BalT Plynoath Bock.
Wnile the Buff Plymouth Hock Is" no
better thau the well-known barred. It
has proved Itself better than the white
ftort, and. as a breed for fanciers, baa
become very popular. As a practical
fowl, we consider It not aa good as
the barred, for with us It has shown
some weaknesses that the older strain
does not hare. It must not be Inferred,
however, that this is likely to be the
case with all of them, for ninny breed
ers consider them even better than
the barred. They are similar In site
and form, lay well, are good mothers
aud the carcass Is quite like the bar-
WWW I X L a aft. V i n i
j. . . r-
Till BUFF TLTUOUTH SOCK.
red. The. breed Is attractive because
of . Its genuine Plymouth Rock form
and stse and the beautiful plumage.
The Marketable Hog.
Hogs to be marketable at the high
est prices must be largely of a uniform
type or at least the types must ap
proach In uniformity. The buyers in
the great markets of the country carry
in their mind's eye the style of the
hog they think will make the most sal
able pork.' The tendency to gravitate
toward one type Is, therefore, marked.
The buyer is Inclined to be arbitrary,
lie cannot tell why he prefers a cer
tain type, but sticks to it that that
type Is the kind be wants. This varies
also In different markets, both at borne
and abroad. The English buyer who
has been buying bacon hogs for many
years has in his mind a very different
type from the type of the man that in
the Chicago market has been buying
lard hogs all his life. This variable
type the raiser of bogs has to consider
and it both hinders and helps him in
improving his herd. It helps him in
improving bis herd. It helps him while
his animals are far below that type,
but it binders blm as soon as be has
reached the type of hog In the mind
of the buyer, for be cannot progress
beyond it except at loss to himself.
This fact has been the greatest obsta
cle in the improving of the bone and
Atsmlna of hntm mfsfwl In tha Min Knit
St Louis Republic.
... Gate that Will Mot Sag-.
The accompanying Illustration repre
sents a form of farm gate, which Is
cheap, durable, easily made, easily op
erated and will not sag with years of
use. The gate shown in the illustra
tion Is 14 feet long, but may be made
any reasonable length desired. The
top bar is a twenty-four foot stick. The
bar Is fastened to the gate post by
3
IS
u
CHEAP FABlf GATE.
means - of a pin on which the gate
turns. The box shown on the free end
of the top bar is filled with sufficient
field stones to almost balance the gate.
The frame of the gate consists of a
stiff wooden structure strapped and
bolted at the corner. On this barbed,
plain or common wire is fastened. It
is well to drive a ring over the top end
of the large gate post to keep it from
wearing or splitting, and also to attach
an iron plate to the underside of the
top bar where It rests on the post
Potatoes aa Hoe Feed.
Potatoes are quite largely fed to
hogs, but it is found advisable to boll
them. In the New England States
they are fed extensively, being boiled
in milk and mixed with meal in a bar
rel. Frequently several bushels are
boiled at a time, and when mixed with
cornmeal make an appetizing mess.
The only fault to be found with this
combination Is that it Is badly out of
balance. The potatoes are rich In
starch and so is the corn. To such of
our readers as are still following the
old practice we would advise the sub
stitution of bran or of ground oats for
the cornmeal. This would make a
fairly well-balanced ration. The Ca
nadians say that potatoes have a good
effect on the quality of bacon pro
duced. There Is probably no better
use to which small potatoes may be
put than this. Exchange.
Chickens that Bat Eggs.
A poultry man says: Four years
ago' j. uuu, a cwy oi dud: wyanaottes
that ate eggs as fast as they laid them,
and I was at loss to know what to
do, so ; I tried the following experi
ment: I went to neighboring baker
shop and procured all the egg shells
that they could give me and put them
in oven, browned them, and had, con
stantly, a peck of them In the yard,
and I found that It lessened the evil
very much, and after killing two lead-
era, I had very little trouble. I bars
bred buff Bocks fifteen years, and
never had any trouble about soft shell
ed eggs. I always keep my yards cov
ered with a foot of gravel I find that
the chicks aa well as old chickens get
ill Use substance for eggs from gravel,
and for digesting food.
