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3 •&*< V. tljc democrat. BBOKBOH k, CARK, Publishers MANCHESTER, IOWA. The leather trust is a tough proposi tion. Considering the last part of its uame, the chrysnuthemura is very lond. One difference between oil election and a prize fight is that an election Is never declared a draw. Taking that kind of a vote in a cam paign Is something on the order of suck ing comfort through a straw. Speed has frequently marked mar riages, but that Chicago man's two forty record shows how he went the pace. if the tallow trust does not slip up on its own product, then Sbakspeare was right and there's nothing In a name. A man who was 60 years old commit ted suicide the other day. It seems Impossible for some people to live long enough to 4earn to be patient. The more the Czar looks at the Dar danelles at this stage of the game the more he is inclined to think that every family ought to have some of them. The celerity with which Admiral Dewey got bis house furnished and moved luto Is thoroughly characteristic of the man as his country knows him. Baldness, Fn the judgment of an em inent physician, is a proof of intellect. The presumption is that the pressure of the intellect forces the head up through the hair. Ait organization called the Loving Cup, Club has been formed. It would be possible to make up a pretty large social club of the distinguished men upon whom mugs of this sort, have rained recently. y- The suddenuess and completeness with which Capt. Dreyfus has dropped out of sight demonstrates that fame Is usually evanscent. The permanent variety can be achieved only by the roan who wing a glove fight or has a 5-cent cigar named after him. Prof. Lanclann, of Rome, says the skyscraper was not invented In Chl cago. He claims that there were twelve-story buildings in the Eternal City during the reign of Augustus. What a weary lot the old Romans who lived on the top floors must have been —or did they have elevators, too? In Chicago some tbives, wlio were provided with a derrick and a four horse truck, succeeded In Betting away with a steam boiler. Some interesting Individuals tried to carry off a wood and iron staircase from one of New York's hotels. Enterprise and nerve are always interesting, no matter how immoral they may be in their applica tion. There is considerable, sure*asm con cealed in the assertion that Cornelius Vanderbllt was "cut oft with a beggar ly million and a half dollars." More than this could* be of no advantage to him much less would enable him to -keep the wolf from-tlie door. Those who sympathize- with tlie young man are sorry victims of morbid sentimen tality. Henry Olews believes that civilization is largely a matter of beef steak, pota toes and wheat and corn bread. These ivlth tlie bath tub, be believes, are more potent than missionaries. Degeneracy is a blood disease aiid good food and sanitation reach the blood. The Chi nese. In Mr. Clews' view, are weak in intellect because they live on rice. Give the orientals the stimulus of western meats and cereals and they will come up to the standard' of our civilization. Mr. Clews does not hint at enlightened selfishness in his plan of redemption, but It may be added that we have the meat and bread for sdle. The divorce agitation that pervades the country, of which ministers of ev ery denomination are speaking and church conferences are passing resolu lions, is not to close tbe doors so as to render escape from unhappy marriage impossible. Neither-Is it Intended to throw the doors wide open and to al low all to pass-through without ques tion. It is not all for the Interest of women, as many'have supposed. It Is for men, women, home and society that the people are discussing with great earnestness, are viewing in all Its as pects and revolving In their minds the great question. In twenty years there were 324,710 divorces granted, of which 212,178 were given to women, indica ting that men are guilty of violating the marriage bond more, frequently than women, an assumption that few would care to dispute or are prepared to refute. gggs When science uses technical speech the uninitiated listen respectfully, but are conscious of an aching void in their apprehension. An every-day compari son, however, brings fact and specula* tion within reach of the average man. Fossil remains described In plain Eng lish can be seen .with the mind's eye. A. dinosaur, for example, could be pic tured in scientific terms and but little more than a vague sense of vastness would be the unlearned hearer's por tion. But when a scientist says of a monster discovered by .him, that a round steak taken from the ham of the ... animal would have been at least twelve feet In diameter, or more than thirty flve feet In circumference, tbe ordinary meat-eating Individual has a definite and suggestive fact ready for use. Speculation as to the number of waiters and the size of the tip, In case prehis toric man had ordered such a steak. Is inevitable If not important. The old legal question of the liability of Insurance companies where the pol icyholder commits suicide has been ruled upon anew by the Federal Court of Appeals at St Louis In the affirma tive. The decision takes new ground! It does not assume that the man who kills himself Is necessarily. Insane. It declares that the company is bound to pay unless It can be shown that the de cedent took out bis policy with the In tention of committing suicide—a fact which it would be practically Impossi ble to prove. The ruling seems to bear heavily against the companies, but It is more in appearance than In reality. Few men will commit