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Bellefonte, Pa., November 30, 1923.
THE FASCINATING GAME
OF BILLIARDS.
By L. A. Miller.
One of the most popular games in
which men indulge by way of recrea-
tion is billiards. It is claimed for this
game that it has advantages over al-
most any other, both in moral and in-
tellectual culture.
In order to be a good shot with a
cue a man must be able to calculate
distance and angles correctly.
luck cannot be depended upon to any
extent whatever; neither will random
shots help the player. He must de-
cide as to what he intends to do, then
go about doing it with mathematical
exactness. This is held to be a men-
tal exercise of no little value in the
way of disciplining the mind.
The game is often spoken of as
practical geometry, and is accredited
with all the advantages and benefits
of that branch of study. These claims
are quite reasonable, as the player, to
be successful, must reason correctly
and perform the operation with the
greatest precision.
Chess has for centuries past been
held up as the game best calculated
to develop and discipline the perspect-
ing and reasoning faculties. To this
there is no objection, but the fact that
there is no physical exercise connect-
ed with the game has been used
against it, and with no little force.
The same objection applies to check-
ers and cards. These, however, do
not require a tithe of the mental ef-
forts that chess does, consequently
they are not so exhausting; besides
they furnish more excuses for talking
while the game is going on.
Whist is probably the most scien-
tific of all the games of cards, or at
least requires the most thought and
attention; yet it is not so exciting or
fascinating as poker. The latter is
largely a game of chance, and is more
or less interesting accordingly as the
“pot” is large or small. It is fascin-
ating, not because of the amusement
it furnishes, but because of the pei-
ils of fortune connected with it.
It is probable that croquet, polo,
cricket and football had their origin
in this invention De vigne, as they all
belong to the same family. The Chi-
nese claim the invention of the game
of billiards, as they do everything
else. It is only a claim as yet, be-
cause they have submitted no date to
substantiate it.
Billiards is derived from the French
bille, meaning a piece of wood, or
ball. The cue, or bille, originally
used was a slender stick of not more
than half an inch in diameter, held be-
tween the thumb and finger, with
which the ball, not larger than a good
sized marble, was struck a sharp
blow and sent in the desired direction.
The table was not heavier than an or-
dinary dining-table, and without cov- |
er.
Notwithstanding the game was
crude it took well with the nobility of
Germany, Italy and Spain. As peo-
ple of this class rarely improve any-
thing, much less invent anything, the
game remained in its original state
until the beginning of the 19th centu-
ry; with the exception of some chang-
es in the manner of counting, or
marking.
Two balls only were used a hun-
dred years ago, about which time
pockets around the sides took the
place of holes in the centre of the ta-
ble, which in turn had supplanted the
loops, or bars. Although the game
had been invented by a Frenchman,
and was known everywhere as the fa-
vorite French game, it was left for an
Englishman to develop its finer
points.
This occurred about 1810. A bil-
liard marker by the name of Carr,
employed in a gaming room in the
city of Bath, discovered that by using
a cue slightly rounded at the point,
and heavily chalked, he could drive
balls from side to side at any desired
angle. His feats excited a perfect fu-
ror. At last, when he discovered the
top twist, he was accredited with
magical power. His rooms were con-
stantly crowded, and he became the
associate of royalty; but he steadfast-
ly refused to give up his secret, ex-
cept for a handsome consideration;
and even then he would not divulge
the composition of his “magic chalk,”
but sold it at almost fabulous prices.
In the course of time the spell was
broken, and the people became aware
that there was no magic about either
the game or the chalk. In the mean-
time, however, Carr had made a snug
fortune, and had he not contracted so
many bad habits during his palmy
days he could have lived in luxury;
but as it was, he soon went to sticks,
spending his’ latter years as a billiard-
marker in the very rooms over which
he had once presided in such lordly
style.
Since 1820, changes in the style of
billiards, improvements in tables and
paraphernalia have been great. Fx-
perts began holding tournaments, and
matches were gotten up between ri-
val players, thus creating a general
interest in the game.
As the game of whist was too in-
tricate and difficult for the lower
classes to master, so with billiards,
and the result was the development
of simpler games, such as bagatelle,
pool and pin pool. These have grown
in popularity until pool tables are
more numerous and more largely pa-
tronized Shifonghont the country than
regular billiards.
