Nebraska Newspapers

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The Ward of
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CopTRCkt. Mlbr A.
CHAPTER V.
Tae Training of Fridtjof the
Wh tkat kas youth and a healthy
body is not made a new being by a
night of dreamless slumber? Vak
eaed by tke sun's caress, to the morn
ing soag of bloving trees. Randalin
faced her future as became the kins
woman of warriors.
The tent was empty, though scat
tered furs along the benches showed
where sleepers might have rested.
But from outside, a clatter of hurry
ing feet and excited voices broke sad
denly upon her. Did it mean a battle?
She sat up, straining eye and ear.
The jubilant voices shouted greetings
that fast missed being intelligible.
While she was trying to cnravel it
an. one pair of the hurrying feet
halted before the entrance. After a
muttered word with the sentinel, they
came on and brought the son of Lod
brok into view.
The girl started np with a gasp of
alarm, then made the strange dis
covery tkat she was no longer afraid
of him. Though he showed against
the linen wall as brawny and big of
jowl as he had loomed up the eight
before, she found herself moved only
to dislike. What had been the matter
last night? Understanding nothing
of the clairvoyant power of sharpened
nerves, she set it down to cowardice,
and put on an extra swagger now as
her eye met his.
Rothgar surveyed the sprig of defi
ance with no more than a perfunc
tory interest.
"It seems that you are the son of
Frode the Dane,' he said in his heavy
voice. "Frode was a mighty raven
feeder; for his sake I am going to
support you until you can go well on
your legs. Have you had anything to
eat?"
As she shook her head. Randalin's
heart rather softened toward him.
But it hardened azain when the
Z&o'
jffet arJrjVVawPiaaaa "WCrtar aWMflfeJ'saBUVBaBBT mt'f-X-yJyJfl JZfV'L aaMmKOa. ""
i-, " "vfy ,,, ' yjr ' '
She was kept turning, twisting, dodging, till her breath began to come in
oasaa.
thralls had brought the food, and he
sat down and begun to share it. His
thick lips, his heavy breathing bah,
he was revolting! Before she had fin
ished the meal she had come to the
conclusion that she hated him.
As he swallowed his last mouthful
of food. Rothgar said abruptly. "Ca
nute h" put your training into my
hands. It is his will that I find out
how much skill you have with weap
ons. Can you handle a sword?"
Randalin hesitated, uncertain how
far her idle play at fencing with her
brother would bear her out. "I think
you will find my skill slight. I have
I have grown so fast that I lack
strength in my arms. And I have not
exercised myself as much as I should
have done."
"It is in my mind that you have
been a lazy cub," the warrior pro
nounced deliberate sentence, as he
set down his goblet. "It is easily seen
that Frode has been over-gentle with
on. Stand forth and show what your
skin is worth. This sword will not be j
too heavy." Selecting the smallest of
the jeweled blades upon the floor, he
thrust it into her hands.
It is good to have in one's veins the
liquid fire of the North, blood to which
., , .-, :.. in-,, ., ,..
the presence of peril is like the touch
of the Ice King to water. At the first
clash of the blades, strange tingling
fires began to flash through Randalin
and then a hardness that burnt
while it froze- The first pass, her
hands had parried seemingly by their
own instinct; now she flung back her
tumbling curls and proceeded to give
those hands the aid of her eyes. Three
times her blade met Rothgar's square
ly, and deftly turned it aside. The
big warrior gave a grunt of approval
and tried a more complicated pass.
Her backward leap, the sudden dou
bling of her body, and the excited
clawing of her free hand, were not
graceful swordsmanship, certainly;
but her steel was in the right place.
The next instant, she even drew a lit
tle clink from one of the Jotun's sil
ver buttons.
As she was recovering herself, she
felt something like a pin prick her
wrist; and she wondered vaguely
what brooch had become unfastened.
But she gave it scant attention, for
the big blade was threatening her
from a new direction. She leaped to
meet it, and for the next minute was
kept turning, twisting, dodging, till
her breath began to come in gasps,
and her exhausted hand to relax its
hold. Her weapon was almost falling
from it by the time the son of Lod
brok lowered his point. Imitating
him. she stood leaning on her sword.
Tn"TTg futile gasps after her lest
breath.
A grim slowly wrinkled his face as
he watched her.
Tt appears that oae who is mo big
ger around than, a willow twig may be
capable of a berserk rage." he said.
"Do you not feel that you are wound
ed?" Following his eyes down to her
haad. she found blood trickling from
her sleeve. Oh, and pais! Now that
had wakeaed to it pain! prick
stiaging, stabbing. Dropping her
caught at her wrist.
id k kappea? I tkoagkt a
had pricked me!"
with laaghter. he caaght
aad tossed her ia
tae air.
-Apam! he saoated. "Apia!
A heard os
wffl sea
'- .
,
King Canute
af Usfl
C XcCXURG A OOu
share in tke battle. I swear it by tke
hilt of tke Hanger! "
For a moment the girl forgot her
wound aad hung limp in the great
bands. "The battler she gasped. "I
I fight?"