suicide because of the knowledge that their heirs will get their Insurance money. On the other band men will be induced to in sure by the knowledge that there will lie no quibbling and wrangling should they die under circumstances which might favor the Suicide theory. The tfcbfoo thus favor* tPtb sides Mid iu accord with public policy. Life in surance is one of the blessings of civil ization. It is only necessary that the niau who pays premiums year after year shall have every assurance that liis dependents will receive the amount of his policy without havlug to fight for it in tlie courts. Whether most people wish well to their fellows Is a question of locality. The world over, probably more people wish each other III than good. The sav age is cruel and selfish. The half-civ Histed races are vain and covetous. Envy and jealousy have still a mighty show in the politest circles. Yet one cannot help believing that iu prosper ous, educated communities of our land the vast'majority of the people are well wishers as they meet and greet their neighbors. A decidedly major part of such a neighborhood are really pained when misfortune overtakes one of their number. The sincerity of the regret is not to be doubted as they lament one's overthrow, or talk in pitying words of sickness or bereavement The struggle of life Is so much the same thing in ev ery ambitious household, the knowledge of what must undoubtedly be the inside facts of each home is so perfect—thanks to our democratic institutions—that the sympathy of the average American is real and worth something. The day may be far off yet when we shall do as we would be done by but we are get ting to think of others as we would be thought of. The world is not nearly so "cold" as it was when poets invented the phrase. In trade, do we not prefer to see each other get ou? Whatever may be said of harsh methods, is there not a measureless amount of amiable and chlvalric good will among mer chants? The keen contentious of mod ern business and professional life we do not believe are so desolating that we are lapsing Into heatheuism. The re venges of the age of the knights are rarely pursued, except among politi cians. The frank, bustliug business man is disposed to forget and waste no time on "getting even." Injury foi the sa'ke of injury Is rare in a commercial age. In fact, a commercial people take little stock in purely sentimental sins. The millionaire who built his own for tune is rarely vain. He carries a light baggage train of likes and dislikes, for they do not pay. PUMA SHOWS ITS GRATITUDE. Big Cat Amazes Its Keeper by ail Ex hibition of Friendship. Keeper Mullen is constantly exposed to the wild beasts In the zoo in giving them their food and iu cleaning their cages. Last week he was engaged in the pleasant occupation of brightening the outside apartment of a large puma. For-reasons ot his own he hits always been in the habit of permitting the ani mals to roam In the Inside cage while he cleaned the outside one. But this time he somehow forgot to lock the door, and the puma walked out upon blm. There was a brief pause, during which time Mr. Mullen hastily reviewed his past life. The puma stood in the door way blinklng-at the light and blocking up the only means of escape. All around were the hard iron bars of the cage. The puma, waving Its long catlike tall, slowly approached, and Mr. Mullen brought bis broom to a position which In army parlance is known as charge bayonets. Great was the keeper's sur prise wheta the fierce animal meekly rubbed its sleek sides against the trem bling leg, very much after the manner of a large cat. It exhibited signs of recognition and pleasure and began purring loudly. Mullen could scarcely believe his eyes. He fancied the animal was only sham ming and biding his time, and expect ed every moment to feel its sharp fangs in his leg. Not to be outdone by the animal, he began bluffing, too, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world that he should be patting the puma's head. He tried to make the animal feel how much he was enjoying It, and the result was that they were soon romping on the ground together like two friendly children This is the explanation of It: Keeper •Mullen had removed a tumor from the side of the puma. The operation was performed by the aid of catgut and took some time. The puma suffered a great deal with it and seemed relieved when It was over. It has shown great affection for its keeper ever since, permitting him to pat Its head betweea the bars, but not until lie accidentally found himself In the s.::ue Inclosurewlth itdld the keeper believe that he could ever enter Its cage and come out unscathed. Keeper Mullen naturally attributes the display of affcction to the operation which he performed, and he says that hereafter he will not be afraid to enter the puma's cage any time he may see fit. He knows that hereafter they will be good friends.