The game is so simple that any one
can play it with tolerable success
after once learning to handle the cue.
As with cards, these simpler and
more popular games have become the
most baneful, because they are pa-
tronized by the classes who do not
play for the benefit they may derive
from it, but on account of the fasein-
ation there is about it.
There was a time when pool for
drinks had become the order of the
day in the lower saloons and dives,
and it increased the sale of intoxi-
cants very largely; especially among
boys and young men. Many of those
Blind | f
who were frequenters of the pool
rooms could searcely have been in-
¥
duced to go into a saloon for the pur-
pose of taking a drink, but they play-
ed and drank and drank and played
like veterans.
It was then 2 custom and a rule to
“set em up” at the end of each game;
the loser paying the bill, so that the
more games they played the more
drinks they took, and the more drinks
they took the more they felt like
playing. Happily since the elimina-
tion of most of the saloons that evil
is a thing of the past.
Among the novelties in billiard
playing is “finger billiards” and “nose
billiards,” in which the balls are
knocked with the nose or end of a fin-
ger instead of a cue. Only a few
cranks indulge in this sort of foolish
ancy business. —
To become a skillful player requires
a quick eye, keen perception, steady
nerves and a great deal of practice.
‘There are some who never can become
expert players, no matter how much
attention they give to it; but since the
object is pastime, or exercise at most,
it is little difference whether they are
expert or not. Several attempts have
been made to popularize the game
with ladies, but somehow, they have
not taken to it as kindly as croquet,
lawn tennis, or even poker.
STATE SABBATH
SCHOOL JOTTINGS.
Wonder if you know that last year
the members of the board of directors
of the State Sabbath School associa-
tion traveled a total of more than one
hundred thousand miles to attend
board meetings,—doing this at their
own expense, for the board members
are not only not paid and pay their
own expenses, but they are among
the heaviest contributors financially,
to the work of the Sabbath scheol.
The board of directors of the State
Sabbath school association at its last
meeting adopted the old plan of a
mid-year conference of all the county
presidents and secretaries. This will
be held some time after the first of
the year at a convenient point.
Two additional field workers are
urgently needed on the State Sabbath
school field staff and the men can be
secured, but funds are lacking to
finance this need. The state associa-
tion has followed the policy of spend-
ing only such money as they have but
because of the urgency of this need
the Association’s board of directors,
at its last meeting, decided to contin-
ue its financial drive throughout the
State in order to fully complete its
budget presented at the Williamsport
convention.
At a recent meeting of the directors
of the State Sabbath School associa-
tion the following officers were elect-
ed: President of the board, James A.
Lansing; secretary of the board,
Alex. Henry, D. D.; treasurer, H. E.
Pajsies: legal counsel, R. C. Hass-
rick.
The board of directors of the Penn-
sylvania State Sabbath School associ-
ation held meetings every month (ex-
cept July and August) to plan the
work of the State association in
| past two years for the sole purpose of
law relative to the protection of game,
{ but are also willing to aid in relieving
Pennsylvania. Outside of the associa
tion’s general secretary, Mr. Walter
E. Myers, the field staff does not take
part in the board meetings, but make
their reports through the various
committees on the board. There are
twenty-one members on the State
: tion their right to protect their prop-
erty when material damage is done
, cussions concerning this question dur-
sion for an open season on female
STATE GAME COMMISSION PAY
THE FARMERS OF PERRY
COUNTY FOR TRAPPING DEER.
During the last year or two deer
have apparently caused the farmers in
Tobyone, Jackson and Madison town-
ships, Perry county, considerable con-
cern and in some cases these animals
have apparently done damage to cul-
tivated crops and fruit trees in that
section. In a number of cases inves-
tigated, however, it was evident that
the actual damage was much exag-
gerated and not at all sufficient to
warrant killing or removing the deer.
