Corvallis gazette., July 08, 1902, Image 1

GAZ
RVA
SEMI-WEEKLY.
rJTIOX Enteb. July, 187.
UAZETTJt Ettab. !. 182.
Consolidated Feb., 1899.
COBVAIililS, BEOTON COTTNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1902.
VOL. III. NO. 11.
GO
"jmK II NK II N II jN
f HJJKK MfclMAKJJI J MMfcMS
BY J. MACLAREN COBBAN.
CHAPTER XVI Continued.
There was no suspicion, then, that
the remains were those of their own
master! What could I do? Had I
broken my promise to Fraulein Haas?
Was I helping even now to make pub
lic Steinhardt s crime? Was I not
standing assenting by while a terrible
vengeance was threatened on the for
eigner in the deep, slow Lancashire
speech? I felt helpless in the crisis; I
permitted myself to be borne along
whither it might carry me.
In a very few minutes the canvas
packages, dropping almost to pieces,
were out of the ground and laid id
silence on a hand barrow. In silence
' the improvised bier was taken op be
tween two men, and as it was carried
away attended by - the lanterns the
crowd, as by instinct, formed in proces
sion behind. I was surprised to find
myself in front of this strange funeral
procession and close to the bier. Thus
in silence we marched away from the
ruined mill through the tortuocs and
treacherous ways which led to the vil
lage,
"He's got an experiment on hand to
night, they say," remarked one in a
low voice
"Ay," said another; "and there's a
night shift on of five or six."
As we entered upon the paved main
street of the village, the regular clank
of the clogs of our procession was sum
cient of itself to attract attention.
But though it was very late, the streets
were alive with people, not noisy, as
might have been expected on a wake
night, but earnest and occcupied. It
was a novel, but true, "Timperley
Wakes," for the whole population
seemed astir. Our procession created
little or no surprise; it appeared to
have been expected. We were greeted
with no speech or cries. I but heard
now and then fearful whispers of "Who
is it?" and "They cannot tell yet."
Many of the crowd fell into the proces
sion as it slowly passed up the street.
There was no tavern open at that late
hour to which the bier could be taken
for examination, so it was carried to
the door of the public hall which was
soon opened, lit up, antj full of people,
as it had been earlier in the evening.
I have no clear recollection of what
followed. I appealed to them not to
open the packages; I knew who it was.
But I got only the obstinate, but re
spectful answer, "Yea, parson, but we
mun." The packages were opened;
but I know only I had a horrible vision
of a ghastly head with black hair and
beard.
"Good L d!" I heard more than one
exclaim. "It's th' mister!?"
His men bad recognized Mr. Lacroix.
Hurried and fierce consultations were
held, to which I was not invited, and
upon which I did not force myself. In
a few minutes the whole crowd, except
a few who remained to watch over the
ghastly remains, marched out of the
hall as if with settled purpose. I ac
companied them with no purpose at all
of my own; my will seemed absorbed
in that of the crowd. We were on our
way down the. village street, when I
was startled by the church bell begin
ning to tolU some venturesome spirit
had forced his way into the tower.
To explain what followed I must
mention here that for some weeks many
of the work" people, the younger folk
especially, had been under the influ
ent of those hysterical, reVivalistic
teachings which have always taken
such hold of the ignorant and the half
educated. A contingent of the Salva
tion Army had held the village foi
some time, preaching fire and sword,
the terrible justice of God, and the
pains of everlasting torment to- the un
believing. This kind of doctrine accord
ed well with the grim, tenacious Lanca
shire character, and the army had won
a good many recruits among the vil
lagers. These were well represented in
the crowd I tccompanied.
Before I quite knew where we were
we had halted at the gates of the chem
ical works. Without a word the fore
most of the crowd knocked. There
was, of course, no answer, and they
knocked again. While we waited I. lis
tened mechanically to the talk which
those about me began in their slow
fashion to indulge in.
"God Almighty," said one, "is ter
rible to a wicked man like him!"
"Yea," said another, "and wicked
he is! You mind what Muster Free
man told us that time; it's the likes
of Steenhardt has made us such sinners
as we are, and has made our'place what
it is! An' he connot do wi'out mur
dering his partner, poor man!"
"He'll ha his proper death for ' ,
1 sure as God's true!" said a third.
"Yea, "said the first, "and God's
wrath will not wait for a terrible sin
ner like him!"
