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Romance of the Year
At this time we celebrate the birth
of the New Year anil erect another
milestone on the road of Time. How
few thin!; that 152 years ago the year
at this season was old. How came the
change? Not by the revolution of the
earth, for that is practically un
changeable, bat through the interven
tion of human enactment. Though
time, as measured by the motions of
the earth, may be taken as constant,
yet its divisions into seconds, minutes,
hours, days, weeks, months, years,
eras, their beginnings and endings, are
arbitrary products of the human mind,
and therefore variable.
All nations and people have a par
ticular epoch from which they date
the era in which they may have lived.
The Romans dated their chronological
events from the founding of the city.
The expression. "The year of Home."
or the letters A. U. C. (ab urbs con
dita) refers to that particular epoch.
The Mohammedans express their se
quence of time by "the year of the
prophet." The date is from the Hejira,
or the flight of Mohammed from
Mecca (Hejira is pronounced Hej-i-ra,
and is an Arabic word meaning flight),
which occurred A. I). 22. The Jews
reckon their dispensation from the
creation of the world, but in reality
thc!r chronology begins with tV
,
Exodus. Moses intentionally inlro- '
iluced a new calendar, ami makes
Abib their first month. It has beea
supposed that the Jewish Sabbath is
the same as the seventh day on which
God ended His work, but as Moses
changed the first month to Abib. he
changed the first day also. The first
day of this new year was the first
day of the first month and the fir3t
day of the first week. The Sabbath
being held on the seventh day, it roust
of necessity have been changed also.
But being changed, it could not be in
correspondence with the seventh day
of creation on which God "rested."
Christians date their epoch from the
birth of Christ, the expression for
which is the Latin words Anno Dom
ini, or A. D., the initial letters of the
words. Five centuries elapsed before
an attempt was made to authoritative
ly fix the date of the Nativity. This
was then undertaken by Dionysius
Exiguus (little), who fixed our present
chronology. It is now generally al
lowed that he was four years cut in
his reckoning, and that B. C. 4 is the
correct year. This corresponds with
the statement by Ireneus and Tcrtul
lian that Christ was born about the
year of Rome 751.
Different nations have begun their
count of time at different parts of the
twenty-four hours. The ancient Ac
cadians. Babylonians. Syrians. Per
sians, the modern Greeks and the in
habitants of the Balearic isics reckon
their da)' from sunrise to sunrise. Why
the ancient nations began the day at
sunrise is evident from their early re
ligion, which was Magism. Fire was
a chief object of reverence with them,
and the sun as the grand symbol of
their worship received especial venera
tion. Hence, they began their day as
they began their devotions with the
rising sun.
Others. like the Athenians, the Chi
nese and the Jews have counted the
day from sunset to sunset Why the
Jews begin the day from sunset is
potent from their religion. The char
acteristics of the Jewish religion are
in sharp contrast to those of other
nations. The aim of Moses was to
wean them from the grossness of
oriental religions. Hence the contrasts
and antitheses. If the worshipers of
the elements begin the day with sun
rise, then the followers of Jehovah
will begin theirs with sunset. Moses
can have no concord with error.
The Egyptians and pagan Roman
priests began their day at midnight.
Most European nations follow the
same rule. Americans have also adopt
ed the custom. Astronomers, however,
begin the day at neon, when the sun
is on the meridian.
The day. meaning thereby light,
from sunrise to sunset, was in ancient
times divided into twelve equal parts,
called hours. A similar division was
observed with The night. Thus it will
be seen the hour was constantly
changing in its duration. The hour of
the day ip winter, when the days were
short, was much longer than in sum
mer, and vice versa. The same, of
course, was the case with the nights,
also. So th'at only at the equinoxes
were the two series of hours equal.
This was most inconverient and re
sulted in much confusion.
To Hipparchus, a Greek philosopher,
who flourished about B. C. 150, must
be given the credit of dividing tne
day from midnight to midnight into
twenty-four hours, or two equal por
tions of twelve hours each. This sys
tem prevails generally at the present
day. But astronomers count continu
ously for twenty-fosr hours.
The week, as all krow, consists of
seven days. Christians and Jews
- bold this division because God created
the heaven and the earth (the solar
system) and primordial forms of life
in six days, and "rested" oa the
seventh. But it would seem that
i:agan nations selected seven days be
cause of the seven planets known to
them, after which they called the
days. The sun and moon were in
cluded la the planets. They were:
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
"Which, of all your wishes.
Would you ask him for.
If he said he grant you
One and just no more?
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
When yon. hear the New Year
Knocking: at the door.
Time Civil, Ecclesiastical and Astronomical
Date of New Year Variable Equinoxes Alone
Constant Customs of New Year's Observance
In Ancient and Modern Times.
wlmuV'm""'"! "A,""'
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn. We call three days
of the week directly after the planets
Saturday (Saturn). Sunday (Sun),
Monday (Moon), and four through the
Saxon names for the others: Tuesday
(Tuesco Mars), Wednesday (Woden
Mercury). Thursday (Thor Jupi
ter), and Friday (Friga Venus).
The month, no doubt, originated
from the phases of the moon. These,
sharp and well-defined, are four in
number: the new moon, first quarter,
full moon and last quarter. Each of
these phases occupies about seven
ilays, so that from row full moon to
new full moon, there is something
more than twenty-nine days, which is
called a synodical month, or lunation.
