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About Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1903)
. . s SEMI-WEEFCLY. riLVL'JfU. ftoliditti Feb., 1133. COBVAIililS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1903. it GA Z G O R VOIi. IV. NO. 25. ( rt 7 Contrabandist :OR: CHAPTER VI. A month passed. Louis had intended to leavethe chateau at the expiration of a month. It went by, but still he lingered; -and, as he had no pressing business else where, he said to himself that the sum mer might wear away as well here as in places where he might not like so well to stay. So he was in no hurry to depart. -Time ' passed very pleasantly at the chateau. A great portion of his days was passed indoors, in the society of his un cle and his beautiful cousin Helen; and the remainder was spent in the open air, in the pursuit of his favorite amuse ments. Louis was as fond of sketching -as ever, and nearly every morning he anight have been seen roving about the neighborhood in search of food for his pencil, as we have already seen him, re turning at noon, to display to Mademoi selle Montauban the result of his labor; though, on the first occasion of this kind, it must be allowed that the exhibition of his sketches was subjected to some slight reserve, the picture of Rose and her dwelling being withheld. For what rea son, however, he himself, perhaps, scarce ly knew at the time. He had seen Rose two or three times since that' visit, both at the chateau and -at the cottage, where he had met her father also. The admiration of Louis for our pretty heroine certainly was by no means on the decrease; while Hugh Lamonte was an enigma to-him. The pe culiarity of this man's appearance and manners was a matter of no little per plexity to him as to others. The gravity and reserve of Hugh .were so many sub jects of mystery. But it was a .mystery not likely soon to be solved. Nobody knew anything concerning him previous to the time of his coming to occupy bis present abode. His former place of res idence was unknown.' . Conjecture had done her best, and the mystery remained a mystery still. ' , Louis often spoke with his ancle on this subject. The good marquis could -only shake his head in perplexity. "H is a strange man, that is all I -can say, my dear boy," said he; "and jret there is something about him which attracts me. That lofty sternness which - he sometimes wears strikes one most strangely. I never observe it without thinking of " "Of what, monsieur?" asked Louis. "Of my of Henri your uncle, my boy We Quarreled once, he and I, and he '"wore just that look and manner after ward. You never saw him, Louis." And the good marquis sighed. "What was the reason of the quarrel, ancle?" asked Louis. "It is a long story. , I cannot tell you now," was the answer; "but, some day, perhaps, I will relate it to you." It. was no uncommon thing now for Louis to encounter Jacques Leroux now, in his usual strolls about the neighbor hood. They often met; and the young count, feeling an interest in this rough, "but evidently honest-hearted fellow,, who ."had taken pains to render him a service, spent many an hour in conversation with him while reclining on the banks of the valley stream, engaged in angling, or ' roaming over wood and hill, with his be loved portfolio, for Louis was an unwear ied artist. And all this time Gasparde was away. Hugh and Jacques alone knew where; for the former, Hugh Lamonte, uneasy at a neighborhod so little to be desired, . had dispatched him to "manage the affairs of that portion of the horde engaged in rthe contraband trade, well reasoning that, being as far distant as the coast itself,. . he had nothing unpleasant to apprehend from him. Gasparde, as may be guessed, . had been no little dissatisfied with this arrangement, and resolved to return, se cretly, as soon as an opportunity pre sented itself. It was one day when Louis had been .rambling about during the. whole morn ing that, wearied out, he threw himself beneath the shadow of a. tree to rest, in -the midst of a small grove half way be tween the chateau and the cottage. He ." had a book with him, and opening it, soon became deeply engaged in its perusal. . Perhaps he might have, passed half an hour thus. At the end of that time, how ever, he closed it, and taking up his . gun, which he had thrown on the turf - beside him, he took his way towards the road, which was not many steps distant. But he had hardly reached it, ere a bul let whistled through the air, struck his . left arm, ploughing up the flesh as it went, and continuing its course till it lodged in the trunk of a large tree by the roadside. . It had evidently proceeded from some place very near the spot which he had left; but he had no time to look for the ; source of the compliment, for the warm blood already poured down his arm, sat urating completely the sleeve which