The game law for the past six years
has permitted land owners to kill
deer under certain conditions if they
are actually destroying crops in a
material way. Before doing so, land-
owners must be in a position to prove
that material damage is being done,
and if a deer is killed, must remove
the entrails, hang up the carcass, and
report within 24 hours to a game pro-
tector or to the Board of Game Com-
missioners at Harrisburg. Partly
through misunderstanding, some deer
have been killed where ii is very
doubtful whether the actual damage
justified killing the deer, and two
prosecutions were brought within the
having landowners understand that |
the Game Commission will not ques-
but the provisions of the law relative
to taking care of the carcass and re-
porting the killing must be complied
with in order that the carcasses of
any deer killed may be sent to a char-
itable institution for the use of the
inmates.
Quite recently a deer was killed by
Mr. Ralph Smith under one of his
apple trees. The justice of the peace
decided that under the evidence sub-
mitted the killing of this deer was
justified. In view of the testimony
and lest the people of that section get
the idea that the board of Game Com-
missioners is endeavoring to oppress
them, this particular case will not be
carried further.
The board of Game Commissioners
must insist on everybody obeying the
conditions that may be detrimental to
the welfare of the farmers in any sec-
tion of the State. As a result of dis-
ing the Legislature, a feature was
added to the new game code permit-
ting 200 or more residents from any
county to petition the Game Commis-
deer in any township, or number of
townships combined, or an entire
county if necessary in order that the
number of deer may be reduced and
further depredations lessened accord-
ingly. The board of Game Commis-
sioners’ is given power, upon receipt
of such petition, to open any part of |
a county to the killing of female deer, |
and to issue such number of special |
licenses at $5.00 each as in their judg- |
ment will be warranted under the con- |
ditions prevailing in the territory af- |
fected. Such licenses are issued in!
the order in which the applications |
are received. i
Immediately after the passage of the |
new game law proper petition blanks
. were prepared and the game protector.
board, and eleven members on the ex-
ecutive committee, who hold their
meetings just prior to the board’s | they actually wanted to reduce the
meeting.
scarcely over, the program commit-
tee of the State board has already
been apointed and also a couple of
the local committees at Washington,
Pa., the next place of meeting, are
working out their plans. Some speak-
ers must be engaged a whole year
ahead.
The State Sabbath School associa-
tion has one division with a non-paid
volunteer superintendent, namely the
“Publicity,” and the association, lack-
ing fully all the funds it should have
to carry on the work as it should, will
invite such a volunteer State superin-
tendent of temperance, of missions, of
parent-training, etc.,, in order to
promptly help further these depart-
ments.
Activities of the “field force” of the
Pennsylvania State Sabbath School
association for the month of October
was as follows:
District conventions held - - 53
District institutes held - - - 20
Special rallies or institutes - - a7
County conventions held - - 4
Annual county tours - - - 30
Older boys’ and older girls’ conferences 13
Association officers’ conferences - 3
Executive Com. meetings, (districts) 113
Executive Com. meetings (county) 33
The demand for field workers for
these gatherings was too heavy to be
fully met with the State’s present
orce.
In Need of Religion.
The soldiers marched to the church:
and halted in the square outside. One
wing of the edifice was undergoing
repairs, so there was room for only
half the regiment.
“Sergeant,” ordered the captain,
“tell the men who don’t want to go to
church to fall out.”
A large number quickly availed
themselves of the privilege.
“Now, sergeant,” said the captain,
“dismiss all the men who did not fall
out and march the others in—they
need it most.”—Continent.
Entirely Innocent.
The prohibition officers had come
to the door of Mose Jackson’s house
on the quest of an illicit still. The
door was opened by Mose’s youngest
boy, a pickaninny about 7 years of
age.
“We're prohibition officers, son,”
said one of the men, “and we've come
to search your father's hounse for
liquor,”
“You won't find no licah, heah,
boss,” said the boy. “Why, we jes’
put the mash to soak last night.”
}
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Wonder if those Sabbath school ! petitions with the board of Game
workers who attend the annual State | Commissioners before July 1st, so
conventions know that one big con- | that they might be acted upon for this
vention is hardly over until plans are | year.
in progress for the next convention. | that the people in the upper end of
With the Williamsport convention , Perry county did not want any female
. deer killed and would not file a peti-
of Perry county and the refuge keep-
er on the Germantown refuge were
supplied with these blanks so that they
could hand them to people who might
be interested in circulating and sub-
mitting petitions to the board in case
number of deer in that locality. This
was done in plenty of time to file the
We were informed, however,
tion this year.
