n.
ORVA
GAZE
SEMI-WEEKLY. V
SSS,&,2JLaSi. Consolidated Feb., 1899.
COEVALLIS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1902.
VOL. III. NO. 14.
A' STUDY IN SCARLET.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
PART I.
Being a reprint from the reminis
cences of John H. Watson, M. D., late
of the army medical department.
CHAPTER I.
In the year 1878 I took my degree of
Doctor of Medicine of the University of
London and proceeded to Netley to go
through the coarse presented for sur
geon b in the army.
Having completed my studies there,
I was daly attached to the Fifth North
umberland Fusiliers as assistant sur
geon. The regiment was stationed in
India at the time, and before I could
join it the second Afghan war had
broken oat.
On landing at Bombay I learned
that my corps had advanced through
the passes and was already deep in the
enemy's country.
I followed, however, with many other
officers who were in the same situation
as myself, and succeeded in reaching
Candahar in safety, where I found my
legiment, and at once entered upon my
new duties.
The campaign brought honors and
promotion to many, but for me it had
nothing but disaster and misfortune.
I was removed from my brigade and
attached to the Berkshires, with whom
I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand.
There I was struck on the shoulder
by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the
bone and grazed the subclavian artery.
I should have fallen ioto the hands of
the murderous Ghazia had it not been
for the courage and devotion shown by
Murray, my orderly, who threw me
across a pack horse and succeeded in
bringing me safely into the British
lines.
Worn with pain and weak from the
prolonged hardships which I had under
gone, I was removed, with a great
train of wounded sufferers, to the base
hospital at Peshawur.
Here I rallied, and had already im
proved so far as to be able to walk
about the wards, and even to bask a lit
tle on the veranda, when I was struck
down by enteric fever, that curse of our
Indian possessions.
For months my life was despaired
of, and when at last I came to myself
and became convalescent, I was so
weak and emaciated' that a medical
board determined that iiot a day should
be lgst in sending me back to England.
I was dispatched accordingly in the
troopship Orontes, and landed a month
later on Portsmouth jetty, with my
health irretrievably ruined, but with
permission from a paternal government
to spend the next nine months in at
tempting to improve it.
I had neither kith nor kin in Eng
land, and was therefore as free as air
or as free as an income of eleven shill
ings and sixpence a day will permit a
man to be.
Under such circumstances I natural
ly gravitated to London, that great
cesspool into which all the loungers
and idlers of the empire are iireaistab
ly drained.
There I stayed for some time at a
private hotel in the Strand, leading a
comfortable, meaningless existence and
spending such money as I had consid
erably more freely than I ought.
So alarming did the state of my
finances become, that I soon realized
that I must either leave the metropolis
and rusticate somewhere in the country
or that I must make a complete altera
tion in my style of living.
Choosing the latter alternative, I be
gan by making up my mind to leave
the hotel and take up my quarters in
some less pretentious and less expen
sive domicile.
On the very day that I had come to
this conclusion, I was standing at the
Criterion bar, when some one tapped
me on the shoulder, and, turning
round, I recognized young Stamford,
who had been a dresser undei me at
Bart's.
The sight of a friend's face in the
great wilderness of London is a pleasant
thing, indeed, for a lonely man. In
old days Stamford had never been a
particular crony of mine, but now I
hailed him with enthusiasm, and he,
in his turn, appeared to be delighted to
see me.
In the exuberance of my joy I asked
him to lunch with me at the Hoi born,
and we started off together in a hansom.
"Whatever have you been doing with
yourself, Watson?" he asked, in undin-
guised wonder, as we rattled through
the crowded London streets. "You are
as thin as a lath and as brown as a
nut."
I gave him a short sketch of my ad
ventures, and had hardly concluded it
by the time that we reached our desti
nation. "Poor devil!" he said, com mine rat
ingly, after he had listened to my mis
fortunes. "What are you up to now?"
"Looking for lodgings," I answered.
"Trying to solve the problem as to
whether it is possible to get comforta
ble rooms at a reasonable price."
"That's a strange thing," remarked
my companion; "you are the sceond
man today that has used that expres
sion to me."
''And who was the first,' I asked.
"A fellow who is working at the
chemical laboratory up at the hospital.
He was oemoaning himself this morn
ing because he could not get some one j
to go halves with him in some nice
rooms which he had found and which j
were too much for his purse."
