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iS A tK II. III. KHI. H SH ilUUlUU.UA UllUJJi The Improvement In Meevea. A few rears ago there was n notion lint good beeves could not bo made licforo they were at least four years old. W'lint a difference now, and all Jieesnse of tun introduction of better Wood, breeding and nianngeinout, combined willi soiontiflo feeding. All these Lave reduced the ago of market ing to about half. Sueceitlona For Killing; Weeds. The easiest way to Ret rid of burs is ia sow oats or wheat in the fields where the weed is found, and after the grain lias been removed to mow the burs be fore they can ripen. Ragweed, too, can bo destroyed iu this way by mow ing the pasture or Krain field in which it is found, iiurdock in hard to kill, Imt by cutting it deep iu the grcund just before it ripens for a year or two it cau always be gotten rid of. T!y cutting several times duriug the sea won nil the larger aud older weeds can lie killed and the smaller ones reduced in growth or their roots grubbed out. One of the worst weods that can be found in the pnsluro is the thistle. The bust time to c,nt or grub them is just before they bloom. It will be necessary to go over the Held more than nuce for the late maturing thistles. If the Held is carefully searched each timo it ought not to bo n difficult matter to rid it entirely of this troublesome weed. Mnnncliis Inenbnlor. "VTo have an incubator that will hold 150 tgiis. It is heated by water. The tauk that hold the water will hold forty-live gallons. Wo heat the water, iuL it into tho tauk aud let it get warm enough to run the thermometer tip to 110 degrees. Theu we put the rggs iu the tray. In six hours we look at them. The temperature by that time nearly always has ruu down to 10!, where we desire to keep it as nearly as possible. After the eggs have been in teu days we test them, taking out ull that are not-fertile, as mich eggs have n tendency to lower the heat. We think the chickens that tire hatched in an incubator are just as ltealthy as any if they are kept out of the cold and rain. We put the little chicks with hens and they aro less cure. Wo havo Iho Tlymouth Hocks, and think they are as good a breed as the farmer can get. They are large and easily futtened and with proper care in winter aro good layers. We believe that there is es much profit in ducks ns from any other line f poultry breeding, providing one has tho right breed. The Tekin is the Lest general purpose duck. It is the Ijest table fowl of the duck family, having large, full, deep breast. The Jiica yellow skin of the l'ekiu makes it easy to dress; its pure white plum age makes it the most beautiful of birds. The Btandard weight of the adult duek is eight pouuds, but it cau very easily be made to weigh more. "We have had them woigh eloveu pounds. The duck can be raised suo cessfnlly without water tc swim in, but it must have plenty of drinking water. Wo would not adviso more than fonr ducks to ono drake. Ducks commence laying iu February, and with good cure will not nuns raauy mornings in laying until July. Ducks are not susceptible to disease and lice, and after they are three or lour weeks eld will not need half the attention that is required to raise young chicks. Mrs. 11. O. Small, iu the Kpito mist. A l lcfiil ISrako Illnrlc. A very convenient brake block is used by tho teamsters iu tho moun tainous regions of the Northwest. A three-cornered block, a, of wood is fustened by chains or wired to the brake beau of a wagon so that it will drag on the ground about two inches THE IlllAKR JILOOK IS POSITION'. behind one of the rear wheols of the wagou. The driver stops to rest his team, and instead of applying the brake tho team is allowed to slacken its traces bo tho weight of the load will rest on tho self-acting chock block. When the team starts again the team merely has to start tho load instead of having to pull against the brake uutil it can bo loosened. Pnlnta nu Making Clieeae. Tho first thing which I observe in the manufacture of cheese is oleanli ness, not only in the factory, but among the different cows nnd their .keepers as well. All the animal heat should pass from the morning's milk before it is mixed with tho eveuing jniillc, and then it is transported with out being jarred or jostled very much. In tho factory I receive no milk from aus which are not cleaned aud ntciuuod daily. It must bo sweet aud pure. Add enough coloring to give a rich, creamy tint, and then beat the milk Blowly to eighty-live degrees and add diluted rennet. I dilute it to prevent urd before tho rennet is thoroughly mixed. It takes about five minutes to mix. I require from twenty-five to thirty minutes for a good curd. If I ever havo u lk-ating curd I draw off the greater part of the whey aud add Home moderately warm water. This is to weaken tho lactio acid and re duce the acid to the proper amount. Then heat as before, not heating above ninety-live degrees iu cooking. In cooking, the maker has tho curd nu tter his control, if ho has not nddl too much rennet, lieunet does not nid iu ripening cheuso, and I un as little as I can. It simply chaup.s tho milk to a gelatinous mass. Wh the whey is drawn off, tho curd should be eoft aud retain moisture. It must then cool slowly toeighty-flve dogrees, when suit is added, but not too much. 