No nation up to the present time
has devised a system of absolute ac
curacy in the measurement of the
colar year. Sonic ancient nations, such
as the Chaldeans, reckoned the year
as StiO days. This is the principle of
that most ancient astronomical term,
the Zodiac. The Zodiac is a belt en
circling the heavens on each side of
(he ecliptic, within which the planets
known to the ancients always revolve.
It extends eight degrees on each side
of the ecliptic. It is divided into
twelve equal parts, called signs of the
Zoi'ise. U is a great cycle, and ir. f.i
iieJ into 3G degrees. Ilka all cir
cles; hence SGO days in the Chaldean
year.
The Egyptians counted 3G5 days in
their year. As the year contains
2C5V4 days nearly, such systems could
not fail to work great inconvenience,
for the seasons would move round in
u cycle from one time of the year to
the other. Let me make this quite
plain. Take the winter solstice, for
instance, which happens on Dec. 21.
At the end of four years the solstice
would be not on Dec. 21. but on Dec.
22. The sun would be behind time. In
order, therefore, that the seasons
should occur at the same time in the
civil year, it was necessary to take
account of this fraction of a day.
Julius Caesar, the great Roman em
peror, determined to rectify the error.
He called the celebrated Egyptian as
tronomer, Sosigines, to his aid. Sosi
gines suggested the addition of a day
every fourth year. This day was add
ed to February, and is known to us as
"Leap. Year." but to the Romans as
Bissextile (Bis, twice, sextus, sixth).
This corrected calendar became
known as the Julian. But as it made
the year consist of 2C5 days, 6 hours,
it was in excess of the actual time by
: minute 10.3 seconds. Small as was
this fraction, it accumulated to about
one day in every 131 years.
The calendar needed reform. Time,
civil and ecclesiastical, required re
adjustment. But to urge the neces
sary change was dangerous, as the
learned Friar Bacon, found to his cost.
For pointing out errors in the calendar
he received as a reward for the ad
vocacy of the truth a prison, where he
remained ten years.
As often happens, ecclesiastical
requirements minister to civil neces
sities. The immediate cause of the
correction of the calendar was an
error in the time of observing the
Easter festival. The Council of Nice,
in A. D. 325, decreed that Easter is
the Sunday following the full moon,
next after the Vernal equinox. Owing
to disputes arising .from this decree
Pope Hilarius, in 4G3, ordered that the
paschal moon should not be the actual
full moon, but an ideal one. failing on
the 14th day of the moon by the
mctouic cycle (so-called from Metoni,
a Grek philosopher, who discovered
iL It consists of nineteen years, at
the end of which the sun is in about
the same position he was at the be
ginning). In 13S2 it was found that the real
equinox fell ten days before the nom
inal one. and from the error in the
Metonic cycle. Easter had got four
days wrong. Then Pope Gregory
XIII reformed the calendar, called
after him the Gregorian calendar, by
the aid of Clavius, a learned Jesuit.
The equinox of 1382. which should
have fallen on March 21, fell on
March 11. Gregory cut the Gordian
knot by decreeing that Oct. 5 of that
year should he counted as Oct. 1.
To the question, What is time? We
may give the answer, duration, as
measured by the solar system. For
everyday purposes and artificial di
visions mechanical contrivances are
accessary.
The first method of measuring time,
as far as we know, was by means of
the obelisk. The pyramids of Egypt
very probably answered the same pur
pose, Josephus states that Moses
erected, at Heliopolis, in Egypt, a pil
lar for such purposes. "The cloudy
Pillar" that accompanied the Israel
ites in their forty years wanderings in
the wilderness, and which was a "pil
lar of fire by night," most likely an
swered the same purpose. Pliny states
that an obelisk, now on the Thames
embankment in London, and known
as "Cleopatra's Needle," was erected
by Mesophrcs about B. C. 1700, likely
for similar uses. We all know, I hope,
the reference in the Bible to the sun
dial of Ahaz. about B. C. 740. Accord
ins to St. Jerome, who revised the old
Latin Bible into what is called te
Vulgate Version of the Holy Scrip
Would you ask for Money
Heaped in golden store?
Remember old Carnegie.
Who says that wealth's a bore,
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
When you hear the" New Year
Knocking at the door.
Would you wish for ,Power.
Like monarchs held of yore?
See the Czar of Russia.
Bombarded, aft and fore.
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
Make the wish that's best of all.
Be .what may in store
Tls to keep the old friends.
Beloved of your heart's core.
When you hear the New Year
Knocking at the door.
John S. McGroarty.
tures, it was a pillar erected near a
flight of steps (translated degrees in
the English Bible). Berosus was the
first to construct a sundial proper, in
B. C. 540 the first recorded in pro
fane history.
But sundials are only useful when
the sun shines; hence some other
measures of time became a necessity.
The Egyptians were successful in in
venting such a contrivance. They
called it the Clepsydra (kleps, to
steal, and hudor, water), by which
time was measured by a continuous
flow of water at a uniform motion.
The Clepsydra is. first mentioned bj
Empedocles, who flourished in the
fifth century before Christ It was
brought to a high degree of perfec
tion by a philosopher of Alexandria,
named Ctcsebius, and continued down
to the invention of clocks, probably in
the fourteenth century. Watches fol
lowed in due course, till they have
become an almost necessary requisite
of everyday use.
