient, in fact,
that I doubt if auy of you ever heard
of it, but your grandfathers may tell
you how they played it in childhood. It
consists in keeping the "humming ball"
spinning as long as possible by rolling
it on the cord connecting the two sticks
held in the hands. You can make one
of the humming balls by winding each
end of a very large spool tightly with
twine, leaving a clear space in the cen
ter for the cord to work In. Then take
two sticks, each about eight inches long
and connect them by a narrow ribbon
or piece of hemp cold two and one-half
feet long. Taking the sticks one in
each hand, so that the cord forms a
loop, place the humming ball in the
loop and raise first one and then the
other hand repeatedly, thus making the
ball spin. Keep this up and gradually
increase the speed until the ball is go
ing at a "humming" rate, when you
may toss it in the air with the cord,
catch it when it comes down and do a
number of Interesting tricks with It.
A real "humming ball" has holes
bored through the two lobes which, as
the dumb-bell like instrument whirls,
gives out curious humming sounds. A
toy of this sort may be made by joining
two small croquet balls on a piece of
broomstick. Have the balls not more
than an inch apart and bore a "hum
ming" hole through each of them. Set
your wits to work and make one of
these new old toys. Then tell the other
boys and girls of your success. Chi
cago Record.
Find the Sunshine.
Georgie came home from school the
other day with a big tear in his jacket.
Mamma sat down to mend it at once,
but the jacket had faded a Utiia. and
PLATING "HUMMING BALL."
the new p!ee did not look just like the
old. Georgie's quick eye saw it, too,
and said a little sadly:
"There are two colors, mamma."
"I know It, but I can't help it, dear.
The jacket has faded, you see."
"It will be all right by-and-by," said
the little boy, with a happy smile, and
turned away to his play.
"Dear little fellow," thought mam
ma, while the tears came to her eyes;
"he always sees the sunny side."
A Tragedy in Five Acta.
L
As Ben Zine and Mag A. Zine went walk
ing out one day,
It chanced that Mr. Parlor Match along
the road did stray.
II.
They met him with disdainful look, and
coolly passed him by;
Poor Parlor Match was struck with rage
lire flashed from out his eye.
III.
He burned with scorn and jealous rage,
who once ws Maggie's lover
In hot pursuit he catches them, igniting
Maggie's cover.
rv.
And Ben, in anger, launching dire threats
and cruel names,
Explodes, and only helps the more to
feed the angry flames.
V.
And nanght was left but wreck and ruin
in their smoking trail
Not even Mr. Parlor Match remained to
tell the tale.
Harper's Round Table.
THE JUDGE FINED HIMSELF.
How a Kentucky Magistrate Broke
Up a Friendly Game of Poker.
"Judge Walker, of Maysville, was
very strict on the bench, but not always
so in his private life," said John L.
Scott, of Frankfort, Ky. "It had be
come the custom of the lawyers trav
eling the circuit to indulge in a friendly
game of poker after court adjourned at
night, and Judge Walker frequently
joined in the game. One night at
Brookville, in Bracken County, the
court and the attorneys joined in a
game on the evening that they arrived,
and the next morning, when court
opened, the Judge, in giving the usual
charge- to the grand jury, addressed
himself to the attorneys:
" 'Gentlemen, you are officers of the
court, and as such are sworn to uphold
the laws and the constitution of the
State. You have been playing poker,
contrary to the statutes in such cases
made and provided. Each of you will
be fined $10 upon the return of Indict
ments the bringing of which I have in
structed.' "Turning to the prosecuting attorney,
he said: 'Wadsworth, you are not only
a lawyer but the prosecuting attorney,
sworn to bring offenders to. justice. You
will pay $25.
" 'Walker,' laying his hand upon his
own breast, 'you are not only a lawyer
but a judge. You have violated the
taw, and must pay $50.'
"He paid the fine, as did each of the
lawyers, and It broke up the game on
that circuit." St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
A Millionaire In a Moment.