In a little while there was the sound
of bolts being drawn, and the watch
man appeared at the side gate. When
he saw the crowd he would have shut
It again, but he was prevented. Sev
eral entered that way and opened wide
the great gates. The crowd entered
without commotion, and marched ahead
as if it knew its destination. From a
shed filled with glowing vapors, came
half a dozen workmen the night shift,
I supposed. They met their comrades
and demanded, what was to do. They
were answered by the man who had
Insisted to me that the packages must
be examined.
"What'a to do?" he said. "Yo' do
not know? We mun ha that murder
ing villain. Steenhardt, oat; yea, but
we mun What'a he done? He's been
nd murdered horribly poor Master
Lacroiks yo shall hear a' about it.
I And now. bv the vengeance of God
j Almighty on the wicked which cannot
J wait, he mun be done for this night as
he did for his partnerr
"For God's sake!" I exclaimed
"Don't think of each a thing! It will
be marder, as certainly as his crime
was!"
But my remonstrance was not heed
ed ; I was put aside respectfully, but
firmly. The crowd pressed on toward
the laboratory. They had not advanced
far in that direction, when an explosion
buret upon the air, stunned ns all, and
threw the foremost to the ground
Many ran away, others went forward
I with these last. It did not take long
to discover that the explosion had come
from the laboratory, from the broken
roof of which roee'strange vapors. A
little work, and removal of debris, and
Steinhardt was discovered st-etched on
the floor, a discolored and blasted
wreck! It was an awful sight! Here,
in his own cherished sanctuary, had
the vengeance of God leaped forth at
him from beneath his own hands; for
a smashed iron retort, which he bad
been manipulating, lay close by him!
His strong nerves had been shaken by
the approach of the crowd.
"I came to tell him," said the watch
man in a hushed voice, "that th' crowd
was in. He said, Go to th devil, and
leave me alone!' and I was just gone
away when th explosion came."
My story is in effect finished. But
for the satisfaction of those who would
like to see the loose ""ends of its web
taken up and tied I must add a page or
two.
After legal process of identification
and inquest, the ghastly remains of the
two partners, Lacroix and Steinhardt,
the victim and his murderer, were
buried, the one with his uncle in the
family tomb, the other in the obscure
unconsecrated ground of the church
yard. This done, the affairs of the
firm were wound up.
In the necessary examination of all
papers some letters and documents were
found in a small safe in Steinhardt's
"study" at Timperley Hall, which suf
ficiently explain what still needs ex
planation in the Lacroix mystery the
substantial ground of offense on which
the partners met on that fatal night,
and the unwavering resolution of Stein
hardt to get Louise married to his son.
The letter which came first in order of
date made clear one side at least of the
quarrel. It was from Lacroix to Stein
hardt, and was dated "Paris, March
3rd, 1882." It was evidently in reply
to one from Steinhardt, containing a
propoeal affecting Louise what pro
posal will readily be guessed. This
Mr. Lacroix warmly declined to enter
tain, and begged it would not again be
mentioned.
"My daughter," he wrote, "is prom
ised to her cousin, the Count De La
croix. As for the 20,000 pounds dam
ages, that must be reckoned a joint bus
iness loss; there can Eurely be no doubt
about that. I hope we have done for
the future with playing tricks with that
patent."
The next letter, of date several days
later, was of great interest, at least to
Louise and me. It. was . stained and
blurred as with some liquid dye; it had
doubtless been taken by Steinhardt
from Lacroix's person after death. It
was addressed to "Mmlle De Lacroix;"
it was wiitten on fine "foreign" paper
with crest and motto, and contained
many gallant and polite expressions of
the Count De Lacroix's devotion to his
lovely cousin whom, he said, he hoped
to come and see in the summer. How
was it he had never come? never even
been heard of?
These questions were answered by a
seeond letter from the count, dated in
May, 1882, and addressed to Mr. La
croix, and by the postscript of a letter
of about the same date, written in Ger
man though from Paris, and addressed
to Steinhardt. The count's letter ex
cused him to his "dear nncle" from
paying bis proposed visit ; he was too
ill to think of leaving France. The
letter to Steinhardt was evidently from
a compatriot. It was mainly about
business affairs ; its matter of interest
for us was .squeezed into a corner:
"You ask me about the Count De La
croix. I learn he is still busy killing
himself with absinthe."