cov- ered it. Hastening on, he Bat down by the trunk of the tree which had receiv- ed the bullet, and taking his handkerchief out, folded it into a bandage. At that moment, raising, his eyes, he beheld Jacques Leroux coming along the road from the village. He called to him, and - the man ran up. "What's the matter now, Monsieur Louis?" he asked, in some surprise. "Shot in the arm? Winged like a wild - fowl! Why, what" He glanced at ' the gun that the count had again laid down, ' and Louis recognised the impres- . sion which he entertained. "Well, my good fellow," he said, light ly, despite the slight faintness he felt ' from the loss of blood, "you do not think I would commit intentional suicide do you? and if I did, I should certainly se lect a surer spot than this. But I am t glad you are here. This one-handed work is rather awkward. Just fasten the band age about it tightly, if you please so. MThat is it. Be sure the knot is fast." And during this time Louis had con- eluded, since Jacques had drawn his own inferences, to let him keep them, and tell him nothing concerning the actual state of the matter; for a thought had sud denly occurred to him, as he endeavored "to account for the case himself, which made him resolve to trust his own dex- -terity in finding out the truth, and keep A TRUE STORY OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE silent on the subject until them. For whoever had fired this shot at him was an enemy, since be could not bring nim self to believe the -deed unintentional. And what enemy had he besides Gas parde? Louis passed several days in deep reflec tion. A double object occupied his at tention, which was, in part, the discov ery of the present whereabouts of Gas parde, whom he believed to be in the neighborhood without the knowledge of Hugh Lamonte; the other point the read er will presently understand. A half-perfected scheme was in pro-' gress of completion. For a time, as we have said, he meditated on this, and finally laid it out to his own satisfac tion. By this time his arm was almost en tirely healed. He had remained within doors for some days; but now resumed his usual out-of-door ' amusements, taking good care, however, to avoid every place wherein a foe might lie concealed. Some careless inquiries which he made of Rose and her father, assured him that, even if Gasparde were in the neighbor hood, they were unconscious .of it. " He resolved to set a watch, however, to as certain the amount of correctness in his suspicions. ' - .. One day, very shortly after the occur rences above recorded, Louis received let ters from Lyons which seemed to inter est him very deeply. Business of some importance, he announced, obliged him to leave the chateau sooner than he had in tended. The good marquis expressed the utmost concern and regret at. hearing this. "Why, my dear Louis," said he, "I counted on keeping you for months yet. Why will you go? Surely you can sub mit to your agent, or avocet, all affairs of business for the present." "My dear uncle, .the case is impera tive," answered the count. "Then, as soon as this affair is trans acted, you will return to us? I will hear of no refusal. "I promise you, monsieur, I will re turn." Helen Montauban had waited silently for the decision. She made no attempt to urge Louis to prolong his stay. She did not even express a regret at the an nouncement of his intended departure on the following day; but a closer observer might have seen the emotion which she . felt. And she received the parting, kiss of her handsome cousin with a smile. "My dear Helen," he said, frankly, tak ing her hands in.his, "tell me that you are sorry to bid me adieu, or I shall not believe it" "I do regret your departure, Louis," she answered, in a low, clear tone; "but why should I display it? -Ton say your busi ness is imperative, and I would not detain you. Besides, you are to return." "Yes I shall return," he echoed. "Adieu, sweet cousin!" "Louis," said the marquis, as he ac companied his nephew to the gate of the court, you must mind and come back as soon as possible. If the plan which I mentioned the other day succeeds, Rose will be an inmate of the chateau before winter. Poor little Rose! one cannot but wish to see her in such circumstances as seem more befitting her. Helen needs a friend and companion, too, and both will be benefited. If Hugh Lamonte will consent to part with her, she shall come. The first thing that put this -plan into my thoughts was the persecutions of that fel low Gasparde. 1 wished to remove her from his way. To be sure, he is not here at present, but then there is no knowing how soon he may return. 