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RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
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The Last Shot
BT
FREDERICK PALMER
(Copyriolit 1914. by Charles Scribners Sons)
SYNOPSIS.
At their horns on the frontier between
th Browns and Grays Marta Oallanrt and
fcer mother, entertaining Colonel Wostsr
Sln of the drays, seo Captain Ijiniitron.
Staff Intelltsnnc oftlcer of .tho Browns.
(Injured by a fall In hla aeroplane. Ten
tysara latnr. WeitorllnR. nominal vice but
Mai chief of staff, reinforces South l
JTlr, meditates on war. and speculates on
tths comparative ages of himself and Mar
Re, who Is visiting In the Gray capital,
fwssterllng calls on Marta. Hho ti-lls him
f hor teaching children the follies of war
tend martial patriotism, begs him to pre
print war whllo he Is chlof of stuff, and
predicts that If ho mokes wnr against the
Browns ho will not win. On tho march
with the 53d of the nrowna Private Stran
ky, anarchist, decrlrs wur and plnyeiN
lout patriotism and Is placed undrr arrest.
Colonel Ijuistron everhcarlng. begs him
tt.
CHAPTER IV Continued.
Then Impulso broke through tho
Restraint thnt ecomod to characterize
.tho Lanstron of thirty-five. Tho Lan
tron of twenty-five, who had mot
Icatastropho bocnuHO ho was "wool
gathering," asserted hlnmolf. Ho put
this hand on Stransky's shoulder. It
bras a strong though slim hand thnt
Booked as If It had boon trained to do
the work of two hands In tho process
lot Its ownor'a own transformation.
fthns tho old nergennt had seen a gen
feral remonstrate with a bravo veteran
rwho had been guilty or bad conduct In
(Africa. The old colonel gasped at such
subversion of the dignity of rank.
He saw the army going to the devil.
But young Dellarme, watching with
eeger curiosity, was sensible of no
ifamlllarity In the act It all depended
on bow such a thing was done, he was
thinking.
"We all have minutes when we are
ssoro or less anarchists," said Lan
tron In the human appoal of ono man
to another, "nut we don't want to bo
Judged by one of thoso mlnuteB. I got
a hand mashed up for a mlstnke thnt
'took only n Bocoud. Think this over
tonight before you net. Then, If you
are of tho samp opinion, go to the col
onel and tell him bo. Come, why not?"
"All right, sir, you'ro eo decent
about It!" grumbled Stransky, taking
tils placo In tho ranks.
Hep-bop-hcpt Tho regiment started
on Its way, with Grandfather Fraglnl
kooplng at his grandson's side.
"Makes mo fool young ngain, but It's
darned solemn besldo tho Hussars,
with their horses' bite a-Jtngllng. Times
have certainly changed officers'
hands In their pockets, saying 'it you
don't mind' to a man that's Insulted
jthe flag! Kicking ain't good enough
for that traitor! Ought to hnng him
area, air, bang and draw him!"
I Lanstron watched the marching col
umn for a time.
"Hep-hep-hep! It's tho brown of the
Infantry that counts in tho end," he
mused. "I llkod that walleyed giant.
He's all man!"
Then his livening glnnco swept tho
heavens inquiringly. A speck in the
,d1uo, far awny In the ronlme of ntmos
Iphoric Infinity, kept growing In slzo
until It took tho form of tho wlngB
twlth which man flies. Tho plane vol
cloned down with steady BwlftneBS,
till its racing Hhadow lay large over
tho landscapo for a fow seconds before
It rose again with beautiful ease and
precision.
' "Bully for you, Etzell" Lanstron
thought, as he started back to the
aeroplane station. "You belong In tho
.corps. We ahall not let you return to
your regiment for a whllo. You've a
cool head and you'd, charge a church
tower If that were tho orders."
CHAPTER V.
A Sunday Morning Call.
