fi-^
I The Return of Sherlock Holmes |
BY ▲. CONAN DOYLE.
Copyright. 1903, Copyright, 190S,
i If A Conan Doyle tad Collier's Weekly. by NeClore. Pkillipa <& Co. 1
k..—■ — ^ ..
VI. THE ADVENTURE OF BLACK
PETER.
I HAVE never
known my friend
to be in better
form, both men
tal and physi
cal, than in the
year '95. His in
/ creasing fame
/1 had brought
I/ with it an im
/.niense practice,
II and I should be
V guilty of indis
W cretlon if I were
7 even to hint at
I the identity of
some of the il
lustrious clients
who crossed our
humble threshold
in Baker street.
Holme*, how
ever, like all
great artists,
lived for his
art's sake, and,
save in the case
of the Duke of
Holdernesse, I
h a v e seldom
known him to
claim any large
reward for his
inestimable ser
vices. So unwonuiy was he—or so
capricious—that he frequently refused
hla help to the powerful and wealthy
where the problem made no appeal to
his sympathies, while he would devote
Weeks of most Intense application to
■the affairs of some humble client whose
case presented those strange and dra
matic qualities which appealed to his
Imagination und challenged his In
genuity.
In this memorable year ’Df>, a curious
and Incongruous succession of cases
bad engaged his attention, ranging
from his famous Investigation of the
•udden death of Cardinal Tosca—an In
quiry which was carried out by him
at the express desire of His Holiness
the Pope—down to the arrest of Wilson,
the notorious canary trainer, which re
moved a plague plot from the East End
Of London. Close on the heels of these
two famous cases came the tragedy of
"Woodman’s Lee, and the very obscure
Circumstances which surrounded the
death of Captain Peter Carey. No rec
ord of the doings of - Mr. Sherlock
Holmes would be complete which did
not include some acount of this very
anusual affair.
During the first week of July, my
t&rtend had been absent so often
«od so long from our lodgings that
X knew that he had something
on hand. The fact that sev
eral rough looking men called during
that time and inquired for Captain
Basil made me understand that Holmes
was working somewhere under one the
'numerous disguises and names with
■With which he concealed his own for
'tnfdable Identity. He had at least five
'•mail refuges In different parts of Lon
don. In which he was able to change his
personality. He said nothing of his
’business to me, and It was not my habit
to force a confidence. The first posi
tive sign which he gave me of the direc
tion which his Investigation was tak
ing was an extraordianry one. He had
(one out before breakfast, and I had
•at down to mine when he strode Into
the room, his hat upon Ms head and n
huge barb-headed spear lucked like an
umbrella under his arm.
“Good gracious, Holmes!” I cried.
"You don’t mean to say that you have
been walking about London with that
othtng?"
“I drove to the bueher’s and back."
■“The butcher’s?”
' “And I return with an excellent ap
rwetlte. There can be no question, my
oaar Watson, of the value of exercise
before breakfast. But I am prepared
to bet that you will not guess the form
k«hat my exercise has taken."
"I will not attempt It.”
He chuckled as he poured out the
• coffee.
"If you could have looked Into Allar
■4jree"s back shop, you would have seen
* dead pig swung from a hook In the
ceiling, and n gentleman In his shirt
• ■leeves furiously stabbing at It with this
weapon. I was that energetic person,
■nd I have satisfied myself that by
Wo exertion of rpy strength can X trans
'tt* the pig with a single blow. Perhaps
•'em would care to try?”
“Not for worlds. But why were you
•4otng this?"
“Because It seemed to me to have an
•Indirect bearing upon the mystery of
"Woodman’s Lee. Ah. Hopkins, I got
■your wire last night, and I have been
wrpeetlrig you. Come and Join us.”
Our visitor was an exceedingly alert
man. thirty years of age. dressed In a
quiet, tweed suit, but retaining the erect
bearing of one who was accustomed
official uniform. I recognized him
■t once as Stanley Hopkins, a young
police inspector, for whose future
Holmes had high hopes, while he In
turn professed the admiration and re
spect of a pupil for the scientific meth
ods of the famous amateur. Hopkins’
brow was clouded, and he sat down
with an air of deep dejection.