"By Jove!" I cried, "if he really
wants some to share the rooms and the
expense, I am the very man for him.
I should prefer having a partner to be
ing alone."
Young Stamford looked rather
HI
strangely at me over his wine glass.
"You don't know Sherlock Holmes
yet, he said; "perhaps you would not
care for him as a constant companion."
"Why, what is there against him?"
"Oh, I didn't say there was anything
against him. He is a little queer in
his ideas an enthusiast in some
branches of science. As far as I know,
he is a decent fellow enough."
"A medical student, I suppose?" I
said.
"No; I have no idea what he intends
to go in for. I believe he is well up
in anatomy, and he is a first class
chemist; but, as far as I know, he has
never taken out any systematic medical
classes. His studies are very desultory
and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot
of out-of-the-way knowledge which
would astonish his professors."
"Did you ever ask him what he was
going in for," I asked.
"No; he is not a man that it is easy
to draw out, though he can be commu
nicative enough when the fancy seizes
him."
"I should like to meet him," I said.
"If I am to lodge with any one, I
should prefer a man of studious and
quiet habits. I am not strong enough
yet to stand much noise or excitement.
I had enough of both in Afghanistan to
last me for the remainder of my natural
existence. How could I meet this
friend of yours?"
"He is sure to be at the laboratory.
He either avoids the place for weeks or
else he works there from morning to
night. If you like we shall drive round
together after luncheon."
"Certainly," I answered; and the
conversation drifted away into other
channels.
As we made our way into the hos
pital after leaving the Hoi born Stam
ford gave me a few more particulars
about the gentleman whom I proposed
to take as a fellow lodger.
"You mustn't blame me if you don't
get on with him ;" he said; "I know
nothing more of him than I have
learned from meeting him occasionally
in the laboratory. You proposecLthis ar
rangement, so you must not hold me
responsible."
"If we don't get on it will be easy to
part company," I answered. "It
seems to me, Stamford," I added, look
ing hard at my companion, "that you
have some reasons for washing your
hands of the matter. Is this fellow's
temper so formidable, or what is it.
Don't be mealy-mouthed about it."
It is not easy to express the inex
pressible," he answered, with a laugh.
Holmes is a little too scientific for my
tastes it approaches to cold blooded
ness. I could imagine his giving a
friend a little pinch of the latest vege
table alkaloid, not out of malevolence,
you understand, but simply out of a
spirit of inquiry, in order to have an
accurate idea of the effects. To do him
justice, I think he would take it him
self with the same readiness. He ap
pears to have a passion for exact and
definite knowledge."
"Very right, too."
"Yes, but it may be pushed to ex
cess. When it comes to beating the
subjects in the dissecting rooms with a
stick, it is certainly taking rather a
bizarre shape."
"Beating the eubjects?
"Yes, to verify how far bruises may
be produced after death. I saw him at
it with my own eyes."
"And yet you say he is not a medical
student?"
"No. Heaven knows what the ob
jects of his studies are! But here we
are, and you must form your own im
pressions about him."
As he spoke we turned down a narrow
lane and passed through a small door,
which opened into a wing of. the great
hospital.
It was familiar ground to me, and I
needed no guiding as we ascended the
bleak stone staircase and made our way
down the long corridor, with its vista
of whitewashed walls and dun colored
doors. Near the farther end a low
arched passage branched away from it
and led to the chemical laboratory.
This was a lofty chamber, lined and
littered with countless bottles. Broad,
low tables were scattered about, which
bristled with retorts, test tubes and lit
tle Bunsen lamps, with their blue,
flickering flames.
There was only one student in the
room, who was bending over a distant
table absorbed in his work. At the
sound of our steps he glanced around
and sprang to his feet with a cry of
pleasure.
"I've found it! I've found it!" he
shouted to my companion, running to
ward us with a test tube in his hand.
I have found a reagent which is preci
pitated by haemogoblin, and by noth
ing el 6e. '
Had he discovered a gold mine great
er delight could not have shone upon
his features.
"Doctor Watson Mr. Sherlock
Holmes," said Stamord, introducing us.
"How are you? he said, cordially,
gripping my hand with a strength fr
which I should hardly have given him
credit. "You have been in Afghanis
tan, I perceive."
"How on earth did you know that,"
I asked in astonishment.
'"Never mind," said he, chuckling
to himself. "The question now is
about haemogoblin. No doubt you see
the significance of this discovery of
mine?"