As a boy, Arthur Lanstron had por
alstod In bolng an exception to tho In
rfluences of both heredity and environ
ment Though his father and both
(grandfathers were officers who bo
Tiered theirs to bo tho truo gentle
man's profession, he had preferred
anv kind of mechanical toy to arrang
ing tho most.gayly painted tin sol
diers "in formation on tho nursery
floor; and he would rather read about
tho wonders of natural history and
electricity than tho campaigns of Na
poleon and Frederick tho Groat and
mv Lord Nelson. Left to hlH own
choice, ho would miss tho parado of
tho garrison for Inspection by an ox
cellency In order to ask questions of
a man wiping the oil off his hands with
cotton-wasto, who was far more enter
taiulng to him than tho moat spick-end-spun
ramrod of a sergeant.
Upon being told ono day that ho was
to go to tho military school the follow
Ins: autumn, he broke out In open re
bellion. I
"I don't want to. go to the army!" he
said. 1
Why!" asked his father, thinking
that when tho boy had to give his rea
sons ho would soon bo argued out of
the heresy.
"It's drilling a fow hours a day, then
nothing to do," Arthur replied. "All
your work waits on war and you don't
know that there will ovor bo any war.
It walta on something nobody wants
to happen. Now, If you manufacture
something, why, you seo wool come
out cloth, stool come out an autorau
"bile. It you build a bridge you seo It
rising llttlo by little. You'ro getting
youi results every day; you see your
mistakes and your successes. You're
making something, creating some
thing; there's something going on all
tho whllo that Isn't guesswork. I
think that's what I want to say. You
won't order mo 19 bo a soldier, will
you?"
Tho father, loath to do this, called In
the aMilstance of an able ploador then,
Eugene Partow, lately become chief of
staff of tho Browns, who was an old
friend of tho Lanstron family. Partow
turned tho bnlanco on tho side of filial
nffcctlou. Ho kopt watch of the hoy,
but without favoring him with Influ
ence. Young Mjnstron, wno wanton u
seo results, had to earn thorn. He real
ized in practlco tho truth of Partow's
saying that there was nothing ho had
over learned hut what could bo of boiv
ico to him b nn officer.
"Finding enough work to do?" Par
tow would ask with a chucklo when
they mot In these days; for ho had
nmilo Lanstron both' chief of Intelli
gence nnd chief neroetntic officer.
Young Colonel Lanstron's was tho duty
of gaining tho socrets of tho Gray
staff nnd keeping those of tho Brown
nnd organizing up-to-the-moment effi
ciency in tho new forces of tho air.
Ho had remarked truly enough that
tho Injury to hlB loft hand served as
a better reminder against the folly 'of
wool-gathering than a string, oven a
large red string, tied around his fin
ger. Thanks to skillful surgery, tho
fingers, Incapable of spreading much,
were yet serviceable and had a Arm
grip of the wheel us he rose from the
aeroplane station on tho Sunday morn
ing after Marta's return home for a
flight to La Tlr.
Ho know tho pattern weaving under
his foot as ono knows thnt of his own
garden from an overlooking window.
Every detail of tho staff map, ravlnea,
roads, buildings, battery positions, was
stitched together in the flowing reality
of nctunl vision. No white posts were
necessary to tell him whoro tho
boundary between tho two nations lay.
Tho lino waB drawn In his brain.
Now thnt Lanstron was the organ
izer of tho aviation corps his own
flights wore rnro. Mostly they were
mndo to La Tlr. HIb visits to Mnrta
woro his holidays. All tho tlmo that
sho was absent on her Journey around
the world they had corresponded. Her
letters, bo rovcallng of herself and her
peculiar angles of observation, formed
a bundle sacredly preserved. Her
mother's Joking reference about her
girlish resolution not to marry a sol
dier often recurred to him. There., ho
Bomofimes thought, was tho real ob
staclo to his great desire.
When he alighted from tho piano ho
thrust his loft hand Into his blouao
pockot. Ho always carried It there,
ns if It were literally sewn In place.
In niomentB of emotion tho aenrred
norvps would twitch as tho telltale of
his sonultlvcnoss; and thlB was some
thing ho would ronccal from others no
matter how conscious ho was of It him
self. Ho found tho Gnllnnd veranda
deserted. In response to his ring n
mnld camo to tho open door. Hor
face was sad, with a beauty that had
prematurely faded. But It lighted
pleasurably In recognition Her hair
was thick and tawny, lying low over
tho brow; her eyes woro a softly
luminous brown and her full 111 sensi
tive and yielding. Lanstron, an inti
mate of the Gallaud household, knew
hor story well and the part that Marta
had played in it.
