FOE BOYS AND GIRLS
SOME GOOD STORIES FOR OUR
JUNIOR READERS.
* ' \Vhat Frightened InulMtlla , " a Juvenile
SIcctrh "Mother GOOHO'H Dinner Tarty'
an A mutiny Story for the Junior * A
Conversation Without "Word * .
The Land Ileyond the ISluo.
( Written for the Family Herald and
Weekly Star. )
Fair land beyond the blue.
Where the llowera unfading grow.
Where the tree of life Is blooming In
beauty all untold.
There are pastures green and smiling
where the quiet waters flow.
And the saints In white are walking on
the streets of shining gold.
By faith thy shores arise to view.
Fair land beyond the blue !
Calm land beyond the blue ,
Where the sound of strife is still.
Where no storms of grief or terror can
the peaceful Joys molest.
And the melody of musl6 from the many
harp-strings thrill !
here the weary hands are folded , and
the weary feet have rest.
We dream of thee when falls the dew ,
Calm land beyond the bluel
Dear land beyond the blue ,
Where' our loved and lost ones dwell !
Though we miss them. oh. we miss them
for a llttlo weary while.
Tet to earth we would not call them , for
we know that all Is well.
And when there , too. we have gathered
we shall see and share their smile.
When shall we meet those hearts so
true
Dear land beyond the blue ?
Home-land beyond the blue ,
We are only strangers here :
Pilgrims , onward still we Journey to that
home which waits afar.
Sometimes , when our footsteps falter and
the way seems lone and drear ,
sweet echoes of the music float
from out the gates ajar.
'Tis thus our hearts find strength
anew.
Home-land beyond the blue !
"What Frightened Isabella.
Dorothy has a beautiful doll named
Isabella , with the pinkest cheeks , the
brownest eyes , the curliest hair , and
best of all , with two little strings hang
ing from her back , which will make
her speak if they are pulled. She can
say only two words , "Mamma" and
"Papa , " one for each string , but that
is enough to give a great deal of
amusement to Dorothy and her little
friends. Isabella is dressed in baby
clothes , so Dorothy plays that she is
not old enough to say any other words
yet.
Isabella says "Pa-pa" quite slowly ,
with a funny little jerk In the middle
of the word , but she says"Mamma"
very fast , and as if she really wanted
her mamma very much. When she
says that , Dorothy always feel like
taking her in her arms to comfort her ,
it sounds so much like a real child's
cry.
cry.One
One day Dorothy put Isabella to
sleep , and laid her In the doll's cradle ,
which just fits her , and then she her
self went out of doors to play with
the two little girls who live next door.
Dorothy's mamma was sitting down
stairs , when she heard some one call
f ing , "Mamma ! Mamma ! Mamma ! "
over and over , very loudly and very
fast. It did not seem like Dorothy's
voice , but it sounded so frightened that
mamma thought something dreadful
must have happened to Dorothy , to
make her call in that way. What could
it be ? ,
She ran up-stairs as fast as she could
to the play room , from which the cries
came , and opened the door. She could
not see any one in the room , and for a
moment everything was quiet ; then
suddenly she heard again , from the
corner where Isabella lay in her cradle ,
"Mamma ! Mamma ! " It was no one
but Isabella , calling as fast as she
could , as If she could not get along
without her mamma another minute !
Dorothy's mamma did not know what
to make of it she could not think ho v
Isabella could talk all by herself , with
no one anywhere near her. But as
mamma went closer to the cradle she
suddenly saw what was tha matter
with Isabella , and then she went to the
window and called Dorothy , whom she
saw playing in the yard , to come and
see.
see.When Dorothy and her playmates
came running up-stairs , mamma told
them to come Into the room very quiet
ly , and what do you think they saw ?
r On his back behind the cradle was Do
rothy's Maltese kitten , Pussy-Willow ,
Jhaving such a fine time in kicking and
biting at a little string which hung
through the side of the cradle !
It was Isabella's "mamma" string ,
.and every time Pussy pulled It Isabella
cried "Mamma ! " as if she were very
much frightened , and Pussy-Willow
seemed to think that that was part of
the fun.
The little girls all laughed heartily ,
but Dorothy could not bear it very
long , the cries were so pitiful , so she
caught Isabella up and hugged her ,
.and Pussy-Willow scampered off to find
something else to play with. Ruth
'Tangier Smith in Youth's Companion.
mother Goose's Dinner Party.
