ft?H
' i1
,
Stories for Veterans
Reminiscences of Battles. Marches, vnd
Bivoutvcs off the Great Watr.
Watehes r ta inht.
-fne Bres an out, the camp's asleep,
Aae alTaroaad so bloomta' still.
There's not a Mat for miles and miles
Skeept' the field-lamp on the '111;
And they ,are strange. Gawd, awful
trance.
The tMags wot rise to left and right
Black' farms which make me swear and
" .. .
A ragged sentry of the night.
A
Poor Nobby Clarke, we 'ad a bet; A
I spun the coin, 'e made a guess.
Jaet when a bullet pinged along
And pat "Is 'lghness out o' mess:
The sergeant, too, most anxious like,
B most poke up 'is ginger 'ead
In time to see the shrapnel burst
That dropped im in the donga bed.
A saiper on the kopjeeside.
A ballet whlstlin' down the pass.
And then my captln lyln' low
. And clatchln' wildly at the grass:
But I must keep the law 'e kep'
Oh. soldier man. you must not run.
Bat you must go the road went.
And fight the fight which 'e begun.
Aye; they are strange, lad. awful strange.
The things wot I 'ave seen and done;
I dare act think about them now.
The fights wot we 'ave lost and won;
Bat spite of all. I' old It good
To abut my mouth and keep the law.
Until I find the 'Idden death
And Join the chums 'oo've gone before.
The Area are lit, the camp's awake.
The korfee'a atewln' In the can,
- X 'ears the stumpy section cook
A-shoutln' for the ord-ly man;
The guns are rumhtin thro' the mist.
The csuYoy'a gettln' under way.
Be roll year soakln' blankets up
And stow year ragged kits away.
1 Anderson in ionaon express.
CtvSI War Xt
. There resides in Des Moines. Iowa,
the oMest and most noted war nurse
living. She is familiarly known as
;Amat Becky." although her name is
really Mrs. Sarah Young.
When 8umpter was tred on Anne
.Graham was a girl of 17; her two
bribers and many of her friends had
eaHsted. and Anae longed to be a man
. that she might enter the ranks with
' the bays who marched so bravely
way. leaving a great gap in the
assist. When news of the wounded
flUed the papers Anne decided that if
ahe eoalda't fght for her country, she
seal! at least care for those who had
so bravely risked their lives in the
Two years after Sumpter was fired
on the One Hundred and Ninth New
York Volunteers was organised ia her
town, with Benjamin F. Tracy, after-
Ana Becky
secretary of war under Harri
et the head of the regiment. Anne
had found her opportunity.
Mr. Tracy knew the family welL knew
f Anne's ambition, and also of her
skill in a sick room. He immediately
nurd her a permit to join the regi
snsat as a regular army nurse, and ahe
Broadly marched to the front with the
One Hundred and Ninth Volunteers.
Abbs went Into the work heart and
soul, and with a thorough knowledge
of her duties, which soon won for her
the admiration and respect of the
sargeofi and the devotion of the sol
diers. She served during the remaind
er of the war from the Wilderness to
Petersburg, caring as tenderly for the
rebs" as ahe did for the men of the
aorta. Both the blue and the gray
bad reason to reverence the name of
"Aunt Becky."
Mrs. Young tells an amusing story
of how the sobriquet of "Aunt Becky"
came to be bestowed upon her. The
boys in the hospital, feeling a tender
ness for the young girl who worked
ao earnestly to relieve their sufferings,
persisted in calling her "mother." The
title was given her by a young captain
whom ahe brought back to life by care
ful nursing, and all of the boys took
it up. She objected to the name, being
a girl barely out of her teens, and
fseUag that the title added too many
years to her life.
One day she reprimanded, in a jok
ing way. a young soldier who had
need the familiar term. Dr. French
of the hospital corps, who. was sitting
on a camp chair near by reading a pa
per, glanced ap long enough to call
out: Til give you a name that will
last as long as you live."
"What Is it?" inquired Sarah Gra-
"Aunt Becky." was the reply, and he
'spoke with prophetic significance, for
-."Aunt Becky" she remained to the
end of the war, and "Aunt Becky" ahe
is called to-day. j
. Shortly after the war Anne Graham
was married to David Young, a carpen
ter, and also a soldier, who had
fought for the queen in Canada during
the Fenian outbreak. This ceremony
crashed the hopes of a certain young
Borthern soldier, whom "Aunt Becky"
had nursed during the struggle, and
who lost his heart to the .maiden who
had brought him back to health.
Besides being an army nurse cf
.wide reputation, Mrs. Young is the
founder of two state sanitary associa
tions, one in New York and the other
in Iowa. The first had its beginning
In Ithaca. N. Y.. when she was a girl
at the outbreak of the civil war. The
latter was organised in Dea Moines, at
the Beginning of the Spantsh-Ameri-
war.
leirt ef Oae
At a recent reunion a comrade viv
idly told of the various battles that
the Fifty-eighth Massachusetts regi-
in, from that of the Wilder-
t dowa to the dose of the war. On
May the regiment was fighting in the
Wilderness, but was not in the thick
est at it. It has seven killed, twenty
three wounded and four missing, but
aBMBC them was no oacer. Five days
later they were throwing up breast
works before Spottsylvaaia court
hOBse, and ia this movement three
atea were lost The regiment was in
front af a thick wood, and so misty
was the weather' that the soldiers
amid Bet see a rod iato it The charam
Comrade Bead stated, seemed late
rushing; into the Jaws of helL Pcaitfoc
was. taken about six rods in front of
ibe rebel breastworks and the regi-
loat 1M men ia that affair, thir-
kos were Idlled outright
Fatty fiscal af artillery aad
ssaiL Si '
For three days the regiment had
very little to eat. At the battle of
North Anna river Ave mem were lost.
