V Vj le of iM > il by
It is : ; hvays u In ? . " , to leave soil naked
through iho winter. especially if the
surface soil is friable' . Unless SUOAV
come as u covering , mudx of ii Avill bo
blown into adjoiniui ; lioMs. Often when
SUOAV conn's it will bo Avind swept into
banks In-hind < Viie.es on its leeward
sido. aii'i so soe-i as tl-.p banks are
formed the s > n.y v. ill bo darkened by
clouds of Hue dust. v uiel : ! s deposited
on its surface. This wind-blown soil is
always exf.rei.ie-y rich , u.i is shown by
the qni < ker jjryv.'lh and dirler green
of the ; : ut'uit grr-Vi" up after the
bank h. . ? uiukcil in oi.Mjr. . Always the
land 0:1 ! l e ice sid < - of fields that have
been'jh nu-1 ion : ; pjj-.y ; . < l is richer
near tlucucc on r ! .r * loov/aid side than
ir is ue3r : the aMcif ihe field. For
this roa ° .o : . v.-hr-u tkr.-ing , turn the fur
rows as : na.-i as possible from the
fenco.lov. : r lhe eonlcr of the field.
Ioubll ss tl rre is much blowing of
sinfa..lir > in suuunor shoAA'crs.
ihojigh If. ic : : < . . = > j ! an to the sight as
it is Aviifii the d : rk VIM lies on top of a
wliiJo anulc of : " > o'.v.
r're/tec-.Ii.r lirubd.
Wint.prokx i'.on for shrubs is a mata -
a > " ill : : * " rtuiuliv : : considerable skill.
C * id i * no jf the thiners to be guarded
W'
\
: gainst , the
v , eight of snow in
v.'ntjr must be
foicj-'oon and care
oc-'vised lust the
! rnb be greatly
j u j ; i rod in the
wrapping process
l y the breaking of
Mi a n y brittle
! , " \-inehcs. Thoro-
f o r e a Country
' 'oiitleimm corro-
-pon'lout proposes
t'l" ' I'olloAving plan ;
The cut shoAVS
the proper way to
begin. Select a
Miiooth , strong
stake , longer than
the height of the
shrub , and drive it
well d-iwn in I no renter ot the busli.
Now druAV the branches all carefully
1orolher and tie them to the stake with
a soft bit of rord. as shoAvn. A layer
ot * straw cau now bo AVrapped about
Hie shrub , bringing the bottom of the
stravr well out upon the ground , to pro-
led tlc roots as much as possible. The
Avhoio can now be co\ered Avith burlap
and tied or sowed tightly. The top is
ilien a point , on Avhieh SUOAV cannot
lodge. Avhilc the stake support the
bush AA'hen the Avinds blow.
C nemubers.
rs generally do well , even if
ouditions are only moderately favor
able , though it is bettor to plant thorn
in a deep , rich and somewhat rotentiA'o
loam , the planting to bo done as soon as
the pround becomes Avarm in the
spring. Five or six foot apart each AA'ay
r Isaboutthe right distance and a shovel
ful of AA'cll-roolod manure or compost
placed at the point Avhoro the seed are
planted , though the manure should be
covered with soil and the seed planted
in the soil. About a dozen seed should
be put in each hill , covered one inch and
the soil packed oA'er the seeds. As soon
: i > the plants come above the surface
Hie soil about thorn should be loosened ,
and this repealed after each rain. Oc-
oasionally it may bo necessary to dust
iho plants with paris green 10 protect
them from insects. Thin Iho plants
down to throe or four to the hill aud
fultiA-ate the land both Avuys until the
vines become too lone. Texas Stock
and Farm Journal.
i Another Saw Jack.
1 The saw jack shown in the accompanying -
panying illustration is so easily con-
| si meted that descriplion is unneces
sary. The material used in building
I..V1JOK-SAV1XG > A W .JA * . K.
can be of any convenient size and of
almost any material , although hard
Avond is preferred , so that the Avoight
, Avill hold it firmly in place. Oraniro
Jiuld Farmer.
Muriate < .f Potas-h.
Where potash only is required if is
7nuch cheaper to purchase it in Hie
f rni of muriate , which Avill yield Tttl
per font , of potash , tiiau in the kahiit
or German potash salts , which have
-only from 10 to ! . " per cent , of this min
eral. Wood ashes contain potash in
varying degree , that from fruit trees in
bearing sometimes having as much
potash as ( i or S per cent. Hut the wood
jishos also contain some lime ami some
phosphate , Avhieh makes them more on
all-around manure than the potash
taken from natural deposits can be.
