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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1906)
9m Tn Want to Know What You Swallow? There is s growing sentiment In this aonirtry In fsvor of medicines or known toowronmoN It Is but natural that one jtbonld hire some Interest in the compo jsltkm of that which he or she Is expected V swallow, whether it be food, drink or ased trine. Recognising this growing disposition on the part of the public, and satisfied that the fullest publicity can only add to the well-earned reputation of his medi Sas, Dr. R. V. Pierce, of Buffalo, N. Y., l "taken time by the forelock,” as it rn, and is publishing broadcast a list ml all the Ingredients entering Into Ills leading medicines, the "Golden Medical SRscorary * the popular liver Invigorator, atoaach tonic, blood purifier and heart lagalator; also of his "Favorite Prescrip tion* for weak, over-worked, broken |own. nervous and Invalid women. TMs hold and out-spoken movement on the part of Dr. Pierce, has, by showing exactly what his well-known medicines are cceaposed of, completely disarmed all lanlag critics who have heretofore un gnstly attacked them. A little pamphlet lias aaea compiled, from the standard ■radical authorities of all the several schools ef practice, showing the strongest ■ndi nwnli by leading medical writers M the several Ingredients which enter Into pr. Pierce's medicines. A copy of this little hook is mailed fret to any one de firing to learn more concerning the valu able, native, medicinal plants which enter Inta the composition of Dr. Pierce's med icines. Address Dr. Pierce as above. Dr. Plena's Pleasant Pellets art tiny. »ur nr Belli aatl-bllloue granules. They resr alile aad Invigorate Stomach. Liver end aoweln Do not beget the “pill habit." but •are csaetlpetlon. One or two each day for a laxative end regulator, three or tour for ea active cathartic. Once tried always In favor. •Ul nnn OIVBN AWAY. Id copies of ROUpllllVI The People's Common Sena* Dadteel Adviser, a book that sold to the ex tent of HADOO copies a few tear* ana, at ti.50 per copy, bd istr «« (iv« ewer PAMworthof these Invalua ble hooka Tala year wa shall give away IGA COO worth of ■on share In this so. send only U imps to cover cost only for book In or 81 at amp* _ j: IK BEST COUCH CURE ij < Cough syrups are all cheap !! —Bp, but it you should get a < > ; | gallon of cough syrup that does not |! i i cure lor the price of a small bottle <, ; ’ of ' i Kemp’s Balsam]| « the heat cough cure, you would « > h«»e made a bad bargain—for one ) ’ i > email bottle of Kemp's Balsam may <, J ' tha worst cough and save a < > , , whereas the cough “cure” that ][ i ' doe* not cure is worse than useless. « > 1 1 Sold by all deal rs at 25c. and 50c. 2 f >_. . <> WMMIHIM»IMI<MMH» ► Had Mimed It. IVlul the Ladles' Home Journal. TttU ara you crying for, my poor itttle hoyT' mid a man to a crying boy. “P» fail downstairs." ‘Thai** taka on eo, my boy. He'll get better soon." “That lan't It. Slater saw him fall—all “fee way. 1 never saw nulTen." WILD WITH ITCHING HUMOR. draptfon Broke Out In Spota All Over Body Cured at Expense of Only fl.86—Thanks Cuticura. “The Cuticura Remedies cured me of my able disease, and I am vary thank ful be you. My trouble was eruption Vef the akin, which broke out In spots jail ever my body, and caused a con 'thaual tteblag which nearly drove me iwUd at times. I got medicine of a docker, but It did not cure me, and wheu I saw in a paper your ad., I sent ike you for the Cuticura book and studied my case In It. I then went to the drag store and bought one cake of Hutteura Soap, one box of Cuticura Ointment, and one vial of Cuticura Cilia. From the first application I re reived relief. H need the first set and twe extra cakes- of Cuticura Soap, and was completely cured. I had suffered far twe years, and 1 again thank Cut! eure for my cure. Claude X. Johnson, Maple Grove Farm, R. F. D. 2, Wnl swt, Kan., June 15, 1005.” • The census of 1900 gave Washington U population of 278,000. Since that time, according to estimates based on the new city directory, the Inhabitants ■ef the national capital have increased ho practically 328,000. TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY ■fafceffAXATlVE RROMO Quinine Tablets. Drugglsu refund money If It falls to cure. M. W. Grove’s signature Is ou each bos. 33c. «ev.