At Cold Harbor the loss was heavy in
taking the fort While throwing up
breastworks with bayonets and tin
cops the regiment lost about ninety
men. Company I joined the regiment
just 'after that battle, and when It
reached the front It had only sixty
men. After the company had Joined
the regiment the Fifty-eighth was -so
decimated that it could muster only
about 200 men for duty, although
about 900 men had joined the regi
ment. For a week it faced the rebel
army, and its lines were constantly
charged.
Gee. Vilas's AMesataal '
Soon after the attempt upon the life
of the late President McKinley at Buf
falo, some army officers were discuss
ing in the oSce of Lieut-Gen. Miles
the percentage of recovery from ab
dominal wounds, when the general
took part in the conversation. "I pre
sume." said he. "I am one of the few
persons so wounded that ever recov
ered. On May 3, 1863. while beating
back at the head of my regiment a
rush was made by Anderson's men on
Hooker's left wing near the Chancel
lorsville House. I was struck by a
minie ball, which penetrated my abdo
men an inch and a half to the left of
the navel, tore through the intestines
and lodged in the muscles of the back.
When the surgeon of the regiment
reached me I asked him how long I
had to live. In a tone which I thought
was very unconcerned he replied.
''About forty-eight hours. I doubted
the veracity of the surgeon on the
spot, and told him that I did not think
it was so bad as that. He refused to
argue the matter with me. and with
the aid of an assistant, proceeded to
probe for the ball and then sew me
up. Left to my meditations, I deter
mined to fool the doctor. As the days
passed my temperature subsided, the
wound healed as nicely as could have
been expected, and In three months'
time I was on my feet again. The
Medical History of the Civil War' has
a full history of the case, which Is set
down as a most remarkable recovery
from an intestinal wound." Philadel
phia Ledger.
Trees Fight Well.
The losses inflieted upon the British
by irregular troops during the pres
ent war in South Africa, is by no
means new to their experience. There
were many instances of like character
during the British attempts to estab
lish their authority over the territory
now belonging to the United States.
At Ticonderoga. July 8, 1758, 16.000
troops under Major-Gen. Abercrombie
lost 1,950 killed and wounoed in an at
tack on 1,000 French troops of the line
defending the fort with the aid of 1,500
Canadian peasantry. This affair bears
a close resemblance to that of New
Orleans, fifty-six years later, when
3,500 Americans under Jackson killed
and wounded 2,37 British out of a
total of 12,000. In both cases the loss
es on the other side were too insignifi
cant to be noted.
Army Service fca
From a return lately laid before the
Reichstag, it appears that last year
1,645,846 young men became nominally
available for service in the forces of
the German empire. From this num
ber, however, large deductions had to
be made; 135.168 men had emigrated
without leave, and 97,819 were abseat
without leave from other causes; 673,
799 were set back for a year, 25.175 had
entered the army, and 1,209 the
navy as volunteers; 82,116 were detail
ed for Ersatz reserve, others were
found medically unfit, others were dis
qualified for other causes, so that
finally only 222,667 were drafted into
the army, aad 6.184 into the navy.
"I am glad to hear from Sergt Grii
shaw." said the coloae!. "He
awarded a medal of honor for bravery
at the battle of Jonesboro, Georgia,
where he captured a rebel flag. In
that charge our brigade lost IX men,
killed and wounded, but we captured
Gen. Govan's brigade, eatire, with bat
tery and fort, commander and staff.
Early in October we guarded the pris
oners back to Atlanta, and marched
tLem Into the prison pens which Gen.
Johnston had prepared for we una.' I
made the acquaintance of Gen. Govan
on that march, and it was renewed
after the war under very pleasant cir
cumstances." Chicago Inter Ocean.
Some of the Kansas papers are relat
ing how, at the close of the civil war.
Gen. Shatter was an applicant for a
first lieutenancy in the reorganized
army, and had working in his behalf
a congressman whose knowledge of
army affairs was very limited. One
day this congressman sent the follow
ing message:
"Dear Shatter I have just returned
from a visit to the secretary of war.
I find that it will be impossible to have
yon appointed a first lieutenant, as
that rank is now full. However, the
secretary is willing to appoint you a
lieutenant colonel, which is the Best
best thing. Will that dor
Fear TaeaeaaS Team OM.
If you are Interested in museum col
lections you will surely enthuse over
the latest gift to the Carnegie Muse
um at Pittsburg.
The interesting addition to the mu
seum's curiosities is an ancient Egyp
tian boat said to be 4,000 years old.
The boat, so it is said, was recently
dug up out of the bed of the Nile. It
was sent to New York lashed to the
forward deck of the German steamer
Hohenfels, which arrived In New York
from Calcutta. The boat was securely
boxed up and was shipped at Port
Said. The curiosity is about 20 feet
long, 7 feet wide and 5 feet deep.
m Spies.
The chameleon spider is one of those
spiders which do not spin webs. It
sits among the yellow petals of the
black-eyed daisy, with which it is very
much alike in color, and when a but
terfly flits along springs out and seizes
it with a bound like that of a tiger.
Thus the stock of butterflies whose
caterpillars are ruinous to orchards
and gardens is kept down.
The CM af Asphalt.
Spread out in one sheet the 26,000.-
square yards of asphalt paving
which has bene laid in over fifteen cit
ies in North America would blanket
eight and one-eighth square miles, and
yet the road builders say that this
country has only just begun the use
of asphalt for street paving.
The mountain of happiness Is down'
hill oa the other side.