The Manure Spreader.
This department is uot for the pur
pose of advertising tools or Imple
ments, and no such article that la sold
Is eer mentioned by the manufactur
er's name. There are Implements and
conveniences, howerer, made by differ
ent manufacturers which should find a
place on every farm, aud one of them
Is the manure-spreader, of which there
are several good makes.
No one can appreciate the value ot
this Implement until he has used It
It la not only a labor-saver, but It
spreads the manure in any quantity
desired, and spreads It evenly. All of
Its operations are controlled from the
driver's seat The work of manure
spreading should be In operation from
now on more or less through the win
ter, and no farmer can make a better
investment than to have this Imple
ment It will give him added years of
life in the labor it will save him. and
euable him to grow better crops.
An Improved Lawn Mower.
An exchange reports a machine
which is a combination of the bicycle
and the mowing machine for mowing
lawns. They cut a much wider swath
than the ordinary lawn mower and do
the work much easier. We would like
to see one of them In operation. It Is
now more work to take care of a few
square rods of lawn and keep it neat
and clean as it should be, than to care
for an acre of grass grown for hay or
an acre In some cultivated crops. And
yet many people wonder why the far
mer does not have an acre or two of
lawn around his house. American
Cultivator. ,
Combined Iloeand Rake,
In boelug of any kind one generally
feels- the need of a rake as well as the
hoe, and the little tool here described
is a happy combination of both that
any one handy with tools can readily
construct Select a piece of hard wood
eight Inches long, one and one-half
Inches thick and three Inches wide.
Bore an Inch hole In the center of It
Into which to put a handle. Then take
six six-Inch spikes or ten-penny nails
and drive into this strip at eoual dis
tances apart To make the hoe take
a portion of an old cross-cut saw blade,
or nave the blacksmith fashion a piece
of iron for y6u, bend over one edge
an Inch so that It may be riveted to
the piece of wood.' . -Then fasten the
handle In the hole and your tool is
ready for use. The illustration plain
ly shows how the details are per
fected.' Potato GioweiV On t fit.
To grow potatoes easily the grower
should be supplied with all necessary
machinery. In addition to the plow, a
spring-tooth harrow, roller and two
horse cultivator, with which almost
every farmer Is supplied, should b
used; it is also essential to have a
planter, digger, weeder, smoothing har
row, low wagon with platform and a
numlier of bushel crates. A four row
barrel sprayer is very useful for spray
ing potatoes, to prevent blight and to
kill bugs, but can be dispensed with
and the work done with cheaper ma
chinery. Farm Notes. .
High and gravelly soil la the best
for fruit trees.
The farm work should alwavs ba
kept in advance of the season.
The profitable culture of the soil de
pends upon its thoroughness.
" The nature of farm life Is, In no
small degree, conducive to economy.
Good stock will not sustain 'Its ex
cellence long if It is not well cared for.
Premature cooling of the milk be
fore setting will injure the butter
yield.
A pedigree is simply a certificate of
character, and unless It shows a good
character it Is of no practical yalue.
Fill the vacant places with vouna
trees, unless the orchard Is old, then it
Is better to plant a new one.
Farm life may be made a burden or
a pleasure according to the manage
ment of the home, the farm and the
work.
Every farmer should have a few
colonies of bees, enough at least to
supply the table with pure, fresh
honey.
Clean up the farm, and its value
will be Increased, and when It Is clean.
ed and cleared it will cultivate more
easily and cheaply.
An unfruitful orchard may often be
brought Into bearing by a heavy ap
plication of good stable manure scat
tered broadcast
A wet place in a field can often ha
drained out with but little trouble nnd
expense, but if this Is allowed to go
undone will spoil the field and ruin the
crops.