'The suiting should be in proportion to the amount of rennet. Tho curd is then in condition to be on re J. It tuould be entirely free from all taints nnd odors. Allow It to remain in the press from four to six hours, then remove, dress and plaoe in press again until next morning. The curing room should always be darkened and the same moderate tem perature maintained with good ventila tion, not allowing gases and foreign substances to enter the room. The cheese should be greased well and turned at six in tho morning and again at nix in the evening of each day. Ten to twelve days aro required for my cheese to mire. W. Ij. McCain, in New England Homestead. Dash Changed to Crank Churns. There are a largo number of butter makers who will nso only the old fashioned dash churn, believing that it gives the best results, quality nnd quantity of bntter considered. The Flo. 1. A CONVERTED DASH CHlTttf, great fnnlt of the dash chnrn is the la bor of operating it, so much of the exerted force of tho operator being lost on ncconnt of no machinery to utilize it as in tho crank churn. Iu Figs. 1 and 2, dash churns are con verted into crank churns. In tho de vice shown iu Fig. 1 an old buggy wheel can bo UBed for tho fly-wheel. All tho iron work, such as the crank shaft, bearings, pitman, etc, can be mado by any blacksmith at a Bmall ex pense. The framework any farmer will bo able to make himself, 'I he FIO. 2. TJTILIZINO AX OLD FLl'-WIIEEL IN C0NVEHTIN3 A DASIt CHUB. two posts used in the first device need not be very large or heavy, but just wide enough to permit the wheel to turn inside or the two supports on which tho bearings rest. In the sec oud figure an iron fly-wheel such as is found on an old cider press is used. It is adapted to a smull churn. "Exhausted" Belli. Aooording to the modern idea, an exhausted soil is one which will not produce a paying crop. The term exhausted is in reality only rela tive one, because any soil which can be at all utilizod for farming purposes must evidently possess some of tho elements which go to make up plant growth. An analysis mado of many lauds now producing only scrubby growth would reveal, the presence of sufficient plant nourishment to grow bountiful crops for hundreds of years to come. Tho question then naturally sug gests itself: Why is it that a soil con taining plenty of plant food mny yet fail to produce au average yield? The answer to this question is a compara tively simplo one. The soils were formed long ages ago, and during all of the intervening time the plant-food locked up beneath the surface has been combining and recombiuing un til it has come to be an almost insolu ble condition. The average plant lacks the power to uulook this plnut-food while in such a state, and is, there fore, in much the samo position as a inau iu the middle of the ocean with out any suitable drinking water. He dies of thirst while surrounded by the very substance be is seeking, because of his iuubiiity to convert it to his own use. The agencies which assist in making plant-food more available are water, sunlight, and thorough cultivation of the soil. Through these a portion at least of tho plant-food can be made available and the productive capacity of tho laud greatly increased. Vege table matter, or humus, as it is called, is another factor which plays an im portant part in making inert plant food available to growing crops. If a soil is destitute of humus, it is much more difficult for plants to get their food from it. On the other hand, if a soil ooutains plenty of humus, the decomposition of this vegetable mat ter helps to dissolve the more insolu ble substances, thus converting them into available plant-food. Every farmer should see that his land is well supplied with humus or vegetable matter, which can be done most cheaply by growing cow-peas or clover and turning them under. Too much of this, however, would sour the land. Therefore, us an offset, a dose of slaked lime, say about forty bushels per acre, should be applied onoe in about every five years. The lime will not only hasten the decomposition of the organio matter, but will also un lock some of the latent plant food iu the soil, notably potash. By a thorough system of cultivation the physical con dition of the soil nan be greatly im proved, enabling the air to linvo freer access, thus facilitating oxidation, and causing the soil-water to percolate more freely. This will dissolve the plant food and move it about in the soil so as to be readily available to tho roots. It must be remembered, however, that tho soil ia like a bank. If con tinually drawn upon without replen ishing, it will soon become bankrupt; houce the wise farmer will see that he at least maintains au equilibrium by depositing aunually what is drawn out. This guards against the gradual removal of plant-food, aud it is well to remark here, that after a soil has once Decome run down, it is a very difficult mutter to build it up again, A far more economical plan, therefore, would be to gradually increase the productive capacity of the laud. Farm, Field aud Fireside. During last August the daily use o! water iu