FABM AND GAEDEN.I
MATTERS OF INTOIEST TO AGRf.
CULTUMSTS.
Ce-te-Date
Cam
vattea ef tha SeM
Tfcereef Hartteeltsm, VfUeali
a Caen Crest
From The Farmers' Review: The
thing most necessary Is the plowing
of the land, as I think the cultivation
of the corn crop begins with the prop
er plowing of the land. Ob my farm
we plow all land intended for corn in
the fall of the year and we plow an
average depth of six inches. We use
for this work the tricycle or three
wheel plow, cutting a slxteen-inch far
row. The principal reason for plow
ing deep Is to form a good mulch over
the land that we may be able to retain
the moisture late in the season and
prevent evaporation. In the spring
when the proper time arrives, we pre
pare a good seed bed and plant our
com, and then, In a few days, we put
the spike harrow on and harrow thor
oughly, sometimes -going both ways of
the field, as we find for the first cul
tivation this to be not only very rapid
but very thorough. One man and four
horses will cultivate forty acres In a
day. Now you of course understand
the season has much to do with the
method of cultivation. Now, as to the
kind of cultivator, we have used most
all kinds of corn cultivators and' ex
perimented quite a little along this
line, and we have arrived at this con
clusion: After the harrowing we use
the six-shovel sulky cultivator for the
first and second working. I. mean by
the second working the cross plowing
(and I want to say right here that we
plow corn only three times, believing
more is rather an injury than a bene
fit), and now for the third or last
plowing. We throw aside the shovels
entirely and use the surface cultivat
or. We give as our reason for mak
ing this change that with this imple
ment we can keep out of the roots of
the corn, which is absolutely neces
sary in this last cultivation, besides
leaving the surface of the field almost
level, and forming a dust mulch all
over the land, which tends to check
evaporation and hold the moisture
among the roots of the corn. Some
of my brother fanners may say we
can't afford so many kinds of plows
and to this I would say we have the
combined shovel and surface plow, this
surface attachment costing about Sff
extra.
Now as to the second question as to
the failure of the corn crop in this
section, would say I am situated in
the corn belt of Illinois and we never
have any failures. We sometimes
have a short corn crop, like the pres
ent one. The short crop of this year
we attribute to dry weather and hot
winds, more, I think, on account of
the hot winds than dry weather. I
have been on the farm fifty years and
I never saw such a visitation of hot
winds before. This came just as the
tassel was making its appearance,
young and so tender from its folds that
in many instances it was killed, hav
ing, of course, no power to pollenlze.
hence so many barren stalks, and I
think these causes are consequently
unavoidable. W. S. Harrold.
Tree Pmatlag.
One of the most important and
promising lines of work of the Bureau
of Forestry, is its .study of economic
tree planting and its co-operation with
farmers and others in making forest
plantations. Tree planting has so vi
tal and intimate a relation to the wel
fare of the fanner in the treeless re
gions that whatever assists him to
grow trees assists him also in the pro
duction of every other crop. Forty-six
thousand one hundred and forty-five
acres were examined for planting dur
ing the year, and planting plans were
prepared for 5,785 acres, while 148 ap
plications for tree-planting plans have
been received. The number of appli
cations for commercial plantations of
large size is increasing so rapidly that
the usefulness of the practical assist
ance and advice offered to the tree
planters will be limited only by the
men and money available for the work.
A series of Important measurements of
the growth of plaited groves in the
treeless plains has been begun in order
to show the value of plantations as
business investments. A careful study
has been pushed during the year of the
encroachment of forests on the West
ern plains in order to determine the
possibility of reclaiming portions of
non-agricultural government land by
planting forests.
Tree Calture la Connecticut.
A dispatch from New Haven states
that the arid and waste lands of Con
necticut are to be reclaimed by tree
culture. This is but an effort to re
store old conditions. The cutting
pdown of Connecticut forests so reduced
moisture supplies that the rivers of
the state dried up In summer and the
factories along their banks were
forced to stop for lack of water power.
The new law provides for a state park
of several hundred acres to be located
near New Haven. In this park the
Yale School of Forestry will plant all
varieties and determine the species
best adapted to general transplanting,
and it will also study methods of de
stroying Insects that prey upon forest
trees. The new law also provides for
a forest warden in each town, who
will be expected to care for the mu
nicipal trees, and towns are urged to
make appropriations for the setting
out and maintenance of trees. The law
also protects shade trees against van
dalism. Any person who places an
advertisement on a tree is liable to a
fine of 60, and a fine of $100 is im
posed on any one who wantonly in
jures a shade tree. If a horse destroys
an ornamental tree in a public place
bis owner is subject to a fine of $100.
luteals Farmers' Iastltate las. '
The Board of Directors of Farmers
Institutes met in regular session at
Springfield February 26th. New mem
bers bad been chosen to represent sev
eral of the districts. The members ef
the present board are:
C P. Reynolds of the Chicago Dro
vers Journal. Chicago; B. R. Pierce,
Chicago; Merrill K. Sweet. Glenwood;
W. M. Manley. Chicago; F. C.
Rosslter. Chicago; James Frake, Chi
cago; J. M. Clark. Chicago; Jacob F.
Rehm. Chicago; H. D. Hughes, Antl
och; Judson Mason, Elgin; B. F. Wy
man. Sycamore; A. F. Moore, Polo;
E. M. Cobb, Monmouth; J. H. CooUdge,
Galesburg; A. P. Groat Winchester;
B. M. King. Bloomlngton; E. W. Bar
roughs. Edwardsville; E. E. Chester.
Champaign; L. M. BeaL Mt Vernon;
Edward Grimes, Montgomery; H. G.
