Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1905)
HEALTH CAMP FOR CONSUMPTIVES Worthy Enterprise Established in Southern Cal ifornia—So Arranged That Patients May Be Self-Supporting. A New York paper publishes an ac-' count of a successful effort recently made by Mr. N. O. Nelson, in South ern California, to provide for the poor er classes. Mr. Nelson has established at Indio, iii Southern California, what he call; a health camp for consump tive?. We quote the following de scription of this worthy enterprise with the hope that it may encourage others to do likewise; for certainly no more beneficent work can be under taken by anyone: “The camp is located in a desert valley, cut off from the ocean by the mountains. There is no rain, no fog, no clouds. The winter days are all warm, the nights comparatively cold. “The camp was established in De cember, 1902, to provide in part for the large number of consumptives and other invalids who go to Southern California. Most of the invalids have little means; they can not afford ex pensive sanitariums, and are not want ed by hotels and boarding houses. “To meet the requirements of such patients, Mr. Nelson bought one hun dred and twenty-five acres of land ad joining the Indio depot. This tract he has improved by sinking artesian wells, and by putting most of the land under cultivation, in order to give con valescents something to do. “Tents, with all necessary equip ment for sleeping and taking meals, have been set up. I.and and water are free to those who have their own outfit. A small rental for tents is made to those who can not pay, and where necessary, board is given them. All expenses reed not be more than from $2.50 to $4.00 a week. “Work is provided for those who are able to do it, so that their care does not become a burden on the camp. “The camp is situated in the midst ot a sandy valley one hundred miles long and three to ten miles wide. The mountains on each side rise by degrees to four thousand and five thousand feet high. In some places in the foothills there are springs and vegetation. “In the valleys most of the land has been taken up in the ^ast few years. The crops of melons and vege tables are early and bring high prices. From $100 to $200 an acre is an ordinary yield. Alfalfa hay is cut ten times a year, giving twelve to fifteen tons an acre. “When the campers get well enough to work, they buy or lease a few acres. They can either buy the land on the instalment plan, or lease it on shares for such length of time as de sired." Alcohol and Tuberculosis. Dr. S. A. Knopf, the eminent New York physician who has given a great deal of attention to the subject of tuberculosis, took occasion not long since in a scientific paper to condemn the popular notion that alcohol is a remedy for consumption. He says: “There is an idea that alcohol is a remedy or even a specific remedy for consumption. There has never been a greater mistake made. Alcohol has never cured and never will cure tuberculosis. It will either prevent or retard recovery. It is like a two edged weapon; on one side it poi sons the system, and on the other side it ruins the stomach and thus prevents this organ from properly digesting the recessary food. Truly pathetic are the results of this erroneous doctrine in the families of the poor, where, in stead of procuring good nourishment for the invalid, liquor has been bought in far too large quantities, so that often there was not enough money left for food for the sufferer nor for the other members of the family.” Predisposition to Tuberculosis. The abnormal fear of tuberculosis which haunts so many minds is bred of ignorance. The awful results of the “white terror” have impressed themselves upon all, but as with the aborigine, when he first encountered the gun-bearing explorer, the reason why is hidden. The native heard the gun speak and saw his brother fall. The sudden death terrified him. He did not stop to inquire the cause. He fled in abject fear. To-day the ravages of tuberculosis are stupendous. Are you inquiring into the why, or are you trembling lest it seize you? Are you trying to dodge an inscrutable foe, or are you studying to give intelligent battle? The tenement dweller says, “I can not escape the plague, I will await my turn.” The son or brother of a con sumptive says: “It is in the family, I must suffer the same death.” The weakened victim of intemperance or neglect of vital laws says: “My con stitution is wrecked—I am no match for this relentless foe.” Dr. Knopf asks and answers the ' following pertinent query: “Who are ! the individuals who must be particu- 1 larly careful so as not to be attacked by the almost ever present tubercle