Most people are under the impres
sion that the rotation of the earth
has never varied from one complete
turn in twenty-four hours. But this is
an error. The motions of both earth
and moon have not been invariable.
There was a time when the lunar
mo:: ih was twenty-nine days instead of
twenty-seven, as it now is (Sir R.
Ball: Time and Tide). The synodical
month, therefore, was between thirty
and thirty-one days. (A synodical
month is the interval from one new
moon to the next) So that primitive
man. reckoning the month as a synodi
cal period, or lunation, may not have
been so inaccurate as we in our su
perior wisdom imagine.
Going back from this epoch to the
infancy of the moon, we come to a
time when the day and month were
of equal duration about four hours
each! Going forward to the old age
of the earth, we come to an epoch
when the day and month are again
equal. But this time, instead of being
four hours each, they will be 1,400
hours. Just think of it! One day last
ing 1,400 hours! When the day will
equal fifty-eight of our present days,
what will be the length of the year?
But we must not stop at a 1,400-hour
day. Going still forward in the far-off
future, we come to a time when the
face of the earth will be always
turned to the sun, as the moon's face
is now turned to the earth, and as she
will continue to be. Then there will
be a perpetual day, for the sun shall
never set, literally fulfilling the words
of the prophet: "Thy sun shall no
more go down, neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself." (Is. lx:20.) The
romance of time! How it fascinates!
The new year has been observed
with festive rejoicings from remotest
antiquity. Its celebration by religious,
as well as secular observances, pre
vailed generally among the nations of
antiquity. And Egyptians, Hindus.
Chinese, Persians, Jews, Romans and
Mohammedans, although differing
widely as to the time from which they
reckon the new year, all regard it with
especial interest of a joyous kind.
In olden Roman times the new year,
which began in March, was inaugurat
ed by a festive procession, with the
priests of Mars carrying the sacred
shield before the people. The people
wished each other good health and
prosperity and exchanged presents.
The Chinese begin the year at the
Vernal equinox, and make it one of
the most splendid festivals. All
classes mingle together, and unite in
thanksgiving for mercies received and
prayers for a genial season and good
crop.
With the Hindus the first day of the
new year is sacred to Ganesa, the
god of wisdom, to, whom kids and
wild deer are sacrificed amid illumina
tions and rejoicings. Among the
mountainous tribes a buffalo is sac
rificed before vast multitudes of peo
ple. In ancient Persia prisoners were
liberated and offenders pardoned. .The
Persian new year much resembled the
Sabbathical year of the Jews.
The Sabeans held a grand festival
on the day the sun entered Arus, one
of the signs of the Zodiac. Priests
and people marched to the temples
and sacrificed to the planetary gods.
In the British Isles the Druids be
gan the year on March 10th, with the
solemn ceremony of cutting the mis
tletoe from the sacred oak. On that
day two white bulls were tied by the
horns. When a Druid, clothed in white
robes, mounted the tree and cut off
the mistletoe, after which the sacri
fices were offered.
The Mexicans on new year's day
adorned their houses and temples
and engaged in variou8 religious cere
monies. On such occasion human
sacrifice was offered to propitiate the
gods.
In modern times it is also an occa
sion of social rejoicing and inter
change of courtesies. In England,
under old style, the year began on
March 25. On the change of date to
Jan 1, great opposition was offered
by the people generally. Many really
believed they were being deprived of
eleven years of their existence.
Rev. F. P. Duffy, Secretary Afceri-cv-i
Church Bible Institute.
iianeaswood. Illinois. ""
wrrn the
VETCMINS
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The Seafarers.
Light heart, brave 'Heart.
Drear the sea around us!
Stanch heart, true heart.
Teir 'em "where- they Yautxd it
A thousand miles from anywhere:
Ice and sale and the rocket's flare;
Weather enough and a bit to spare;
"Assistance declined!" We'll tio if -we
. .dare.
Light heart, brave heart.
Dull the sea around us!
Stanch heart, true 'heart.
Tell, 'em where they found us.
Steady, steady, though the sun
Beat us faint: and the voyage begun -Seems
not to end; and each slow day's
run
Is reckoned in slow hours, one by one.
Light heart, brave heart,
Sweet the sea around us!
Stanch heart, true heart, .
Tell 'cm where they found us.
Sandy Hook to Cavlte;
Liverpool docks to ManOulay!
Joy of the sea life, not the bay
Where you rust at your moorings
through the day. .. . ,
Emerson Gifford Taylor in the Outlook.
Bold Bluff Saved Him.
The morning of Nov. 61863, saw
Gen. Echols strongly intrenched on
the top of Droop Mountain, where the
day before be had joined Jackson'3
force, bringing with him four regi
ments, two battalions and a battery,
which, when joined to Jackson's force
gave the Confederates an overwhelm
ing advantage in numbers as well as
position.
General Averell, down in tne valley,
commanded the Union troops, consist
ing of the Second, Third and Eighth
Virginia and the Fourteenth Pennsyl
vania Cavalry. Col. Schoonmaker'a
legiment.