Easterley. Carboadale; F. C. Goodaow,
Marion; Israel Mills, Clay county.
Omcers were elected as fellows:
Preeiueat-J. H. CcoUcge. Galesburg.
Ties President H. G.
P. Great
Secretary and aupcrtateadsat of la
StIUteS A. J. Bill, BlSSSSiBgtBB.
The chief subject of discsssloa was
a national Chautauqua 1b the interest
of agriculture. The- suggestion came
from Mr. Frank T. Fowler of Cafes,
whose idea it was to establish a resort
for pleasure and instruction which
would be of national Interest aad im
portance. Mr. Fowler offered a vahr.
able piece of land of about L0t. acres
in Lake county for the location of such
a Chautauqua. A committee consist
lag of Messrs: Hughes, Frake, Ream.
Reynolds and Sweet was appointed te
consider the matter.
.
Keep Vp the Sapply .af
E. F. Ladd. of the North Dakota
Station, reports experiments and ob
servations which lead to the conclu
sion "that humus, at least in regions
of low annual rainfall, like the Da
kotas, plays a more important role in
agriculture than has generally been
ascribed to It" It may safely be said
that this Is generally true. Professor
Ladd's investigations show that as
humus decreases In soils they "be
come less productive, less retentive of
moisture, and Inferior in physical
quality, while on the other hand it was
.found that an-increase In the percent
age of humus is accompanied not only
with an increase in percentage of
phosphoric acid extracted with the na
tnn hut ,! with a rremter nrodtia--
r. WMw mm Q.w-n. - j
tivity of the soil. As the h
hH,3,
mus increases It seems, to cause por-
tloas of 'the phosphoric acid, till then
existing In an insoluole torn, to be
come more readily available rs plant
food. The same Is true as regards the
potash, lime and other soil csnstltu
ents." If more, attention were given'
to maintaining an abundant suppTy of
humus (partially decayed organic Mat
ter) in soils, they would be more pro
ductive, require less artificial fertil'x
Ing. and respond more generou&'y
when commercial fertilizers are used. ;
The xeaag Swiae Kaiser.
A liking for the business of raising
swine is one of the first things neces
sary to make a successful swine raiser.
It Is of no use for a man to go Into
the business If he hates the hog. The
interest the man has in his swine Is
soon seen in the way he cares for
them. If he really likes them and
cares for their comfort they will be
made comfortable, even at a- good
deal of expense in labor to himself.
Pick out our most successful swine
raisers and watch them about their
own yards. That tells the story. It
would be well If every young man
going Into the hog raising business
could serve an apprenticeship of a
few days to the man in his neighbor
hood that has been raising swine suc
cessfully. He. might learn gentleness
and a few other things that would re
dound to the interest of the animals to
be brought under his care. No matter
how much a beginner may know about
balanced rations, 'carbohydrates, pro
teins and nutrients, he can still learn a
good deal of the applied variety of
science from any old breeder.
wbeeasta Roaad-Vat Iavtltata. "
The sixteenth annual dosing Wis
consin institute will be held in Ocon
omowoc, March 18 to 20. Among the in
teresting features on the program we
notice the following: Swine Feeding,
H. P. West; Handling Early Lambs.
R. E. Roberts;" Potato Culture, Prof,
Chas. D. Woods, Director Maine Ex
periment Station;. Growing Peas and
Oats, Thomas Convey; Alfalfa, Geo.
McKerrow; Corn Fodder, W. C. Brad
ley; Cleanliness in the Dairy. Mrs.
Adda F. Howie; Starting a Small
Dairy. D. B. Foster; Corn Breeding
and Improvement W. H. Stevenson;
Sugar Beet Culture. A. F. Postel;
Rich Lands and How to Keep Them
So, C. P. Goodrich; Food Value of
Dairy Products, Prof. Chas. D. Woods;
Present Past and Future of the Live
Stock Industry, G. B. Van Norman;
Parturition Troubles, Dr. A. S. Alex
ander. We hope that many readers of
the Farmers' Review will be present,
as these conventions are always very
profitable.
Amerieaa-Grewa Egyptian Cettea.
Approximately '88,000,000 worth of
Egyptiau cotton is imported into this
country every ' year, there being a
special demand for this cotton on ac
count of its high quality. The Depart
ment of Agriculture imported some
seed of this cotton several years ago.
but more recently larger quantities
were obtained and placed where the
variety seems likely to succeed. Very
encouraging results have been ob
tained from the work, and this year a
bale of Egyptian cotton, grown from
imported seed in southern Georgia,
was given a thorough spinning test
in a mill in Connecticut, and was pro
nounced equal to the best imported
grades. It is believed that we can
grow this crop, but aside from this
the cottons themselves will be valu
able In breeding forms, which in all
probability will prove better than
Themes lag.
Slag has been used in large quanti
ties in Europe for a number of years.
In 1899 1.655,000 tons of slag are stat
ed to have been used in Europe. Of
this, 895,000 tons was used In Germany
and 170,000 In France. In 1885 the use
of this material was practically con
fined to Germany, and amounted to
only 5,000 tonB. The total consump
tion of phosphatic fertilizers in Ger
many in 1899 was 1,864,000 tons; in
France, 245,000 tons showing that
nearly half of the phosphatic fertiliz
ers used in these countries was Thom
as slag. Slag has not been extensively
introduced into the United States. The
larger part of that used in this coun
try is Imported from abroad. Some
has been manufactured at Pottstown,
Pa., and put on the market under the
name of "odorless phosphate," and It
is expected that the slag will soon be
made at Birmingham, Ala., and prob
ably elsewhere In this country In the
course of time.
Why Same Feeders tVeaa BTeaey.