—- Garb of Alice Roosevelt. Erom the New York World. Miss Alice Roosevelt has won the '■ reputation of being one of the most : tastadaliy gowned young women In this •"wiry, and all through her Ingenuity fa touting unusual combinations In col or and becoming ways of making her nsbos. One evening dress that will adorn this attractive young daughter of. America when she appears In courts vf Marope is of pale green tissue, made •wer deep yellow moire. The tissue fa draped aver the petticoat effectively, mm3 the ends are embroidered with a running vine of gold. A full court train ■Mrauwrs and glows over the moire •ad b dotted with gold and leaves at faug Intervals. The bodice Is green and «*bt. A wreath of frosted leaves be ,g*bv ag the left shoulder, stretches aeroa* the front and down the right •Ide. and catches some of the tissue dmpery in the back. The sleeves are two pig puffs of tissue, with a circular .wstfa off moire, embroidered with yel faw fane ef three lengths at the elbow. Title green suede gloves and yellow paths slippers, with bunches of green vflfam. are among the accessories of Mds striking costume v s .s— * Vi" | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | BY A. CONAN DOYLE. I Copyright. 1903. Copyrijhl, 1905. bjr A, Conan Doyla and Collior'a Woakly. by McCInra, Pkillipa ® Co. I 1 I.—THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE.—CONTINUED It was Indeed no longer the profile, but the back, which was turned toward us. Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his temper or his Impatience with a less active in telligence than his own. "Of course It has moved." said he. "Am I such a farcical bungler, Wat son, that I should erect an obvious dummy, and expect that some of the sharpest men in Europe would be de ceived by it? We have been in this room two hours, and Mrs. Hudson has made some change in that figure eight times, or once In every quarter of an hour. She works it from the front, so that her shadow may never be seen. "Ah!" He drew in his breath with a shrill, excited Intake. In the dim light I saw his head thrown forward, his whole attitude rigid with attention. Outside the street was absolutely de serted. Those two men might still be crouching in the doorway, but I could no longer see them. All was still and dark, save only that brilliant yellow screen In front of us with the black figure outlined upon Its center. Again in the utter silence I heard that thin, sibilant note which spoke of intense suppressed excitement. An Instant later he pulled me back into the black est corner of the room, and I felt his warning hand upon my lips. The fin gers which clutched me were quivering. Never had I known my friend more moved, and yet the dark street still stretched lonei> ana motionless before us. But suddenly I was aware of that I whieh his keener senses had already distinguished. A low, stealthy sound came to my ears, not from the direction of Baker street, but from the back door of the house In which we lay con cealed. A door opened and shut. An Instant later steps crept down the pas sage—steps which were meant to be silent, but which reverberated harshly through the empty house. Holmes coruched back against the wall and I did the same, my hand closing upon the handle of my revolver. Peering through the gloom, I saw the vague outline of a man, a shade blacker than the blackness of the open door. He stood for an Instant, and then he crept forward, crouching, menacing, Into the room. He was within three yards of us, this sinister figure, and, I had braced myself to meet his spring be fore I realized that he had no idea of our presence. He passed close be side us, stole over to the window, and very softly and noiselessly raised it half a foot. As he sank to the level of this opening, the light of the street, no longer dimmed by the dusty gluss, fell upon his face. The seemed to be beside himself with excitement. His, two eyes shone like stars, and his feat ures were working convulsively. He was an elderly man, with a thin, pro jecting nose, a high, bald forehead, and a huge, grizzled mustache. An opera hat was pushed to the back of his head, | and an evening dress shirt-front i gleamed out through his open overcoat. His face was gaunt and swarthy, scored with deep, savage lines. In his hand he carried what appeared to be a stick, but. as he laid It down upon the floor It gave a metallic clang. Then from the pocket of his overcoat he drew a bulky object, und he busied himself In some task which ended with a loud, sharp click, as If a spring or bolt had fallen into Its place. Still kneeling upon the floor he bent forward and threw all his weight and strength upon some lever, with the result that there came a long, whirling, grinding noise, ending once more In a powerful click. He straightened himself then, and I ■aw that what he held In his hand was a sort of a gun, with a curiously misshapen butt. He opened It at the breech, put something in. and snapped the breech-lock. Then, crouching down, he rested the end