"It is interesting, chemically, no
doubt," I answered; "but prac
tically "
"Why , man, it is the most practical
medico-legal discovery for years.
Don't yon see that it gives us an lnfai
lible test for blood stains? Come over
here now!" He seized me by the coat
sleeve in hia. eagerness and drew me
over to the table at which he had been
working. "Let us have some fresh
blood,", he said, digging a long bodkin
into his finger and drawing off the re
sulting drop of blood in a chemical
pipette. "Now I add this small quan
tity of blood to a litre of water. You
see that the resutling mixture has the
appearance of true water. The pro
portion of blood cannot be more than
one in a million. I have no doubt,
however, that we shall be able to ob
tain the characteristic raection."
As he spoke he threw into the vessel
a few white crystals . and then added
some drops of a transparent fluid. In
an instant the contents assumed a dull
mahogany color, and a brownish dust
was precipitated to the bottom of the
glass jar.
"Ha! Ha!" he cried, clapping his
hands and looking as delighted as a
child with a new toy. "What do you
think of that?"
"It seems to be a very delicate test,"
I remarked.
"Beautiful! Beautiful! The old
guaiacum test was very clumsy and un
certain. So is the microscopic examin
ation for blood corpuscles. The latter
is valueless if the stains are a few hours
old. Now, this appears to act as well
whether the blood is old or new. Had
this test been invented there are hun
dreds of men now walking the earth
who would long ago have paid the pen
alty of their crimes."
"Indeed!" I murmured.
"Criminal cases are continually hing
ing on that one point. A man is sua
pected of a crime months perhaps after
it is committed. His linen or clothes
are examined, and brownish stains dis
covered upon them. Are they blood
stains, or mudstains, or ruststaine, or
fruitstains, or what are they? There is
a question which has puzzled many an
expert; and why? Because there was
no reliable test. Now we have the
Sherlock Holmes test, and there will
no longer be any difficulty."
His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke,
and he put his hand over his heart and
bowed as if to some applauding crowd
conjured up in his imagination.
"You are to be congratulated," I
remarked, considerably surprised at
his enthusiasm.
"There was the case of Von Bischoff
at Frankfort last year. He would cer
tainly have been hung had? this test
been in existence. Then there was
Mason, of Bradford, and the notorious
Muller, and Lefevre, of Montpelier,
and Samson, of New Orleans. I could
name a score of cases in which it would
have been decisive."
"You seem to be a walking calendar
of crime," said Stamford, with a laugh.
You might start a paper on those
lines. Call it the 'Police News of the
Pat.' "
"Very interesting reading it might
make, too," remarked Sherlock Holmes,
sticking a small piece of plaster over
the prick on his finger. "I have to be
careful," he continued, turning to me
with a smile, for I dabble with poi
sons a good deal."
He held out his hand as he spoke,
and I noticed that it was all mottled
over with similar pieces of plaster and
discolored with strong acids.
"We came here on business." said
Stamford, sitting down on a three-
legged stool and pushing another one
in my direction with his foot. "My
friend here wants to take diggings, and
as you were complaining that you could
get no one to go halves with you, I
thought that I had better bring you
together."
(To be Continued.)
BKIEF BUT KILLING.
Remedy Was Not Recommended, But Wat
Very Effective In Its Way.
A recent West Philadelphia political
meeting was maraed by the telling of
the following story as illustrative of the
evil of being too laconic in everyday
speech. Brevity was the distinguish
ing characteristic of the village where
in lived Jim and Zach, farmers, and
each the owner of a horse. They met
one day and spoke as follows, relates
the-Philadelphia Times:
"Mornin', Jim!"
"Mornin', Zach!"
"What did you give your horse for
the botts?"
"Turpentine."
"Good mornin'."
"Good mornin'."
They again encountered each other a
few days later, with this result:
"Mornin', Jim!"
"Mornin'. Zach!"
"What did you say you gave your
horse for the botts?"
""Turpentine."
"Killed mine."
"Mine, too."
"Good mornin'!"
"Good mornin'!"
And Yet, Why Not Make 'Em Happy.
An Att-hisoirnian told an old maid
recently that she was a sweet old thing,
and she has lain awake nights ever
since dreaming of him. Men snould
be careful tq whom they throw boqnets.
Some nice old girls get so few that they
exaggerate the importance of a stray
blossom. Atchison Globe.'
