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T5he Scovirge I A Story of I
the East...
qtDamascus By
SYLVANUS
^ COBB. JR.
Copyrighted 1891 by Robert Bonner's Sons.
CHAPTER XXII.
The Executioners.
At an early hour the following
morning he sent for Omar, who soon
answered the call.
“I have one word to say—one re
quest to make,” said Horam, after the
morning's greetings had passed. “I
wish you once more to tell me the
story of Helena’s innocence, and
thenceforth to remain silent upon the
subject. I may have dreamed some
of the things that now startle my
thoughts; for I am not clear at what
point you left me last night.”
Thus called upon, the king of Aleppo
related all that he had told on the
previous evening, and then made some
further explanation of incidents which
he had not before revealed. It was a
* plain, simple statement, hearing the
* stamp of truth upon every word.
“O!” groaned Horam, clasping his
thin hands together, “what would I
give to call Helena back to life! But
it cannot be. She is gone—and she
was innocent!"
He started up from his seat, and
walked several times across the floor;
and when he next approached his
royal guest, he had grown calmer,
and his lip had ceased its quivering.
“Omar, I have no blame for you.
Henceforth let the book be sealed.”
He had taken one or two more
turns up and down the apartment,
when a- messenger entered with intelli
gence that Benoni had arrived, and
desired audience.
"Send him in at once. Good brother,
you will remain with me.” This last
was spoken to Omar, who had turned
to leave.
In a little while Benoni made his
appearance, and Horam was sure he
could see the flush of victory upon his
brow.
“Now, my captain, what word do
you bring?”
"Good word, sire. We have cap
tured those whom you desired to see,
and have also brought an old man
«. and old woman who resided in the
cave.”
“Have you brought the Lady Ulin—
and the robber chieftain—and Osmir
^ and Selim?”
“Yes, sire.”
“And these others are the old her
mit, Ben Hadad, and the woman who
lives with him?"
“Yes, sire.”
“By the crown I wear! cried the
monarch, leaping up and clapping his
hands, “this is enough to make me
forget the wrongs I have suffered. Let
the robber chieftain and the two
treacherous guards be brought before
me. But—hold. There was one other
spoken of by the Arab—the lieutenant
—Hobaddan his name was.”
“He was not in the cave, sire; nor
was he about the place.”
“Very well. Let the chieftain be
brought in.”
The captain retired, and presently
returned, followed by Julian and the
two guards. They were heavily iron
ed, and six stout soldiers walked be
hind them. The youthful chieftain
had schooled himself for the ordeal,
and no sign of fear was manifest. Os
Lmir and Selim stood like two deaf
mutes, seeming to care nothing for the
fate that surely awaited them.
“That is all,” said Horam, after he
had looked at the prisoners. "Take
them out, and guard them well. Place
twenty of your most trusty men over
them, and remember that those twenty
heads shall answer for the safety of
the charge.”
“Shall I conduct them to a dun
geon, sire?”
“No,—there is no need of it. They
will not live to behold the setting of
this day’s sun!”
Ben Hadad did not tremble when he
stood before the king; nor did Ezabel
seem much frightened.
V> “Old man,” said Horam, “I under
stand that you have harbored and pro
tected the notorious Scourge, Julian.”
“He hath found shelter with me, as
have all who ever sought it,” replied
the hermit.
“And you also harbored the lady
Ulin. You knew who she was, and
that she had fled from her home.”
“Yes.”
“And perhaps you knew why she
fled?”
> She told me her story, sire.”
1 “It is enough,” cried the king, im
patiently. “I wish to hear no more.
You both stand condemned, and the
degree of your punishment shall be
made known to you soon enough.
Omar was upon the point of making
some remark, when Benoni entered.
“Now, Benoni,” said Horam, with
more nervousness in his manner than
he had before exhibited, “I have a se
rious question to ask you; and I de
sire that you should answer me
promptly and truly. You have noticed
the conduct of the princess Ulin?”
“Yes, sire, she is in love with Julian
the robber.”
Benoni again went out; but he did
not have to go far, as he met Aboul
coming towards the royal apartment.
The king greeted him as he entered,
and asked him if he had seen his
daughter.