Some tour years previously, when a
baby was in prospect for Minna, who
wore no wedding ring, Mrs. Galland
had been Inclined to send the maid to
an Institution, "whero they will take
good care of her, my dear. That's
what such Institutions are for. It is
quite scandalous for her and for ub
never happened In our family before!"
Mnrta arched her eyebrows.
"Wo don't know!" she exclaimed
Bottly.
"How can you think such a thing,
lot alone saying It you, a Galland t"
hor mother gasped In Indignation.
"That Is, If wo go far back," said
Maria. "At all events, wo have no
precedent, eo lot's establish ono by
kooplng her."
"But for her owii sake! 8he will
have to live with hor shamo!" Mrs.
Galland objected. "Lot her begin
afresh In tho city. We shall give her
a good recommendation, for sho Is
really an excellent servant. Yes, she
will readily tlnd a place among
strangers."
"Still, she doesn't wnnt to go, and It
would be cruol to send hor away."
"Cruel! wny, marta, ao you ininK
I would be cruel? Oh, very well, then
wo will let hor stayl"
"Both are away at church. Mrs. Gal
land ought to bo horo any minute, but
Miss Onllaud will bo lator becauso of
her children's class," said Minna. "Will
teon on Intimate terms with sugar or1
Jam.
"How do you do, flying eoldlcr man?"
chirruped Clarissa Eileen. It was evi
dent that she held Lanstron In high
favor.
"Lot me hear you say your namo,"
said Lanstron.
Clarissa Eileen was triumphant. Hho
had boon waiting for days with the
revelation when he should make thut
old request. Now she enunclnted It
with every vowel and consonant cor
roctly and primly uttered; Indeed, she
repoatod It four or five times In proof
of complete mastery.
"A pretty nnme. I've often wondered
how you camo to give It to her," said
LanBtron to Minna.
"You do like It!" exclaimed Minna
with girlish eagerness. "I gave her
tho most beautiful name I could think
of becauso" she laid her hand caress
ingly on tho child's head and a madonna-like
radiance stole into her face
"becauso she might at least have a
beautiful name when" the dull blaze
of a recollection now burning In her
eyes "when there wasn't much pros
pect of many beautiful things coming
Into her lire; though I know, ot course,
that tho world thinks she ought to bo
called Maggie."
Proceeding leisurely along tho main
path of tho first terrace, Lanstron fol
lowed It past tho rear of tho houso to
tho old towor. Long ago tho moat that
surrounded the castle had been filled
In.. Tho green of rows of grapo vines
lay against tho background of a mat
of Ivy on the ancient Btono walls, which
had been cut away from the loopholes
set with window class. Tho door was
open, showing a room that had been
clnsed In by a celling ot boards from
the walls to the circular stairway that
ran aloft from tho dungeons. On the
floor of flags were cheap rugs. A num
ber of soed and nursery catalogues
were piled on a round table covered
with a brown cloth.
"Hello!" Lanetron called softly.
"Hello!" he called louder and yet
louder.
Receiving no answer, he retraced his
steps and seated himself on the second
terrace In a secluded spot In the
shadow of the first terrace wall, where
ho could see anyone coming up tho
main flight of steps from the road.
When Marta walked sho usually came
from town by that way. At length tho
sound of a slow step from another di
rection broke on his ear. Somo ono
was approaching along tho path that
BTfja
:jlliin SHl
""aHi
Lanstron started toward tho steps
that Marta was ascending. Sho moved
leisurely, yet with a certain springy
energy that suggested that she might
have como on the run without being
out of brcuth or seeming to have made
an effort.
"Hello, Btranger!" sho called as she
saw him, and quickened her pace.
"Hollo, pedagogue!" ho responded.
As they shook hands thoy swung
tholr arms back and forth like a pair
of romping children for n moment.