The Confederates had what they
considered an impregnable .position;
but no position was too strong for
the daring of Averell's men. The
Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry,
Battery B and an independent battal
ion crept up and occupied a position to
the left, whife Battery G was on the
extreme right. The Second, Third and
Eighth advanced in front. The men
crept up the mountainside, through
briars, over rocks and treetops, until
within about fifteen yards of the crest
of the mountain, when the Confeder
ates opened fire, and a sheet of flame
showed where their musketry was
pouring at terrific leaden hail into our
lines.
Over the breastworks the bluecoats
clambered, heedless of the murderous
fire. Then it was every -man's duty
to seek such shelter as could be found.
CapL Billingsley of California, Pa.;
Major Barclay of Hazelwood and the
late Noah Messenger of Johnstown
had many a hearty laugh afterward at
having all tried to find protection back
cf one tree. Just at the time it wasn't
go funny. Piles of rails protected the J
Confederate sharpshooters en the ex
treme left Particularly harassing was
the fire from five mountain howitzers.
which came from the same direction.
William Steinakcr, Orderly Sergeant
of Company D, Second Virginia, was
wine awake and very active that day.
If you should visit him in his home in
Allegheny and be should recall that
day it may be he would tell you the
story as I have heard It many times.
This is as he told it at Beverly after
the battle was over:
"You see, those mountain howitzers
were doing pretty bad work. Out in
the open I saw a little deserted wood
chopper's shanty. The door was on
the side facing the Johnnies. I
thought if I could get in there I would
be protected and could pick off the
gunners at ease, so I sprinted over.
It was about a hunared yards. Dash
ing into the shanty I was confronted"
by five Confederate soldiers, who evi;
dently had the same thoughts as I
had. Lord! my hair stood straight up
on my head till it raised my cap off.
There was only one thing to do, so
I shouted 'Surrender!' and, to my
amazement, they all handed over their
guns and I marclied the five in front
of me, prisoners, back to our lines:"
SergL Stelnaker, although not a
large man, seemed a very giant in bat
tle, never seeming to know the mean
ing of the word fear.
Lieut. A. J. Pentecost, known to
thousands of Pittsburgers, and- Major
Barclay, were among those who were
specially mentioned for gallant action
in official reports of the "Bat tie of
Droop Mountain." Pittsburg Dis
patch. A Critical Minute in Battle.
"One story," said the Georgia ser
geant, "calls up another. In all the
talk about Kenesaw no one has re
ferred to what took place within the
Confederate lines at the moment when
the Union troops seemed on the point
of breaking over the breastworks at
the dead angle, on Cheatam's bill.
Just-as McCook's brigade receive.'! the
heaviest fire of the Confederate line
in their immediate front the Confeder
ates to the right of the angle broke.
and the men were moving to the rear
when Major Smart of a Georgia regi
ment, coming up with re-enforcements
checked the panic. The men faced
again to the front and took their
places again behind the breastworks,
where they remained.
"The story was told that day that
Bonie of the men of Maney's brigade
heard that the Federals had flanked
the Confederate position on the left
This word was passed along the line,
and there was, for a few minutes,
something like a panic. As Major
Smart came up the retreating men
were, assured that the Confederate
cavalry had checked the flanking
movement, and the line was steady
again. I thought of this when I read
of the- fight over the works, the men
comiag so close that a Union officer
caught an ax from one of our men
and carried it back with him. Sup
pose the Union column that pressed
up close to the works had struck the
point where the Confederates broke,
wnat woum cave nappenca;
"There was a minute at the crisis of
that battle when the Union troops,
climbing the Confederate works might
have gone over on to the hacks of men
retreating. The chance went with
the minute, however, and the Union
troops at that very point were the
next minute met by a murderous fire.
The incident illustrates the fear our
men had of Sherman's flanking opera
tions. They had been flanked so
many times that they were looking
for a flank attack that day, instead of
the furious assault in front Chicago
Inter Ocean.
From Cavalry to Artillery.
"The Second Ohio cavalry , said the
Captain, "was on the frontier in Sep
tember, 1S62, when Cen. Blunt decid
ed be wanted a .battery. He detailed
thirteen men from each company of
the Second cavalry and. formed what
sma
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was afterward known as the Twenty
fifth Independent Ohio battery. The
men, receiving guns and equipment,
went to active service at once, and the
adventures of the cavalrymen' trans
formed into artillerymen came thick
and fast.
"For example. Private James A.
Russell, armed only with a revolver,
dropped out one day to look for water.
In .going through a corn field he was
halted' by two rebel scouts, who, with
rifles at a' ready, demanded his sur
render. Russell raised bis revolver
and all fired at once. The rebels
missed their mark, while Russell
blazed away until he had disabled
both his antagonists and received
their surrender. Then he procured a
conveyance and took nis two prison
era into camp.
"In one of its long" marches in the
Southwest the battery crossed the
Ozark mountains in midwinter and
was water-bound at the crossing of
White river. The river was seventy
five feet wide, fifteen feet deep, and
4he current was very ranid. There
was no boat large enough to carry
even one gun across and It was de
cided to make a raft or boat. The
wagon boxes were lashed together,
covered with tarpaulins, and rails
were used for decking. When the raft
was completed and loaded, the prob
lem was how to get a line across.