“Yes, sire,” replied the minister. “I
have just left her.”
“Have you talked with her?”
s "Yes.”
“Then you must have discovered the
secret which hath been imparted to
me. Did you speak with her of this
robber chieftain?”
“I did, sire.”
“Well—what did you observe?”
“O, mercy, sire—spare my child!”
“That is not the answer to my ques
tion, Aboul. I asked you what you
discovered.”
“I discovered,” returned the minis
ter, in tones of deepest dread, "that
her love had been turned from you.”
“Aye—and upon whom?”
“Upon Julian, sire.”
“That is it, Aboul,” cried the king,
again starting up. “That is the thing
that enters most deeply into my soul.
And now I will tell you what the girl's
punishment shall be. She shall wit
ness the death of her robber lover; she
shafl see his head severed from his
body—and then she shall be shut up,
to lead a solitary life, through the rest
of her days! None of her own sex
shall attend upon her; but black
guards shall be her sole companions.
What say you to that?”
The executioners were not long in
obeying the order. A large mat was
brought in and spread upon the floor,
and three stout baskets of palm-leaf
were placed upon it. The mat and the
baskets were darkly stained, and even
Omar, used as he was to such scenes,
shuddered when he beheld the prepa
rations. When all was ready, Horam
turned to his captain and ordered that
all the prisoners should be brought in.
At length they came. Julian and
Osmir and Selim came first. Thet fol
lowed Ben Hadad and Ezabel, with
Shubal and Ortok. And lastly came
Ulin and Albia.
The robber chieftain was led up to
the block. His arms were folded upon
his broad bosom, with the heavy
chains hanging almost to his feet,
and his head was borne erect. There
was a deep pain-mark in his face, but
it was not of fear for himself.
“Outlaw!” spoke Horam, through
his shut teeth, and with his thin hands
clenched, “the hour has come in which
you are to close your career of rapine
and robbery; and these people who
have been friends to you, and who
have given you protection in your
crime, are to see your head fall. Per
haps you would ask for mercy.”
"No!” said the chieftain. “I ask no
mercy at the hand of Horam of Da
mascus. Let the work be finished as
quickly as possible, and thus shall one
more be added to the list of thy bloody
deeds. I could wish to live that I
might take more vengeance on thee.”
“And is there not one thing for
which you would live?” asked the king,
bending a searching, burning glance
upon him.
Julian started, and struggled; but
made no reply. And in a moment more
Horam turned to his chief executioner.
“Bel Dara, go now to your work.
Let this man’s head fall first. Your
arm is strong, and your hand is sure.
Bend him upon his knees, and watch
for my signal.”
There was a low, wild cry breaking
upon the air; and as Julian turned his
head, he saw Ulin, white and faint, in
the arms of her attendant.
Before the grim executioners could
bend the robber chieftain to his knees
there was an interruption in the pro
ceedings. The voice of Ben Hadad,
stern and authoritative, sounded above
all else:
King or Damascus, ere you stain
your hands with that man’s blood, I
must reveal to you a secret which it
is fitting you should know.”
“Old man,” he said, “you speak a
secret. Do you think to trifle with
me?”
“I have to cause a simple story to
be unfolded to your majesty,” replied
Ben Hadad; “and if you will grant
this woman speech, she will give you
light.”
The king looked hard into the face
of Ezabel, and for the first time he
seemed to be struck by something fa
miliar in her features. A moment he
sat as if irresolute, and then he said,
starting up as though his mind were
fixed:
“Let the woman approach.”
Ezabel came near to the throne, Ben
Hadad walking close behind her.
“Woman, what is it that you have
to tell? Speak, and let not the words
lag upon your lips.”