It was the 12th of February. Twen
ty-five guests had been invited. "Tom
Tucker , " "Jack" and "Jill , " and the
rest of the guests came in squads and
platoons.
There were three "Boy blues , " and
three "Miss Muffets , " and the "maids
-of the kitchen. "
The "Queen of Hearts , " decorated
with fifty blood-red hearts made a
sensation. And "Boy Blue" became
at once her devoted slava , and when
"Bobby Shaftoe" arrived the "Queen"
paid more attention to him , and poor
"Boy Blue" felt very badly.
"Bobby Shaftoe" presented his card ,
and then began to comb down his yel
low hair.
The "Queen" was very much 1m-
- pressed , and "Bo Peep" toldthe "Blue
\
Bird" ir. a whisper that lie -was hci
lover forever more.
"Little Red Riding Hood" did netlike
like to hear this , for she thought "Bob
by" belonged to her , brt just then
"Johnny Green" came In and made ev
erybody laugh trying to ring his little
silver bell and at the same time keep
his large pussy cat swinging.
"Mistress Mary" was quite contrary
as usual , especially when "Georgie Por-
gie" tried to kiss her , but then he kiss
ed all the girls , and strange to say ,
none of them cried ; they rather seemed
to like it.
"Jack Horner" with his Christmas
pie , which was a real mince pie , was
a great favorite , and many a time
would be seen in a corner with a pret
ty girl to pull out a plum.
"Nancy Etticote" with her golden
curls and pretty white gown was the
belle of the evening.
'Simple Simon" was bright enough
to knew her , but she thought "Tom"
the "Piper's Son" was more attractive
as he let her taste of his chocolate pig
as he played on his pipe for them to
dance.
"Peter Pumpkin-Eater" was so late
with his wife , whom he drew in a
pumpkin shell , that there was little
time to introduce them , and they all
marched to supper singing to the tune
of "Mistress ' "
Mary's bells.
It was a real "Mother Goose" sup
per with "white bread and butter , "
"hot cross buns , " pink slices of ham ,
a large plate of tarts , candied plums ,
and a pail of water.
"Curly Locks" could not bring
strawberries and cream , so they had
strawberry ice cream with pat-a-cakes
that the "Baker Man" made.
At a signal from "Mother Gocse"
Boy Blue" blew his horn , and every
body went upstairs. Curtains were
drawn across the doorway leading into
the library.
The curtains parted , and there was a
big nest with a monstrous goose sit
ting upon it , then "Mother Goose"
made a little speech which made them
all laugh. The goose put her bill into
the nest and pulled out a little golden
egg. The nest must have been full ,
for there was an egg for every one of
the children.
When they went home they all said
that there was nothing quite so nice
as a "Mother Goose" party.
Conversation ITlthout Words.
The traveler in a foreign land is not
necessarily helpless because he does
not know the language. Nor was a
correspondent of the Chicago Record ,
who admits that when he entered
ttaly his nine words of French and fif
teen words of German were of no great
use to him. He says :
In Genoa I went into a photograph
er's shop and selected a dozen photo
graphs.
I pointed at the photographs and
looked at him inquiringly , which
meant , 'How much ? "
He nodded his head and wrote " 14"
on a slip of paper.
I nodded , signifying , "I will take
them. "
He walked over to a calendar hangIng -
Ing on the wall and pointed to 29 ;
then he walked back and picked up the
photographs and shook his head ,
which clearly meant that he could not
allow me to take the ones I had se-
ected , but would have others printed
by the 29th.
Thereupon I pointed to 25 on the cal
endar , and said "Roma , " which meant
that I should depart for Rome on that
date.
date.He
He nodded and then pointed to 30
and asked , "Eh ? " which meant , "Shal
you be in Rome until the 30th ? "
I nodded violently.
"Hotel ? ' he asked.
I wrote my Rome address on a slip
of paper.
In making change he held out one
lira.
"Poste , " he explained.
Then I departed. Ordinarily a shop
per selecting a dozen photographs to
> e printed to order and forwarded to
him at the next town would spend ten
minutes or more in making inquiries
and giving directions. Our total o'
conversation was just five words.
New Use for Blotting.