—Philadelphia Times. Entertained by a Hen. The ways of a hen are often original and sometimes niirth-pilovoklug, and a Plymouth Rock did novel and amusing tilings to the Joy of a car-load of pas sengers, on a recent trip from Braddock to Pittsburgh.' The Pittsburgh Com mercial Gazette tells the story. Carrying a hen proudly a man who was evidently a foreigner got on the trolley-car at Braddock. He was drowsy and not quite sober, add he crossed his legs, set the hen on his lap and went to sleep. Four miles out of Braddock the hen suddenly woke from its own reverie, nnd cackled. Its owner opened his eyes and found himself and bis lien objects of Interest He was annoyed but the passengers had more or less excuse for staring they had discovered a fresh egg resting snugly on the man's lap. No one could speak tlie man's language, but every one was bound that he should know what had happen ed. Twenty Index fingers pointed to the hen, and forty eyes were turned in the same direction. Finally the stran ger lifted the hen tenderly, aud the se cret was revealed. Then he was wide awake. With his left hand he held the egg aloft, that all might see with bis right hand he af fectionately stroked the hen. Every body smiled. All at once It seemed to occur to him that refreshments were in order. He grinned at Ills fellow passengers, tapped the shell on tlie seat to open a way to the Interior, aud swallowed the egg. Europe's Princes an.I I'lincessi A statistician has recorded the pain ful fact that there are 71 marriageable princesses of the royal blood in Europe, the bonds of matrimony. The conciu and only 47 princes of age to enter into sion Is that there are 24 princesses who must either contract morganatic mar riages or become St. Catherines. Spasm nt Decency in Paris. The French Society for the Suppres sion of Vice Is going to try to prevent indecent exhibitions among the attrac tions at the Paris exposition, which have of iato years been allowed ao much license ou such occasions on the plea that they Illustrate tbe ciistomi and amusements ot other la k'VS' csoubMm. w, ts& THE CULTURE OF TEA. SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS ARE MADE IN THE SOUTH. Hardens in Sm1 Cnroliha Produce 'a Superior Article at Twenty-five Per Cent. Profit-A New and Growing In dustry tor the Southland. Some years ago a few far-seeing men of the Southern States looked far enough ahead to see that cotton would not always be king, and opened to dis cussion the problem of raising ten. Ai that time cotton was king, nnd there was no denying it, so the effort to cre ate an Interest In tea raising proved abortive. In* less than fifteen years came a great war iu which the South was swept clean as by a hurricane. One result of the war. minor perhaps, besides some of the other results, was that cotton was dethroned. Into the new South was Introduced other forms of agriculture, and not only that, but manufactures which the South hereto fore bad despised with pride in Its "splendid isolation." And now, a generatiou alter the war has closed, after King Cotton has been deposed, Southerners themselves have taken up the culture of tea iu earnest, bound to make it contribute to the gen eral prosperity of that section of the country. A leader among these leaders is Prof. Charles U. Shepard, of Pine hurst, Suminervllie, S. C„ and In a pub lication of tlie agricultural department in Washington he tells of the success of bis experiment. Since ho has made a profit of 25 per cent, on bis venture the undertaking Is entitled to be taken out of the class of experiments anil put In with tlfe solid accomplishments that will endure. It Is seven years since he first reported on the operations on the Pinehurst es tate. He says that it seems probable from the facts so far gathered that the cultivation of tea can be made profit able In the warmer portions of the United States in two ways. One is by establishing a plantation on the scale of the experiment at Summerviile with capital sufficient to carry the work to a point„where the product can be offered on equal terms with teas holding an es tablished place In. the markets of the United States. The other Is to grow tea for home use In the farm garden. In either case tea growing can be un dertaken safely only where the tem perature rarely goes lower than 25 de- ROSE TeA GARDEN WITH ASSAM-HYBRID TEA grees Fahrenheit, nnd never below zero, and where a liberal supply of water can be depended upon. There Is probably ao place In the United States where the ralnfal) Is sufficient for the best results with the tea plant, and Irrigation should where possible be provided for ingrowing tea. The experiment at Suminervllie, on tlie growth and manufacture of tea, be gan about teu years ago. At the be ginning it was wisely on a small scale, but has gradually been lucreased until now over fifty acres have beeu planted I in tea. When the plants arrive at full bearing the yield should be nt least 10,000 pounds of high-grade tea and this should suffice for the object in view, viz.. to determine whefher com mercial tea may be profitably grown under the local conditions of soil, cli mate and labor. One of the most productive of the Summerviile gardens is that called the Rose gardeu. The output of green leaf from It has been: Crop of 1802, 56 pounds crop of 1893, 81 pounds crop of 185)4, 151 pounds crop of 1895, 333 pounds crop of 1800, 000 pounds crop of 1897, G48 pounds crop of 1898, near ly 1,200 pounds. One thousand two hundred and sixty pounds'of green leaf will afford 300 pounds of standard Pine burst black tea. But the "Rose Garden" te not to be regarded as an exceptional result, nor of difficult imitation. Two larger gardens, also formerly plney woods pouds, planted with DaFJeeling seedlings, promise successful rivalry within a few years, and yet others ap pear to be awakening to a more vigor ous productiveness. Without undue endeavor. Prof. Sbep paid sold his crop of 1898. about 3,000 pounds, as also about 500 pounds of the crop of the previous year (which had been bought to maintain prices), at a profit of about 2"i per cent. The Pine hurst black tea has a distinctly charac teristic flavor and. like some of the choicer Oriental teas, its liquor has more strength than its color iudlcatcs. These qualities render its introduction slow. But It has always proved a diffi cult matter