“I speak by the request of Ben Ha
dad," replied Ezabel; “and the story
which I shall tell you is known only
to the old hermit and myself. Even
Julian himself knows not the secret I
have to impart, and were he now upon
the verge of death, no persuasion
should draw it from me. It may be
that the disclosure will consign me to
your executioner; but I care not. I
shall waste no words. I was horn in
this city, and was married at an early
age. One son was born to me, and
then my husband died. Shortly after
this bereavement I was called to nurse
a sick child—a girl, some three years
old—who was suffering from an acci
dent. The child recovered under my
care, and as I had formed a strong
attachment for her, and as she had
also conceived the same for me, I was
retained to attend upon her. Her par
ents wero of the wealthiest of Damas
cus, and while they made it very
pleasant for me to remain with their
daughter, they also provided a good
place for my son, Iiobaddan. My
charge grew up to be a beautiful maid
en, and became my mistress; and I
served her with joy, for she was good
and kind and generous; and I knew
that she loved me. In time my mis
tress became a wife, and I went with
her to her new home. For a few
months all went pleasantly under this
new relation; but finally a dark cloud
arose to obscure the heaven of iny
lady's joy. Her husband became jeal
ous of her—became so jealous that his
soul was fraught, with deadly ven
geance. He fancied that his wife’s
guilt had been proved, and he resolved
to put her away from him forever.
Her protestations availed nothing. He
would not listen to her—he would not
even allow her to approach him; but
he gave her into the hands of his ex
ecutioners, and bade them drown her
in the waters of the Pharphar. I dis
covered what was to be done, and
slipped away from the home of the
cruel husband, and sought my son,
who had then become a stout youth.
Hobaddan and I hid ourselves near
the gates of the city, and when the
executioners came out, we followed
them. They had with them a large
sack, and I knew that my mistress
was in it. We saV them sink that
sack in the river—they sank it where
the water was dark and deep—sank
it in the middle of the night—and then
went away. As soon as they were gone
we hurried to the shore, and my son
plunged into the stream, and succeed
ed in bringing the sack to the land.
We opened it, and my sweet mistress
was taken forth, cold and senseless;
but she was not dead. Her heart still
had motion, and after much labor we
succeeded in bringing her back to con
sciousness. The next need was to find
a safe shelter for her. We dared not
take her back to the city. I thought
of the hermit, Ben Hadad. I had
heard that he was a benevolent man,
and I resolved to seek him. We found
his cave; and when he had heard my
story, he promised to give us shelter,
and to protect the unfortunate lady.
“My mistress so far recovered as to
be able to sit up; but she could not
get well. Her system had received too
great a shock, and her poor heart was
broken. In two weeks from the time
when she entered the cave she gave
birth to a son, and shortly afterwards
she died. She died as pure and true
as heaven itself, and her child was the
offspring of an honor which no temp
tation could have tarnished. She died;
but the child lived and thrived—lived,
and grew strong, and noble, and bold.
We told him how his mother had been
wronged; but we did not tell him all.
We did not tell him who his father
was; only we told him that he owed
his orphanage to the king of Damas
cus. When he grew up he resolved
that the king should suffer for the deed
he had done, and subsequent events
have proved that his resolution was
not vain.
“This, sire, is the son of the woman
who was my mistress. Julian, the
Scourge of Damascus is the child I
have reared. Would you know more?”
Horam sat in his great chair, with
his hands clutched tightly upon the
golden arms, and his whole frame quiv
ering.
u, ne gaspea, - trie secret is mgn
to the surface! What shall I ask?”
The king of Aleppo moved to Ho
ram’s side, and whispered in his ear.
“Aye,” exclaimed the quaking mon
arch, when he had listened to the
words of his brother, “it shall be so.
What ho! Benoni—clear this chamber
of all save this old man and woman,
and this—this—Julian! Lead them out
quickly, and remain with them to
watch them.”
In a few moments the two kings
were alone with the three prisoners
who had been designated.
“Now—now—speak! ”
“King of Damascus,” said the aged
hermit, taking a step forward, “allow
me to tell you the rest. The suns of
almost a hundred years have rolled
over my head, and not yet have I wil
lingly deceived a fellow creature to
his injury. What this woman has told
you is true. The lady who was
brought to my cave three-and-twenty
years ago—who gave birth to a child
there—and who died in Ezabel’s arms,
was Helena, Queen of Damascus! And
the son which she bore was the son
of the king—I swear it; and in sup
port thereof, I pledge my soul's sal
vation!”
(To be continued.)
Evidence of Desire to Sell.
Wu Ting-fang, who was a guest at
a recent wedding in Washington, was
approached after the ceremony by the
best man and jocularly asked to go
over to the young couple and pro
nounce a Chinese parental blessing.