1 shall talk with Hugh I shall talk with him; and Helen will use her influence, too, I know, for she likes Rose. So when you return,, you may, perhaps, find another cousin, Louis." "Your plan is an excellent one, my dear uncle? returned the young man, "and I wish you all success. Depend upon it, the endeavors which you and my cousin make, for the benefit of Rose, will not be thrown away. : The gate of the court closed; the guest was gone. Slowly rode master and man down the valley to the little inn by the roadside, and here Louis dismounted. Immediate ly, as he did so, there came, from an inner room a young man, who, appearing at the door, made a respectful obeisance to Louis, saying: . "Ah! monsieur; you see 1 am punc tual." , "Good!" answered the count, long have you been here?" "Three hours fully, I think." 'How "That is well. I see you do not forget your master's habits. But come; we must have a room in private for a little while, Francois!" to his valet, "get down and wait awhile. I wish to transact some pri vate business with this person. Co: Robin!" ... x "You have got your spade and its ac companiments with you, presume? in quired the young count of the man he had met, as the two entered a little room to gether. "Yes, indeed, Monsieur Louis, and one or two changes of apparel. It is for no more than a month or two, I think you said?" "That is all." - "Then I dare say I brought sufficiemt with me; more than that might be thought superfluous, yau know. We must be natural." "Yes yes, Robin. It is all right. Shut the door now, and be careful there is no chance for eavesdroppers. They went in, and the door was clos ed upon them. Some twenty minutes might have elaps ed when it was re-opened and they came forth again, the young count striking from his varnished boot one or two straws with his riding switch, and bend ing his head to conceal a smile that cury ed his mustached lip; while his compan ion, with less apparent restraint, was laughing outright a low, musical, but hearty laugh. He quickly grew grave, however, and said, aloud, as they pro ceeded to the outer door, where the inn keeper was still standing, and endeavor ing to draw the usually gruff Francois into something like conversation: j "You think, then, monsieur le compta, ; that I shall get employment somewhere j about here?" O, doubtless doubtless, Robin!" was! the reply. "You will have my certificate of character, if it is required; but your face will do as well, if I am not mistak- Wa11 waII ! T nd not tell you to be have yourself, Robin. I wish that you may meet with good fortune. Thank you. monsieur," returnea me other, gratefully. "I shall endeavor to do credit to your recommendation." "Ah well!" muttered Francois, cross ly, a a h mounted his own little hack, and glanced surlily enough toward his master; "if young people win turn into wild eeese. I do not know who win re pent but themselves." CHAPTER VII. On the day of the count's departure from the Chateau Montauban, there stop- Ded at the cottage of Hugh Lamonte a young peasant, dressed in coarse but neat garb, and carrying across his shoul der a heavy stick, on which swung a Dun dle neatly tied up in a large cotton hand kerchief. ' This person was of something above the medium height, light and athletic in form, and with straizht. shapely limbs, wnose grace and activity his rude dress" could not conceal. His countenance was a fine, frank and pleasing one; the features in disputably handsome, and the complexion slightly darkened, evidently by exposure to sun and wind; while the simple open ness arid honesty of his manner could not fail to please one. At the invitation of Hugh Lamonte ne entered and sat down, stating that he had eome from Avallon, and desired to obtain employment in this neighborhood. "What kind of employment do you seek?" asked Hugh. . . . I am a gardener, monsieur," answered the young man, respectfully, "and if I could have the care of- a garden some where about here " But." interrupted Hugh, in a thought ful tone, "we do not need gardeners about here. Up in the village, where the peo ple are all farmers, they . take care of their own gardens. Besides, it is late in the season for that work." The young man blushed as he returned: "O, I know that, monsieur I know that; but 1 would be wilting to work for so much the less. Good! But still, I think it is not very likely that you will find employment of that kind. If it were the spring instead of near the autumn now, perhaps the marquis might take yOu. 1 But as it is, you must think of something else. You are really in need of work, I suppose? "Yes. monsieur. I bring a certificate from my former master." "Who was he?" "The Compte d'Artois, monsieur.1 "The Compte d'Artois!" Hugh regard ed the young man fixedly for a moment, till the red color flushed into his cheek again. "Let me see your certificate, if you please," he said. The man drew it forth and gave it to Hugh. It said simply: "This certifies that the bearer, Robin Marron, is industrious, honest and tem perate, and will be found faithful and trustworthy by whoever may need his ser