Lastly came the astonishing commu
nication of all. It was dated several
months later, in the November, I think,
of 1882. It was from a Paris lawyer.
who evidently had the management of
the De Lacroix affairs. In a few words,
it informed Mr. Lacroix that the young
Count Honore was dead, and saluted
Count Paul, his successor! ("Le roi
est mort; vive le roi." And the con
gratulated count was dead too! With
this letter were tied up two or three
legal documents, of which I cannot at
tempt much account, though they are
now in my possession. They were a
copy of certificate of the death of Hon
ore Marie Antoinette, Count De La
croix, and certain papers showing of
what the De Lacroix property consisted
chateau, estates and rents and with
them, finally, a later note from the
lawyer to Steinhardt, who had evi
dently apprised him of Mr. Lacroix's
disappearance, and of the half-fact
that in the meanwhile he was guardian
of Paul's heiress.
By George!" exclamed Birley, when
we had made this discovery, "bat
'Manuel was a tough schemer! He was
determined to set his lad up as a
French count, with a chateau and all
the rest o't!"
I ventured to doubt whether Louise's
husband would be Count De Lacroix,
though Louise certainly was the inher
itrix of the chateau and the rest.
"Do you mean to tell me, then, the
lass is not a countess? be exclaimed.
That I could not declare, though I
was certain no handsomer . or sweeter
countess could be found in the whole
wide world.
"True for you, my lad," said he;
"and yon re in the luck of it."
Birley was eager to go home at once
to tell Louise all about it (sbe was
again established in his bouse, with
Mrs. Steinhardt). He wisned me to
go with him to assist in the explana-
tion ; I endeavored to ' excuse myself,
but in vain.
"Come, lad," said he, "I .can see
what you're thinking. Keep a stiffer
back, man; do not you be so shy your
self. See tha I saw a duke once a
great Scotch duke and he was the
crabbedest-looking tailor-body ever you
saw in all your life. If you cannot
mak' a better count, once you get used
to it, than he made a duke, I'll eat my
hat. lad!"
"Ah, ha!" cried Birley, in his cheery
voice, "I have a word to say unto thee,
my lady!"
"Which of us do you mean, Mr.
Birley?" she asked.
"Which of you? Well, Sally might
have had to do with it, but as it hap
pens she hasn't. I mean thee, my lady
countess."
"Countess?" she exlaimed. "Why,
what has amused you, Mr. Birley?"
"I do not quite know," said I, wish
ing to get the explanation over, "that
Mr. Birley. is right to call you countess,
but we have found evidence that your
cousin the count is dead, and that you,
being next in succession, inherit the De
Laroix chateau and other property.
You are a great French heiress, Louise,
whether you are countess or not."-
"Me?" she cried. "Oh, what
strange thing is this?"
Birley sat down and entered into ex
planation, while I withdrew to the
window.
"So, my lady," concluded Birley,
"there you are, and we are all thy
humble, obedient servants."
I was astonished to see her hide her
face in her hands, and burst into tears.
"I do not wish at all," she cried,
"to be countess, or to be anything but
what I am! And you want all to put
me far away from you! I do not wish
to have their chateau and their rents"
"Louise," I said, "let me confess to
you that I have been thinking I ought
to give you up to give you back the
promise you gave me, before either you
or I guessed you were the great lady we
now know you are ! It was terrible,
terrible to think I ought to do it, but
but ah, Louise, what must I do?"
"You still love me, then, as much as
you did? But why ' should you not?
Am I not the same Louise? I do not
feel that chateau and rents make it
unnece sary that you should love me!''
"Then you do not "
'Ah, hush!" she cried, stopping my
mouth with her hand. "You must
not say such things! It is wicked!
Bat I know you did not doubt me! I
know! I know!"
Shall I go on? What needis there?
Surely every reader may guess the rest
that Louise De Lacroix is now known
to the world as Mrs. Gerald Dnwin
to me as the dear partner of all life's
joys, and cares, and duties, the tender
and faithful heart who has put away
all the terrors and shadows of the pst
and cherishes only the lessons of hu
mility, faith, patience and duty which
it has taught.
"What," some may ask in conclusion
"about Frank Steinhardt, and his little
sweet-voiced school-mistress?"
Frank was more of a musician than
a chemical dye manufacturer. The
chemical works were, therefore, sold,
and Fiank and Mrs. Frank are now
known in musical circles, he as a
pianist, and she ss a singer of repute.