of the barrel upon the ledge of the opifn window, and I saw his long mustache dtx>op over the stock and his eye gleum as it peered along the sights. I heard a lit tle sigh of satisfaction as he cuddled the butt to his shoulder, and saw that amazing target, the black man on the yellow ground, standing clear at the end of his fore-sight. For an Instant he was rigid and motionless. Then his finger tightened on the trigger. There I was a strange, loud whiz and a lond, I silvery tinkle of broken glass. At that Instant Holmes sprang like a tiger on to the marksman's back, nnd hurled him flat upon his face. He was up again In a moment, and with convulsive strength he seized Holmes by the throat, but I struck him on the head with the butt of my revolver, and he ' dropped again upon the floor. I fell upon him, and as I held him my com rade blew a shrill call upon a whistle. There was the clatter of running feet upon the pavement, and two policemen In uniform, with one plain-clothes de tective, rushed through the front en trance and Into the room, j “That you. Lestrade?" said Holmes. "Yes, Mr. Holmes. I took the job myself. It's good to see you back in London, sir." “I think you want a little unofficial help. Three undetected murders In one year won’t do, Lestrade. But you handled the Molesey mystery with less than your usual—that’s to say. you handled It fairly well.” We had all risen to our feet, our pris oner breathing hard, with a stalwart constable on eueh side of him. Al ready a few loiterers had begun to collect In the street. Holmes stepped up to the window, closed It. and dropped the blinds, Lestrade had pro duced two candles, and the policemen had uncovered their lanterns. I was able at last to have a good look at our prisoner. It was a tremendously virile and yet sinister face which was turned toward us. With the brow of a philosopher above and the Jaw of a sensualist be low, the man must have started with great capacities for good and evil. But one could not look upon his cruel blue eyes, with their drooping, cynical lids, or upon the fierce, aggressive nose and the reatenlng. deep-lined brow, with out reading nature’s plulnest danger signals. He took no heed of any of us. but his eyes were fixed upon Holmes' face with an expression In which hatted ana amazement were equally blended. “You fiend!" he kept on mut tering. "you clever, clever fiend!" "Ah, colonel!" said Holmes, arrang ing his rumpled collar, " 'journeys end <n lovers' meetings,’ as the old play «o.ys. I don’t think I have had the pleasure of seeling you since you fa vored me with those attractions as 1 lay on the ledge above the Relchenbaeti Fall" The colonel still stared nt my friend like a man in a trance. "You cunning cunning fiend!" was all that he coulc say. "I have not Introduced you yet," sale Holmes. "This, gentlemen, Is Colone Sebastian Moran, once of her majesty') Indian army, and the best heavy-game shot that our eastern empire has ever produced. I believe I am correct, col onel, In saying that your bag of tigers still remains nnrlvaled. The fierce old man said nothing, but still glared at my companlonlst with his savage eyes, and bristling mustache he was wonderfully like a tiger him self. "I wonder that my very simple strat agem could deceive so old a shikari,” said Holmes. "It must be very familiar to you. Have you not tethered a young kid under a tree, lain above it with your rifle, and waited for the bait to bring up your tiger? This empty house Is my tree, and you are my tiger. You have possibly had other guns In reserve In case there should be other tigers, or In the unlikely supposition of your own aim falling you. These,” he pointed around the room, "are my other guns. The parallel Is exact.” Colonel Moran sprang forward with a snarl of rage, but the constables dragged him back. The fury upon his face was terrible to look at. "I confess that you had one small surprise for me,” said Holmes. "I did not anticipate that you would yourself make use of this empty house and this convenient front window. I had Im agined you as operating from the street, where my friend I^estrade and his merry men were awaiting you. With that exception, all has gone as I expected.” Colonel Moran turned to the official detective. "You may or may not have Just cause for arresting me,” said he, "but at least there can be no reason why I should submit to the gibes of this person. If I am 1 if the hands of the law, let things be done In a legal way." "Well, that's reasonable enough,” said Lestrade. “Nothing further you have to say, Mr. Holmes, before we go. Holmes had picked up the powerful air-gun from the floor, and was ex amining Its mechanism. “An admirable and unique