vices. - "(Signed), LOUIS, COMPTE D'ARTOIS "That is well," said Hugh, quietly, as he returned the paper, "and speaks ex cellently for you. Master Robm. But it will not be of much use here, I am afraid. Is there nothing else you could do?" 0"Oh, yes, monsieur," answered Robin "I like this neighborhood, and I have some fancy for farm work.' Doubtless I could make myself useful to some of your neighbors." "Well, it is a busy time, and there is every chance for one who comes recom mended like you. Extra work-people are wanted by several of the farmers. There is Antoine Lebrun and Pierre Martin, both of whom I know need one or two more men. They live something like a mile or two beyond here. You will, with out doubt, find work among some of them." "Thank you. I will try them," return ed Robin, rising, and taking up his stick and bundle, which he had laid beside him on the floor. (To be continued.) Simple K indness. It was at the height of Browning's fame that there occurred a little . in cident, narrated by Coulson Kernahan, which showed that simplicity and kind ness are not of necessity destroyed by prosperity and the appreciation of the world. A certain writer, at that time young and unknown, was introduced to Browning by a friend. Stammering from nervousness, he attempted to ex press his admiration pf the poet's work. To one whom the world ' united to praise, the appreciation of a. mere boy was a small thing, but so natural and simple was the poet that the sincere tribute of the young man caused him real pleasure, which h irioTTfy-ti conceal. SometjisraTterward the same young wtiCTreeeived an invitation to a ere: iterary function. Browning waff pres erTentsurrqundec5Hby.a circle of the most distinguished men and women of Eng land. Presently he caught sight of the youngster standing awkwardly by the door.' Turning his back on the great folk, Browning "made his way to his humble admirer, called him by -name, and expressed pleasure at this oppor tunity of renewing acquaintance. "Was that really Browning with the white hair and beard?" said a lady who had been standing' by. "Why, by the way he spoke one would think he would be better pleased to be taken for an ordinary gentleman than for a great poet." Wonld Never Do. . . ' "I was thinking," said the architect, "that - you might call the house The Crescent." "Not on your life," protested the pro prietor of the new theater, "that would be a hoodoo from the start. The cres cent is never full." Philadelphia Press. '- ' A machine that washes and dries 8, 000 dishes an hour has been invented, and it is guarantied that plates, cups, saucers, and other dishes come out of the wash without a scratch. A Pa'lboat from Barrels. More than half the fun of owning and sailing any boat lies in the under standing, to some extent at least, why it sails; why, under certain condi tions, it tips over; why it sails faster than the boat belonging to A' or B, or why It sails more slowly than the boat belonging to C or D. Ability to'-answer these and other questions cannot be gathered from books, but must be learned from actu al experience, and the best teacher possible is the experience of building a boat, coupled with that of sailing it. To build even the simplest form of cat-boat or sloop is a good deal of an undertaking,' and is likely to prove ex tremely expensive. It is impossible, therefore, to do much experimenting. After a hull la once made It ls well- nigh impossible to reshape it without pulling the boat all to pieces, which Is, practically, building a new boat. The barrel-boat can be put together in one day, and the only part of the boat which needs to be bought Is the material for the sail. ...... - Hence it Is possible to build several boats, to try first one scheme and then another, until most of the philosophy of sailing is mastered. ' Figure 1 shows the hull of a barrel- boat. It consists of a bow barrel and a stern barrel, joined together by one strong plank and a simple outrigger which extends from the plank. -In order-that tbe-barrel jnay not present a flat front, which would be difficult to push through the" water, they are, as shown in the illustration pa Tin. STEM Mffls THIS PABTS WECESSABT TOB THE SHIP. depicting the' completed boat, fastened to the plank, at an angle. The angle Is made by placing be tween each barrel and the plank a tri angular-shaped brace, such as shown in Figure 4. Both barrels, must be covered with tar. and painted so that they will be absolutely water tight. The outrigger, shown In Figure 2, Is a small gcow-Bhaped affair, about two and one-half feet . long and one foot wide.' - " . - An ordinary oar or paddle is used for steering . . . -' . A notched stick, such as- shown- In Figure 3," or an iron rowlock," can be fastened over the stern barrel, to hold the steering oar. '.