bacillus. “There are four classes: First, those who have a hereditary predisposition to consumption; secondly, those who have weakened their system and thus predisposed themselves to consump tion by the intemperate use of alco holic beverages, by a dissipated life, by excesses of all kinds, etc.; thirdly, those whose constitution has been weakened through disease; fourthly, those whose occupations, trades or professions, such as printing, hat mak ing. tailoring, weaving, and all occu pations where the worker is much ex posed to the inhalation of various kinds of dust, have rendered them particularly liable to consumption.” Let every one take courage and live above tuberculosis. If you are already suffering from it strive to rise above it. Avoid alcoholic beverages, condi ments, pastries, tea and coffee. Live out of doors, provide fresh air for your bed room, study the laws of your body and return to the natural way of living. That Tired Feeling. The condition of lethargy produced by excessive eating or habitual drunk enness must be distinguished from fa tigue due to work. Persons in this condition often decline to exercise be cause they “feel so tired.” This state of lassitude and enervation cannot be overcome by rest. Carefully graduat ed exercises and regulation of the di etary are the proper remedies. There are many chronic invalids whose suf ferings and disability are wholly due to this cause, and who may be read ily restored to usefulness by a spare and simple dietary combined with out door exercises, gradually increased in \ igor and duration as the strength im proves. Water Purification. A physician connected with the United States Agricultural department has called attention to the fact that an extremely small quantity of sul phate of copper will prevent the growth of algae in lakes, ponds and storage reservoirs, and will destroy tjphoid and cholera germs. The ques tion at once arises whether this meth od can be considered thoroughly hy gienic. The probability is that the small amount of copper thus em ployed would be neutralized by com bining with vegetable substances so that the water will be left practically pure; nevertheless, the addition of chemical substances to water cannot be considered the most desirable method of purification. Boiling and filtering through a Pasteur filter are really the best methods. Filters are cheap, and boiling is an easy and sim ple process. The old-fashioned char coal and gravel filters cannot be re lied upon. Warning Against Tight Corsets. Nature abhors a vacuum. There Is no unoccupied space in the body; and to render any part of it smaller than nature designed, is to cause the or gans occupying that part to diminish in size, or to crowd together, one upon another. In either case, nature’s proc esses are sadly interrupted.—C. E. Hastings, M. D. SOME SIMPLE DISHES. Ereakfast Toast—Cut rather thin slices of bread into two or three pieces. Put these into the oven and let them bake very slowly for two or three hours, or until of a golden color and crisp throughout. This is an ex cellent substitute for breads and much more wholesome. It is delicious served with cocoanut or dairy cream or but ter. Cocoanut Cream.—Cut fresh cocoa nut into thin slices and grind the nut very fine in a chopper or some strong hand mill. If nothing of this sort is available, the cocoanut may be grated. To each cup of the prepared nut add one cup of hot water, stirring and beating with a spoon to extract as much of the juice as possible. Drain off the liquid and add a similar quan tity of hot water, and, after beating again very thoroughly, strain through a cloth or very fine sieve, pressing out all the liquid possible. This may be used at once as a substitute for milk, to be eaten with rice or other grains, or to prepare puddings or sauces. It is excellent served with granose flakes or eaten with zwie back. If placed on the ice for a few hours, the cream w ill rise to the top and may be taken off, making a pure cocoanut butter. Strawberry Egg-nog.