"Several plans were suggested and
tried. First a man started across in
a dug-out. The boat was swamped
and the man was rescued with dif
ficulty. A man tried to ride a horse
across and failed. Then a line was
tied to a mule's tail and an attempt
was made to drive the muls, riderless,
across to the other side. The mule
landed on our side of the river and,
being driven back, went off down
stream, line and all. At last Lieut
J. L. Hadley attached a line to an
empty case-shot and fired it from one
i of the 'guns'" "
"The shot finding lodgment on the
other side, a man swam across, aided
by the line, made it secure and the
whole battery waa ferried across
without the loss of a single article of
equipment. Officers and men were so
elated over the achievement that
when all were safely across they fired
a salute. The battery had many ups
and downs, but was finally recognized
as one of the regular Ohio organiza
tions, although there was a row over
our not returning to the Second cav
alry." Chicago Inter Ocean.
Carried His Tunnels With Him.
"Gen. Sherman was in the habit of
accomplishing such great things with
sr.ch little loss of time that he won a
remarkable reputation among thy Con
federates for overcoming difficulties,"
remarked Gen. W. F. Clark of the
Army of the Tennessee to a reporter
for the Washington Star.
"The general had some of the best
engineers inthe business with him,
and whenever a road or bridge was to
be constructed fy was to be done in a
hurry. When he wanted a bridge built
he just sent out Gen. Dodge, the great
est bridge builder that ever happened,
I guess, and in a little while a struc
ture would be thrown across the
stream or river, whichever the case
misht be.
"I remember one time on the cam
paign to the sea the Confederates
were planning to blow up a tunnel
that Gen. Sherman was intending to
use. .The matter was discussed by
the 'Johnnies,' and one of the officers
remarked that he thought the blow
ing up of the tunnel would be an effec
tive move, when another officer, who
appreciated Gen. Sherman's ability to
surmount obstacles, said:
" 'What's the use of blowing up th
tunnel? Sherman carries tunnels right
along with him.' "
The Army Pack Train.
A pack train cannot be stampeded
while the bell is tinkling, even under
heavy fire; neither will a charge by
yelling Indians drive away the mules,
unless the bell animal can be first run
off." The more commotion there is.
the more closely do they huddle about
the bell animal, as though knowing
that they ere safe. Not only do the
mules follow their bell, but they learn
to recognize its sound as well. When
two trains meet on the march the
mules will not intermingle each will
follow its own bell. In case the mules
of two trains are turned out to graze
in the same neighborhood, and be
come mixed, it is only necessary to
capture the bell animals, lead them, to
somewhat widely separated positions,
rattle the bells, and the mules of
each train will at once gather about
their own bell. At night, when on
the march, the bell mare is hobbled
and turned out to graze with the herd.
The packers well know that they will
have no trouble in locating the pack
animals, for they are always to he
found, whenever wanted, within sound
of the bell. Leslie's Weekly.
Had to Be Ahead.
"At the battle of Chicamauga," said
'a veteran, "the skirmishers of the
Eleventh Ohio were so close to the
rebel lines it was dangerous to move
in any direction. The men were be
hind trees along the line, and the of
ficer commanding the skirmishers
was behind a tree in advance of his
men and nearer the rebels. Imme
diately behind the captain was Cor
poral James C. McLaughlin. Calling
from behind his tree the Corporal
asked. 'Who is ahead of you. Cap.'
The Captain replied, 'No one.' There
upon the Corporal remarking, 'Well.
I won't stand that,' left bis tree, and
ran to another a rod in advance of
the Captain, where be remained to
the last."
The Next Encampment
Gen. John.C. Black, commander-in-chief
of the Grand Army of the Re
public, arranged details for next
year's encampment with the Boston
G. A. R. committee. It was agreed
that the encampment will begin on
Aug. 15 and that a parade not exceed
ing two miles in lengtih will be held
on Aug. 16. It is estimated that at
least 75,000 veterans would be in line..
Britain's Dog Census.
Buried away in the. returns of the
British Board of Agriculture, is a ca
nine census. It appears that last year
there were 1,871,619 dogs in Great
Britain, or one for, roughly, every
twenty human beings. The revenue
derived from licenses 1,525.273 dogs
at 7s d each was 571.977 7s Cd.
In England there were 1.569.G78 adult
doss" lo ,WlQS 119,38' aad ia Scot' 1
land 182,SoS.. - - .J
SSFfn'
Discomfort in Stanchions.
Stock, to do their best, need to be
.osrfortable as well as warm. The
nro do aot always go together, al
ihoogh they ought to. Stock may be
ararmly sheltered, and still be uncom
fortable. If they are, they will sot
Jirite,. to every good. farmer knows.
Extra feed may make up for lack of
shelter, and keep the animals warm,
-he only loss being to the farmer who
"urnishes three dollars' worth of corn
Qttal to do. what one dollar's worth of
battens would have dose; but mo
unount of extra feed will make up di
rectly for loss of comfort Animals
will, la time, get used to almost any
treatsMat, I know; but wouldn't it
be better and more profitable to make
them comfortable from the first?
There Is very little money in the win
tering of stock,' at the best; and can
we afford to have cows give less milk,
or steers take on less flesh, than they
aught to, simply because they are not
comfortable?