It falls to the lot of few men to make
the discovery that they are stdnding on
a mine of gems of fabulous value. This
good fortune has recently befallen T.
C. Bassett, a mining expert, whose
keen eye and a stroke of luck convert
ed him in a moment from a poor man
to be master of millions, says Titbits.
Mr. Bassett, who is attached as expert
to a mining corporation in South Amer
ica, was on a short visit to relatives in
California, when it occurred to him
that he might utilize some of his time
prospecting for gold. His wanderings
took him in the direction of the famous
Death Valley, where one day he mount
ed a small cone-shaped hill in order to
get a better view of the surrounding
country. He was about to descend the
hill, to continue his tramp, when a
patch of blue at his feet arrested his
attention. Bassett's trained eye recog
nized in the blue patch the "blue float,"
which is a sure indication of the pres
ence of turquoises In the soil. He lost
no time in locating a claim, and was
soon hard at work with pick and shov
el. His most sanguine expectations
were more than realized, for at the
depth of six feet he found the "boxite
vein," which was thickly studded with
beautiful stones. The deeper he dug
the more magnificent were the gems,
and within a fortnight he was able to
return to San Francisco with no less
than seventy pounds of the most bril
liant and flawless turquoises that have
ever been discovered.
Postmen's Work in ' Central Africa.
The postmaster general for the Brit
ish Central Africa Protectorate gives
one or two interesting items of uews in
his latest report. The mails are still
conveyed for the most part upon the
heads and backs of native postmen.
The men are recruited chiefly from the
Yao and Atonga tribes, and wear a uni
form. Fully 300 bags of malls are
made up each Wonth at the different
postoflices in the Protectorate for con
veyance by these men, the total dis
tance traveled being close upon 10,000
miles per month, the cost of transit be
ing less than d. per mile per bag. The
system of forwarding mails at night by
relays of carriers has been greatly ex
tended; the night mail services now
represent a total distance traveled of
some 3,000 miles per month. The post
men travel in pairs, and are armed
with rifles, as Hons are not infrequently
encountered.
Intuition Is something that tells a
woman her husband is lying when he
comes home at 2 a m. and begins to
explain the whys and wherefores.
Occasionally a man gets married be
cause he wants some one around to
blame things on.
Sometimes a man has no confidence
In other men. because he has none la
himself.
Sheep Grub in Summer.
In midsummer the sheep grub causes
much suffering to sheep. The animals
huddle together, with their noses to the
ground for protection against the gad
fly, the parent of the grub. The fly aims
to deposit her eggs in the nostrils of
the sheep. If she succeeds in so doing
the eggs soon hatch, the worms attach
ing themselves to the sinuses of the
nose by means of hooks, and live upon
mucus secretions of the Irritated sur
faces to which they cling. When fully
grown they work their way down
through the narrow openings by which
they entered and cause pain to the ani
mals. The grubs fall to the ground,
where they burrow, become chrysal
ides, and develop into gadflies in about
two months. The difliculty of handling
sheep is an obstacle, but the usual pre
ventive is to daub wood tar on the
noses of the sheep. Plow a furrow in
the pasture, and repeat by loosening it
after every rain, as the sheep will keep
their noses in the soft earth as a pro
tection. A teaspoonful of coal tar and
twenty drops of carbolic acid, well
mixed with a pint of wood tar (to give
the odor, will be an improvement on
the remedy.
Kaising Clover Seed.
