Nebraska Newspapers

    ArriTfy 1
BY jMARY gEVEREVX
nTrH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON c. WiLSOrf
CCopyrr^At, 1902, by l/ffie, &T»tft, arx/ CbntptHjd
OU! &g/& ff*0tr*nf)
CHAPTER XII.
An hour before sunset the fog rolled
up. revealing the man-of-war anchored
^^^ar enough for the men on her deck
seen plainly without the aid of
^TS^Paae. The anchors of both vessels
were raised at once, and the chase
wan renewed, with the pursuer not a
mile away, and heading about south
west, which would soon bring her
within range of the brigantine, whose
course lay due west.
A curl of smoke soon rose from
the Englishman's deck, and a few
seconds later there came the report
of a gun. "A pressing invitation for
us to show our colors.'* remarked La
•Kte. as be watched the shot strike
the water.
A short time passed, with the “Black ,
PetrelV' crew uneasy and Lopez
swearing softly in his native tongue.
The pursuer then began a more per
sistent firing with her bow-guns, but
n«*oe of the shots reached their mark.
Presently I.afitte. who was standing
near Lopez. asked quietly, “How would
a 'hot work now ? Try. and see."
The o!<] gunner, w itb a shout due to
his long repressed feelings, set about !
leveling his gun. calculated the dis- ;
tacce. and obtained the proper eleva- j
tion.
There was a report, soon followed
by a trembling of the enemy’s spars;
and the brigantine’s crew crowded to 1
see the result.
“You have struck their foremast. '
just below the futtocks.” announced
I.afttte. lookirg through his glass.
’ Aye. sir; and I will sing them an
other such sweet song” said Lopez j
coolly, watching his men reioad the
gun.
The enemy had meantime come a
little closer, and was dropping shot
ticioufly about the brigantine.
"ljofH-t, make haste with the gun!"
cried lJtro. with an oath. “Give them
a dose such as will set them to re
pairing damages, and”—turning to the
cp-w — should she get close enough
As I.afltte’s lips parted to speak, the
dying man, as if divining what
might be about to say, cried with a
sudden burst of strength, “No, no,
boy; try to tell me no soothing lies!
Uving, I never knew fear; and dying
I scorn it! Ah—Madre de Dios!
Christ have mercy!”
And with this last cry, Laro’s voice
was stilled forever.
Lafitte's heart repeated the prayer,
as he folded the dead man’s hands
across the broad chest; and scarcely
had he done this when he was startled
by the noise of a commotion above
him.
Stopping only to draw a blanket
over the face and form of the dead, he
went on deck, where a number of ex
cited men were gathered on the side
toward the enemy. His glance had al
ready followed the direction of their
eyes, and he saw one of the ‘‘Black
Petrel's” smallest boats being rowed
by the Indian, Ehewah, toward the
English vessel; and clinging to it,
while his hoarse voice poured forth a
volley of menacing words, was Lopez.
Lopez had loosed one of his hands
from the boat’s gunwale, and drawing
his knife, hurled it at the Indian; but
Ehewah dodged, and it fell into the
sea. He then rowed on. and Lopez,
no longer shouting, attempted to draw
himself over the stern of the boat.
At this, the Indian had stopped row
ing. and struck the gunner over the
head with an oar. continuing the blows
until Lopez released his hold and sank
from sight.
A boat which had been lowered
from the English ship was now seen
pulling rapidly to where Ehewah, still
pausing, appeared waiting for the gun
ner's body to rise.
This it soon did; and the Indian,
showing an agile strength one would
not have accredited to his slight
frame, drew it into the boat.
The crew of the brigantine saw Ehe
wah parley with the men from the
enemy’s vessel, after which he rowed
in their company to the man-of-war;
With a cursing cry he sank.
lo try aty tricks with grappling irons,
nan- the rut lasses ready, my hearties.
And remember that it is no quarter.”
A sound, half roar, half snarl, cam*'
from the men; and the neat moment
here was a whistling amongst them
as a cannon ball struck the bulwark
n inont of Ian*, filling the air with
utt* of wood, and then glancing into
the water.
A large, sharply pointed piece of
rigged w<«»d struck him in the side.
