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About Will Maupin's weekly. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1911-1912 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1912)
o !Dm,t Flaunt Seed Cra ThatWoim'tGir w Men from the state experiment station who have examined samples of the best seed corn exhibited at the local corn shows, short; courses and farmers' institutes all oyer the state say that only from 10 to 40 per cent of the samples submitted will grow. Corn for Seed Purposes is in a dition than has ever been laiown A Grave Situation Exists How to Test "Seed Corn Enough ears to plant twenty acres can be tested in a single day with home made tester. Take a box six inches deep and about two by three feet in size. Pill the box about half full of moist dirt, sand or sawdust. Press it well down so it will have a ' smooth, even surface. Now take a white cloth about the size of the box, rule it off checkered fashion, making squares one' and one-half inches each way. Number the' checks 1, (2, 3 and so on. Place this over the sand, dirt or sawdust. Take the ears to be tested and either lay them out on the floor and mark a number, in '.front' of ' each'' or attach a numbered tag. Now take off about six kernels from each ear (not all from . the same place, but "at several points , on all sides.) Put these kernels on the squares coresponding in number to those placed on the ears of corn. Be careful not to get them mixed. Keep the ears numbered to correspond EXACTLY with the numbers on the . squares of cloth. After the kernels have been placed - carefully on the cloth which covers the moist sand, dirt or sawdust, cover them with another cloth, considerably larger than the box; cover this cloth ' With about two inches of the same moist ' sand and jeejv fthe box - in a warm place. It must ..not get cold. The kernels will germinate in four to six days. Remove the cover carefully to avoid misplacing the kernels. Examine them carefully., Some will have long sprouts, but almost no roots ; others will not have grown at all, but the kernels " from ears which will produce corn if planted, ..will have both sprouts and good root systems. ' ' Compare the numbers on the squares with those' on the ears. Put back into the feeding corn . bin the ears which correspond in number to the numbers on the squares where the ker nels . did' .not grow or where they showed only weak roots. The ears numbered corresponding to those on the cloth which showed strong signs of life are the ones to preserve for seed. Every kernel from these ears should produce a stalk, every stalk an ear. A number of more convenient seed corn testers are manufactured for sale. They are ' all good any implement ' dealer or seed house will know where to get them. If we are to have a corn crop this year, every ear . of corn should be tested to see t if it will grow, before it is planted. ;v Suppose one dead ear is planted. . The planter faOs to get one thousand stalk? of corn almost 12 bushels :fol corn lost. Leading corn ' authorities say that no man can tell if corn will grow or not, without making a germination test. Particularly this - yerr, corn that looks good on the outside is dead in the germ, and positively will not grow. - The business men of . Omaha appre ciate that business ' prosperity ' de pends upon the success of the corn cropand are therefore making- this effort to arouse the state to the "ne cessities of the case. If in any com munity there is more than enough seed corn to plant your own farm, please let us know, that we : may se cure the additional supply for other parts of the state. Her Bisque Doll . ..V ' Address Publicity Bureau Commercial Club Omaha By Philip Kean KCopyriliit. UU, by Associated Literary Press.) Fleurette was eighteen, and she had never owned a doll. "Of course I am too old for one now," she would x say, wistfully, as she passed the shop windows on her way home from work. Fleurette was an apprentice in a millinery shop. Now and then little Fleurette sighed for luxuries. I have never really1 had a good time, -you know, mother'she woald-ia-and you let me watch when you get say, and her mother would' kiss her and sigh. "If only your father had lived, Fleurette." . . ' ' The future seemed to hold nothing for them except the possibility of Fleurette's success as a milliner. She had been' promised