miscellaneous.
-There seems to bo a general IUppm
nixiuL moiaci iiuii "Doom ruymcs iviui
"doom."
A calf nt West Failowfield. C:m
ate nineteen yotng turkeys ami wanted
more. lorontr Qhibc.
At Yuma, C:il.. eggs are hatched
lyiiiitur.il heat, if put in n shady place.
If left in the huh they cook.
jcnener "Have animals a capaci
ty for affection ?" Class "Nearly all.
readier "Correct. Now, what nni
mal possesses the greatest affection for
man?" Little Girl "Woman." Oma
ha World.
The Illinois Humane Society, or
ganized at Chicago in 1870. has a good
record. During the last six years it ha
investigated 13,744 complaints, extend
cd help to o,4G3 children, and saved
from abuse over 8,000 horses,
A Kentucky shcop-hreeder adver-
tiscs that, living near thrco towns, ho
has concluded to discontinue his contest
with dogs, and therefore offers I ho
remnant of his Hock of thoroughbred
Sotithdowns for sale.
There is a mending bureau in New
xork Citv where bachelors and nog
lected husbands take their shirts,
socks, cuffs, and whatever is in tatters,
nnd can have thorn made whole again.
The only ways it used to be possible to
get this work done was to feo the wash
erwoman for the purpose, or to take tho
work to ono of tho charitablo institu
tions that still make a specialty of em
ploying their inmates at this work.
A watch lias been invented by the
Swiss watchmakers solely for the use
of blind people. A small peg is set
in the center of each tigure. When the
hour-hand is approaching a certain
hour tho peg for that hour drops when
the quarter before it is passed. The
person feels the peg is down and then
counts back to 12. He can thus tell
the time within a few minutes and by
practice lie can become so expert as to
tell the time almost exactly.
A most remarkable imitation of
black walnut has lately been manufact
ured from poor piuc, the quality and
appearance of (he artielo being such
.a to defv detection. cvpt upon very
closo examination. To accomplish this,
one pal t of walnut peol extract is mixed
-with six parts of water, and with this
solution the w(iod is coated. When tho
material is half dry, a solution of hi
eliminate of potash with water is
rubbed on it. and tho made walnut is
ready for use.
"A colony of rats," says tho Now
York Sun, "were driven out of their
resting place in the cellar of No. fill
Fulton itreot, Hrooklyn, Tuesday, bv
the collapse of tho foundation of one of
the pillar' of tho kings County hlovntod
road. With bale-sticks and bung
starters the occupants of the saloon
overhead managed to exterminate
nearly one hundred. It will cost the
railroad about two dollars a rat to pay
the damage (lone by tho water wliich
Honed in the cellar?'
"I should think you would adopt
safety co'iphngs for your freight
trains," remarked a gentleman to the
superintendent of aralhoad, as u brake
man with a leg mashed oil was carried
by on a shutter. "Why so?" asked the
superintendent. "Hecauso you cripple
no many brakemon by the old method.
whs the replv. "Not much," said the
Miperiutendout. "This railroad only
pays an eight per cent, dividend, while
my stock in a cork-le factory pays a
dividend of forty-two per cent. Do you
think I want to go to tho expense of
purchasing safety couplings in order to
throw the cork-leg factory into buiik
ruptcyP You must be cra.y!" Xcw-
man Independent.
THE TERRIBLE APHIS.
A I.ltllo Iiuim'I ThHt Onulil Htrtrvo Out the
1 1 ti it ii Itncn In Ono Ytmr.
"Do you see that speck on this slide?"
The reporter closely examined the
glas slide of the microscope. Tho eye,
unaided by the lens, could distinguish
absolutely nothing.
"Now look through this tube."
The reporter gazed through the long
tubes of the big binocular microscope.
Ou tliu slide there was plainly to bo
seen, instead ot a single spook, a col
lection of monsters, who were crawling
around ou tho glass uneasily, as if out
of their natural element.
