Corvallis gazette. [volume], November 13, 1900, Image 1

About Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909

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CORVALLIS
GAZETTE.
SEMI-WEEKLY.
SEET'iM. I Consolidated Feb., 1899.
CORTALLIS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, NOYEMBEK 13, 1900.
YOE. I. NO. 29.
WE TWO MAKE A WORLD.
We two make home of any place we go;
We two find joy in any kind of
weather;
Or if the earth is clothed in bloom or
snow.
If summer days invite, or bleak winds
blow.
What matters it if wc two are to
gether ?
We two, we two, we make our world,
our weather.
We two make banquets of the plainest
fare;
In every cup we find the thrill of pleas
ure; We hide with wreaths the furrowed brow
of care
And win to smiles the set lips of despair,
For us life always moves with lifting
measure;
We two, we two, we make our world,
our pleasure.
We two find youth renewed with every
dawn ;
Each day holds something of an un
known glory.
We waste no thought on grief or pleas
ure gone;
Tricked out like hope, time leads us on
and on,
And thrums upon his harp new song
or story,
We two, we two, we find the paths of
glory.
We two make heaven here on this little
earth;
We do not need to wait for realms
eternal.
We know the use of tears, know sor
row's worth,
And pain for us is always love's rebirth.
Our paths lead closely by the paths
supernal ;
We two, we two, we live in lov eter
nal. Century.
it
I The Trappers Trapped t
HT was 6 o'clock on an autumn even
ing. The streets of Birmingham
were swept with rain. I had had a
tolerably successful day, and there re
posed in my pockets the sum of 20,
which I had collected from my firm's
customers. Having nothing particular
to do, and the torrents of rain abso
lutely prohibiting all open-air enjoy
ments, I went to the hotel I was staying
at and called for some brandy, and
while sipping it was Joined by a stran
ger, who seemed eager to enter into
conversation with me.
Nothing backward, and with tongue
fairly set a-wagging, I talked too, and
I believe that before many moments he
had ascertained that I had money be
longing to my employer in my posses
sion. The brandy finished, nothing would
satisfy my new-found friend but that
he should take me to a music hall,
where there were more brandies, espe
cially one with a flavor that was un
usual to me, and then forgetfulness.
The next thing 1 knew was this: The
rain clouds had strolled away, and fitful
gleams of moonlight revealed to me the
fact that I was in a strange room,
lying on a strange bed. Two o'clock
chimed out from a neighboring steeple.
Sobered with fright, I raised myself,
and then, quick as a lightning flash,
came the thought my money! My
clothes were thrown across the bottom
of the bed. I searched the trousers'
pocket; the gold was there.
Then I heard voices in soft conversa
tion coming up from below. Noiselessly
I opened the bed-room door and list
ened. "Sure he's all serene?" queried one
voice, to which another responded: "He
won't wake till 6, at the earliest."
"Very good," said the first voice.
"Mind if he wakes while you're doing
It " The sentence was punctuated
by the click of a pistol, and I shivered
not from cold.
"And at 6 or 7, or whenever he does
wake," continued the voice, "tell him
you picked him up drunk in the street
and carried him In here out of compas
sion for safety, and you will easily con
vince him that he was robbed out of
doors."
Here a step on the stairs warned me
to close the door, and I got back to
bed. Hearing the knob of the door
turn, I began to breathe heavily after
the fashion of a drunken man, and the
next instant, shading the candle with
his hand, there appeared the form of a
strange man, who was soon peering fix
edly into my face.
Satisfied, apparently, with his exam
ination, my visitor searched my pock
ets, and took out the gold. He went to
a bird cage, which now for the first
time I observed hanging up, drew out
Its slide, and undressed and lay down
beside me.
He was soon asleep, and hope sprang
np within me; but, alas! of all the light
sleepers, he was the lightest I ever
knew.
Whenever I moved he appeared to be
on the alert; it was impossible to crawl
out of bed without his being conscious
of the fact. Besides, under his pillow
I knew was the pistol, and in despair
I had reluctantly to rest on as calm and
unconcerned as I possibly could.
All wakeful, I passed that horrible
night, and the slow hours dragged on
Interminably. But at length a project
presented Itself to my own sharpened
senses, which project I put into execu
tion when 6 o'clock struck.