"Wo had a grand Besslou of tne
school this morning, the largest clasB
over!" she said. "And tho points wo
scored off you soldiers! You'll find
disarmament already In progress when
you return to headquartors. We're Ir
resistible, or nt least," she added, with
a flash of Intensity, "we're going to be
some day."
"So you put on your wnr-palnt!"
"It must bo tho pollen from the hy
drangeasl" She flicked her handkor
chief from her belt and passed It to
him. "Show that you know how to be"
useful!"
He performed the taak with dollb
crate care.
"Heavens! You oven have Borne on
your oar and some on your hair; but
I'll leave it on your hair; it's rather be
coming. Thero you are!" he concluded.
"Oft my hulr, tool"
"Very well. 1 always obey orders."
"I oughtn't to have asked you to do
It at ull!" she exclaimed with a Bud
den change of manner as they started
up to the house. "But a habit of
friendship, a habit of liking to bellevo
In one'e friends, was uppermost. I
forgot I oughtn't even to have shaken
hnnds with you!"
"Mnrta! What now. Marta?" ho
asked. j
Ho had known hor In reproach, In
anger, In laughing mockery, in mili
tant seriousness, but never before like
this. Tho pain und indignation In her
eyes camo not from tho sheer hurt ot
a wound but from tho hurt of Its
source. It was as It ho had learned by
the signal ot Its loss that he had a
deoper hold on hor than ho had real
ized. "Yes, I havo a bone to pick with
you," she said, recovering a grim son
of fellowship. "A big bone! If you'ro
half a friend you'll give me the very
marrow 01 11.
"I am ready!" ho answered more pa
thetically than philosophically.
"There's not tlmo now; after lunch
eon, when mother 1b taking her nap,"
she concluded as they came to the last
step and saw Mrs. Galland on tho
veranda.
Ater luncheon Mrs. Galland kept bat-
"On my recommendation you or.
him," Lanstron said.
"Yes, on yours, Lnnny.on a friend's!
You" sho put a cold emphasis on the
word "you wanted him hero for your
plans! And why? You haven't an
swered that yet. What purpose of tho
war game does he sorvo In our gar
den?" His look pleaded for patience, while
he tried to smile, which was rather dif
ficult In faco o' her attitude.
"Not altogether In tho garden; part
ly In tho tower," he replied. "You are
to bo In tho wholo secret and In such a
way as to make my temptation clear, I
hope. First, I think you ought to see
the setting. Let us go In."
Impelled by a curiosity that Lan
Htron's manner accentuated, Bho en
tered the room. Apparently Lanstron
was familiar with tho premises. Pass
ing through tho Blttlng-room Into tho
room adjoining, whoro Feller stored
his tools, he opened a door that gavo
on to tho circular stone steps leading
down into the dungeon tunnel.
"I think we had better havo a light,"
ho said, and when he had fetched one
from tho bedchamber ho descended tho
Btopa, nsktng her to follow.
They were In a passage six feet in
,helght nnd about three feet broad,
which seemed to leud on indefinitely
Into clammy darkness. Tho dewy wulls
sparkled In fnntnBtlc and ghostly
Irldcscenco under the rnyB from tho
lantern. Tho dank air lay molBfagalnst
their faces.
"This Is far enough." Ho paused
and raised the lantern. With its light
full In hor face, sho blinked. "There,
at tho height of your chin!"
She noted a metal button painted
gray, Bet at tho side of ono of tho
stones of the wall, which looked un
real. She struck the Btono with her
knuckles and It gave out the sound ot
hollow wood, which waB followed, as
an echo, by a little laugh from Lan
stron. Pressing tho button, a panel
door flew open, revealing a telephone
mouthpiece and rocolver sot In the
recess.
"Like a detective play!" were the
first words that sprang to her lips.
"Well?" As she faced around her
eyes glittered In tho lantern rays.
"Well, have you any other little tricks
to show mo? Are you a slelght-of-band
artist, too, Lanny? Are you going to
take a machine gun out of your hat?"
"That is tho wholo bag," he an
swered. "I thought you'd rather' see
It than havo it described to you."
"Having seen ft, let us go!" sho said.
In a manner that Implied further reck
oning to come.