''Sue their long legs, peculiar oyos
nnd ferocious appearance," observed
the entomologist in whoso up-town of
lice tho research was bolug made.
"Those are aphides or plant-lice. The
aphis only weighs one oue-huudredth
of a grain. Its life is short and its
habits are destructive in tho extreme to
all kinds of plants, particularly those
which are reared in-doors.
" hat is so remarkable about
them?"
i was coming to mat. i itey are
among tho mo.it fecund creatures in the
world. They breed with almost mirac
ulous rapidity. I will illustrate. A
heavy man will weigh in tliu neighbor
hood or 2.000.000 grains, two billion
timos as much as an lipids. Well, in
ton broods, if nothing were done to de
stroy them, how much do you suppose
tho offspring of one of these minute
creatures would weigh?"
"I have no idea."
"Of course we have'no way of abso
lutely determining that matter, but
judging from tho iiiuroa&o of n single
lipids in a given length of time, and es
timating what would bo accomplished
in ten broods, wo estimate that they
Avould weigh as much ns 800.000,000
tnim weighing 280 pounds uaelt or
onu-tliird tliu Imnuiu population of the
globe."
J,ueky their jnrreaso Is checked."
"1 should s.ty it was. They would
dr.Woy in ono year every particle of
vfgcta'ble matter in the world, mid
orvitio'ii famine equaled only In its do
M ru iii von ess to tho deluge Itself."
,A'. Y, Hail and Express. .
CURIOUS CEREMONIALS.
f Annlune Cuin. at Havor Much ol
Another U'orlil Thau Our.
Tho curious philosophical views o!
life which appear to be common to the
races of the Chinese stock, and tho
elaborate ceremonials by which they
nre symbolized and emphasized, give
a rare interest to all that relates to the
manners and customs of those peoples
whatever may bo their particular
nationality. Nowhere are these feat
ures more marked, or do they savor
more of another world than ours, than
in Annam. Wo are indebted to certain
French writers, whom military and
poliTical evento nave given rare oj
portuuities to observe, for some fresh
and original accounts of the inhabitants
of tliis country, and of their character
istic beliefs and mages. SI. Henry M.
d'EUrey has. given, in the Ilcvue
Scicntijipuc, description? of the princi
pal ceremonies prescribed in the rites
to commemorate the mpst important
events in life, which are six in number,
viz.: 1. (lea Ac. or the imposition of
v pin in the hair-dressing of a maiden
on her reaching puberty; 2. Oca Qnnn,
or the imposition of the virile bonnet
on the head of a young man when ho
reaches adult age; 3. Quan, or the
feast in celebration of obtaining a first
employment; 4. Hon, or the mairiago
ceremonies; h. Taw, or funeral cere
monies; G. Te, or the ceremony of an
cestral worship.
I lie first two ceremonies aro celebra
ted by the relatives, in the family. When
i maiden has reached the age of f if
teen years, the father and mother adorn
the two altars erected to the ancestors
of their respective families, invito the
near relatives, ami select, as president
of the ceremony, an aged lady, of high
repute for virtue and good sense.
While tho lights are burning among
perfumes, two masters of ceremonies.
one at each euil of the altar, call oil
this order fixed by the rites. The father
and mother then come up to the altars,
and nay in a low tone: "It is our duty
to inform our ancestors that our
daughter Is, according to the rites,
marriageable from this day, and that
the age of fifteen voars, which she has
reached, gives her tho right to wear
the pin." They then prostrate thoni
seives four times, and the other rela
tives follow, imitating them. Next, the
maiden is brought up to the altar, and
tho lady who presides over the cere
mony, or sometimes the mother her
self, takes tho pin from off tho altar
iml places it in the hair of the maiden.
when, after having saluted tho altars
four times, she takes her back into the
houo. At anv time after this tho
maidou may marry. The ceremony is
followed by a festival, which is at
tended by the participants.