It is essential that a cow's udder ha
entirely freed from milk at each milk
ing for if any milk Is left in the nd.
der from any cause the secretions are
checked and tpe cow will soon go dry
if this method of milking beconea a
common practice.
HASIT COMBINED TOOL.
DOINGS OrWOJTN
A Pong to ttrave Women.
They were married lu the autumn when
the leaven were turutug gold,
And the nioruiucs bore a weuace of the
wlnter's.comiug cold;
Side by aide they stood and promised
hind la hand to walk through life.
And the pawn said, "God bleat you!"
They had little wealth to aid them; little
or the world they knew;
Hut he whispered, "Oh, iny darling, I
Then they vowed that, walking ever side
by aide and hand lu hand.
They would (rain the distant summits ot
their far-off, bppy Uuu.
Side by side they walked toother, llu-
gerinj; wiim-time for a kiss,
breaming of thise far-off smuuiits, o(
the future' it perfect bliss:
But "the b:Utle-.tren wa on them, and
the f.H'inau bade them yield.
Aud their onward steps were hidden by
the smoke upon the field;
And his heart grew faint within him, a
he murmured. "1 must fall.
For the foeuian presses eyer, aud hit
cohorts conquer all."
But the woman, loyal ever, only whis
pered, "lou shall win!
Von shall snatch the victor's laurel from
the battle-strife and din."
Then again he struggled onward, though
his wounds were xiiluir wide.
Listening ever for a whisuer "I am bat
tling by your side."
Struggling onward, struggling sver,
though the mists were dark about:
Beaten downward by the foeracu, lost iu
mists of gloom and doubt.
Still he heard that getltle whisper that
his stunt must obey.
Till he reached the golden summits past
tne borderland ot jrrav.
Then the world, as wise as ever, said.
Behold a consuerlna kniuht!"
For It never heard the whisper that had
urged him to the height
Call it fable, fable only; to, the world is
' full of these.
Men who struggle onward, upward, till
the splendid priie they seise;
Men who stumble, stumble often, daied
and stricken in the din,
But to rise and falter forward at the
whisner. "Ton ahull win!" .
And we name them knights and heroes of
the battle and the fruv.
Knowing not that there behind each is
the one who showed th wr-
- - ... - i - .
Just some little loyal woman, forcing
back the tears that blur
Ton may honor your brave hero;' I wil)
sing a song to her.
Alfred J.' Waterhouse. In Success.
Dainty Lawn 8hlrt Walat.
Women in War-Time.
Terrible as are the miseries of the
battlefield and the hospital, they do not
equal the heart-sickening suspense
which Is the lot of women in time of
war.
The pain which must be borne in In
action Is of itself paralyzing to the will
and to high resolve. A man overboard
In mid-ocean, for example,, suffers a
fear beside which that of the battle
field is a trifle. The bravest of men.
alone in the waves, will turn coward.
although he may have a life-buoy and
practical certainty of rescue. But the
heart which fainted at its own' now-
erlessness before the great forces of
nature 'moving remorselessly on may
rise to splendid feats of braverv on
the field of battle.
To women war must be alwavs llk
the untamable sea a succession nf t.n
lows, rising each above the other, and
each capable of engulfing the world of
love and hope in Its bitter. death. Nn
woman's hand can stay them. No
woman's voice can calm them. And
so. on the steppes of Russia and in
the villages of Japan to-day. women
are praying in strange tongues and
with fantastic rites, but with a world.
old mingling of cowardice and cour
age, or love or country and. hatred of
war. tnat tne angei or peace mav sinin
fold his wings over the earth. Youth's,
Companion. ,
; . The Influence at Home,
A delegation of young men' lately
waited on their employer's wife with
lbs oddest request on record. "You
I
Hec," wild th spokesman, "we want to
nave a Hair holiday every Saturday.
Now. if you will be tartlculurlT nh
to Mr. Jones for a few days, we'll go
io mm ami ask " "Gentlemen," the
lady haughtily Interrupted, "do you
unpiy mat i tio not understand what
is du to my husband?" "Oh. I know
all about It," the spokesman went on.