Milwaukee was eighty-two ,?llon per capita. MEALS ON TRANSPORTS. FEEDING UNCLE SAM'S TROOPS WHILE AFLOAT. Development of nn Adequate Ryatmn l'lentv of Good Fond For F.very Man Our Methods Considered tho Heat In the World Tho Mem OnllU. The system which lias been per fected by the Government for feodiug troops on the United States trans ports is considereil the most adequate iu the world. This, is the more won derful because it has been perfected in a year. Tho methods employed at first were crude, and involved a great deal of unnecessary hardship. A year ago the troops sent to Cuba, and even to the Philippines, had only travel rations, which consisted prin cipally of oorned beof and hardtack, with nothing hot except coffee. It took several hours to distribute the rations for each meal, so that the men were irrogulnrly fed, and not uncom monly were obliged to wait till noon before they had any breakfast. This state of alTair-i is practically ended, and while muru depends npou the in dividual ability of the ship's quarter master, certain effective regulations are universally enrried out. Tho Uflttod States Government owns twenty-three transports. The finest of theso are the Sboridan, the Sherman, the Grant, the Logan nnd the Thomas. These five great ships are exactly alike, 455 foot over nil and of 55S10 tons each. They are capable of carrying two thousand en listed men, besides nearly .one huu drod officers in the cabin. There are three messes ou board these ships the cabin or officers' mess, the crew's mess and tho mess of the enlisted men. Iu plying across the Pacific to Manila, a one month's trip with only one stop for coal at Honolulu, a per fect system, not only in the provision ing but in the daily feediug of this tremendous passenger list, is au abso lute necessity. The messes of the officers and of the crew are served regularly, and are equal in varii ty and quality to those of almost any of the Atlautio liuors. Tho great problem which has been successfully solved is the feeding with equal regularity and with food of good quality to two thousaud enlisted men. A long, narrow galley has beon built amidships ou the mess deck at the right hand side. Here are sei four meat boilers of 110 gallons ca pacity each, four vegetable boilers of fifty-live gallons capacity each, and two coffee boilers containing 150 gal lons npicoe. Four regular cooks take charge of the cooking, which is done entirely by steam; a detail of four soldiers gives them daily assistance. Twelva men are also detailed to peel potatoes and prepare the vegetables, and twelve more as a fatigue party to bring supplies from the storerooms, and, taking into consideration the tot id amount of supplies consumed each day, this duty is not a light oue. .besides the cocking galley, it has been fouud necessary to establish a butcher shop, whero tho refrigerated moats are taken from the cold storage rooms, ont up and issued to tho cooks. Three regular butchers and three de tailed from among tho soldiers are kept busy hero duriug the day. HOW THIS FOOD 18 HERVED. The mess calls for the men are at C.20 a. in., 12 m. aud 5 p. in. Im mediately ten men from eaoh company form iu line iu regular ordor, each detail being provided with from nix to ten buckets of fourteen quarts' capacity, allowing at the least seventy quarts of food for oue hundred men. The cooks in the galley fill tho buckets with meat, vegetables aud coffee, aud then they are carried to the mess tables, where tho food is issued to each member of the com pany, who is waiting in lino with his tiu plate aud cup. As each man is served he moves on and gcuorully goes to the uppor deck to eat. Tho mess deck, where the galley and mess tables are situated, corresponds to the main dock, and is just below tho spar or upper deck. After all are servod the first timo, the men begin to return for "seconds," ns they call it, and are served just aS plentifully again. Iu addition to tho food cooked iu tho galley the meu havo fresh brend morning aud night and hardtack at noon. The bread in issued separately to tho mess tables, and tho men re ceive it with tho rest of the food. Iu order to keep tho supply of broad equal to the demand there is a squad of twelve bakers on board, four of whom are at work all night. The cabiu ranges are nsod, the bakeshop being near tho cabin galley. As the ranges are in use for the cabin cook ing during tho day, all the baking must be done at night. The regular "straight" army flour is used, 2100 pouuds of it every day. It is baked iu large biscuits, which the men call "cobs," aud they eat two or three of these at a meal. Hardtack is issued at the rate of 2300 pounds every threo days. The fresh bread is piled on shelves in a large cage which occupies the centre of the mess deck, from which it is issued to the mess details morning and night. AM ADUNDANCE OP GOOD POOD. A few figures may convey an idea of the generous provision made for each inau on board. The regulations concerning tho field or travel ration are disregardod, eaoh man being al lowed to have practically as much as ho wants aud a much greater variety than the prescribed ration. He has fresh meat twice a day, nu allowance of oue nnd one-fourth pounds for eaoh man. The