Andrew M. Soule says: Not long ago
a gentleman visiting the university
farm, and being present when the
steers wererfed. picked out what he
regarded.as the three -best animals in
the bunch. As a matter- of fact, these
were the three most Inferior 'mnls
and had made the poorest gains of
any. This gentleman was then feed
ing 100 cattle of his own. It certainly
would not be surprising if a man with
.so little knowledge of animal value aa
indicated by exterior developments
should make a failure of cattle feed
ing. A stiff soil, owing to Its great re
tentive power. Is not well suited for
hrigatlon.
"Work and sleep, the two periods of
unconsciousness of self, are the two
periods of happiness."
OS IMgHHlEP ABXBTAXS
of .agriculture says:
kf
tot prevent the latroaBcnoB
1 an inspection ser-
rice
BBJBtaasBt at our principal
sad alog our frontier. Quar-
iBtiBs stations have been established
'or rtrrf1T coming from countries
share contagions disease exists. There
vers qnarantUed at these stations
larlag last year 559 cattle. 625 sheep,
tl swine ind 118 animals for menag
jries and zoological parks. There
sere also- admitted, after Inspection
tad ia some esses quarantine, over
:42,O0 aalmals from Canada and about
ttt.OOs .from Mexico. Tho examina
Jon o&this vast aggregate of imported
inlmalsl amounting in all to over a
Jdrd of B million. Is a most responsi
ve task, but so far it has been suc
:essfully conducted, and none of the
exotic plagues of the domesticated an
mals has been allowed to reach our
territory. With our enormous Invest
nent In animals that are susceptible
;o such plagues, it 13 clearly a duty
vhlch the government owes to our
nock raisers to maintain this inspec
tion and quarantine with the utmost
rigidity. The ravages of tho rinder
pest as It Is sweeping over the African
xmtlnent should be an object lesson
indicating the terrible destruction
which- such' a disease would cause
imong our Immense herds of "valuable
stock.
The tremendous possibilities of loss
from Imported contagion suggest that
"oosslbbr the time has come when it
JS DO Weil tor US TO COUSiuer
mfUP A.
lether It would not be best for us to
"ow the example of Great -Britain
and exclude entirely live stock from
ather countries. Inspection and quar
antine, however, carefully and. con
sdentiottsly performed, are ' acknowl
edged by most countries to bo 'only a
relative and not an absolute guaranty
of protection. Should not our animal
industry have the most complete safe
guards thrown around it which the
experience of the world has shown to
be required for the most absolute and
perfect protection? In this connection
we are reminded that some of the ter
ritory which has recently come under
our nag Is 'believed to be infected with
animal plagues and parasites unknown
to the United States, and that may
work great injury if they are trans
ported to our soiL It would appear to
be wipe for such legislation to be en
acted as would provide against ani
mals from this territory being allowed
to enter our ports, whether these an
imals are brought by Individuals 01
returning troops.
BABREX EWES.
An English writer says: 'It is not
uncommon to find a few barren ewes
in the flock. Some rams leave more
than others. Just before the lambing
season commences, any that may be
suspected' of being barren should be
picked out and tested. There are sev
eral different ways of detecting bar
ren ewes. The first thing that would
naturally strike the eye of the shep
herd, or an experienced flockmaster,
would be their light walk, flatness o!
sides, and lightness of belly, as com
pared with other ewes. Any dirt about
the tall is often a sign of barrenness.
But none of these indications are to
oe reued upon in case of the ewe
being a late Umber. If these suspect
ed ewes be drawn out and put on a
high, banky field, the barren ones will
usually be exceedingly active, and will
commence butting and skipping. A
ewe in lamb rarely skips, however
much she may be enticed to join in
the fun by a barren one. This skip
ping Is a very sure test A fine day
'should be selected, and there are cer
tain fields on every farm, In which
they are more likely to reveal the
secret than others. The shepherd, as
a rule, knows them well. It often
happens that they skip when with
their own flock, but are more likely to
do so when with younger sheep.
Another test is to turn the ewe and
examine the udder. If barren, she
will show no signs of secreting milk,
will usually have waxy matter devel
oped In the wrinkled skin around the
udder, and the wool will generaly be
stronger In growth than that on an
ln-lamb ewe. If these barren ewes are
In good condition, or can be got In
good condition quickly, it is often ad
visable to sell them in the fleece.
Pinching In.
A bulletin of the Tennessee Experi
ment station says: There ia a prac
tical application of this law of growth.
Pinching 5s an old practice, employed
to maintain symmetrical development
In young trees. Whf n a shoot length
ens more rapidly than Its fellows th
tree is apt to crow one-sided. B.
pinching out the top of such a shool
Its progress is stopped for a time, and
the other branches grow on, thus
equalizing the parts of the crown.
Oftentimes the same branch, will re
quire stopping several times before the
others overtake it Every time a
shoot is pinched the first effect is tc
cause buds Immediately below to be
come more mature than would have
happened had the, branch been unin
jured. Pinching, then, not only per
mits other shoots to overtake the
pinched one, but has an Important In
fluence upon the future growth of the
shoot thus stopped the operation per
fecting the buds below and making
them more certain to form branches
than they would otherwise. It be
comes important to remove or encour
age these growth.. according to their
effect in the symmetry of the crown.
Ha Apple Seab-rroef.
George P. Clinton, of the Illinois
Agricultural College, in an article on
apple scab, says: There appears to
be no such thing as a scab-proof varie
ty. Various writers have recorded ob
servations showing that certain varie
ties have been more severely injured
than others and there Is no doubt that
this Is the case. It Is very likely tuat
such differences are due in large part
to the thinner or more easily punc
tured cuticles of the scabbier varieties.