—Beat the yolk and white of one egg separately, and to each add one teaspoonful of sugar. To the yolk add one teaspoonful of lemon juice and two tablespoonfuls of strawberry juice. Stir in the white, leaving enough to serve as a meringue for the top. THOUGHT EGAN WAS PUGILIST Ex-Minister to Chili Mistaken for “Mike” Donovan. Patrick Egan, former minister to Chili, strongly resembles “Mike” Don ovan. the ex-pugilist who has been giving boxing lessons to President Roosevelt. The other day Mr. Egan called at the white house and was somewhat embarrassed by the ques tions hurled at him by a couple of youthful newspaper men. “Hullo, Mike,” said one of them, “going to give another lesson?” Before reply could be made the other reporter chimed in: “I hear he has a poor left. You want to improve that, Mike.” "I should think,” said No. 1. “you would have difficulty in making him fast on his feet, he’s so clitihky. you know.” By that time Mr. Egan’s dilemma was observed by Maj. Loeffler, the presi dent’s doorkeeper, who explained. The reporters apologized and Mr. Egan escaped. To Produce Pound of Silk. It requires 2,300 silkworms to pro duce one pound of ^silk. i FENCE HARD TO DESCRIBE. Representative Had Good Excuse, if He Had Known. “Can you tell me what kind of a fence there is around the capitol grounds?” said Mr. Olmsted of Penn sylvania to Mr. Payne of New York ir the Republican cloakroom of the house the other day. “I don’t believe I can,” Mr. Payne replied. “Well. I was up at Harrisburg the other day,” continued the Pennsylvanian, “and some smart citizen asked me about the fence around the capitol grounds at Washington. You know, they are going to build a fence around the Har risburg capitol grounds, and they wanted some guidance from me.” “Couldn’t you tell ’em?” queried Mr. Payne. “I wasn’t quite sure about the fence around the capitol grounds here,” quoth Mr. Olmsted, “but you bet I know now. I have looked. There isn’t any at all.” Supplement to an Old Saying. His friend—Money talks. The promoter—Yes, but sometimes it's mighty hard to eet it to listen. PROBLEMS AIR SHIPS WILL CREATE A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF AERIAL NAVIGATION. When Battles Are Waged in the Air. On the day that the first airship ac tually flies to anywhere and back again without the aid of an under taker and coroner the whole system of the world will be turned topsy turvy. The very first question to come is that of jurisdiction. At present every maritime country exercises sovereign ty over the sea for a distance of three nautical miles from its shores. That is beautifully effective now' w’ith ships that can’t do anything except to swim. But w’hat will happen when ships fly? So the first great change to come over the earth with the first real air ships will be a vast assumption of new’ territory by all the nations. They will ail become aerial imperialists and expansionists, claiming sovereignty ever the air overhead clear to the limit of atmospheric pressure, forty miles or more. They will have fine squabbles over it. There may be wars before the thing is settled. An unlimited verti cal zone of jurisdiction would suit some nations beautifully, and it wouldn’t suit others at all. Short-sighted persons have said that the airship would surely bring uni versal peace, because it would render all present great land and naval arma ments useless. They point out that an airship could hover over a fleet, army camp or city at a height so gieat that cannon could hardly reach it with any chance for a hit and drop terrific explosives to destroy every thing in a great radius. That is true. But these reasoners forget that the other fellow could do the same. And, furthermore, even inland nations can own airship fleets, so they will add just so much more to the armaments of the earth. In addition, airships will not be nearly so dear as steel armor battleships, and fourth and fifth rate powers will enter the great game of world-poker, wherein every player takes care to be “well heeled.”—Julius W. Muller in Chicago News. AT THE “EAR OF DIONYSIUS.’* One of Noted Whispering Places Is Cave in Sicily. “Among the notable whimpering places of the w'orld is the ‘Ear of Di onysius,’ ” said the poet-laureate of all the Pascagoulas, according to the New Orleans Times-Democrat. “It is in the shape of a parabolic curve, ending in an elliptical arch, with sides paral lel to its axis, perfectly smooth, and covered with a slight stalactitic in crustation that render^ its repercus sions amazingly sonorous. It is 64 feet high, from 17 to 35 in breadth, and 187 deep. “It has an awful and gloomy appear ance, which, with its singular shape, perhaps gave rise to the popular and amusing tradition that Dionysius had it constructed for the confinement of those whom he deemed inimical to hie authority, and that from the little apartment above he could hear all the conversation among the captives who were brought to the ancient town of Syracuse in the lime of its splendor, when it was the largest in Sicily. The sound of words uttered with a low voice is augmented in vaults or galleries so as to become audible at a considerable distance from the speaker. “A like effect takes place in a less degree when sound ascends from the bottom of a deep well, or when words are uttered at one extremity of a long corridor or passage in a building. If, a pin be dropped into a well the sound ptoduced when it strikes the water is distinctly heard at the mouth, or the sounds of words spoken near the sur face of any well is similarly augment ed. Try it.” Slandering a Dog. On the closing day of the dog show a dog-wise visitor stopped to comment on a famous animal, a champion in his class. “A wonderful dog,” said the visitoi to the woman he was escorting. “Bui I’m told that his pups never turn out very well. The champion’s owner, who was standing by, whirled on the visitoi like a tiger. “Sir!” he yelled, “a man ought tc be lynched who would slander a dog’s reputation like that!”