Parsnip for Cow * .
There is no bettor root for cows than
Iho parsnip. It hah the advantage that
part of the crop may. it" need bo. be
wintered in the ground Avhero it has
irroAvn. The parsnip , unlike the boot ,
ji.'ikes a rich milk. It is equal to the
carrot in this respect , and undoubtedly ,
like that root , helps to color Avinter-
butter. Parsnips arc u favorite
{
Avlnter feed of Jersey and Guernsey
farmers , who by its use have been able
to breed cows Avhoso. high butter color
! has become hereditary : : i these breeds.
No doubt the parsnip feeding ! s in pas-t
I responsible- the color of Jersey but
! tor.
j It is usually said shat
j Avill grow anywhere , and u. would almost -
| most seem thai , this ilru : ; - . . - o < Iilfioult
{ is It to fully exterminate the routs onci
j they are firmly established. P.nt it is
not true that horso-radish Avill grow
as well Avithout care ami fertilizer as
with it. In starting a now bed the
crowns of old plants may be set. but
the newer method is to use small root
lets about as largo around as an ordin
ary penholder. In planting those bo
very careful to set them Iho right end
up. Bury those- rootlets ; about two
inches deep in good , inellow soil. In
the autumn , when housc-kocpers arc
preparing pickles , there is a good de
mand for both roots and loaves. It is
but little Avork to prepare the root for
market , as it can be run through a meat
chopper. Much of the horse-radish put
on the market has some Aviiito turnip
ground with ii. and , indeed , many pre
fer this to the clear root , as the prepara
tion is not so .strong. White wine vine
gar should be used. Orange Judd
Farmer.
Poialoeq from Cuttings.
A Texas market gardener claims that
SAveet potatoes jroAvn 1'rom A'ine cut
tings are smoother and nicer than those
groAvii from slips or sprouts. His meth
od of securing early sweet potatoes is
to gather the vines before frost has in
jured them and hang them on a polo ,
the ends of Avhieh rest in crotches or
forks some tAvo foot above the ground.
Cover the ends of the vines with moist
earth and throw straw , leaves or corn
stalks over the whole and protect from
the rain by a good shed , Avith the north
side boarded up. As cold weather ap
preaches ho , for botior protection ,
throws more soil upon Hie base of the
heap and more straAv on iho upper portion
tion , leaving the soutl. cad , or , better
still , the top , partly open during warm
spoils for ventilation. This plan ( which
is similar to banking the tubers ) Avill
keep vines alive all Aviutor and road3 *
for early planting in tiv- -
Farmers' Magazine.
To Keep Kams.
Those directions , carefully followed ,
are s5d ; to keep hams from molding ,
as Avoll as from insect , harm. "J have
tried various Avays , " said an export ,
' and there are several that Avill keep
hams sweet and sound , not only
through Iho yoar. but for 1\vo years. I
have packed them in clean casks , first
thoroughly sprinkling every ham \vith
hickory Avood ashes ; put thorn in strong
muslin bags , sewed thorn up and hung
them to spikes in the attic , Avc-Il ven
tilated , and they kept Avoll. I haA'o loft
them in the smokehouse , as dark as
Erebus , locked the doors and kept the
key , and never know an insect to trou
ble them , aud they AVOIX- always in lini
condition. I IKIA-C also put them in
bags , as before , imbedded in sweet cut
hay. aud they came out Avhonover Avant-
od in the very best condition , la all
cases they should bo hung tip in a dry.
cool place. " Orange Judd Farmer.
Kconoruy of Hornlc.s - , Cows.
When it comes to putt ing up COAVS
for winter , the COAV that has no horns
Avill bo found to take much loss room
than her neighbor , AVIO is tempted to
and generally does hook and fight all
those near her. In the stable , of course ,
each stall Avill accommodate its cou.
horns or no horns. Horned cattle are
often kept in stables on bright , pleas
ant Avintry days , to keep them from
hooking one another , when they Avould
be much healthier if alloAvod to run in
a small yard. Most barn yards are
made much larger than Avould bo nec
essary if all horns Avorc removed.