"Failure," said I to myself, "means
simply death; success means a saved
reputation with my employers and a
vow of strictest sobriety."
Everything being perfectly quiet, I
simulated a gradual waking up, and
my first yawn opened the eyes of my
bedfellow. The second had the effect
of raising him from his recumbent po
sition in the bed, and when I slowly
and painfully awoke he was bending
over me, all solicitude.
Daylight was now stealing into the
room.
"My poor fellow," exclaimed the as
siduous one, "how do you feel now?
You will wonder, no doubt, at being in
my bed, but the fact is you were ill last
night, were you not?"
"111?" I said; "ill?" and put my hand
mechanically to my head. "Well, I
think 1 must have been; my head does
ache so!"
He smiled, and replied: "Well, mv
dear fellow, not to put too fine a point
upon it, I found you late last night in
the gutter, just a little bit the worse for
liquor, and two somewhat disreputable
looking men who were with you asked
me if I could manage to look after you
for the night."
I expressed my profound thanks to
my good friend for his unselfish kind
ness, but he modestly waved them
aside, saying deprecatingly:
"Duty, sir, duty! I cannot neglect a
genuine case of human suffering or dan
ger without some attempt, however
slight, at succor."
I thanked him again.
"I am ill," I said. "I had too much
brandy yesterday. I must have a hair
of the dog that bit me; I must have a
nip now. It is the only thing which
will put me right. If you have any
brandy in the house, for heaven's sake,
sir, bring me a drop!"
He hesitated a moment, then rejoin
ed: "Certainly; lie there, and I'll be
back with it in a moment," and disap
peared. Much quicker than I can relate it, I
sprang up, went to the bird cage, drew
the sliding tray, transferred all the
contents into my handkerchief, and
thence into my coat pockets, finally re
placing the tray. Not a moment too
soon was I back between the sheets,
for in an instant my good Samaritan
arrived with the brandy. I drank, and
professed to be much better. I dressed,
and so did he.
Would I have breakfast? No; I most
reluctantly asked to be excused, being
in haste to catch the first train I possi
bly could back to town. .
I searched in my trousers' pockets for
my money, gave a start of surprise,
"They have robbed me, those villains
robbed me last night!" and simulated
as well as I could a most woeful expres
sion of grief and despair. My good
friend sympathized deeply with me. He
invoked maledictions on the head of
any one who could be base enough to
rob an unfortunate stranger, and with
a generosity well-nigh unparalleled he
pressed upon me to accept, seeing I was
penniless, as a temporary loan if I
liked, the sum of ten shillings."
"Do take it," he urged. "I am not
rich myself, but a few shillings are at
your disposal if you care to take them."
"So, with renewed assurances of in
debtedness, I wished my estimable ben
efactor adieu, told him I should never
forget him as long as I lived and de
parted. What the locality was I knew
not, but I wandered nay, rushed on
and on, until I saw a sleepy-looking
jehu, whom I bade drive me with all
possible speed to the station. The
train was just starting, and I jumped
into an empty compartment. Hastily I
untied the bag and scanned its contents.
Lo and behold! I found that I had
swept the bird-cage clean, for when I
counted the money there was almost
50.
I advertised In vain for the owner of
the bag, and failed to recall the place
where I had spent the night. Now I am
happily and peacefully settled in life,
and when round the fireside I am called
on for a story nothing delights me bet
ter than to tell my tale of how the trap
pers were trapped.
A PROFESSIONAL INSULT.
Series of Off-Hand Remarks on Butch
ering Contest'.
Within the week there were several
Detroit doctors sitting in conversation,
reports the Free Press, and the appear
ance of a layman with whom they were
all acquainted did not check their talk.
"Yes, sir," declared one of them, with
as much pride as Is compatible with
professional ethics, "I performed that
operation in just a shade under fifteen
minutes. If that is not the record I've
failed to hear of the operator that
beat it."
"Did the patient recover?" innocently
inquired the layman.
"No, sir," Indignantly. "It was a very
serious case, sir."
One of the younger physicians
winked at the layman, while another
of the profession proceeded to relate
how he had performed an operation of
a different kind and had the evidence
of a stopwatch that he had established
a precedent.
"Patient recover?" again inquired the
practical layman.