I m married myself. Things go wrong
In the house, nud you're tired and cross
at breakfast Tlieu we suffer at the
ltlce. Yon stay tip into to chuperono
jour daughter at a ball, and we have
more trouble at the offlcv. You're a bit
cross three mornings lu succession, for
one reason or another, aud we have a
a terrible time nt the office. You
Me bow Ut matter HtniuU, aud how
greatly you will oblige us bv. belnir
more than usually agreeable to Mr.
Jones for throe or four days? The
fourth day give hliu the best breakfast
you can everything that bo like best
-anti we'll get what wo wnnt In three
minutes. Talk alwut a woman having
no Influence in the business! Why, the
iiumor she a in has more effect than a
pan failure or a boom in trade." Sh
thought she ought to be angry, but.
Instead, she laughed, and a creed to the
proposition, and four days later, when
tney waited on the head of the firm, he
made the closing hour 12 o'clock, and
said that never In the history of the
nrtn naa things run as satisfactorily as
they bad the lust four days. All hall
to the power behind the throne! Ex
change. Mrs. Daniel McCall of Cat Island
lighthouse, on the Mississippi coast
turned the light for two nights1 bj
band because the mechanism was out
of order and her husband was lying
dead.
The richest spinster lu New York
City is Mary G. IMnkney. bho is said
to have more money than Hetty Green,
and certainly more than Helen Gould.
The reason her name has never been
connected with matrimonial gossip li
that she is 87 years old.
To paint portraits of American so
ciety women, says a writer, is an
achievement seldom attained hv an
American artist as the graude dnmet
or the "500" aristocracy of the land of
the free usually insist upos. a foreign
signature to their pictures.
The custom of marrying girls wheb
they are mere children of 9 or 10 yean
U Increasing rather than decreasing in
Bengal and otber parts of India. The
resulting racial degeneration is becom
ing bo obvious that laws have' been
passed in several regions forbidding
tbe marriage of girls under 14.
English women, according to MIsa
Anthony, are well informed on politics,
and talk of it and indeed of most sub
jects of general interest much more
than do American women. The same
holds true of Scottish and Irish wom
en. Miss Anthony also reports that
"we found the German woman very
responsive."..
Health and Beauty Hinted
Plenty of fresh air in our living
rooms,. lu our public conveyances, In
our bedchambers, our schools and out
churches would insure us longer lives
and more Joy in living.
A harmless, inexpensive and yet ben
eficial powder for profuse perspiration
Is made from two ounces of corn
starch with one dram each of boraclc
odd, alum and salicylic acid. Dust this
over tbe skin immediately after bath
ing. That Americans as a general thing
suffer from living in overheated rooms
must be conceded, and perhaps we
should be hardier, less liable to colds
and maladies which follow In their
wake if we believed more firmly in the
beneficent effect of open windows.
Many cures for nerves are advised
and advertlned, but the greatest of
these is common sense. How shall
wo manage not to be nervous? Bv
proper living, proper working and play,
ing, entlng, drinking and sleeping;
above all, proper thinking andvfeellng.
A satisfactory skin food that will
not Induce hair to grow on the fane
ia witch hazel cream made by heating
once ounce each ot white wax, sper
maceti, lanolin and witch hazel toireth
er, then adding three ounces of, almond
oil ana rosewater with one dram of
tincture of benzoin.
The teeth should be rinsed 'attar
each meal, aiid for this purpose there
is nothing pleasanter than a month
wash of peppermint water. This per
fumes the breath and is very refresh
ing. Tour a little of the essen f
peppermint in a glass of water arid
rinse the mouth and throat with it '
Was It Yon?
Somebody did a golden deed; '
Somebody proved a friend In need;
Somebody sang a" beautiful song;
Somebody smiled the whole day long;
Somebody thought, "'Tis sweet to Mve;"
Somebody said, "I'm glad to give;", j
Somebody fought a valiant fight,' .