This wastes manure , as more surface
is exposed to rains , and the droppings
in a largo yard are often so scattered
that they are never gathered info heaps
and carried Avhcre they are needed.
American C'ultiA'afor.
More Productive thin Clover.
Ju the localities whore it succeeds.
Avhieh are mainly in the arid regions of
the West , alfalfa is much more produc
tive than clover. It has also the ad-
Avmtajre that once the ground is seeded
Avith it the plant Avill live for years. The
chief lrnvback is that it takes longer
to get a start , the plant not making
much growth until late the first season.
It is very impatient of Avot , and cannot
be grown where the ground during
spring and late in Aviutor is flooded.
After the first year throe crops of hay
may bo cut in a year , and as the plant
has the power of disintegrating air in
the soil by the nodules groAvn on its
roots , the soil increases in nitrogenous
fertility. But of course mineral fortil-
ixors must l > o supplied Avhon they art
needed , as no disintegration of the aii
< -an furnish am" of these.
Tonble Fcedinir of Clover.
The earliest seeding of clover general
ly grow * the largest size by the time
the grain around it is cut. But some
times it starts too early , and is nipped
In- frost just Avlu'ii Its leaves start and
it lias very little root. At this time , as
the clover loaf is Aory tender , the young
plant easily killed. Wo know farm
ers who divid ? their seeding , sowing
some early in March , and delaying the
latest seeding until April. In this way
they claim that a more OAOH soodinvr of
ail the ground is secured than If all
A\ore sov/n at once. The second seed
ing is a 1ays 1 sown crossAvisc of the
first.
One of the most treasured possessions
of the Duke of Fife is : i little photo
graph-frame made by the Princess
Louise out of a piece of her first court
train. The story goes that this pretty
present was secretly bostOAved upon
the duke some throe years before their
official engagement was announced.
Declares for State Aid.
Complete returns of the Minnesota
Elate election sliOAV that the State aid
amendment to the Constitution has
been passed by the people by a vote of
70,043 to 38,017. The returns have only
recently been completed , owing to the
unsettled condition of the northern ana
eastern portions of the State. This is
the first time that a popular vote has
even boon taken in any State upon the
good roads question , and the result is
a most emphatic indorsement of State
aid as a solution. The Farmers' Na
tional Congress , which met at Fort
Worth , Texas , early in December last ,
passed strong resolutions in faA'or of
State aid , and commending the efforts
of the League of American Wheelmen
toward its introduction. The Minnesota
seta vote is another notable indorse
ment of the Avork of this organization.
The constitutional amendment was
introduced at the 1S97 session of the
Minnesota Legislature by A. B. Ghoatc ,
of Minneapolis , as tUc representative of
the L. A. W. , and its passage by that
body Avas the result of his persistent
and diplomatic work in behalf of the
measure. This loft it to be submitted
to popular vote for its final passage.
A strong educational campaign for
good roads Avas carried on by the L. A.
W. throughout Minnesota during the
past summer and fall Avith the active
assistance of the Bureau of Road In
quiry at Washington and the press of
Minnesota. A largo edition of pam
phlets. explaining the State aid system
of road-building aud its advantages to
farmers , was distributed , and numer
ous articles and editorials upon the sub
ject appeared in the papers in various
parts of the State. The resulting A'oto
for the amendment is alone two to one
in its favor.
The Minnesota Legislature will now
take the necessary stops to put a sys
tem of State aid into operation , such as
i = now in force in NOAV Jersey and in
New York. Farmers , especially , Avill
appreciate this , as it Avill enable them
ro obtain durable highways Avithout be
ing obliged to bear the entire expense ,
SK tlpy do at present. In NCAA' Jersey
fc35.fi NOW York , the cost of roads built
by State aid is divided bctAveon the
State , the counties and the local tax
payers in the tOAvns. Many IOAVUS
availing themselves of the New York
law are securing funds for road-build
ing purposes from outside sources ,
equal to four or fiA'o times that which
raise themselves. Country tax
payers have learned that State aid to
roads provides a moans by which the
largo city taxpayers and corporations
OAvning valuable franchises from the
State are made to share in the expense ,
and that it remains optional Avith the
farming districts to avail themselves of
this assistance , or not , as they may
choose. This explains the popularity
of State aid in Minnesota and the largo
vote in its favor. L. A. W. Bulletin.
A City Paj's Mud Damntfcs.