The obliging Wu immediately com
plied. Placing his hands on the blush
ing bride and shaking groom, he said:
“May every new year bless you with
a man child offspring until they shall
number twenty-five in all. May these
twenty-five man-children offspring pre
sent you with twenty-five times
twenty-five grandchildren and may
these grandchildren -”
It is said that the little bride grew
hysterical about this time, says the
New York Times, and the best man
made another request of Wu—this
time to desist.
Not the Girl for Him.
The father was quite anxious for his
son to marry, and on every occasion
he was picking out what he thought
was a suitable girl. One night at a
dinner the old gentleman sat next to
a very attractive young woman, and
on his way home he was loud in his
praises. “My boy,” he said, “she’s
the very girl for you.” “Not much,”
replied the boy, with peculiar empha
sis. “But I say she is,” insisted papa.
“And I say not," insisted the son.
The father became testy on the sub
ject. “You’re too hard to please. You
don’t expect a woman to be perfect,
do you?” “No.” “Then why isn’t this
one just the girl for you?” “Because,”
replied the young man with an effort,
“she's for some other fellow. She told
me so last night.”—Chicago Tribute.
:
norioiK institute lor insane splendidly
Managed by Dr. Teel.
STATE FUNDS—WHERE THEY ARE
* 1
Report of the Senate Committee Ap
pointed to Make an Investigation of
the Management of Our State Institu
tions— What They Found.
Lincoln, Nebraska, Oct. 10, 1901.
During the past few years our state
institutions have been the source of
much scandal from one cause and an
other, and at times the people of the
state have been very much incensed
over the reports which In too many
cases have been too true. The scan
dals have completely stopped, and, on
the contrary, these Institutions are the
source of much favorable comment. At
tention is especially directed to the In
sane Asylum at Norfolk, which re
cently was visited by a most disas
trous Are. Dr. George L. Miller of
Omaha visited that institution some
time before the fire and gave the fol
lowing letter to the Omaha World
Herald, which was published In that
paper the mornng of October 4th. The
letter reads as follows:
Norfolk Hospital for Insane.
Omaha, Oct. 1.—To the Editor of the
World-Herald: 1 was much gratified to
read in the World-Herald a few days ago
what I previously knew to be true of the
Hospital for the Insane at Norfolk. I
was a guest of Superintendent Teal for a
day at that institution a short time ago
on his invitation, and am much indebted
to him for the opportunity given me to
see all its inmates and to observe, under
Superintendent Teal's zeal to afford me
information, not only the superior char
acter and plans of the great hospital, hut
to the uttermost opportunity to see with
my own eyes one of the best appointed
and most humanely and intelligently con
ducted asylums for the care, and also
for the cure, of the victims of wrecked
reason that I ever saw. Not a manacle,
not a crib, not a straight-jacket nor any
other of the barbarous devices which in
humanity begotten of ignorance and the
love of power over the defenseless, which
I know to bo in full swing of operation
in similar Institutions not far from
Omaha. The reason for the absence of
these instruments of torture at Norfolk
is that its intelligent and well instructed
superintendent knows that they are un
necessary and cruel as means of restraint,
and do more harm than good. Under the
control of kind and competent attend
ants. and with simple and comfortable
means of restraint, the wildest patient at
Norfolk knows no such thing as violent
treatment. Nor is violence used in resent
ment in that superb institution. For in
stance. I called upon one of the most dan
gerous of his patients who, as his at
tention was turned from him for a mo
ment. struck Dr. Teal a full blow in the
face and caused his nose to bleed quite
freely. Dr. Teal did not vleld to his nat
ural impulses to knock down his Irrespon
sible assailant, but smiled upon him and
walked away to repair damages. Had
this thing happened in some hospitals for
the Insane of which 1 have definite infor
mation the patient would have been
beaten by amateur pugilists, choked,
kicked and manacled. Dr. Teal’s steudi- |
ness in dealing with the wildest of his
patients, his humanity and interest in
them and his intelligent adherence to ,
mental sanitary treatment, with not so
much as a suggestion of force beyond
gentle and firm restraint, furnishes a
high example and splendid proofs to the
people of the state of the reforms that
have come in the treatment of the insane.