I he ceremony of tho imposition of
the virile bonnet upon the young man
who has reached the ago of twenty
years is performed with similar ob
servances; but tho father or an old man
takes the place of the mother or aged
lady in making the investiture. I'opti'
tar Science Monthly.
POWER OF ROBORITE.
All
Exploitive Wlilnli IHititncnt Dynamite
In Iti Driiiiiirul Work.
Somo interesting experiments Iiavo
lately been made in Westphalia with
the now Gorman explosive known as
roborito, for the purpose of showing its
advantages over dynamite. Tho state
ment that the former compound Is
stronger than tho laUor has been de
clared to bo a gross oxaggeratiou of
facts, and the possibility of their being
any thing like equality between them
has been pooh-poohed as unreasonable
and absurd. Hut if the reports which
I have reeoivod aro worthy of credence
and thoy come with apparently un
questionable- authority roborito has
made good its claim of equality, at
leas.
Tho first experiments undertaken
were to demonstrate tliu superiority of
the now explosive in its ability to stand
friction and heavy blows. Small quan
tities laid upon an anvil and struck
witli a sledge hammer stood the test
very satisfactorily. Afterward a large
quantity was burned to show that even
when a thick mass no explosion
occurs when merely ignited by the
application of llumo. In the trials for
strength a 2 ouuco cartridge of dyna
mite was laid upcu a rolled steel rail
of KnglMi manufacture and covered
with a sod turf. When tired by an
electrical fuse, the rail was bent ami
rifts were opened in the metal at the
place where the cartridge lay. A
roborito cartridge of tliu same weight,
exploded under the same conditions,
broke a similar rail asunder.
Next a charge of 31 pounds of dyna
mite- was laid upon a Siemens-Martin
steel armor plate, covered with earth
and tired. Tho effect was to slightly
bend tho plate. The same charge ol
roborito completely shattered a similar
plate. Tho value of roborito in blast
ing down coal Is tostllled to by numer
ous engineers and colliery managers in
ttie YVcstplialiau district. It is said to
give little or no llamo, and to shatter
less than dynamite. This latter state
ment is not so easy to reconcile with
the violent action exerted upon tho rail
and tliu plate in the experiments de
scribed. Tho writer of the testimonials
alluded to denies that products of com
bustion aro more injurious to health
than those resulting. from tho explosion
of dynamite. Colliery Engineer,
About soventy-tlvo per cent, of tho
exports of this country during tho last
lUcil year were agricultural products,
against twenty per cent, of manufact
ured articles. Including re lined potro
louu Christian at Work.
The question of agricultural educa
tion continues to attract attention of
journals devoted to tho farm Kast and
West. Farm, Field und Stockman.
PULVERIZED COAL.
A Method of Hfinlhifr TliHt A mure 11 7rcai
.Economy In Fuel.
Improved mothods for obtaining
artificial heat aro always a subject of
interest, and experiment-' in this direc
tion are Doing in ado all (ho time to get
heat at as low a cost as possible. Tho
manufacture of water gas has boon
verj successful, anil, as it can he pro
duced at a low price, without tho
nuisance of ashes and smoke, it is
growing in favor and efforts are being
mnde to run it into houses t be used
for boating as well as for lighting pur-
pocs.
Another method of heating, which is
rapidlv making its way, if the promo
ters of it are to bo believed, is the pul
verized coal process. The claims made
for I ho method aro man)', and if one-half
of them aiM well founded, there can bo
no doubt of- its succes. One of the
promoter said: "In this country thoro
are about 20 000.000 tons of coal an
nually wasted, being too tino for use.
Of the total coal mined, it is estimated
that one-oigluh per cent, of waste is
made by blasting and handling; and
that six and one-quarter per cent, is
watted in the breaker. Many a'
t"iiipls have been made to utilize this
Immense amount of wastage, and nn
td now nothing has been successful.
Until now only a very small quan
tity of this fine dust has been used.