The use of blotting-paper for clean-
ng machinery is a new idea , but it has
been tried in the German workshops ,
and found to answer well , says the En
gineering and Mining Journal.
Tow , woolen refuse , sponge cloths
and jute waste are the materials us
ually employed for the cleaning of ma
chines and parts of engines which are
soiled by dust and lubricating sub
stances. The better varieties of cotton
waste are very good for scouring pur
poses , but the cheaper grades are
charged with dust , and in using them
a sponge cloth , specially manufactured
for the purpose , has to be resorted to.
In employing blotting paper for
scouring purposes the use of cotton
waste is decreased , and the sponge
cloths are entirely dispensed with. On
an average the German workman re
ceived under the former system two
hundred and fifty grams of cotton
waste , one new sponge cloth , and one
or two renovated ones every week.
Now he is supplied with one hundred
and fifty grams of cotton waste and
about eight or ten sheets of blotting
paper , at a cost of two and a half
cents , or one-third the cost of the cot-
on waste.
The paper is not only cheaper , but it
does not soil the machinery with fibres
and dust , as do the woolen refuse and
the sponge cloths. It is also less com
bustible than other cleaning materials ,
and if it should be caught in the ma
chinery while engines in motion are
being cleaned , it tears easily , and the
workmen run no risk of having their
lands drawn into the machinery.
Since 1787 the exports of the United
States have amounted to $34.352.326.-
66 , and the Imports to 131,920,111.807.
TALMAGE'S SESSION.
JOY UNBOUNDED , LAST SUN
DAY'S SUBJECT.
The Great Dlvino Discourses to a Mul
titude Ills Theme , " .New Springs of
Joy , " Is Graphically Portrayed "Thou
Hast Given Me a South Land. "
The city of Debir was the Boston
of antiquity a great place for brain
and books. Caleb wanted it , and he
offered his daughter Achsah as a prize
to any one who would capture that
city. It was a strange thing for Caleb
to do ; and yet the man that could take
the city would have , at any rate , two
elements of manhood bravery and
patriotism. With Caleb's daughter as
a prize to fight for , Gen. Othniel rode
into the battle. The gates of Debir
were thundered into the dust , and the
city of books lay at the feet of the
conquerors. The work done , Othniel
comes back to claim his bride. Hav
ing conquered the city , it is no great
job for him to conquer the girl's heart ;
for however faint-hearted a woman
herself may be , she always loves cour
age in a man. I never saw an excep
tion to that. The wedding festivity
having gone by Othniel and Achsah
are about to go to their new home.
However loudly the cymbals may clash
and the laughter ring , parents are al
ways sad when a fondly cherished
daughter goes off to stay ; and Achsah ,
the daughter of Caleb , knows that now
is the time to ask almost anything she
wants of her father. It seems that
Caleb , the good old man , had given as
a wedding present to his daughter a
piece of land that was mountainous ,
and sloping southward toward the des
erts of Arabia , swept with some very
hot winds. It was called "a south
land. " But Achsah wants an addition
of property ; she wants a piece of land
that is well watered and fertile. Now
it is no wonder that Caleb , standing
ainid the bridal party , his eyes so
full of tears because she was going
away that he could hardly see her at
all , gives her more than she asks.
She said to him , "Thou hast given
me a south land ; give me also springs
of water. " And he gave her the upper
springs and the nether springs.
What a suggestive passage ! The
fact is , that as Caleb , the father , gave
Achsah , the daughter , a south land , so
God ives to us his world. I am very
thankful he has given it to us. But I
am like Achsah in the fact that I want
a larger portion. Trees and flowers
and grass and blue skies are very well
in their places ; but he who has noth
ing but this world for a portion has
no portion at all. It is a mountainous
land , sloping off toward the desert of
sorrow , swept by fiery siroccos ; it is
"a south land , " a poor portion for
any man that tries to put his trust in
it. What has been your experience ?