Drs. Teal and Young and the house as
sistants in the late disaster to the Nor
folk hospital must command the admira
tion of everybody for their coolness and
courage. The result Is shown in the sav
ing of human life and suffering and much
property.
Norfolk should retain the great hospital.
No doubt about It. No finer location was
ever seen than is the Norfolk location
for such «n institution for healthful im
munities. for beauty of site and view and
for natural drainage.
GEORGE Tj. MTT/LER.
' Such splendid testimonials from
such men as Dr. Miller cannot do other
than give the public confidence in the
conditions as they exist in our state
wards.
The TreaHurer'H Statement.
State Treasurer Stuefer lias made
public a statement showing the where
abouts of the funds entrusted to his
keeping as state treasurer. The report
is for the month of September, and
states that the funds are in regular
depositories and drawing interest for
the state. Mr. Stuefer had a balance
on hand of some $260,000. These
funds, the state treasurer says, consti
tutes the balance on hand and he fur
ther announced that he was then nego
tiating for the purchase of interest
bearing bonds to the amount of $180,
000, since which time these bonds have
been bought. In his report he makes
an item of over $4,000, turned into the
■treasury, as interest money paid on the
funds of the state. It might be well
to mention that not a dollar of the
state money is deposited in Mr. Stue
fer’s bank at West Point. On the
'whole, the stat& treasurer has made a
remarkable record in the management
of the state’s money. Since January
1, 1901, Mr. Stuefer has invested over
$900,000 of these permanent funds in
Interest bearing bonds, and by so
doing has kept the money so busy that
it could hardly have found time for a
■deposit anywhere but in the state
treasury had Mr. Stuefer desired it
otherwise.
Report of Senate Committee.
During the closing hours of the leg
islative session everybody was so busy
with the odds and ends and with the
senatorial contest that some matters
which should have been presented for
consideration were left untouched.
Among the most important of these
was the report of the chairman of an
important committeo of the senate
bearing on the manner in which the
taxpayers were preyed upon by the
late fusion administration. It was the
intention to submit the report to the
legislature and ask that a special com
mittee be appointed to conduct a
searching investigation, with a view to
requiring those who have feasted at
the expense ,of the taxpayers to step
up to the desk and settle their bills. In
the rush of business at the close it
was found impossible to carry the plan
for an investigating committeee into
effect, so the report was held back,
and is herewith published for the first
time. It was information of this char
acter which prompted the incumbent,
republican board of public lands and
buildings and Governor Savage to
make the sweeping general order re
quiring all officers and employes, ex
cepting the superintendents, to remove
their families from the institutions
forthwith. The report reads as fol
lows: :
Senate Chamber. Lincoln, Neb.. !
March 14, 1901.—To the Honorable
Members of the Senate:
- i_<
Report of the Penitentiary.
Not In many years have the taxpay
ers of Nebraska been Imposed upon
more extensively than during the last
; two years. In nearly every state in
stitution many peoplo were maintained
j at the state’s expense who were
neither inmates nor employes, and, as
a matter of fact, had absolutely no
business there. I have made an in
vestigation as thorough as circum
stances would permit, and what I have
already ascertained is proof conclusive
that the most shameful methods were
practised by those in charge of state
institutions, in some instances due to
pressure from those filling state offices.
Mr. Spence, the bookkeeper at the
penitentiary, who Is a democrat and
who was bookkeeper during the ad
ministration of Warden Hopkins, or
for the last two years, reports that
Warden Hopkins kept in the neigh
borhood of twenty people, mostly rel
atives, at the penitentiary at the
state’s expense, and not one of whom
was on the pay roll or had any right
there.
