s
AGRICULTURAL NEWS
THINGS PERTAINING TO THE
FARM AND HOME.
'The Felf-Pollination of Orchards ByProducts -
Products of the Cotton Plant Fertil
izing the Garden Why Sheep Pay-
Inoculation for Texas Fever.
The past season has been a good one
-to studj' the subject of self-pollination
In orchards , and of the need of insects
to supplement this Avork. It AA'as true
through all the New England and
Middle States , that here and there a
variety was in full bearing , where the
failure of the apple crop Avas othenvise
complete. Throughout Central NCAV
York the Porter , and the 20-ounce pip
pin , and the ribstone pippin were full
of fruit , although affected by curculio
, and fungus. There were scattered or
chards , also , that Avere bearing full
crops of BaldAvins , greenings and spies ,
while neighboring orchards Avere en
tirely Avithout fruit. This seems to
haA'e been the result either of keeping
bees , or of having the trees very close
together and loAV-limbecl , alloAving in
sects to AA'ork sharply between the al
most continuous shoAvers of last May.
The loAA'-groAving trees haA'e the dis-
adA'antage of alloAving the trypeta fly
to work all summer. This pest is far
j < irso in cool shade , and it is rapidly
je ? > ing to be our Avorst apple enemy.
It Avorks all through the Avarin weather ,
laying its eggs under the skin of the
apples , at all stages of groAvth. So far
no remedy has been discovered , except
to pick up and destroy the dropping
fruit. This should be done to prevent
the spread of all sorts of insects.
Cotton Plant By-Products.
Other by-products of the cotton plant
besides cotton-seed oil , oilcake for feed ,
and hulls for fertilizer are being devel
oped. One of these is the ue of the
fiber for the stalk for the manufacture
of bagging. According to the Scientific
American , a machine has been perfect
ed for Avorking the stalks into bagging.
Some of this cotton stalk bagging has
been tested and pronounced excellent
for the purpose. It is strong and clean ,
\ \ and does not readily ignite. Five tons
of good stalk Avill yield about 1,500
P * pounds of first-class fiber. At this rate
the annual crop Avill produce all' the
bagging needed to Avrap the lint and
leave a surplus to be devoted to other
purposes. It is predicted that machin
ery for making coarse mattings from
the fiber Avill be produced shortly.
The root of the cotton plant is being
expeiimented Avith for its chemical
properties. The root of the Egyptian
cotton plant yields a drug that has the
properties of ergot ; and the Anieiic.ni
plant , under a chemical manipulation ,
has yielded a similar product. This
' has nut yet been fully deA'eloped. A
' - * . Hen nee has been detected in 'the
properties of the roots of different
kinds of cotton , long staple and short
stapl- ' , hence it is probable that many
drug- may be extracted from the dillVr-
ent Aarieties of roots. Tradesman.
K the Garden
There is no better Avay to fertilize the
garden than to haul fresh manure from
the stables and spread oA'er the surface
during the Aviuter , says the Farmer's
Voice.
It is almost impossible to put too
much manure on a garden. We Avould
not hesitate to put it a foot thick on the
surface , for it Avill leach only so much
more plant-food into the soil , and by
ploAving time next spring Avill be set
tled doAvn until it can easily be ploAA'ed
under to furnish humus for the better
ment of the physical condition of the
soil.
soil.Wood
Wood ashes make an excellent fertil
izer for the garden , but they should be
saA-ed and applied on top of the soil
after it is plowed iu the spring , as pot
ash is one of the plant-foods that may
be Avashed too deeply into the soil to be
readied by the roots of garden plants ,
many of Avhich are shalloAA'-rooted.
Why SliceD Pay.
Snoep are an enemy to AA'ecds and
burr ? . Where they have a chance to
run , they Avill completely destroy all
noxious Aveeds and briers. They bring
up the fertility of the farm , are great
equalizers of the soil by grazing in the
valleys through the day and sleeping
the kn ; lls at night. By their con
stant grazing if the field is not over
stocked in very dry Aveather there Avill
groAV a very thick sod that Avill pro
duce an abundance of feed. They pro
duce the most healthful , sAveetest and
most delicious meat of any other stock.