Roaring afresh, the Jotun gave her
another jubilant toss. "Ton bluster
ing field-mouse! Showing your teeth
already? Why knows? If you meet
a blind Englishman without a wea
pon, yon may even kill him. Here,"
he tumbled her roughly to the ground,
"tie up your pin scratch and then come
after me. I must go up yonder to
Canute, under the oak tree. Putting
out one great band, he patted her soft
curls as though she were some shaggy
dog, then hurried out to his chief.
It was a respite to be alone, aad she
accepted it gratefully. But it was only
a respite; she never for a moment
lost sight of that. The battle must
be faced, and faced boldly. One word
of reluctance would be the surest be
trayal of her secret. A betrayal meant
Rothgar! She shivered as she fancied
she still felt his greasy touch upon
her hair. To become his property
that he might even kiss! With a gasp
of relief, she turned her thoughts
back to the battle.
None too soon; above the outside
din a horn clarioned. loud and clear.
Through the nush that followed could
be heard the voice of Canute, assign
ing their positions to the different
bands.
I and my kinsman. Ulf JarL shall
be foremost. To the right of my stand
ard Edric Jarl shall stand, and the
men with whom he joined us. He
shall have another standard. To the
left of my bodyguard shall stand the
men of Eric of Norway. Friends and
kinsmen shall stand together. There
each will defend the other best."
Then Rothgar's harsh voice sounded,
shouting her name Fridtjof s name.
Giving her scarf a hasty twist about
her arm, she knotted it with her teeth;
and seizing the sword in her little
brown hand clotted with her own
blood, she ran out into the tumult.
Shrill and clear from the opposite
hills came the notes of the English
horns, as down the green slope moved
the ranks of English bowmen. The
hum of Danish voices sank in a
breathless hush. Down the line came
the young King upon his white war
horse, clad for the battle as for a
feast. The sun at noonday is not
more fiercely bright than was his
face. His long locks flowed behind
him on the wind like tongues of yel
low flame: and like northern lights in
a blue northern sky. the leader's Are
flashed in his eyes. As he came, he
was calling out terrible reminders;
words that were to the ears of his
champing host what the smell of blood
is to the nostrils of wolves.
His answer was the bursting roar
of the Danish battle-cry. Like an ava
lanche loosed from its moorings, they
swept down the hillside upon the Eng
lish bowmen. From that moment,
Randalin rode in a dream. The son
of Lodbrok was beside her, singing as
he went, and tossing his great battle-
"- IT, 7
the handle. In front of them rode
Canute the King; in his hand his
gleaming blade, whose thin edge he
tried now and again on a lock of
his floating hair, while he laughed
with hoyish delight.
On. till the bowmen's faces were
plain before them; then suddenly it
began to hail "the hail of the string."
Arrows! One hissed by the girl's ear.
and one bit her cloak, to hang there
quivering with impotent fury. The
man on her right made a terrible gur
gling sound and put up his hand to
tear a shaft from his throat. Would
they be slain before Canute rose in
his stirrups with a great shout. The
horns echoed it; the trot became a
gallop, and the gallop a run. On. on,
into the very heart of the hail-cloud.
How the stones rattled on the armor!
And hissed! There! a man was
death-doomed; he was falling.
To the side of the young leader,
Thorkel the Tall waa spurring, head
ing urgently from his saddle. "Craft.
my King! Craft! Why spin so much
good blood? listen to Edric the Gain-
Canute's furious curse cut him short.
"To the Troll with your craft! Swords
shall make us. or swords shall mar
us. Use your blade, or I will sheathe
it in you."
Only the wind that took it from his
lips heard the Tall One's aaswerr for
at that moment his horse reared aad
sheered away before a spear-prick,
and into the rift a handful of English
rushed with shouts of triumph.
There were no more than half-a-dozen
of them, and all were on foot,
the two whose eoId-hHted sword pro
claimed their nobility of birth wy
the lot of their lesser comrades, ac
cording to the old Saxon war-custom;
but it-needed not the daring of. the at
tack to mark them as the very Sower
of English chivalry. The young ao
ble. who hovered around his chief
much as Rothgar circled about Canute,
would have been lordly ia a serfs to
nic; aad the leader's royal kearfag
distinguished him even more than his
mighty frame.
At tke sight of him Rothgar attered
a great cry of "Edmaad!" aad moved
forward, swinging his pKf r
Bat tke IroasMe caaght it oa, km
shield aad delivered a sword-taraat ia
that drepatd the Daae'a arm
V
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SyattS MflC Aft at MS, MlgKS MCI
kaam.piaeaed fiartaafeksaaa, bat tke
Caste's siapss had need to dart
like a northern light The aobJe sad
oae of tke admen bad forced tkair
war to tae side tram which Tnernel
had been riven, aad a third tkreateaed
aim treat tke rear. Three atode
bias at aim as vitk oae motion.
It was a strange thing tkat saved"
i aim Baadalfa coald explain it Jeast
of alL Bat m a lightning flash it
waa bust iato her miad that, while
her Icing's sword was a match for
the two ia treat of him, the one he
hind was going to deal him his death.