vegetables comprise oar rots, onions, potatoes, tomatoos, rice and cabbage. Oatmeal is frequoutly given out in Ike morning, and at night some kind of dried fruit, such as peaches, primes and aprioots; sorao times pickles iu addition. The fol lowing amounts are oftou issued from tho storeroom in a day: Sixteen crates of potatoes (lliOO pounds), 100 pounds of onions, 1000 pounds of carrots, 100 of turnips, 15(55 to 2500 pounds of meat, 1101) ponnds of salt meat. Eight pounds of coffee is allowed to overy 101) men over 150 pounds a day. To sweeten this over 200 pounds of sugar is issued duily. Eaoh company lias two mess tables, and this facilitates the quick distribu tion of food. It often happens that every man is served at the end of tweuty-iive minutes. Forty minutes is the longest time consumed in' tho distribution of lae food. Everything used is of thoroughly good quality, aud it is only necessary to see the men eat to realize that it is appetizing. The comfort of the men is nlso con sidered between meals, eight hundred pounds of ioe being issued three times a day at 11a. in. and 4 and 7 p. in. It is placed in great casks of fresh water, which nro conveniently Bituato.t on the spar deck, fore nnd ntt. The mess outfit issued to troops and carried in tho haversack consists of two tin plntos, knife, fork, spoon nnd cup. These plates nro two shallow to use comfortably on board ship, so one'a man when he coincs on board receives a round tin plate of moro thau an inch iu depth, which he uses during thu voyage, at the end of which ho cau either keep it or throw it away. The facts and figures here given re fer particularly to tho Sheridan, ono of the five great Bister ships which, with tho exception of the Logan, carry troops across the Pacific, anil nro run on practically the same principles. Although many of tho other transports havo not the facilities for carryiug out tho new system in its entirety, they are nil comfortable, aud present a striking nnd happy contrast to army transports of n year ago. When tho Sheridan stopped nt Malta on its first voyage to tho l'liilipgincs thu English officers were forced 'to admit that in this instance at least tho United States transported her soldiers with moro comfort than Great Britain. Now York Tribune. FOOLING A CONGREGATION. Tho Salnry.T.om 1'aator Tanned an Orig inal Surinnn on Ilia I 1m U. Ouo of tho Chicago publio library ntteudauts has a curious story. There was a haudsome, impref sive-looking man of thirty or thirty-fivo years who used to como into tho big readiiig room every Saturday afternoon and call for a book of sermons. Sometimes it was Beecher, sometimes it was Tal mage. Sometimes it was ono of tho older preachers. Hut he always kept the book in the farthest corner lie could find unocoupiod, nnd thoro ho would bo seen to be committing tho text nnd discourse to memory. One Sundny eveuing the Horary at tendant went to a little church ou tho west side, and there saw his Saturday visitor standing in the pulpit. The man explained tho difficulty of getting good preaphers to attend to tho wants of tho people iu that little place and the need of those same people for the best, and then he explained that ho had committed to memory tho sermon of a celebrated divine, aud he would, as ho had ou soveral former occasions, givo it to them as best he could. And ho made a good job of it. Ho was evidently nntrniuod in clooution and iu methods of delivery, but ho had a certain natural strength and a native seuso oft tho right inlleotiou aud emphasis; aud he certuinly was himself moved by the fervor and word ing aud by the beauty of tho pictures presented in those remembered pas sages. Tho service was all uny ouo could havo asked, and tho people seemed do'ighted. Thoy showered compliments on tho speaker aud nuked him to servo thorn in like manner again-. It happened that the library attend ant heard that same man ngaiu and at another church some weeks Inter. Again ho delivered, after telling tho naiuo of tho author, a borrowed ser mon. Months afterward tho nttondaut heard him for tho third time, and it ntruck him that tho sormon was by no means like those ho had heard before. Ho doubted that it was tho composi tion of the preacher to whom it was credited. imloed, his bettor trained observation told him it was not a bor rowed sormon at all. A;' the speakor came to the peroration, ho wus con vinced this was fully original, nl thougU it had been announced as taken from a volume, which, however, no ono in the house had ever before heard or. When tho sorvice had ended, the attendant waited and greeted tho preacher. "I have seen you a good many times it tho publio library," ho suid. Theu ho added, so that no ouo else could hear: "But I don't believo this ser mon was taken from a book. I be lievo it was your own." "Heavens I" exclaimed tho preacher iu terror. "Don't toll thoui. They think it is borrowed. Don't, for tho lovo of their souls, toll them it is my own. They wouldn't respoct mo at all if thoy kuew I mado it up. They think they are listening to a $10,000 nuu. I cloa't cost them a cent.'' Curious Inconsistencies of Women, As the Btorner sex is fond of remark ing, women have many curious incon sistencies. Nevertheless it must