«n<i v *h a cursing cry he sank, face
townward, upon the deck, the blood
from his wounds spattering those r.ear
mt ldm. several of whom had been
bit by the Cyieg splinters.
I aflttc sprang forward, and placing
ai* arm" around the quivering form,
•timed the distorted face to the air.
Hi* n looking up at the gunner, w ho
was staring wildly at the sight, he
-rbd. “Fire. Lope*, as you never fired
t.ofoTe’'
A prompt discharge followed the
•rder. and a wild shout of joy went
up from the crew of the "Black Pe
tr*'.”
The enemy's foremast was again 1
«ti ark. this lime writh disastrous ef
t> i ’ &> rtmid be readily seen; for her
.t« were getting the sails off writh
• It possible sjieed. Her fore royal and
loi-gallant sails were dewed up. and
the topsail yard let go by the run,
while the mast was swaying percept i
O'.
Iaw*. by l.aftte's command. had
iJt-'D torre to the main cabin, where
tie was laid upon a divan, and the
hr gantine had been ordered to come
tit anchor. The ecemy hail already
done this. and. in her present crippled
condition, there was nothing to fiar
from her. as the distance between the
Ttu i was too great for advanta re
ons llrirr even had the tCnglishn an
beer. In proper form to continue ' he
fight
I an* wa* breathing heavily. In brok
en gasps; and beckoning to lAfitte
he asked to have sent away those who
were about him. still striving to check
the blood that flowed so freely as to
soak the red of the divan until It
shewed black
lAfitte seat the others away, srd
sitting down by the dying man. U»k
one of the hand* that were already
graw tag cold.
"Jean, you will take care of Ia
«alle?~ And Lara's black eyes, tbelr
mockery forever slain, looked at him
with appealing wist fulness.
lAfitte sodded, and pressed tbn
hand he he’d.
~;*ke will have plenty of wealth, aa
yon know; ae* that It ts delivered to
her safely, aad kept securely after
ward. Take the girl away. Jean; take
her ro the auks, in N'ew Orleans, as I
should have done before this: and
no you nnd she have the church say
masses fiar my soul. My soul!** he re
posted. In u quick gasp. "To where
will my soul goT
and lafltte, watching through his
saw the form of Lopez carried
aitnard in their midst.
lafltte, bidding Garonne accompany
■iim. went below, to loro's cabin. Ga
ronne lit the brass lamp swinging over
the small table, and turned to Lafitte,
who stood looking about him. as if for
some sign of Ehewah's treacherous in
tention. when the gleam of a gold
band, hanging over Laro'a bunk,
caught their eyes.
It was a bracelet which the Indian
had always worn tipon his naked arm
sine*' the day I.aro placed it there,
in a burst of gratitude to Ehewah for
having saved bis life.
Both Lafltte and Garonne knew
enough of the Indian's tribe-lore to
understand that this was Ehewah’s
mute announcement of ended friend
ship and loyalty.
"He doubtless stole in here to per
form what to him was a religious rite,
and having hung I^iro's gift where we
found it. went his way, intending to
attempt that which he has now ac
complished.” mused Lafltte aloud.
Then, as if struck by an after
thought. he went to Laro's bunk, and
throwing aside the rich draperies, dis
closed a heavy wooden locker.
Us lid was. contrary to custom,
locked; and when I.afitte opened it. a
disarranged collection of papers and
canvas hags showed within.
“It is as I supposed—not a coin nor
jewel touched, but charts and papers
gen*- that are of more importance
than ail the valuables. The rascal
know s the wav to the Barra de Hierro;
aud the charts he has taken will in
form others, showing them where to
find what now belongs to the Senorita
I jtzaiie.”
Uaror.ne. forgetful of his usual re
straint when in Lafitte*a presence, now
tiroke forth into a flood of curses,
which the latter checked at once.
The mate turned to the cabin door,
where he paused, and aske.l in a voice
trembling with the anger he dared
not show. “Have you any orders for
me. captain?”
"None save to let the men have
their Kipper at occc, and see to It that
' oriy half-allowance of grog is served.
J The fog is coming in. and we will sail
as soon aa may be.”