Poker Laws. j
White You don't like to play poker
with Brown, do you
Green No; to tell "the truth, I
don't. But why did you think that
such was the case?
White Because Brown says he likes
to play with you. Chicago News.
Pertinent.
Lady Lecturer My dear children, I
love all auimals. I never under any
circumstances hurt one. I even have
a family of pet toads. I love them so
that I catch flies for them.
Small Boy Please, missus, ain't
flies animals?
Hsw te Hike Good Kite.
Kite fly In Is one of the best out
door amusement that a boy could
have; indeed, we know a good many
- nen that enjoy It
as much as they
did when they
- were young. The
r writer of this is
one of them. There
la a fascination
about it that Is not
' easily described.
City boys have lit
' tie chance to In
dulge in the sport,
except when they
A GOOD SXYKB-
go to the country or the seashore dur
ing vacation, but those who live in the
suburbs, or in places where they may
conveniently reach the open fields,
ought all to have their kites.
Fancy designs of all kinds are sold
In the shops, but If a boy wishes to
have all the fun that there Is In the
sport, he ought to make his own kite.
Besides, It will give him better service.
The accompanying cut shows how a
good flyer can be made.' Out of some
straight-grained light wood cedar pre
ferredmake four sticks, about one
eighth of an inch In thickness. Let
two of them be twenty-two Inches in
length, one seventeen and one-half
inches, and the other thirteen and
three-fourths Inches. --.Place them as
shown In the picture, and tack them
firmly where they cross. Cut little
notches at the ends of the sticks, and
put a string around the whole frame,
making it taut and tying it so that It
will not slip.
Now cut out a piece of very thin
manlla paper tissue paper would do,
but thin manlla is more serviceable
one Inch larger, all around, than the
frame, and paste the edge over the
string. Make a small hole in the end
of the sticks at A, B, C, D. E. and F,
and put in a string loosely from A to
F, from B to E, and from C to D. Make
a string loop from E to F, to which
the tall of the kite is to be attached.
The string must come through the pa
per side of the kite, not the stick side.
The cord by which you are to fly the
kite should be' attached where the
strings cross each other; do this with a
loose "knot enclosing 'aSthe strings.
For the tail use a strip of muslin about
one Inch In width and fifteen feet in
length, and attach ten bobs made of
paper rolled up. If the kite should
dive, add more tail until It sails stead
ily.
Use fine but strong cord for the fly
ing, and don't attempt it in a high
wind. Kites always fly better in a
moderate wind. -
Land of "Pretty Soon."
I know of a land where the streets are
paved
With the things which we meant to
achieve.
It is walled with the money we meant to
have saved.
And the pleasures for which we grieve.
The kind words unspoken, the promises
broken,
And many a coveted boon,
Are stowed away there in that land
somewhere
The land of "Pretty Soon."
There are uncut jewels, of possible fame,
Lying about in the dust,
And many a noble and lofty aim
Covered with mold and rust;
And oh! thislace, while it Beems so near,
Is farther away than the moon,
Though our purpose is fair, yet we never
get there
The land of "Pretty Soon."
The road that leads to that mystic land
Is strewed with pitiful wrecks,
And the ships that have sailed- for its
shining strand
Bear skeletons on their decks,
It is farther at noon than it is at dawn,
Farther at night than at noon;
Oh! let us beware of that land down
there
The land of "Pretty Soon."
Author unknown. K
Mrs. Kangaroo.
Mrs. Kangaroo has a big pocket, in
which she carries her young ones. It
Is the coziest kind of a place for a lit
tle kangaroo, and sometimes you will
find a whole family of brothers and
sisters In the pouch at once.
However, this Is not the only way
Mrs. Kangaroo has of carrying her
children. When hunters pursue her
she puts all her babies into .her pocket
and runs for dear life, but If she feels
that the enemy is gaining on her, and
that she Is in danger of being captured,
she seizes one little one after another
with her forepaws and hurls it out of
the pocket to one side of her pathway
as far as she can throw it. She takes
care to do this only at times when the
enemy Is not in sight. In this way she
is relieved of the weight of the youngs
ters, and she can run faster.
At the same time her motive is not a
selfish one. She throws her babies out
In so skillful a manner that It does
not hurt them. They are "Soft little
creatures, and when they land In a
brush heap they are none the worse
for It The hunter loses all scent
of the little kangaroos by this move
ment on the part of the mother, and,
at the most, the pursuing party can
capture only self-sacrificing Mrs. Kan
garoo. Johnny Wanted Jam.