be admitted that the impeachment is not without foundation. Take for instance tho matter of "tipping." The most philauthropio aud generous of women even, almost invariably give mean lit tle tips, aud if it is possible to avoid it, novor give any. At a womuu's luncheon counter reoently, one of the few exceptions to tho rule left a coin on the counter after having paid her soore. "You have forgotten this," said tho waitress, pushing it over to her. "Oh, that is my teu cout tip," re turned the other laughiugly, but with out taking it. Tho attendant picked it up, seemed doubtful what to do with it, and finally wulked over and dropped it into tho firm's caahbox. "Evidently tips are not common here," soliliquizod tho donor, nu Bhe watched tho proceeding. I forgot it was a women's counter! "I have never considered the mat tor of tips," remarked a fashiouuble wouiau reoently. "I always notioed my husband gave Bomething to the waiter when be dined nt a restaurant, but I never inquired what it was, and it has so happened I have never gouo alone to such plaoes. Not long ago, however, when I had a luncheon ou, my cook fell ill, and rather thau post pone tho party I transferred by enter tainment to the Waldorf. It wus quite an elaborate luncheon, fand we had four waiters, and when I left I gave them a quarter apieco, which I consid ered au adequate tip, but I saw at onoe by thoir faoes that I had committed an error according to their code. "What should I have given?" I asked my husband afterward. ' " 'Why, a dollar at loast, for such a unoheou as that,' he answered." ". York Tribune. AMERICANS EAT LOTUS. IT IS NOT A BAD SORT OF FOOD, EITHER, PERHAPS. The Agricultural Department la Invratl iratlng the Matter other Aalatlo Vege tahlea That Mar l!o Introduced II ere iJljr ISulbflfia Food Water Chentnutn. The discovery that t'uore are lotus caters in this country must be credited to experts of tho Department of Agri culture nt Washington who have ascer tained the fact incidentally toa special investigation which they have been making in regard to Asiotio vegeta bles, writes Bene Bacho in the Detroit Froo Press. Now that the Pacific Ocean has boconib nn American lake, and Yankee enterprise is on the alert to gobble up whatever may be avail able for uso on the other side of that largo pond, it is considered worth while to find out whether they have any food-plants over there that would bo a welcome addition to those already utilized in tho United Statos. Tho commission appointed by Secretary James Wilson to look into the subject has learned that there are many such, and has verified its conclusions by cooking and eating them, as well as by analyzing them in order to deter mine how niuoh nutriment they con tain. Ono of theso plants is the lotus, tho roots of which are largely oaten by orientals iu San Francisco, being im ported from Canton, nnd are on sale iu the markets of the Chinese quarter through the late winter aud spring months. They are reddish inside aud are boiled for the table usually, though sometimes ai e consumed raw. A kind of "arrowroot" preparation is tiade from them also. In China parts of the blossoms are used for the toilet, tho leaf stalks furnish lamp wicks, tho Beods nre employed for soup and as a remedy for indigestion, nnd tho roots become nu important nrticlo of food iu times of famiue, fifty per cont. of their subrtauoe being starch. The Egyptiaus, too, obtain a valuable flour from tho seeds, roasted aud ground, aud bako it into bread. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE LOTUS. One reason why the economio use fulness of the lotus is so interesting is that the plant has been introduced into this country within the last few years, for ornamental purposes. Experi ments iu its cultivation have beon in progress for some time iu various parts of tho United States, and have been unexpectedly successful. It is found to tolerate the severe winters of the middle East, and the short but hot summers give it an ample season to perfect its beautiful iloworh, which somewhat resemble gigantic roses. In the grounds of tho Department of Agri culture at Washington is a pond that is one great lotus -bod iu July and August of each year, tho maguificent blossoms nttraoting much admiration. Iu California and the Southern States there are many districts specially suited to the pluut, which is au aqua tic, aud in tho great interior wator way of tho former, comprising the Sacramento and Sau Joaquin liivers, it could scarcely fail to be successful. Tho identity of tho vegetable, pos sibly ouly mythical, consumed by the Btoriod "lotophagi," or lotus-eaters, who wore rendered by it forgetful of homo and friends, has been much dis puted. Certainly it was not tho aamo ns the lotus here described, which anciently iu Egypt was a sacred em blem, intimately associated with re ligiou nnd poetry. The Egyptian plant, iudeod, was a prevailing motivo iu tho designs of early painters and sculptors of that nation, and to this day it survives conspicuously in archi tecture as, for example, in the cap itals of columns. It was then, as it is now, of importance as a food-producer, not only in the region of the Nile, but also among Asiatio peoples. From the view-point of the