They are unlike all other stock , if
decently managed. A good sheep c-iu
never die in debt to a man. If it dies
the first Avinter , the AVOO ! Avill pay for
its keep up to that period. If it liA'es
to be sheared once , it brings its OAvner
in debt to it. and u tiie ordinary course
of Avool producing and breeding jroes
on , that indebtedness increases AvSth
great rapidity as long as the sheep
liA'es.
Arti choices. j
There is no root crop so valuable , and |
has so little said about it. as the arti- I
choke. They are very valuable on the '
farm for all kinds of stock. They excel
other crops by not being injured by |
'
freezing and thaAving in the srround
during Aviuter. They need iot be dug
and stored aAvay as other root crops ,
thus saving a great amount of labor. I
and they yield from t-00 to L200 bushels !
per acre. The hogs should be turned
in to root up the crop after the frost
has killed the stalk. One acre Avill fat
ten forty head of hogs , Avith a little
corn to finish. They are planted and
cultivated the first year like Irish pota
toes , after that they groAv year after
year on the same ground , as the hogs
always leave enough tubers in the
ground to produce the next crop. Leave
c > ne lot just as they grew for spring use ,
and hero turn the hogs to fatten for the
spring market. Cows , calves and colts
relish them ill winter. An experiment
station made an analysis and found
them very rich in protein , an element
A\hieh is very essential to the growth
and development of young animals.
Globe-Democrat.
Controlling the IJcanVeeviJ. .
This little pest develops in dried
beans at almost any time during the
storage period in the winter. . The eggs
are deposited in the green beans , the
larvae hatch in "a couple of weeks ,
gnaw out cells in the interior of the
bean , where they attain their growth
and pupate. Sometimes several are
found in a single bean. The only way
to get rid of them in a bin is to make a
storage place as nearly air-tight as pos
sible , then place a saucer of c.'irbon bi
sulphide on top of the beans and close
up the bin and let it remain closed for
a day or two. Carbon bisulphide , being
heavier than air , and very volatile , per
meates every portion of the bin and
destroys every living thing among the
beans. Care must be taken to keep
lire away during the treatment , as the
bisulphide is very inflammable. It has
been suggested ( hat if the beans are
heated to 1J5 degrees as soon as ripe
the partially grown larvae will be de
stroyed without injury to the germina
ting quality of the seed. Late planting
is also advised so that the crop will
escape the ravages of the adult insects.
In the latitude of Central Illinois , beans
planted from June 20 to July 10 were
almost free from the weevil , while
those planted early were seriously in
jured. Orange Judd Farmer.
Potato Experiment.
An interesting experiment was once
made by Prof. Sturtevant to ascertain
the depth to which the potato sends its
root after food. Early in August he
selected a potato to plant which was
growing on a high ridge , the seed hav
ing been planted six inches deep. By
digging a trench alongside so as to ex
pose a section of the soil , and then
washing out the roots with a stream of
water , he found one root reaching
thirty-four inches below the top of the
ridge , or twenty-eight iuclies below
the tubers , or twenty-two inches beloAV
the surface of the ground between th , *
ridges. The deeper roots appeared
more fibrous than those that were near
the surface , and they diminished very
little in size after attaining a distance
of six inches from the stem. Very few
roots were found above the tubers , and
such as were found Avere short and
thick.
Asparagus.
There is no vegetable after the potato
tate so indispensable as the asparagus.
A bed once planted is good for fifteen
to twenty years , if properly cared for.
The one-year-old plants are usually
quoted at one-half the price of the
tAvo-year-olds. They can bo planted
close together to insure a stand. Make
the rows four feet apart and not over
eighteen inches in the row. If one
misses they will still be close enough.
Plant not less than eight to ten inches
deep. Do not cover more than three
to four inches , and as the plants be
gin to show cultivate in until the fur
row is leveled up. The asparagus
grows with as much certainty as the
potato. Your beds should be heavily
manured at least every two yea s.
Changing : Seed Potatoes.
The Ohio experiment station holds
that a change of seed potatoes "is not
so important as is commonly sup
posed , " and that the "keeping of seed
is worthy of more consideration than
is usually given it. " It says : "Our
experiments all indicate that potatoes
of our own growing are as good for
seed as any , if well kept. AVe do not
find anything in the practice of chang
ing seed for the mere purpose of secur
ing that which was grown on a dis
similar soil , or in a different climate ,
to commend. Changing for the pur
pose of getting an improved variety
is likewise uncertain as to results.
Salad Plants for Winter.