weapon,” snid he, "noiseless and tremendous power. I knew Von Herder, the blind German mechanic, who constructed It to the order of the late Professor Morl artty. For years I have been aware of Its existence, though I have never be fore had the opportunity of handling It. I commend It very specially to your attention, Lestrade, and also the bullets which fit It.” "You can trust us to look after that, Mr. Holmes,” said Lestrade, as the whole party moved towards the door. "Anything further to say?” "Only to ask what charge you intend to prefer?” "What charge, sir? Why of course, the attempted murder of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.” "Not so, Lestrade. I do not propose to appear In the matter at all. To you, and to you only, belongs the credit of the remarkable arrest which you have effected. Yes, Lestrade, I con gratulate you! With your usual happy mixture of cunning and audacity, you have got him. "Got him! Got whom, Mr. Holmes?" "The man that the whole force 4tas been seeking in vain—Colonel Sebas tian Moran, who shot the Honorable Ronnld Adair with an expanding bullet from an air-gun through the open win dow of the second-front of No. 427 Park Lane, upon the 30th of last month. That’s the charge. Lestrade. And now. Watson, if you can endure the draught from a broken window, I think that half an hour in my study over a cigar may afford some profitable amusement." • •****• Our old chambers had been left un changed through the supervision of Mycrnft Holmes and the Immediate care of Mrs. Hudson. As I entered 1 saw. It Is true, an unwonted tidiness, but the old landmarks were all In place. There was the chemical corner and the acld-stalned. deal-topped table. There upon a shelf was the row of formidable scrap-books and books of reference, which many of our fellow citizens would have been so glad to burn. The diagrams, the violin-case, and the pipe rack—even the Parisian slipper which contained the tobacco—all met my eyes as I glanced round me. There were two occupants of the room—one, Mrs. Hudson, who beamed upon us both as we entered—the other, the strange dummy which had played so Important a part In the evening’s adventures. It was a wax-colored model of my friend, so admirably done that It was a perfect fac-simlle. It stood on a small ped estal table with an old dressing gown of Holmes’ so draped round It that the Illusion from the street was absolutely perfect. “I hope you preserved all precau tions, Mrs. Hudson?" said Holmes. "I went to it on my knees, sir, Just as you told me." "Excellent. You carried the thing out very well. Did you observe where the bullet went?” “Yes, sir. I’m afraid it has spoilt your beautiful bust, for It passed right through the head and flattened itself on the wall. I picked It up from the carpet. Here it Is!" Holmes held It out to me. “A soft revolver bullet, as you perceive, Wat son. There’s genius In that, for who would expect to find such a thing fired from an air-gun. All right, Mrs. Hud son, 1 am much obliged for your assist ance. And now, Watson, let me see you in the old seat once more, for there are several points which I should like to discuss with you." He had thrown off the seedy frock coat, and now he was the Holmes of old in the mouse-colored dressing gown which he took from his effigy. “The old shikari’s nerves have not lost their steadiness, nor his eyes their keeness," said he with a laugh, as he inspected the shattered forehead of the bust. “Plumb in the middle of the back of the head and smack through the brain. He was the best shot In India, and 1 expect that there are few better here In London. Have you heard the name ?" "No, I have not.” "Well, well, such is fame! Hut. then, If I remember right, you have not heard the name of Professor James Mortarlty, who had one of the great brains of the century. Just give me down my Index of biographies from the shelf." H« turned over the pages lazily, leaning back In his chair and blowing great clouds of smoke from his cigar. "My collection of M’s is u fine one." ! said he. "Moriarlty himself la enough i to make any letter illustrious, and here is Morgan the poisoner, and Mer 1 liner of abominable memory, and , Matthews, who knocked out my left 1 canine In the watting room at Charing Cross, and, finally, here Is our friend of 1 tonight.” I He handed over the book, and I read: s | "Moran, Sebastian, colonel. Unem ployed. Formerly of 1st Bengalore Pio neers. Born London. 1840. Son of Sir Augustus Moran, C. B., once British minister to Persia. Educated Eton and Oxford. Served In Jowakl campaign. Afghan campaign. Charastab (dispatch es), Sherpur and Cabul. Author of ! 