The following , from a West Superior
( Wis. ) paper , tolls its OAVU story , which ,
by the way. is an interesting one to
taxpayers and "city fathers : "
"At the last previous Council meeting
Mike O'Donnol had a claim against the
city for the sum of $20 , that amount
being claimed by Mr. O'Donnel for hav
ing his horse mired up to its nock on
ISth street near the normal school. The
Aldermen rather laughed at the claim
ant presenting a bill to the city for IKIA--
Ing a horse mired , and the Council
voted to fight the case through all the
courts if necessary.
"The case Avas brought to trial this
morning in the Municipal Court. A jury
consisting of SteAvart Robinson , Frank
Fclker , James Scott and James Seldcr
was impaneled and after hearing about
ten minutes' testimony on the case a
A erdict Avas brought in for the plaintiff
In the sum of $33which is $15 more
than he offered to settle the case for.
Besides this the costs in the case
amount to $18.87 , making a total cost
to the city of $53.87. The horse is all
right now , iiotAA-ithstanding the fact
that it took tAvo others to pull it out of
the sticky red mud. Under the direction
of the Council the case will be appealed
fo the next higher court. "
.Rubber Is Scarce.
Assuming that the United States Avill
subsidize a company to lay a cable
from the Philippines to San Francisco ,
the first landing place Avould be in the
Hawaiian Islands. The next posses
sion of the United States is the Island
of Guam , in the Ladronos , Avhieh is
about 3,100 nautical miles Avcst of
Hawaii. From this island to the main
land of Luzon , in the Philippines , is
about 050 nautical miles.
The longest cable HOAV operated is
that from Brest to Now York , which is
3.0SO nautical miles in length. The cost
of cables increases Avith their length in
a geometrical ratio ; the difficulty of
Avorlcing thorn increases about as rap
idly. Remembering that the cost of
the New York-Brest cable was greater
than that of any other cable over laid ,
i
it is readily soon that the construction
of the American transpacific cable , involving - ,
volving the link between ILiAvaii and
f
Guam , may Avell bo approached with
caution. The solution of the difficulty
is in the acquisition of an island of the
Caroline group.
In connection with the Pacific cable
i Aery interesting question arises.
Whence is the gutta-percha for this
; igantic cable to come. Every whisper
of the construction of a transpacific
line sends the gutta market at Singa
pore up by leaps and bounds. The
ruling price of the jrnni is the highest
that has CA-er obtained. It Is stated ,
onrliat authority it is hard to say , that
the visible supply of gutta Is insuffi
cient for the task , and that If this cable
is laid it Avill be the last the last Avith
a gutta-percha insulation , at least-
Engineering Magazine.
DOUBTS AS TO EXACT DATc.
Difference of Opinion as to When Ohio
Became a State.
There is some doubt as to the exact
date upon which Ohio became a State.
Ohio never was a separate "territory , "
being a part of the Northwest terri
tory. In 1801 the people living in the
portion of the Northwesjk territory now
embraced in the State of Ohio called a
convention to frame a State constitu
tion for the district which had set up a
claim to statehood under the provisions
of the fifth article of the ordinance of
1787. That convention met In Chilli-
cothe on Nov. 1 , 1802 , and on Nov. 29
completed its work. The constitution
thus framed was not submitted to the
people , but was declared ratified by the
convention itself.
On Feb. 17 , 1803 , the United States
Congress passed an act admitting Ohio
into the Union as a State , said act be
coming operative upon the assembling
of the first State Legislature at Chilli-
cothe. The first Statue Legislature met
at Chillicothe at 10 a. m. Tuesday ,
March 1 , 1803 , and both houses imme
diately organized.
Thus there are throe dates about
which opinions may differ as to the ex
act initial period of Ohio statehood.
They are Nov. 29 , 1802 , when the con
stitution was perfected and ratified ;
Feb. 17,1S03 , when Congress passed the
act admitting Ohio , and March 1 , 1803 ,
when the Legislature assembled and
organized. The latter date appears to
have the greatest claim , in view of the
language of the act of Congress and the
organization of the Legislature. The
two houses of the Legislature met in
joint session at 11 a. m. March 3 , 1803 ,
to open and declare the result of the
ballot for Governor. Edward Tiffin was
declared elected , receiving 4,5G4 votes.
There wore no ballots cast against him.
At 1 o'clock p. m. the same day Gov
ernor Tiffin was sworn in at a joint
session of the two houses of Legisla
ture by Judge Meigs. Cincinnati En
quirer.