Somebody lived to shield, the right!
-. Was that somebodv vou?
B. Vinton Francis.
f4-H--M-T-r-W-f"f-l
T
-Q:
The Re mora trot Cakea.
A little boy named Thomas ats
Hot buckwheat rakes for tea
A very rash proceeding, as
We presently shall see.
He went to beil at eight o'clock,
Aa all good children do,
But scarce had closed bis llrtlt eyes.
When he moat reitltws grew.
He Topped on this aide, then on tha.
Then keeled niton his head,
And covered all at once each spot
Of hia wee trundle-bed.
lie wrapped one rg around hia walat.
And (other round hia ear,
While mamma woudxrod what on earth
Could ail her little dear.
But sound he alept, and as he slept
Me dreamt an awful dream
Of being spanked with hickory slabs
Without thtt puwrr to scream.
He dreamt great big lion came,
And rlppd md raved and roared.
While on his brenst two furious bulls
lu mortal combat gored.
He dreamt he herd the flop of wings
Within the ehJmney-flae,
And down there crawled, to gnaw hii
ears.
An awful butnbon!
When Thomas rose next morn, his face
Was palled as a sheet:
"I never more," he firmly said.
in eaups mr supper eat!"
Eugene Field.
wtt calling om
Vi doov
Little there's 1W
Tooth. OruiVi ?
wtnt To acrut
The. $loovr
S Jolly Evening Games. '
A number of Jolly evening games
can be played with ordinary pins, one
5-cent papei of which will supply the
foundation for an evening's entertain
ment A Paper-Spearing ContestTear or
cut clean scrap paper into Inch squares
and pile them on a pasteboard box
lid. There should be several handfuls,
enough to make a good-sized bean.
Place tbe box lid In the center of the
table at which the game Is to bo
played and give each player a pin. Tho
fun consists in seeing who In the fif
teen minutes allotted to the game can
spear tbe most pieces with his pin.
By the rules of the game only one
piece of paper may be taken on the pin
at one time. If two are captured by
mistake, both must be returned to the
pile. . '
A small prize may be given to the
boy or girl having the most squares
when the game Is at an end.
Pins and Marbles Each boy or girl
receives three pins, which are stuck
upright In tbe carpet Marbles are
then used to bowl over the pins. Nat-'
urally, there must be a prearranged
place for the pins to be stuck add for
tbe bowler to stand, In order that ev
erybody shall have an equal chance.
If more than one boy or girl should
succeed In downing all three pins in
the three bowls allowed by the rules,
the successful players can have "rub
ber" games together until one or the
other becomes champion.
True Education of Boya,
A philosopher has said that true ed
ucation of boys Is to "teach them what
they ought to know when they become
men."
First To be true and to be genuine.
No education is worth anything that
does not include this. , A man had
better not know how to read and be
true and genuine In action rather than
to be learned In all sciences and in
all languages and be at the same time
false in heart and counterfeit In life.
Above all things, teach the boys that
truth is .more than riches, power or
possessions. , .
.Second To be pure In thought, lan
guage and life pure In mind . and
body,
Third To bo unselfish, to care for
the feelings and comforts of others,
to be generous, noble and manly This
will, include a genuine reverence for
the aged and for things sacred, ;
Fourth To be self-reliant and self-
mm
helpful even from childhood, to be in
LITTLE STORIES
AND INCIDENTS t
That NU11 Interest and
Entertain Young
Readers,
hrrMMMHHh4
dustrious always and self-supporting
at the earliest, possible age. Teach
them that all honest work Is honor,
able; that an Idle life of dependence on
others is disgraceful.
When a boy bus learned these
things, when he has made these Idea
part o( him, however poor or bow.
ever rich, be has learned the most Im
portant things be ought to know.
KImer Was Witling.
Little Klmer bad a habit of leaving
the crust of bis pie, and one day bis
mother said: "Kluirr, you should not
waste your pie crust. There aro hun
dreds of poor little boys who would be
glad to get It."