The requisites for success ure, first,
simple and efficient machinery to re
duce tho coal to dust at a very small
cosl; second, reduction to an impal
pable powder; third, an automatic
Mipply of coal dust and air, each calla
ble of being regulated at will; fourth,
the reduction of the coal nnd the .sim
ultaneous feeding of it with air into the
fire-box by the same machine; fifth.
the intimate niixtur of tho line pani
cles of co'al dust with air. so that each
particle shall be surrounded bv air as
it enters the firo-box, thus insuring
complete combustion.
"Those conditions havo been com
pletely fulfilled by a new process. Tho
method of using tho dust is as follow-:
Tho coal, no matter what size it is, is
fed into a pulverizer, by which it is
ground to an impalpable powder. This
is done by moans of tho friction of tho
particles, ono against the other. After
tho coal is ground it passes through
the pulverizer, and on coming out it is
met iy a current ol air from a blower,
which sends it through a nozzle into
the combustion chamber uuderiioath
the Doner. Hits combustion chamber
has to bo specially constructed, and
will last ah ut as long as the ordinary
one where coal is used. The arch will
last a year, and tho side walls two
years. The supply of coal dust
and air is automatically regu
lated, ami complete combustion is
the result. No smoke escapes from tho
chimney, and there is no loss of heat
in that way. Wo feel confident that
nt least thirty-live percent, of fuel will
be saved by using the machines.
Iu Philadelphia, experiments havo
been mado with this process in tho
Harrison Safety Holler Works, and the
engineer mado the statement that
where 1.000 pounds of coal per day
were used under a small boiler, at :i
cost, of S3 po.r ton. 900 pounds of du
were used at a cost of about 61 per ton.
J ho machine for that boiler only osts
about $1G5, and he thinks there Is
saving of at least f0 per cent. The
cost of repairs to tho machine will not
exceed S10 per annum. Ono' result ol
using the rofuso coal will bo that, tho
price of ordinary coal will have to
ramo down." X Y. J'ost.
GENERAL.
In the island of Sumatra a flower
grows allien is nine loot in circum
ference and weighs fifloon pounds.
"What wondorful patience tlioso
fishermen have!" exclaimed an idler
to a passing friend. "Horo I havo been
watching that fellow for throe whole
li i wt iu i wl t ri ti ;f ' f vrtt ti il i Kiln '
French Fun.
There lives in Troy, Mo., a littlo
girl about eight years old. whoso head
is almost an iron gray, anil ills stondi
ly and porcep'iblv growing grayer
and the present indications are that
longb'foro she reaches womanhood
her once ravon black hair will have be
come snow while, Fright caused tho
change In color.
A young financior, aged four, who
was given live cents for every mouse
caught iu a small trap, finally asked
leave to spam! the proceed. Tl.o
nurse was told to' go wherever he led
her, to see m lint ho proposed buying.
He passed all the toy and candy shops,
but paused beforo a hardware store,
and pointing to the window exclaimed,
trluniphaiith : "1 buy more mouse
trap. Fanny!"
Tho marriage of Herman Gold
stein to Rosa Gruouborg. both litis
sian Jews, iu Grand Forks, 1). T.,
Tuesday evening, called together
about ono thousand people. Tho
couple, headed by a cornot band and
followed by two hundred people,
marched through tho principal streets,
tho walks on either side bolng
thronged with spectators. After the
ceremony about throe hundred pcoplo
pr.rtook of supper, after which wlno
and boor w ere dealt out freely.
Krupp's great gun for tho Italian
navy weighs 118 tons, is -1ft feet long,
and its internal caliber is nearly 10
inches, rilled with 92 spiral turns. It
throws a btool projectile weighing
nearly a ton, with a charge of C owt.
of brown prismatic powder, having an
initial voloult ty of Gi l yards iu a
second and n range o nearly 8 miles;
tliu shot can punolrnto a steel armor
plate 36" Inohutt thick immediately at
the mouth of tho gun, and a piuto 29
Indies thick, It Is estimated, at n dis
tance of ti mllo or more, Public
Opinion,
A DOUBLE MIND.