Besides lettuce , which , of course , re
mains our mainstay for winter salads ,
have some cresses with which to add
mething of pungency and spicy flavor
to the former. Ordinary cress and
water-cress come equally handy for
this purpose , and both are easily
grown. The ordinary cress may be
groAvn in large floAver-pots or in boxes
without much trouble. Fill the box or
pot with rich soil , and SOAV seed rather
thickly. In a feAV Aveeks you Avill have
quite a picking , or rather cutting. Keep
a feAV such pots or boxes going , by SOAV-
ing seed every week or so.
Coal Ashes.
It is a great mistake to throAV aAvay
ccal ashes. IIaA-e all coal ashes care
fully sifted and use them in the stable
as an absorbent. Also sprinkle them
about in the hen house , under the
roosts , etc. They make an excellent
absorbent , keeping the stable and hen
house dry and clean , and absorb all
bad odors , and holding onto and thus
saving all the liquid portion of the
manure. If used on dry land , they
help to hold moisture , and when used
on heavy soil they Avill lighten it up ,
putting it into much better condition
for plant roots.
Fertilisers for Corn.
Tilt ? largest yield of corn in some
Texas tests Avas produced by the ap-
Mcatiou of . " 00 pounds per acre of acid-
phcsphate. Of the complete fertilizers ,
an application of 100 pounds of kainit ,
400 pounds of acid-phosphate and 150
pounds of muriate of potash gave the
best results.
Inoculation for T ; xas Fever.
Experiments at the Mississippi sta
tion indicate unmistakably that the
blood serum inoculation as practiced
during some recent tests had no effect
in either preventing or curing Texas
fever. The removal of the tick Is the
only Avay to prevent infection.
HOW SOME PEOPLE LIVE
Queer Ways of Ekinjj Out Insufficient
Regular Incomes.
In the struggle for life , which is so
keen at this end of the century , some
people resort to strange expedients to
get bread and cheese or to increase a
pittance to a comfortable income. Inspector
specter Livingstone , Avho was formerly
in charge of the police at the law
courts , tells a tragic story of a poor and
briefless barrister Avho fought a long
and grim battle Avith fate , and Avas
. beaten in the end. In the early hours
of the morning he worked as a markel
porter at Covent Garden , and then at
10 o'clock adjonred to his chambers in
the Temple , donned Avig and gOAvn and
attended the courts , AA'aiting day aftei
day to grasp the skirts of happy chance.
Others as unkuoAvn to the Avorld and
friendless as he had their opportunity ,
but none presented itself to him , and
in hope OAer deferred his race was run
A Somerset House clerk , AA'ho rushed
into matrimony before he had properly
counted the cost , and found it difficult
to run even a modest household on
100 a year , especially after the arriATal
of a little stranger , got over the em
barrassment by starting a coffee stall
near Smithfield Market in the early
morning. He kept his truck in the
neighborhood , but brought down his
stock of comestibles from his home in
Caiuden Town. Fortunately , his Avife ,
Avho did her best to help on the enter
prise , was a capital plain cook , and his
mutton pies and buns had a great repu
tation in the market. He Avas gener
ally cleaned out by S o'clock , and no
one Avould haA'e thought of identifying
him Avith the smart young man , silk-
hatted and top-coated , Avho tAVO hours
later crossed the Strand to Somerset
House.
A rising author Avho is now sought by
the publishers , but had a particularly
hard struggle to find acceptance , tided
over the AAorst period by acting as a
broker's man. Taken as a Avhole , he
found it a most unpleasant experience ,
but he declares that he wouldn't have
missed it for the Avorld , for it has sup
plied him Avith material for numbers of
sketches and short stories. A Christ
mas story Avhich brought him a lot of
praise , for instance , was a chapter from
that experience and AveJl deserved the
encomium of "very realistic" from the
critics.
A friend of the writer , who rejoices
in what the police reports call "a very
aristocratic appearance , " and has in ad
dition excellent manners , adds enough
to a slender income to pay for the sum
mer holiday for himself and family ,
his tailor's and bootmaker's bills and
even his rent , by acting as a private de
tective at balls and receptions in Bel-
graria and Mayfair. Chance throAV
him in contact with the manager of a
detective agency Avhich does a great
deal of business of this kind , and his
first job Avas , in fact , simply as a night's
diA'ersion at the invitation of the man
ager aforesaid. But so pleased Avas the
lady of the house Avith his appearance
and obliging courtesy that she made
special mention of it to the manager ,
AA'ho accordingly proposed to my friend
that he should accept regular paid em
ployment , lie Avas nothing loath , and
IIOAV has engagements almost every
night during the season.