to change the taste of tea consumers notably so In the introduc tion of Ceylon tea Into Great Britain, the-mother country of Its producers. Nevertheless there has been a steadily Increasing demand for Pinehurst tea. and a great many people will driuk uo other. Green tea also is nilide at Pinehurst. and has attracted keen interest In the trade. There Is probably a greater de hiaud Iu the United States for green than black tea. At present, a large amount of sophisticated green tea is consumed iu tills country. As it is chiefly made of inferior leaf, highly colored with Prussian blue, and faced with powdered soapstone, etc., so as to hide all natural defects. It canuot be regarded as either nutritious or health ful. But tlie uuturc of the demand In dicates a decided preference for the taste and qualities of green, I. e.. not oxidized, teas, aud should stimulate us to supply in its stead a pure, wholesome article of the same type. Unfortunate ly. green teas can as yet be maae by hand only they represent cheap Ori ental labor, aud In the lower and me dium gradeR competition by American manufacture is well-nigh impossible. Black teas can he made by machinery iu almost every step after the delivery of the leaf in the factory. The cost of production ofr tens iu this country is high, owing to the compare* #ve dearnees of labor, This rcust 't# "M met by a greater productiveness In tbe field, by the substitution of machinery for hand labor in the factory, and by the manufacture of varieties of teas which, from Inbercnt chemical causeB, cannot be brought from the Orient. Filling Out Gnrden Corners. There Is a large class of people wbo mlgbt profitably add the cultivation ot tea to that of flowers and vegetables, filling out !\je corners of tlicir gardens and home fields with tea bushes, as they do in China, or substituting use ful as well as ornamental evergreen hedges of that plant for the present unsightly and costly and frequently un reliable fences. Cultivated Iu this way, the outlay of rime, labor and money could hardly prove burdensome and, as one result, the household should be able to supply Its own lea—pure, strong and invigorating, instead ot tbe wishy-washy, often far from cheap, stuff generally sold throughout the country. As these little tea gardens are ex- TKA NUHSl'.RY I\ JUI.Y. tended ond multiply factories will be established in each neighborhood for the larger manufacture of commercial tea, whither the products of the gar dens surrounding may be brought and sold, precisely as canning factories qnd dairies consume the surplus production of fruit and milk. One feature In the cultivation of tea has only to be stated to appeal to every one who plants, namely, that the season for gathering the leaf lasts In this cli mate for six months. Thus a crop Is not dependent, for at least partial suc cess upon the weather of any one or two months, as is so apt to be the case with most of the objects of the bas bnudfnan's labor and solicitude. For tbe present It will be wiser to limit the production of tea In the South to the better grades, such as retail at from 50 cents to $1 per pound. The greater cost of unskilled labor in tills country than in the Orient should con stitute a smaller fraction of the total expense if the product commands a 1 i/ higher prlcc. Other thiugs being equal, the quality, of .any tea depends ou the "fineness" of the leaf plucked.' If only the tiny, tender, youngest leaf be pick ed, the quantity of the crop must be comparatively small but Its quality will be decidedly superior to that ob tained by "coarse" plucking, which also embraces the older, larger and neces sarily tougher leaves. Problem of Cheap Labor. •. Leaf-plucking demands the careful attention of ilie tea grower. It Is a light employment, suitable for women aud childreu. but they must be taught patiently aud their work must be scru tinized strictly. At Pluehurst colored children do the picking, aud very satis factorily. A free school Is maintained for them every pupil of suitable age and size is required to pick others are excluded from the gardens. Regular HOI.UNO ANI) DHYtXO I.OOSl. attendanccaudbetterdisi'iplineare thus secured. But, otherwise, there would be uo difficulty in secUriug an ample force, as the wages earned—prove In themselves a sufficient attraction. The older children earu from 30 to 50 cents a day the younger one in proportion. The tea gardeus are picked twenty times a season, or once every ten days, and It takes three days for the average force of twenty children to make the round of the gardens. The more in dustrious and skillful pick from ten to twenty pounds of fresh leaf a day. It takes four and a fifth pounds of fresh leaf to make one of dry lonf.—New York Press. MALADIES GF TELEGRAPHERS* Subjcct to 'J'ubcrcu'.oeia, iicart Trouble and llruiu Congestion. "Telegraph opetalois are kepi iy /i_ constant state of cctcbiul oays ir. iiuji, I'ie.