An Expert Stenographer Who Can Write
and Speak SlnuillaneouMr.
"How long havo you lived here?"
Tho lawyer was taking the deposi
tion of a witness in his office in tho
Mills Huilding, New York. The pencil
of the stenographer was moving rapidly
over his paper,- leaving behind it a
string of pothooks and other absurd
symbols of speech.
"You say that you have known tho
defendant for tho past ten years? Now.
I want to ask you whether at any time
during that period you ever noticed
any symptom of insanity in his be
havior?" continued tho lawyer.
At the instant tho lawyer began his
query the stenographer turned to the
reporter, who was seated by his side at
tho table, and, without stopping his
writing for a second, whispered: "Wait
a moment and I'll be through. This
won't last much longer."
The reporter looked anxiously at tho
notes, expecting to sec the pencil stop
its travels, or at least at the end of iho
questions, retrace its steps to revive
f-onic phrases incorrectly transcribed.
II nt- it made no such break. When the
lawyer ended his inquiry tho pencil
stopped.
"Now, sir," continued the lawyer,
"you may tell mo whether you were
well enough acquainted with tho de
fendant to know whether ha showed any
weakness of mind or not?"
Before tho stenographer had com
pleted tho second line of his report he
again whispered to the roporter not to
bo in a hurry, and, as before, concluded
his work without a particle of apparent
interruption. This was tho last ques
tion, and after the papers were gathered
together ami the witness had li ft the
office, the roporter asked the steno
grapher whether he had written cor
rectly all that was said verbatim or hud
only epitomized whathad boon spoken.
"I wrote exactly what was said. Why
do you ask?"
"Can you read il withoutdifliculty?"
"Of course I can, o'Jicrwise I should
not bo hcr,e; but why do you ask?"
"I didn't see how you could write
down what was boing spoken and speak
to me upon another subject at the same
time."
"That is easy enough to do," respond
ed the stenographer with a laugh,
"when you only know how and prac
tice long enough. Shorthand writing
is ver much like playing the piano or
repeating something from memory. It
is mechanical. I found years ago when
I was reporting in a Western court, that
it was extremely useful to be able to
hear and think of other things trans-!
spiring in the court-room than the evi
dence itself. 1 then began practising
so that I could train myself to do two
separate things at tho same time I
would mentally make note of every
tiling occurring around me. and keep
on with my writing. At lirst I Would
make a mistake or two, but gradually
1 got so that I could hear every thing
that was said, and I undorstoo'd it, too,
notwithstanding tho fact that my pen
cil was "moving all the time."
"I should think that, when vou began
to speak it would have thrown you off
your track?"
"It did at first. I learned that by
committing to niomory some poem anil
repeating it whilo I was reporting, un
til at last I could carry on a convorsa
tiou on almost any subject and write
from dictation upon ono entirely differ
ent. It's a very useful accomplishment,
but I woiildn t adviso you to learn it
unless you intend to become a profes
sional stenographer, and I wouldn't ad
vise that unless you have nothing bettor
to do than to break stones in the street."
xV. J'. Post.
HYSTERICAL EPIDEMIC.
O'ltbrmik of Quriir CnavuUlnnlut Sluuta
In tho 1'rotliicu ol Koiue.
A curjous outbreak of couviilsionist
mania, analogous to those wliich oc
curred from time to timo during tho
Middle Ages, hasshown itself at Agosta,
iu tho province of Home.
For some weeks past the country
people havo boon laboring under the
delusion that the district is under the
immediate governmoiitof tho Kvil One,
ami before retiring to rest thoy care
fully place on the threshold the broom
and the salt, which arc accredited with
the power of keeping oil' evil spirits.