Another curious case is that of a non
conformist minister in the south of
London Avho doubles his slender salary
by the profits of a flourishing photog
raphy business on the other side of the
Thames. Originally he took up pho
tography as a pastime , but , acquiring
considerable skill in the Avork , AAas pes
tered by people Avho AA'auted to get their
portraits taken on the cheap. So he
determined to gain instead of lose by
his Avork , and , taking convenient rooms
at some distance from the scene of his
ministerial labors , set up as a "photo
graphic artist" under another name , his
daughter acting as his assistant. For
tune faA'ored him , and before the secret
of his constant absence from home Avas
fathomed by the curious of his flock
he had made so promising a business
that he stood in no aAve of deacons or
church , though , incited , the former have
taken a very sensible vieAv of the mat
ter , and admire rather than condemn
his enterprise. Cassell's Saturday
Journal.
A ton of Atlantic AA'ater yields , after
eA-aporation , eighty-one pounds of salt ;
of the Pacific seventy-nine , of the Arc
tic and Antarctic eighty-five , of the
Dead Sea 1ST.
The AA-eights of classes of students
before and after examination have been
made the subject of recent investiga
tion. In high classes , Avhere naturally
the responsibility of the examination
to be gone through with Avas most felt ,
several pounds Avere lost , sheAVing hoAV
the mental strain Avas felt. In leAver
classes the loss Avas not so great.
M. Auguste Chaveau finds that sugar
has more A'aluc than fat as an ingredi
ent of diet for a man at Avork. In fact ,
75 parts by Aveight of sugar are equiA'-
aleut to one hundred parts of fat.
Sugar is not only better than fat be
cause it supplies more heat and energy
to the person , but also because it pro
motes the assimiliatiou of proteids , cr
to speak generally , because of its influ
ence on the renewal and formation of
the anatomical elements of the body.
A curious instance of clAA'arfisin in
pines is recorded by C. E. Bessey of the
UiiiA'ersity of Nebraska. On Green
Mountain , near Boulder , Col. , he found
in a crevice of the rock at the summit
a pine tree ( Pinus albicaulis En-
gelin ) only thirteen centimeters ( under
three Inches ) high and five millimeters
( one-fifth inch ) in diameter. It had no
branches and bore a single tuft of
needles at the top. Nevertheless , it
sheAved tAA'euty-fiA-e distinct annual
rings , and Avas therefore twenty-five
years of age.
An elaborate iiiA'estigation into the
protection of iron and steel against cor
rosion has been completed , and the re
sults are giA'eu in a German technical
journal. It was found that certain
Japanese lacquers gave the best pro
tection. They enabled the metal to re
sist salt Avater , steam and hot acids.
The Orient in this department excels
the best efforts of the Western nations.
Experiments with plant seeds sub
jected to extreme cold have shoAvn that
the poAver of germination is not de
stroyed , but merely suspended by the
cold. By the use of liquid air , seeds of
barley , oats , squash , cucumber , pease ,
sunflower , and some other plants were
recently kept for 110 hours at a cold of
183 to 192 degrees Centigrade. They
Avere then carefully and slOAvly thawed
for 50 hours. They were then planted ,
and sprouted as well as if they had not
been frozen.
An instrument has been made in Eng
land to be sent to Japan. Its use is to
measure the bloAv of a wave. A similar
apparatus was used to measure the
Avave-blow off the Skerryvore Ilock ,
Scotland. There the waves sweep in
from the AAide Atlantic. In summer a
force of OAer six hundred pounds to the
square foot AA'as recorded. In winter
as high as a ton to the square foot was
attained. This giA'es an idea with what
ships , lighthouses and other similar
structures have to contend.
Near Wiederman's , Texas , is an aban
doned Avell , about sixty feet deep , and
overgroAvn with vegetation , Avhich , a
correspondent of Popular Science says ,
is famous in the neighborhood for its
musical powers. In fine weather , par
ticularly with a westerly Avind , it gives
forth a sound like that of an Aeolian
harp , swelling and dying .iAAuy by
turns. When a heavy northerly wind
is bloAviug , the water rises Avithin a
feAV feet of the top , and strange noises ,
which some persons think resemble
moans , issue from the well. An at
tempt to fill up the Avell a few years
ago failed , apparently because of the
existence of a subterranean cavity
which SAvalloAvcd up the dirt as fast as
it Avas dumped in.