The writer has also observed that scab
is a lover of neglected orchards or
chards which have not been properiy
sprayed, pruned, or cultivates ana
that it seems to be less abundant on
very young trees, especially where
such trees are isolated. This latter
is probably due to less favorable con
ditions for original Infection.
Cettea Seed Froslaetlea.
A report recently issued from the
U. S. Census Bureau gives the pro
duction of cotton seed in the year 1899
1900 at 4,668,346 tons; of this, 2,479,
186 tons were manufactured, giving a
field of 93,325,729 gallons of oil, valued
it 821.390,674, and 884,391 tons of oil
:ake and meal, valued at I16.030.a76.
rhe outturn of cotton-seed hulls from
the seed crushed was 1.169.286 tons,
valued at S3.189.354. and 57,272.053
pounds of linters. valued at $1,801,231.
The total value of all products derived
from the portion of the crop crushed
jras S42.411.835.
On clay soils two and a half feet
jo three sad a half feet is about the
right depth for drains
LOWwCtTtUITOW BEOOHa.
Thirty Taaea at IJMsBilaat la the
One of the longest lawsuits on rec
ord,; and one which. involved millions
of dollars, has just been decided In
Germany after thirty years of litiga
tion. Strange to say, there is still
somethtog left of the estate fought
over -It was so large that the courts
an-. :ne lawyers did not get it all in
spite cf the long time the case was in
court They got a good share, how
ever. The family of Arenberg live In
Belgium, but they own a snug little
duchy in Germany. The Duke of
Arenberg used to impose a toll of 20
cents on every ton of coal mined by
the Westphalia Coal company, whose
mines were in his domains. In the
general shape-up of the Franco-Prussian
war and the re-formation of the
German empire which followed, the
Duke of Arenberg and his duchy got
lost in the shuffle, and the coal com
pany ceased its tribute. Then the
Duke went to law.
In the good old days the robber
baron ancestors of the Duke would
have called . out their men-at-arms,
swooped down on that coal company
and hanged the president and board of
directors to the castle gates. But the
coal baron having succeeded the rob
ber baron In these days, the Duke
went to law, and after thirty years he
has won his case.
For once the coal baron has been
downed by the descendant of the rob
ber baron, and the Westphalian Coal
company will have to pay arrearages
of tribute to the Duke mounting to
$36,000,000. The annual Income of the
Arenbergs from the mines Is about
$1,200,000! So now they are rich, but
if the suit had gone against them they
would have been practically ruined.
That lawsuit was getting to be their
principal asset As for the coal ba
rons, they are in a "state or mind" and
will probably try to arrange a compro
mise. PRECIOUS STONES.
Aacleat Myths Aheat the Orlgla ef
Tarlaas Geatt.
The Indians called rock crystal an
"unripe diamond." and until the be
gining of the eighteenth century India
was thought to be the only land which
produced that precious stone. It was
not. therefore, .until the discovery f
India that the diamond was known to
us. Yet as far back as 500 B. C. a
"Didactic History" of precious stones
was written, and In Fliny's time the
supply must have been plentiful, as
he wrote: "We drink out of a mass of
gems, and our drinking vessels are
formed of emeralds." We are also
told that Nero aided his weak sight
by spectacles made of emeralds. But
it is very difficult to determine whence
all the gems came, 83 discoverers took
care to leave no record. The nations
who traded In them were afraid of
their whereabouts being known, and
even the most ancient merchants
would not disclose any definite locale.
All sorts of myths have, accordingly,
sprung up concerning the origin of the
gems.
"Diamond" was the name given to
a youth who wes turned Into the hard
est and most brilliant of substances to
preserve him from "the ills that flesh
is heir to." Amethyst was a beautiful
nymph beloved by Bacchus, but saved
from him by Diana, who changed
Amethyst Into a gem; whereupon
Bacchus turned the gem Into wlnc
color, and endowed the wearer with
the .gift of preservation from intoxi
cation. The pearl was thought to be a dew
drop the shell had opened to receive.
Amber was said to be honey melteJ
by the sun, dropped into the sea, and
congealed. According to the Talmud.
Noah had no light in the ark but that
which came from precious stones.
Gentleman's Magazine.
UNCLE SAM'S LAND DEALS.
Hew the Terrltery ef the Unites) Statra
Has Beea Ex leaded.
Wiien the Danish Islands in the West
Indies are transferred to our flag the
record of Uncle Sam's purchases of
land and the sums he has paid for the
same, from the foundation of the gov
ernment to the present time, will stand
as follows:
Louisiana purchase (1803).. $15,000,000
Florida (1819) 6,489,768
Mexican cession (1848) 18,250,000
Purchase from Texas (1850). 10.000,000
Gadsden purchase (1853) 10,000,000
Alaska (1867) 7.200,000
Philippine Islands (1901) 20,000,000
Additional Philippines (1901) 100.000
Danish West Indies (1902).. 5,000,000
Total. $92,039,768
To this list must be added Texas, ac
quired in 1845; Oregon territory :n
1846, the Hawaiian Islands In 1897.
Porto Rico and Guam, annexed in 189S,
and one of the Samoan Islands in 1899
for none of which did we pay a direct
money consideration. The aggregate
area of territory added to the United
States by purchase and conquest as in
the case of the Mexican cession and our
recently gained insular possessions
from 1800 to 1902, inclusive is 2,971,
376 square miles. The territory now
covered by the American flag, includ
ing both hemispheres, exceeds the area
of all Europe by just about 235,000
square miles or say by an area one
fifth larger than that of either France
or Germany. New York World.
Career of Lieat. Strealer.