To convince the land owners in To-
boyne, Jackson and Madison town-
ships, in Perry county, that the board
of Game Commissioners of Pennsyl-
vania is sincere in their desire to as-
sist them in solving their problems,
we hereby offer to pay any land own-
er or lessee who has been injured by
deer in said townships $25.00 for each
deer trapped on private lands open to
public hunting, propertly crated, and
delivered to the railroad station in
good condition fit for stocking pur-
poses, and we will return empty
crates to said station by prepaid ex-
press for further use. We will be
glad to advise any one desiring infor-
mation concerning the building of
traps that will be most effective un-
der the conditions prevailing in each
case, and will issue to each responsi-
ble person who may be interested in
taking up this offer a special appoint-
ment as an agent of the Game Com-
mission legalizing this trapping work.
We need several hundred deer for
stocking purposes in sections of the
State that ‘are mot yet sufficiently
stocked, and will be glad to have at
least 200 of them trapped in Perry
county if that sectidn can spare that
number.
SETH E. GORDON.
Old Peacock Throne.
The Peacock Throne was a famous
throne, formerly standing in the di-
wanti-Khas, or audience hall, at Del-
hi, Indiana, in the days of the Shah-
Jehan (1627-1658) and Aurung-sebe
(16568-1707), Mogul Emperors.
It measured six feet in length by
four feet in width and was supported
by six feet of solid gold, encrusted
with gems. The throne itself, also of
gold, was inlaid with diamonds, em-
eralds and rubies and surmounted by
a canopy of the same metal.
It received its name from the fig-
ures of two peacocks, with outspread
wings blazing with precious stones,
placed behind it. Between these
stones was a figure of a parrot, life-
size, said to have been cut from a
single emerald.
e cost of the Peacock Throne is
variously estimated at from $10,000,
000 to $50,000,000.—Asia Magazine.
Sn ———— A —————.
Too Much.
Doctor—“Your mother-in-law’s con-
dition necessitates a warm climate.”
Newly-wed (After a moment's re-
on)—*“You do it, Doc. I haven't
the heart.”
#RCHIBITED THE USE OF COAL
ing Edward | of England Ordered
Execut.on of Man Found Guilty of
Burning Bituminous Fuel.
In 1306 King Edward I of England
issued a proclamation making the use
of coal as fuel in London a capital of-
tense.
One case ‘is on record where an ac-
cused was tried, found guilty of burn-
‘ng coal, condemned and promptly exe-
cuted.
Prof. V. 8. Babasinian, professor of
organic chemistry at Lehigh univer-
sity, who is just completing extensive
research work on coal tar derivatives,
recounts several amusing incidents.
The invisible gaseous products of
the combustion of coal were early pro-
nounced detrimental to health and veg-
etation. Resentment became intense
when ladies of rank, their fair faces
made fairer by liberal applications of
powder, underwent a curious change
of complexion whenever they sat near
a coal fire.
The nature of the smoke and odor
from burning coal remained a mystery
until after the middle of the Seven-
teenth century, when an alchemist de-
vised an ingenious process of heating
coal in the absence of air. The liquid
obtained was known as “oil of coal,”
and was sold as a most potent remedy
for many ailments.
Then followed the isolation of large
quantities of the highly inflammable
gas, “spirit of coal.” When coal is
distilled for illuminating gas it yields
an enormous quantity of black
sticky by-product, now known as coal
tar.
In 1845 Mansfield isolated a most im-
portant compound, benzene, in this by-
product. In 1856 an eighteen-year-old in-
vestigator produced the first artificial
dye from .coal tar.
From 1860 to the present day the
research chemist has subjected coal
tar to the most searching scrutiny
known to modern science. His efforts
have been rewarded by the discovery
of no less than 150 intermediates from
which are produced the most gor-
geous colors, the deadliest poisons, the
most powerful explosives, solvents, in-
sulators, substitutes for sugar, per-
fumes, tanning materials, flavoring ex-
tracts, accelerators, photographic de-
velopers, antiseptics, antipyretics, an-
algesics, diuretics and purgatives.—
Kansas City Star,
CAVE MEN RULED BY WOMEN
Female’s Cunning and Wit Outcome
of Her Lack of Physical Strength,
Say French Professors.