"If out of
A Speck In the Blue Far Away.
vou wait on tho veranda?"
Ha was saying that he would stroll
In tho garden whon childish footsteps Do you want to go?"
were nutuu " , ....
curly hood had noBtlod against tho
mothor'B skirts Its owner, romlnded of
tho Importance ot manners In tho
world whero tho stork had loft her,
made a curtesy. Lanstron Bhook a
small hand which must have lately
ran at his feet Around the corner of
tho wall, In his workman's Sunday
clothes of black, but wearing his old
straw hat, appeared Feller, the gar
dener. He paused to examine a rose
bufih and LanBtron regarded him
thoughtfully.
As he turned away ho looked up,
and a glance of definite and unfalter
ing recognition was exchanged be
tween tho two men. Thoy had the
garden to themselves.
"GuBtavo!" Lanstron exclaimed un
der his breath.
"Lanny!" exclaimed tho gardener,
turning ovor a branch of tho roso buah.
Ho seemod unwilling to risk talking
openly with Lanstron.
"You look tho good workman In his
Sunday beBt to n T!" said Lanstron.
"Being etonodoaf," returned Feller,
with a traco of drollery In his voice,
"I hear very woll at tlmos. Toll me"
his whisper was qulvorlng with
eagerness "shall we tight? Shall we
fight?"
"We are nearer to It than wo havo
ever boon In our tlmo," Lanstron re
plied.
The hat still shadod Feller's face,
his stoop was, unchanged, but the
branch In his hand shook.
"HoneBt?" ho exclaimed. "Oh, the
chance of Itl Tho chance of It!"
"Gustavo!" Lanstron's volco, still
low. camo In a gust ot sympathy, and
tho pockot which concealed hla hand want mo to."
gavo a norvous twitch as It It hold
something alive and distinct from his
own being. "Tho trial wears on youl
tllngN with her nods until naturo was
victorious nnd she fell fast asleep.
Marta, grown restless with Impatience,
suggested to lanstron that they Btroll
in tho garden, and they took tho path
past the house toward the castlo
tower, stopping In an arbor with high
hedges on either Bide around a statuo
of Mercury.
"Now!" oxclalmed Marta narrowly.
"It was you, Lanny, who recomraond
cd Foller to ue as a gardener, compe
tent though deaf! I havo proved him
to bo a man of most sensitive hearing.
I didn't let him know that he was dis
covered. You brought him here you,
Lanny, you nro the ono to explain.
"True, he Is not deaf!" Lanstron re
plied.
"Ho is a spy?" she asked.
"Yes, n spy. You can put things In
a bright light, Mnrta!" Ho found words
coining with dllllculty in face of tho
pain and disillusion of her set look.
"UBlng somo man as a pawn; setting
him as a spy in tho garden where you
havo been tho welcome friend!" Bho
exclaimed. "A spy on what on my
mother, on Minna, on mo, on tho flow
ers, ns a part of this monstrous game
of trickery and lies that you are play-lnir?"
There waB no traco of anger In her
tone. It woe that of one mortally hurt.
Angor would havo been easier to bear
than the measuring, penetrating won
der that found him guilty of such a
horrible part. Those eyes would have
confused Partow hlmBelf with the
steady, welling Intensity ot their gaze.
Sho did not see how his left hand waa
twitching and how ho stilled Us move
ment by pressing It agalnet tho bench.
"You will take Feller with you when
you go!" sho Bald, rising."
Lanstron dropped his head In a kind
of shaking throb of his wholo body and
raised a faco whlto with appeal.
"Marta!" He was speaking to a pro
file, very scnsltlvo and yet llko Ivory.
"1'vo no excuso for bucIi an nbuso of
hosnltallty except tho obsession of a
loathsome work that some mnn must
do and I was set to do. My God, Marta!
I cense to bo natural ami human. I am
a machine. I keep thinking, what If
war comes and some error of mlno let
tho enemy know whoro to strike tho
blow of victory; or If thero were Infor
mation 1 might have gained and failed
to gain that would havo given us tho
victory If, becnueo I had not dono my
part, thousands of lives of our soldiers
woro sacrificed needlessly!"