'Heavy Game of the Western Himalay as’ (1881); ‘Three Months In the Jun gle,' (1884). Address, Conduit street. Clubs, the Anglo-Indian, the Tanker vllle, the Bagatelle Card club." On the margin was written. In Holmes’ precise hand: "The second most dangerous man In London.” "This is astonishing,” said I, as I handed back the volume. "The man’s career Is that of an honorable soldier.” "It Is true," Holmes answered. "Up to a certain point he did well. He was always a man of iron nerve, and the story Is still told In India how he crawled down a drain after a wounded man-eating tiger. There are some trees, Watson, which grow to a certain height, and then suddenly develop some un sightly . eccentricity. You will see It often In humans. I have a theory that the Individual represents In his de velopment the whole procession of his ancestors, and that such a sudden turn to good or evil stands for some strong influence which came Into the line of his pedigree. The person becomes, as It were, the epitome of the history of his own family." "It Is surely rather fanciful.” "Well, I don't Insist upon it. What ever the cause, Colonel Moran began to go wrong. Without any open scan dal, he still made India too hot to hold him. He retired, came to London, and again acquired an evil name. It was at this time that he was sought out by Professor Morlarlty, to whom for a time he was chief of staff. Morlarlty supplied him liberally with money, and used him only In one or two very high class Jobs, which no ordinary criminal could have undertaken. You may have some recollection of the death of Mrs. Stewart, of Lauder, In 1887. Not? Well, I am sure Moran was at the bot tom of It, but nothing could be proved. So cleverly- was the colonel concealed, that, even when the Morlarlty gang was broken up, we could not Incrim inate him. You remember at that date, when I called upon you In your rooms, how I put up the shutters for fear of air-guns? No doubt you thought me fanciful. I knew exactly what I was doing, for I knew of the existence of this remarkable gun, and I knew also that one of the best shots In the world would be behind It. When we were In Switzerland he followed us with Morl arlty, and it was undoubtedly he who gave me that evil five minutes on the Reichenbnch ledge. »',, ,nn« ilinl ▼ ...Ji A iuu may mime mai i read me papers with some attention during my sojourn in France, on the lookout for any chance of laying him by the heels. So long as he was free in London, my life would really not have been worth living. Night and day the shadow would have been over me, and sooner or later his chance must have come. What could I do? I could not shoot' him at sight, or I should myself be In the dock. There was no use appealing to a magistrate. They cannot inter fere on the strength of what would ap pear to them to be a wild suspicion. So I could do nothing. But I watched the criminal news, knowing that soon er or later I should get him. Then came the death of this Ronald Adair. My chance had come at last. Knowing what I did, was it not certain that Colonel Moran had done it? He had played cards with the lad, he had fol lowed him home from the club, he had' shot him through the open window. There was not a doubt of it. The bul lets alone are enough to put his head in a noose. I came over at once. I was seen by the sentinel, who would, I knew, direct the colonel’s attention to my presence. He could not fall to connect my sudden return with his crime, and to be terribly alarmed. I was sure that he would make an at tempt to get me out of the way at once, and would bring round his murderous weapon for that purpose. I left him an excellent mark in the window, and, having warned the police that they might be needed—by the way, Watson, you spotted their presence in that doorway with unerring accuracy—I took up what seemed to be a Judicious post for observation, never dreaming that he would choose the same spot for his attack. Now, my dear Watson, does anything remain for me to ex plain?” "Yes,” said I. “You have not made it clear what was Colonel Moran's motive in murdering the Honorable Ronald Adair?” “Ah! my dear Watson, there we come into those realms of conjecture, where the most logical mind may be at fault. Each may form his own hypothesis upon the present evidence, and yours is as likely to be as correct as mine.” “You have formed one, then?” “I think that it is not difficult to explain the facts. It came out in evi dence that Colonel Moran and young Adair had, between them, won a con siderable amount of money. Now, Moran undoubtedly played foul—of that I have long been aware. I be lieve that on the day of the muruer Adair had discovered that Moran was cheating. Very likely he had spoken to him privately, and