UNPREPARED.
Occasions Upon Which Irvine : Showed
His Extreme Difiitlcnce.
Washington Irving was not a ready
after-dinner speaker. The author of
"American Bookmen" says that he
shunned public appearances ; yet Avheu
Dickens came to New York , in 1842 ,
Irving could not escape presiding at
the great dinner in his honor. They had
already become friends through corre
spondence , for Irving's delight in "Lit
tle Nell" had to be expressed in a letter
to the author , and Dickens , in his en
thusiastic response , had said :
" 'Diedrich Knickerbocker' I haA'c
worn to death in my pocket ; and yet I
should shoAV you his mutilated carcass
Avith a joy beyond expression. "
The night of the public dinner came ,
and Irving's dread of the introductory
speech kept him murmuring through
out the repast , "I shall certainly break
dOAvn. "
At the proper time he rose to his feet ,
began bravely , but could only utter a
feAV sentences , and ended by taking
refuge in the announcement of the
toast :
"Charles Dickens , the guest of the
nation. "
The applause was generous and Ir-
A'ing took his seat.
"There , " he said. "I told you I should
break clown , and I have done it ! "
Later , while on his way to Madrid ,
he found himself called upon , at the
dinner of the Literary Fund in London ,
to respond to the toast , "Washington
Irving and American Literature. " All
he could say , in acknoAvledgment of an
enthusiastic reception , AA'as :
"I beg to return you my very sincere
thanks. "
One Englishman at the table was
heard to make the laconic comment ,
"Brief ! "
"Yes , " said another beside him , "but
you can tell the gentleman in the very
tone of his A oice. "
FIRST HORSELESS CARRIAGE.
Vaiicanson Invented It One Hundred ,
and Fifty Years AJJO.
If further proof Avere needed of the ]
dictum that "there is no IXCAV thing un
der the sun , " it has been supplied by
an article in the Kevue Scieutifique ,
which traces the invention of the auto
car to the ingenious mechanician , Vau-
causon , just 150 years ago. In a mem
orandum recently brought to light , it is
recorded that Yaiicansou Avas honored
in 1748 by a visit from Louis XV. , for
the purpose of inspecting a marvelous
carriage that ran Avithout the aid of a
horse or any visible means of propul
sion.
Two persons took their seats in th.j
vehicle , Avhich seems to have been as
gorgeous as a sheriffs carriage , and
Avere driven around the court yard to
the satisfaction of his Majestyam ! of
the Due de Mortemart. M. deLniy.un.
M. d'Avezac and other members of his
suite. But , though a promise \yas se
cured of royal patronage , the Academy
3f Sciences cleclarc-l that such a con
veyance could not be tolerated iu :
streets , and the scheme A\-as nipped in
[ he bud. The motive poAver AA'as sup
plied by a huge clock spring , so that
Duly a short journey Avas possible , but
the gear seems to have closely resem
bled that of the horseless carriages of
Lo-clay.
A man is mad vrhen he oversleeps ,
ind mad Avheu an alarm clock wakes
liim up on time.
The phrenologist always has his busl-
lesa on the brain
THE FLOOD OF PATENTS.
Articles of Kvery-Day Use the Subject
of Thousands of Inventions.
"It is becoming harder every year for
a man to get out a successful inven
tion , " remarked a patent attorney.
"The other day I AA'as in Washington
and my work required me to search the
old patent list. The thing that attracted
my attention AA'as the great number of
patents taken out on common , every
day articles. Why , they are so covered
with patents that it seems absolutely
Impossible for an inventor to make any
improA'cinent upon them without in
fringing upon somebody else.
"For instance , take knives , forks and
spoons. HOAV many patents do you
suppose are taken out on these three
articles of every-day necessity ? A
dozen or tAA'O ? Why , bless you , they are
protected by 2,103 patents. Then take
broins and scrubbing brushes. You
AA'Ouldu't think that any number of
geniuses could invent more than a hun
dred improvements upon such things.
Well , there are patents for them to the
number of 3,184. It seems ridiculous ,
doesn't it ? It did to me , and for a time
I thought I AA'ould go home and advise
CA'eryone of my clients to give up the
inventing business.