“No, thank you. sir. I breakfasted
before I came round. I spent the night
In town, for I came up yesterday to
ceport.”
“And what had you to report?"
■“Failure, sir. absolute failure.”
“You have made no progress?”
—None."
“Dear me! I must have a look at the
matter."
“I wish to heavens that you would,
BKr. Holmes. IPs my first big chance,
and I am at my wit’s end. For good
ness’ sake, come down and lend me a
hand."
“Well, well. It Just happens that I
bave already read all the available evl
«*ence, Including the report of the In
quest, with some care. By the way,
what do you make of that tobacco
pouch, found on the scene of the crime?
Is there no clew there?”
Hopkins looked surprised.
“It was the man’s own pouch, sir.
His Initials were Inside It. And It was
of sealskin—and he was an old sealer.”
“But he had no pipe.”
“No, sir, we could find no pipe. In
<teed. he smoked very little, and yet
Ire might have kept some tobacco for
ibla friends.”
“No doubt. I only mention It because,
*r I had been handling the case, I
Hlrould have been Inclined to make that
lisa starting point of my Investigation.
However, my friend, Dr. Watson,
knows nothing of this matter, and I
nftould be none the worse for hearing
the sequence of events once more. Just
■tve us some short sketches of the es
sentials.”
Stanley Hopkins drew a slip of paper
Crom his pocket.
“I have a few dates here which will
*tve you the career of the dead man,
Captain Peter Carey. He was born In
'45—fifty years of age. He was a most
flaring and successful seal and whale
fisher. In 1883 he commanded the
steam sealer Sea Unicorn, of Dundee.
He had then had several successful
voyages In succession, and In the fol
lowing year, 1884, he retired. After
that he traveled for some years, and
finally he bought a small place called
Woodman's Lee. near Forest Row. In
Sussex. There he has lived for six
years a.nd there he died just a week
ago today.
"There were some most singular
points about the man. In ordinary life,
he was a strict Puritan—a silent,
gloomy ftllow. Ills household consisted
of his wife, Ills daughter, aged
twenty, and two female servants.
These last were continually chang
ing, for it was never a very cheery sit
uation, and sometimes it became past
all bearing. The man was an inter
mittent drunkard, and when he had the
lit on him ho was a perfect fiend. He
lias been known to drive IHh wife and
daughter out of doors in the middle of
the night, and Hog them through the
park until the whole village outside the
gates was aroused by their screams.
"He was summoned once for a sav
age assault upon the old vicar, who had
called upon him to remonstrate with
him upon Ills conduct. In short, Mr.
Holmes, you would go far before you
found a more dangerous man than
T’eter Carey, and I have heard that
he bore the same character when he
commanded Ids ship. He was known
In the trade as Rlack Peter, and the
name was given him, not only on ac
count of'his swarttiy features and the
color of bis huge beard, but for the
humors which were the terror of all
around him. I need not say that he
was loathed and avoided by every one
of his neighbors, and that I have not
heard one single word of sorrow about
his terrible end.
"You must have read in the account
of the Inquest about the man's cabin,
Mr. Holmes, hut perhaps your friend
here has not beard of It. He had built
himself a wooden outhouse—he always
called It the ‘cabin’—a few hundred
yards from ills house, and it was here
that he slept every night. It was a lit
tle, single-roomed hut, sixteen feet by
ten. He kept the key in his pocket,
made his own bed, cleaned It himself,
and allowed no other foot to cross the
threshold. There are small windows
on each side, which were covered by
curtains and never opened. One of
these windows was turned towards the
high road, and when the light burned
In it at night the folk used to point It
out to each other and wonder what
Black Peter was doing In there. That’s
the window, Mr. Holmes, which gave
us one of the few bits of positive evi
dence that came out at the Inquest.