Many of the younger women have epi
leptiform attacks, during which thuy
utter piercing screams ami are violently
convulsed. So serious had tho condi
tion of tilings become that the syndic of
Agosta found it necessary to inform
the prefect, who sunt detaehnionts of
soldiers into the district in ardor to
calm tho apprehensions of tho inhab
itants. As a natural consequencoof this con
dition of montaf perturbation, the coun
try is overrun with quacks who claim
to possess the only infalllblo remedy for
the seizures. One of these nostrums,
the vendor of which was making a rich
harvest from its sale, was found on an
alysis to consist of earth, snuff nnd
borax. Throe medical men who were
cr inmissioued to investigate tho caue
and nature of this extraordinary affec
tion canto to the conclusion that it was
an epidemic of hysterics.
1 hey examined a number of tho suf
ferers, mostly voting women, sonio of
whom were alleged to have vomited
nails, horse-shoes, and other equally
indigestible substances, while others
barked like dogs. Several ttf tliom
wore removed to Home for treatment in
the hospitals there, and measures have
been taken to check tliu spread of the
mischief.
Iu a milder degreo this contagious
form of hysteria is not infrequent,
especially fu plaoos where ignorance
lOul superstition favor manifestations
of-nrrvotis disorders. The worst ex
cesses of popular outbruaks, liko tho
French revolution, have been attributed
to similar influences, and with every
appearance of justice. Jiritiih Medical
Journal.
AMONG THE T'LINKITS.
The Klslit or Women Aiming the Abo
rlgliml Tribes of Atu-ikn.
Every time a man wants to under
take a business transaction ho takes
his wife along with him to ratify or
veto tho bargain, and should sho bo
absent at tho timo sho mnv aflerwar
put in an appcaranco and upset tho
whole affair. t Funniest of all. the sanio
equivalent transactions of the women
aro not subject to tho sain supervis
ing power of tho mon, wh have noth
ing to say regarding tho bargains of
their wives and daughters, except to
foot the bill, if any c mpensatiou is
promised by the squaws that tho men
aro expecte'd to fill, as work, utensils
thev can make, or even money, where
ther can got it from whi'e ni 'ii and
understand its value. 1 havo known
several instances where tho mon havo
closed certain bargains, only to find
I hem opened again when the
absent wifo put in an appearance. As
white men aro not very liable to undo
a bargain which thoy think is to their
advantage, they seldom acq lit see in
Iho demand of the women iu canceling
the conl fact, and somo of tho worst
icrsonal misunderstandings between
tho two races have occurred on this
account. I, of course, do not know how
tho I linkit man fared after ho got
Inmn from such a bargain; but I think
wo cv all imagino nretty well
Nothing was more oxaspora'ing to me.
at times, upon my expeditious into
Alaska iu 183.1 and 18SG when
canio across some man from whom
wanted to buy some trilling article or
to employ for a short time than to
havo to start out for tho Indian vil
lage, probably a milo or two distant.
to consult his wife about it. or lo
bring her to iiro to talk the matter
over.
Then tho succession to tho chieftain
ship of tho tribo is a most singular
one, based also on "woman's rights."
or something akin to il. Noither tho
eldest son of tho King and Queon nor
tho cliiof and his wifo nor, in fact,
any of tho sons and daughters suc
ceed their ' father to the head of tho
tribo whon ho di s, but somo ono of
tho nearest male relatives of tho
Queen is made chief when her bus
band dies. It is easy to see that this
curious and roundabout method of
handing down tho scepter may trans
fertile crown to anybody in tho tribo,
and that thoro can he no Mich tiling
ns a (rue royal succession or heredi
tary decent of the chief's power.
When tho parents, or either of
them, have diod all of tho effects that
thoy possessed descend by inheritance
on the mother's si le, none of tho
descendants of tho lather receiving
any thing out of tho estate. Oao
would think that it. would lead to
some curious muddles, but somehow
they manage to keep it straight.