Govern ment experts, tho easiest way to ox nmino Asiatio food-plants was to buy thorn in Sau Fraucisco, whero many of them aro always ou Bale, being im ported for ooiiBUiuptiou by tho Chi U030. A visit to tho markets of the Orieutal quartor iu that city reveals to tho eye of t non-resident muoh that is both strauge aud interesting. Most of tho curious roots, green vegetables, Beods, etc., making up tho stock-in-trade of the slant-eyed grocerymau aro wholly unfamiliar, somo of them being brought directly from Canton, whilo others, though grown in Amer ican Boil, are Asiatio iu origin. They afford a subject of study from which, it is believed, much may bo learned thot is of viduo. It is not without re.ir.on that tho Chinese are said to understand hotter thau any otber peo ple tho art of obtaining from a given area of laud tho greatest possible amount of food material, and one way in which they accomplish this is by utilizing a large variety of food-plants. LILY BULBS A3 FOOD. In this country lilies aro considered ns of uso ouly for ornamental purposes, but iu Asia tho bulbs aud also the flowers of several spooies have long boon used as articles of food. Both the Chinese and the Japaneso cat them' habitually, and one kind fur nishes the hairy Aiuos of the islaud of Yezo tho northern limit of tho Mikado's empire with their chief vegetable diet. From early December to lute in August the bulbs of au edible lily, imported from Canton, are found iu tho Chinese markets of , Sun Frau cisco, where thoy are sold at teu to twenty cents a pound. What seems to bo the same species may alfo be ob tained in a dried state throughout the year, ond both this and tho fresh bulbs uro known to the epicureau Celestial as "pak-hop." ThoBa bulbs were analyzed by the experts, who found them rich in starch and oven more nutritious thau pota toes. Wheu Bimply boitod they are very palatable, and it is believed that Americans might easily acquire a taste for them. One notable point iu their favor is that when dried they aro quitv a& good for table use as iu tho fresh condition. It is not likely that thoy could bo grown in this country as cheaply as some other vegetables, but they might Berve as a luxury, like lettuoe. Iudeed, the Chi nese regard them more as a delicacy than as a standard article of diet, the price being proportionately high. By the Japanese they are considered as an especially desirable food for in valids and oonvalesoents, and when utilized for this puiposa tho bulbs aro only slightly cooked aud mti eaten with sugar. OTHER ORIENTAL FOOD ILATS. The so-called "water chestnut" la widely used in China and Japan as a food plant aud in those countries is highly esteemed. It grows wild in watery places, and in some regions bo profusely ns not to reqniro cultiva tion." The edible tubers nre sweet, juicy, aud resemble the chestnut in llavor. It is believed that tho plant would thrive well in humid portions of tho Southern States, or iu the in terior valloy of California. The Asiatics have some very odd cabbages, the most notable of which resembles a head of lettuce rather thau an ordinary head of cabbage. This is tho famous "Shantung cab bage," natnod after its native proviuco iu China, whioh, though long ono brought to the attention of aeedmeti and gurdoners, have never been intro duced in this country. It is described as delicious. The seed" of the lotus are used by the Chinese as wo use chestnuts, being eaten raw, boiled or roosted. Iu ordor to render them palatable, it is necessary to remove the dark-green germs, which ore no bitter that tho saying "bitter ns the germ of the lotus Rood" has passed iuto au Oriental proverb. Among other valuable Asiatic food plants aro millet and the soy bean. The former is a cereal of the first rank, cultivated on nn ouormotts scale in both India and China. Tho latter forms au important part of tho largely vegetarian diet of the Chinese aud Japanese. It has been cultivated for many years iu Europe, and is be ginning to be extensively grown in tho United States, though mainly for forago. It resembles a pea rather than a bean, but is vory different from auy of our peas and beans. CURIOUS :fct?. A sheep with live horns exists ia Kentucky. Artificial ivory if mado from bora: and skimmed milk. The first Groek loiter society in this country Phi Beta Kappa was started iu 175fi. A Hungarian in Mount Carmol, Penn., recently sold his wife, house, two pigs, aud a cow to his brother for S200. A peculiar clook of the timo of Charles I. was the lanteru, or bird cage style, which hung from the walla high up, with their works exposed. An eight-year-old girl in Bristol, Penn., tried to boat the record of a playmate by jumping rope more than 1500 times without resting. She is dead. The giroffo was thought to bo near extinction, but Major Maxse, a British explorer, has found great herds of them along tho Sobat Bivor, a tribu tary of tho While Nile. In battle red Uniforms attract the eye most readily, and twelve men wear ing that color are killed to seven in rifle green, or Bix in blue, or five ia either browu, blue, or gray. About the most expeusive lnxuriea in Lima, Peru, are postage stamps. it cost twenty-two cents in native sil ver to carry au ordinary