"You remember that a stonemason,
named Slater, walking from Forest
Row about 1 o’clock 111 the morning
two days before the murder—stopped
as he passed the grounds and looked
at the square of light still shining
among the trees. He swears that the
shadow of a man's head turned side
ways was clearly visible on the blind',
and that his shadow was certainly not
that of Peter Carey, whom he knew
well. It was that of a beamed man.
but the beard was short and bristled
forwards In a way very different from
that of the captain. So he says, but
he had been two hours In the public
bouse, and It Is some distance from the
road to the window. Besides, this re
fers to the Monday, and the crime was
done upon the Wednesday.
"On the Tuesday, Peter Carey was in
one of his blackest moods, flushed with
drink and as savage ns a dangerous
wild beast. He roamed about the
house, and the women ran for It when
they heard him coming. Late in the
evening he went down to his own hut.
About 2 o'clock the following morning,
his daughter, who slept with her win
dow open, heard a n.cst fearful yell
from that direction, hut It was no un
usual thing for him to bawl and shout
when he was In drink, so no notice was
taken. On rising at 7, one of the maids
noticed that the door of the hut was
open, but so great was the terror which
the man caused that It was midday be
fore anyone would venture down to see
what had become of him. Peeping.Into
the open door, they saw a sight which
sent them flying, with white faces, Into
the village. Within an hour, I was on
the spot and had taken over the case.
"Well, I have fairly steady nerves, as
you know, Mr. Holmes, but I give you
my word, that I got a shake when I
put my head into that little house. It
was droning like a harmonium with the
files and bluebottles, and the floor and
walls were like a slaughter house. He
had called It a cabin, and a cabin It
was, sure enough, for you would have
thought that you were In a ship. There
was a bunk nt one end, a sea chest,
maps and charts, a picture of the Sea
Unicorn, a lino of logbooks on a shelf,
all exactly as one would expect to find
It in a captain’s room. And there. In
the middle of It, was the man himself—
his face twisted like a lost soul in tor
ment, and Ills great brindled beard
stuck upwards In his agony. Right
through his broad breast a steel har
poon had been driven, and it had sunk
deep Into the wood of the wall behind
him. He was pinned like a beetle on a:
card. Of course, he was quite dead, and'
had been so from the Instant that he
had uttered that last yell of agony.
"I know your methods, sir. and I ap
plied them. Before I permitted any
thing to be moved, I examined most
carefully the ground outside, and also
the floor of the room. There were no
footmarks."
"Meaning thnt you saw none?"
"I assure you, sir, that there were
none."
He—Everybody Is going to the circus
today—I’m sorry you are sick.
She (expecting to go)—Oh! I am
well and strong today.
He—Then when I come from the
show have those buttons sewed on my
! coat, have those stockings darned and
I be sure and fill up the wood box.
"My good Hopkins. I have Investi
gated many crimes, but I have never
yet seen one which was committed by
a flying creature. As long as the crim
inal remains upon two legs so long
must there be some Indentation, some
abrasion, some trifling displacement
which can be detected by the scientific
searcher. It is incredible that this
blood-bespattered room contained no
trace which could have aided us. I un
derstand, however, from the inquest
that there were some objects which you
failed to overlook?”
The young inspector winced at my
companion's ironical comments.
"I was a fool not to call you in at
the time, Mr. Holmes. However, that's
past praying for now. Yes, there were
several objects in the room which called
for special attention. One was the har
poon with which the deed was com
mitted. It had been snatched down
from a rack on the wall. Two others
remained there, and there was a va
cant place for the third. On the stock
was engraved ‘Ss. Sea Unicorn, Dun
dee.’ This seemed to establish that the
crime had been done in a moment of
fury, and that the murderer had
seized the first weapon which came in
his way. The fact that the crime was
committed at 2 o’clock in the morning,
and yet Peter Carey was fully dressed,
suggested that he had an appointment
with the murderer, which is borne out
by the fact that a bottle of rum and
two dirty glasses stood upon the ta
ble.”
"Yes," said Holmes: "I think that
both inferences are permissible. Was
there any other spirit but rum in the
room?”
“Yes, there was a tantalus contain
ing brandy and whisky on the sea
chest. It is of no importance to us,
however, since the decanters were full,
and it had therefore not been used.”
“For all that, its presence has some
significance,” said Holmes. "However,
let us hear some more about the ob
jects which do seem to you to bear
upon the case.”