New Use' for Catfish.
In Portland , Oregon , according to the
Oregonian , the familiar catfish figures
as a hardy pioneer and a valued ad
junct to the street department , all because -
cause the terra ootta sewers and
drains , especially those in the lower
part of the city , frequently got choked.
If the sewer is not broken , it can
be cleaned by passing a rope through it ,
to be pulled backward and forward un
til the obstruction is loosened and re
moved. The deputy superintendent of
streets has had a great deal of such
work to look after , and the worry con
nected with getting the rope through
has gone far toward thinning his hair.
Ho has at last discovered a quick , sure
and easy method.
lie goes to the rivor. catches a cat
fish , ties a string to its tail , drops it
down a manhole into the sewer , and it
at once starts for the river , and forces
its way through any obstruction not
as solid as brick , dragging the string
after it. Then the deputy gees as far
down the sewer as he dooms necessary ,
and picks up the string , which he uses
to draw a wire through the sewer , and
with this a rope is pulled through , and
the sewer is soon cleared.
Solomon in All li's Glory.
A donation party wa's given to a good
country clergyman in part payment of
his small salary , the principal result
being twenty-seven bushels of beans
and a largo variety of second-hand
clothing for his five children.
The patience of the clergyman's wife
finally gave out. On the next Sunday
she dressed all her five children in. the
donated second-hand clothing , and
under her direction they marched up
the aisle just as the good pastor was
reading that beautiful passage , "Yet
Solomon in all his glory was not ar
rayed like one of these. " The next
donation party was of a different char
acter.
IJOAV Valuation.
f
A few words Avill sometimes express
a man's opinion of his neighbor quite ,
as well as a much longer statement.
"Do you regard Silas Woodruff as ,
one of the important people in Canby ? "
asked a summer visitor , referring to a
member of the State Legislature , whose
home was in the little town.
"I hear he can talk up to the folks on .
politics , " answered the Canby farmer , J
to Avhom the question had been addressed - .
dressed , "so I reckon he's some use to
the State , mebby ; but in Canby we a
don't count him of any more , value than C
a couple o' rods o' side-hill. " Youth's r
Companion.
The Rothschilds.
A curious thing it is that in every
country the Rothschilds 'assume the
typical appearance of its people , says
t > he NCAV York World. Lord Rothschild
of England much resembles Lord Salis
bury , Baron Alphono do Rothschild of
Paris is a perfect Frenchman in ap
pearance. Walter Rothschild , son of
Lord Rothschild , is a fair-haired young
giant ( the original Mayer Anselm Avas
redheaded ) . WiLhelm Karl Rothschild
of the Frankfort house , sou of that
Charles or Karl Avho Avont to Naples
for the house , is a typical German.
Famous Scotch Cripples.
Two of t'he ' most famous liA-ing be
Scotchmen are cripples Lord Kelvin ,
who is the greatest living Scottish
scientist , and Dr. .Tamos Macgregor of
Edinburgh , Avho is said to be the great
est living Scottish preacher.
In baseball circles the upper ten com
prises the winning nine and the un >
Dire
THE FARM AND HOME.
MATTERSOFINTERESTTOFARM.
ER AND HOUSEWIFE.
Some Reasons Why tlic Hoys I < eave
the Farm--When to Beiriii with
Vegetables in the Garden-Always
Be Up with the Market.
The following is extracted from : i
paper read at a Farmers' Institute re
cently :
"How few real homes we find on the
farm. How often what we call home
Is a place to hang up your hat , get
three meals a day and lie down to
sleep ; a place where father and mother
and children stay. How few of these
stopping places do more than satisfy
our daily physical wants , and utterly
fail to supply our mental and better
necessities. Is it any wonder our boys
and girls make comparisons with the
homes they imagine exist in the towns
and cities ? Home in its real sense is
an inspiration to all boys and girls. If
it exists on the farm it is an inspira
tion to a nobler , better manhood. If it
is not on the farm , there grows up with
the boy a resolve to get away from his
crude environments and try to find
what his head aud heart so yearns for.