Same indignant reception of the ques
tion, same assurance that it was a
beautiful piece of work, and same inci
dental admission that the patient join
ed the great majority. The young doe
tor also worked in another surrepti
tious wink.
Then another of the doctors told of a
case which had surprised the other
fellows because of the celerity with
which it was done, and this time the
young doctor delicately brought out the
fact that the operation had increased
the percentage of mortality.
By this time the layman felt in duty
bound to contribute his share to the
pleasures of the occasion, and began to
tell of a beef -butchering contest he had
witnessed in Kentucky. He was inno
cent enough, but all the doctors except
the youngest left, and as they passed
out with their heads in the air he fired
off one more wink and boldly informed
the unsuspecting layman that he was a
corker of the corkers.
Some people are like hens; they no
sooner accomplish anything than they
make an unnecessary fuss about It.
Widowers, like tumbled-dowD. houses
should be repaired.
CHILEEN'S COLUMN.
A DEPARTMENT FOR LITTLE
BOYS AND GIRLS.
Something that Will Interest the Ju
venile Members of Every Household
Quaint Actions and Bright Sayings
of Many Cnte and Cunning Children.
Battered and bruised and worn and old,
Bereft of his mane and tail,
A veteran charger stanch and bold,
He has weathered life's fiercest gale.
The hero of many a gallant raid,
In many a bloodless war,
A soldier of fortune, undismayed
By battle and wound and scar!
'Neath the guiding touch of a little hand
He has traveled many a mile
Through the wonderful realms of "Play
like" Land,"
Where the spirits of Fancy smile.
And many a tale his lips could tell
Of journeys to lands afar,
THE NUBSERV CHABGER.
Where beautiful maids enchanted dwell
And giants keep lock and bar!
But, strange to say, in his boldest flight,
Though he halted or rested not
Through all his travels by day or
night
He has stood in the self-same spot!
He was ridden far, he was ridden hard;
He has borne fierce taunts and blows,
And oft has felt, as sweet reward,
A kiss on his worn-out nose.
And though he is rather the worse for
wear.
And is crippled and scarred and old,
In the eyes of his master he still is fair
And worth all his weight in gold.
Ida Goldsmith Morris.
Two College Boys.
Two boys left home with just money
enough to take them through college,
after which they must depend entirely
upon their own efforts. They attacked
the collegiate problems successfully,
passed the graduation, received their
diplomas from the faculty, also com
mendatory letters to a large ship-building
firm with which they desired em
ployment Ushered into the waiting
room of the head of the firm, the first
was given an audience. He presented
his letters.
"What can you do?" asked the man
of millions.
"I should like some sort of a clerk
ship." "Well, sir, I will take your name and
address, and should we have anything
of the kind open, will correspond with
you."
As he passed out he remarked to his
waiting companion, "You can go in and
'leave your address."
The other presented himself and his
papers.
"What can you do?" was asked.
"I can do anything that a green hand
can do, sir," was the reply.
The magnate touched a bell, which
called a superintendent.
"Have you anything to put a man to
work at?"
"We waut a man to sort scrap iron,"
replied the superintendent.
And the college graduate went to
sorting scrap iron.
One week passed and the president
meeting the superintendent, asked,
"How is the new man getting along?"
"Oh," said the boss, "he did his work
so well, and never watched the clock,
that I put him over the gang."
In one year this man had reached the
head of a department and an advisory
position with the management at a sal
ary represented by four figures, while
his whilom companion was "clerk" in
a livery stable, washing harnesses and
carriages.
Girl Life in Pao-Tlng-Fu.
Among the missionaries of the Amer
ican board at Pao-Ting-Fu, China, is
Miss Mary S. Morrill, a teacher in the
girls' school there. In a recent letter,
published in the New York Tribune, she
gives the following interesting aecount
of a day in a Chinese girl's school life:
"The first bell rings at 6:15 o'clock, and
at once the work of the morning toilet
begins. The girls dress alike, baggy
trousers, which are fastened at the
ankle by a strong ribbon, and a sack
that reaches nearly to the knees. The
latter has five buttons, one at the
throat, one on the right shoulder and
three under the arm.
"One of the girls always sees that the
water in the bathroom Is warmed for
the morning face washing, because a
Chinese would shiver with astonish
ment were she expected, even In sum
mer, to make her toilet with cold water.