"There was this tobacco pouch upon
the table.”
"What part of the table?”
"It lay in the middle. It was of coarse
sealskin—the straight-haired skin, with
a leather thong to bind it. Inside was
'P. CV on the flap. There was half an
ounce of strong ship’s tobacco in it.”
"Excellent! What more?"
Stanley Hopkins drew from hi*
pocket a drab-covered notebook. The
outside was rough and worn, the leaves
discolored.
On the first page were written the ini
tials "J. H. N.," and the date "1883.”
Holmes laid it on the table and ex
amined it in his minute way, while
Hopkins and I gazed over each shoul
der, On the second page were the
printed letters “C. F. R.,” and then
came several sheets of numbers. An
other heading was "Argentine,” another
"Costa Rica," and another "San Paulo,”
each with pages of signs and figures
after It.
"What do you make of these?”
asked Holmes.
"They appear to be lists of stock ex
change securities. I thought that ‘J.
H. N.' were the initials of a broker,
and that 'C. P. R.’ may have been his
client."
"Try Canadian Pacific Railway,"
said Holmes.
Stanley Hopkins swore between his
teeth, and struck his thigh with his
clenched hand.
"What a fool I have been!” he cried.
"Of course, it is as you say. Then ‘J.
H. N.’ are the only initial we have to
solve. I have already examined the old
stock exchange lists, and I can find no
one in 1S83, either in the house or
among the outside brokers, whose ini
tials correspond with these. Yet I feel
that the clue is the most important one
that I hold. You will admit, Mr.
Hclmes, that there is a possibility that
these initials are those of the second
person who was present—in other
words, of the murderer. I would also
urge that the introduction Into the case
of a document relating to large masses
of valuable securities gives us for the
first time some indication of a motive
for the crime.”
Sherlock Holmes' face showed that
he was thoroughly taken aback by this
new development.
"I must admit both your points," said
he. "I confess that this note book,
which did not appear at the inquest,
modifies any views which I may have
formed. I had come to a theory of the
crime in which I can find no place for
this. Have you endeavored to trace
any of the securities here mentioned?”
“Inquiries are now being made at the
offices, but I fear that the complete
register of the stockholders of these
South American concerns Is in South
America, and that some weeks must
elapse before we can trace the shares,”
Holmes had been examining the cov
er of the note book with his magnifying
lens,
“Surely there is some discoloration
here,” said he.
"Yes, sir, it is a blood stain. I told
you that I picked the book off the
floor.”
"Was the blood stain above or be
low?”
“On the side next the boards.
"Which proves, of course, that the
book was dropped after the crime was
committed."
"Exactly, Mr. Holmes. I appreciated
that point, and I conjectured that it
was dropped by the murderer in his
hurried flight. It lay near the door.”
"I suppose that none of these securi
ties have been found among the prop
erty of the dead man?”
“No, sir.”
"Have you any reason to suspect
robbery?"
"No, sir. Nothing seemed to have
been touched.”
"Dear me, it is certainly a very in
teresting case. Then there was a
knife, was there not?”
"A sheath knife, still In its sheath.
It lay at the feet of the dead man. Mrs.
Casey has Identified as being her hus
band's property.”
Holmes was lost In thought for some '
time.
"Well," said he. at last. "I suppose I
shall have to come out and have a look
at It.”
Stanley Hopkins gave a cry of Joy.
"Thank you, sir. That will, indeed, be
a weight off my mind."
Holmes shook his finger at the In
spector.
"It would have been an easier task
a week ago," said he. "But even now
my visit may not be entirely fruitless.
Watson, if you can spare the time, I
should be very glad of your company.
If you will call a four-wheeler, Mr.
Hopkins, we shall be ready to start for
Forest Row in a quarter of an hour."
(Continued Next Week)
Cranky. <
Catholic Standard: Crabbe—Cranky?
Do you mean to say I’m cranky? Why,
my worst enemy wouldn’t call me that.
Wise—That’s true. He’d probably
forget his manners and put a lot of
profane adjectives before it.
Rather Indefinite.