The Lieut. Strebler who captured
Gen. Lueban, the Filipino leader, is of
German birth and enlisted in the regu
lar army before he was 20 years old.
He was promoted to a lieutenancy by
President McKinley, being then a ser
geant serving his third term. He has
seen much active service, but never
sustained any injury.
Beaatlfal Eeteclmea ef a "Ball."
A London paper quotes the following
as "a beautiful bull," from the Man
chester Guardian: "The Boers will
merely go on fighting till their last
man is killed or captured, when they
will sit down in the spirit of Mr.
Schalkburger's letter, to cherish' hopes
and form plans for the restoration of
their liberties."
.
Biind Maa a Good Salesman.
The only blind traveling man in the
world. Eugene L. Hitchcock, lives in
Wisconsin. Despite the fact that he
has been totally blind since he was 17
years of age. he travels alone through
the states of Wisconsin. Illinois and
Michigan and sells goods to scores of
merchandise. He has been doing this
for thirty-five years.
'Teacher Mast Ifot Marry.
The new by-laws of the New York
board of education provide that the
marriage of a woman teacher in any
of the boroughs stall be equivalent to
I a resignation.
ft-f'v . .
I Slav Peasants Rathe in the 3
: Sacred Waters of the Jordan :
'a
The traveler in the Holy Land will
witness few sights which will interest
him more than that of the Russian pil
grims at the annual Epiphany cere
monies on the banks or the River
Jordan.
. A week before the festival itself
crowds of these Slav peasants are seen
trudging along the Jericho road, with
every imaginable kind of haversack
and carry-all on their backs. Some of
the pilgrims-are old aad weather-worn,
others young and cheerful, while a few,
overcome by sleep and fatigue, are ly
ing prone along the roadside. But
somehow the whole lot, young aad old,
manage to reach the banks of the river
in good time for the ceremony. They
spend the night, perhaps, in the 'Rus
sian hospice at Jericho, where they
simply huddle together like a flock of
sheep. Before dawn the rooms are
empty, and the whole crowd has gath
ered on the bank, where Greek priests,
who will presently drive a most lu
crative trade await them.
The principal articles sold are
branches of trees from various sacred
spots, stones from the Mountain of
Temptation hard by, plants from the
wilderness and rosaries with olive
stones for beads. To whatever reli
gious value Is' claimed for these ar
ticles the Russian peasants implicitly
give credence, and they willingly pay
their money to obtain them.
During the hours immediately pre
ceding the ceremony the motley crowd
tVVVVVVVWVVVWWVVWVWWWVWVWWVWMWWVVVVWWAWWI
Story of the Killing
of the Last
Big Buffalo Bull
The following account of the killing
of the last big buflalo bull appears In
the Macleod Gazette in the form or a
letter signed "Wyoming Bill":
Early in November. 1887. John Nolan
and other half-breeds were near the
forks of the Red Deer and South
Saskatchewan when they came across
a bunch of eleven buffalo, one of the
bunch being a very large bull.
They killed the big bull, two cows
and a calf and brought them into
Swift Current J. Grant got the head
of the bull and Curry Bros., got the
two cows' heads and hide and the calf.
No doubt afterward the half-breeds
cleaned out the rest of the bunch, for
they were never heard of again.
Hine of Winnipeg mounted the bull's
head and in 1893 it was loaned to the
government and was sent to the
World's Fair at Chicago, where It was
much admired.
It is still in the hands of John
Grant, taxidermist, of Red Deer, Al
berta, and any person passing through
Red Deer would do well to go and see
the head, it being one of the largest
and handsomest I ever saw, and I be
aSs)
Kill Superfluous Girls
Hindus af Hit Rank Tims RM InOTiselves Tlstir Dswf htsrs.
e
A Capuchin monk engaged In mis
sionary work in Nepaul. writing of
Hindu family life, remarks that it Is
very difficult for parents to make ad
vantageous matches for their daugh
ters. The. Hindus therefore find a
means of ridding themselves of too
many daughters by murdering them.
It is a well known fact that Hindus, of
high birth, those who are called
Rajputs, caused their daughters to be
put to death after their birth by men
specially engaged to do so. This crim
inal custom had become so universal
that in 1840 in the seventy-three vil
lages of the Allahabad district there
were only three girls under 12 years
of age, and three years later In the
town of Agra there was not one to be
found under that age. All had been
put to death, says the London Pall
Mall Gazette.
The English government bas very
naturally passed very severe laws
against this abominable crime, but to
evade them the Hindus allow their
girls to live until the age of 12, after
which they do away with them by ad
ministering poison in small doses.
MWWVAMAMW
WASHINGTON'S SIX-IN-HAND.
Is Foarleea Billee er Driving la MTaa-
hmtUB.
George Washington, when he was
President of the United States, rode In
a coach drawn by six horses. This
coach was made in England and it ar
rived in New York in 1789. The body
and wheels were of a cream color, with
gilt relief, and part of the sides and
fronts were shaded by green Venetian
blinds. Upon each of the four panels
was a picture emblematic of one of the
four seasons. The original Indian
name of New York was Manhattan. In
January. 1785, Congress met in Federal
Hall, at the corner of Wall and Nassau
streets, and this city was the national
capital for five years, says the Brook
lyn Eagle.
Washington was here inaugurated as
President April 30, 1789. Manhattan
Island then presented one of the most
beautiful drives in the world and
Washington frequently made the fourteen-mile
circuit in his coach. This
drive led up to what is now the Bow
ery and Third avenue, then called the
Boston road, across the upper part of
the island and down the Bloomingdaie
road, now famous as Broadway. The
view took In the prosperous farms, ele
gant country seats and broad stretches
of living water. In the city the Presi
dent was usually content with four
horses, but when he started on the
long drive from Mount Vernon six
horses pranced in front of the coach.