Aad eves as she thought, it. she found
that she had tkrown herself across her
horse's seek aad throat oat her sword
aim out witk tke force and frenzy
and down iato tke shoulder of the
Englishman. In a kind of dazed won
der, she saw Ms blade, fall from his
grasp and his eyes roll up at her. as
he staggered backward.
Canute laughed out. "Well done.
Berserker!" and redoubled his play
against those before him.
A turn of his wrist disarmed the
soldier, aad his -poiat touched the
young noble's breast; but before he
could lunge, the mighty figure of Ed
mund rose close at hand, his blade
heaved high above his head.
(To be continued.)-
SACKED CACTUS OF INDIANS.
Plant Once Important Object
to In-
an Abertflima.
The chief Sabbath attraction in an
uptown church recently was a pyra
mid cactus. It held the most con
spicuous place oa the altar, and
scores of strangers visited the church
to see it.
"It was given to our home mission
ary, said oae of the members, "by an
Indian convert in New Mexico. The
cactus grows only in caverns, and is
found in the Gaudalupe mountains.
The beautiful vase-shaped maroon
blooms develop to over, two inches in
diameter, and there are as many as
120 on a mature plant. In early times
the faithful Indians used the caverns
as churches, and beautiful places of
worship they must have made, with
majestic walls of variegated lime
stone wreathed in flowering juniper
and mountain laureL They marched
over the mountain trails in spring
chanting seasonal songs to their gods.
When they reached the mouth, of the
cavern the chiefs were decorated with
the pyramid cacti, and a dance was
performed.
"Then chanting, dancing, and the
sacrifice of animals took place in the
cave. Often the redskins, worn out
with their exertions, fell asleep and
stayed through the day and night of
devotion within the mysterious walls, j
To sleep near the sacred cactus plants
was the same to the aborigines as a
visit to Mecca is to the Mohammedan.
The touching of its leaves was a puri
fication in itself. From some mys
terious part of the plant a liquid was
extracted to serve for medicine, and
the flower petals were placed upon a
babe's forehead at christenings. New
York Times.
Russia's Many Holidays.
Russia has over 100 universal holi
days in the year, and. in addition,
every village has the holdiay of its
own saint, so that on the average
there are only about 18 working days
in a month.
Each village also has certaia holi
days of its own. Thus the village of
Mikhailovo celebrates as a festival
the anniversaries of:
"The day the village was burnt
down in 1897."
"The day Piotr Morosoff tumbled
into the ravine and broke his neck."
"The day Pibtr was buried."
"The day the Czar Alexander Niko
laivitch. the emancipator, visited
Count Zhilinsky's bouse at Bobr."
"The day the Virgin Mary was seen
bringiag lood to the famine-stricken
in 189L"
All these festivals are celebrated by
the consumption of "gorkf (another
pet name for vodka). The drink is
not paid for by private individuals,
but out of the communal revenue, the
amount to be expended being fixed at
a special meeting of the "mir," or vil
lage parliament. Stray Stories.
Trouble at Sea.
Harry Lehr and John Jacob Astor
visited Philadelphia recently in a mo
tor car. They stayed overnight in
Philadelphia, and during the evening a
number of young men called on them.
Mr. Lehr was in good spirits. His
conversation was amusing. The faTir
happened to turn on sea voyaging, and
he said:
"Once, crossing the Atlantic, a tre
mendous row arose among the sailors.
They fought down in the forecastle
like a lot of beasts. Luncheon was
going on at the time, and the first offi
cer left the table to see if he could
quell the disturbance.
"He had only been gone a little
while when the hubbub began to die
down. Everything was quiet when he
returned. The captain called across
the saloon to him in an approving
tone:
"Things seem to be smoother
now.'
Tes.' returned the first officer. We
have ironed the sailors, sir.' "
A Change for the Worse.
Jacob H. Sen iff, the New York bank
er, was talking about plain and direct
speech.
"To be plain and direct is always
best," he said, "but to be too plain and
direct is to be uncouth to be ludi
crous. "A good example of that was afford
ed by a clergyman. He was address
ing a congregation of fishermen, and
he waated to be sure they would un
derstand him.
" The Bible teEs us. said this cler
gyman, that it is as difficult for a
camel to pass through a needle's eye
as for a rich man to enter the king
dom of heaven. That, though, is a
roundabout, confused way of stating
the case. I should state it like this:
"'It is as dimeult for a rich -n to
enter the kingdom of heen as for a
shad to go up a smooth-bark apple
tree tail fore:
Harmless Korean Emperor.
The emperor of Korea was paying
tribute to Chiaa as his suzerain this
time ten years ago. He may be quite
as inept aa ke is said to be. but ac
cording to Lord Curzon he is personal
ly aot at aa a bad fellow. He has an
unpleasant habit of ckewiag the betel
while eae is talking to him. Upon tke
royal brow rests a double tiered violet
headpiece; km robe is of scarlet fig
ured sflk. paneled witk gold embroid
ery aad. ke wears a gold studded pro
jectiacbett. He m smaX af statmw,
bat pleasant of featarea, gentle aad
wkk wmnmc ways. "Qnite a harm
less little maa," writes a. traveler.