—New York Sun. THE PACE THAT KILLS. Business Men of To-day Working Un der Forced Draught. We hear a great deal nowadays— some truth, much twaddle—concern ing this subject. Like many another scapegoat, says American Medicine, it bears unmerited burdens, but its le gitimate load is well worth occasion al weighing. The latest weighmaster hails from New York, where, we are told, deaths from heart disease and from nephritis have risen trom 13.5 per 10,000 in 1868 to 29.6 per 10,000 in 1904. Much of this increase is attrib uted to changed conditions of life, and the arguments, therefore, are suffi ciently sound to be at least partially convincing. We work, play and eat under forced draught, as marine engi neers would put it, and in the last named industry rapid stoking and in ferior fuel leave troublesome clinkers in the grate. The rank and file, how ever. need not worry. Hard work in making an actual living is rarely pathogenic and still less often fatal. It is the man who would add to his FIRST DRAWING OF A GREAT ARTIST It was not originally intended Sir Edward Burne-Jones should be an art ist, but this little sketch, made when he was 15 years of age. shows a bent in the direction of art, although no promise of the work that made him famous. It is taken from the fascinat ing life of the great painter, written by his widow and published by the Macmillans. possessed fortune, small or large, who must go the killing pace. Looked at squarely, it is the eternal hurry for wealth, or dissolution in the spending of it, that dominates the picture. Let this point be clear or faulty, perspect ive will breed discontent and alarm in the man with moderate competence or less. The results of unnatural living must not be attributed to the “simple life." HARRY HOWELL'S BATTING MACHINE fMTEig Harry Howell, the well-known Brooklyn pitcher, has a model of a batting machine invented by his fath er. Howell will ask Manager McAleer ol; the Browns to make a practical test of the contrivance. As shown by the accompanying diagram, a base ball is attached to a cable, which in ' torn is affixed to an iron rod, which revolves around a pole. At four points on the field a batter is stationed and as the ball comes around the player hits at it. The machine, according to Howell, will greatly improve the batting abilities of players who are willing to practice. Crowd Out Weeds with Grass. The best way to get rid of weeds is to -crowd them out with grass. A first rate lawn will overcome all in truders, the dandelion possibly ex cepted. The frequent use of a good lawn mower is one of the best means of discouraging weeds. The application of lime or land plaster to soils which have a tendency to be acid encour ages the growth of grass. In certain cases, however, when everything has been done aright, some weeds will persist, especially plaintain and dan delion. The only thing to be done in such cases is to pull them out by hand. This work is expensive, though it sometimes proves much cheaper than was expected. At any rate, a good lawn is worth the price, and there is no other way.—Garden Magazine. Where Creeping Bear Drew the Line. Joe Creeping Bear, who says that he once played tackle on the Carlisle Indian football team, was sent to the city hospital last night suffering with a severe attack of rheumatism. The j Indian called at police headquarters J for a permit to enter the hospital, i While he waited for Assistant Police | burgeon La Rue to give him the nec essary paper he took occasion to vig orously deny the report that he had ever sawed wood at the Helping Hand. “Me saw wood?” he exclaimed, with rising indignation. “Indian never do that. That squaw work.”