I cannot end without a word con
cerning the strange woman whose via
ions played so great a part in the eluci
dation of the Lacroix mystery poor
Fraulein Haas. I put off as long as I
could the unwelcome task of informing
her of Steinhardt's death. When at
length I did write I told her in few
words that a retort had burst upon him
while he was engaged upon an experi
ment, and had killed him at once.
Soon after I had written I was surprised
to receive a note from her, containing
only these words:
"I knew it. It vLa God's doing."
THE END.
The Scepter.
The scepter was the emblem of pow
er. As tne silver wand, so familiar in
cathedrals, was once hollow, containing
the "virge," or rod with which chas
tisement was inflicted upon the choris
ters and younger members of the foun
dation, so the royal scepter represented
the right to inflict punishment. Hence
the expression, "co sway the scepter,"
implied the holding of regal dignity.
The scepter with the dove possessed the
additional signification of the Holy
Ghost, as controlling the actions of the
sovereign. The same idea was con
veyed by Rheims by the beautiful cere
mony of letting loose a number of doves
at the coronation of the French kings.
Good Words.
Precedent Established.
A beginner in newspaper work in a
southern town who occasionally "sent
stuff" to one of the New York dailies,
picked up last summer what seemed t
him a "big story." Hurrying to "thl
telegraph office he "queried" the tele
graph ediUr: "Column story so and
so. Shall I send?" The reply war
brief and prompt, but to the enthusiast
unsatisfactory. "Send 600 words" war
all it said. "Can't be told in lest
than 1,200," he wired bark. Before
long the reply came: "Story of crea
tion of world told in 600. Try it."
New York Post.
Alabima Agriculture.
The total number of farms in Ala
bama is given at 223,220, of which
129,137 are operated by white farmerr
and 94,083 by colored fvjoera.
(ChitdreriS
stnivr
All of you boys who are fond of
shooting at a mark, and have read of
the wonderful performances of. the
South American natives with the blow
gun, may easily make a blow gun for
yourselves without any trouble to
speak of. The blow gun shown in
the picture Is not made of bamboo or
wood, nor even of glass, but simply of
strips of wrapping paper pasted togeth
er and rolled into a long spiral tube.
It is not a blow "gun in form only, bat
a blow gun which wil shoot as straight
at a mark as any blow gun ever made.
"Gut out some long paper strips of
heavy wrapping paper (three or fourj
four inches la width. Then thorough
ly paste two of these strips on both
sides. When yoo have done this thor
oughly, mind you start to roll one of
them into a spiral tube, as shown in
diagram. This tube should measure
half an inch across. When you have
rolled up the first strip almost to the
end lap the remaining- unrolled part
about one Inch over the s&ond strip,
and proceed with the rolling. Continue
in this way until you have made a
long tube, measuring four or five feet
In length. This matter of rolling the
paper is very simple, and It only re
quires care to keep the tube the same
size for its entire length. In fact, this
is all the work there Is in the making
of a blow gun, and it Is so little that In
case, after rolling the tube, you find
It not exactly the same width through
out its entire length, I advise yon to
at once unroll it and start to roll over
again. If the paper is thoroughly sat
urated with paste I don't mean by
this that paste should be laid on very
HOW TO MAKE
I - f f a r -'"i
A BLOW GUN OF WRAPPING PAPER.
heavily, but just enough to thoroughly
moisten the naper you will be en
abled to roll and unroll the tube a num
ber of times If occasion necessitates.
When you have made the tube com
pletely to your satisfaction, stand it
ud In some dry corner and let it remain
there until the paste becomes thorough
ly hardened. It will take some time for
It to drv. but when once It does you
will have a blow gun which will seem
to you fully as hard as wood or bam
boo, and which will last for months.
You see, then, it is very necessary that
the rolling should be done careniiiy, for
thpn It will be as permanent as your
baseball bat or top. Right here let me
KTiMrimt before I forget it. that as soon
as vou have completed the rolling, and
before standing it in a corner to dry,
wind uieecs of string around each joint
and at either end, and do not take
these off until the paste Is dry.
To make the dart is a very simple
matter. It is made as follows: Take a
laree sized carpet' tack having a sharp
point, and drop sealing wax on the
head until you have torniea quite a
large ball. Now, while wax Is still
Roft. stick into It a number or pieces
of worsted, each measuring about two
inches in length. There should be
enough of these pieces of worsted to fill
the mouth of the tube without fitting at
all tiehtlY. You may easily judge of
the number necessary by first blowing
the dart with a few strands attached,
and adding worsted until your dart
shoots out of the end of the tube with
considerable force. To add more
strands to the sealing wax soften the
latter by holding it over a fire.