^hti in oi" the KaiYwa.v' and Telegraph Workers* Union. "They are exposed to a great number of mala dies, aud it cau \\:M be said, that their work is dangerous. A telegraph oper ator reads .better w.tli h.s ears t».a.i with his eyes. Uc carries out au es sentially mental ope.ai.on by uslug the nerves of hearing. This taculty is consequently gnly develop, in li case. In the oidiuar.i work of reading twenty words a iiiiuuie the telegraph operator must distinguish l.Ui aiie. nate strokes or intervals, au.l when theie is a rush of work this ngure can go as high as There i.s al*o the turns forming tlie sounds litio v.s.bie sym bols, or writing, which implies another mental process. And whereas the nor mal aiJKiiuii of var.cd sensatory im pulses per iniuute is 120, the telegraph operator has to accomplish 150 to 450. "Without taking extreme cases into consideration, it may be said that the sense of hearlug in a telegraph oper ator is two and a haif times more pow erful thaii Iu au ordinary Individual, Again, in telegraphy the coutiuulty of the oervous stimulation, the mouotoay of ?oub48 and the of Attention ire further causes of exhaustion. It 1p found -also that during forced work the telegraph operator's breathing Is affected, his heart's action precipitated and ills brain congested. As a result of these phenomena It is noticeable tliat a general decline of the organism follows, ending- in tuberculosis." According to Mr. Hull, the ordinary death rate for tuberculosis is 13.8 that of telegraph operators Is 40.0. And what Is true of tuberculosis applies to other affections of the respiratory or gans. The general death rate for the latter Is 3.5, but It rises to 18.4 among telegraph operators between 15 nnd 25 years of age, to 23.1 between 25 nnd 35 years of age. Instead of 4.0, and to 12, Instead of 5.3, between the ages of 35 aud 45. From 45 years upward It de clines, being 4.3, Instead of 53. but tills diminution Is very delusive, seeing that it is due to tbe elimination of tbe weak members who have died off In the preceding years. It becomes more marked, with increasing age. Between 5r nnd 00 it stands nt 0.5, instead of 5.4, and above G5 nt 0.4, Instead of S.2. But these are not the only affections to which telegraph operators are liable. Tbe nervous tension which they endure often gives rlBe to a state requiring immediate withdrawal from their work. A HUMAN HIVE. A Place Where Most of Our Jewelry Is Made. Providence, R. J., has tbe largest sil verware factory In the world, the larg est screw factory, the largest manu factory for small tools and the largest file works. Perhaps It Is especially unique In producing more jewelry than any other city in the United States, says the Nashville American, and.near ly as much as all the rest of the coun try combined. There Is no city which possesses so mauy separate and dis tinct shops for the manufacture of a siugle commodity as Providence does for the manufacture of jewelry. There are at '.east 250 separate factories de voted to the making of gold, silver, rolled-plated, electroplated and bras* jewflry and novelties. In addition, the auxiliary Industries for furnishing sup plies of special labor to the Jewelry fac tories number more tbaq seventy-five. Many of the Jewelry shops are small, Employing only ten or a dozen bands, while some employ ss high as 300, and In one case 1,400. By the State census of 1895 the capital Invested in this in dustry in Providence is 1112,000,000 average number of bauds employed, 7,000 annua! wages paid, $3,500,000 value of material used, $5,500,000 value of annual products, $14,000,000. Had these figures been taken in 1896 they would hare been at least 83 per tent. more. Iu almost every case the shops have been started by poor men with small capital, and as a. result of success there lias arisen a large class of well-to^o people, neither rich Tior poor, but prosperous and contented. :'i '"'x Picrons as a Naval Force. A number of pigeons are now official ly recognized by the British Admiralty and form part of the naval force, states a writer in the New Penny Magazine. Whale Island at Portsmouth 'is the iieudquarters of the. homing pigeons belonging to the navy—the birthplace of the birds supplied by other lofts at Devouport, Malta aud Hong Kong. This particular feature of the Royal Xayal Barracks was .Introduced In 1893 at the Instigation Of Capt. Login, who ivas then the commanding officer, and has beeu developed nnd brought to its present state of efficiency by that gentleman's successor, Capt. Bayly. The cost of keeping the birds—about £2 per month—was defrayed by tbe officers and men. The pigeons are used, of .course, for tlie conveyance of messages, of which several thousand have been received since the establish ment of the loft. There is electric com munication between the huge cote and the buildings, so that when a bird en ters its domicile it emises a bell to ring, aud so announces its arrival. Many of the missives brought by the pigeons have been of great imoprt^nce, and have been telegraphed to the Admiral ty. Some of the birds, too, have done excellent performances. The flight from Jersey lias often been made In two. bours but the "record," at least for distance, is from a ship off the Eddystone, 182 miles away—a big "lly" that was accomplished in three and a half hours. A Nation of Conks. There Is scarcely an individual In China-who Is not competent to cook himself a rcspectablu meal. The peas ant sits down to dinner cooked by the babd of his wife or daughter-in-law. lijjiarge establishments the cooks are ^invariably men. Half a dozen cooiics will 8(imit round a bucket of steaming rice and from four to six small savory dishes of stewed cabbage, onions, scraps of fat pork, cheap tisb. etc. They fill their bowls at discretion Trom the bucket. They help themselves discreet ly with their chop-sticks from the va rious relishes provided. Ou ordinary occasions even a wealthy Chinaman will sit down to spine such simple fare, served Indeed ou a tabic Instead of ou the ground, but in almost equally sim ple style, it Is only when a bamjuet is subslituted for the usual meal that eat ing Ih treated seriously as a fine' art, In a manner worthy Its importance to the Oilman race. Then the guests will assemble between 2 aud 4 In the after noou aud will remain steadily at the table until any hour from 