three dollars ' a week, as soon as - she learned the first principles of her trade. ' When, therefore, ' she came home one night with a sore throat, there was consternation. "I simply can't be sick," Fleurette said, desperately. "Madame will get some one else , in my place If I stay away." She went to bed that night with her throat wrapped up, and when she struggled to her feet in the early dawn, her head was hot with fever. "But I must go," - she Insisted, and at last her mother helped her Into her clothes, and started her on her way. The day was one of deadly and ex cruciating effort. Fleurette's hot head and heavy eyes seemed to weigh her down. Her needle In her trembling hand ' semed to take stitches that ' accomplished nothing. Madame spoke to her sharply several times, and, at last sent her home. Ana don t come back until you are rid of that cough," she said. . 'Fleurette, staggering homeward, felt that she didn't care If some one else did take her place. She wanted only to get to her mother, to lay her hot head on the pillow and sleep. Her feet were so heavy that at last she stopped, and held on to the railing that' ran in front of one of the big windows of the shop where there was displayed box after box of blond and brunette bisque dolls. "Oh, you pretty babies," Fleurette whispered, "if if only I. was little .ME ft xrrnL9 such m bab i enough to cur J up in that pink crib, how nice it would be , She said It out loud, and a man who bad stopped beside her looked down at her sharply. "Hello," he said quickly, aa she swayed and would have fallen, but for his helping hand. . "Look here, kiddie, you re in a bad way." '.1 - think," said Fleurette, looking up at him with fever-bright eyes, think I am very ill. But if I am go ing to die, I think I'd just as soon do it right here, please. You see, I've never had a doll " -, "You're not going to die," he said briskly. "You tell- me where you live, and I'll have you home and in bed before yon can say aJck Robin son." . . . "I don't want to say . 'Jack- Robin con,'" Fleurette protested, weakly, but she gave him her number;' and, leaning on his arm, was led down a side street to vheri" waiting and anxious mother. ""i The big man stayed in the front room, while the girl's mother made her comfortable in the inner room, and Fleurette could hear him hum ming like a big bee as she went oft into dreamland. ' She had lapsed into unconscious ness by the time the big man had In- trduced himself to her mother. "My name is Jack Rodman," he said. "My boat came - in this morning after a week's fishing on the banks. I own my own boat and in my own town you could find plenty of people who'd tell you that I come of honest folks, and that I haven't gone back on my name. I walked uptown this after noon and saw the little girl talking to the dolls. She seemed too big for that sort of thing, so I listened, and I saw she was out of her head but. say, 1b It true that she never had a doll?" "Not since she can remember," said Fleurette's mother. Rodman looked around the plain room. "I see," he said briefly. 'Look here, "may I come again and find out how she is?" Mrs. DuBois knew that she could trust those frank, blue eyes. "Yes," she said, 'and thank you very much for bringing my little girl back tc me." . He came in an hour later with some fruit. "I thought If she was feverish the oranges- Might taste good to her," he said. "Let me help jyou," he went on eageffy. "Here I am in this old town, my, boat has to go to the drydock for-repairs and my time hangs on my hands." In her extremity sTItts. DuBois turned to him gratefully. "We have no friends and I can't leave Fleurette for a moment," she said. "I must have a doctor and medicine at once." Ho was up and away in a moment, coming back with a kindly, com petent physician, and ) running out again to fill prescriptions, to get a chicken for broth and tnilk and eggs. Look here," he said ;to Mrs, Du. Bois, "you let me ' do the cooking. I've done it lots of, times on my boat worn out L. si ) pm In the days that followed Mrs. Du Bois often -asked anxiously: "Isn't your boat ready to sail?" and Jack jRodman always answered with his big laugh, "There's -. a. I Jot more to . . m . .. t , 9 h ,ao on ner. c.s.. ; . It was not until Fleurette began to come back to life that he spoke of his return voyage. 