Like an army of shrouded ghosts,
the fog was again about the "Black
Petrel,” enclosing her in a world
where she was the sole tangible thing.
| But. as over a path familiar to blind
| eyes, the hands that manned her
; could shape an unerring course for
! their secure haven.
I.oug before midnight she waa feel
ing her way north, toward the mouth
of the treacherous channel that would
bring the crew to their island strong
hold. the Barra de Hierro.
The early morning air was heavy
with odors of aromatic shrubs grow
ing beyond the beach, and the carol
of wakening birds waa Ailing it with
music, when Lafitte came ashore, leav
ing Garonne in charge of the brigan
tine.
His course lay Inland, at first over
waste fields, and then cultivated ones,
of sugar cane, coffee and tobacco.
Then came some banana and fig plan
tations, interspersed with groves of
palms and cocoanut trees, until, after
a walk of twenty minutes, he reached
a clearing In which stood many small
huts, evidently dwellings; and apart
from these rose the walls of a stone
building, surrounded by a high wall,
with circular towers at the angles.
Lafitte crossed the open space, and
stopping before a stout oakea. door in
the wall, called for admission. But
there was no response; and, after a
longer silence than suited his humor,
he fell to striking upon the door, while
called still louder.
This resulted in its soon being
opened cautiously, to show a stalwart
giant, whose black face and naked
arms showed all the darker by con
trast with the white cotton of his rai
ment, draped in a barbaric fashion
that told of its not having known
thread and needle.
“My young captain!” he exclaimed
in Spanish, a pleased surprise lighting
his grave face; and catching Lafitte’s
hand, he kissed it as the latter re
plied, “Greetings to you, Ezrah. Is it
al! well here?”
“Yes, my young captain. All Is well;
but it will be more than well, now
that you have returned.”
Lafitte waited until the Arab (for
such he w&s) had closed and barred
the gate; and then, in a few words,
he told him of what had taken place,
adding that Laro’s body would be
brought ashore later in the day, for
burial.
Ezrah listened with a face showing
no emotion whatever, save perhaps
that of anger that the nation his mas
ter had taught him to hate should
have been the means of the former’s
death.
His young mistress, the Senorita
Lazalie, was of course not yet awake;
and Lafitte, after bidding the Arab to
leave her undisturbed, went to his
own apartments.
lazalie was row sixteen; and, since
leaving a convent school in Seville,
two years before, her entire time had
been passed upon the Barra de Hierro,
to which Laro—her only living rela
tive—had brought her, and where she
had seemed fully contented with her
| lmurious and independent life.
Laro, of necessity, passed much of
his time away from the Barra de
Hierro; and, during his absence, La
zalie was its head and ruler, except
when Lafitte found it necessary tc
visit the island. Then the Spanish
girl gave place—and with entire will
ingness—to the man whom, from their
first meeting, she had loved with all
the fervor of her uncurbed nature.
(To be continued.)
ORCHIDS COST HUMAN LIVES.
Dangers of Hunting for Beautiful
Plants Are Great.
It is said that 2,000 different spe
cies of orchids have been discovered
and introduced to civilization. A re
cent investigator into the history of
this plant, according to the Detroit
News-Tribune, says that one human
life has been sacrificed to each speci
men of this flower. Orchids flourish
in the most deadly swamps of Mexico,
in the torrid and malarial districts
of the Indies, in the Brazilian forests
and in places infested by pestilence,
fierce animals and fiercer tribes of
savages, some of which believe that
the orchid is an object of veneration,
to tamper with which means certain
death if caught.
One of the most beautiful of all or
chids, an exquisite white flower of the
Sobralia genus, was actually discov
ered in a fastness of the mountains on
an altar on which human beings had
recently been sacrificed.
This was a grewsome enough place
of discovery, but it has a parallel in
the case of another equally lovely
flower which was discovered wreathed
around human bones exposed in a na
tive cemetery in New Guinea. So firm
ly were some of the plants attached
to the bones that they could not be
removed and one was actually brought
to England growing in the inside of a
human skull. Of eight hunters who
went to Mexico to hunt-orchids seven
lost their lives within a year and the
sole survivor returned with his health
ruined.