- " The barrel-boat, consisting as ItMoes of two large airtight compartments, is, of course, absolutely nonsinkable and because of the outrigger is very diffi cult to tip over, hence- it is- safe to carry quite a large spread of saiL In a stiff breeze ihe barrel-boat is more seaworthy thani rapid; because the waves slap against the Cnds of the barrels; iut in a light breeze when; the water is smooth the barrel-boat compares favorably in -point or speed the ordinary small sailboat. ,. ' "What the Peonle Eat. '" Tf ton could see the things that the people in some countries have for din ner and the way they eat them you would laugh Indeed, and. then if you should visit those countries and do as the other boys and girls do you would laugh still more. "-; ' ' " ' - I believe ydu would lik Japan best, Trne, you would not havs any chair to sit on, nor any knife, fork or spoon, but then you would have two dainty little sticks, which the Japanese chil dren call 'chopsticks" and which they use very cleverly. Then, besides, there is always such' a lot of candles and other sweets, and what you could not eat you would be not only allowed but expected to take home with you. Think of that! '. . Often, at grand feasts, the guests bring their servants, who carry bask ets and whatever is lert from dinner ls packed in these baskets and .taken home. ' In China you would have the same "chopsticks," but very different dishes. One especially, I believe, you would not like at all. . That is live crabs and very thin ones, too. ' . ' Just as dinner is ready the crabs are put in a dish of vinegar, This makes them quite lively. Next they are re- THE BOAT TTNDKB WAT. ' 4 Little Stories and Incidents that Will Interest and Enter- I tain Young Readers moved to a covered dish and placed upon the table. Then, when everyone is ready, the cover is taken off. Those crabiets don't hesitate a second, but scramble out and run f p" their lives. But the guests are In a big hurry, too. They seize them with both hands and filling their mouths-as full as they can, they swallow the wriggling things as though they were the daintiest bits ! imaginable. I do not know whether they are better or worse than, roasted spiders. These you would get in New Caledonia and some people who have eaten them say they taste like nuts and are very nice. . In India they would serve you roast- localities , farmers make a . good busi ed worms Instead of fruit at dessert,, ness of sowing Hungarian millet for a and In Burmah locusts stuffed and hay crop on any ground from which frfed In Slam you would be treated a crop can be taken by the middle of to ant's eggs and some of our own In- August. If .the crop was a cultivated dlans think they can offer a guest no one, but little preparation of the soil greater delicacy than roasted grass- ls necessary. Shallow plowing and a hoppers. ' So you see there are many thorough harrowing will probably be kinds of tastes. sufficient In most cases. It is gener- Table manners also vary greatly; In allr considered that this -millet crop Is Tnrkev von mil at r r(.iulr.nn a cushion and eat wlth your fingers from the same dish that everyone else uses. In Arabia you must use your .fingers also and not be surprised if your host offers you a dainty morsel with his hands. Just open your mouth and low him to put it in In Abyssinia, if you wish to be polite, you must smack your lips while you eat. Reading; in Or on pa. Isn't too little attention paid by you young readers to the order in which you read books? It ls not difficult to obtain' lists of books so arranged that each, helps in the understanding and appreciation of the following one., In the reading of Scott, for example, wouldn't it be wlse to take them or those you prefer In the order of their time? x First comes "Count Robert of Paris," then "The Betrothed," next "The Talisman" and "I vanhoe," then "Castle .Dangerous," "The Fair Maid of Perth," "Quentin Durward" and "Anne of Geierstein" all of which are of times before the discovery of Amer lct by Cklumbus7 Reialngthem In this order, one has a better Idea of the early times, and appreciates each the more because of those before. If you are Just beginning to read Scott, try taking them chronologically, in thii way. St, Nicholas. Fan in tha Garret. We're -having a lovely time to-day! We're all of us up in the garret at play) We have three houses under the eaves Not' real, yon' know, but make-believes. Two we live in, and one is a store, Where a little old screen makes a truly door. Warren keeps store, and Joe is hit clerk, '. . And Betty and I stay at home and work Joe comes around , and knocks or rings, And we order potatoes and steak and things; And sometimes we go to the store and buy, Or send Che children for ribbons or pie. It's lota of fun just try it some day When it rains too hard to go out and . play. Youth's Companion. Cream to Bum. Two little girls were engaged In an animated discussion as to the merits of their respective homes. . i . ..."rWell, anyway," said one little maid en In a triumphant tone, "you may have more bedrooms than we have, but we have more cream than you do. We have enough for our cereal every sin gle morning." "Pooh!" said the other, "that's noth ing. We own a Jersey cow, and we get a whole cowf ul of cream twice every day."; Lipplncott's. "Why He Fisrhta. John is aged 7. He. has. occasional trials of strength at school which he dignifies by the name of "fights." When asked, "What do you have fights for?" he replied, "Well, we get to quar reling about something, and then we feel mean toward each other, and then we fight, and then we don't. feel mean to each other any more."