had threatened to expose him unless he voluntarily re signed his membership of the cluh, and promised not to play cards again. It is unlikely that a youngster like Adair would at once make a hideous scandal by exposing a well known man so much older than himself. Probably he acted as I suggest. The exclusion from his clubs would mean ruin to Moran, who lived by his ill-gotten card gains. He therefore murdered Adair, who at the time was endeavor ing to work out how much money he should himself return, since he could not profit by his partner’s foul play. He locked the door lest the ladies should surprise him and Insist upon knowing what he was doing with these names and coins. Will it pass?” “I have no doubt that you have hit upon the truth.” "It will be verified or disproved at the trial. Meanwhile, come what may. Colonel Moran will trouble us no more. The famous air-gun will embellish the Scotland Yard museum, and once more Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to examining those interesting little problems which the complex life of London so plentifully presents.” (Continued Next Week) Feds of the Wealthy. Saturday Evening Post: These strong men of money have their weak sides; they have their fads, und will spefid money like water on them. Mr. Keene's weakness is th,e race horse; Mr. Mor gan's is pictures; the late Mr. Whit ney's was rugs (he is said to have paid 335.000 for one. and the transaction would have been all right had he left the two last ciphers off the price); Mr. Brady's of the tobacco trust is black pearls; Mr. Addicks', of Bay State Gas, is emeralds; while Mr. Lawson will go in pawn to buy a ruby. Mr. Lawson travels beyond fads and owns to superstitions. He pins his faith to the numeral three and its multiples. His telephones are 3333 and 3339; his offices are 33 State street; one of his pet copper mines is the Trinity, and he begins his great enterprises on the third of the month. His “big medicine." as the Indians would call it, is a chain of 333 golden beads, each with a gypsy girl’s face enameled thereon, and this fetish he consults and communes with in ways known only to himself. A PRACTICAL ICE HOUSE. Assuming that there Is still prospect for Rn Ice crop throughout the country the jilan here suggested for a small but com plete Ice house will be found not only useful but decidedly a reliable guide to builders. The manner of construction la as follows: Figure 4 In the Illustration shows that part of the wall extending two feet under the ground and Is composed of loose stones rammed Into a trench. The top of the wall, figure 3, Is built one foot high with stone and cement In the usual way. Stones are filled In to the depth of a foot to form the floor of the house, figure 2 and above theso is a twelve-inch layer tl lf\ U.-& Tf III * ? it sawdust tramped down to give a level Burface. Figuro 6 shows the drain pipe. The smaller diagram shows how the lum ber Is put together. The boards of com mon lumber both inside and outside are Indicated by A while X shows the air chamber between. P Indicates a layer of paper and lastly, on the outside, the clap boards shown at C. The Illustration Is plain and will serve as a guide for build ing In any dimensions desired. On the farm where poultry, milk and fruit Is raised an Ice house Is a necessity and If one is near a body of water that freezes the Ice obtained Is worth all Its costs to haul it and to build a house for It. FEEDING LAMBS IN WINTER. There Is considerable difference of opin ion between expert sheep raisers on the subject of winter feeding of lambs, the I claim being made on the one hand that the lamb can only be carried through the winter In good shape on a ration com posed largely of grains, while others feed i ers claim this method to be extravagant ! and advocate the feeding of high class : roughage almost exclusively. As for the j latter plan it is admitted that the season ! of feeding is of necessity longer to obtain the best results but that is balanced by the i decreased cost. The experience of other l feeders is along the line of using both | grains and roughage intelligently, start I ing the lambs on the best of clover hay j and alfalfa is possible and when they get ' large enough feed a small ration of corn, 1 increasing it as they grow. On farms where root crops can be grown and where i some portion can be given over to small ; crops of grain It p.ays to follow the plan of both grain and roughage for the lambs particularly If the latter can bo fed In racks In large comfortable sheds where i the lambs will have plenty of exercise, j With fresh water at hand, room to gambol i and sweet fodder In the racks they will I consume surprisingly