Corvallis gazette., August 21, 1900, Image 1

County Clerk
GAZETTE.
CORVALLIS
SEMI-WEEKLY.
KxEKtKb.v;,u,T,e1c8.9i78.i Consolidated Feb., 1899.
CORVALLIS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1900.
YOL. I. NO. 17.
WAKING AT NIGHT.
When I wake up alone at night
I feel as if I had no eyes;
I stare and stare with all my might.
But only blackness round me lies.
r listen for the faintest sound,
And, though I strain with either sar.
The dark is silent all around;
It's just as if I could hear. ,
But if I lie with limbs held fast,
A sort of sound comes like a sigh
Perhaps the darkness rushing past.
Perhaps the minutes passing by;
Perhaps the thoughts in people's heads,
That keep so quiet all the day,
Wait till they're sleeping in their beds,
Then rustle out and fly away!
Or else this noise like whirring wings,
That dies with the first streak of light,
May be the sound of baby things,
All growing, growing, in the night.
Children, and kitty-cats, and pups.
Or even little buds and flowers.
Daisies, perhaps, and buttercups, .
All growing in the midnight hours,
And yet it seems of me a part,
And nothing far away or queer. . . .
It's just the beating of my heart,
That sounds so strange as I lie here!
I do not know why this should be;
When darkness hides the world from
sight,
I feel that all is gone but me
A little child and the black night.
London Spectator. f
it
Mrs. Basset's Boarder. $
m
RS. BASSET was dismayed to
the verge of tears.
'I never thought you'd take it
so hard, sir," she said.
"How long have I boarded with you,
Mrs. Basset?"
"Seven years come September, sir."
"Quite right. During that time you
have occasionally accommodated men
,who wished to board here, but never
women. I understood that no woman
was to be received here. For the last
year I have been the only boarder and
the solitude has been delightful. Now,
this woman '
"I'm that sorry!" The emotion in her
voice was genuine. "When she wrote
and asked me to let her corne, I said yes
right off. Once, sir, a long way back,
before John and me were married, I
was in service with Miss Jeannette's
mother. They were rich folks then,
and held their heads high. All that's
changed now. It's me and John that
have done well and got money. Her
parents are dead. She supports herself.
She teaches school night school. She
wouldn't be here in the evenings at all."
"She attends clubs, I suppose," he
ventured.
"She is president of one and secretary
of another. She is bright."
He groaned. His opportunities to
study the progress of women had been
limited.
"When is she to to honor us with
her presence?"
"Not not before to-morroW after
noon, sir."
He muttered something about twenty-four
hours of grace, and went off to
his big, beautiful front room, wherein
were gathered together his accumula
tion of literary and artistic treasures.
A moment later he opened his door in
response to a tentative knock. "I'd like
to ask you a favor, Mr. Freer, sir," be
gan Mrs. Basset. "I've just got a tele
phone message that my sister, who
lives on the West Side, has come down
with pneumonia. She's the only sister
I've got, and I'm worried to know how
bad she it. I thought seeing how you
were staying In, sir "
"Yes. That's all right."
"But It's Thursday, and Delia is go
ing out. The new housemaid was to
come at 3. I thought if it wouldn't be
asking too much if you'd let her in
when she rings "
"Certainly. Any directions?"
"Xn She won't nwil tn do anything
till I get back. Thank you, sir."
She took her portly person away, au.J
Alexander Freer went back to his book.
He left his door wide that he might
hear the ring. He did hear it in an
hour after Delia's crackling skirts on
the stairs had Indicated her festive de
parture. He went down, opened the
door. The girl in the vestibule wore a
trim black gown, a tan jacket, and an
audacious little spring hat. She had
rippling reddish hair and the milk-white
skin that goes with It, a scarlet mouth
and eyes of forget-me-not blue. Some
thing singularly youthful and fragile
about the slight form, something lonely
In the lifted eyes, appealed to him.
"Mrs. Basset was obliged to go out,"
he explained. "The cook is also absent.
You are the new housemaid, I believe.
Come In. Mrs. . Basset desired me to
mention- there would be no task for you
until her return."
For a moment she regarded hhn
blankly. Then her lips drooped. "I am
sorry," she said, advancing. She took
off her hat and jacket and hung them
up. "I could do a good deal if I knew
iwhat was to be done."