What has been the experience of every
man , of every woman that has tried
this world for a portion ? Queen Eliza
beth , amidst the surroundings of pomp ,
is unhappy because the painter
sketches too minutely the wrinkles on
her face , and she indignantly cries
out : "You must strike off my like
ness without any shadows ! " Hogarth ,
at the very height of his artistic tri
umph , is stung almost to death with
chagrin because the painting he had
dedicated to the king does not seem to
be acceptable , for George II. cried out :
"Who is this , Hogarth ? Take his
trumpery out of my presence ! " Brins-
ley Sheridan thrilled the earth with
his eloquence , but had for his last
words , "I am absolutely undone. "
Walter Scott , fumbling around the ink
stand , trying to write , says to his
daughter : "Oh , take me back to my
room ; there is no rest for Sir Walter
but in the grave. " Stephen Girard ,
the wealthiest man in his day , or , at
any rate , only second in wealth , says :
"I live the life of a galley slave ; when
1 rise in the morning my one effort is
to work so hard that I can sleep when
it gets to be night. " Charles Lamb ,
applauded of all the world , in the very
midst of his literary triumph says :
"Do you remember , Bridget , when we
used to laugh from the shilling gal
lery at the play ? There are now no
good plays to laugh at from the
boxes. " But why go so far as that ?
Pick me out ten successful world
lings without any religion , and you
know what I mean by successful
worldlings pick me out ten successful
worldlings , and you cannot find more
than one that looks happy. Care
drags him across the bridge ; care
drags him back. Take your stand at
2 o'clock at the corner of Nassau and
Wall streets , or at the corner of Canal
street and Broadway , and see the ago
nized physiognomies. Your bankers ,
your insurance men , your importers ,
your wholesalers , and your retailers ,
as a class as a class , are they happy ?
No. Care dogs their steps ; and , mak
ing no appeal to God for help or com
fort , they are tossed every whither.
How has it been with you , my hearer ?
Are you more contented in the house
of fourteen rooms than you were in
the two rooms you had in a house when
you started ? Have you not had more
care and worriment since you won that
$50.000 than you did before ? Some of
the poorest men I have ever known
have been those of great fortune. A
man of small means may be put in
great business straits , but the ghast
liest of all embarrassments is that o !
the man who has large estates. The
men who commit suicide because of
monetary losses are those who cannot
bear the burden of any more , because
they have only a hundred thousand
left.
left.On
On Bowling Green , New York , there
is a house where Talleyrand used to
go. He was a favored man. All the
world knew him. and he had wealth
almost unlimited : yet at the close of
his life he says ; : "Behold , eighty-
three years have passed without any
practical result , save fatigue of body
and fatigue of mind , great discourage
ment for the future and great disgust
for the past. " Oh , my friends , this is
"a south land , " and it slopes off toward
deserts of sorrows ; and the prayer
which Achsah made to her father
Caleb we make this day to our Father
God : "Thou hast given me a south
land ; give me also springs of water.
And he gave them the upper springs
and the nether springs. "
Blessed be God ! We have more ad
vantage given us than we can really
appreciate. We have spiritual bless
ings offered to us in this world which
I shall call the nether springs , and
glories in the world to come which I
shall call the upper springs.
Where shall I find words enough
threaded with ligat to set forth the
pleasure cf religion ? David , unable
to describe it in words , played it on a
harp. Mrs. Heiaane. not finding
enough power in prose , sings that
praise in canto. Christopher Wren ,
unable to describe it in language ,
sprung it into the arches of St. Paul's.
John Bunj'an , unable to present it in
ordinary phraseology , takes all the
fascination of allegory. Handel , with
ordinary music unable to reach the
height of the theme , rounds it up in an
oratorio. Oh , there is no life on earth
so happy as a really Christian life. I
do not mean a sham Christian life ,
but a real Christian life. Where there
is a thorn there is a whole garland of
roses. Where there is one groan there
are three doxologies. Where there is
one day of cloud there is a whole sea
son of sunshine. Take the humblest
Christian man that you know angels
of God canopy him with their white
wings ; the lightnings of heaven are
his armed allies ; the Lord is his Shep
herd , picking out for him green pas
tures by still waters ; if he walk forth ,
heaven is his bodyguard ; if he sit down
to food , his plain table blooms into
the king's banquet. Men say : "Look
at that old fellow with the worn-out
coat. " The angels of God cry : "Lift
up your heads , ye everlasting gates ,
and let him come in ! " Fastidious
people cry : "Get off my front steps ;
the doorkeepers of heaven cry : "Come ,
you blessed of my Father , inherit the
kingdom ! " When He comes to die ,
though he may be carried out in a
pine box to the potter's field , to that
potter's field the chariots of Christ will
come down and the cavalcade will
crowd all the boulevards of heaven.