Breakfast frequently consists of corn
meal cakes, cabbage stew and the re
mainder ot the previous night's por
ridge. White flour, being a special
treat, is used only twice a week. This
Is usually accompanied by a little meat, 1
which Is chopped fine with cabbage and
onions. Sweet potatoes and turnips,
fresh and salted, make a variety in the
week's bill of fare. Suppers consist
of porridge made of cornmeal, millet or
rice. Beans are often mixed with the
millet and rice.
"The girls do their own laundering.
Instead of being ironed, the clothes are
folded smoothly while damp and laid
upon a stone slab and pounded" vigor
ously with wooden pestles.
"For recreation there are swings,
jumping ropes and jackstones, and the
girls enjoy weaving articles out of corn
stalks. The retiring bell rings at 8:30
o'clock. The crusade against foot
binding has been waged with success
at Pao-Ting-Fu."
A New and Peculiar Farm.
Some years ago 2,000 acres of land
were purchased in Florida for the pur
pose of raising wild animals, so that
circus men and menagerie owners
would not have to go to India and Af
rica for their beasts. The people of
Florida, however, objected to' the
thought of having ferocious lions,
bears, elephants, etc., running loose In
their community, so the scheme was
abandoned. Our war with Spain de
layed matters for awhile, but now three
islands off the coast of Florida have
been secured and already expeditions
are being fitted out to search for ani
mals and to have them brought to the
new farm. The islands are far enough
apart that they cannot swim from one
to the other, and there is no fear of
them getting away. The new homes
are covered with woods, and in some
parts a thick underbrush, so it will
seem to the animals quite like their
native jungles. Care will be taken to
divide the animals in such a way that
the quarrelsome ones will not be on the
same islands, so they will probably be
more peaceful than In their own homes.
George I 1. and His Pa-;e.
George III. was sitting one day in the
library of his palace alone when, the
fire getting low, he summoned the page
In waiting and desired him to fetch
some coals. Instead of promptly obey
ing the king's command the page rang
the bell for the footman, whose duty
it was to perform this office and who
happened to be an old man. His maj
esty was greatly displeased at this
want of consideration for the foot
man's age. He therefore resolved to
rebuke the young man for his want of
thought. He ordered -the youth to con
duct him to the place where the coals'
were kept. Having filled the scuttle,!
his majesty carried it to the library
with his own hands. Then, handing:
the scuttle to his page, he said: "I am
ashamed, sir, of your disrespect to my
aged footman. Never again, while in
my service,. ask rn oljman to do what
you are so much better able to do your-)
Self."' r
Had Gray ITaU-j Anvway,
"Mamma," said little Johnny at the
breakfast table the other morning, "this
is awful old butter, isn't it?'-'
"Why do you think it is old, dear?"
asked his mother.
'"Cause," replied Johnny, "I just
found a gray hair in it."
Who George Was.
"Who was George Washington, Nel
lie?" asked the teacher of a little girl
In the primary department.
"He was Mrs. Washington's second
husband," was the truthful but rathe
unexpected reply.
Of Course Ma Know.
My ma says I'm the best boy
In all the town, you know;
And T believe it, for you see,
What my ma says is so.
One Good Turn.
Sir Henry Hawkins, who was raised
to the-peerage as Baron Brampton after
a long term on the criminal bench, was
a notable terror to evil-doers. Toward
the close of his career, he happened to
arrive at a railway station, and was
at once accosted by a rough fellow who
seemed very anxious to assist him in
handling his baggage.
Struck by his friendliness, Sir Henry
said: "You seem very desirous of help
ing me, my friend."
"That's what I am, sir," replied the
man. "You see, sir, once you did me a
good turn."
"Yes?" asked the judge. "When and
where, pray?"
"Well," said the fellow, "it was when
ye 'ung Crooked Billy. Me an' Billy
onct was pals, but we fell out, and Billy
says as 'ow next time 'e dropped eyes
on me 'e'd do for me with a knife. I
knowed Billy, and knowed 'e do as 'e
said; and so 'e would, sir, If you 'adn't
'ung 'im in time. So I'd like to do you
a good turn, too, Sir 'Enry."
Kept Comfortable.
One would almost wish to be a fish
when the hot summer winds blow, and
especially a fish in the aquarium at
Battery Park, New York.