He appointed a relative steward or
the institution, a young, unsophisticat
ed fellow, who knew practically noth
ing of the duties, and by reason of his
incompetency there is an abundance
of evidence to show that the state was
preyed upon by dealers from whom he
bought goods, which accounts in part
for the large amount of deficiencies
and unpaid bills. It is reported by this
same bookkeeper, too, that during the
last fusion state convention a prom
inent fusion politician from Holt
county named Harrington brought
down a large delegation of politicians
in the interest of Howard, his pre
ferred candidate for treasurer, and
had Warden Hopkins board and shel
ter them at the penitentiary at the
state’s expense until the convention
adjourned. Warden Hopkins kept
seven or eight of his family, and
sometimes more, at the penitentiary
all the time he was there. In addition
to this he brought two nieces from
Iowa, and they attended school here
and made their home at the peniten
tiary. A school teacher who taught
school near the penitentiary made her
home there for about six months, pay
ing her expenses thereat to Warden
Hopkins, of which amount he turned
over to the state $1S, or at the rate of
$3 per month. Certain convicts were
tacitly required to perform work for
private individuals, for which neither
they nor the state received any pay.
These are only a few of the offenses
committed at the penitentiary during
the wardenship of Mr. Hopkins. Other
reports of a very serious nature have
reached me, but as I have not had the
time to make a thorough investigation
into them I have refrained from incor
porating them in this report.
Indnntrlal School for Boys.
Many irregularities are reported at
the Industrial School for Boys at
Kearney. Altogether there were twen
ty-two people maintained at thiB in
stitution who were not employed by
the state, and who were either rela
tives or friends of the management or
of state officers. The superintendent
maintained his wife and live sons; the
bookkeeper had his family of four
there; the chaplain had his wife,
father and son; a teacher named Vos
berg had two grown daughters; Mrs.
Taylor, the cook, had one grown
daughter; another teacher had a
grown son and daughter, and the gar
dener had a grown daughter.
Industrial School at Geneva
Secretary of State Porter had his
sister, Mrs. E. S. Philbrook, appointed
as matron and caused his aged mother
to be kept there as a charge on tho
state for the last three years. The lat
ter’s physical condition was such as
to require a great deal of attention,
and the result is that while Mrs. Phil
brook was drawing pay for rendering
services to the state, she was, in fact,
devoting the major portion of her time
to the care of relatives. There were
other irregularities at this institution,
but of minor importance and I will not
here make mention of them, though it
is a matter of economy that these er
rors should be given attention and cor
rected.
Hoapttal for State Incurable Insane at
Hastings.
There is every reason to believe that
shameful fraud has been practiced by
the management of the Asylum for the
Incurable Insane at Hastings. Tho
claims presented for payment to the
auditing department from this institu
tion for the last three months in 1900
aggregated within $865.76 of the entire
amount for the first nine months of
the year. During the first nine
months the total expenditures were
$34,423.64; and during the last three
months the expenditures were $33,
557.88. Upon investigation I discover
ed that from the 6th to the 31st of
December bills were rendered against
the state for 11,132% pounds of butter
at 15c per pound. This act stands en
tirely without precedent in the history
of the asylum. Not alone was a vast
quantity of butter purchased, but
much of it was unpalatable and unfit
even for animal food. Bills were ren
dered during ihe same period for up
wards of $6,000 worth of clothing
without any good reason why such a
surplus should be purchased. The
clothing furnished is pronounced by
reputable merchants who examined
the samples, and who are competent
judges, as to quality, far below the
sample In quality.
Superintendent Steele for one and
one-half years kept his brother at the
asylum at the expense of the state,
and gave him room and board with
no right whatever to do so, and for
which the state received absolutely no
compensation. Startling reports are
made of occurrences at this institu
tion, but I have been unable to go
further than to consult the official
documents and question witnesses as
to the quality of the butter and cloth
ing in question. It is due the man
agement, and it is due the tax payers
of the state that these reports and
charges be investigated to the bot
tom.
A man must have a whole lot of
egotism to get up on the fence and
lay claim to more of the earth than
God intended for his neighbor.
Cod anil Stomach of tlie Cow.
A writer In Forest and Stream says
the food is received into the first
stomach, passes into the second and
finally into the fourth, where it is
digested. The simple facts are these:
The food is hastily swallowed and goes
into the rumen, or large sac, which
has a capacity of several bushels.
Connected with the rumen or large
sac, is the reticulum commonly called
the honeycomb, on account of its cel
ullar lining, and this is a mere ad
junct ot the rumen and appears to
serve the purpose mostly of a reser
voir of water, by which the food is
moistened and reduced to a fine pulp
between the leaves of the next com
partment, called the omasum or many
plies; so-called because of the numer
ous leaves with which it is furnished
and between which the food is ground
into a soft semi-fluid pulp. From this
the food pap-'s into the abomasum, or
true digestion stomach, in which it is
partly dissolved by the gastric fluid
here secreted.