Did She Threw Him Overt
."That Charlie Pinchbeck m a
"What kas he doaer
"Ton kaow, he's engaged to
Rickrack. WelL he foaad a riac
somewhere ct a bargain and gave It
to her. It was too small for her
flager. What do you suppose he
did?"
"Wkatr
"Advised her ta diet until she coald
get it oa." Stray Stories.
Must Leek the
Little Sister was complaining tear
fully about something her mother aad
told her to do.
"Very wen," said grandma, "we will
trade oft! this mamma for aaotker
one.'
"AH right," said little sister, "hat
well have her look just like my mam
ma now, wont we?"
a w
-"Tl
-J -
.'A"
Rescuer How lucky It is I'm a
t'unner! Now I can save a life by
running for help!
When Subjects RebeL
For three weeks he had borne all
-he horrors of spring cleaning without
a murmur. Then his patience- gara
way.
"And you," sobbed bis wife "yoa
used to tell me I was your aueea."
"Yes." he said, with a wild glare in
his eye; "but when a man finds his
queen has used his tobacco jar for
pale oak varnish and his best meer
schaum pipe for a tact hammer he
he begins to grasp the advantages -of
a republic" Stray Stories.
Force of Habit,
The master plumber had become
ich. and was going abroad for his
health. On tne voyage a school of
whales was sighted and the plumber
was seen to rub his hands ia
cies.
"Why is he so happy?" asked a cari
ous passenger.
"He can't help it," whispered the
captain. 'He imagines each spoat ia
a burst of water pipe, to be repaired
by him at his old rates."
Her Ruling Pi
"The next house I build IH leave
out all the woodwork."
"Why so?"
"Because at home now every time
I get a poor dinner my wife says:
There was no time to bother with the
cooking, Henry. We had to wash all
the woodwork to-day.' "
How It Looked to Him.
She had been hammering the piano
for half an hour.
"And you call that playing?" he
remarked-
"Yes," she returned indignantly.
"Why not?"
"It looks to me like work."
Those Melancholy Days.
"I wonder what inspired Bryant to
write the line, "The melancholy days
have come, " remarked Mrs Smithers
inquiringly.
"Why, in Bryant's day the women
did their housecleaning ia the faD,'
said Smithers. "
Evening Up.
T wish you would not give me sack
short weight for my money, saidthe
customer to a grocer, who had an out
standing bill against him.
"And I wish you wouldn't give aw
such long wait for mine," replied th'
grocer.
Willing to Oblige.
"I may as well tell you, young
man." said Miss Spooner's father,
"that I always close up the house and
turn out the lights by 10 o'clock."
"Don't bother to-night sir," replied
Jack Nervy. "Ill attend to that Car
you."
An Unwilling Victim.
Miss Q. Ery Who made your tvoae
i, little boy?
Willie B. Oston Madam, way da
you interrogate what is a setf cilJcat
truth? I am the victim of arq
ers good intentions.
He Didnt -av
Councilman 'lawkaway Do
think your paper will print an I said?
Reporter Oh; yes.
Councilman Tawkaway
nice, m be glad to see my speech m
run.-
Reporter Oh. 1 doat say wen prmt
your whole sreeei; well merely print
what you said.
He Had
The Bride Ten me
yoa proposed weren't yoa a fittle
vous for fear I skoald say "No"?
Tke .Bridegroom (who
far mosey) I skoald tkmk I
Why. I owed nearly $MM, am
creditors were getting awfaOy
tke oae maa ia a
TJiggs IsthataH? I
yarded himself as tka
LJsasnaaHenCC
Eaw Bsamw. aaav
jm j -i Taw jr -
paKHr c
JaTaBaaflE atff a9eee&tPaTei
4afY7aaam& r jm .NBsusr5aav.
mU aWxav!aKaav NjawNJa
m T"
tkeasjktker
aaS
habitants.
"What's aoiac am
native of
Wita a
plied eaickly
There's gwiae to he a meetia of
tke barkeepers
"Are. yoa sere ef that
asked.
"Certainly I am. Aiat I a txm tke
tables for an them aew? Tkey ought
to be a good crowd far moaey; yoa
knew, they make it easy, and they
ought to let it go loose. They are tke
slickest lookm' crowd I have seen
down here. They beat the members
of the Iegislatare an to pieces." he
coatinued.
While tke waiter am waa thaa de
livering htmsptf oae of the judges of
the ccart of appeals was standing a
short distance away conversing with
several lawyers. The colored maa
caught sight of them, and. turning to
his questioaer, said: "That big maa
there, I bet. is a barkeeper in one of
the Dig hotels. He is the slickest aad
fattest maa of them alL" Baltimo-e
Ssn.
JAPS USE A GOOD POWDER.
It
Never Faila a io Off When De
sired and Daas Effective Warfc.