The officials there have made arrange
ments that add greatly to the comfort
of the fish during the warm weather.
Some of these inhabitants of the
aquarium require cooler water than that
pumped from the harbor, although that
suited them well enough in winter. The
water is therefore cooled for them dur
ing the hot weather.
There is one creature in the aquarium
for which the water must be heated all
the year round. It is a little West In
dian seal, the only one that has been
successfully kept in captivity. It was
caught with eleven others in the waters
of what is called "The Triangle," off
the coast of Yucatan. The others all
died, but this one was saved by extra
ordinary care, and the authorities are
naturally proud of it.
A Kipling Slump.
A slump in early Kiplings has been
noted at recent London auction sales.
The "Schoolboy Lyrics," which a cou
ple of years ago brought $650, has been
sold recently for $16.25.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS.
Warning Notes Calling the Wicked to
Repentance.
EN are not saved
by sentiment.
A vice is al
ways more dan
gerous than a
crime.
T o substitute
the good Is the
best way to -eradicate
the bad.
It is vain boast
ing of your sap
unless you pro
duce the fruit
Dullness sometimes passes for depth.
Ground that is barren to seed is often
rich in gold.
It Is not the flower-pot that makes
the blossoms.
There is no individual liberty apart
from social responsibility.
There are too many Christians who
are only leavened in spots.
It only takes two to make a Chris
tian Christ and the lost one.
Wings of prayer can carry you where
serpents of sin cannot crawl.
We cannot create spiritual powei,
but we may create its conditions.
Public wrongs will not be righted till
men are saved from personal sin.
Noah, who could face the world, was
overthrown alone in his own vineyard.
A man's life never rises above its
perpetual sources, hence the need of
being born from above.
The taste of the fruits of the tree of
Life forever spoil the appetite for the
bitter weeds of the world.
It is better to have a dog come in and
stir up an excitement among the pews
than to have no interest iu the meeting
at all.
JUGGLERS ARE HYPNOTISTS.
One Explanation of the Wonderful
Tricks Seen in India.
A correspondent writing from India
regarding the theory that the jugglers
perform their tricks by "will power"
says: "During the course of the In
dian mutiny I made the acquaintance
of one of these gentlemen of India, who
tried to instruct me how to perform
these tricks. He said It was all imag
inary on the part of the spectators, as
he simply willed that they should see
those things. Yet I, in common with
western nations, was too animalized,
sensual and materialized by flesh-eating
and consumption of alcohol to re
tain or accept any deep spiritual teach
ing. "The most exciting performance that
he gave for my amusement was the
converting of a bamboo stick into a na
tive servant. Afterward in his ab
sence I tried it on and to my surprise
the same man was before me asking
for Instructions. I directed him to fill
the chatties on the veranda with water
from the well in the compound. This
lie proceeded to do. When he had filled
them all to overflowing I requested him
to stop. He, however, took no notice
of me and went on stolidly bringing in
the water, until, in my excited imagina
tion, it seemed that the bungalow
would be washed away. Finding that
I could not arrest or stop his move
ments, he passing through me as though
I did not exist, I drew my sword and
lay in wait for him. Making a slash I
apparently cut him in twain, when, lo!
there were two men bringing in the
water, neither of whom could I restrain
or prevent from doing so.
"I was completely out of my depth,
when I heard a quiet laugh behind me,
and on turning I found it was my in
structor, who held up his right hand
and the two men disappeared, the stick
resuming its place on the veranda, and,
to crown all, there was not the slight
est sign of any water having been
brought in. I excitedly appealed to him
for an explanation. He said that he
had been present all the time, having
willed that he should be invisible to me
and that I should imagine myself to
see and do what I thought had taken
place. In order to prove it he asked me
to step out into the compound and di
rected my attention to a huge cavern,
which I knew was not there before. As
I entered a number of huge elephants
and camels issued from it in a con
tinuous stream, yet I could not touch
one of them. They apparently passed
over me as though I did not exist. He
again raised his hand and the cavern
and the animals disappeared and there
was no indication of any exodus of any
kind." Scottish Nights.
The Woman and Her Conquest.