—Kansas City Journal. Out on Midas! “If I had the wealth of Midas,” Mr. Henpeck began, ‘I would—” “Oh, pshaw,” his wife interrupted, “what’s the use talking about Midas? If you had the spunk of a rabbit, in stead of working on a salary you’d be a member of the firm and getting divi dends. I want you to come home at noon to-day and take care of the chil dren. I’ve got to read a paper on the ‘Influence of Kant’ before the New Century Club, and of course you’re not able to hire a nurse for me. You can tell them at the office that you’re sick or something.” , WAS MR. GLADSTONE’S BUTLER Servitor of Great Statesman Fallen or Evil Times. An uncle of Phil Sheridan and Presi dent McKinley’s cook have been ir the county hospital; the latest celeb rity is Gladstone’s buttler. who has just been operated on for the identica complaint that brought McKinley’s cook to the table. He is a middle-aged Welshman named John WilTiams. For eight years he was in the service of Mr. Glad stone at Hawarden, being a bene ficiary in the will of the Grand Ole Man to the amount of £4601 Williams cannot speak of his ole master without the tears coming into his eyes. “The servants at Hawarden were all devoted to him,” said William* the other day,. “He was the gentlest man I ever knew. If any of the ser vants were ill or in trouble he always found out about it, and was more than kind. If anything went wrong with the household arrangements, he never grow ill tempered—only very quiet. “I never had a cross word from him ail the eight years 1 was in his ser vice.” Williams has been trying to earn a living as a fisherman of late, but has exhausted his resources through long illness.—Los Angeles Times. Power of Gold. In one of our Eastern cities r. cer tain family suddenly found themselves at the top notch of wealth and pros perity. They then began to seek for the secondary requirement of culture. A most excellent master was engaged to instruct their only daughter on the piano. His patience being taxed to the uttermost, the master complained to the young woman’s mother. "Madam, I cannot teach your daugh ter longer.” "And why not? Doesn't my daugh ter study? I will make her study.” “It ees not zat,” persisted the ole man. “I cannot teach her. ishe has no talent.” “Is that all?” his patroness replied “I am rich. Here is my pocketbook Go over to New York and buy hei some.” A Curious Complaint. As a cross-examiner John Philpol Curran, the famous Irish orator anc lawyer, was unrivaled. He was in genious, says Mr. Barry O’Brien, ir his book of reminiscences entitled “Irish Memories," witty, trenchant raking a witness by the fire of rail lery, or overwhelming him by a series of perplexing questions. “My lord," cried one of his victims “I cannot answer Mr. Curran; he is putting me in such a doldrum.” ‘A doldrum!” exclaimed the judge “What is a doldrum, Mr. Curran?” “Oh, my lord,” replied Curran, “if is a common complaint with persons like the witness. It is a confusion of the head, arising from a corrupt'on of the heart.” Navy of Siam. The Siamese navy possesses seven tj’-one vessels, the largest one being a cruiser of 3,000 tons displacement The next largest ship is a cruiser oi 700 tons, followed next by seven gun boats of from 200 to 700 tons. The total number of guns on the various vessels is eighty-two. notm Spraying Fruit Trees. IT spraying is done for rot or fun gus it should be done with Bordeaux mixture before buds open and while trees are bare. This mixture should be strong. Second spraying should be done after bloom drops and be fore calix closes. This will be the first spraying, provided the extra early one was considered unneces sary. Some one of the arsenates should be used in this spraying for codling moth, but might be left out of the first. I would suggest one of the improved arsenical mixtures be cause they are more efficient and ad here better. I used arsenate of lead last season with good results. The hardest rains failed to wash it off af ter the mixture had dried. These re main in suspension longer than Paris green and need less agitating in bar rel or tank.—J. S. Smith, Marion Co., Mo. In sections infested with the San Jose scale, and few communities are really free of it, spraying should be gin very soon. The work should be done in any event before the buds swell to open, as there is danger of not only injury but the killing of the tree if. done later. The writer ha3 sprayed thousands of trees with crude oil, using an emulsifying spray pump with a 15 to 20 per cent solu tion with perfect results. In pur chasing care should be taken to have the dealer guarantee that the oil tests actually 43 degrees on the Baum scale. In applying the finest possible mist is desired and only enough to put on to moisten the surface and never enough to drip, else the para fine in the oil will form a coating that will effectually seal up the “breath ing” pores of the bark and kill the tree. Timely articles on spraying are requested for this department, giving an account of your methods, the ma terial and appliances used and de tails of your experience and results obtained.