To grow good clover seed it should
not be left until all the seed his ripen
ed before cutting, as thus much of
the best seed, that from the earliest
and largest blossoms, will rattle out
and be lost. Much of that which seems
to be only partially ripened will germi
nate quite as well and bring as vigor
ous plants as the ripest seed. Handle
and cure the clover just as if it was to
be made into hay excepting cutting it
later, and the straw will be a good hay
after it is threshed, not quite as good
as the early cut hay, but quite as good
as any late-cut hay for horses or cat
tle. It is thought the best method of
growing clover seed, to cut the first
crop of clover for hay, as early as it is
tit, and let the second crop grow and
ripen seed. Some go so far as to say
that the seed from the first crop is not
as good as that from the second crop or
rowen, but we think the real advant
age Is getting the crops of hay, and
perhaps there may be better weather
for. curing the seed at the late mowing
than In June.
Skim Milk as an Insect Destroyer.
It may not be generally known that
skimmilk or buttermilk readily mix
with kerosene, forming an emulsion
which destroy insects without the dan
ger of injury to animals or plants on
which they might be that might result
from the use of the pure oil or of oil
and water. We first learned of this
from using this mixture for the scale
insect or mite which causes scaly legs
on fowl. We found that one or two dip
pings or washings with It would cure
the worst case of scaly leg, and leave
the skin as smooth as when first hatch
ed. We never had occasion to try it for
lousy animals, for we never had one,
but we do not hesitate to recommend
it, and we have lately seen its use ad
vised for ticks on sheep, using a gill
of kerosene to one gallon of milk. We
did not make our mixture as strong of
kerosene as that, but perhaps the
larger tick may need a stronger appli
cation than an insect so small as to be
scarcely visible to the naked eye.
American Cultivator.
A New Garden Insect.
A new Injurious garden Insect is de
scribed by the Agricultural Depart
ment as a lima-bean borer. The grub
enters the stalk of the lima bean, form
ing a gall of an inch or more in length,
and causing considerable damage in
some sections. The remedy suggested
where this pest proves troublesome is,
after the crop is gathered, to harrow
the ground, thus exposing the larvae
to the elements, and then plowing
deeply in the spring, which treatment
has been found very effective against
the squash-vine borer. The treatment,
however, is more preventive than reme
dial, but in small patches or garden
rows of limas the insect can be kept in
check by trimming the terminal vines
where Infected, and the larvae in the
lower portions of the stems can be re
moved by cutting longitudinally, with
out serious injury to the stem Itself.
The presence of the borer is Indicated
by an exudation of excrement
Material for the Du.t Bath.
Whatever the material used may be
it should always be dry and fine, says
American Gardening. Dirt is excel
lent, but the habit of placing dirt In a
box for the hens without sifting it, or
removing the small stones and gravel,
is not a good one. The dirt should be
so fine that it will fly in every direc
tion. When the hen dusts herself it is
not for the purpose of wallowing in it,
but to throw the dust over her body;
hence if the material used is not dry
and fine it will be of but little service
to the hens. Ashes are often used, but
there is a difference between those pro
duced from wood and those from coal.
They should be sifted fine, and either
kind may be used in dry weather.
Should a wet spell come on, however,
avoid those from wood, as the contact
with water renders them injurious to
the skin, owing to their caustic, alka
line properties.
Don't Buy Old Stock.
Never buy old stock, especially horses,
even for a song. They are usually
worthless. One out of ten, perhaps, is
worth his feed, but not more. There is
no sale for htm and you must let him
die on your bands. If you make him
pull through one cropping season yon
are none the better off, as you must
buy another and be out his price and
feed. A young horse, if he does not
increase in value, holds his own and
may be sold at cost or a few dollars
advance, and the year's work is free.
Old cows are just as poor property if
you are not prepared to feed them cotton-seed
hulls, meal and chops to fat
ten and sell to the butcher. But you
must buy them for a song, because it
takes more time and feed for an old
than a young cow to fatten. W. F.
Adams, De Witt County, Texas, in
Farmer's Voice.
Raising Geese.
It will require but little capital to
emhark in the geese business, says
Iowa Homestead. Brooder houses are
not needed, and incubator cellars and
a whole lot of capital-destroying equip
ment are not required to keep geese.