When you find that your blow gun
works really well you may easily palat
a target with writing Ink on a piece
of cardboard or wood, and place this
at the far end of a room, or, better
still, at the end of a long hallway, in
making the target first paint a round
bull's eye about two Inches In diame
ter, and then around this at a distance
of two Inches apart paint four rings.
In playing the game the boy that first
gets 25 wins. The bull's eye counts
five points, the space between the bull's
eye and the first ring counts four, be
tween the second and third rings threa,
between the fourth and fifth rings one.
In taking aim point the end of the
blow gun just as straight as you can
at the bull's eye, or If at some distance
away, a little above it When ready,
to shoot blow suddenly and hard.
A Girl's Duty.
The first duty of a girl of 15 is to
her parents. To them she should be
loving, helpful and respectful No
matter what kind of people they are,
a daughter owes this to her father and
mother, says a contributor to Wom
an's Home Companion. To her mother
especially a girl must show constant
affection. Nothing she does to keep
herself in spiritual and mental sym
pathy with her mother can do any
thing but help her in the end. The
girl who acts with rude carelessness
toward her mother, who speaks slight
ingly to her, marks herself at once as
Ill-bred. She may not be wanting in
genuine goodness of heart, tat the
world judges by appearances, and
good breeding shows in no particular
so surely as in the way one treats
one's parents.
Unquestionably True.
"Can you tell me In what condition
Job was at the end of his life?" asked
the Sunday school teacher.
"Dead." promptly replied the young
ster at the foot of the class.
An AU-Safflcient Reason.
Little Elmer The preacher says
ther is no marrying in heaven. I
wonder why?
Little Elsie I guess It's because
only women and little girls go there.
Only Haa an Interest Now.
"Is that your mamma, little boy?"
asked the lady in the hotel parlor.
"She used to be mine," gravely re
plied the little fellow, "but now I've
got twin sisters, so she's only one-
tbird mine."
A Comprehensive Wish.
"If a good fairy were to grant you
Just one wish, dear," said a mother to
her 4-year-old daughter, "what would
yon wish?"
."I'd-wist' I could have everything I
wanted," replied the little schemer.
Paderewski at a Musfcale.
When Paderewski, the pianist, was
in Washington .not long ago he was
the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Reginald
De Koven. After the renowned Pole
had departed from the city, says the
Saturday evening Post, Mr. De Koven
said to a friend:
"I never have any music at my house
while Mr. Paderewski is a guest there.
but there wa one time when Paderew
ski himself played, and played for me
for nothing. I believe I am the only
man in America for whom he has done
so much. "
"I was at my residence, then in New
York, and was entertaining at a musl
cale a number of singers, famous in
A BL0WGUN.
grand or comic opera. Suddenly word
came to me that Mr. Paderewski had
arrived. I had not expected him and
was much surprised at his visit. Hur
rying to the door, I greeted him warm
ly, and asked, somewhat wonderingly,
if anything serious had happened.
" 'Oh, no,' he replied, 'I simply heard
you were having a little musicale of
your own in a quiet way, and thought
I should come around and play a lictle
myself for you. You will not mind,
will you?'
" 'Mind!' I cried, thinking of the large
asms paid him for a single hour's per
formance and then: 'Why, you knaw
you are most welcome at any time!'
"And didn't he play! Forty-five min
utes, f-o-r-t-y-fl-v-e m-l-n-u-t-e-s! -
"No one objected, I assure you."
Mosquitoes and Colors.
The anopheles mosquito, says the
Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette," is at-
' tracted by some colors and repelled by
others. Experiments have been con
j ducted In a gauze tent, one end of
which was formed by large windows.
Into these the sunlight poured on
bright days. Large stone basins were
placed on the floor for the mosqultot
to breed in.
It was immediately noticed that
when a person entered the tent clad in
dark-gray clothes, the mosquitoes set
tled on the cloth. When the person
entering was dressed in white flannel,
they did not approach him.