't'In another week I must be getting home," he paid. How can we ) ever; repay you? Mrs. DuBois said. "Forget it," said Jack slangily, but his eyes were wet. "You must' remember that you are my adopted mother now that I haven't one of my own.' "If you were half as good to her as you have been to us, she must have been proud of - you," said the grateful little lady. ' "Forget, it," repata? Jack" with isome embarrassment, i'atid or, look here, there's just one thing I want to get Fleurette before ! go" But he wouldn'jejw&at jit was until he came back with a long box, land unfolded fro&23ttsaiy3 wrappings of tissue paper a bisque doll, .. Fleurette held out-.weafc hands for - "Oh!" she gaspe'oh!'' :. "I thought you'd like her, kiddie,' said Jack, somewhat awkwardly. ' It was a happyilittMfFleurette who lay back on her y?illdws.: "You wouldn't think I'wak.jpeally almost nineteen," she asked, "would you? It seems such a baby thing to want a doll, but then you tfBp hen you've always wanted a thing "You ought to have it? Of course you 'should, kiddicr Andsnow there's something else I 'want you to have." "What?" asked fteurette, and Mrs. DuBois looked at him curiously. "A sea voyage.'Wd Jack Rodman, unexpectedly. "I've Jesked the doctor, and he says it would be the best thing that could hspflen to Fleu rette. The fishing's lover and I've a good cook, and a couple of other men on my boat, and ttirileJ things are a bit rough, we should certainly try to make you comlfortable.'' " 1 ' j A week later Fleurette, lay, on the deck of 4he White Gull and watched the real gulls overhead. Beside her ly the bfeque" doWand Mrs. DuBois sewed happily, in the. stem. Jack Rodman, seated at Fleurette's feet, watched her -with-adorlng eyes. "If I hadn't stopped Joook at those bisque babies I shouldn't have met you," he said., Fleurette laughed. "You must have thought me a perfect child.' "I . thought you perfect " Jack got up suddenly and went t over to Mrs. DuBois. "I've got to ' say it,' he told that lady, and his voice floated back to Fleurette. "What?" asked Mrs. DuBois smiling. "I've got to tell her I love her,' said Jack explosively "but I sup pose I d better tell you "ilrst that want you for a real ymotner, not for an adopted one." "Dear boy," said Mrs. DuBois, and he kissed her. Then he went back' to Fleurette. "I want you to be first mate of the White Gull, dear," he - said, steadily, "but I'm afraid to askrr"-, "Why," said FJeuf ett4 the color flaming into her cheeks. "Because I don't see, how you can Inra a tilo wiiMrTi it1itinHA tcaL" "I don't love a big rough chap,' said Fleurette with shining . eyes, "but I love a man with the kindest heart In the whole world and the name of that man is Jack.' French Croupier ips. J Startling statements regarding the sums gambled away annually at the French casinos and the I amount of money given to the croupiers in tips were made in the chamber by M. Ker duezoc in supporting a bill for a pro gressive tax on gambling clubs and casinos. He said that the amount of the tak ings at Enghien, the casino near Paris, last year was 380,000, at Vichy, 156,000, and at Trouville, 137,000. The tips to croupiers at Enghien amounted to 69480, the head croupier receiving over 2,000, while at Vichy and Trouville the tips amounted to 29,280 and 36,320 re spectively. Favorite Fiction. - "She Doesn't Lse. .Large, - Flashy Diamonds; Let Me See Some of Your Smaller Ones." "I Want You to Be Liberal in Mak ing Christmas presents Maria, out My Bank Account Is Ctting Mighty Low." "Value of This Package? Oh, Well. It's About $50." "Your Father Is Going to Give You a Fine Set of FursJ Is He. Fan? I'm So Glad!" "No, Sir, There Ain't a Bit of Writin' in the Package." "Christmas Present for 'the Boss? Sure, I'll Be Glad to Contribute." SPANIARDS DO CUBA'S WORK Native Are All Right In Some- Lines, of Employment, but Not aa Laborers. 'Ninety per cent of the laborers on the plantations and in the mines of Cuba are Spaniards," said Burton Vandyke, superintendent of one of the largest iron works in Santiago, at the New Ebbitt. 