10 to mid night. A bridegroom can get a good deal of credit for helping bis wife with tbe housework, by going out once or twice a week, aud upsetting a few things in the kitchen. The average married wornau acts as If stje fouud her husband easy to get. expects to liftve iiQOttwr W-* The Present lay PIk, The pig of to-day is InBnitely supe rior to that which was generally found in this country, say. a quarter of a century since. Of this there appears to be little doubt, and, further, the breeders of pure bred pigs would ap pear to be well within their right when claiming that this marked Improve ment was mainly owing to the pigs which had been distributed from their herds, principally for crossing In the more ordinary farm pigs. But do the pure bred-, pigs of to-day possess any thing approaching as many of those commercial points aB they should pos sess or are they so much In advance of the common country pigs as they were two or three decades since? We fear not And yet the difficulty of improv ing the pig stock of the country Is now far greater than It was In years gone by, owing to the difference in form and quality between the two classes of pig having become less pro nounced. Another difficulty presents Itself to the breeders of pure bred pigs of to day—the public taste, or fashion, de mands a pig ot the form and substance which Is somewhat contrary to the form of the original pig, which car ried the greater part of its weight In the fore quarters, whereas now tl^e pig of to-day must furnish the greater portion of Its me^t from the ribs and hind quarters. Thus the pig of to-day must be a manufactured article, since the wild hog, from which all our do THK PIQ OF TO-DAY. mesticated pigs nre descended, was so formed for defense and for the search for roots, bulbs, etc.. that tbe major portion of Its weight was in the fore quarters. We not only have to attempt to produce pigs totally dissimilar In form and character to the original foundation stock, but we have to be most particular In mating animals from as similar a source as possible, or we Inevitably produce a pig with many of the undesirable points of the parents, and with few of those quali ties which we are anxious to see ex emplified in the pig of to-day. 1 Great Yield of Wheat.' iu Belgium they sow a small piece of a few square rods with wheat, sow ing seed broadcast and rather thickly, usually in 'September. They then pre pare a field by plowing deeply In nar row furrows, putting on edge several times, and- then unrrowing with fine harrow to kill any weedB tbnt may con)e. It Is, however, left In the rough furrow after the last plowing, which gives a chance for the. frost to pul verize tbe soil, and kin ipsect eggs or, pupa. In tbe spring" this field is heav ily .manured, plowed, harrowed, and Anally raked with an iron-toothed rake. A marker then marks rows (en Inches apart, and furrows two or three Inches deep are made along tbe mark. Anoth er takes up the plants from the bed where the wbeut was sown In tbe fall, separating them to single plants and rejecting any-poor ones. These plants are put. In tbe furrows about four Inches apart, the roots well covered with soil, and then patted down solid with tbe back of tbe shovel. At times tbe soil Is stirred with a hoe and all weeds killed. Where four or five work together, each doing his or her own part of tbe work, for women and chil dren assist at It, the' transplanting is done very-rapidly. The plants being strong stool out to 30 or 40 stems each, tbe ground Is well covered, and it is said 100 bushels per acre Is a common yield, and from that to 150 bushels. A three-acre field is a large one there, but lit yields as much as many 20-acre fields in this country. Labor Is more abundant tbfen land, but a little seed on a little land produces a large crop.— American Cultivator. Flies and Mosquitoes. At a meeting of cutomologlsts at Co lumbus, Ohio, last summer, a paper was read in which un expert connected with the Russian Goverbment reported that tbe gadflies, sometimes known as horseflies or deerltles in different sec tions, would be destroyed by covering the surface of the pools of-water from which they drink with a thin flint of kerosene oil. Sometimes covering one euch pool will destroy them over a large section of country. Some time ago Prof. L. O. Howard, Of the Agricultural Department, reported that tbe use of a small quantity of kerosene in this way on ponds and other pools of stagnant water would destroy the larva of the' mosquitoes that bred tli^re, and If It will also destroy gadflies It would be Weil worth making use of It in sections where these insects nre a continual tor ment to man aud beast, and more es pecially to the poor beasts that must stay all day ill the pastures near these ponds nnd swamps HuuUnic Shocked Corn. When I went to haul in my shocked coru. sa.vs a correspondent, having no low-wheeled wagon and no one to help me. I fouud It would be poor business loading by myself from the ground. I took a good inch plank about eight feet long bored a' hole near one end, tied to rod at back end of wagon bed, close up, so one end would rest on end of bed floor and other end on the ground nailed several cleats on top side to walk up ou, put all on bed from ground I could, after standing two pieces in front end between end-gate and rod then take up armful, wAlk up on plank and load to front end'and walk down. Let plnnk drag. -Always ready when you stop. Commence unloading from tlie back end. Unloaded under shed all by myself. Killing Sparrows. A writer tells of tbe nuisance Eugiish sparrows were about his bouse and barn, until he got a