Home must be where love and con
fidence predominate. A boy is a queer
study. His prattle and rattle are evi
dences of enterprise. In indicates a
want of judgment and a need of kin
dergarten inquiry to discover the in
herent abilities of the boy and guid
ance into those lines. It is the general
practice to curb all ebullition of the
vigorous mind and hands of the boy ,
and make him do as we do whether he
wants to or not. The twenty-one years
to his majority is a tedious term to a
farm boy. The farm boy imagines
from what ho sees of city young men
that they must have a very much bet
ter time , and he is tempted to try it. "
When to Betrin the Garden.
The beginning Avith a garden should
be really in the fall , as such plants as
spinach , kale , salsify , dandelion , cross ,
etc. , can be seeded down in the fall ,
covered with mulch and be brought on
the table very early in the spring. A
patch of turnips left in the ground in
the fall Avill provide the best kind of
early "greens , " and the same may be
done with cabbage stalks , which , if
planted in the fall in'a compact bed ,
will take up but little room and throAV
out sprouts early in spring , before any
other green crop comes. Later on rad
ishes , lettuce and rhubarb Avill be in
order , as they are hardy and can be
had before summer crops are seeded.
Asparagus comes almost by the time
frost is out of the ground. Half an acre
in a garden which has boon heavily
manured will provide an enormous
supply of vegetables. Peas-aud onions ,
as Avell as early potatoes , may bo had
with but little difficulty , if the ground
is sandy and warm , bu ! : to secure early
crops the cultiA'ation mn-4 bo deep and
thorough and the lau-1 Avoll drained ,
not by having a heavy surface floAV ,
but by the water goinc , down quickly.
Warmth is secured by the air following
the downward flow of the Avater into
the soil.
Be Up with the Market.
It Avould be of advantage to our farm
ers if they were to visit the markets of
our great cities aud acquaint them
selves Avith the requirements of the
trade ; they should become acquainted
Avith the methods of business , and
should study the reasons for the adop
tion of particular systems of handling
produce. A system is the result of
growth. It is not a special creation ,
fully developed and organized , and
thrown into being without some good
cause for its existence. It may have
grown to an abuse , but oven then there
is some reason for it. Farm and Fac
tory.
Business Tact in Farmiujr.
While it docs not pay farmers to slid- -
deuly change their crops whenever
prices go too low for profit , there are
often ways of overcoming these ; low
prices , and perhaps manufacturing the
r
crop into something that will give a
c
good ret u ! 11 for all the labor expended
t
upon it. When there- was everywhere
a ] superabundant apple crop , the farm
ers who had evaporators hired enough
,
help to put up their apple crop in the
very best form for a period of scarcity.
Hence when there was a light apple
crop through the country the result
was that the evaporated apples were
disposed of at a profit. There- are often
times when grain damaged by harvestIng -
Ing , or which for other reasons sells be
low what it costs , can be marketed by
feeding it to stock. It is in such ways
as this that business men learn to
change losses into gains , or at least to
mitigate their losses.
Iat Farm in vr- .
The farmer that allows himself to fall
j
into what is termed rut farming will
fail of the greatest success , because a
rut farmer does things in the same old
way , simply for lack of energy or
knowledge. Each position affirms the
fact of his negligence , hence he falls to
under the ban of natural law and must Is
to a greater or less extent , as the case
may be , fall behind. The law of the
survival of the fittest was never more ! g
evident than when applied to agricul
ture. Successful agriculture will not
admit of trifling. Rural World. Ci
Floors for Henhouses.
A henhouse floor should never be
made of boards. There \vill be sure to
P
some cracks betAvcen them , and they k
make the best possible brooding place ly
for lice. Rather than have board floors 13AA
we would have one Avith earth , under AAe
laid Avith stone to secure drainaire , and s :
covered with sifted coal ashes. The SI
most satisfactory of all floors is one of SIfi
cement. This AA-ill not rot out like a fi
board or plank poA\- ! , and it AA-ill not fit fin
have cracks toiucoitrage the breeding t )
of vermin. On a cement floor uruloi
the roosts no litter should be allowed
Thus the excretions may be kept fret
from matter that cannot be rutted
down , and if put into a large box with
sifted coal ashes sprinkled over thorn
they will be rotted down by spring , sr.
as to be in good condition for drilling
with grain or for sprinkling in the rows
where early peas are planted. There is
nothing bettor to give peas a vigorous
start early. It will also make them
several days earlier , and thus secum
for them a better price.
To Keep Apples.