Some years ago I wintered a score
of steers coming three years old. They
had evidently never been in stan
chions, but had always run loose. 1
used stanchions In my barn, and with
a great deal of trouble and coaxing
we got these wild fellows all fastened
in. Then I gave them the best of
feed in abundance; but they were so
uncomfortable that they did not do it
justice. By being very quiet and pa
tient with them we got them broken
so they would go into the stanchions
without much trouble, after a while,
but they did not get thoroughly used
to them, so as to be perfectly com
fortable, in all winter. They were
very much mere comfortable along
toward spring than when first pat in,
but not thoroughly so. I never
worked harder over a lot of cattle and
never succeeded so poorly. They
were not comfortable, and no amount
of warm shelter and good care and
feed would make np for it I am
perfectly satisfied that, con!:l they
have been tied up they would have
been easy almost from the first start,
and that the result would have been
far more satisfactory. T. B. Terry.
Testing the Self-Feeder.
- At the Illinois Experiment Station
Professor Mumford Las been testing
the value of a self-feeder as against
hand-feeding of steers, as to effect on
the steers. Ten steers were fed by
hand and ten by a self-feeder. After
keeping the animals on full feed for
98 days, they were last week sold at
the Chicago stockyards, bringing $5.40
per 100 weight About a year ago
they were bought for 4.S5 per 100
weight. The rcsuts of the test are as
follows:
Self-fed.
(lbs.)
Hand-fed.
(lbs.)
280.00"
228.00
2.326
Total gain ..
Average gain
Av. daily gain
Grain eaten
. . .25I0.IW
..'. 231.00
. . . 2.561
per
steer 2194.30 1946.00
Grain eaten daily
per steer 22.00 19.60
It will be seen that the self-feeder
cattle gained each .233 more per day
than the hand-fed steers, but used 2.4
pounds mors grain in doing it At
$3,40 per 100 weight this added gain
brought in the market 1.269 cents and
cost the value oi 2.4 pounds of grain.
At 50 cents per 100 weight this grain
would be worth 1.2 cents, or about
the same as the value of the grain.
So far as the effects on the cattle are
concerned it would appear that self
feeding and hand-feeding are about
equal. It is impossible to feed any
two bunches of steers and have .the
results exactly the same, even if both
bunches be fed the same way. Inci
dental variation must always be
counted on and unless there is quite
a wide difference in the results, the
experiment must he regarded as non
conclusive. This appears to be the
case in the experiment reported.
Better Farming.
Among the different topics discussed
at the Farmers' Institute meetings,
perhaps none has received so little
attention as this subject, and yet it
is one of great importance. Many
farmers have not even thought of it;
some have given it considerable study
and attention, and have learned to
know the value of it, says A. C. Hall
man in an Ontario report
Not More Land, but Better Farm
ing. The farmer has many hard prob
lems to solve at the present time, and
especially the young farmer or begin
ner. On many 'farms the soil Is de
pleted of its vegetable deposits or hu
mus through the old system of farm
ing. Our produce from the exhausted
(oil has to compete with the products
of the new countries with their virgin
soil, and with the West, where the
. land is cheap and fertile. We are all
clamoring after more acres, when the
object in many cases should be bet
ter and more "intensive farming."
Very few of us are so fortunately sit
uated that we can add more acres,
but nearly all of us can increase the
producing capacity of our land by im
proved and advanced methods of farm
ing, thereby enriching the soil so
that In some cases double the
amount of crops can be grown
from the same farm. This is worth a
great deal more than additional land.
Among the many things that can help
us are "catch crops." There is no
definite time for sowing them. They
may be sown at any time, or with
other crops in the summer season.
Nor is there any particular kind of
crop. Any crop that is suited to
the particular time of sowing
will be satisfactory. Where the
land is in good heart, clean and
plenty of vegetable deposit (humus)
clover, mixed with grass, ranks very
high. I the season is favorable it
will give an abundance of fall pas
ture, and in many cases with the roots
and tops, will put as much back into
the ground as the grain crop takes out
of the land. In nearly all cases the
fertilizing value of the stalks is worth
much more than the seed cost
If a young man's parents are able
and willing to. have him take a full
agricultural course in a college or uni
versity, he should go by all means..
T. B. Terry.
Lifted Them.
Teacher Well, Tommy, what steps
did you take to enjoy yourself on Hal
loween"? Tommy The parson's.
1
The beauty of waiting on a family
table is that you never have time to
get hungry yourself. What to Eat.
.
LuM'y Pt to transform pleasures
DUrdens.
1 poutiyy I
Best Market fer Ducks.
The Oatarki Experiment Statkm has
jeea staking some experiments la the
feeding and marketing -of ducks, la
a report, W. R. Graham, manager of
the poultry department, says: The
ducks were fed on a mixture of equal
parts of bran, corn meal, and ground
oats, moistened with skim-milk. About
twice a week grit was added to the
feed In the proportioa of about one
half plat to a peck of grain. This is
necessary to secure good digestioa
of food. Water was given lor drink
ing purposes only, as du-:ks grow
much faster when not allowod to
swim In water. The Pekia variety
proved to be the best market duck.
They mature earlier than other va
rieties and having a creamy white
plumage they present a nice appear
ance when dressed. The Cayuga was
on the average, one-half pound less in
weight after nine weeks' feeding.
They are also inferior to the Peklns
when dressed, being somewhat dagt
In appearance, owing to having a
blsck plumage. Their flesh, however.