Cause of Thanks.
It was a Coffee county boy who mar
ried and went to Texas, and upon ar
riving there wrote promptly back to
his friends that he ‘‘got there safe and
well.”
And that was the very last time
that he ever did write to them. They
waited and they waited, and they
wondered and they wondered and
they wondered, and never a word fur
ther from the wanderers. Some anxi
ety was felt, or would have been Telt,
but for one old woman of distant kin,
who whenever his name was men
tioned would always say:
“Well, he got thar safe, and they’re
all well, thank God.”
Finally his name was dropped, him
self forgotten, till one day, ten years
after his departure, something brought
up his name, and the old query came
up. ‘‘Why doesn’t he write?”
And the same old woman piped the
same old song.
‘‘Well, anyhow, he got thar safe an'
they're all well, thank God.”—Nash
ville Banner.
_
Novel Relay Swimming Race.
A novel crosschannel swimming
race from Calais to Dover has been
promoted by the Belgian Swimmnig
federation for a challenge cup, to be
known as the cross channel cup. The
competition ie open to the world for
teams of five amateur swimmers.
The first swimmer of each team would
swim as far as possible across the
channel. The second man would then
take up the task, and would be fol
lowed by the others in tmn. The
team whose men first reaches shore
would win the cup. The race is tc
take place in July or August.
Howard 3ouid Spends Moi.ey.
Howard Gould is not saving much
money just now. He is building t
sea wall arnund his Long Island home
which will cost $1,000,000. His cow
shed cost $'SO,000 and his chicken
coop $150,00* and the new Killarney
castle will cost $5.000000.
WITH THE
VETEB4INS
__ imso*—-•
Never Mind the Old Times.
Never mind trie old times;
I hey were bright an’ sweet!
bunny skies above you—
Violets at your feet;
But the new times wear a smilin’ face
l hat’s mighty good to meet.
An yoH*d better find the light that
makes the mornin’!
Never mind the old times;
They were great, I know:
Old friends that we loved so!
But the new times sing the song of Hope
Where sweeter roses grow.
An’ you’d better find the light that
makes the mornin'!
—Frank L. Stanton, in Atlanta Constitu
tion.
Eccentric Colonel Burke.
“Yes,” said Gen. Coates. “I knew
Col. Martin Burke, who was in com
mand at Fort Lafayette when prison
ers therein quartered made the fort
and the commander subjects of con
troversy. Apart from any controversy,
Col. Burke was an interesting person
ality and an old character. I remem
ber him as one of the old school army
officers given to some eccentricities
that made me smile then and often
cause me to smile now. He occupied
a trying position, but he made mind
ing his own business a matter of pro
fessional pride, and he never would
go near Washington for fear that some
investigating committee would get
hold of him.
“The boys on duty at Fort Lafay
ette had a constant reminder of the
colonel’s kindness of heart. He found,
on occasion, a dog hurt in collision
with an army wagon or a gun car
riage. The dog’s leg was broken,
and he was in pitiable condition, and
the colonel’s orderly reported that he
was no better than a dead dog. The
colonel, however, ordered the poor lit
tle beast taken to his own quarters,
and in due time the dog recovered,
with a supreme disregard of all mili
tary regulations and proprieties.
“This latter quality undoubtedly
grieved the colonel, but he stood by
the mischievous puppy through thick
and thin, and wherever the colonel
went with his traditional dignity went
Sam, the puppy, with his abnormally
developed bump of mischief. The colo
nel always appeared on dress parade
in the full dress of the old-time regu
lars, and he held every man in line
to a most serious cast of countenance
and most dignified manner. The uni
form, as Burke wore it, was queer
enough to make any man smile, but
Sam, at these parades, was a full
comedy in himself.
“He w'ould caper about the colonel's
legs, indulging in pranks that w’ould
make a horse laugh, and yet the colo
nel stood there in stately pose, blind
to the puppy's pranks, but wratchful
as to the expression on the faces of
the officers and men in line. These
poor fellows nearly died of suppressed
laughter, and they were always won
dering what Sam would do next. But
whatever they expected him to do, he
always did something else, and no
matter wrhat he did, the colonel stood
by him.