To do! Hadn't he been staring off
and on since breakfast at the dusty
books on his topmost shelves. Had he
not been cherishing a secret plan of
flight? But he could not pack his pre
clous possessions himself.
"I wonder," he cried, In a somewhat
volcanic fashion, "If you would be good
enough to help me pack my books and
etchings? I can bring my packing
boxes out of the basement. I am going
to change my quarters. We would have
a few hours before Mrs. Basset gets
home," he went on, hastily. "I shall be
glad to pay well for the assistance."
, The milk-white skin grew pink under
his glance. For a moment she did not
reply.
" Iwill help you," she consented.
Somewhere in the kitcnen regions she
found and donned a big blue check
apron. She presented herself at the
first room of his suite, her sleeves rolled
up, a soft old cloth in one hand, a feath
er duster in the other. The woman
hater watched her as she worked with
an anxiety that finally merged in com
placence. How well she knew how to
handle a book!
"I feel like a criminal," he told her,
laughing. "I know now how men feel
who go off leaving their board bill un
paid. I tried to tell Mrs. Basset this
morning that I would leave, but I lack
ed the courage. The dear soul! It will
be many a day before I find a place that
suits me as this does.-"
"Why are you leaving, then?" she
asked.
"You may not think mine the best of
reason. I am leaving because Mrs. Bas
set is to receive another boarder a
woman."
"Yes?" Clearly she expected him to
say more.
"I understand she is one of those ap
palling creatures they call new wom
en," he went on". "She supports her
self, you know, teaches school, and even
w-rites books on abstruse subjects."
"Dear! Dear!" ejaculated the pretty
housemaid.
Sympathy is sweet. If any one had
told Alexander Freer that morning he
would have been glad of its gift from
a housemaid he would have been in
credulous. But here he was, hugging it
to his flattered soul and fishing for
more. He told her how he had never
known a real home since his mother
died, when he was a boy of 10. After
than there were schools and colleges.
Then travel, hotels and boarding
houses. "Here," he concluded, "I've
been comfortably anchored for seven
years, with leisure for my own interests
:md pursuits, and quite secure from in
terruption. But now I must give It up.
I never can face that gaunt creature in
spectacles, who will talk pedantically
to me across the table three times a
day!"
"Does she wear spectacles?"
Freer lifted his head out of the pack
ing case. "I'm sure she does. They all
do the clever ones. She might expect
me to take up municipal reform. She"
the sweat of fear breaking out on his
forehead "might give me worsted
slippers or a birthday edition of poems
she might!"
"That's so," assented a solemn little
voice from the ladder. In the silence
that followed they beard the .hall clock
strifce.
"Four!" Freer exclaimed. "So late!
Mrs. Basset may be back any minute
Hark! Tsn't that her now?" He stum
bled to his feet, looking like a detected
schoolboy. "There! One box is ready,
anyhow. You must let me thank you.
Miss Miss "
"Jean," she prompted.
"Miss Jean and take this." There
was a sound of the door, which had
been opened with a latchkey, swinging
shut again. A heavy step came up the
stairs. "You are welcome, but I can't
take any money. Here is Mrs. Bas
set!" And there, indeed, was that worthy
woman, leaning against the open door
and staring in wild astonishment at the
scene presented. The packing cases
the heaped-up books the confounded
owuer of the latter the girl on the lad
der. "Jeanette!" . she cried. "My dear!
What does this mean?"
"I did not intend coming until to-morrow."
Miss Jeanette Wallace had de
scended from her elevated seat and was
greeting her friend warmly. "I changed
my mind at the last minute and came.
Now I'm going to change it again and
go away."
"Mr. Freer," pleaded the embarrassed
landlady, "what is all this about?"
"My blunder, madam!" he cried, re
morsefully. "Took this young lady for
the housemaid and asked her to help
me pack my books! I beg her pardon,
I'm sure!"
"But packing! Were you going to
leave? Oh, Mr. Freer! And all on ac
count of "
"Of me!" cried Jeanette, gayly. "But
I shan't be your boarder, Mrs. Basset.
Mr. Freer will stay."
Whereat Mr. Freer Immedl.itely,de
veloped a most irXlraorJ.nary ion r..dic
toriness. "Not unless you do!" he declared,
stubbornly.
Mrs. Basset looked helplessly from
one to the other.
"Well, it's all right now," said Freer,
contentedly, "and I'm going te unpack
these books and put them back where
they belong."