The explosive powder used by the
Japaaese ia their projectiles is the
best ever employed ia warfare- It is
the iaveatioa of Prof. Shimnw. a Jap
anese. He claims that with regard to
explosive force the powder stands
next to blasting gelatia aad oa a
much higher level- than dynamite or
gun cotton. A handful exploded on
an iron plate oae and one-half inches
thick forces a hole through the plate.
A shell charged with the compounds
ordinarily used ia Europe is broken
iato a comparatively small number of
fragments, whereas one charged with
Shimose powder bursts iato from 2,000
to 3,000 pieces.
At a special test made two years
ago a six-inch shell loaded with gun
cotton made a hole a little larger than
its own diameter in the target and
burst with, trifling effect in the back
ing of coaL A shell charged with
Shimose powder tore an aperture
three feet ia diameter. The composi
tJoa is handled with, the greatest safe
ty and it costs only about one-half of
gua cotton.
Surarteiiif.
Mrs. Stuyvesaat Fish relishes few
things more thaa puncturing the pre
tensions of a flirtatious fop. A well
known Manhattan beau, who pleads
guilty to 60, was discussing his physi
cal condition within earshot of the
lady.
"Feeling pretty well myself. Did
think my wind a' bit bad, but doctor
says my arteries are as soft as a
babe's aad my heart works like a
well-built pomp. Pretty good for an
old 'ua of 60, hey?"
"Quite surprising, indeed," inter
posed Mrs. Fish in her cynical way.
"How so, how surprising?" he asked
suspiciously.
"Surprising that your heart should
work at all after you've thrown it at
the feet of every good-looking woman
in New York." New York Mail and
Express-
Frost an the Julep.
VThen the liquid is all ambcretJ,
Toned with spices aad trapped.
And the fluid in thermometers
Touch one hundred in the shade
How gently rolls the world away.
Hot soon the hours pass.
When the frost is on the jalep.
And the straw is in the giass: .
What pretty dreams come laughing with
Each vigorating- quaff.
And as we keep on quaffing, how
We linger, lore and laugh.
Until the raveled vestiges
Of care, and all they pass.
When the frost is on the julep.
And the straw is in the glass!
What fond, endcring memories
Come trooping back from year".
Unmoved by stinging conscience whips.
UnburntT by gnUing tears
On. how we drift asd drowse and dream
And watch the humdrum pass.
When the frost is on the julep?
And the straw is in the glass I
Yet. hold! The while we drift and dream.
The world moves on apace:
The sands are filtering through the glass.
And we we lose the racel
Oh. how the dead years haunt us
And watch the humdrum pass.
When the frost is on the julep.
And the straw is in the glass!
New Orleans Time-Democrat.
Too Hungry to Heed.
Aa old. old woman sat on the curb
of Park Sow. Her clothing was rags.
Her bleared eyes were deep in a set
ting of wrinkles. Upon her scant
gray hair there was something that
once had been a hat. She trembled"
with weakness. Beside her was a bas
ket filled with trumpery, evidently a
stock in trade. Passing her were
scores of well-clad men and women.
Few noticed the wretched wreck. Her
feet, shoeless, but wrapped in strips
of carpeting, had been bruised on the
stones of the street, and she was ad
justing the covering.
"Terrible!" said a lady to her escort.
"Yes," he replied. "WhereTI we go
for lunch?" New York World.
A Gamin's Caaatic Criticism.
Lawrence DOrsay, the English ac
tor, lads the American gamin a source
of endless delight. While standing in
the doorway of a theater in Philadel
phia he saw a newsboy leading a dis
reputable yellow dog by a string. "If
yoa will give me that dog," said D'Or
say, "TO get you Into the show." The
boy replied: "How do I know you'd
take care o' de pup? The actor laugh
ed aad got the little chap a front seat
ia the gallery: Next day he saw the
newsboy and asked: "How did you
like the show?" "Huh!" growled the
Tm glad I kept me dog."
Black: Skin Prsssction Against
Oa tke bare arm paiat a broad line
in Isdiaa ink: aad expose the arm to
tke strong- saasadae. A slight infiam
matins sets ia oa the unprotected
-skxa. bat aot aader the black paiat,
which eadsdes the Hgat rays (bat, af
coarse, aet tke keat rays). Some days
after the skin is darker (sunburned),
except where tke Indian ink was
is a wkke One in the
ag the arm again, the
sets iaoary ia tke white
line. Tke browa pijmi af caused by
the saa (sunburned) at tae first ex-
protects tke skfa against tke
rays. Taerefare are aegruea
td tiaielsta of white skin
metres ia the tropics
from tae saa by black or red
News.
aroased tie cariosity ef tke ia- .aaaMBaaaaarBaaaawlW 5$S m( TmvI9bW aaaaCaaaal
a catered waiter. 'm,mmSSSm5SS9lSmmBtBM
kaewinr air. the aegro re- &&l&GM& . -SaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaK
ferei to saanty SVJM aegrses fta m-
Vsr ia the Transvaal aad to agree to
delrrer them at Ioareaco-MaraweK
witnin twelve leaks, at SIM per
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T,KMUHKjflF3Bhv " -- aw,MmM. aaBa2aaaaaaaViwBBBBBBBBaaTBBBBBBBBBBaaa ..aamamMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBaL
herer asked a SKmBKSStStftJtKKIKmKKBK
Jty-jli A ' GORtVCTED JT
MaryMad." -EaXraM VK. FKaUOfinaaf -?'