Chicago Tribune: "Yes, the woman
in the brocaded silk gown was saying,
“my husband shaves every day."
"Indeed?” said the woman with the
fur-trimmed jacket. "Notes, ice or peo
ple?” _ _ _
England is threatened with a water
famine and is beginning to pray for
rain. Last year was very dry, and
now wells are falling and and the les
ervolrs are low.
Cracked Ice Goes to Waste*
From the Boston Herald
S'meon Ford has a story of a New York
hotel man whoso cafe and rathskeller are
the resorts of a bohemian set. This boni
face was spending his vacation in Maine,
when one evening he was kept in his hotel
by a terrific storm. The windows of his
room were broken by hailstones of a size
generally compared to hen's eggs.
It happened that the proprietor of the
hotel was in the room engaged In conver
sation with the New Yorker during most
of the storm. The hotel man observed
that his guest appeared to be laboring un
der great emotion, so asked:
“Does the storm scare you?”
“Not exactly,” was the reply, “hut it
does tear my heartstrings to see 30 much
tracked ice wasted on a prohibition state.”
Cock-a - Doodle - Doo!
When Frank Stockton started out
with his Rudder Grange experiences he
undertook to keep chickens. One old
motherly Plymouth Rock brought out
a brood late in the fall, and Stockton
gave her a good deal of his attention.
He named each of the chiek3 after
some literary friend, among the rest
Mary Mapes Dodge. Mrs. Dodge was
visiting the farm some time later, and,
happening to think of her namesake,
she said:
"By the way, Frank, how does little
Mary Mapes Dodge get along?”
"The funny thing about little Mary
Mapes Dodge,” said he, “is. she turns
out to be Thomas Bailey Aldrich.”
TWICE-TOLD TESTIMONY.
A Woman Who Has Sniftered Telli
llow to Find Relief.
The thousands of women who suffer
backache, languor, urinary disorders
and other kidney
ills, will find com
fort in the words of
Mrs. Jane Farrell,
of 606 Ocean Ave.,
Jersey City, N.
who says: “I reiter
ate all I have said
before in praise of
Doan’s Kidney Pills.
I had been having
heavy backache and
my general health was affected when
I began using them. My feet were
swollen, my eyes puffed, and dixzy
spells were frequent. Kidney action
was Irregular and the secretions high
ly colored. To-day, however, I am a
well woman, and I am confident tha*
Doan’s Kidney Pills have made me so,
and are keeping me well.”
Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a box,
Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
A Vine Shelters 800 People.
From the Los Angeles Times.
In the Carpenteria valley, half encircle*
by a picturesque range of the Santa Yuei
mountains, stands th-e world’s greatest
grapevine.
Sixty-four years ago a Spanish woman
named Joaquin Lugodi Ayala planted a j
small twig of the Mission grape. She !
watched and tended it with jealous care I
' through its early growth and in later |
years kept it neatly trellised and trimmed. !
Some twenty years ago the vine was pur- f
chased with a plot of ground by Jacob
Wilson, who has since denied It further
compass by keeping It constantly pruned.
Its present measurements, however, are by
no means uninteresting. At the ground
the giant trunk measures nine feet nine
inches in circumference. Five feet above
ground it has a girth of seven feet eleven
inches. At a height of six feet the trunk
branches into five divisions which radiate
in different directions. These five branches
have a combined circumference of four
teen feet eleven inches, the smallest meas
uring two feet and .the largest four feet
three inches. Within a radius of eighteen
feet from the- trunk there are twenty-nine
subdivisions or runners, each measuring
from ten to twenty-two inches in circum
ference, together with countless smaller
branches. The longest runner at -present
readies the enormous distance of seventy
six feet.
The trellis, which Is entirely overspread.
Is 100. by 110 feet in dimensions, embracing
an area of approximately one-fourth of an
acre. A company of S00 people are said to
have at one time found shade beneath the
umbrageous branches.
The vine is still in a healthy state of
growth, and, if permitted to do so, bids
fair to further enlarge Itself by many
square rods. The largest crop ever yet
actually weighed out was ten tons, in 1S95.
| This did^ not include miscellaneous dis
tributions to visitors and friends of the
| proprietor. A common estimate of the en
t tire yield was 24,000 pounds. The larger
| clusters are reported to have weighed nine
| o ten pounds each.