"I had the curiosity to go a little
deeper into the subject and I made a
record of the number of patents taken
out on other small things. Games and
toys are protected by 4,453 different
patents. But , of course , that can be
oA'erlooked , for games and toys are as
A-aried and uncertain as our winter
Aveather. The laundry business is
hedged in pretty Avell Avith patents , for
there are 7,033 taken out on A'arious
laundry articles. Burglars ought UCA'-
er to be able to get through our locks
and latches , for they are protected by
5,97(5 patents ; but then this is partly
offset by 4,290 patents for saAvs and
saAving apparatus which burglars
might use for destroying locks. Alto
gether , however , the farmer seems to
be the man for Avhom the iiiA'cntors
have labored most. There are 50,000
patents recorded Avhich in one AA'ay or
another tend to benefit 'the farmer. It
must be that this is a pretty fertile and
profitable field for the inventor , or else
he Avould not devote so much time and
labor to it.
"Manufacturing interests of all kinds
are pretty Avell loaded doAvn Avith pat
ents. In the furniture trade alone there
are 4S54 patents to protect the busi
ness outside of those Avhich pertain to
chairs. These latter necessary articles
for the home are covered Avith over 500
patents. When you take up a piece of
paper to Avrite a letter you probably do
not realize that the manufacture of
stationery is handicapped , or protect
ed. Avhichover Avay you please to put it ,
by 4.532 patents. That fact ought to
make one careful how he attempts to
invent a neAV style of envelope , blotter
or Avritinjr paper. lie \vould haA'c to be
a remarkable genius to get around all
of these and establish a clean bill of
health for his invention.
"When I look at one of the tall build
ings in the city in the course of con
struction I slop IIOAV and vieAv it Avith
more interest than 1 ever did before.
That builder has had a host of invent
ors laboring to make his Avork easier.
His cranes and derricks are protected
by 5Sii' patents , the roof he may put on
has 0(55 ( patents and the eloAators he
may put in the building have 1,039 pat
ents. Then the stone Avorkers who
carve the front for him ust tools Avhich
are covered by 2,188 patents. I suppose
if the builder had to stop and think of
all this he AA'ould not be able to finish
his Avork. But a patent attorney must
kuoAV it. " NeAV York Sun.
A Hero at Home.
Not all the heroes were at Santiago.
One of them came forward recently in
Topeka , Avhen the Santa Fe Railroad
found it necessary to reduce the force
employed in the freight department.
Among those Aviso were to be dis
charged Avas a man Avith a wife and
half a dozen children , and his salary
Avas the family's only income. Lines
appeared in his face as the expiration
of Ills ter.i of .service cliew near , and
his ryes told a story of suffering and
despair.
Dean Writers , a felloAv employeaw
nil tliis. It made him sick at heart , and
his folk s awthat something was the
matter , but he kept his thoughts to
himself. For a week he Avatched the
other Avorkman suffer in silence , and
nt night he could not sleep for thinking
of the hardships in store for this man's
Avife and little ones. Then he made J1
resolve. Going to the head of the de
partment , he said :
"If I resign my position , Avill you
keep Mr. Blank ? "
"Yds , " replied the head of the depart
ment.
"Accept my resignation , " said Wa
ters , and he left the room Avithout an
other word. Topeka Capital.
.
"After ail , it's an 511 Avind that bloAvs
nobody good. "
"What's happened IIOAV ? "
"The druggist had such a cold Avhen
I went in to g < 't some grip medicine this
morning that lie couldn't talk ; so I es
caped a long argument about some
thing he had put up himself that Avas
better than the stuff I AA-antcd. "
' . hs Correct T
"Pa. are you going to have any
girlvanized iron on our IIOAV house ? "
" Av-h-a-t ? "
"Any - - -
"Any girl vanned iron ? "
' Gah'anizecl , 3-011 mean , don't you ? "
"Yes , pn : but teacher sa3's AA'C mustn't
say gal ; it's girl. "
A AVestern judge has decided that the
term "home" is merely a shelter and
not a support. Thus the umbrella sees
the lamp-post and goes it one better.
When a girl is knoAvn as "Babe" in
her childhood , at Avhat age ehould she
begin to kick ou the name ?
THE FIRST WEB PRESS.