Is said to be of superior anallty, hav
ing a better flavor than that of the
other breeds. The Rouen ducks were
large when matured, but grew rather
slowly, not weighing over eight and
one-half pounds to the pair when nine
weeks old. Their colored plumage is
also a disadvantage when they aro
dressed. A cross between the Pekin
and the Rouen was tried, but proved
to be but little superior in growth to
the Rouen. It, however, dressed bet
ter in appearance, owing to the large
proportion of white in the plumage.
The Pekin drake was mated with
high grade Rouen ducks. The dealer
in Toronto pronounced the Pekin the
most desirable market duck.
Nests for Pigeons.
Bulletin 177, Department of Agricul
ture: Nesting places for pigeons can
be made as follows: Inch boards 12
inches wide, with parallel cross cleats
(from strips one inch square) nailed
on 9 Inches apart, one set upright 12
inches apart (In the clear), with
edges against the partition and secure
ly nailed at top and bottom: These
boards extend from floor to roof, and
whea In position boards 12 Inches
square of inch stuff are cut and placed
on the cleats to form the floors of the
nest boxes, thus making little homes
for the pigeons 9 inches high with s
floor 12 inches square. The sliding
floor of each box furnishes an easy
method of removal for cleaning. Eact
pen contains two sets of nest boxes
one against each partition, containing
60 boxes, or 120 in all, supplying eact
pair of birds with two nesting places
with 20 to spare. The bottom of the
lowest box is 15 inches from the
floor. Nests should cot be placed di
rectly on the floor if possible to avoic
it. Seme pairs will persistently builc
on the floor, in which case it may bt
best to humor them and make no at
tempt to compel them to nest else
where.
Winter Feeding of Poultry.
We practice a method somewhat
different from the ordinary practice
says a report of the Ontario staUoa
Our experience in feeding warm
mashes in the morning is that, unless
the feeder is exceptionally careful, the
fowls gorge themselves, and as a re
suit take to the roost for the greatet
part of the day which is more favor
able to the production of fat than oi
eggs. A hen must be in good condi
tion when laying, and the amount oi
flesh must be sustained, if continued
laying is desired; but excessive fat i
generally more harmful than a slight
reduction in weight The first feed
in the morning is given about nine
o'clock and consists of a handful ol
whole grain, usually wheat, to every
three birds. This is well scattered in
the litter on the floor. Previous tc
this the birds have been kept busy
digging in the litter for the few mor
sels that may have been left from the
evening meal of the previous day.
When the forenoon is nearly gone the
fowls are given a little cut bone 01
cooked meat each day, and, in addi
tion. ail the pulped roots, such as
turnips or beets that they will eat
The amount of bone or meat given is
small, the object being to give about
two and one-half pounds to every
sixteen hens during a week's time. A
little whole grain is given eoon after
one o'clock, cither barley or oats, not
more than three handfuls to a dozen
hens, the object being to induce exer
cise. If the hens are losing in flesh
less exercise is given. In such cases
a larger feed is given early ia the
morning and the noon feed of grain
is generally omitted. The mash Is
given about four ia the afteraooa.
The mash is composed of .equal parts
by measttre of stale bread, corn meal,
bran, ground oats and clover meal, or
lawn clippings. These are dampened
with skim mill: or water, according
to the abundance of the former. This
shonld be fed warm if possible, and
given in as large quantities as the
fowls will eat.
Forests Destroyed by Sheep.
Sheep are exceedingly harmful, es
pecially on steep slopes? and.whero the
soil is loose, says Gifford PInchot In
such nlaccs their small, sharp hoofs
cut and powder the soil, break and
overthrow the young trees and often
destroy promising young forests alto
gether. In many places the effect of
the trampling is to destroy the forest
floor and to interfere very seriously
with the flow of streams. In the Alps
01 southern France sheep grazing led
to the destruction, first, of the moun
tain forests and then of the grass
which had replaced them, and thus
left the soil fully exposed to the rain.
Great floods followed, beds of barren
stones were spread over the fertile
fields by the force of the water, and
many rich valleys were almost or al-
together depopulated. Besides the loss
occasioned in this way, it has cost
the French people tens of millions of
dollars to repair the damage begun by
the sheep, and the task is not yet fin
ished. The loss to the nation is enor
mously greater than any gain from the
mountain pastures could have beea.
and even the sheep owners them
selves, for whose profit the damage
was done, were losers in the end. for
their industry in that region was utterly-
destroyed.
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Shrinkage hi Cured Hay.