guu, and in about 200 shots he killed twenty-five of tbeui, and scared away a million, more or less. We think his tnarkmansblp wns not as good as that of tbe Boers. We saw one of our uelgbbors kill thirty-three of tbem at one shot, aud It was not a large flock of sparrows either, at least after the shooting. Feed tbem onts a few times in some convenient spot and they will soou gather there, so that with a good charge of flue shot, a tnau ought eMily to kill balf the dock every tlms I* Itw. TUobb tbat ara «csr*4 $ will live to come another day. After he has bad a few sucb shots each fall, tbe sparrows will avoid that place and Its vicinity, and if every one would do so, we migbt see and hear some of our na tive song birds and insect destroyers around tbe buildings again By the way, those sparrows make a nice little pot pie, as we know, for we helped eat those thirty-three, bnt the picking and dressing them was worth more than the game.—Exchange. A Great Potato Crop. The average yield of potatoes In the United States is said to be 85 bushels per acre. The Canada yield is report ed as averaging SO to 25 bushels high er than that, while In England a good crop may be 240 bushels, whl&h Is no more than some farmers here obtain who manure liberally and try to grow good crops. But on the estate of Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny, Scotland, they nre reported to obtain an average of T20 bnsbels to the acre. How docs he do It? He puts 30 gross tons, 2,240 pounds to the ton, to the acre, of ma nure, mostly from tbe city of Edin burgh, plowed In upon a clcan stubble In the falh.then in tbe spring be'grubs In 448 pouuds ot "ground" lline, and at planting time be puts In the drill pet- acre 448 pounds-of superphosphate, nnd 112 pounds each of muriate of potash, sulphate of potash, fermented bone meal and sulphate of ammonia. Here, then, is 890 ponnds of good fer tilizer material In the drill, besl.de tbe lime, and the 30 tons, which we should call here 33 tons, 1,200 pounds of ma nure. Profit in Bquaba. Make each pair of birds take a cer tain box. For Instance, If tbe birds seem to prefer a high box. give It to fhem If a low one, choose one nearer the floor. One can always judge by their notions. All the empty boxes tnust be kept closed. It Is surprising how quickly tbey will learn'tbelr own boxes, and once settled the male bird defies all intrusion. By so doing you learn all yftur birds by sight, and If tbere are odd or strayed ones In the flock they may be removed. At night Is the best time to look them over. Feed little besides corn and wheat, with a box of oyster shells and grit. To avoid disease clean the lioxes from which the squabs bave been taken to kill and scrape'thc floor once a week or every two weeks. Keep air-slacked lime and carbolic add scattered about profusely and the disease will soon de part. This must be done frequently the year round, as perseverance and constant attention are tbe only way to success.—Farmers'Voice. V/ ... .-. Here's a Water Heater. There Is no question about tbe advis ability of taking the chill off the wnter that is given lo cattle in the winter. The problem Ik lo secure a practical, cheap way of warming the water. The illustration shows how this may be done. The trough is raised as shown, and a circular opening cut in the bot tom. A thick body of white lead is spread about this opening nnd a sheet of galvanized iron Is then tacked firm- A PRACTICAL NVATBlt IIKATS8. ly down upon the lead as shown. Un der this Is made a box and In It is placed a small oil stove. Have two small boles in tbe door and in tbe rear wall of the box near the top. With the cover down, a whole troughful of icy-cold water cau soon be brought to a temperature where it will be safe for stock to drink it. and that, too. at almost no trouble at all, and at hardly more than a cent's expense.—American Agriculturist. Silage for Fattening Cattle. At the Ontario Agricultural College they fed three lots of two steers each as follows: Lot 1 had 57 pounds of en silage each, lot 2, 31 pounds of silage and 9 pounds of hay, lot 3, 43 pounds of roots and 11 pounds of hay. Each bad about 12 pounds a day of grain, consist ing of ground pens, barley and oats. Lot 1 weighed 2,789 poundsat the begin ning, and In 146 days gained 555 pounds or .LO pounds eacb per day. Lot 2 weighed 2.735 pouuds at first and gained'in same time 448 pounds, or 1.53 pounds each per day. Lot 3 weighed 2,672 pounds, and in the time gained 537 pounds, or 1.84 pounds a day. The gain by feeding only ensilage and grain was uot much larger than tlia*. on roots and hay with grain, but all estimates indi cate tbat tbe silage is much more easily and cheaply produced, the 57 pound^ requiring less land and lejs labor than the 43 pounds of roots, to say nothing of cost of tbe bay. Large Trees. Raleigh, N. C., has the largest pair of oak trees in the United States, when perfect symmetry of trunk and top Is taken Into consideration. They stand 300 yards north of the capltol. There Is practically no difference In their di mensions. The diameter of truuk at til® ground level Is 0 feet, and six feet higher up Is 7% feet. It is thirty feet from the ground to the first limb. Tlie branches radiate iu the most symmet rical manner, and cover a space of 170 feet iu diameter. Under one tree the entire Episcopal diocesan convention once met Tlie height of the oaks Is 98 feet. Their trunks arc not Irregu lar or roughly buttressed. They are red oak'B, and their age is estimated at 000 years. Their vitality Is perfect. Value of Breeds* The value ot breeds Is greater than is known to some. Formerly it wns considered necessary to keep a steer until 4 or 5 yekrs old before sending to "hiurket, hut. with the use of Improved breeds steers cab lie now marketed at 2 and 3 years of age, and will be heavier than those of twice that age that are not well bred. Good breeds save time and feet], Increase the weight and lead to higher prices. Watering Trough for Poultry. To make a. watering trough for poul try take three pieces of board 1x6x3 feet long make a square trough, then take a board that will fit inside and bore It full of %-lnch holes, put Into trough and till with water. The board always floats ou top, aud it is impossible for young fowls to get themselves wet, they will do when drinking from ai) pr 41WH7 trougb.