Mamma was serving the jam pod
ding. "Johnny, will you take a little pud
ding?" Johnny Yes; will you give me the
ends, please?
Mamma But why do you wish to
have the ends, Johnny
I Johnny Why, when I was in the
J kitchen I heard Mary say to cook:
"Put a good lot of jam in the ends,
cook, because, you know, the ends are
always left for us."
Nothing-Better Required.
Once my sister Floy was sent on an
errand for some things for my mother.
There was a traveling man there
who was selling carpet spankers, and
he asked her:
: "Has your mother got one of these
spankers?" -
"No, sir," she replied.
"What does she use?" he asked.
"Her hand." was the prompt reply.
Little Chronicle.
Willie's Trouble.
"What's the trouble, Willie?" said
Mrs. Brown to her small son, who was
crying.
- "My kite won't fly," sobbed Willie,
"and I made it out of fly paper, too."
The Little Chronicle.
A Fool Qneation.
Father (sternly) How many times
have I told you to keep quiet? Do you
want me to shut you up in the dark
closet?
Johnny (aged 5) What makes you
ask such fool questions, papa?
Why He Didn't Play.
Old Lady How is it you are not play
ing ball with the other little boys? -
Small Boy 'Cause I'm de manager
of de team, dat's why.
BOYS OF FIFTEEN PREFERRED.
Employer Saya Those of That Acre Are
More Adaptable.
"You want a place for a boy?" re
peated the head of a large concern, as
be glanced up from his desk and looked
thoughtfully into the face of an ac
quaintance. "How old is the boy?"he Inquired.
"Between 14 and 15 years of age,"
was the reply.
"That Is a good age," he commented.
"It is easier for him to get a place now
that is, of course, providing he has
no special training, than it would be
three or four years hence. A boy at
that time of life has nothing to unlearn
in business ways and methods and em
ployers are. inclined to give the prefer
ence to those who are likely to take
hold quickly and make themselves use
ful "Then, too, a boy at that time of life
begins to show what he is good for,
and in the course of two or three years
he pretty well determines his future.
Of course, there are exceptions to all
rules, but It is my experience that
boys, like water, soon find their level.
Those who are ambitious and become
proficient go ahead, while others stay
about where they started."
"You believe in letting boys make the
start in life for themselves?" Inquired
his friend, who became interested In
the general subject and for the time
being lost sight of the specific purposes
of his call.
"It sounds hard to say that," was the
ready response, says the Washington
Star, "and as a parent I would hesitate
about subjecting my son to the dis
couragements which I encountered In
my younger days. Still, after all, gen
erally speaking, It is the best way.
Give a boy a fair mental equipment in
fact, a thorough education If he shows
an interest In his studies and then let
him rely on his own resources. Such a
policy Is infinitely better than the cod
dling which we sometimes witness. By
the way, send the boy you speak of to
me and I will see what we can do for
him. Good-day."
HE REALIZED A GOOD DEAL.
The Veteran's Experience at Speculat
ing; in Stocks.
There are different sorts of interest
to be drawn from investments. A man
of broad experience values them all.
"Speculation is all very well for people
who live In the city, right in touch with
everything," said the spring goods
"drummer" in an airy tone to a group
of men gathered on the steps of the
postofflce to await the arrival of the
stage, "but I never would advise a man
who's lived In the country all his days
to try any of these schemes for quick
money-making. He's sure to lose."
"It's all gambling, more or less, I
take it," said Obed Pearson, thought
fully. "Still, nobody could say I didn't
realize anything from my speculation
in the Bingtail Gulch Company's
stock."
"Why, I didn't know I was speaking
to a successful operator!" said the
drummer, with more respect In his
voice and manner. "Would you mind
telling me about it?" he asked, as he
noted the expectant gaze of the rest
of the group.
"Seeing It's you, I don't mind," said
Mr. Pearson, slowly. "I bought the
stock for twenty-five dollars a share
six shares with the expectation, bore
out and led on by clrc'lars and pros
pectuses, that 'twould touch the hun
dred mark in the course o' three
months. And in eight weeks it had
gone down to zero, and would've gone
below that, I Judge, If the president
and directors hadn't disbanded, so to
speak, and gone traveling.
"But I realized something; yes, sir!