BREAD DYSPEPSIA.
The Dtffeatlnir Element I.eft Oat.
Bread dyspepsia is common. It ai
feets the bowels because white bread is
nearly all starch, and starch is digest
ed in the intestines, not in the stomach j
proper.
Up under the shell of the wheat ber- j
ry Nature has provided a curious de- |
posit which is turned into diastase i
when it is subjected to the saliva and
to the pancreatic juices in the human
intestines.
This diastase is absolutely necessary
to digest starch and turn it into grape
sugar, which Is the next form; but that
part of the wheat berry makes dark
flour, and the modern miller cannot
readily sell, dark flour, so Nature’s val
uable digester Is thrown out and the
human system must handle the starch
I as best it can, without the help that
Nature intended.
Small wonder that appendicitis, peri
' tonitis, constipation, and all sorts of
trouble exist when we go so contrary
to Nature’s law. The food experts that
! perfected Grape-Nuts Food, knowing
| these facts, made use in their expert
j ments of the entire wheat and barley, !
I Including all the parts, and subjected |
I them to moisture and long continued |
warmth, which allows time and the j
■ proper conditions for developing the j
diastase, outside of the human body.
I In tills way the starchy part is trans- |
formed into grape-sugar in a perfectly i
1 natural manner, without the use of
! chemicals or any outside ingredients.
‘ The little sparkling crystals of grape
sugar can be seen on the pieces of
Grape-Nuts. This food therefore is nat- j
urnlly pre-digested and its use in place '
of bread will quickly correct the trou- !
j hies that have been brought about by
I the too free use of starch in the food,
and that is very common in the human
, race to-day. j
The effect of eating Grape-Nuts ten
days or two weeks and the discontin
uance of ordinary white bread, is very
marked. The user will gain rapidly in
| strength and physical aud mental
j health.
“There’s a reasou."
A PROTECTED MILK PAIL.
That many of the odors and much of the
dirt which gets into milk is during the
process of milking most of us know, hence
every precaution to overcome this should
be taken. One of the best methods of
protecting the milk in the pail is to ar
range a cover of tin and cheese cloth.
Have a tin cover made to go over the pail
loosely so as to allow for the space taken
yy the cloth strainer. The tin cover should
be higher in the center than at the sides
(see small cut below) and a hole about
four inches in diameter made in the
front center through which the milk is
directed. Then have plenty of cheese cloth
lovers large enough to reach five or six
I Inches over the side of the pail where it
may be secured by a tape or by slipping a
hoop of sheet iron of proper size over it
and pushing it down hard. Put on one of
these covers then the tin cover and you
are ready for milking. The cheese cloth
will prevent any filth getting to the milk
and if these covers are washed in boiling
water and sun dried they may be used a
number of times. The illustration shows
the ieda plainly, the cut to the lower left
showing the pail complete with the strain
er and the larger cut shows how the cloth
Is slashed at Intervals so it will fit around
the pail without trouble.
WHERE THE MANURE SPREADER
PAYS.
Almost numberless experiments have
proved that the manure spreader is one
ef the most valuable of farm implements.
We are not booming manure spreaders but
decidedly are booking anything which
will reduce the labor of the farm and es
pecially when it also increases the yield.
That a good manure spreader, of any
make, will do this there is no question.
The difficulty in obtaining farm labor is
growing greater yearly, hence anything
which will accomplish the purpose, in the
form of machinery, should be welcomed.
It is practically impossible to spread the
manure by hand as evenly as a good
epreader will place it; the labor necessary
to break the large pieces into proper sizes
is considerable and this work the manure
spreader does without trouble. That the
crops are increased is due very largely
to the evenness with which the manure
is piaced by the spreader, making the
stand more even with a corresponding
growth all over the field. With us the
manure spreader seems particularly val
uable because our manure is spread as
soon as made and as the bulk of it is ac
cumulated during i**e winter it is much
pleasanter to load it onto the spreader,
and have the machine spread it on the
fields quickly and evenly, than it is to
unload a wagon on a cold day. Look into
the merits of the manure spreader before
the work has to be done again.