A number of boxes lined with cloth
of various colors were placed In rows
on the floor, and it was noticed that
great numbers of mosquitoes entered
the box lined with dark-blue. Fewer
of the insects sought the boxes lined
with other colors, the number dimin
ishing in this order: dark-red, brown,
scarlet, black, slategfay, olive-green,
violet, leaf-green, blue, pearl-gray,
pale-green, light-blue, ochre, white and
orange. No mosquitoes whatever were
found in the box lined with yellow.
The number of insects congregating
in houses might therefore easily toe les
sened by the choice of suitable colors
applied to the walls. A trap lined with
something dark would attract so many
insects that they could be slain in large
numbers. Mosquito-bars or screens
should be of yellow; for blue or black
attracts them and coaxes them into
finding admission.
The Dear Ladies.
R. TJ. Wright They say Miss An
tique has a past.
Miss Cutting Yes, but she denies
about fifteen years of it
We don't know what Edward Bok
says about managing the men, but
here's a suggestion: If a wife wants
her husband to be generous, she should
not wait till he dies to weep over him.
It will count for more to weep when
he stubs his corn, while he is still Hy
ing. Girls, if familiarity with a ' lover
breeds contempt, the sooner yon find
It out the better. You are a long time
married and dead.
Irrigating a Farm Garden.
Many farmers feel so sure of success
with artificial watering that they are
putting down artesiaa wells and in
tend to build reservoirs as soon as pos
sible, the past dry seasons causing
them to realize the necessity of a most
constant supply of moisture. Nearly
all the wells are 2 inches in diameter
and cost from 50 to SO cents per foot
The flow amounts to from 15 Tto 85
gallons per minute. One 3-iuch well
that cost $200 and is 295 feet deep
flows about 1,300 gallons per minute,
though the amount has never been ac
curately measured. I.. Is thought the
flow of some wells near this large one
has diminished and it Is possible that
the artesian water supply may be lim
ited. A few fields' have been flooded or
"wet up" direct from these wells dur
ing the fall and winter, and have pro
duced the following season 25 to 30
bushels of wheat to the acre, and other
crops in proportion, while fields not so
treated produced less than half this
amount Irrigation here is largely con
fined to gardens, the water in most
cases being used direct from the wells,
but a few farmers have reservoirs
which aid in the economical use of the
water, thus giving much better results.
One garden has been Irrigated five
years and is producing all kinds of
vegetables in abundance and of fine
quality. A few gardens have been
watered by wind-pumps. This method
gives excellent results, especially where
small reservoir is used. Other gar-
1 1
AJT ABTESIAit WATEB SUPPLY.
dens have been watered by pumping
from streams. This mode of irrigation
must necessarily be limited, as the
amount of water in streams is very
small during a dry time. In fact I
have seen it almost dry.
The water Is usually run-between
the rows of the 'various crops, some
times between every row, or at most
every third or fourth row. The plan
proposed is to have main ditches, with
several sets of laterals dividing the
fields into squares, varying in size ac
cording to the slope of the land. In
stead of ditches for the second set of
laterals, back furrows may have to be
substituted if the fields have much
slope, for the water is too valuable to
permit of waste. The illustration
shows how a few "catch" the water
from artesian wells. It may be dis
tributed as best suits the gardener or
farmer. L. G. Hendricks, in Farm and
Home.
The Gradus Pea.
Those who find the best profit in rais
ing the wrinkled varieties of peas will
be glad to have the Gradus, shown in
the illustration. Not only is the quality
of this variety equal to that of any
wrinkled sort, but it is better than any
of the smooth sorts that are early In
season. The Gradus combines quality
with extra earliness and extreme pro
ductiveness. Most of the wrinkled sorts
are rather tender, but this variety may
be planted as early as any of the
smooth sorts without injury, and is
said to be the only wrinkled variety
with which this can be done. The
growth of the vine is strong and
healthy, and the bearing qualities ar
of the best. The pods are large, hold
Ing from eight to ten peas. While the
sort Is comparatively new, it has been
tested quitet extensively, and if it does
THE GRADUS PEA.
as well generally as in the localities
where it has been tested it will be an
acquisition.
Deep Plowing.