I realized that unless I wanted to spend
my last years, and more'n that, the
next to last ones, on the poor-farm, the
thing for me to do was to burn up all
the clrc'lars and prospectuses that
come to me in the future without read
ing 'em. And I've kept on realizing it
to this day, sir."
Had Got It All Fixed.
"Have you made up your mind where
yon will go for, the summer?"
"Better than that.- I have made up
my husband's mind." Life.
One might as well attempt to dip
Lake Michigan dry with a pint cup as
to get a girl to give up the man she
really loves.
An Automatic Tank Valve.
Begulating the flow of water Into
troughs and tanks Is something which
causes farmers more or less anxiety
and trouble. In the plan as illustrated,
the water pipe enters near the top of
the tank, which places the valve out of
water, thus relieving it of all danger
from rust or the collection of sediment
Such a valve may.be bought at any
hardware store. The pipe may enter
nearer the bottom of the tank and If
the valve Is kept clear the device will
still serve its purpose. Another point
In Its favor Is that. If desired, the valve
can be closed just as effectually when
the tank is one-fourth full as when
filled to the brim.
The lower half of the long, jointed
lever connecting the valve and float
1 gjHkJSJltl 'llJaa J
has a shorter one attached to it, the
upper end of the latter having a num
ber of holes in it. By having a hole
In the upper half of the jointed lever
and using a pin, the angle at the joint
can be changed at will. Making it as
large as possible will necessitate the
float being lifted near the top of the
tank before the valve is entirely closed,
but by decreasing the angle the valve
will be closed, while the float is still
near the bottom. A sealed can or bot
tle makes a good float A board or
block of wood soon - becomes soaked,
and In consequence Its lifting power is
greatly diminished. A. L. Williams, In
Farm and Home.
Killing Peach Tree Borers.
For the last eight years I have set
peach trees every year, and I never fail
to make a thorough application of the
tar. With an old paint brush I put it
upon the trunk of the trees before set
ting, spreading the tar from the roots
up the trunk from eight to twelve Inch
es. I am careful to remove any borers
(hat may be in the trees, as they come
lrom the nursery. I keep in mind this
fact that the coal tar will not kill the
borer, deeply buried under the bark,
but will prevent the moth from depos
iting Its eggs at the base of the tree.
The application of the tar must be
made annually thereafter, being sure
to finish the work before the moth be
gins to fly, which I believe Is from
June 1 to 15, usually. In making these
annual applications It is necessary, to
insure success, that the earth be re
moved down to the roots. The bark
from the roots up eight to twelve inch
es must be completely covered with the
tar.
In case the tree Is suffering from the
effects of the shot-hole borer or fruit
bark beetle, I know of nothing that is
equal to the coal tar as a remedy. In
case of mechanical Injury to a tree the
tar Is better than any paint or wash
we have ever tried. O. J. Farmer.
Feed Trough for Yonnar Pies.'
One of the difficulties in feeding
young pigs is seeing that each has a
fair share of the slop. At the ordinary
trough the stronger pigs will drive the
-weaker ones off and they fall to get
enough food to keep up their growth.
A trough .designed to accommodate
eight small pigs Is eight-cornered and
is made of inch lumber. The sides slant
about as those of the ordinary V
trough. A spout Is fastened in the mid-
FEED TROUGH FOB FIGS.
die, into which the slop is poured,
which runs down Into the trough. To
make this trough first construct a bot
tom sixteen inches in diameter. Nail
two-by-four pieces around the bottom
and use ten-Inch boards for the sides,
nailing them securely. No. 12 wire Is
stapled around the top and also around
the outside, about three Inches down
from the top. Nali stout braces from
the center spout about seven inches
from the bottom, up to every other cor
ner of the trough, making four braces
and giving between each room for two
small pigs to feed. Indianapolis News.
To Prevent Soil Washing.
Soil washing, to a greater or less ex
tent takes place on 75 per cent of roll
ing farms, according to one writer.
Where It occurs the very best surface
soil Is washed Into the valleys, leaving
the bare and much less productive clay
on higher land. As a certain portion of
all farnr.a must be kept under grass it
is advisable to allow steep inclines to
remain in blue grass or some form of
meadow. Such places furnish a good
location for trees. These will not only
- 'y
! A j
prevent washing, but will tend to mod
ify the climate by affording protection
to stock and checking the heavy winds
at all seasons of the year. In any case
these slopes furnish excellent sheep
pasture so that the land may be made
quite as profitable as any that is under
the plow. Where it is necessary to cul
tivate hillsides It is a good plan to plow
under coarse manure, as this will pre
vent washing. In some Instances It
may be necessary to throw brush Into
the gullies and stake it down. Iowa
Homestead.