Tho same as among all savages, the
mon havo often two or thrco wives.
and in rare cases even more; but tho
women, not to b:; outdone in the mat
rimonial lino, have in a few in-
s aneos two or three of which I know
of personally two husbands. They
aro nearly always rich women, who
havo had a great deal leftthoui by iu
heritancc, or who had mado a largo
amount themselves for, as I havo
said, thp women do nearly all the
business. Ono T'linkit woman, a
Sitka woman, who wont by tho nanio
of Mrs. Tom among tho white people,
and who had already ono husband,
oougni nnoinor. a slave, tor about a
thousand dollais in goods and chattels.
and when I saw tho two together aft
erward I think ho was tho best-looking
ono of the pair. When a man anil
woman marry they try and adopt a
boy and a girl. If tho man dies tho
boy becomes tho woman's husband,
and if tho woman dies the girl becomes
tho wif.t of the man. Lieutenant
Schwalka, in X. Y. Independent.
Wanted to Chop It.
Customer (to waitor who has just
tilled his order) Did you say this was
n chop?
Waiter Yes; sir. Any thing the
matter with it, sir?
Customer Nothing much. Hut sav.
when you are coming 'round Ibis way
again ploase bring tho axe. Lijc.
A Writer for the Press.
"What aro you doing, Thomas?"
asked the minister, patronizingly.
"I am a writer for tho press," said
the lad, proudly.
"Indeed, you are quito young for
that. What do you writo?"
"I diroct wrappers." Washinqton
Critic.
Ono of tho probable effects of
rapid transit iu Hrooklyn will bo the
lowering In valno of rosidonco prnp
ty in New York Citv. Real cstato
ownors aro closoly watching ovonls.
Thoso in Gotham aro apprehensive of
a decroosu in thoir holdings, and those
in Hrook'y i aro expecting a boom in
all the unimproved lots of tho City of
Churches. Another result that is like
ly to i-omo from Hrooklyn's olovatcd
roads Is an unusual dovelopmcnt to
ward the ocean.
There is in Connecticut savings
binks over 7.r.000 which lias remain
ed without claimants for over twenty
years. Of this $21,000 Is hold by tho
Society for Savings iu Hartford, $17.
UYi by th" Now London Savings Hank,
S12 o00 by the Norwich Savings Hank.
$7,000 to the Hrldgeport Saving Hank,
$1,000 by the Middlotown. and not fy
fuim iJl.UW by the A o walk.
The women of New York have
been granted more patents than their
sisters in any other State Tho women
of Masachuetis, Ohio, Indiana and
WUuousin rank next in otdor.
VARIETYOF FOOD.
An Eielnolvo Corn Dirt Unfavorable to tli
Vitality nnil Health or IIorc
That raw corn fed out on the ear is the
cheapest material that can bo used for
making pork in the Western States ap
pears to bo demonstrated beyond a
doubt. Several farmers iu Central
Illinois have reported that thoy aro ablo
to make a pound of pork from ten
pounds of corn, or six pounds from
every bushel fed to their hogs. If they
raise 70 bushels of corn on an aero of
land they obtain 420 pounds of pork,
worth at 6 cents per pound $21. This
is more than can bo realized for any
kind of small grain. The fertility of
the soil is soon exhahstcd when succes
sive crops of small grain are raised on it.
Such is not the case, however, if corn
is raised, fed to hogs on the place, and
the manure they make applied to tho
land. A crop of corn can bo raised and
harvested without the necessity of pay
ing out much money. Tho seed costs
but a trille, and thoro is no bill for tho
use of a harvester or a thrashing
machine. A corn crop can be produced
by the use of the labor and implements
that almost every fanner has. Fork
can be sent to market much cheaper
than small grain.