Said to Have Been Made by Joslalr.
"Warren , of New Harmony , Ind.
According 'to the Indianapolis News ,
Josiah Warren of NCAV Harmony , lud. ,
was the real pioneer in the modern meth
od of rapid printing. One Sir Rowald
Hill outOated him , but Hill's machine , we
are told , Avas , "although very ingenious in
its design , imperfectly executed , and not
a practical and Avorking success. " He
Avorked out the idea of his improved press
in New Harmony , then Avent to Cincin
nati , where proper facilities were to be
had , and built it. On its completion he
sent it down the river to Evansville ,
where it was to be utilized in turning out
political literature for llie laiuous cam
paign of 1840- ' '
It went to the office of the Soutlnvestern
Sentinel , a sheet begot of that campaign ,
and did its work so effectively that the
printers of the town made a crusade
against it. One man , with the aid of a
boy , could turn out forty to sixty copies
per minute , which was about ten times
faster than the old rate of speed ; hence
the objection to it
by the craft. The
opposition Avas so
strong and persist
ent that finally
Warren , in disgust ,
hauled it to NCAV
Harmony and de
liberately broke it
up. The bed , Avhicb
A\'AIIE : * AXD ins PRESS.
was of stone , was converted into a door
step , which ignoble end , it is said , it still
serves ; and that , so far as history and
legend go , was the end of the .Tosiah War
ren web press.
As an inventor Warren failed of his de
serts. He devised not only the old wel :
press , but also a stereotyping process ,
AA'hich some claim to haA'e been the fore
runner of the present process. He alsa
adapted his type plates to a curved or
cylindrical surface , such as is now gen
erally used on the rapid presses. As pre
liminary to his printing experiments he
learned to make types and equipped him
self Avith an outfit by molding them like
so man } ' bullets by the side of his fire
place. Specimens of the work from hia
stereotype plates may be seen in the New
Harmony Library , and it compares Avell
with the more modern work of a perfected
art.
> ! / ofWs * &
? & &s2rjJLM jA fa W-J
An abdominal bandage should scarce
ly be worn to reduce fat simply. A
moderately strong bandage gives the
flabby abdomen a grateful support , but
too much pressure results from some of
the obesity bands , and uncomfortable
pressure is dangerous in all fat persons.
For a cold in the head manifested by
repeated sneezing , running of the nose
and changed A'oice , hot AA'ater and
borax should be used to Avash out the
nostrils eA'ery hour or tAA-o. If circum
stances do not permit this , "a. powder
of bismuth , myrrh and acacia may be
used as a snuff.
Poor sor.ps , improper diet , chronic
diseases of the stomach and bowels
and changes incidental to youthful de
velopment cause pimples. Pimples
should never be squeezed upon until
there is a distinct j'elloAv top on them.
Then this should just be punctured
Avith the point of a needle dipped in
alcohol. After the pus is remo\--'d , the
pimple should be coA'ereil Avith oxide of
zinc salve.
Pains about the heart frequently oc
cur from the upAvard pressure of gas in
the stomach , as the organs are only sep
arated by a thin membranous muscle ,
someAvhat dome-shaped. Where this
pain occurs Avith belching of gas- , use
some mild medicine like pepsin , and
avoid potatoes , fresh bread , corn , rice ,
peas , beans and cocoa , and eat thiu
soups , lean meats and eggs.
Profuse perspiration indicates a poor
condition of the body , and children AVIO
SAveat excessively are apt to show joint
deformities , asthmatic cough or other
peculiarities which point to a poor con
stitution. For those afflicted thus , 30
drops of albumiuate of iron before
meals , and a teaspoonful of pure cod
liver after meals. Avill be found effica
cious. The inhalation of the smoke of
cubebs for tiiis ailment , as in asthmatic
conditions , Avill be found only slightly
serviceable.
Mice that rtlantifacturc-Thread.
A Scottish artisan has conceiA'ed the
inirc-nious and economic idea of em
ploying mice in the manufacture of
thread. The small quadrupeds are
made to turn a wheel Avitli their feet ,
and in this manner , and by means of a
simple mechanical contrivance , they
are able to make about 2,800 reels of
137 yards each claiy. To produce this
quantity it is estimated that they cover
a course of 18.000 yards.
After a man becomes old , time flies
so fast that he no sooner gets aAvay
from a barber shop than it is time to
start back for another shave.