I bless Christ for ths present satis
faction of religion. It makes a man
all right with reference to the past ; it
makes man all right with reference to
the future. Oh. these nether springs
of comfort ! They are perennial. The
foundation of God standeth sure hav
ing this seal , "The Lord knoweth them
that are His. " "The mountains shall
depart and the hills be removed , but
My kindness shall not depart from
thee ; neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed , saith the Lord , who
hath mercy upon them. " Oh , cluster
of diamonds set in burnished gold !
Oh , nether springs of comfort bursting
through all the valleys of trial and
tribulation ! When you see. you of tha
world , what satisfaction there is on
earth in religion , do you not thirst
after it as the daughter of Caleb
thirsted after the water springs ? It
is no stagnant pond , scummed over
with malaria , but springs of water
leaping from the Rock of Ages ! Take
up one cup of that spring water , and
across the top of the chalice will float
the delicate shadows of the heavenly
wall , the yellow jasper , the green of
emerald , the blue of sardonyx , the fire
of jacinth.
I wish I could make you understand
the joy religion is to some of us. It
makes a man happy while he lives ,
and glad when he dies. With two feet
upon a chair and bursting with drop
sies , I heard an old man in the poorhouse -
house cry out : "Bless the Lord , oh ,
my soul ! " I looked around and said :
"What has this man got to thank God
for ? " It makes the lame man leap
like the hart , the dumb sing. They
say that the old Puritan religion is a
juiceless and joyless religion : but I
remember reading Dr. Goodwin , the
celebrated Puritin , who in his last mo
menta said : "Is this dying ? Why ,
my bow abides in strength ! I am
swallowed up in God. " "Her ways of
pleasantness , and all her paths are
peace. " Oh , you who have been trying
to satisfy yourselves with the "south
land" of this world , do you not feel
that you would , this morning , like to
have access to the nether springs of
spiritual comfort ? Would you not like
to have Jesus Christ bend over your
cradle and bless your table and heal
your wounds , and strew flowers of
consolation all up and down the graves
of your dead ?
'Tis religion that can give
Sweetest pleasures while we live ;
'Tis religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when we die.
But I have something better to tell
you , suggested by my text. It seems
that old Father Caleb on the wedding
day of his daughter wanted to make
her just as happy as possible. Though
Othniel was taking her away , and his
heart was almost broken because she
was going , yet he gives her a "south
land" ; not only that , but the upper
springs. O God , my Father , I thank
Thee that Thou hast given me a "south
land" in this world , and the nether
spring of spiritual comfort in this
world : but , more than all , I thank
thee for the upper springs in heaven.
It is very fortunate we cannot see
heaven until we get into it. Oh , Chris
tian man , if you could see what a
place it Is , we would never get you
hack again to the office or store or
shop , and the duties you ought to per
form would go neglected. I am glad
[ shall not see that world until I enter
It. Suppose we were al.o ed to go on
in excursion into that good land with
the idea cf returning. When we got
there and heard the song and looked
it their raptured faces , and minglsd
in the supernal society , we would cry
out : "Let us stay ! We are coming
here anyhow , wiiy take the trouble
of going back again to that old world ?
We are here now ; let us stay. " And it
would take angelic violence to put us
out of that world if we once got there ,
But as people who -cannot afford to
pay for an entertainment sometimes
come around it and look through the
door ajar , or through the openings In
the fence , so we come and look
through the crevices in that good land
which God has provided for us. We
can just catch a glimpse of it. We
come near enough to hear the rum
bling of the eternal orchestra , though
not near enough to know who blows
the cornet or who fingers the harp.
My soul spreads out both wings and
claps them in triumph at the thought
of those upper springs. One of them
breaks from beneath the throne ; an
other breans forth from beneath the
altar of the temple ; another at the
door of "the house of many man
sions. " Upper springs of gladness !
Upper springs of light ! Upper
springs of love ! It is no fancy
of mine. "The Lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall lead them to
living fountains of water. " Oh , Savior
divine , roll in upon our souls one of
those anticipated rartures ! Pour
around the roots of the parched
tongue one drop of that liquid life !
Toss before our vision those fountains
of God , rainbowea with eternal vic
tory. Hear it. They are never sick
there ; not so much as a headache or
twinge rheumatic , or thrust neuralgic.