waa Wa-fcZLVfc, Z?'rLJJJZZ .::" .- - " -
costrfoettaae cC
that risitars at this fa
ir wish to areseaL aad
wrald Tae oteased to answer correspoad-
cata (Twtrmr information on subjects
AUtsresa x. J. wraca: waa-
Xowa.7
HORTICULTURE IN RURAL
SCHOOLS.
There kas been a great deal of talk
lately in regard to the teaching of
agriculture, and horticulture ia the
rural schools. Doubtless great good
coald be accomplished in this way if
there were teachers qualined for the
work. Bat the so-called normal
schools tarn out too many drilled au
tomata and do little in the real teach
ing of aatare. If the country school
teachers could all be given a short
coarse In agriculture and horticulture
at tke state colleges of agriculture we
might after a while have mea aad
women prepared to take up the work
in an elementary way in the rural
schools. But as the short courses at
these colleges mostly come in the win
ter months, when the teachers are em
ployed, there arises a need for sum
mer schools for this purpose. These
might be made a strong force in the
progress of nature teaching. With
teachers enthused for the work, there
would soon come some application of
what they have learned in the plant
ing and beautifying of the school
grounds. There is nothing like' the
actual work in planting trees and flow
ers and caring for them to make chil
dren fond of nature and her products,
and there is nothing better calculated
to drive the young people from the
farm than the comfortless and ugly
schoolhouses and their ill-kept sur
roundings. Getting the young people
interested in plant life will then be
apt to draw them to the farmers in
stitutes, and the institutes will never
accomplish what they should in the
the education of the farmer till they
catch him young enough.
H. B. Gurier of DeKalb, Illinois, re
cently reported at a farmers' institute
that as soon as his cows were taken
off of ensilage and put on spring pas
ture (even though the pasture was
good) their milk dropped off twenty
per cent. Silos which thus increase
the output of a cow twenty to twenty-five
per cent are too valuable to
ignore. If a farmer has twenty cows
the silo will give as much milk as any
five of them and costs nothing to feed.
for ensilage is cheaper than any other
winter feed. The lesson from this
is that ensilage may be fed throughout
the spring if not all the year round,
supplementing other feed.
STRAWBERRY ENEMIES.
In common with all other domestic
fruits the strawberry has its insect
and fungus enemies, says a straw
berry grower. Among the more de
structive of the former are the white
grubs, a name given to the larval
stages of the different species of the
June beetles. As these work no ap
parent injury until the patch -is two
years old. it is advisable where injury
Is liable to occur to plow under the
patch as soon as the first crop is
harvested. Other insect pests are the
Strawberry Sawfly, or slug, and the
Strawberry Leaf Roller. These may
be controlled to a certain extent by
spraying. Rust, or Strawberry Leaf
Blight, as it is commonly called, is
perhaps the most destructive enemy
of strawberry culture. This disease
if not checked, soon spreads all over
the leaves and attacks the fruit stems,
often completely girdling them, caus
ing them to shrivel up, and the berries
are consequently useless. Fifty per
cent of the crop is often lost from this
cause. The most satisfactory remedy
for this evil is spraying with the Bor
deaux mixture, which should be ap
plied in July or August of the previous
year and before and after blossoming
of the fruiting season.
BREVITIES.
Plausible lies are "facts made of
wax."
Klondfkers are having their golden
daze.
The silo is a cow buoy a dairy
lighthouse.
Money breeds the moral backbone
oat of men.
conceited Christian may be guilty
of idolatry.
A dishorning saw may raise a crop
of cow peace.
No. sir men with a dual purpose
seldom do all they should.
Make 'em eat dirt! Who? The
crops. Pulverize the s"U so they can
do it.
It is a good maxim that "A man is
bst dressed when his dress is suited
to his business." But that is no rea
son for patronizing an overall manu
facturer who takes his patterns from
a eag factory.
POCKET GOPHERS.
I have been over my fields this
spring with a supply of poisoned par
snips, to kQl those pests, the pocket
gophers. I used strychnine in small
pieces of parsnip, just about enough to
make a good mouthful for the gopher.
"Witk a spade an opening is made in
their run-ways, into which a bit of the
poison is placed aad the hole is then
eavered. In a day one can lay out a
fsod deal of poison and a great many
gaphers, which are very destructive
fa tke orchards, meadows and an cul
grated fields.
Do
not think that because the
hi hot the cattle do not want
salt. If they have it where they can
Men: a Utile of it every day they win
aot get so hungry for it, and your milk
test wffl be the more uniform for '
fact.
A Hard Trip.
T understand that your husband
took a fiyer in the stock market."