Recent research by some French
professors into the ways of women of
100.000 years ago have given an unex-
pected jolt to preconceived ideas.
They declare that woman in the days
of our cave-dwelling ancestors was re-
garded as of the more important sex.
Men held a secondary position, tol-
erated for the sake of the food and
skins provided. :
Women ruled, and were inventors
of the earliest arts and sciences. It
was the woman's ingenuity which de-
vised snares for animals and made
plans for storing food against times
of scarcity, Women taught ways of
making clothing from skins of animals
and by the efforts of their brains im-
proved the lot of all the human race.
Woman's cunning and wit were the
outcome of her lack of physical
strength, which obliged her to resort
to strategy rather than force.
On the whole, the prehistoric wom-
an apparently held the same position
and ruled man in the same manner
that she does today, according to these
professors.—Detroit News.
His Unexpected Reason,
After a violent quarrel the betrothed
couple had decided to part. During a
passionate scene the girl tore the dia-
mond ring from her finger and threw
it on the floor at his feet.
Calmly the young fellow picked up
the ring, dusted it with his handker-
chief and placed it carefully In his
pocket,
“So,” he remarked, coolly, “you have
Jilted me. Who has supplanted me?”
“I don’t like to tell you,” she an-
pwered, averting her face.
“Tell me,” he insisted,
“No.”
“Give me his name and address.”
“No, Percy, no,” said the girl. “You
want to kill him, I know!”
“No, 1 don't,” replied the business-
like Percy. “I only want to sell him
the ring.”
The Customer Had One.
“Yes, sir,” sald the barber, “my poo:
#rother, Jim, has been sent to an
esylum. He got to broodin’ over the
ward times, and it finally drove him
#razy. He and I worked side by side,
and we both brooded a great deal.
No money in this business now, you
finow. Prices too low. Unless a cus-
emer has a shampoo, it doesn’t pay
<0 shave or hair-cut. I caught Jim try-
ng to cut a chap’s throat because he
#eclined a shampoo, so I had to have
the poor fellow locked up. Makes me
sad. Sometimes I feel sorry I didn't
tet him slash. It would have heen our
revenge, Shampoo, sir?"—Sydney
{Australia) Sum.
Helen Among the Missing.
When Rufus Steel and Dick Hota,
ng met recently they compared domes.
“It seems to me,” said Steel, “that the
bast time I saw you there was a halr
otf] standing, over toward the south-
west section. What has become of it?"
“Ah, yes,” sald Hotaling, “that was
Helen. Helen is dead. You'll notice
¥®m naming them now Instead of num-
bering them. It seems more affec-
tionate."”
Hr
BAKE AND CHILL WATCHES
Tests for Timepieces Made in Oven:
and Refrigerators by the Manu.
facturers.
After the msaiy small parts of a
watch have been assembled and fitted
into the case, a number of tests have
to be made hefore the watch is ready
to pass into the possession of a new
owner,
One of the most necessary things
to look out for is the action which
changes of temperature have upon the
works. Extremes of heat and cold
affect the running of a watch consider-
ably. You may, ; erhaps, have noticed
with your own watch that it cannot be
relied upon to keep accurate time if
the weather makes a sudden jump
from heat to cold, or vice versa.
It will either gain or lose, and you
will wonder what is happening to it.
When the weather becomes normal
again, the watch will behave properly.
Expensive watches are adjusted for
temperatures varying between 35 de-
grees and 95 degrees,
Each watch is put in a tightly-fit-
ting case, and placed in a chamber
the temperature of which is slightly
above freezing punt. Its movement is
observed very carefully, and adjusted
from time to time, until the watch is
going correctly.
The timekeeper is then moved from
the cold chamber, and gradually heat-
ed in a specially constructed oven,
the temperature of which is between
90 and 100 degrees. Here its internal
arrangements are still carefully
watched and adjusted from time to
time. When the watch is going cor-
rectly in this temperature, it is re-
turned to the cold chamber for further
adjustment, if necessary. It spends
about a week in each chamber,
By the time a watch has passed the
temperature tests, it will go correctly
in any climate,
specially by explorers and travelers
who are going to places where great
extremes of temperature are encount-
ered undergo very searching tests to
make them thoroughly reliable.—Lor
ion Tit-Bits.