—Editor Farmer's Review. Setting Fruit Trees. The spring is almost here and many of us have fruit trees that have been heeled in the previous fall for setting in the spring. I have found that it is a mistake to leave them covered too long, as the young buds start and draw much of the latent sap into themselves. It requires a good deal of care to know just when is the right time to set, but for that pur pose the weather and the ground must be watched. The trees should be put out while still dormant. I and my neighbors have lost fruit trees, shade trees and rose bushes by waiting till the buds on the latent trees and bushes were bursting into leaf before Leing set out. Within a certain limit the earlier the tree or plant is set the better. I would also caution all that are still expecting to order trees from the nursery to do so without further delay, as the nurserymen will have their hands more than full a little la ter on. Albert Bates. Du Page Co., 111. Varieties of Apples to Plant. In planting a commercial orchard, I take it for granted that you are do ing it for the money there is in .t. That being the case, we must look •cell to the varieties we are planting. In the planting of apples upon a com mercial scale a number of important factors need to be taken into consid eration by the grower. First: Varie ties that are especially adapted to our soil, and freest from fungous and in sect pests; second, varieties that will keep well in cold storage and stand long journeys; third, but not least, varieties that will come into bearing at a reasonably early age. In order to give you a clearer un d3rstanding of my ideas as to varie ties, 1 will give you a list that I am plant.ng myself. This consists of one half Ben Davis and the other half equal parts Jonathan, and Grimes Golden. These three varieties are, 1 think, the best commercial apples we have to-day. They are growing all around us here and making their own ers money. What better evidence could we ask for of their worth? Some might say, “Why didn't you plant Minkler?” That is a splendid apple, I will admit, but it is too long coming into bearing. The Rome Beau ty is a good apple also, but it is an irregular bearer and drops its fruit badly. There are a number of other very good apples that have been plant ed more or less, but none, I think, that will come up to the standard of those I have mentioned in my list.—A. J. Dunlap, Richland Co., 111. Frequent Sprayings. The novice in spraying cannot af ford to be so careless about his spray ings that he will miss the end for which he is working. Neither should he try to get along with the fewest possible number of sprayings. The best sprayers have indeed reduced the number to the minimum, but they are experienced men that have learned to make every spraying count for the most possible. In many cases it has been found that so far as the orchard is con cerned, four sprayings in spring give the greatest returns, while spraying every two weeks from the middle of April to the middle of August give the greatest proportion of perfect fruit. The additional sprayings cost more than the additional fruit is worth, as a general thing. Taking all things into considera tion the method that will pay the best consists in spraying the trees as soon as the blossoms fall and then every two weeks till four sprayings have been given. The sprayings must be well done if they are to be of any value. Slipshod work will not prove effective in preventing the rav ages of insect and fungous pests. Leaving the work to the boys is nev er profitable. It requires mature judg ment and thoroughness to do the w'ork as it should be done. The cow is made more of to-day than ever before, and this is well, as ■he is the foundation of dairying. What Variety of Corn? A Judicious selection of seed for the planting of the corn crop will largely determine the size of the crop this fall. The longer we grow corn the more are we impressed with the fact that the seed is a far more important factor than it has hitherto been con sidered. During this past season the farm boys of Illinois planted a great deal of corn sent out by various agen cies to stimulate a corn growing con test among the boys. In the northern part of the state much of this work was a complete failure, due to the fact that the boys received seed that would not mature in the time in which it must mature to make a crop in north ern Illinois. Men who looked into the matter say that the seed came from corn that had been grown so far south that it had acquired the habit of ripen ing in a longer season than that com mon to northern Illinois. If this is true with the seed corn planted by the boys, it is