It was pouring rain one afternoon a
couple of months later when Jeanette
Wallace came forth from a meeting of
the Woman's Club. An umbrella was
raised as she stepped out, and a famil
iar figure walked beside her through
the rain.
"This Is rash!" she cried. -"It is al
most as bad as taking me to lectures!
But I haven't given you worsted slip
pers yet nor a birthday edition of
poems!"
Alexander Freer held the umbrella
lower leaned closer.
"No, but there Is a gift I'd dearly love
to have, little Jean and only you can
give it to me!"
"Oh!" said Jean, softly. Chicago
Tribune.
Mushroom Culture in France.
The annual crop of mushrooms In
France is valued at $2,000,000; and It is
said that there are sixty wholesale
firms In Paris dealing exclusively Id
them. In the Department of the Sein
it appears there are some 3,000 caves
In which mushrooms are grown; anc
about 300 persons are employed in the!
culture, and rarely leave these caves.
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
A DEPARTMENT FOR LITTLE
BOYS AND GIRLS.
Something that Will Interest tbe Ju
venile Members of Every Household
Quaint Actions and Bright Sayings
of Many Cute and Cunning Children.
Several boys In Chicago improved the
stilt season with an exciting game
which they call "stilt fighting." Nearly
svery afternoon they gather in an open
lot, and the stilt contests attracted no
little attention. Each boy has a pair of
stout stilts, with the steps about eigh
teen inches above the ground. Two of
the boys are chosen as leaders or cap
tains and they pick out their men, tak
ing turns in making the selections.
Then the sides separate and line up as
in playing pull-away or any of the old
games. At a word of command from
the umpire they advance on each other,
walking steadily on their stilts. When
they get up close together they jostle
and push one another In the endeavor
to throw the soldiers of the other side
from their stilts without tipping over
any of the soldiers on their own side.
The moment a man falls the umpire
;alls time, the man who Is down goes
sver to the side of the enemy, and the
U BAULK AKBAY.
battle begins over again. Sometimes a
skillful stilt soldier will plunge into
the ranks of the enemy like a mailed
knight of old and tip over a whole row
of them without once losing his bal
ance. The game is never out until every
man is won over and lined up on one
side, and oftentimes when only the
general of an army is left he can, by
making a few bold strokes, win back all
his soldiers. This is what makes the
game particularly exciting. Several
times the boys have brought brooms
along with them for arms, and each of
them, with a broom held fast under his
arm, charges down on the enemy. In
this warfare a soldier may hit the eu
;my anywhere but In the face or head,
using his best efforts to push him o,ver.
If a soldier drops his broom he Is
'dead," or out of the fight. This sport
s even more exciting than the ordinary
aattles, but it Is hard on the brooms.
An Orthographical Adventure.
I once went a-riding, although
My friends told me not to do sough;
As a matter of course
I fell off my bourse,
Who left me in tatters and wough.
A man passing by in a sleigh
Saw my sorrowful plight as I leigh,
And said, "you're a muff!
But it is rather tuff,
3o I'll just lift you out of the weigh."
He fitted me into a seat
was bruised from my head to my feaL
I had ruined my clothes,
I had broken my nothes;
And truly the cushions were sweat!
Then he hustled me over the snow
As fast as his horses could gow.
And drove me up straight
To a doctor's front gaight
'Hi, doc! Here's a vision of wow!"
The doctor was drinking his tea.
But he came and considered of mea;
"He can't use his tongue,
And he's spoiled his right tongue,
And his ribs are not where they shoulc
bea.
'There's unusual puffness here,
And his shoulder-blades seem out of gere;
This ear's coming off,
And that singular coff
ts rather less pleasant than quere."
But he settled my various aches,
Vud he splintered my numerous breaches;
And the lesson I learned
When my powers retearned
Prevents any future mistaches.
Youth's Companion.
An Arab Legend.
Once upon a time, away out on the
lesert, an Arab was traveling with a
caravan and a large amount of valu
able silks and rich goods. He knew
:hat the portion of the desert through
tvhich they were passing was frequent
id by robbers, and he was anxious to
each the end of his journey before
light
The men and the camels were all
weary, for they had come a long way
across the dry country, but now they
were looking more cheerful, for they
would soon be at a place where they
:ould rest and not fear.
The chief was leading the caravan
md looking carefully in every directiou.
jo as not to be surprised by the enemy.
All at once he heard a cry of pain, and,
peeping around, saw a boy not far from
the path.