There was once a Woman who Suc
ceeded in Attaching to Herself a very
Eligible Young Man. She had Taken
Great Pains to do this, and she was
very Much Gratified at the Result of
her Labors. So was Her Mother. They
Walked upon the Pier dally with the
Young Man, to Show Him Offv
"See what my Daughter has Done
for Herself!" said the Mother. "And yet
it was Nothing to her she Accomplish
ed it all Very Easily. They are As
Good As Engaged. It is Wonderful
how My Daughter Attracts Every
body." The Other "Women Heard this and Re
sented It. "If She can Attract him so
Easily," said they, "it would be a Pity
if We could not"
And they Set About It with Such Zeal
that in a few days the eligible Young
Man decided that with So Many to
Choose From he need not Make Up His
Mind immediately, and the Woman's
opportunity was Lost Then her Moth
er regretted her Premature Satisfac
tion, but It was Too Late.
This teaches us that She Laughs Best
who Laughs Least. Harper's Bazar.
A woman of experience says it is
Impossible to keep children or stair car
pete in place without using the rod.
Fugar Beet's Tinect Bnemies.
The sugar beet has had its full quota
of insect enemies, and not the least
among them has been the pale flea
beetle. This insect
measures about one
eighth of an inch in
length and is yellow
ish brown in color.
Down each wing cov
er extends a yellow
stripe. All the severe
injury has been dur-
, . i . , . 'i-1 1. ii
BLISTER BEETLE. lng Uiy WeaiUCl. ilic
danger is confined largely to the early
part of the season, while the plants are
young and it is not too late to reseed.
It appears the best course to spray with
paris green, using one pound to 175 gal
lons of water and adding one pound of
quicklime.
Like several other Insects, the blister
beetles were satisfied with the food pro-
vided by nature until the advent of the I
the beet. True they
did occasionally levy
a tax on potatoes, but
they dearly love the
.wild vetches and al
most any plant of the
pea or bean family.
With the advent of
the sugar beet the
Duster oeeties were pale flea beetle,
provided with another source of food
very much to their taste and one which
they seem to prefer to most others. As
a rule, the blister beetles appear dur
ing the latter half of July and become
numerous during August and Septem
ber, devouring the leaves and doing
great damage. When the danger of
real injury becomes apparent, there is
usually little difficulty in ridding the
plants by a spray of paris green and
lime, applied at the rate of one pound
of the poison to 175 gallons of water.
Often the beefles will keep coming In
from the outside, and when the first
spray has lost its effect from rain or
other cause it may be necessary to re
peat the treatment.
Taking Care of a Root Crop.
Roots of all kinds are best preserved
in pits made in this way. The pits are
dug out in some dry and convenient
place safe from water. They should be
three feet deep, four feet wide, and ten
or twelve feeet long. The roots are
heaped in the pits as shown, and
brought to a point at the top. They
are then covered with sheaves of straw
lengthwise up and down, to shed wa
ter, the straw being thick enough to
ueep out the frost. The straw is then
covered with the earth thrown out, as
to keep it safe from being blown away,
as well as for a protection from the
cold. Ventilation, however, must be
provided for, so that the heat escaping
from the close packed roots may es
cape, and this is done by leaving
bunches of straw in spaces ten feet or
so apart set upright in the peak of the
covering. These pits are opened at the
end and as the roots are taken out the
openings are carefully closed up. It Is
quite safe to keep roots in this way un
til late in the summer, so that the cat
tle need not be turned on to the pas
tures before the grass Is well grown.
Permanent Farm improvements.
There are some very desirable Im
provements that the farmer might like
to make in his buildings or his sur
roundings that seem almost out of his
reach, because they cannot be made
without an expenditure of ready money
greater than he has at command. And
there are others that require but little
more than the labor, and are within
the means of every one. A few fruit
or shade trees or shrubs set about the
house, a space made for a flower gar
den where seeds may be sown in fall
or spring, a clearing up of the rubbish
of old wagons and tools and wasto
lumber around house and barn, or
mending gates and fences, will make
the place seem more homelike, and as
if civilized people lived there, and less
like a Boer or an Indian camp. Then it
will cost but little to set some of the
bush fruits and a grape vine or two,
and in a few years they will add to the
table luxuries enough to make the farm
more pleasant as well as more profit
able. These improvements can be made
even when lumber for new buildings
or the paint for old ones are unattain
able. Exchange.
Lifting Roots.