altogether likely that much of the seed planted by farmers generally had the same fault. This would seem to point to the necessity for the farmer to know more about the origin of the corn he plants If he buys corn he should ascertain that it is raised on about the same latitude as that in which he lives oi that it comes from some point north of that latitude. If it has been de veloped further north of course it is adapted to a short season, this being proved by the fact that it has ma tured in a latitude having a short crop season. Above all things, the farmer should stop planting the nondescript corn that he has been planting for half a life-time. There is on thousands ol our farms a tradition that corn does best always on the home farm, and that if it ha3 been on the farm- foi half a hundred years so much the bet ter. Corn bred on one farm may nol indeed have suffered any because il has been grown on the same farm foi long periods of time; but if it is ol the old variety that is small in pro ducing ability it can never compare as a profitable crop with the newer varieties. Wet Fields in Springtime. I have found that it is possible to learn much from the wet places in the fields in springtime as to the kind of drainage that is necessary. We find on some of our farms that the water in the soil takes certain courses in the lower strata and only shows the wettest places when the soil is full of wrater, which usually occurs in springtime. We cannot always tell Ly levels just what part of the farm needs drainage most. There are, we will say, two spots equally low and each equally able to be drained. But in one the water goes off quickly in a wet time and in the other remains for weeks. One is tapped by a layer of coarse gravel, while the other is simply surrounded by soil little per vious. It is evident that the latter place should receive the first atten tion. Watching the fields as the wa ter disappears will make it possible to put the first drainage wrork where it will do the most good. Emanuel Shaw. Dade County, Missouri. Seed Testing on the Farm. To ..ad out whether seeds are capa ble of producing plants requires neither expert knowledge nor special °n aratus. Satisfactory material is to be found in every farm home, for making germination tests of practi cally any kind of teed used on the farm. The simplest and most con venient way to test seed of corn and other cereal grains and most of the root crop and larger vegetable seeds is to place a number of them—say one hundred—between pieces of moistened blotting paper. Canton flan nel or cloth; set them in an ordinary dinner plate and invert another plate to cover them. The seed should bo kept moist, but not wet. The tem perature of the average farmhouse living room would be quite suitable, but some care should be taken to guard against excessive heat or cold. All good strong seed of corn, cereal grains, clovers or timothy thus treated will have germinated at the end of five days. Very small seeds of tne finer grasses, of some of the garden vegetables and of beets or mangels may be germinated to better advan tage by scattering them in a saucer (belonging to a flower pot) that has been soaked in water, and set on a cloth that should be kept damp, or in a pan containing not more than one eighth of an inch of water, the object being to keep the saucer moist, but not wet. If such a saucer be not available,, a brick will answer the purpose as well. In germinating seeds in an earthen saucer they may be exposed to the light, but not to the direct rays of the sun.—W. A. Clem ons. Use Steamed Bone Meai. A good many farmers are putting bone meal on their lands at the rate Of 200 pounds to the acre, for the purpose of restoring the phosphorus. Many of them are, however, making the mistake of putting on raw bone meal instead of steamed bone meal. In all cases the steamed bone meal should be used, as it is as rich or richer in phosphorus than the other kind and costs less. This lessened cost is due to the fact that the bones before being ground were steamed to get the value of the nitrogen they contain. All the phosphorus was left I in, and that is wrhat the farmer is principally after when he buys bone meal. Professor Hopkins and other experimenters are continually calling the attention of the farmer to this matter, but there are many that seem to pay no heed and go on buying the more expensive kind. This is a case where the cheapest is the best. For incubating purposes care should be exercised to make sure that a large proportion of the eggs are fertile. It will also pay to candle the eggs after they have been in the incubator for a couple of days, removing the es*p» tfesi are not fertile.