"Are you sick?" asked the chief.
"I have a thorn In my foot," said the
joy, "and I cannot walk."
Then the chief got down from the
Back of the camel and went to the boy
and gently drew the thorn from his
foot. He even delayed to cleanse the
sore and rub some ointment on the
wound made by the thorn. He inquired
about how far the boy had to go and If
he had any money. Learning that the
boy had but little, he gave him a piece
of gold and then went on his journey.
Many years after the chief died and
went to Paradise. What -was his sur
prise to find himself at once in the
midst of the most beautiful roses.
"Why have I so many roses?" he ask
ed of an angel near him. "There are
many others who have done more good
who have not as many beautiful roses."
The angel smiled and answered:
"Years ago you drew a thorn from the
foot of a boy who was crying in the
desert. That thorn has grown to be a
large rose tree, and the roses you see
around you are the blossoms from that
tree."
One good deed done here below is re
turned many-fold in Paradise.
Not Allowed to Talk.
Little 4-year-old Tommy was visiting
his aunt In the country not long since.
One day at the dinner table the lady
complained that a small jar of pre
serves had mysteriously disappeared
from the pantry. Each one present dis
claimed any knowledge of them except
Tommy, who remained discreetly silent.
At last he was asked If he knew any
thing about the missing fruit. "You'll
have to excuse me," he replied. "My
papa don't allow me to talk at the ta
ble." Take Up the Water.
Clara, aged 5, was at the seashore one
day, accompanied by her mother and 4-year-old
brother Johnny. "Mamma,"
asked the latter, does all the water from
everywhere flow Into the sea?" "Yes,
Johnny," was the reply. "Then why
don't it get full and run over?" he
asked. "I know!" exclaimed Clara, "It's
because the sea is full of sponges."
Thought It Should Be Called "Lait"
Willie, aged 5, was told of an arrival
in his uncle's family and earnestly In
quired if it was any relation to him.
"Why, certainly," replied bis mother,
"he is your first cousin." After think
ing it over for a few minutes the little
fellow said: "Well, perhaps you know,
but I should think he was my last
cousin."
Might Be Improved.
"Don't you think you have a good
mamma to spread such nice, large slices
of bread with jam for you?" asked little
Ethel's grandma. "Oh, I don't know,"
j replied the little miss. "She'd be a
heap sight gooder if she'd let me
spread the jam myself."
She Was Going To.
Little Flaxen Hair Papa, it's rain
ing. Papa (somewhat annoyed by work tn
hand) Well, let it rain.
Little Flaxen Hair (timidly) I was
going to.
ODD MARRIAGE PROPOSAL.
A Nuremburg Lover Finds His Sweet
heart in an Oven.
A baker in Nuremberg, Germany, re
cently proposed marriage to a girl in a
singular manner. Minna and Henry
are their Christian names, but as to
their family names there is no clew,
since the German papers which tell the
story considerately refrain from pub
lishing them. Minna had been keeping
house for Henry for the last two years,
and gradually the two had fallen very
much in love with each other. Minna,
however, would have died sooner than
let Henry know how she felt toward
him, and Henry was equally bashful.
Finally he went for advice to an old
woman in the neighborhood who makes
a living by telling fortunes, and she
counseled him to go during the next
full moon into the large kitchen where
his bread was baked, and when the
clock struck midnight to open the oven
and look into It. She assured him that
he would then see the face of his fu
ture wife.
Henry went home well satisfied, not
knowing that Minna had consulted the
same old woman on the previous even
ing, and had been told by her that she
would surely obtain her heart's desire
If she would only get into the oven in
the kitchen a few hours before mid
night during the next full moon and
keep her face turned toward the door.
Minna did so, and, though the oven was
uncomfortably warm, she lay as still as
a mouse until the clock struck mid
night, when, lo! the door opened and
before her appeared the well-known
face of her beloved Henry. Even then
she hardly stirred, but stared at Henry,
who, utterly amazed at sight of her,
speedily retreated, evidently under the
Impression that what he had seen was
some ghostly vision. The old woman's
ruse, however, succeded admirably,
and In a fortnight from that memor
able night Henry and Minna were
made man and wife. New York Her
ald. As to Naturalization.