“The men on duty at Fort Lafayette
in the latter part of the civil wrar may
have forgotten the most notorious pris
oners held there, but I will venture to
say that not one of them has forgot
ten the eccentric colonel or his pa
tient orderly, or the dog Sam. Those
nearest the colonel testified that the
orderly never showed impatience or
irritation except on one occasion. The
colonel had worked late one night on
some perplexing papers, and, halting
for a moment in his work, pushed his
spectacles up well on his head, in
stead of taking them off.
“This wras his regular habit, but on
this occasion he pushed the glasses
back farther than usual, and when,
on resuming his work, he put his hand
up he found no spectacles. This wras
disconcerting and irritating, and he
shouted, ‘Orderly, orderly, come here,
sir!’ The orderly had been sound
asleep for two hours, but he jumped
up, wriggled into his clothes, and pre
sented himself to his absent-minded
colonel. Burke looked him over in
disapproval of his unusual appearance
and snapped out, ‘My glasses.’
“The orderly turned on his heel
without a word and in a minute placed
before the colonel two glasses, a pitch
er of water and a decanter. Burke
looked at him in amazement and
roared, ‘My glasses, you fool. My spec
eacles, my spectacles!’ Then the
worm turned. ‘Yure glasses, colonel,’
said the orderly, ‘are on the top of
your head, sor. An’ ye call me from
me bed to tell ye that’ The colonel
in high dudgeon put his hand to his
head, but found the glasses, and then
said, ‘Having found the glasses, go to
bed at once. I never would have
found them myself.’ Any reference to
Hotel Lafayette, or Bastile Lafayette,
or Fort Lafayette alwrays brings to my
mind the figure of quaint but soldierly
Col. Martin Burke.’’—Chicago Inter
Ocean.
The Flag at Washington.
Our recent articles about the dis
play of the United States flag in for
mer years bring out many reminis
cences. Another old veteran writes:
“It is a somewhat curious fact that
previous to the War of the Rebellion
the flag was not often seen in the
national capitol or anywhere else. I
know a veteran born in Kentucky,
who says he entered the service in
1861, at the age of 17 years, and until
he enlisted and was mustered into the
service he had never laid eyes on the
flag and did not know w'hat it looked
like! A flag has been displayed over
the capitol at Washington for a good
many ytfars, probably fifty, though
there is no authentic record of its hav
ing flown ‘officially for that length of
time. It. is only since the war that
each end of the capitol has had its
own flag. During the early days of
the disturbances which brought on the
war of the rebellion, the one little old
flag on the west front of the capitol
was discontinued. ‘It roused sectional
feeling to see it flying there’ was the
somewhat treasonable reason given by
the officials, whose duty it was to see
that the flag was kept flying.
“This reason may hare teemed
good to the Jellyfish patriots In Wash
ington who were bossing things at the
*.**.*.iiui at that time, but it did not go
with the ‘First Defenders’ of Pennsyl
vania, the gallant little body of 500
men, who hurried to Washington on
the very first train after the presidents
call for men to wipe out the stain of
the fall of Fort Sumter. These ‘First
Defenders’ antedated all other troops
in getting into Washington, and they
camped in the basement of the capitol
on the night of April 17. They as-ked
why the national capitol displayed no
colors, and were told the reason as
above. This angered one of the ‘First
Defenders,’ and he climbed the peri
lous height of the then unfinshed
dome, carrying with him the large
regimental flag of his organization*
This flag he nailed to the dome, and
there it remained until the elements
whipped away the last thread of it,
long before the close of the war. A
storm was raised when people got up
in the morning and saw the old flag
flying from the dome, and many were
the inquiries as to how it got there,
but it was many a long year before
the truth came out. The soldier who
did it knew that he would be severely
disciplined if he told what he had
done, and his comrades who had help
ed him were loyal to him. The flag
was there, and no man could be found
who would take it down.”—New York
Press.
The Badge Money Cannot Buy.
A heavy disk of bronze, bearing the
state seal surrounded by the inscrip
tion, ‘‘Department of Michigan, G. A
MICHIGAN'.