Tee. answered, young Mrs. Tor
Bias, "that's what Charley caUed it.
Bat I gaess he must have used oae of
newly-invented air, ships."
He Has
Bbjgs Did yoa ever notice
kea&ky looking man Dr. Pellet is?
s- he looks so different
his iti its. I woader who kis
f UK. wtnUta? toVfwCS
ON CORN CULTIVATION.
How to caltivate core to tka
advantage is a question very
alive. It seems tkat ao rale earn be
laid dowa which is beat. The object
of caltrratioa is to produce tke most
favorable coaditioas for tae growth
of tke can. aad wafle tke ideal eaadi
tkm is largely tke same always, tke
methods of reaching it are many, aad
vary according to sarroandiag
stances, conditions aad
previous tillage.
The coaditioa to be attained m to
hold ia the soil the fullest amoaat of
moisture that does not retard tke
growth of the crop, and to keep the
weeds from growing. Every
knows that by plowing up tae wi
he destroys them and that by
taining a surface mulck ke keepa tke
moisture ia tke ground.
Knowing- tke object sought, every
one growing: corn should carefully
study tke coaditioas prevailing ia his
owa fields, and use such methods that,
ia his best judgment will turn these
conditions to good account. The meth
ods that would be best adapted to one
kind of soil might be the very worst
for some other soiL Consequently it
is not wise to adopt any method with
out careful consideration of its effect
under the specific conditions prevail
ing: To read and know of different
methods is advisable, if it instructs
along general lines, and it is a wise
farmer who does it. But it is a still
wiser one who gains general knowl
edge and seeks to apply it to specific
cases.
Study the effects of different modes
of cultivation and apply the one that
seems best adapted to the particular
needs in the ease.
"Down in the woodland pasture
The thistles and briers grow.
And the buttercups are yellow as gold.
And the daisies white as snow.
And Brindle, and Bessie, and Gray.
When the afternoons grow late.
Take the trodden. homward path
That leads to the barn-yard gate."
POULTRY POINTERS.
Save the meat scraps for your fowls.
It is a good rule to scald out the
drinking vessels once a week.
Ground bone can be fed alone or in
soft food.
Tobacco stems covered with straw
in the nests will prevent insect breed
ing. Proper food and a variety of it
make strong, healthy chickens.
One disadvantage of guineas s that
they are not good market fowls.
If you want to keep eggs for aay
length of time turn them over every
day.
Clean earth is one of the best ab
sorbents that can be used in the poul
try house.
Whitewashing the nests, inside and
out. is a good means of keeping them
free from vermin.
Mark your chicks each year so you
can know their age, and kill or sell
them after the third year.
The jog by reason of its peculiar
makeup needs more shade than any
other domestic animal. The person
who neglects shade for fat hogs is
liable to meet with a loss for his negli
gence. Hogs require a dense shade
and an abundance of water with ac
cess to the breezes.
SUMMER REDOING.
Too-many fanners have an idea that
little bedding Is needed by either
horses or cows during the summer.
They take the stand that the bedding
would be too warm for the animals.
This is nonsense for the horse, espe
cially, needs clean bedding during the
months when it perspires freely from
labor. Any material may be used for
summer bedding that is used during
the winter, but the bedding should be
removed from the stalls each morn
ing and aay that is to be put back
should be thoroughly aired. Sawdust
is good for bedding and will not be
injurious to the soil provided it is
mixed on the compost heap with
manure and a certain amount of hay
or straw bedding, so that when it is
applied to the soil it will not be too
hard to distribute. Many farmers use
weeds for summer bedding and there
is no objection to this as they are not
used when in seed so that when
thrown on the manure pile the seeds
will be kept in full germinating power
to make trouble later when placed on
the farm. Bed the animals as care
fully aad as cleanly during the sum
mer as during the winter and they
win be an the better for the good
care.
GRAVEL AND SHELLS.
Gravel is valueless unless IK Is
sharp. As soon as the fowl rounds off
a sharp substance in the gizzard, it Is
voided; hence, hens prefer sharp
shells to round graveL The reason
they eat more shells or more sharp
grit of any kind when they are lay
ing is because more food is then re
quired, and consequently there is bet
ter digestion. If an egg has specks
or takes of "lime on the shen it does
not imply that it Is due to feeding oys
ter shells, as the same thing occurs
when no oyster shells are gives. It
may also be due to the food. As a
rule such hens are fat. Some kinds
of gravel are of limestone and of ex
actly the same composition aa oyster
shells.
There is plenty of reason for west
ern farmers complaining of excessive
freight rates; but the maa who eon
verts his grain into butter, wool or
first-class fat ttocx wffl not be "bast
ed" by tke fn hjhr ke kas to pay.
Soft soap is a good
scaly legs in fowls.
faf
Did He Think They Ware Cass?
"Yoa offce holders." sneered the
man who was vainly trying to be
"don't die very often, do yoa?"
"No." replied tke maa who
one, as ke smiled benignly, "eary
once." Stray Stories.
Vary
thiagsat St. Loais
they reafiy appal the
Tarn Aftert Hm! they
tke kscai bills."