The inhabitant never says : "I am
sick. " They are never tired there.
Flight to farthest world is only the
play of a holiday. They never sin
there. It is as easy for them to be
holy as it is for us to sin. They never
die there. You might go through all
the outskirts of the great city and find
not one place where the ground was
broken for a grave. The eyesight of
the redeemed is never blurred with
tears. There is health in every cheek.
There is spring in every foot. There
Is majesty on every brow. There is
joy in every heart. There is hosanna
on every lip. * iow they must pity us
as they look over and down and see
us , and say : "Poor things , away down
in that world. " And when some Chris
tian is hurled into a fatal accident ,
they cry : "Good ! He is coming ! "
And when we stand around the couch
of some loved one ( whose strength is
going away ) and we shake our heads
forebodingly , they cry : "I am glad he
is worse ; he has been down there long
enough. There , he is dead ! Come
home ! Come home ! " Oh , if we could
only get our ideas about that future
world untwisted our thought of trans
fer from here to there would be as
pleasant to us as it was to a little
child that was dying. She said : "Papa ,
when will I go home ? " And he said :
"To-day , Florence. " "To-day ? So
soon ? I am so glad ! "
I wish I could stimulate you with
these thoughts , oh , Christian man , to
the highest possible exhilaration. The
day of your deliverance is coming , is
coming. It is rolling on with the
shining wheels of the day and the jet
wheels of the night. Every thump of
the heart is only a hammer stroke
striking off another chain of clay.
Better scour tie deck and coil the
rope , the harbor is only six miles
away. Jesus will come down in the
"Narrows" to meet you. Now is your
salvation nearer than when you be
lieved.
Unforgiven man , unpardoned man ,
will you not mane a choice between
these two portions between the "south
land" of this world , whiih slopes to
the desert , and this glorious land
which thy Father offers thee , running
with eternal water courses ? Why let
your tongue be consumed with thirst
when there are the nether springs and
the upper springs , comfort here , and
glory hereafter ?
Let me tell you , my dear brother ,
that the silliest and wickedest thing a
man ever does is to reject Jesus Christ.
The loss of the soul is a mistake that
cannot be corrected. It is a downfall
that knows no alleviation ; it is a ruin
that is remediless ; it is a sickness that
has no medicament ; it is a grave into
which a man gees but never comes
out. Therefore , putting my hand on
your shoulder as a brother puts his
hand on the shoulder of a brother , I
say this day , be manly , and surrender
your heart to Christ. You have been
long enough serving the world ; now
begin to serve the Lord who bought
you. You have tried long enough to
carry these burdens ; let Jesus Christ
put His shoulder under your burden.
Do I hear any one in the audience say ,
"I mean to attend to that after awhile ;
it is not just the time ? " It Is the
time , for the simple reason that you
are sure of no other ; and God sends
you here this morning , and He sent
me here to comfort you with this
message ; and you must hear now that
Christ died to save your soul , and that
if you want to be saved you may be
saved. "Whosoever will , let him come. "
You will never find any more conveni
ent season than this. Some of you
tiave be"en waiting tea , twenty , thirty ,
forty , fifty and sixty years. On some ,
of you the snow has fallen. I see it
an your brow , and yet you have not
ittended to those duties which belong
to the very springtime of life. It is
September with you now , it is October
with you , it is December with you. I
im no alarmist. I simply know this :
[ f a man does not repent in this world
ie never repents at all , and that news
; s the day of salvation. Oh. put off this
natter no longer. Do not turn your
jack on Jesus Christ who comes to
save you , lest you should lose you-
ioul.
A ring around the moon indicates
jad weather , which will last as many
lays as there are stars inclosed In the
: ircle.
Co-operative Creameries In Irolanc.