R.f” designates the comrades of the
Michigan department. Upon the re
verse appears the little bronze button
surrounded by the words, “38th Na
tional Encampment G. A. R„ Boston.”
This disk is pendent from an oxidized
silver pin by a cherry ribbon on which
is the place and date of the national
encampment in gold letters. The pin
is lettered “Organized May 6, 1868.
Michigan.”
Their Sons in Civil War.
An inquiry whether any man was
living in North Carolina who had
sons in the confederate army is elicit
ing replies of an astonishing charac
ter.
A letter front Hillsboro states that
James D. Daniel of Orange county,
now 97, had five sons in the confed
erate army. Three of these are liv
ing.
In the same township W. G. Wright
is still living, 88 years of age. His
son, J. B. Wright, was in the confed
erate army.
At the soldiers’ home one of the
inmates named Bunn served in the
same company with tw’o sons. There
is also at the soldiers’ home a veteran
who served in the Indian war of 1835
the war with Mexico and the civil war
and never received a wound. He is 93
years old and is active and interested
in everything.—New York Herald.
Point of Law Cleared Up.
A decision upon a point involved in
the law granting the wife or widow’ of
an honorably discharged union soldier
or sailor may, if circumstances re
quire, after her death be provided
with a funeral at the expense of the
county has recently been rendered by
the attorney general. In the case con
sidered the widow of a soldier at Clif
ton Springs went to Mount Morris to
visit and died while there. The under
taker who had charge of the burial
presented his bill to the G. A. R. post
at Clifton Springs. The question arose
as to whether the county wherein she
had her legal residence or the county
wherein she died should pay the burial
expenses. The attorney general de
cided that Livingston county, where
she died, was responsible for the bill.
—New York Press.
Regimental Histories.
Regimental histories enriched by
the reminiscences and documents . of
surviving comrades produced under
keen criticism are the best possible
foundations for an accurate history of
wars. It is to be regretted that so
many organizations have neglected so
far to record their doings, but recent
ly there has been shown a general
desire to repair the omission, and
many regimental histories are appear
ing.
p
Monument for Crater Battlefield.
The survivors of the Forty-eighth
Pennsylvania infantry have made
plans to erect on the Crater battlefield
in Prince George county, near Peters
burg, a handsome granite monument
to cost $7,000. The monument is to
be erected in memory of those of the
regiment who fell in the Crater fight.
It was this regiment that dug the tun
nel for the mine.
Veterans Passing Away.
The sad news is sent out from
Washington, on the authority of Pen*
sion Commissioner Ware, that the
old soldiers are dying at the-rate of
ISO a day. This is a higher rate than
ever before in the history of the pen
sion bureau.
Build Up a Field.
There is no lesson so effective as the
object lesson. We try to induce the
farmer to drain and fertilize all his
farm, but we will have little impress
ion on him till we have been able to
place some object lesson before him,
such as inducing the leading farmers
‘.n every locality to take one field and
build it up, as it were, to a high state
Df fertility. A few farmers have done
this under the instruction of profess
ors of the agricultural colleges, and
more are doing it. Their example is
being followed by the farmers im
mediately around them, who have
been impressed by the things that are
shown.
By the building up of a field the
farmer himself will learn about his
land many things that he never knew
before he began that work. It is sur
prising how many things there are
about farms that their owners do not
know. There was one man that lived
in a locality where the popular im
pression was that the land could not
be drained. They said that the tex
ture of the soil was such that the wat
er simply evaporated from its surface,
but did not pass through it. Under
the instruction of the state agricultur
al college the man put in a series of
drains, and, behold, they worked to
perfection. The other farmers in that
vicinity came to see his drains and
were moved by what they saw to con
struct drains of their own.
This man had land that was defi
cient in potash. By draining he low
ered the soil water more than a foot
and lay bare a layer of soil that was
rich in potash. The roots of the plants
went down to it and the owner of the
field was relieved of the necessity of
sending away for potash. He possibly
had never discovered this truth till he
began to build up a field.
One field on a farm should be made
to bear the greatest possible crop;
that the value of the farm for crop pro
duction may be understood. It will be
an experimental lot and its value will
depend on the care that is given it
and on the figures that are written
down as to its cost and products.