A person born in the United States,
of foreign parents who have not taken
out naturalization papers in this coun
try. Is a natural-born citizen of the Uni
ted States, having been born within its
territory, and is therefore entitled to
all the rights of a citizen. He is a native-born
citizen, independent of the
citizenship of his parents. A man com
ino here from a foreign land, having a
: minor son, if he become a naturalized
citizen before the son attain his ma
jority, that operates to make the son
a citizen also and the latter need not
:ake out naturalization papers. If the
father should not become naturalized,
however, the son could not become a
citizen without going through the con
stitutional process, even though he
were but a babe in arms when brought
over.
How Some Rivers Enter the Sea.
Recent studies of the ocean bottom
near the coast line of continents have
shown that rivet's of considerable size
! sometimes enter the sea beneath the
aurface.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS.
Warning Notes Calling the Wicked to
Hepentance.
HAT you look
at you will look
like.
Purse riches do
not bestow heart
wealth.
Little compro
m i s e s are the
most dangerous.
Great men are
the natural and
normal ones.
Nothing pleases
the devil better
than a prayer meeting joy worked up
with a background of every-day growl.
He who molds the child makes the
future.
Christianity is an experience not an
opinion.
Cheating cheats no man more than
the cheater.
ft Is never gain to die unless It Is
Christ to live.
A toad Is not transformed by being
in a gold mine.
Where there Is God's will there is al
ways man's way.
The grumbler would complain of the
weight of his wings.
The foulest carrion birds are those
who fly to moral filth.
The most permanent safety vaults
are In the skies, but the depositaries are
in human hearts and hands.
BONNER'S FIRST HORSE.
It Was Bought by the Publisher's Doc
tor to Force Him to Exercise.
"I well remember the first driving
horse that Robert Bonner purchased,"
said Dr. Samuel Hall, of New York
Gtty. "To be more accurate, it was I
who purchased the animal for Mr.
Bonner. I was his family physician
during the fifties, and one hot summer
day met him on Broadway. He had
been so busily engaged with the New
York Ledger, which he purchased in
1851, that I had not seen him for some
time. When I met him I was actually
startled by the man's appearance. He
was well-nigh unrecognizable. Dark
Hues showed under his eyes and his
skin was pale and drawn like the skin
of a consumptive.
" 'Bonner,' I cried, 'what have you
been doing to yourself? Here, come
into the shadow. You're In an excel
lent condition to suffer a sunstroke.'
" 'Oh, there's nothing much the mat
ter,' he answered, 'I'm simply worked
out, trying to njakeJhjajBaper of mine
a go. That's all.'
'"That's all!' said L WelI, that's
nearly enough to put you In your
grave. Here, jump Into this omnibus
and get a breath of air.' '
" 'Can't do It, doctor!' he replied. 'I
have an important engagement which
must be kept.'
" 'Bonner,' I persisted, gripping him
by the arm and detaining him, 'It's my
duty to tell you that you are killing
yourself. You must take a rest.' But
in spite of the most direful warnings
and strongest pleas, the Scotch-Irish in
him insisted on having its own way,
and he left me not, however, until I
had made him promise to drive regu
larly in the country at least once a
week.
"To make sure that he would keep
his promise, I bought an excellent
roadster, which cost, I remember, $350,
and seut the animal to Mr. Bonner.
Shortly afterward I met him out driv
ing. His cheeks were aglow, and on
recognizing me he pulled up alongside,
and reaching his hand to me, said in
great enthusiasm: 'Doctor, I want to
thank you. I never would have known
the joy of sitting behind a good horse
had it not been for you.'
"Two or three months later he bought
a span of iron-gray horses, for which
he paid $1,500.
"From the time of this purchase un
til his death Mr. Bonner was the best
known strictly amateur horseman in
this country. To gratify his taste for
fast horses he purchased some of the
most celebrated trotters in the world
but withdrew them from the race
course. Probably his greatest horses
were Peerless, Dexter and Maud S.,
marking as they did three distinct
epochs in thshistory of trotting horses
In this country.
"To my mind," continued the doctor,
"although Robert Bonner's purchases
were prompted for the most part by
an honest, real love for thoroughbred
trotters, there is no doubt that he was
the shrewdest advertiser of his day.
Whenever he bought a horse at a seem
ingly exorbitant figure, the issue of
every prominent paper in the country
on the day following would contain a
description of the animal purchased,
and, parenthetically, a very complete
description of the New York 'Ledger.'