Propagating; Grape Vines.
To layer a grapevine to obtain new
vines to set of some choice variety, let
a branch run until there can: be about
six feet of It placed on the ground.
Then pinch off the end, which will
throw the growth into the buds along
the cane. JVhen these are well under
way place it in the soil about two or
three inches deep In a trench about
four inches deep. In a few weeks tha
trench may be filled level with the sur
face. By fall there will be roots from
every Joint and they may be separated
from the parent stem and from one an
other and transplanted where they ara
wanted. This is less trouble and more
sure than growing them from slips,
which should be cut In the fall after
the leaves drop, and heeled In. The tops
Incline toward the north, at some place
where they will be sheltered and not
molested during the winter. If well
ripened wood of this year's growth Is
used, and one or two buds left above
ground, with another below, most of
them will be found to have rooted in the
spring.. If one has but a parent vine of
a good sort or can get the branches
that his neighbor cuts off when he cuts
back In the fall, he can soon start a
vineyard at no cost but a little labor.
American Cultivator.
Dust for Melon Vines.
Make some dry arsenite to dust on
your melons and cucumber vines at
first appearance of the vitora and oth
er beetles, made in this way: Boll rne
half pound of white arsenic, one pound
of salsoda In one-third gallon of water,
until the arsenic is all dissolved. Take
some quicklime and slake it with ar
senic solution until the lime Is a pow
der, and It will take about a gallon of
lime, perhaps less, to take up the arsen
ical water; then dilute this with more
lime to make five gallons of dry lime
and arsenic to dust on the buggy plants.
Make dry Bordeaux for fungus by dis
solving your bluestone in water, then,
taking enough of the blue water to
slake enough quicklime to make a dry,
blue dust to shake on. Fruit World.
Keep the Cow's Tail Clean.
The simple device here illustrated
can be used in nearly every cow stable
to keep the tails clean and prevent the
cows from switch
ing during milking
in fly time. A
piece of heavy
cord, with a loop
In each end, is
fastened above the
cow at a and the
other end slipped
around her tail as
shown. When she
lies down, this
will keep her tall out of the gutter and
filth. When about to milk, hang the'
cord over a beam or hook at b, which
will pull the tail above harm's way.-r
New England Homestead.
Sheep In the Black Hills.
Sheepmen are flocking to the Black:
Hills section of South Dakota. It is
estimated that the wool clip for this
season will amount to nearly half a
million pounds of wool for the south
ern Black Hills districts. Nearly as
many - Angora goats are going In as
sheep. These animals have thrived
better than expected on the buffalo
grass of the Hills ranges, and since
Angora wool is worth twice as much as
common wool there is much money ill
the Angora.
When Horses Bolt Their Food.
Horses that are greedy and inclined
to bolt their food should be fed grain
In a wide bottomed manger, and even
then It Is well to place a few large
pebbles In the bottom the size of a
man's fist or larger. This compels
slower eating and secures better mas
tication. The Chinch Bust in Wheat.
The progress of chinch bugs from
field to field may be obstructed by
making a V shaped trench with the
corner of a hoe and filling it with coal
tar, the tar to be renewed as soon as
It becomes crusted over.
Agricultural Notes.
Muskmelon blight has become trou
blesome in some localities.
Failing to get all the buttermilk out,
causes butter to become rancid soon.
In cultivating onions care should be
taken not to work the soil to the bulbs
or to hill them.
In seeding sour (acid) land to tim
othy lime should be thoroughly worked
into the soil before the seed is sown.
For late strawberry crops a northern
exposure, clay soil and late varieties
are recommended by the New Jersey
station.
Even seeds that are strong and large
should be watered with care after sow-.
Ing them. Drenching is usually bad
for them.
How long to keep a cow depends
upon her work. Age should be given
no consideration as long as the old
cows are giving a profit :
On the farm, to make the most out of
the milk and butter, the cows should
be bred so as to be coming in fresh :
throughout the whole year.
All varieties of grapes may be propa
gated by layering, and many, like Nor
ton Cynthiana, Scuppernong and other
hard wooded aestivalis varieties, can
not easily be propagated otherwise.