There are very few fields that cannot
be improved either mechanically, in
fertilizing or in moisture contents.
Buckwheat, Rye and Fertility.
The discussion of buckwheat as a
feed reminds us to say that it has even
a greater value as a fertilizer of the
soil, as we demonstrated fully on
sandy land that had been reduced to
the unprofitable point by too much
cropping to wheat; that was several
years ago, however. Rye was used
in connection with the buckwheat,
but the element most needed was se
cured through the buckwheat, the rye
affording some feed during the opera
tion, and helping to put the soil in1
good mechanical condition. First,
winter rye was sown in the fall, pas- |
tured then, late, and early in spring.
Then allowed to grow until in bloom,
when it was plowed under and sown
to buckwheat. That, in turn, was
plowed under and again sown to win
ter rye. The following spring red
clover was sown in the rye, when an
excellent stand resulted and the soil
was again in condition to play its part
in crop growing.
The Dust Bath.
To keep the fowls free from lice
during the winter months nothing is
so good as the dust bath. Don’t think
that lice don't multiply in winter, for
they do, especially those great gray
i fellows. Get a box, a barrel, or any
thing that will hold the dust away in
the dry, and now fill it or have the
children fill it with road dust. Now is
an excellent time, for later the roads
will be too damp with the fall rains
and heavy night dews to dry out and
make much dust. Then when the
fowls must be kept confined and the
earth is hard and frozen, put some of
the dust in the shallow box, set it in
the sunshine or light of the poultry
house windows, and notice how they
enjoy that dust bath. Remember, the
dust must be dry and if possible warm
it, slightly warm. Chickens will not
dust in damp earth in winter time.—
Farm Star.
Multiplier Onion.
The old-time “multiplier’’ onion is
not of much importance now. It is a
persistent grower and succeeds most
anywhere. Sometimes it gets to be
little better than a weed. But it had
some points in its favor. It had a
habit of getting up in the spring at
the first opportunity and for a short
time was passably good. Its place in
the garden could not be filled, even by
the earliest of -vegetables. It would
take care of itself when once planted,
and would hold its own against grass
ind weeds if given an equal opportu
nity with them. It might yet be giv
en a place in many a garden to the
benefit of the owner.
Building a Cistern.
If after a cistern has been built in
the customary manner with brick and
cement a wash is made cf clear
cement and water, and brushed upon
the walls like whitewash, the walls
will be found to have been rendered
impervious to water. A cistern can be
made of cement alone, and if the earth
in which it is made is of a solid clajey
nature the wall of cement need not
pc over two inches in thickness. Bricks
would have to be used for the arch,
but it is better not to make an arch.
Cisterns are usually under floors, and
if not they can be,floored over and the
under side lathed and plastered with
adamant. It becomes hard as stone, is
rot-proof, dirt-proof and moisture
proof. Built In this way a cistern can
be made more cheaply, as it does not
have to be so deep, and can be larger
in diameter. A cistern should always
be circular, as it makes the walls
stronger and takes less material for a
given amount of water stored. Two
parts of sand to one of cement are
about right—The Rural New Yorker.
A well-built drain is a permanent
imsroyement.
Alfalfa as Cow Feed.
It has often been said that from a
chemical standpoint alfalfa is an ideal
ration for milk cows but this is not a
fact. A cow weighing 1,000 pounds and
giving her full capacity of milk should
receive twenty-nine pounds of dry
matter, 2^ pounds of digestible pro
tein, thirteen pounds of digestible
carbohydrates and one-half pound of
ether extract daily.. If a cow should
receive thirty pounds of alfalfa a day
with no other feed she would not get
enough dry matter by 1*4 pounds.
She would receive thirty-two per cent
too much digestible protein and not
enough carbohydrates or fat. Theo
retically speaking, in feeding alfalfa
to dairy cows it should be fed in com
bination with some crop which "will
supply the nutrients in which alfalfa
is deficient, such as corn fodder. Al
falfa and corn fed in combination re
sults in greater efficiency in that it
requires less dry matter to produce
one pound of butter fat or 100 pounds
of milk. The nutritive ratio of al
falfa, that is the proportion of protein
or albuminoids to carbohydrates and
fat is undoubtedly too narrow for best
results. Corn and other crops supple
mentary tc alfalfa must find an im
portant place in farm practice in the
irrigated west.—Denver Field and
Farm.