The variations la weight of hay are
?erhaps more marked taaa fta most
'Arm araaacts, says Farmers BaBetla
Mt. A considerable difference fcs
Jhriakage occurs between hay cured
n dry weather and hay cared vae
be atmosphere Is more or less moist
?or this reason the shrinkage la hay
n a dry climate Is usually smaller
Jus in the more humid regieas. At
:he Kansas statkm small eaatitiea
)f thirteen different kinds of bay
wled la the mow from four to six
months shrank 4.5 per eeat ea aa
iverage, ranging from a 14 fer eeat
loss to a 3 per eeat gain. Five teas
3f very dry timothy hay stored IB
now for six moatas at the Michigan
station lost nearly 7 per eeat, aad ia
another test 5,690 pounds ef the same
xiad of hay in a good conditio placed
in the mow July 6 had lost T76 peeuds
or 13.S per eeat by February 18 fo
'.owing. Practical mea estimate that
hay pot ia the mow whea ia good
condition usually shrinks about 29 per
cent by the time It is baled. The
Utah station has reported a loss of a
little over 15 per eeat ia a toa of tim
othy bay after it had beea kept In
the barn for nine months. A stack
of timothy hay contaiaiag a little over
two toas and built ia the opea had
gained a little over 1 per eeat darias
the same time. The results with
clover hay at the same station show
a loss of 3.73 per eeat during nie
months whea kept la the barn aad a
gala of 10 per eeat for the same pe
riod when stacked out of doors. At
the Missouri station timothy hay ia
the stack lost about 12.5 per eeat by
spring, and whea stored ia the mmw
about 7 per eeat A stack of secoaev
growth clover put up at this same
station In July had shrank about 30
per cent in weight by toe following
March.
The results of experiments coa
ducted by different stations show that
the degree of maturity at which hay fc
cut influences very largely the shrfafr
sge during curing. At the Pennsyl
vania station early cut hay lost oa aa
average of 29 per cent la weight,
while late cut hay lost only 21.5 per
eeat Timothy cut whea Just begin
ning to head lost 75 per eeat of water
in coring; whea cut at the begisalsg
of the blossoming period. CC per cent;
and cut a little later, or about the
usual time, 57 per cent The Michi
gan station found a shrinkage of about
CO per cent In curing clover. At the
New York state statkm meadow
fescue mixed with a little red clover
lost ia one lot C2.68 per eeat and la
another 5&25 per cent during curiae.
The moisture retained la cared fodder
varies with different kinds. Atwater
r'.ates that for New England timothy
hay retains on aa average 12 per cent
of moisture, clover hay 14 per eeat.
and corn fodder 25 per cent
Feeding Alfalfa to Stock.
Alfalfa should not be pastured until
it has matured a goodly hardy crown
and root system to enable it to with
stand the trampling of stock, says a
bulletin of the Texas station. At
least two years should be allowed the
crop for this purpose, and even more
would be conducive to a hardy crop.
If green feed is desired the alfalfa
can be cut and fed as a soiling crop
during this time. Spring pasturing of
alfalfa is responsible for the disap- .
pearance of many good stands. At
this time of year the plant is just re- .
covering from the effects of low tern-'
perature and needs all of its energies.
It cut during early spring, the sickle ,
bar should be set higher than usual. '
Do not turn a hungry or thirsty ap
mal into aa alfalfa field. By observing
this rule aad further accustoming
them to it by gradually increasing
their time of feeding, little or no in
jurious effect will accompany the pas
turing of horses and hogs. Cattle are
more liable to bloat, and even with
the best of care and attention fatal
cases will occur. Soiling cattle is the .
safest method of feeding them alfalfa.
The Kansas station estimated the
value of green alfalfa fed for seventy
four days to dairy cattle at $25.2;
per acre. Profitable results have been
secured by feeding alfalfa to steers,
care being exercised to prevent scour
ing, by gradually increasing the
amount to the maximum quantity.
Pigs thrive on alfalfa pasture twelve
to fifteen bead of pigs may be turned
on an acre of alfalfa with the best re
sults. In combination with a finishing
ration of grain it is most effective.
Experiments In feedag alfalfa to
horses indicate that the cost of main
tenance is reduced.
Bromue Intermis.
Bromus inermls (smooth, awaless.
or Hungarian Brome-grass) is a very
hardy perennial grass, with smooth,
upright stems from 18 inches to 3)6
feet high, and with open panicles or
seed heads 4 to 8 inches long. It has
a very heavy system of roots and un
derground root-stalks, which after It is
well established makes a very tough
sod and gives it great drouth-reslstiag
qualities. It is a native of Europe aad
Asia, and has beea known for over a
hundred years, but was not cultivated
until a few years ago, because It was
thought It would become a pest simi
lar to quack grass if cultivated. Dur
ing the last decade, It has come very
rapidly Into prominence la this coun
try. It has been grown ia most of
the Western and Northwestern states
and has been reported oa by the
North and South Dakota, Nebraska.
Colorado, Montana, Wyoming aad Ida
ho experiment stations. These re
ports bare been favorable to the grass.
Because of its great drouth-resisting
qualities. Bromus inermls is especial
ly adapted to the drier portfoas of the
state and will grow hi places where
none of the other tame grasses will
survive. It is also well adapted to
practically every other portioa of the
state, as It is able to thrive aader
wet conditions as well as dry. It also
makes a good growth In shady places,
where most other grasses will sot do:
well. It will produce most abundant
ly on rich, heavy sells, but will grow
on poor, thin soil better than most of
our other grasses. Kansas Report
Stock Judging in Iowa.
The farmers' short course ia live
stock judging at the Iowa Agricul
tural college will begin January 4 and
continue till the 16th. This Is the
fourth year that this course has beea
offered, and it has proved to be Tory
popular. For instructors this year
some of the most prominent live stock
experts on the continent have been
secured. Three days each will be de
voted to the study of horses, cattle,
sheep and swine. People expecting to
attend should write to the college at
Ames for circulars of irfni melius
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