To keep apples sound , laying them
on a dark , dry shelf is one method. But
when so kept many will be found to
lose their beauty and shrivel ; if packed
In boxes or barrels with dry sand , how
ever , the flavor ami soundness are not
only preserved , but their original boun
ty and firmness are also maintained.
Sawdust or bran are liable to get damper
or moldy , and thus injure the fruit.
Pears may also be preserved in this
way , but as these undergo a slight fer-
meutation , after becoming ripe , the ef
fect of which is shown in a kind of
greasiuess on the skin , they should be
left a week in the storeroom before
the method of preserving here pointed
out is commenced. London Journal.
Management of Manure.
The sooner the manure spread on the
land is decomposed the sooner the
plants can utilize it. When a large
mass of undecomposed straw or corn
stalks are hauled to the field they are
in a condition beyond the reach of the
plant roots. When the manure heap
is well managed , and all the ingredients
"rotted , " one-half of the Dattle is won.
It is a saving of time because the
farmer who desires a quick start for
his corn in the spring cannot afford to
wait for the manure to rot in the fields.
Good management of the manure heap
moans that the manure must be de
composed in the heap without losing
any of its advantages. Every farmer
knows how to do so , but the majority
allow large portions of the valuable
ammonia to slip away from them.
Fnow in the Forest.
Ill a dense growth of trees snowfall
lies more evenly than it can anywhere
else , and even to this day the depth of
snow in the woods is in country dis
tricts the only recognized measure of
the depth of the snowfall. There is a
great advantage to the trees in having
this uniform depth of snow all around
them. It prevents deep freezing of the
soil , and in many cases prevents it
from freezing at all , as there is always
a bed of more or less decayed leaves
under tiie snow. In. most cases when ,
a forest becomes so thinned that winds
will blow the snow in heaps , some of
the older trees will begin to die out.
The ground freezes deeper and they no
longer get water enough. *
Place for the Incubator.
A cellar is an excellent place for au
incubator , because it is usually of an
even temperature , especially if the cel
lar is one that Avill preserve roots and
fruits ; but the atmosphere should be
pure , which will be the case in winter.
Any place will answer for the im-ubu-
tor that is of an even and regular tem
perature. If the incubator is in a room
where the temperature changes no
harm will result , provided the opera tot-
watches the lamp aflame , and does not
allow too much heat to accumulate.
The hot-water incubator ( no lampj-
must be operated in a warm place , if
possible , in order to avoid loss of heat
at night. Poultry Keeper. . ,
K.-irly Chicks. "
Early in the spring the hens will be
gin to sit and young chicks hatched. It
is important to keep the chicks warm
until they are feathered. They arc
hatched at a temperature of W.I de
grees , , and when exposed to an atmos
phere at a temperature of 50 or 00 de
grees bcome chilled , from which they
seldom recover. Bowel disease , which
is ascribed to faults in feeding , is more
frequently the result of lack of
warmth. Late in spring , when the
weather is warmer , the chicks cau have
more liberty , but in winter , when the
early ones are hatched , shelter aud pro
tection from cold draughts will be nec
essary to prevent loss.
Oil from Sunflower Seed.
In 1842 a Russian farmer named
Bokaroff conceived the idea of extract
ing oil from the seed of the sunflower.
His neighbor told him it was a vision
ary idea and that he would have his
labor for his pains. He persevered.
however , and from that humble begin
ning the industry has expanded to enor
mous proportions. To-day more than
7,000,000 acres of land in Russia are
devoted to the cultivation of the sun
flower. Two kinds are grown one
with small seeds , which are crushed for
oil , and the other Avith larger seeds.
,
that are consumed by the poorer people
In enormous quantities.
Clover and Corn for Hogs.
When wheat was low in price a large
proportion of the crop WOK used for
feed. Now the farmers have gone back
corn , but the quality of the pork
not equal to that which was made
from -wheat. In feeding corn some
farmers claim that when t.he com is
ground and mixed with clover which
has been cut fine and sciled more pork
and better pork can be made by the
combination than with corn.
The ? hecp and I > o Problem.
There has been legislation enough to
protect sheep. The problem is how to
keep the dogs in check. Dogs can easi
go through a barbed-wire fence , or
will dig under it , hence there is no in
expensive way to protect sheep. As
sheep graze in the evening , after the
sun goes down , as a protection against
heat in summer , they cannot be con
fined at night in a building , and itwill ;
not pay to employ a watchman , unless
the flock Is very large.