Now let us go back to the food has
tily swallowed by a ruminating ani
mal. Right at the junction of the
three flrat divisions is a curious bit
of machinery called the esophageal
groove. This Is a small sac or tube
a few inches in length, which connects
the first and second divisions of the
stomach with the third. This groove
has a slit in It through which the
hastily eaten food—moistened by the
water in the rectlculum—la forced by
a contraction of the stomach, easily
visible when the cow la ruminating,
into this small canal, and by a process
of regurgitation is carried to the
mouth. This small quantity of food
is the cud. It is simply a wad of food
forced, as described, into the mouth,
where it is chewed In leisure and with
evident comfort and pleasure, by the
healthy animal. Being reduced to a
semi-fluid condition It Is swallowed
and goes to the omasum or manyplles
on account of its numerous leaves be
tween which It is macerated into a
fluid which then goes into the fourth
part of the stomach, where it is mixed
with the. gastric fluid, the solvent of
the food, and then becomes nutriment,
completely, when acted on by the bile
in the duodenum.
How Mooli Sand Wheat to the Acre?
In the fall of 1877 an experiment was
begun on the farm of the Ohio State
University In seeding wheat at differ
ent rates per acre. The experiment
was made on rich bottom land, and,
although a yield of 34 bushels of wheat
was harvested from five pecks of seed
the yield for seven pecks was 37 bush
els. The next year the experiment
was repeated with great care, five du
plicate plots of one-sixth acre each
being sown with each quantity of seed,
with the result again that the seven
peck rate of seeding gave enough more
wheat than any smaller quantity to
abundantly compensate the extra cost
of seed.
In 1882 this question was taken up
by the Ohio Experiment Station, then,
located on the same farm, and was
repeated nearly every year until the
station was removed to its present lo
cation. The final summing up of these
experiments, made in 1S91, indicated
a maximum average yield on that soil
for quantities of seed ranging from
five to seven pecks.
In 1892 the station was removed to
its present location, the soil of which
is naturally far less productive than
that upon which it was first located,
and after a few years the investigation
of this problem was again undertaken,
with the result that the most profitable
harvests have been reaped from eight '
pecks of seed and upward, the nine
and ten peck rates having given the
best returns in unfavorable seasons.—
Chas. E. Thorne, Director.
—
Fumigation l’ny».
The Los Angeles Herald of Septem
ber 1st says: Last year there were
only about 500 tents in the country,
and much loss was occasioned by the
inability of the orchardlsts to have
their trees fumigated. Oranges that had
been fumigated last year sold from
$1.25 to $1.50 per box, while those
which had not been fumigated brought
only $1.10 and $1.15 per box. The ex
pense of washing the fruit Is greaten
than that of fumigating the trees. It
is estimated that there will be about
41,000 tents in use this year. With
these the contractors will be able to
fumigate about two-thirds of the trees
in the county. When all the tents are
in operation between 12,000 and 15,000
trees will be fumigated nightly, and
the process will be continued from now
until February. A. R. Lowry will
have about 300 tents in operation and
Dr. Dunn about 200. To maintain
trees properly It is necessary to fumi
gate them once in two years. In
some places it is necessary to fumi
gate them every year, and sometimes
oftener.
Illinois.—Though apples promise a
light crop In general, there has beeD
considerable improvement in some c4
the central and southern districts since
the rains came, and in those localities
there will be good yields of excellent
quality. Peaches have also increased
in size with the renewal of moisture
supplies and they are generally plenti
ful in central counties. There will be
good crops of grapes and other fruits
in many districts.
Professor Bailey says: “The germin
ative vitality of weevil eaten or ‘bug
gy’ peas i3 low, and the plants result
ing from them are usually feeble. In
an experiment by Beal 500 ‘buggy*
peas were planted, being checked by
a like number of sound peas. Of the
sound peas 99.2 per cent germinated;
of the ‘buggy’ peas only 26 per cent
germinated.”
Washington.—Apples are small on
account of dry weather.