PAPYRUS GROWS IN ITALY
Plants Are Greened Stems Like Reeds
or Bamboo and Have Spray of
Flowers at the Top.
Syracuse, in Sicily, is the one place
in the world where papyrus still grows
wild. Even in Egypt, home of its
origin, it is extinct. And the origin of
that papyrus is a charming episode in
history, writes Henry James Forman.
Hiero, king of Syracuse, at about
the time Theocritus was at his court
composing the Idyls, built and fitted
out a marvelous ship equipped with
gardens, stalls for horses, and stair-
ways and columns of Teorminian mar-
ble—a ship of 4,200 tons in those days.
Archimedes doubtless helped to build
it—a present to Ptolemy of Egypt.
As a part of the acknowledgment
of the gift from Alexandria came the
papyrus planted along the banks of
the Anapo and there it has been grow-
Ing ever since,
The papyrus plants are greet-
stemmed like reeds or bamboo, the
thickness of a man’s wrist, with a
circular spray of flowers at the top,
unique among plants.—Harper’s Mag-
azine,
Spirit Renamed at Death.
During the life of a person in Luzoy.
ais spirit is called Tako. After the
death it receives a new name. It is
believed to go about in a body Invis-
ible to the eye of man, yet unchanged
in appearance from the living person.
If a man becomes unconscious, the
natives think a vengeful spirit has
lured away the soul of the sick man
and they hold the ceremony of “Cali-
ing Back the Soul.” Then they hold
a big feast to which they invite all
the spirits in order to induze them to
bring back the sick man's soul.
A pronged spear is supposed to pro.
tect the people from the ever vengeful
Anito, or evil soirits, who are always
walting to trip one up on the trail, to
cause him to fall and hurt himself or
to kill him.—Detroit News.
ep
Six Stock Salesmen to Avoid.
The Northwestern Banker (Des
Moines) puts a deal of good advice
into small compass when it tells its
readers that the six stock salesmen
for the investor to avoid are:
The man who tells you how stock-
holders In similar concerns became
rich over night.
The man who wants to help you in
“keeping the contract away from Wall
Street.”
The man who talks about the “trans-
ferability” of stock.
The man who says that the stock
will later be “listed on the exchange.”
The man who wants you to buy be-
cause “the price is surely going up.”
The man whose chief selling points
are letters of recommendation from
“leading citizens.”
Shop Talk,
There was a new attendant at the
spiritualistic circle, and he had for-
merly been employed In a big drapery
shop.
The fact came to light when a cli-
ent requested him to tell the medium
that she wished to speak with a Mr.
Green,
“Certainly, madam,” sald the attend-
ant. “Can you give me his Christian
name?”
“I'm afraid I've forgotten it, but he
died quite a’ short time ago.”
The attendant cleared his threat
and approached the medium, “Please
show the lady some of the latest
shades of Greens,” he sald.
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Chronometers ordered
Sm,
FARM NOTES.
—An attractive label and. container
helps sell honey. Make the selection
very carefully. It is your trade
mark.
—Remember that the time to pre-
pare for a good crop of corn is in the
tall. Selecting and curing a goed sup-
ply of seed corn is a good start on the
1924 corn crop.
—Pullets are often thrown into a
fall molt because they are not housed
before they begin laying. Place the
pullets in winter quarters ten days or
two weeks before they lay their first
eggs.
—Arrange your hog quarters this
winter so that the brood sow will have
plenty of exercise. Be sure and give
her plenty of protein and mineral
matter for maintaining her own body
and developing a good litter of pigs.
—Old “bossy” likes to be fed regu-
larly. She objects to a late meal just
as strenuously as you do. The regu-
larity of her feed is more important
than the exact time. Set an hour for
Seine the dairy herd and then stick
o it.
|
| —Don’t forget the dates for the
| winter course at State College. The
| eight weeks of practical training in
general farming, animal production,
horticulture, poultry production, or
dairy manufacturing will open on
January 3. Send in your application
immediately.