TOO MANY HENS IN A HOUSE.
The main idea in keeping a largo number
of fowls in one house is to care for them
more easily, but there are always risks
to run which cannot be avoided even by
the most experienced and careful worker.
All things considered, the plan of having
one roof cover the poultry house, no mat
ter how large, is advisable, but the mat
ter of division is a thing to be seriously
considered. In our our experience, we like
the scratching shed divisions better than
anything else. This is worked out by
building a roosting room, then a scratch
ing shed, then another roosting room, an
other scratching sued and so on to the
end of the house. The idea is that each
house has its scratching shed, which is
located between two roosting rooms ex
cept at one end. As these sheds are open
more or less during the winter and all of
the hours of daylight except the laying
period are spent in the shed, there is less
chance for disease. Except for the con
necting alley way at the rear each roost
ing room with its sc ratching shed is in
dependent of each other combination hence
there is little chance of one lot of birds
catching any disease which may break out
in one of the other pens. At the same
time, being under one roof, things are
easily cared for.
SELECTION OF SEED CORN.
The experiment station of Ohio fur
nishes valuable information in a bulletin
on the selection of corn for seed the selec
tion being made during the growing of the
plant in the field, which ought to have the
careful attention of growers of corn
everywhere. Taking dent corn for the
purpose it is scored as follows: Vigor of
plant, 20 points; position of ear, 5 points;
weight of ear, 50 points; length of ear, 5
points; uniformity of plant and ear, 10
points, and shape of kernel and size of
germ, 10 points. Very important is the
note which gives the disqualifications as
plants growing under less than normal
stand; plants lying upon the ground or
badly broken; plants diseased; plants
maturing too late or too early. To select
the seed corn from such plants Is fatal to
the following crop. The vigor of the plant
is indicated by the circumference of the
stalk below the ear; by its upright growth
and by its leaf development and freedom
from disease. The ideal position of the ear
Is such that it does not null too heavily
upon the plant. The weight of the ear is
to be determined by scales when the ear
is thoroughly air-dry. The plan of uni
formity of plant and ear is based on the
habit of growth and vigor of plant as
well as size, shape, color and indentation
of ear. Corn growers everywhere should
profit by these points which will mean de
cidedly improved crops.
SPRAYING FOR POTATOES.
The recognized formula for bordeaux
mixture for use on potatoes is six pounds
of copper sulphate, blue vitrol, lour
pounds unslaked quicklime and 50 gallons
of water. The copper sulphate is dissolved
in one barrel and the lime in another. Add
to each 25 gallons of water and then mix
thoroughly. When to be used strain
through a wire strainer, preferably one of
brass. Spraying should be started when
the potato plants are six inches high and
be repeated every ten days or two weeks,
according to the weather, throughout the
growing season. If bugs are to be de
stroyed add one pound of Paris green to
each ah gallons of the bordeaux mixture,
but the bordeaux mixture should be used
alone until the bugs are noticed. When it
ia figured that the cost of spraying does
not exceed seven dollars an acre, and it
is often less, while experiments have
proved that the value of the crop was
increased three or four times the cost for
spraying, it certainly pays well.
DON’T OVERDO THE SEPARATING.
It is unfortunate that no great good can
come without its bringing at least the
temptation to do more or less harm. A
case in point is with the separator, or
rather with the man who runs the ma
chine. The value of the separator cannot
be denied and it is a machine which should
be on every dairy farm whether the milk
is sold or butter Is made. A word of warn
ing, however, to the man who sells milk,
to the consumer. Don't separate too close
ly or you may run against the law of the
state which requires that the milk be u{>
to a certain standard under test. Near
the writer are located two farms whose'
owners have had splendid trade in a near
by town in milk and cream. They each
bought separators and, as cream sold at
40 cents a quart and the demand w'as
great, they proceded to use the separator
to the point that they were selling what
was littlo beter than skimmed milk to
their customers and at 8 cents a quart,
with the result that one of them has lost'
nearly 80 per cent, of his trade and the
other more than half, and all within nine
months. Other milkmen who do not own
separators are getting the trade. Buy a
separator by all means, but do not use it
consciously or unconsciously to cheat the.
public.