At that she turned on him quickly,
hor faco softening.
"You do think of that the lives?"
"Yes, why shouldn't I?"
"Of thoso on your side!" she ex
claimed, turning away.
"Yes, of thoso flrot" ho replied.
"And, Marta, I did not toll you why
Feller waB here becauce he did not
a thousund possible
sources one source succeeds, then tho
cost nnd pains of tho other nlno hun
dred and ninety-nine are rnoro thun re
paid," ho waa saying urgently, the boI
dler uppermost In him. "Some of the
best service wn huve had has been ab
Burd In Its simplicity and its audacity.
In time of war more than ono battle
hae been decided by a thing that wub a
trifle In Itself. No matter what your
preparation, you can never remove the
element of chance. An hour gained in
information about your enemy'B plans
may turn the tide In your favor. A
Chinese peasant spy, becauso he hap
pened to be Intoxlcnted, was able to
give the Japanese warning in time for
Kurokl to mako full dispositions for
receiving the Russian attack In force
at tho Slia-ho. Thero ure many other
Incidents of llko nature In history. So
Is is my duty to neglect no poeslblo
method, however absurd."
By this tlmo ho was at tho head of
tho stops. Stnndlng to one Bide, ho of
fered his hnnd to assist Marta. But
sho seemed not to seo It Her aspect
was that of downright antagonism.
"However absurd! Yes, It Is absurd
to think that you can mako me a party
to any of your plans, for" She broke
off abruptly with staring eyes, aB It she
had seen an apparition.
Lanstron turned and through the
door of the toolroom Baw Feller enter
ing the sitting-room. He was not the
bent, deferential gardener. His fea
tures were hard-sot, a fighting rage
burning In his eyes, his Blnews taut
as If about to spring upon an adver
sary. Whon ho rocognlzod the In
truders he turned limp, his head
dropped, hiding hlB face with his hat
brim, and he steadied himself by rest
ing a hand on tho table edge.
(TO UK CONTINUED.)
OVERSIGHT THAT WAS FATAL
No l" Foller shot back Irritably.
"No!' ho repeated resolutely. "I don't
want to go! I moan to be gamo I "
He shifted bis gazo from tho bush
which he still pretended to examlno
and suddenly broke oft with;
Galland U coming I"
CHAPTER VI.
A Crisis Within a Crisis,
Following tho path to tho tower
leisurely, they had reached tho tower.
Feller's door was opon. Marta looked
Into tho room, finding In tho neat ar
rangement of Its furniture a new slg-
"Miss nlflcanco. He was absent, for It was
j the dinner hour.
Llght-Flngered Gentleman Might
Have Got Away With the Coat
But for One Thing.
A fellow stole a cont hnnging in
front of a clothing storo the other aft-
teinoon. But tho proprietor was on
the Job, and before tho thief was half
n block away ho had tho police and
most of the neighbors on IiIb trail.
Tho poor fellow who had talcen tho
coat was really coatless boforo tho
crime. And as ho ran no siruggieu
Into the .abstracted article, which fit
ted him pretty well, all things consid
ered. And when he was apprehended,
about four blocks from the starting
point, he protested his Innocence
stoutly.
' "What d'yo mean I stole the coat?"
ho said. "I'vo had this coat all sura-
mor. Why, I ain't had It off my back
for a week!"
"You ain't, ain't you?" sneered tho
policeman. "An' havo you woro that
thoro coat hanger insldo it acrost yer
shoulders all that tlmo?"
Saying that tho arm of tho law
grasped tho Iron hook projecting
abovo tho collar, draggod the victim
to the corner and callod the wagon.
MANITOBA'S AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRY
REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
THAT PROVINCE DURING THE
PAST FEW YEAR8.
Tho pnBt year haB Bhown that th
Province of Manitoba, tho Premier
Province of Western Canada, stands
out prominently In point of wealth In
her agricultural productions. Mani
toba had an excellent ylold of wheat
In 1914, tho oat crop waB not so good,
and with the high price rocolved, ovory
farmer wns placed In n good financial
position.