—The old hens and pullets when
put into winter quarters should be
treated for lice. A small pinch of so-
dium flouride applied under the feath-
ers on the neck, under the wings,
around the vent and on the back will
kill the pests. One pound will treat
100 to 125 birds.
.—The ideal fat lamb weighs about
eighty pounds. Lambs that are much
heavier will not bring as good a price
on the market as the smaller lambs.
When they get up to a hundred
pounds, the cut in price is usually
quite heavy regardless of the condi-
tion and quality.
—Insect pests that harbor over
winter along the fence rows and
among the weeds on the ditch banks
may be destroyed by burning all of
this obnoxious growth. Many inju-
rious insects survive the winter in
fence corners, along weedy ditch
, banks, and in piles of debris ready to
attack crops in the spring. :
{ —Now is a good time to begin the
‘use of artificial lights for the poultry
flock, twelve hour day has been
found satisfactory where the light is
j used either in the morning or in the
| evening, or both. Leaving the lights
jon until eight or nine in the evening,
giving the birds an opportunity for
the so-called midnight lunch, has giv-
en good results.
—The amount of salt required dai-
ly by the dairy cow varies according
to the milk production and feed con-
sumption. Allow the herd to have free
access to salt or give them a certain sy,
amount regularly with their feed.%
Many dairymen mix about a pound of 4
salt with each 100 pounds of grain °
feed and in addition supply salt so the
cows can have free access to it.
—Plants which may be dug into the
garden soil with comparative safety
include: Weeds, the refuse of salsify,
| spinach, parsnip, onion, horseradish,
' corn, lettuce, turnip, cauliflower, cab-
bage and carrot. If additional vege-
table material is desired and a good
supply of barnyard manure is not
available, the leaves of shade or oth-
er trees make a good substitute.
—Parsnips and salsify require
freezing to be most palatable. Many
home gardeners fail to dig them in
the fall before the ground freezes up
and hence cannot dig them before
spring. Dig these vegetables before
solid freezing weather, place them in
i a box or barrel, and cover them with
‘earth. In this way, small quantities
can be secured for use at any time.
—Care of the Strawberry Bed.—
Sufficient space should be left between
the rows for pickers to walk without
tramping the fruit. If the rows are
well filled with plants to the desired
width, all further plants should be
considered weeds and destroyed. For
best development, plants should not
be closer than three to six inches
apart, depending upon the variety.
When closer, they stunt each other
and reduce instead of increase the
yield. k
—A boy thirteen years of*age has
qualified for membership in Pennsyl-
vania’s “400 bushel potato club.” Don-
ald Snook, of the Oxford Potato club,
of Chester county, produced 417.6
bushels on an acre measured and cer-
tified by county agent William Van-
dergrift.
Donald is one of about 12 boys in
potato club work growing an acre or
mote of potatoes and is the only mem-
ber who has succeeded in attaining
the high honor thus far. The gold
medal, which will be awarded to every
grower producing 400 bushels, will be
given to Donald at a meeting of the
potato growers at the Farm Products
show in Harrisburg, in January. To
date, 26 growers in the State have
gone over the top and Professor E. L.
Nixon, of State College, expects sev-
eral more to be added to the list in
the next two weeks.
—War has been declared on the rat
population of Pennsylvania. Follow-
ing a discovery that a single rat will
eat between 13 and 14 pounds of feed
in a year, farmers in many communi-
ties are waging a battle to get rid of
these thieves.
The Wayne county Farm Bureau is
offering a prize to the man who turns
in the largest number of rat tails at
the end of the year. One poultry
farm reports a casualty list of 277
rats last year. The manager tigures
that by destroying these pests, he cui
down his feed bill by at least $250. In
i addition to consuming great quanti-
ties of grain the rodents have a habit
of enjoying a feast on young chickens
at regular intervals. =
The rate of multiplication of the rat
population is astounding. It has been
found by experimentation that a sin-
gle rat may produce more th. in 50 off-
spring in a single year. Traps, poi-
soned ‘food, cats, dogs, and guns are
all instruments of war that are em-
ployed in the battle against the pest.
Poison food is a dangerous method,
especially on a poultry farm.