The work of harvesting the Swedish
turnips may be done much more easily
by running a plow along at the side of
the row, turning the soil away from
the roots. While some varieties root
very deeply, there are others which do
not need this assistance. Even the car
rot and parsnip may also be taken up
much more easily, but it needs one to
throw them out behind the team if they
are so closely planted as not to give
I
ROOT PIT.
space enough for the horse to walk be
tween the rows. Where they are in
double rows between two rows of cel
ery, or have been In alternate rows
with onions, as some grow them, they
can be reached even without throwing
the roots out of the way. To one who
has not tried this it would be astonish
ing to see how easily a carrot a foot
long will lift when a furrow six inches
deep has been made at one side of the
row. American Cultivator.
Knglish Wheat Deteriorating.
English millers say that they are
obliged to mix large quantities of im
ported wheat with the home-grown
wheat to obtain a sample of flour that
will rank as first class and command a
good price. They say that the quality
of the English wheat has degenerated
for milling purposes, and charge that
this is in part the result of a lack of
care in selecting seed. There is no doubt
that inferior seed, small or shrunken,
will result in a poorer grain, especially
if the practice is continued. The large,
plump grain is the cheapest seed to use.
A change of seed from one locality to
another may have some effect in im
proving it, and experiments in regard
to cross fertilization are in progress,
which are hoped will unite the good
qualities of some of the most hardy,
prolific and best milling varieties. Some
of them have been very successful thus
far.
Portable Fence.
This portable fence is an Indispen
sable factor in the successful and eco
nomical handling of the flock on a small
farm or where the system of mixed hus
bandry is practiced. Many opportuni
ties will be presented during the year
where it can be used advantageously
in dividing pastures or for confining
sheep upon certain portions of a field.
It will be found invaluable as a quick
method for constructing pens, either
large or small, at shearing time or for
docking, tagging or dipping. In the
PAXKL OF FENCE.
winter season these hurdles are a great
convenience for inclosing feeding yards,
lots for exercise and small plats for
subdivisions of the flock. In the figure Is
shown a view of the hurdle in place,
with a pair of supports. In use eacn
of the supports serves to hold up as
well as to join together the ends of
two succeeding panels. To prevent
the fence from being blown over, a
stake should be driven about every 50
feet, to which the hurdle should be
wired down.
Sowing Lawns.
In seeding down a lawn in the fall
winter wheat may be sown with the
grass seed, and it will not only prevent
the soil from washing, but give the
ground a beautiful fresh green sward
early in the spring, which may be kept
clipped, but will remain until the grass
is well grown among it. The wheat will
keep down the weeds, and the change
from the green of the wheat to that of
the grass will be so gradual as to be
scarcely noticeable. The sward will be
firm and even if the work is well done,
without holes or gullies. If the lawn is
not made until spring oats or spring rye
may do as well, though we prefer the
oats. These methods are much prac
ticed by the gardeners around Wash
ington and in the parks of some other
cities, to save the trouble and expense
of sodding large areas.
Advertise Tour Business.
A Kansas farmer has erected a sign
board at his gate at the roadside on
which is painted his name and the
name of his farm, and below it is a
blackboard on which he writes a list
of what he may have to sell. He says
he has sold in a short time two cows
and calves to persons who were attract
ed by his sign, and he considers the
plan a success. It is an excellent idea,
so far as local trade is concerned, and
when one has more to sell than there is
likely to be a demand for at home, let
him put his sign in the columns of a
good newspaper which is likely to reach
the class who will want to buy. If one
wants to buy or sell, there is nothing
gained by keeping It private.
Fweet Clover.
A Missouri correspondent of the
Kansas Farmer says of the Bokhara or
sweet clover that he thinks it one of the
best forage plants for the arid regions
of the Western States, and that cattle
eat the hay in preference to any other.
It will grow on soils where nothing else
grows, and will soon make them fertile
enough to grow other clover. It will
kill out all weeds and small bushes and
take complete possession of the land,
yet as it is a biennial it cannot become
a pest if mown before it goes to seed,
as it dies out root and branch in two
years.
Beef and Dairying.
Not all the farmers in the West will
care to go into the beef-producing busi
ness. There are some sections where
dairying has become established and
successful, and where this is the case
it will doubtless be the most successful
to pursue it as frequent changes from
one branch of farming to another are
generally demoralizing and unprofita
bleAmerican Cultivator.