For somo years, aB Is probably tho
caso In nil new countries, Manitoba
wont largely Into tho growing ot
grain, and whilo this paid well for a
tlmo, It was found that having to pur
chase his meat, his milk and a num
ber of other dally rcqulsltce, tho farm
did not pay ob It Bhould. Now, there
1b another sldo to It Fodder crops
nro grown, cattle are being raised,
cheeso factories and creameries are
eBtabllBhed, and tho result is that the
financial position of tho farmers ol
Manitoba Is as strong as that of thoso
In any other portion of the continent.
Scarcely a farmer today but haa real
ized that tho growing of grains alone
has a precarious side, and that posl
tlvo security can only bo assured by
dlvcrsllled farming, and Bccurlng tho
latest modern nnd most economic
methods. Therefore timothy, clover,
alfalfa, ryo grass and fodder corn are
universally grown. Most wonderful
success meets tho efforts of tho farm
ers In tho cultivation of these grasses,
and tho yields comparo favorably
with thoso of many older countries,
while In many cuses they exceed them.
It Is worth whllo recording the acre
ago of these crops this season as com
pared with last, becauBO tho flgurcB re
flect tho remarkable progress that Is
being made In dairying and In the
beef and pork industry. In 1913 bromt
I grasB was sown on 24,912 ncreB, rye
I grass on 21,917 ncreB, timothy on
118.712 acres, clover on 5,328 acres, al
falfa on 4,709 acres and fodder corn on
20,223 acres. In 1914 tho respective
ncreago under thoso crops wero 25,444
acres, 27,100 acreB, 165,990 acres. 7,212
acres, and 10,250 acres and 30,430 acres.
AlfaUa particularly Is coming Into Its
own, tho ncreago having been more
than doubled last year.
It Ib Himply tho natural process o!
evolution from tho purely grain farm
ing which Munltoba knew as tho only
method twenty years ago to the more
diversified forms of agriculture that
u responsible for the development
along these other lines In this Prov
ince. Alberta Is coming to It at an
earlier Btago than did Manitoba. Sas
katchewan, too, Is following rapldl
In the same direction.
Then, as her fodder" crop and root
crop acreage indicate, thero have been
Increases In the holdings of all kinds
of live stock during tho past twelve
months, according to tho correspond
ent for tho Toronto Globe. Beef cattle
number 42,000 head thlB year, as
against 37,000 last year; milch cows
aro 100,474 head, as against 157.963
head; pigs number 325,000 as against
248,000; sheep number 75,000, aB
against 52.000; and thero aro 325.000
horses, aB compared with 300,000 at
this tlmo InBt year. These aro tho
latest Provincial figures, and thoy
show that despite tho great efflux of
live stock to tho United States Blnco
tho opening of that market to Can
ada, tho capital amount of live ani
mals has Increased Instead of hav
ing decreased through tho extra do
mand.
Dairying the Principal Industry.
Dairying is tho Industry, however,
which is making dollnra for tho Mani
toba farmer It Is developing at a rap
Id rato In this Province for that par
ticular reason. The output of cream
ery butter last year was 4,000,000
pounds, at an average prlc of 27.5
cents per pound, which waa an In
crease over the previous year of a
million pounds. The output of dairy
butter waB recorded last year at 4,288,
276 pounds. Tho Government depart
ment sayB that again this year a sub
stantial Increaso In tho dairy output
will be shown from this Province.
From thlB same sourco of Information
one finds that through tho Bplendld
growth In winter dairying, Winnipeg
now, for tho first tlmo iu years, is
ablo to obtain a sufficient supply of
milk and Bwect crenm from lta city
dairies to satisfy Its demand through
out tho year without having to import
largo quantities of thoso products
from tho United States as waB done
not longer than two yeara ago. Advertisement
Tho loud smack 1b not always the
sweetest kiss.
Parlor Tricks.
Dill Did you ovor take part In any
parlor magic?
Jill Ob, yes; that's bow my wife
I hypnotized me Into marrying her.
Ice
it "with
Van Hou ten's Rona
Cocoa instead of choc
olate and you'll im
prove the cake im
mensely. Try it. To
day large redcan.
25c
;i
I
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