'They make good work-. men, far better than the natives of Cuba. In fact, the Cubans will not work as laborers. They are all right in other lines of employment, but not as worklngmen. The Spaniards have almost entirely taken the place of la borers of other nationalities, i wages paid are based on an average , a dollar a day; but many make as high as two dollars doing 'task' work. "Cuba Is rich in minerals, . but the ' development of the islands is retard ed by the continued unrest, due to the fear that at any time, as in any Latin country, there may be a revolution. I don't mean to say that there is any reason to think a revolution is immi nent in Cuba. That would not be cor rect, but there is always the appre hension that some time there may be an uprising. "I have given no attention to politics n Cuba. That is a question that doesn't appear to concern many Americans. There is no doubt, I think, that if it were not for the unsettled political conditions of Cuba, American capital would feel safer in investing there, and there would be many more Amer icans there- At this time I do not believe there' are any more Americans in Cuba than there were a few years ago, although . the . opportunities for making money in sugar plantations and in other lines are many." SHE WENT HOME TO MOTHER, Habit of Talking in Sleep Causes 8e rious Break in the Brown Family. . . i "And pray, who is Doris?" was the! question that startled Mr. Brown (who! is addicted to that ill-conceived habit of talking in his sleep), as he woke the other morning and found his better half sitting up in bed with an interro gation point in her .eyes. "Doris, Doris, Doris who?" ...."That's just what I want to know ; you've been repeating that name over and over again." "Oh- ah yes," yes,' of course. It'a Charlie Jones' new collie dog. She's a perfect beauty." . "Indeed!", "Rather; she's .just the sort of dog " "You ought to own? Certainly yon appear very fond of her. You asked, you will be pleased to hear, this 'collie dog' to put. her arms around your neck and kiss you; then you told Mr. Jones'' dog that you "Loved her with all your heart,' and that 'when you came to die if you could only lay your head on Jones' dog's bosom, you could breaths your life out sweetly there.' Then you, asked Jones' dog to have another Icel and if the watch you had given her kept good time. Under these circum stances, James Brown,' I -think, per haps, you had better go to Jones' col lie dog. I am going borne.'' ' Generous Harpies, : "On the return of the army from1 the Philippine islands most of the troops were mustered out - in San Francisco. In advance of their ar rival at that point, the pension attorv neys of ' Washington hurried to thet spot to open offices or have their? -agents ready to meet the returning; soldiers. : According to the language, of the soldiers themselves,, the rival agents beset them at once, importun ing them to file their claims for pen-' slons without delay. To the bewllde?-. ed youths, eager only to reach their, homes, 75 attorneys seemed to be pur suing, each victim, assuring him that It was his duty to file his application j whether an invalid, or not. The hos-i , pltals had to be guarded against these tormentors masquerading as friends of the Invalids." In the case of a sin gle regiment composed of officers and' -men of exceptional physical excel lence, 477 applications for pensions were-filed within four months, for over 20 different diseases. Charles , Francis Adams in the World's Work. ' When Lehar "Couldn't Play." When Lehar, the composer of "The Merry Widow," and recently of 1 "Eva," which will soon have Us first performance In Berlin, was the lead-' er of a military band in Vienna, he was an applicant for the place of di rector of a musical association in that city. One of. the requirements.: was "familiarity wltb and ability to direct waltz music." Lehar appeared with the other applicants for exami nation, and was promptly rejected, , "symphonic music seemed to be more bis sphere than dance music." , If he had believed that the judges bad. formed a true opinion of the trend of his talent, he would probably still be as unknown to the world as he was when he marched at tne bead of a Vienna brass band. Giving It Away. Being called to his feet unexpected ly at the gathering and asked to re spond informally to the toast "The Ladies," Mr. G lifers hemmed and hawed and began: "My friends, all that I am, all that I have in the world, I owe to a wom an my wife." , ' Here he - was Interrupted by that lady herself, who arose and said: "I told you, when you put the prop erty in my name, you'd give It away first time you opened your month."