The New Zealand Dairyman says :
Students of agricultural co-operation
have , in the present wave of that move
ment which is passing over Ireland , a
most Interesting study. The way In
which co-operative butter factories
have extended is in strong contrast to
the "complete apathy displayed by the
English dairy farmer in the same di
rection. From a one-tirao prosperous
agricultural country the "Unhappy
Isle" had dwindled down in rural pop
ulation to such an extent that it seemed
as if they would ultimately be a mere
handful of people , barely enough to
tend cattle for John Bull to eat. With
the departure of so many of her best
agriculturists to America and these
colonies the quality of her produce be
came woefully poor ; in fact , things
were drifting into such straits that it
was problematical what the end would
be. Some thoughtful Irishmen came to
the rescue , however , and , binding them
selves together , preached co-operation
co-operaticn in every branch of the
farmer's business. Success did not at
tend their efforts at first , and it was
not until fifty meetings had been held
that an attempt was made by the
farmers to test the new doctrine. Once
co-operation had proved itself , how
ever , it rapidly spread ; in fact so much
so that whereas in 1SDO there was only
one co-operativa factory , the number
had increased to 136 at the beginning
of last year.
The principal body at work la the
Irish Agricultural Organization Socie
ty , which was formed in 1894 , and , be
ing quite non-political in its objects ,
men of all shades of opinion are on its
committee. They have sensibly laid
aside their differences in order to aid
their unfortunate countrymen. The
society employs about a dozen organ
izers and experts , who are kept con
stantly at work lecturing , organizing
and instructing. As the Hon. H.
Plunkett. writing on the subject in the
Mark Lane Express Almanac , says :
"They preach the doctrine of self-help
and show the farmers how they can
practically help themselves , and the
manly spirit of the people has wel
comed it in a wholesome reaction from
the other doctrine which lays all their
sins of impecuniosity upon the govern
ment. "
Numerically the most important of
the societies are the co-operative
creameries. The establishment of these
has led to an enormous improvement
in the quality of Irish butter , and the
suppliers have , as a result , obtained
fully 30 per cent more profit from their
cows than formerly. Then , of course ,
the profits of the undertaking have
been also secured to the members , who
utilize their societies in many ways ,
such , for instance , as the wholesale
purchase of feeding stuffs , fertilizers
and implements ; also for the combined
sale of cattle , pigs , poultry and eggs.
A few of them are establishing credit
societes and libraries as adjuncts.
Then a number of the creameries
formed a federation in 1893 to enable
them to more effectually control the
markets in their own interests and to
est.blish a national brand of Irish
cnamery butter.
Top Dressing llye to Tlow Under.
The plan of top dressing rye with
nanure is a good one , providing the
manure can be spread. The rye will
be benefited by the manure as a mulch
as well as by its fertilizing properties.
There will still be considerable virtue
left in the manure for the corn crop
that is to follow. The amount of the
same will be in proportion to the rain
fall and to the condition of the manure
when it was applied. The more rain
and the finer the manure when applied
the more will its enriching properties
be worked down into the soil. But
spreading the manure on the rye. and
when it grows up In the spring plow
ing under both manure and rye the
influence on the corn would be very
beneficial. The aim in applying ma
nure in our climate should be to make
it act as a mulch as well as a fertilizer.
Farm , Stock and Home.
Beauty as Well as Profit. I think
many people fail to obtain pleasure in
cultivating their gardens because
they regard their plants only from a
business standpoint , and do not appre
ciate them as objects of beauty. As
long as it costs but little , let us culti
vate the love for the beautiful , or the
aesthetic side of our nature. While
perhaps the most of us must work our
farms and gardens for the pecuniary
profit , yet we may often , when plant
ing for profit , so plan that it will be
ornamental in appearance. We shall
get more enjoyment from our work ,
and our life will be better for having
cultivated a taste for the beautiful and
attractive in nature. Michigan Farm
er. _
Dry Apple Seeds. These should be
packed in sand , set out to get the
rains and frost , and be planted early
in the spring. If kept dry until spring
they are likely to fail to sprout. When
raising my own apple roots the seeds
were always drilled in in the fall.
Now It Is customary with nurserymen
to buy their stocks from those who
make the raising of seedlings a spe
cialty. They can be bought so cheap
ly that I would not bother myself rais
ing them. Sain'l Miller In Rural
World.
Sugar Beet Seed for Illinois Far
mers. The Agricultural Experiment
Station , University of Illinois , Urbana ,
[ 11. , proposes to furnish seed of sugar
beet together with instructions for
growing , free of charge so long as the
supply lasts , to residents of the state
! vho desire to become acquainted with
± e nature of the crop , and who will
return samples of beets to us for an-
ilysis , samples to be taken according
Lo directions and sent to the experi
ment station , all charges prepaid.
University Press Notice.
Cows do not like noise or delay.