OftCHAHO NOTES.
to arane a fnrit tree l mot
tafL Back tree must be
earn drcaawtaacea. Tha
principal tin aa.il mnat be to give it
light, air. a anew farm, aad prevent its
growtk aa it wffl spirt apart some day.
For mataace. tram tka yoaag tree so
it will aet spread its mala branches
at oae poiat. "Open the top" is the
cry of moat praners. aad a good oae.
Once every year, sometimes twice,
we have to teQ yoa to wait for a good
soaking rain aad thaa tkrow a couple
of forkfuls of straw maaure around
every newly planted tree oa tke place.
Do it first ekaace. Doa't aak why
go do it.
Old Peter Tumbledown lets his
orchard grow into a tough sod. and is
surprised tkat his aelgkbor. who does
sot. has larger aad finer fruit than
he. He does not seem to know that
tough sod will not do for aa orchard.
When a twig of your tree appears as
aa if covered witk ashes, look sharp
for Saa Jose scale: also, if whea the .
bark of infected twigs is scraped an
ofly yellowish liquid appears oa the
surface.
If aay fruit skoald be thinned it is
the plum. Nature herself, recognizing
that this fruit ia proae to overbear.
sheds some fruit ia early summer.
This is aot enough, however, aad the
grower should continue the process af
ter the June drop.
Muzzle the horse in the yoaag orch
ard and tie up tke single trees with
fertilizer bags.
Frequent harrowing: will destroy
weeds by kffliag them while still very
young and tender.
vex. no gram npea Bear a
young
tree.
Doat forget to go to a picnic occa
sionally this summer; it is not time
lost. Give the women and children
the recreation and change which Is es
sential to their well-being. The farm
er who is so "practical" that he does
not believe in recreation is practically
idiotic in his blindness. He gets a
fair share of change and recreation
for himself in his weekly or semi
weekly trips to town where he gos
sips at the stores. Let him be wise
enough to give his family the same
amount of change from the humdrum
aad drudgery of the farm. He will
"get more work out of them" in the
course of a year and a lifetime than
he ever will by holding them continu
ally at toiL
Fruit is a profitable product of the
farm even if none of It is sold. The
eating of it promotes health, saves
doctors' bills, and saves money that
would be otherwise spent for thing3
to take its place. If there Is no fruit
arrange for it; if some fruit is now
grown, arrange for more.
LAST
CHANCE FOR
RAPE.
A CROP OF
There is time yet. but it win soon
pass away, for a crop of rape. I won
der if one in ten of our readers grow
rape. "What is that plant?" pointing
to a rape field and saying that he had
never seen or heard of it before. Rape
is practically a rutabaga which srrows
rapidly and converts all of it3 nutri
ment into ruch succulent leaves in
stead of storing it in the plant as does
the rutabaga.
Any land that is reasonably fertile
will grow rape. Oat, wheat or rye
stubble can be plowed and made fine
and three or four pounds of seed
sowed to the acre and covered lightly
and if dry weather. roHed. The rape
plant don't mind what kind of weather
we have. Dwarf Essex rape seed
looks like rutabaga seed, not turnip
seed, as does the mustard rape. Many
fanners have been badly injured by
getting the worse than worthless seed.
Stock can be turned Into it after the
plants are eight or ten inches high.
Even milch cows can have about two
hours after they are milked to eat
some.
Many young men leave the country
and go to town for city life, because
town life is easy, or they think it i3.
which serves the purpose of argu
ment. The result is that ninety per
cent of them earn enough money for
grub, clothes, a street car ride and an
occasional seat at a cheap theater.
Farm life la aot over-luxurious, but it
is not anywhere near so hard a3 it Is
claimed to be, and compares favorably
with average city life. Successful
farmers are just as numerous as suc
cessful business men.
POULTRY NOTES.
In nearly all cases the best aad
strongest chicks come from two-year-old
hens united with a good strong
cockercL
While there Is but little sale in mar
ket for guineas, they are the nearest
approach to the wild fowls of any
meat known.
It pays to bake food for young
chicks. Take equal parts of coarse
corn meal, wheat bran and a handful
of meat or meal or ground scraps to
a quart of the mixture and bake like a
shortcake, using baking soda to light
en it and enough wholesome fat to
shorten so it can be easily crumbled.
If weU baked it wffl keep a long time-
It is a nice thing to have a first
class education, but it is not absolute
ly necessary. A very great many of
our eminent and successful men never
went to college aad a very great
maay hare.
Do aot set mixed uo in factions.
Keep oat of aU little bug-house sqnab-
bles do aot take sides we are here
to work; doart you know mac?
Johnny Was On.
"Jeaaay." said his employer, "my
aaat died yesterday and I shall be
absent from the office to-day. I want
yoa to look after things."
"AH rigkr, sir," repUed Johnny. "1
hope youH see a good game."
Oid He Da?
"If yoa feel chilly said he, as they
stroQed, "remesaber I have your shawl
here aa my arm."
"Ton might pat it aroaad me," ska
'
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