We used to believe in what we read
when young about the value of plow
ing deep to bring up the fertility that
had leached down through the surface
soil into the subsoiL Our opinion was
changed when we tested the deep
plowing upon a field with a clay sub
soil that we planted with corn. Later
experiments have more thoroughly con
vinced us that deep plowing, by which
we mean a depth of more than four to
six inches, is seldom beneficial in this
climate, whatever it may be in other
sections of the country. The crops like
corn, that like to spread their roots
near the surface' where -the soil is
warmed by the sun, certainly do not
need to have the earth stirred very
deeply for them, while those that send
their roots down into the subsoil, as
onions, clover, beets, etc., can do so
almost through the hardest subsoil or
anything excepting a gravel In which
there is no moisture. American Culti
vator. Keeping Old Hay.
We used to say that old hay well kept
in the barn was better than money at
interest but the following paragraph
from an exchange leads us to think that
it is possible to keep it too long for
profit A farmer in Laconia, N. H., has
been feeding out hay to his stock this
spring which was harvested in the
spring of 1857 forty-five years ago.
This hay is yet clean and bright, being
In every way as handsome and perfect
as when put into the barn. We do not
remember the price of hay iu 1S57, but
about 1867 we sold hay of our own cur
ing at about $60 per ton. But if that
hay was worth but $20 per ton forty
five years ago, and had been sold and
the money placed at Interest, it would
have bought a great deal of hay this
spring, while at compound interest th-i
price of a ton would have been enough
by this time to nave paid for a pretty
good New Hampshire farm. While - is
not a good idea to sell out so closely on
non-perishable produce as to be obliged
to buy again before another crop "an be
harvested, we think forty-five years is
too long to hold a crop. We used to like
to sell when we could get a fair price,
and just retain what we thought might
be needed at home. Massachusetts
Ploughman.
Guessing and Knowing.
Thousands of farmers have guessed
It did not pay to feed, and so have let
their cows dry up nearly, destroying all
profit In milk for the entire year. Til a
who read, think and don't guess any
more than they can help have kept
their herds up to the usual standard.
Their verdict is that it has paid a good
profit to do this. The others are look
ing ahead with gloomy eyes. O, no! it
dou t pay to be a reading farmer" In
connection with the foregoing th)
uairyman quotes the following as illus
trating that knowledge is better than
guessing at things: "The Kansas exper
iment station at a recent test found
that counting wheat at $1 per 100
pounds, cottonseed meal at $1.50, and
rating butter at 17 cents per pound, and
placing the value of skim milk against
the hauling, there would be a very
handsome profit in the transaction;
therefore, that it would pay farmers a
great deal better to purchase cotton
seed meal and increase the amount
both of wheat straw and ground wheat
and thus keep their cows in milk, avoid
ing the shutting of the creamery with
all the evil results which follow."
Hoard's Dairyman.
An Underground Cistern.
Mrs. Lou Detwiler, of O'Brien Coun
ty, writes Iowa Homestead: "Will you
please give a good plan for an under
ground cistern? I
would like one so
the pump can be in
the house." To this
the editor of the
Homestead replies:
"A cistern is built
according to the
customary methods
with an Inlet for
the rain water. In
the bottom or to cr.o
side of the cistern is built a filter,
which consistse of a solid brick wall
made of soft brick. A lead pipe leads
from this to the cistern pump in me
kitchen. All cisterns should re p. . ided
with an overflow pipe to let off the sur
plus water in times of flood. We nnd
this a better plan than to depend on
cutting off the flow In the inlet as that
will sometimes be neglected."
Farm Notes.
Bordeaux mixture controls downy
mildew on lima beans.
A haphazard, go-easy way in farm
ing is not going to bring a big profit
this year.
Make the boy's Interest in the farm
so profitable that be will be anxious to
make farming his life work.
Chicory culture was started by Long
Island farmers several years ago, but
it did not pay and has been abandoned.
The farmer as well as the business
man who Is going to forge to the front
these times is the one who thinks and
plans.
It has been demonstrated that in the
sections where thorough drainage is
practiced larger crops are produced,
and at less cost than wher drainage is
neglected.
The currant worm Is ready to begin
work on the first approach of warm
weather. Powdered hellebore is the
remedy, which may be used with
water or applied in the dry condition,
while the leaves are damp from rain
or dew.
String beans can be obtained during
the entire summer by planting once a
month for successive supplies. The
seed germinates quickly in warm
weather, and the plants grow rapidly.
They can aJo be extensively grown
for pickling.
When the old strawberry beds are
out of use plow them under for late
cabbage or turnips. If preferred the
land may remain for a garden plot
next spring, but if such is preferred
the bed must be seed. Late in the
fall cover the beds with manure and
plow the plot next spring.
L