large quantities of j roughage and thrive on It. TIMOTHY HAY FOR COWS. The man with a good crop of first class ' timothy hay and a good herd of milch cows Is to be envied for he can sell the hay at a price which will enable him to buy almost anything his cows need to give the best results. With a crop of oat hay or oat straw as It is generally known, on hand the sale of the timothy to horsemen will enable him to buy all of the grain | needed to make with the oat straw a I splendid balanced ration. The timothy hay Is first class for horses, but very poor feeding for cows that are being milked. Bran, corn meal, oil meal and gluten meal In equal quantities fed with the oat straw as roughage will give the milch cow a pretty well balanced ration wrhlch will bring the rich milk. Add to this occasion al feeds of root crops, keep the cows clean and comfortable and well watered and tho results should be entirely satisfactory. The beauty of this plan Is that at the us ual price for clover hay and the price for timothy the sale of the timothy will pay nearly the entire cost of the other good things recommended for tho cow. GROUND FEED FOR HORSES. Horses do much better when they grind their own feed no matter what It may be, hence, except on special occasions, It is not desirable to let horses have much ground food. Corn, If fed should be given shelled at times and other times on the ear; other grains should Invariably be given whole and, only on rare occasions, should the hay he cut very line. Timothy or mixed hay should he fed, the former to be preferred. Fed the proper rations In this way with some roots occasionally there will he little danger of Indigestion provided the horse Is properly stabled where there is considerable ventilation. Exercise and good water are, of course, es sential and with the other things men tioned there ought to be little trouble with the horse at any time. During the winter grooming should be done with special care for with the. thick coat It Is apt to get dirty and the dirts go out of sight unless the grooming Is done thoroughly each day. Use the comb, the brush and a large cloth for the final rubbing off of the dust by the j brush. DANGER TO POULTRY. While it Is pleasant to see the fowls get so much exercise and sunshine during this long open winter, one should be prepaied at all times for the colder weather likely to come any day. The main danger lies In permitting the homes to become damp or to allow the fowls to remain out too long. Even during these pleasant days we find It the best plun to give the birds the range only about three hours at the middle of the day; the rest of the time they have the open scratching shed for ex ercise, but the curtains are dropped as soon as the cold wind begins to blow. By this treatment the fowls become rugged end yet are not permitted to get chi.ltd by standing around out of doors when they can tlnd nothing to pick at; they are much better In the scratchig shed search ing for the few grains of corn or reheat scattered through the chafr. Remember, the grit box. the dust boxes and all feeding utensils should be In the scratching shed, the house proper containing only the nest Foxes and the roosts. On the other hand, do not make the roosting compartment too dark and cheerless; have enough windows so It will be fairly light and see that It Is • comfortable. Cover the floor with chaff ■ so that the birds may find comfort there . should they desire to stay. Ventilation Is - essential In this portion of the house for i the air will become heavy during the night i and the fowls will be dumpish and not i likely to lay well If there Is not good ven i ttlation. USING THE OPEN WEATHER. The man who does not spread the ma j nure on the soil because It Is too hard i work In cold weather has little excuse for , this neglect this winter. If he would make . some sort of a test. In a small way, of the comparative value of manure In the barn yard all winter, that stored In suitable sheds and that placed directly upon the soli soon after It Is made he would find the results in favor of the last named method, but, more especially, would he realize what he Is losing yearly by having the manure In the open barn yard subject to the elements. We do not know If any one has ever been able to calculate the loss In one year to farmers throughout the Unit ed States because of the manure lying In the open barn yards, but It must be slmply enormous. During the open weather, with little snow on the ground, the manure spreader will do splendid work and will put the manure Just where one wants It. Even If It must be spread by hand It will certainly pay to do It. Why not try the plan suggested of a