The result was that for every dollar
Mr. Bonner gave to horsemen he re
ceived, the amount a dozen times ove
In return from the public, which was
attracted to a man who had the un
selfish spirit and generosity to practi
cally pension the Idols of the turf by
buying the best of them for use In his
own buggy. I have no doubt that this
clever advertising had much to do with
bringing the 'Ledger before the people
and its ultimate success." New York
Mail and Express.
Traveling in Past and Present.
One hundred years ago, to go from
New York to Philadelphia meant two
days by the swiftest stage; to-day It la
done in two hours. To go from New
England to Oregon it took Doctor At
kinson eight months, even in 1847. To
day one can go from New York to San
Francisco In one hundred and two
hours.
In Brazil a scarlet coffin and hearse
are used when the deceased person is a
spinster
For Controlling Horses.
The control of vicious and runaway
horses is a matter that has often been
the study of the inventor, as numerous
devices already on the market attest;
but there is always room for improve
ment, and the illustration shows one of
the newest forms. It Is the inventor's
intention to have the appliance used
especially for those animals which
are in the habit of taking the bit be
tween their teeth, which, as is well
known, makes it almost impossible to
control them with tbe ordinary reins.
The new apparatus consists of two
straps threaded through guiding de
vices attached to the thills of the vehi
cle, the forward ends of the straps
connecting with the bit In the animal's
mouth and the rear ends passing
VICIOUS HORSES EASILY CONTBOLLII).
through rings located on the carriage,
with links to be grasped iff the hand
for use. The straps normally do not in
terfere with the movement of the head,
but when the animal attempts to run
the links are grasped in the hands and
the straps pulled taut, the force exerted
being much greater than is possible
with the reins, because of the increas
ed leverage when pulling in a direct
line with the driver's feet, enabling
him to draw the animal's head down
and dislodge the bit.
Salting the Sheep.
I would like to describe an apparatus
for salting cattle and other stock so
they will always have salt before them
and no waste, writes Joseph H. Yoder
in the National Stockman. For cattle
or horses I would prefer to use rock
salt placed in boxes or troughs for the
winter, and scattered about the pas
tures on the grass in summer. Rains
have little effect upon it, and this will
be found both convenient and economi
cal; For sheep, however, this plan does
not work so well. The rock salt is so
slow to dissolve that they are not able
to get a sufficient amount of it to satis
fy their wants, hence it Is necessary to
use the loose salt for them. During the
winter a box can be fastened up at a
convenient place in the shed, and at the
proper height so they can have access
to it at all times of the day. In sum
mer, if they have not a shed to run
under, the box can be fastened to a
gate post and have a roof placed over
it so as to keep out the rain. If it is de
sired to use loose salt for cattle, the
same arrangements can be used as have
already been described for sheep. The
roof over the box should be high enough
to be entirely out of the way of the ani
mals. Where loose salt is used it Is
necessary to be careful to keep a sup
ply In the box all the time, as the ani
mals are liable to eat too much If they
go without for several days.
Giving Medicine to a Pig.
As it is difficult to make a pig swal
low medicine we give the accompany
ing sketch of a pig tied In the way be
should be when giving medicine; al
ways In a liquid form, or it cannot be
given. The medicine is given through
an old shoe, the toe of which Is cut so
TO GIVE MEDICINE TO A PIO.
that the medicine runs down into the
mouth, when it is swallowed with ease
and safety. The pig pulls back on the
Tope, keeping it tight, and does not
struggle, and Its attention being di
verted from all other things it seems
that he swallows his dose without
knowing it.
Chinch Bugs.
One of the most destructive pests the
farmers of this country have to con
tend with is the chinch bug. says the
Iowa Homestead. It of course original
ly subsisted on wild plants, but it
learned very early to prefer cultivated
oues. The new food supply being al
ways at hand when the bugs lay their
eggs and the young are growing natu
rally causes their numbers to increase,
and the loose soil about the roots of cul
tivated plants furnished conditions
more favorable to the work of the
young than could be found in the un
cultivated ground. These facts largely
Increased the facility with which the
chinch bug was propagated, and it un
fortunately has few natural enemies.
lit
Its bedbug flavor makes it no very de
sirable morsel to insectivorous birds,
and the fungous diseases to which it is
subject require a wet season for their
propagation in the field, and in a wet
season the chinch bug is not very dan
gerous. In normal seasons, therefore,
all the natural conditions are quite fa
vorable to the chinch bug in cultivated
fields, and the farmer must mainly rely
upon his own efforts for protection.