Fifteen years after the death of Gen
eral Washington this catch became the
property of Bishop Bead of Virginia.
Our first President was a good horse
man and he was none the less devoted
to the interests of the people because
he rode in atata Should he revisit the
scenes of Ms former glory he would
find It difficult to trace the old fourteen-mile
drive aad h would meet in
the glad srtcgUme aa In Central Park
and on the roads fceyond four-in-haads
that would stake him turn green
with envy. Manhattan has radically
changed since the first day of the re
public. What Sbe Told the lent.
Representative Lamb cf Virginia
I tells a good story about, a little girl
f. VAA
Is occupied In prayer and sUeat devo
tton. Te maay pilgrims this oceanic
Is one of the greatest life caa bring
namely, to be permitted not only as
visit the Jordan, bat actually to batae
In its sacred waters. Suddenly chant
lag Is heard, aad the crowd sjakkly
opens to let a procession of purple
clad ecclesiastics pass to tae water,
then the pilgrims close in again, and
station themselves along the beaks,
eager and watchful. And. now, quite
reverently, a jeweled cross Is laid by
the patriarch on the surface of the
stream to bless it and no sooner does
the sacred symbol touch the water
than a dive is made lato it by the
enthusiastic crowd, which splashes aad
prays and wallows aad dips alto
gether a strange sceae.
Such Is the baptism, aad the longer
It lasts the greater the merit the pil
grim will enjoy. All dripping with
water, each shroud is now wrung out
aad stowed away to serve as the cere
cloth when the pilgrimage ef life Is
over, and the body is ready for the
grave. As the traveler rides away the
next day to Jerusalem, he will see
these childlike peasants, bedraggled
with mud. aad fatigued by coastaat
sleeplessness, plodding aleag toward
the Holy City, chanting and singing as
they go. and leaning oa their sticks
of reed. But there is now a smile
on their faces, and joy in their hearts,
for have they not bathed In the waters
of the Jordan? London Traveler.
OM Scout Tells
of the Disappear
ance of the Game
in the West.
lieve the last buffalo killed in the ter
ritories. One of the other heads is in the pos
session of Dr. George of Innlsfail, who
is much interested In natural history.
The country lying between the South
Saskatchewan and the Cypress hills
and Old Wives creek and lakes and the
Vermillion hills was famous for buf
falo and' even now the old buffalo trails
and wallows are to be seen from Moose
Jaw to Medicine Hat
But most of the game, both hair and
feathers, is gone now. The last time
I crossed the plains from the Red river
to Rocky mountains overland some of
the favorite resorts of water fowl and
wading birds were nearly deserted.
Rush lake, once the breeding place of
many kinds of water fowl pelicans,
geese and ducks, besides small birds
was half dry and only a few ducks
there.
Other lakes were the same, but along
some of the streams north of the
Cypress hills.- especially Pi-a-Pot
creek, there were quite a few prairie
wolves, foxes and badgers and ante
lope on the middle plains.
Orientals are past masters in the art
of poisoning, and after some minute
inquiries it transpires that in many
districts twenty-live out of every 100
girls have been got rid of la this
manner. Those girls who have been
spared marry very early, generally be
tween 14 and 15 years, and that not
according to their own choice, but by
the will of their parents, which is de
cisive. An Indian family of high rank
could not keep an unmarried daugh
ter. It would not only be a public shame,
but also a public crime against reli
gion. To procure husbands for those
who have not already found them,
there are a number of Brahmis, old
aad decrepit called Kulin Brahmins,
who go about with the one object of
going through the ceremony of the
"seven steps" with as many young
girls as they can upon receipt of a
large sum of money, but afterward to
leave tbe country and perhaps never
to see them again.
Obtrusive silence or whispering la
a sickroom is disturbing to the nerves.
mw
who lives in Petersburg and is just
four and a half years old. She kneels
every night at her mother's knee and.
after reciting the Lord's prayer, silent
ly adds a little prayer of her own.
One night her mother, rather, curious,
asked her daughter what she had told
the Lord. "Mamma." said the young
ster. "I asked the Lord to please re
move that mole on your face, but."
added the little one. "I also told the
Lord that I thought the mole had come
to stay." Washington Post
Clemrasaa Waa
Ernest Thompson-Scton he of ani
mal story-telling and converted name
fame was describing to a clergyman
the other day some of his experience
with various animals, particularly
squirrels.
"It is an astonishing fact." said Mr.
Seton. "that I found, after some few
tests, that I could attract squirrels,
howsoever wild, by singing to them.
Whenever I rang they would come oui
of their holes or down from the trees,
and though at first showing none
timidity, sit and listen intently and
apparently with enjoyment .1 remem-.
ber one day. however, when, after
singing them various songs rag-time
and others I tried 'Old Hundred on
them. Would you believe it, the in
stant they heard it they scampered off,
nor could I induce them to return that
day. And to this day I can't under
stand why."
The clergyman, a far-away look in
his eye, suggested very briefly. j.
"Probably they were afraid yon.
would next proceed to take up a col
lection." New York Times.
Tajrters la KacMaeTa.araay.
Sergeant Taylor of the Royal Artil
lery, now stationed at Colchester, is
one of eight brothers, .all of whose
have been soldiers, says the Loadoa
Mall. Five have fallen in 3outh Af
rica during the present war. ona;tl
still at the front, aad another is la
India. The brothers had four sisters;
each of whom married -a soldier, aad
the children of several members of tier
family have joined the army,' so that
there are sow thirty-one Taylors eT
the same stock serving with his ma
jesty-s forces. .. f
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