A prairie farm chiefly devoted to
raising corn and feeding it to hogs is
very cheaply fitted up, stocked and
managed. It costs but little to make
shelter for hogs that will keep them
dry and warm. A fair crop of corn can
be raised on new breaking. Old ground
intended for producing corn can bo
plowed in the fall or tho following
spring. Almost any kind of manure
is beneficial to a corn crop. The plant
ing of corn can bn delayed much longer
than the sowing of small grains. Tho
work of cultivation can bo performed
by a variety of implements. Hands
that arc less skillful than those required
to raise many crops can plant, cultivate
and harvest corn. Hut few fences aro
required on a farm devoted to raising
corn and feeding hogs. Hogs multiply
so rapidly and mature so quickly that
ic does not take a long time to stock a
farm with them or to realize money
from them. In thoso respects they
possess great advantages over cattle and
horses. A farmer who has but small
means can not engage in most kinds of
stock-raising. Hut he can raise hogs by
producing the corn for feeding to them.
Still it has become obvious that rais
hogs on a diet of corn has been pro
ductive of unfavorable results. An
exclusive corn diet does not produce '
the requisite proportions of bono and
muscle in animals. It contains too
much carbon and not enough nitrogen.
Hreeding-sows that eat littlo ornoihing
except corn aro poor mothers. They
generally produce small litters of pigs,
and they give but littlo milk. Pigs
brought up on corn alono appear to
have little vitality. They are not as
lively as those that enjoy tho privileges
of a free range and eat a variety of
food. They appear to bo moro likely
to contract disease. The hog has be
come more delicate since it was kept in
pens and has had corn brought to hi!
tioug.-i. During tho past fow years
diseases havo been more common and
more generally fatal among hogs than
among horses, cattle, or sheep. On
this account many farmers have
aboiidoucd pork-raising or keep only
enough hogs to supply their households
with meat, ihey do not dare take tho
risks that attend keeping large numbers
of hogs and feeding them the corn thoy
raise.
Tho most successfuf liog-raiscrs now
advocate the substitution of other
grains, fruits and vegetables for half
tho coin they formerly fed, and thoy
rely chiefly on corn for making fat, but
they give their hogs bran, shorts,
ground rye, oats iiiid barley, boiled
potatoes, roots, apples and pumpkin
or squsnhes. They find the health and
general condition of their hogs hotter
when they aro allowed a change of food.
Thoy are better breeders, and the sows
givo moro milk. The pork produced is
not as fat as that mado from corn, but
it is generally preferred. There it less
leaf-lard, but moro meat that is suitable
for making bacon. Tha hogs aro mom
activo and take moro exercise. For this
reason their circulation and digestion
are better. If they do not maturo as
quickly, the risks of keeping them aro
less. It is admitted that the cost of feed
ing them is somewhat greater, as itcost.i
considerable to grind the small grains,
and to cook tho potatoos and other
vegetables. A more diversified system
of tanning is required if many hogs nre
kept on a place, and corn only fur
nishes half .tho food that is given
them.
It is obvious that somo substitute for
corn must be found in many portions
of tho country that aro now boing
settled up. Much of the teritory adapted
to tho profitable production of corn ia
already iu the hands of individuals who
havo improved it. What is known as
tho " corn. belt" is somewhat narrow.
uid it does not roacli nearly across tho
continent. Thoro are extensive region
iu the district north and west that aro
well adapted to various kinds of prod
ucts, but in which littlo or no com
an bo raised. Tho farmers who mitko
homes in these regions will tind it
dilllcult to got along without raising-
hogs. They will at first miss corn, but
hoy will at length discover that thoy.
can make tho production of pork
profitable without it. They will follow
the example of farmers "in Canada,;
Groat Hritaiu and Germany, who mako
pork by raising rye. barley, oats, pota
toes, and roots and feeding thorn to
hogs. Should a genoral drought con
tinue many moro years. In portions of
the "corn belt," the farmers who livo
In it will be obliged to give up keep
ing hogs on an extensive scale or to
tind a kind of food for thorn different
from what they have boon accustomed,
te use. Chicago 1'iints. j