One of the best remedies in . the
world for the chinch bug Is to clean
up. If infested lands be burned off
and all the rubbish gathered and
burned in early spring much will, have
been accomplished. All the rubbish ac
cumulating along the fences and head
lands should be cleaned; uncultivated
prairie lands adjoining fields should be
burned off early; corn stalks should be
broken down and burned In tbe spring
following a chinch bug year, as it will
destroy millions of the insects that
have hibernated between the leaves
and the stalks. Wherever, by reason
of the prevlons presence of the chinch
bug, another visitation is probable, no
pains should be spared to thoroughly
clean up and destroy all the stubble,
corn stalks, dead grass, fence row rub
bish and the like possible, and it
should be destroyed by fire. It is
work, of course, but It Is the work that
will pay where there Is any reason to
anticipate the chinch bug visitation.
Honesty on the Farm.
As a rule the farmer is honest. Some
are so eager to get rich that they are
not very honest with themselves, and
it is hardly to be expected they will be
with anybody else. In discussing this
topic, a writer in the Homestead right
ly concludes that a farmer can be the
most dishonest man in the world, if he
desires to be. All the good of every
thing can be put in the top of " the heap
if he is inclined, and there is room in
so many places to be dishonest, but as
a class they are not dishonest. The
best man In every special line likes to
make his packages good in quantity
and appearance. He will and should
put a few of the best in the top of the
package, but all in the package should
be merchantable. It is the honest far
mer that prospers. The dishonest may
prosper for a time, but he will lose the
respect of his neighbors and friends
and sometimes even that of his own
household. The dishonest farmer Is
trusted by nobody, and everybody will
soon learn of his tricky ways, and even
if he should feel like doing the square
thing at any time, he will be watched.
Get a 'good name and keep it. It is
worth everything to a man. Barnum's
Midland Farmer.
Cost of Milk.
It is Important to know the cost of
production, and if weighing milk will
induce us to compute the cost let those
of us who do not know begin weighing
at once, says S. W. Marble in Practical
Dairyman. Mr. Carnegie, the great
steel manufacturer, It Is said, paid $40,
000 a year to keep records of tbe cost
of production of his steel. It Is stataS
that every wheelbarrow of material
that went Into the furnaces was weigh
ed and recorded. It was the special
work of a bookkeeper to keep those
records, and every time they turned out
an order for steel, whether for a bridge
or for a ship, or whatever It was, It
was figured out down to the very last
detail. He knew the cost of every
piece of steel that was turned out.
Now, if he could do it at an expense
of $40,000 on his business, the farmer,
with twenty cows, says Prof. Henry,
could afford to spend five days' work
a year on his business, because the per
centage of difference would be a great
deal less on the five-day investment,
which Is all that is needed, than to Mr.
Carnegie on his $40,000.
Dairy Figures.
There are 16,000,000 milk cows in the
United States, distributed over 4,750,
000 farms of three or more acres, and
1,000,000 more owned in towns and
cities and on small country places,
making about 17,000,000 in all. The
product of 5,000,000 of these cows Is
consumed as milk and cream, either
fresh or condensed, that of 11,000,000
is made into butter and that of 1,000,
000 into cheese. The average yearly
consumption of dairying products per
person is twenty-five gallons of milk,
twenty pounds of butter and three
pounds of cheese.
There are about 11,000 creameries
and cheese factories in the United
States. Nearly all of the cheese is
made in factories. Only about one
fourth of the butter is factory or cream
ery made, the other three-fourths be
ing farm and home produced. The an
nual consumption as milk and cream
is 1,750,000 gallons. The production of
butter is 1,500,000,000 pounds and of
cheese 300,000,000 pounds.
To Save Cow Peas.
To harvest cow peas, cut with mow
ing machine, says Robert C. Morris of
Olney, 111. "Cow peas may lie one or
two days after being cut, then cocked
and allowed to remain until the peas
get fairly dry. They may be bulked
greener than beans, as they do not have
so much oily matter in them. Cow peas
cannot be threshed on separators until
the speed of cylinders is greatly re
duced, but they are easily flailed out."
The Tomato Tree.
Californians are beginning to culti
vate the. tomato tree, which bears clus
ters of a delicious fruit, thousands of
boxes of which are sent yearly from
Ceylon to London, and for which it it
believed a good market cov.'d be foum)
in our Eastern States,