FARM FOR YOUR CROP.
A writer familiar with the cotton situ
ation in the south says that the cottoa
growers insist in planting cotton instead'
of farming for cotton, meaning that they”
grow cotton after cotton using cemmercial
fertilizers to force the crops rather than
do diversified farming which includes thei
raising of stock food and the feeding of
stock in order to turn the manure back
to the farm. Other sections of the coun
try make' the same mistake in different
way's. In the corn belt tho grower plants
seed from his crib and his yield gets smal
ler year after year and he frantically re
sorts to the commercial fertilizers which
force growth. If he would plan diversified;
farming and, more than all, start in on a
plan of Improving his seed corn by first
getting the best seed the money would
buy and selecting certain plants as they
grew from w'hlch to take the corn for seed'
t;he next year, keeping up this selection,
of the best from the best for several years,
he would have larger crops of better com
and make a corresponding profit. Look,
into this plan, friend.
BETTER PRICES FOR TOMATOES.
The demand for canned tomatoes, the
scarcity of labor and, more than all In.
some sections the demand for the fresh
vegetable has forced canners to raise the
price for tomatoes grown for them on con
tract and also to remove some of tn« *e
strlctions which have made it imDoesiblo
to grow the crop profitably with any cer
tainty. Certain forms and shades of color
are no longer condemned nor are grower®
compelled to buy the plants from th»
owner of the cannery as was the case in
many sections. There promises to be an.
extended area devoted to tomatoes this*
year, but it is hoped that where a grower
Is located near a good market he will not
tie himself up by' agreeing not to market
the fresh vegetable. Remember that one
of the chief reasons for the increase in the
price from the canneries is the increased
demand for the fresh fruit. The producer
is entitled to share the profits of this de
mand with the canner and he can do it if
he does not obligate himself to grow solely
for the canneries.
SUMMER GRAIN FOR POULTRY.
It Is not to be expected that the fowl®
can be taken care of wholly on the range
during the summer no matter how ex
tensive it may be, grain must be
fed in a greater or less amount. During th®
summer we do without the mashes and th®
corn, feeding wheat and buckwheat, and,
beginning in June, more or less cotton
seed meal, adding It in vary' small quanti
ties and Increasing It gradually until
about one-tenth of the daily ration con
sists of the oil meal. We do this mainly
because it has been proven that the moult
ing is made much easier if the hen get®
a lot of this oily meal in her system; of
course there is more or less virtue in the
meal any'way as a food, but we have the
moulting period mainly in mind. Once a
week wre mix up a lot of buckwheat,
wheat, a little oil meal and just a very lit
tle cracked corn with some wheat bran
and let the birds have it dry; this we usu
ally' feed on a strip of meadow which ha®
been run over with a lawn mower set very
low. The grass is thin and when cut very
short the birds spend several hours
scratching and eating. This feed they
seem to enjoy immensely and we know
they get much good from It for enough la
given to pretty well satisfy their appe
tites.
ECONOMIZING GREEN FOOD.
When green food is scare or difficult to
obtain It pays to plan some way so it will
not be wasted. The following description
Is of a feeding box that works well. Cut
two pieces for the ends each 24 inches
long, getting proper curve by using a com.
pass. Make the back of the holder of thin
boards four feet long and twenty-fouf
inches wide and nail one end (figure 5) in
place, hinging the other end, using small
straps of leather to hold it shut. Covei
the holder with coarse mesh wire netting
_4 Fti t _ /
and hang it in a convenient place high
enough so the fowls cannot roost on it yet
so they can feed from it readily. Us«
hangers of wood, tin or leather as indi
cated in the cut at figure 6. This little
feeding box will enable the fowls to pick
at the green stuff whether it is clover,
grass or chopped cabbage without any
danger of soiling or wasting it. Such con.
vemcncm are inexpensive but save an
Immense amount ol itrae as well as food so
poultry keepers should use them whoa
over possible.