"All right, mamma; let them bnve
It" replied the 'charitable youngatcr.
From the Dead tetter OflU-e.
''Oh, iiiamiun!" exclaimed little Mar
gie, who bad met the postman at the
door, "here's a letter from the dead let.
ter office!"
"How do you know, dear?" asked
her mother.
" 'Cause it's got a black border on
It" replied the small observer.
Johnujr Had a Way.
"Elsie," said small Johnny to his lit
tle sister, who was running the scale,
"If you'll give mo half your candy I'll
fix the piano so you won't have to
practice any for two weeks.'"
A Popular Abbreviation,
"What is 'don't' the abbreviation
of?" asked the teacher.
."Doughnut." promptly replied the
small boy at the foot of tho class.
Clerical Hill of Fare.
"We bad tho minister for dinner last
Sunday," said little Harry.
"Huh, that's nothing," rejoined small
Fred. "We had a turkey."
80ME POINTS ON HUMIDITY,
Weather Kipcrt Ksplalna How Mole
ture AtTecU the Temperature,
While It has been the aim of the of
ficials of the weather bureau to get
the best possible Instruments for reg
istering the temperature aud maktug
the predictions of "weather present
and to come," it Is said tio thermoin
cter Is perfect and that uo two ther
mometers register exactly alike.
This is the reason given by weather
bureau officials for the difference iu
temperature noted at the weather bu
reau and that registered by thermome
ters in the possession of private citi
zens. According to Professor Garrlolt
neither the weather bureau nor Its of
ficial thermometer is, as many sup
pose, any muterlal height above the
city. The thermometer, according. to
Irofessor Garrlott Is probably forty
feet higher than those on the city
strets, but this, it is said, Is not great
enough to affect the mercury to any
noticeable degree.
Professor Garriojt says that the
question of "humidity" Is one which
frequently agitates tbe mind of peo
ple during the summer, but that It is
so technical in its nature that hardly
one person In ten understands what
it all means when an authority disser
tates on the subject
For this reason little Is given out
officially at the weather bureau, it la
dlsposod to confine itself to the mere
statement of temperature.
After a rain in summer time, when
every one, is declaiming abqjit the
stickiness of the atmosphere, it is be
cause tbe air retains all the moisture
It has absorbed and there is no means
of cooling the atmosphere. On the con
trary, when it is dry the hent may be
greater, but the moisture is evaporated,
and In that process the air Is renllv
cooled. It Is on the same principle.
rroressor Garrlott said, as the cooling
air of tbe morning, when tho dew from
the grass evaporates and materially
coois me air.
It Is not therefore, the purpose of
the weather bureau to attemnt tnmntr
plain to the general public the question
of humidity. Professor Garrlott says
It is a thing which must be studied.
thoroughly in order to be understood.
Washington Star. -
. India's Great Cltlea.
Bombay la the second city in nonnu.
tloa in India, Calcutta standing first
on the list with 1,350,000 people, and, if
you will take your map for a moment
you will see that the two cities He In
almost the same latitude, one 'on each
skle of the peninsula called India
Bombay at the, top of the Arabian Sea
and Calcutta at the top of the Bay of
Bengal. By tbe census of 1891. Bom
bay had 821,704 population. By the
census of.. 1001, the, total was 770,006,
the decrease pf 45,758 being attributed
to the mortality by .the plague In lfloo
and 1001. It 1 the most enterprising,
the most modern, the most active, the
richest and the most prosperous city in
(ndla. More than 00 per cent of trav
elers who enter and leave the country
pass over the docks, and more than
half the foreign commerce of the coun
try goes through Its custom house.
ThA reason A widower fnrcra
.. 'Bv.ia ouuuer
than a widow is that the latter has to
ji i . i i i
wan un a man nunis ner up, and tells
her It is time wasted to remember. , -
It sometimes happens that a woiran
never forgives a man for letting her
marry blm. .'.:....-,
4