They should have plenty of permanent
water to do well. They have been
known to do well where large tanks are
set into the ground, and the waste
water from the supply tanks turned
into it. They do well in the meadows
after the hay has been removed. Vege
tables which are usually thrown away
will make good winter feed for them.
Should vermin be kept away from them
there will be little trouble with them.
Harness Blacking.
The great English harness blacking
is made as follows: Three ounces of
turpentine and two ounces of white
wax are dissolved together over a slow
fire. Then add one ounce of ivory black
and one drachm of indigo, well pulver
ized and mixed together. When the
wax and the turpentine are dissolved,
add the ivory black and indigo, and stir
till cold. Apply very thin. Wash after
ward, and you will have a beautiful
polish. This blacking keeps the leather
soft. It is excellent for buggy tops and
harness. Old harness, when hard, will
be benefited by washing it in warm
water, and, when nearly dry, greasing
it with neats-foot oil.
Flowering: Plants.
The fruit stalks of flowering plants
should be cut as soon as the flowers
fall. It Is an exhaustive process to the
plants to bear fruit or seeds. Some
plants that flower the first year, such
as Chinese pinks, snap-dragons, etc.,
can be made to flower the second year
if not allowed to go beyond the flower
ing stage. The pansy, which is famil
iar to all, will continue to produce flow
ers provided the flowers are cut as
often as they appear. If allowed to
produce seed the plant ceases to pro
duce flowers. The plant has accom
plished its work when it has produeed
seed.
Depth of Cultivation.
Whether cultivation should be deep
or shallow Is a matter that has been
discussed for many years. . It is claim
ed that deep cultivation destroys the
surface roots of plants, and if the top
soil is loosened and the weeds destroy- .
ed it Is sufficient. The advocates of deep
cultivation believe that if the ground is
loosened to the depth of 4 inches it in
creases the porosity of the soil and al
lows the air and water to penetrate
more freely. It is probably well, how
ever, to stir the ground to a greater
depth before a rain and shallow after
a rain.
Horseradish Profitable.
Horseradish is a profitable crop, and
can be grown on almost any soil. Plant
the little roots, and they will be large
enough for market in one season. Plant
the root small end down, so that the
top will be two Inches under the soil.
Horseradish when matured may re
main in the ground until spring, or may
be stored in pits in the falL It con
stantly increases in the ground, but
when grown for market never becomes
troublesome by spreading. It requires
liberal manuring, and a large supply
can be grown on a small plot
Cauliflower.
Although the cauliflower must have
plenty of light, yet it will be an advan
tage if planted where shielded from
the midday sun, such as on the north
side of some tall growing crops like
corn, lima beans, etc. The late varie
ties like Algiers may be sown; also a
succession of Erfurt, and again in the
beginning of July selected Erfurt and
Eclipse varieties ranking among the
best of the early kinds.
Two Crops on Same Land.
An excellent plan to get two crops on
the same laud, and at the same time,
is to drop seed of sweet corn In the
same rows with peas, placing the
seeds of corn several inches apart, thin
ning to a foot apart after the plants are
up. The corn will finish its main growth
after the peas have ceased growing,
though for taller kinds the corn serves
as supports.
Cow Peas.
A crop of cow peas may be allowed
to grow until the pods are turning yel
low. They then contain the peas in
the pods along with the vines, making
a combination of food which can not
be excelled, and cattle and sheep will
consume every portion. A crop of the
dry peas would be valuable but for the
labor of picking them by band.
A Bee's Weight.
Careful weighing shows that an or
dinary bee, not loaded, weighs the five
thousandth part of a pound, so that it
takes 5,000 bees to make a pound. But
the loaded bee, when he comes In fresh
from the fields and flowers, freighted
with honey or bee bread, weighs nearly
three times more.
Remember It is a great deal better to
be a sensible fellow known by a few
than a freak In the eyes of an entire
nation.
There are three positions open to the
politician offense, defense and on the
fence. - - -