Cheap Man, Poor Butter.
At one place that I called last sum
mer, the creamery had but four
months before passed into the hands
of the farmers. They had asked vari
ous creamerymen for advice and were
told that the most important thing to
do was to hire a first-class buttermak
er and not allow a few dollars in
wtges to stand in the way. They,
however, were of the opinion that a
good enough man could be obtained
for $35 or $40 and got a young man
for the latter figure. In four months
they lost nearly $400 on the butter and
the day I got there he had left them
after washing up, and when 1 got
there about 7 o’clock in the evening
the cream was at a temperature of 70
and had oty degrees of acidity—plenty
ripe enough to churn. There was no
water in the glass on the boiler and no
water In the tank, the pump was brok
en, and the churn, which was a new
one, was in a very bad condition. I
got some ice and cooled the cream
down and stayed two days breaking in
a new’ man, who, I am pleased to say,
has been having good success, some
of the credit for which may be due to
his wife, wiio works in the creamery
with him—Prof. J. G. Moore.
Magnitude of the Dairy Business.
In an address delivered at the re
cent meeting of the National Buttei
Makers’ association at St. Louis, M.
M. Wentworth of State Center, Iowa,
in giving some figures of the magni
tude of the dairy and creamery inter
est, said that the production of butter
this year in the United States would
amount to 1,500,000,000 pounds. The
value of the output, exclusive of Sun
days and holidays, was, he said, $1,«
000,000 daily. To move the year’s pro
duction of butter would require 43,
750 . cars, each containing 20,000
pounds. This succession of cars would
extend 330 miles if placed end to end
or from the world's fair grounds to a
point forty miles beyond Chicago. II
placed in sections of twenty-five cars,
1,750 locomotives would be required
to haul the butter output, and it would
take 8,750 train men to operate the
trains. If sections were placed six
miles apart the first section would be
whistling in Manila, Philippine islands,
before the last section left the world’s
fair grounds.
Cause of Stringiness in Milk.
Stringiness in milk is caused by
fungi w’hich develops in the system of
the cow. In an affected cow the tem
perature is raised one or two degrees
above normal. Like most other fungi
this does not grow out into filaments
in the milk while within the body, but
in five or six hours after the milking
the surface layers are found to be one
dense net-work of filaments. If a
needle is dipped in this and lifted the
liquid is drawn cut into a long thread.
Care should be taken in the W’ater sup
ply which is likely to cause stringi
ness and two drams bisulphite of soda
daily until the stringiness disappears
is recommended.
Foundation of Dairying.
The motherhood of the cow is the
foundation of dairying. This founda
tion has not been understood in the
past, and the mother quality was set
at naught. The care and feeding of
the mother are things that should
receive our first attention, but they
have been the things to receive at
tention last. As soon as the cow is
dry it has been the custom to cut
down her feed and sometimes to let
her go with only hay and a poor qual
ity of hay at that. This is not a treat
ment that is likely to develop the calf
within her or to improve the milking
qualities of the cow herself.
Apples Good for Cows.
One of the theories that have been
exploded as worthless is the old im
agination that cull apples fed to cows
would dry up their milk flow. An
other absurd proposition is that sour
apples will create sour milk. As a
matter of fact apples which are not
decayed are the very best condiment
for dairy stock and tend to increase
rather than diminish the flow of milk.
Scientifically speaking the composi
tion of the apple as a feed is: Water,
80.8 per cent; protein, 7 per cent;
carbohydrates and fat, 18.2 per cent.
Avoid Mongrel Bulls.
A farmer can afford to pay $5 for
the service of a thoroughbred bull
than to have the use of a mongrel bull
for nothing. He can have a grade
calf of the highest excellence; if a
female, she would sell tor twice what
a heifer by a mongrel bull would
bring. If a male, It would bring one
third more as veil, and if raised for
beef, would bring nearly double what
the mongrel steer would bring, and
do it in the first cross.--Clark Bell la
Country Gentleman.