letter, which is equivalent to eleven cents iu gold. A "poster" oue mile long, printed on a contiuuous roll, was used re cently to advertise a street fairiu Bat tle Creek, Mich. It was pasted ou the brick pavement between the streot car tracks. The butchers of Berlin have a curi ous way of informing their customers of the days on which fresh sausages are made by placing a chair, covored with a largo, cleau apron, at the Bido of tho shop door. The astonishing statement is mode in London that the health of the em ployes ou the underground railway ia better thau on any lino in England. The atmosphere is said to havo posi tively cured cases of quinsy and bron chitis and to have benefited people with lung troubles. The lntereatlui; Wuter-Ou.el. Tho natural home of the water ousel is the Piocky Mountains. He is not known anywhere elso ou this con tinent; and ho loves the mountain stream, with rapids aud cascades. In deed, he will erect his oven-like cot tage uowhero else, aud it mu3t bs a fall bud not a mere ripple o;1 rapid. Theu from this point as a coutio or, 'rather, tho middle point of a wave' ing line bo forages up aud down the babbling, meandering brook, feodiug ohiefiy, if not wholly, on wafer in sects. Strauga to say, ho never leave? the streams, never makes excursion to tho country ronud-about, novor fiics over a mountain ridge or divide t reach another valloy, but simply pur sues tho winding streams with a fidelity that deserves praise for iti very singleness of purpose. No "landlubber" is he. Should he wislt to go to another canon, he will simply follow the stream he is ou to its junc tion with tho stream of the other val ley; thou up the aecond defile. His flight is exceedingly swift. His song is a loud, clear, cheerful strain, the very quintessence of gladuesa us it mingles with tho roar oi thu cataracts. Now York Post. Hlberla a tiroat Fur Field. In Siberia tho ormiuo catch has fallen off largely within twenty years. On the other hand, tho figures of the first half of tho present deoauo of years show that the catch of sable, otter and red fox, as well as that of many other less valuable fins aud ukins, has greatly increased. This meauB simply that Siberia lias been the least hunted of the great fur fields. With the increase of populti tiou and means of transportation tho product marketed is growing larger, for the time has not yet arrived when the field is overlain to J. Thin Siberia is to-day the most important of the land fur preserves. It may be that Bussia, hooding tha lesson taught by tho virtual extinction of the fur nuimulsiuherown northern forests, will endeavor to prevent the same fato from befalling tho Siberian fur trade. Now York Sun, Itovaniia From Vl.ltora, An Italian statistician, Commends tor Bodio, estimates the number of visiting strangers coming to Italy nt not less than 70,000 a year and their expenditure at about $203,000 a day, au annual income for the country of mora than $00,000,000. THE SABBATH SCIIOljf INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMEvf FOR OCTOBER 13. Snhjeeti leather Pleading For Her V J K.ther Till., 8-8, 1.1-17 Golden il l aa. xxxvll., a Commentary on Jj'a I.eaann. th. till Co!NcTi!o Link. Wbnn Mom nnnrii oi tun terriuiH ueerno wlilcli nr,. the dentil ot nil Ills people he wa- 4 wuri Kriw. no sent n copy or tli c,. to Esther mid asked lier to interoedo the king that the calamity mlnlit ho a w. ed. The klnff whs n nokln-nilndn.l potlo ruler, and Eatlier had not bePuV' C prosonno for thirty dnys. It wns tln-r7 a Rront risk for her to venture lm, ' p presonco, lost her life be taken. I, i Ct tempting to save hor people the i, rv must risk everything lior position",. , attempt by the more wellit of person lliHince to reverse tlio decroes of nu ht that prided Itself on hnvlnn u tuilt-r ' laws; nnd she must do tills unliist ti,.! fluenoe of Hainan, the king's favorite. most powerful subject In the kingdom i the nuemy of her people. She mint , it known to ttie king that she xtnx ,. despised race whose lives were In , Dofore Esther ooulcl enter upon till, porlnnt mission aud eucoilnti'r the it ' SCI th, I Trl nee leg by tur connected with sueli nu not, she claimed a fiiHt among her peoplo In Si an, nnd she and hur mnldeus also d nnd prayed. Then she said she won; on nnd do hor best to anve her i thoiteli It should cost her life. At t ,. of the fast Esther dressed herself I, queeuly npnarel and came before tlm, , Ho received her kindly ami asked why am petition might be, promising to gr.n niel Hhe merely mado request tliHt the kin. Pi 0 Human attend u bauipict which she r if tirennrn foe them l..n.l f ir over this honor, nnd of his plan to , Monlooul; of the king's sleepless n nnd his plnn to reward Mordeeal In former kindness ln fumrlntr hiu lo toll con chanters S nnd 0. In chapter 7 tlm . nt the second fenst or bnaqnet Is recur' Here Esther mndo known the plnn of A man to destroy the Jews. Then thna ea, ot the king was turued npou Human ni he ordered that ho be hanged npoi pleB ii!i.iYa no nun prejmreu iir 1M0M. IIIOM-- 1 (,'iv. iomii t wr MorJ. V iueu tue house of Human was Esther, and the ring which bad bo. to Human the king iravo tn !H anteui jjiiil-mu jiurueuui uor COUslUt tho house of Hnmno. 