-W. A. MM A GOVERNMENT JOB. M? tt Very Often 8ap thfe Energr of 111 Holder. The narcotic effect of government Employment Is notorious, explains an Eastern newspaper writer, but* as ilk •ther cases, tbe victim of tbe sedativsl habit does uot believe and cannot real ize its power until it Is'too late. There is a certain fascination to tbe old and hardened to watch tbe young struggle ngnlnst their fate. The same sensations may be secured by obserr Ing the operations on a sheet of fly paper. The victim is "foot loose" and Is looking around for a favorable open Ing. In tbe meantime It seema d'eUr able to have some temporary lodgment -standing-room, as It were—until tk» delayed opening appears. So the Ay steps Into the soft Government stlck um. At first It doea not seem so bad, and It is only when he feel* his feet sinking that be decides to quit. But this be finds it not so easy. H« pause* and begins to cast about for a little leverage or a way to wade out. In Hie operation be tangles up another mem ber or two. By this time be suspects that the danger Is serious and buziM frantically. Tbe result is the same, and while be Is resting from tbe erer- ,K tion he tangles up one wing. Tbe other waves for a while, the emblem of a disappointed and hopeless ambition, now and then buzzing about toe time to come when be will qttlt tlie dot ernment fly paper and enter business or profession. Then be rents a,Urgei\ house and hla wife takes a fewitpmds to board. His body Is submerged In tbe Government glue and he Is In the Government service for Hfe. As Secretary of the Civil" Service Commission Mr. Doyle has had oppor tunity to observe the number of- Gov ernment employes who leave the ser vice for other occupations and then re turu to it. "A few years ago." said Mr. Doyle, "my attention was called to a man by tbe excollence of the exami nation which be passed. He (ecured the place, but after a year or jo be re signed. He bad saved money and. was going to Yale College. After fouf"years I heard he had graduated an'd was studying law. Then I heard be bad been admitted and bad gone -to New Vork to practice. And. Just tbe other day," he continued, "the man came In and made application to take the ex amlnatlon for his old place In the de-' partment." NINA VAN ZANDT. Woman Who Was Married by Prosy to August Spies, tbe Annrchlst. Nina Van Zand t. tbe woman who was married 1y proxy to August .Spies,, the anarchist, almost upon tbe eve of his execution, is now Mrs. Stephen Malato, wife of a prominent Italian politician of Chicago, and has been llv ing quietly since her marrlige, four years ago. She now dlamlsaes tbe esca-. pade of her proxy marriage to Spies by saying: "I was a foolish young girl then." She Is the daughter of ah ex- NINA VAN ZAXDT-MAt.ATO. pert chemist, who lived in a fine house on Huron-street. When tbe Hay market riots occurred she was only 17 years old. and fell iu love with Spies wben she saw blm at the preliminary bearing. She became a constant visitor to tbe courtroom, al ways elegantly dreesed. ^She made no secret of her Infatuation, sending: flow ers and meals from expensive restau rants to tbe jail. Her parents made no effort to break off tbe attachment. When Spies asked bor to mirry blm she consented, but the sheriff Inter fered. It was then decided to use a proxy, snd Miss Van Zandt was mar ried to Chris -Spies, acting for his brother. The girl continued her visits to the jail, and used every endeavor to save her proxy husband's life. For a long time after the anarchist's death Miss Van Zandt shut herself up In her borne on Huron street, and denied her self to.all callers. She bad a marble bust of Spies made. Unmistakable Evidence. Aguinaldo: "Why do you suspect he Is an American spy?" Filipino: "Hlstl He bas on a 'Un ion' suit!" A Journoy or IJSO Yean. A well-knowu astronomer calculates that it an express train ruiililng sixty miles an hour day and uigbt, without stopping, kept it up for 350 years, it would joist about complete the diameter of the circle made by the earth in Its yearly Journey round tbe snn. Now let this immense circle be represent by the lady'a finger ring, and taking that as tbe standard of measurement tbe nearest fixed star would.be a mile distant, and tbe farthest visible through tbe telecope at least twenty miles. Abo of the Yew Tree. It Is believed tbat the yuw tree even exceeds the oak In age. Iu Euglaud, Scotland and Ireland It Is uothiug un usual to find yew' trees which, accord ing to authentic accounts, date from 1000 A. D. Many of these trees are celebrated in history and legend. There Is an Immense yew tree {n Wiltshire, Eng., with a hollow trunk capable of accommodating a breakfast party. Wisconsin Christmas Trees, As early as September orders were placed In Wisconsin for 50,000 Christ mas trees, to be shipped Eaist. It is uo disgrace to work for a living, but the living gome mea nt f$r tbolr lrdrk ii dlifrtcefit). m"-