small area manured with the part which has been In the bam yard all winter and an equal area with manure which has been under cover and a third equal area covered during the win ter with manure and plowed under In the spring. Us the same quantity of manure, the same crop and keep careful note of re sults. It will certainly pay and another year you will not need advice on the sub ; Ject for you will know from your own ex I perlence Just what to do. PREPARATION FOR ALFALFA. Unless positively sure that the soli L> sweet It Is a good plan to start the pre paration of the soil for alfalfa by apply ing about 500 pounds to the acre of un slaked lime and plow under; then Inocu late the soil by spreading broadcast over it 500 pounds of soil from a field which has grown good crops of alfalfa. The soil ought then to be harrowed and re-har rowed until one has as fine a seed bed as he would prepare for wheat. If the soil is rich It will be a good plan to let the field lie for a little time, which may be done If the work is done early in the spring, so that the first crop of weeds will j start and row large enough so that, with j the harrow, they can be gotten out of the | way before the seed alfalfa Is sown. Next I comes the sowing of the seed and it must be said here that the finest seed obtain able. that which has been well cleaned and I cleaned again Is none too good. It will be J expensive but tt will pay. Sow this seed | by Itself (do not mix any other seed with it for alfalfa does not need a “nurse crop") at the rate of 30 pounds per acre. On rich soil the weeds are quite likely to get the start of the alfalfa making It necessary to clip them oft onee and per haps twice before the alfalfa will hold Its own; this will be tedious work but it will pay. A field prepared and sown to alfalfa as directed will become a permanent fix ture on the farm nine times out of ten. VENTILATION FOR COW STABLE. Any dairyman who has had experiences on both sides of the question will say without hesitation that ventilation In the cow stable means an added profit to the dairy. Ventilation by no means can be had through open windows unless they are skillfully placed but even this plan Is much better than the practically closed room. While the best system of ventil ation Is undoubtedly the one that admits the air from the bottom, we have made the same plan we use In the poultry houses work very nicely. In the stable containing 16 cows we have three of these ventilators which are simply hollow fun nelsa foot square running through the roof with holes eight Inches square on the sides at the top, and one board cut out- entirely at the end which rests on the floor. This board Is cut out so as to leave an opening just a square foot. An excellent plan of window ventilation Is that described some weeks since with a double window, one of glass and one of muslin, the latter to slip over the opening when the window of glass Is pulled aside. It Is also possible to provide ventilation without draughts through windows by the use of screens. That Is, arrange a light board screen on the side of the casing next to the cows so that when the window Is opened the wind may be deflected away from the animals. As a matter of fact anyone with a little skllt can arrange a ventilation system which, while it may not be pretty nor the best thing obtainable will answer the purpose admirably. Have some sort at a ventilating system then keep the cows and the stables clean and one will see a de ckled Increase in the pro-fits from the dairy. THE HONEY MUSKMELON. One of the astonishing things In vege table growing o* rather in growing vege tables for the express purpose of supply ing the consumer, Is the utter indiffer ence shown by the grower to the matter of quality. The same thing applies to fruits. It woukl be excusable If there were no other sorts but when there are a dozen more or less far better than the varieties offered it Is strange indeed they are not grown. A family well known to the writer was especially fond of musk melons and bought them in large quan tities until all that were offered them were so poor in quality they stopped using them, and the producer lost valuable trade. The honey melon which has been tested for three years past Is one of the promising new sorts. It Is a nicely formed melon, the skin green and the flesh a yellowish green. The flesh la firm and deep and of a sweet spicy flavor decidedly pleasing to the taste. If it does as well In general planting as on small plats, and there is no good reason why It should not. It will be a variety that should be exten sively planted In all sections where the meskmelon may be grown. It will cer tainly please the consumer. ,