8. "Esther spake yet ngaln." Thew; Human wns out of the wav, and the : of the king was turned to 'Esther ninl: dnent. vet the decree w not i t.-al.n. r i , . This Esther would entreat the kliu ti ers the day came for the execution. uown nt his foot besought bin imirn. i i was run nuinnee itn,i of a suppliant. Her work was not until hor peoplo were saved from dn Jp 4. "The king held out the goldou tre." Iu token that her request walk ceptod nnd tbat she noedod uo louif.fL iniuutalu the humble attitude of a s.f . ' not. 5. "Reverse the letters devised bvp':: man." it mny be supposed that Al: rus hesitated In this perploxiug cii-i not knowing how to extricate himself J credit from so great a dlrtleultv. an,l luctnnt to proclaim to all the worl roily into whlou he has been seduoetl. joiner, wuu grent uisorotlon, nv I every Intimation that t he klu him,.;' lusuod tboriecreo, nnd orpressed uor,' Ai If it hnd been not only Human's devi" altogether his work, ns though thu fm bad been forged by him. I 8. "How cau I endure." She doi-J urge the Innooenoe cf tho Jews, but! pleads their affinity to her. ' f 8. "Wrlto ye also for the Jews, f r" writing which Is written may no uci verse." "According to the i'eralan c f , t tutlon the former edict could not 'VjL' vokod; hence they could not repeal ti:, oroe, hut provide an antidote." Ho , , strange nnd even ridiculous this m 1)15 procedure may appear, It wus thoonV-rf which from the peculiarities of cour:'0v(' quette In Persia could bo adopted. 15. "Mordooat went out. ...In rovaUVEr parol." Hut a fow duys before, Mo:;, was In snnkclotli aud all thu HAQi In sorrow; now Mordooal Is In purpKQi the Jews In joy. The royal apparel belonged to his pluoe, or the king a ;nPC ' ed t to him ns a favorite. A dross n i'm , .mil wblte wns held In Croat estiii:,-; i among tho Persians, so thnt Mor i . i whom the if Ing delighted to honor, v'f ey fact arrayed lu tho roynl dress anil y. lila. "Hhushun rejoiced." Tho peoplf i sensible of thoir advantage In tho Vj-L! meut of Mordouai, aud looked for jjgiav times when so good a man was lu ' Kv When tho wicked perish there Is nUoiV wheu the righteous nre in nutlioril ; ' pooplo rejoice, liamau was too pro ! j, bo popular; fow lamented his fall. .;Th was populnr respect for Mor.looiW. ' 5 10. "The Jews hnd light, gludness honor." The decree thut could not b"iccpt tormnnded was erased, aufl tlm irtain saved from destruction. Ever sluci' i,. they have kept tho fast of Purlin n, the 18th nnd 14tu of Adar (about )JHDei 1st) iu memory of theso days. The tmltU history wrought good In the charao enu1' the Jews aud proclaimed their rollgl '! thoir God. The Jews were content11 t' being permitted to defend their n U Wheu tho dooree went out unuVQubat king's seal In favor of the Jows It wo !. ' understood that lie hold their lives f18" lous, and as far ns possible would fVB t" them, though "It laid him under the dig! slty of eunotlng a olvll war lu his owreni f minions, for both sides might tnko uu j by his authority, nnd yet agnlust M thorltv." Kl Mo 17. "In ovory province. . ,.olty."( will, ouly In BhuBhau, but In all other rn.a . whore the Jows resided, thoy onturt". jT ono nnotlior nt their homes aud fenst'tr,l,n giithor, being full of Joy nt this nit. Hell 1 of thoir nltulrs. If thoy hnd notH ha, threatened und in distress thoy )i'hitinn hnd occasion for this extraordinary"10" Therefore are God's pooplo eomr- - mado to sow la tears that they may ti so mucli. Uiojn6r8 joy. "Many I s JTwS.n MuSy of the Persians 1 1 proselytos to the Jewish rollglon, m they wore olroumolaed Is not plobui) . Is likely, however, that thoy roh'. ? idolatry and beenmo worshipers i truo God. Suoh proselyt03 there w all times, especially lu the days ol -and Bolomon, wliou the ntTalrs of th f t wore very prosperous. Human thonJjfii root out the Jews; but It proved tlm ' numbers wore greutly lnerensed. seen thnt tho strength of right and 9 SkJf was with them. "Fear of the Jw'L them." Hainan's fate warned them, ifSj Jews' power, and when thoy observe wonderfully divine Provldeuou had L them and wrought for them In this 'flgj junoture,. thoy thought them gri, ihcso happy that wre among thorn; 5 fore they aumo over to them, aa : J i told. Zech. 8:23. Compure Deut, 335 J ,c Early Mnrrlajea of Royalty. Royal personages almost Invar marry young. The queen was no 21 when she married Prince AlbcrJ prince of Wales was not 22 wl? wedded Princess Alexandra; thi czar of Russia was only 22 wW married Princess Dagmar, slater princess ot Wales, who was 20; I Humbert of. Italy wag 24 when li rled the 17-vear-old Marehorltif IS the emperor of Austria was 23 w f jde wedded the lovely Princess Ell'5 1 who was only 16. The king of ti lia Klaus was first married at the J wo 18: the late king of Spain was n str lirbl at the age of 19, and had a ;ad' wife when he was 22, and the C emperor was only 22 when he n ,tat 'tak the Princess Augustus Vie: Schleswlg Holsteln - Augustenb Tlt-Bltfl. one Vro: A ITulque l'uatnflloe. No other sovereign has what 1 or William has. This la a IItt! inu cim I phi 11101 not .vitl office all for his own use. Tliei apeclal staff ot officer detailed after, sort and distribute the hu, of letters tbat com for the t every day. .1.