-Ml!ongrega-tionalist. '- r .' A Lost Opportunity. John Fox, Jr., author and strummer on the. gentle guitar, is also an athlete of no mean prowess, though he does o look it: One day on-a-train, with true Kentucky chivalry, he called a drummer down for annoying a lady The drummer resented the Interfer ence. "For half ,a cent," .be said, men acingly, "I would break your face." Fox looked him good and hard in .the ey, went down into his pocket, came out with a cent,, and, proffering It to the offende. .said: "There's a cent; break my face if you want to and keep the change." , - Mr. Fox's face remained intact. Col lier's Weekly. . j The Human Eye. The eye of a young child. 1s as trans parent as water; that of the youth a little -less so; in. the man of SO the eye begins to be slightly . opaque; In the man of 50 or 60 it is decidedly opaque and in the man of 70 or 80 it is dull and lusterless. This gradual development of opacity is -due to the in crease of fibrous tissue and deposit waste matter in the ere. t -v ."Bmere rule, because much depends upo !) m L '' - ;Jr2i I the object sought and also upon the sur- ire jtm" j-S$!lffH green food, such as grass, clover, rape, . LlJlfj leaves, etc. Chickens should be amply jOT----r 3&J'C' ts'v ? supplied with gravel or shells at all y0m S'SL- tlmAS- It is excellent plan when chick- " - .i3J!.-r ens are young to adopt Bome means " o5tfa ""jS-lj.W of destroying the mites on the hens ' Hungarian' Millet, Im Bectlons where the hay crop la .noK 0n at the best and quickest Gatch crops is Hungarian millet The Beed is comparatively cheap, ranging from $2 to $2.25 a bushel, and the crop dpes .well on any good soil. In many wortfl au 11 costs to gel n, u fc particularly valuable for cattle, or the grain may be saved and fd to poultry during the 'winter. One of the most A LATE MILLET CBOP. successful poultrymen in the country has millet as a part "of his winter ration for the lavlnz hens, sowing It on the ground from which early pota toes hive been harvested. Goin' to the Ffr. Put on yer newest caliker, an' comb the young 'uns' hair. An' jump into ' the wagon fer we're goin' to the fair; An' we'll make the finest showin' o' all the people there Fer Jenny'll be the finest gal a-goia' to the fair! We've got a yoke of oxen that weigh a hundred ton, An a mule that in a century wuz never known to run! An' two live alligators, an' rattlesnakes to spare But Jenny'll be the finest gal a-goin to the fair! '' .. .. '. Oh, jump into the wagon! tiia road is smooth an wide An' the crisp wind's kinder sayin', "It's a mormn' fer a ride! I'm holdin' o' the ribbons! an' won t the people stare! -Fer Jenny she's the finest gal a-goin' to the fair! ; Now, don't the ol' wheels rattle! v kiverin' the groun'! Tha white san's jest a-flym , an -trees air goin' roun'! Jennv. with her eyes o' blue the An' an7 sunny, flowin' hair finest an' the sweetest gal a-goin to the fair! The Atlanta Constitution. A Warm Kootinr Pen. In a bulletin issued by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, giving much valuable Information for the benefit of Dominion poultry men, the following description and accompany ing illustration of warm roosting quar ters for winter are worthy of special attention: K . , . . . The burlap curtain, which can. be lowered in front of the fowls at night, should be tacked to a light wood frame and hinged to the roof of the house directly above the-front edge, of the drop board. This burlap-covered frame should extend across 'the pen , and should fall :an inch or so below . the drop board. When hot required In front of the fowls the frame should be hooked to the ro"of of the house. This' frame when lowered, together With the board sides of the roosting quarters, form the warm roosting pen. The fowls will generate sufficient heat to keep themselves comfortable during a cold night r '.V. Care of Yonns: Chicka, " Summer care of young chicks in volves much more than ' working by jj """ 3C v ' CONVENIENT AND COMFOBTABLE. mere rule, because much depends upo the object sought and also upon the sur rounding conditions. Generally speak ing, chickens cannot be fed too much green food, such as grass, clover, rape, leaves, etc. Chickens should be amply supplied with gravel or shells at all times. It is excellent plan when chick ens are young to adopt some means of destroying the mites on the hens and . in surrounding ..quarters. One writer adopts the' plan of dusting mite powedr under the' wings of the brood hen. Floors should be washed at least once a week with some disinfectant. Above all else chickens require plenty of range and positively cannot stand confinement Fattening food should be fed in small proportions, such grain as wheat and barley being preferable to corn for young chickens. Iowa Homestead. Oats in Place of Wheat. There are many - localities in which it does not pay to grow winter wheat. Possibly because of the low price in some sections, or for other good reasons.- If winter oats will succeed they may frequently-be grown with profit, for the market price is generally good. There are many advantages in grow ing winter oats, particularly In warm localities, for the season of growth is during the cool portion of the fall and spring, so that they fill well, while the' spring-sown oats succumb to the warm summers. In growing winter oats the seeding should be done early in Sep tember and on good soil. It ls true that oats will do well on less fertilizing than wheat, but, on the other hand, they pay well for good fertilizing. By sowing at the time specified they will get a good start and cover the ground sufficient to protect the roots during the winter. In the spring they may be late in starting up, but they will come unless the winter has been sufficiently severe to kill -. them out completely. The plan is well wortk trying, at least on a small area. Varieties of Winter Wheat. Three varieties of winter wheat were distributed throughout Ontario in the autumn of 1902 for co-operative experi ments. Good reports of successfully conducted experiments have been re ceived this year from eighteen coun ties, - extending from Essex in the south to Hallburton in the north. The following is the average yield im weighed bushels of grain per acre for each variety for five years at the col lege, and for 1903 throughout Ontario:' Imperial Amber, 24.9 bushels; Buda Pesth, 21.4 bushels; Turkey Red, 20.7 bushels. All three varieties are beard ed. The chaff of the Imperial Amber Is red, and that of the 'others is white.' The grain of each variety is red, hard and recommended for the production of flour of good quality. . All three va rieties are, rather weak In the straw. The Imperial Amber Is a close rival to the Dawson's Golden Chaff in yield of grain per acre. The variety last named seems most productive of all, but the grain is soft . Increasing the Cabbage Crop. Cabbages are selling at very high prices this season. A little extra care will increase the yield of the crop. Hoe often, and once or twice sprinkle a lit tle nitrate of soda along the rows quite close to the plant. At the New Jersey station there was a yield of but 910 prime heads per acre when no ni trate of soda was used. When three hundred pounds of the nitrate were applied per acre In two equal dress ings, the number of prime heads ob- tained was -3,200. When : the same amount was applied In . three equal dressings the yield of prime heads -per acre was 5;390. Quantity and quality are both improved. ' Farm Notes. Every farm should have a separate building where sick animals can re ceive special care iind attention. A real live farmer does not keep, from 'making' mistakes, 'but he 'does not keep on. making the'rsamet mis--take.- ; : - ' : -( - ;.- Potatoes should neyep be marketed; unless assorted. Uniformity of size and appearance will "benefit both the buyer and the seller.' It is the small potatoes that injure sales and" return -low prices. " ." r. " Pigeons will thrive on . a variety, grains and grass seeds of all kinds-being suitable, hemp and rape seeds be- . Ing also acceptable. A salted fish should hang where the birds can have access thereto, and ground oyster shells, gravel,, pure water, 'etc., should be provided if they are confined. ; ;o If you ; want something, choice for yourself and not for market grow. the Emerald - Gem muskmelon and the Kleckley watermelon. There are other good varieties, used mostly on account of their, excellent shipping .qualities, , but no,, varieties can compare with those "mentioned for home use, as they excel all others In quality. This nation is increasing-in popu lation faster than it is in meat pro duction. u In the fifty years from 1850 to 1900 the population Increased 3.28 times. . Beef , cattle increased 2.95; dairy cattle, 2.C8; swine, 2.07; sheep, L83. Considering these figures In con nection with our enormous exports ft does not look like the business is gor ing to be overdone in the next fifty years. Just what it will be then can be only a matter of conjecture- it , -"3 i 'I r k