A BOER GIRL IN THE NATIONAL COSTUME. ga.rr v _r_ J When young, lioer girls are handsome, tall and of good figure. Their eyes are blue, their hair light, their feet and hands large. Many Boer belles take its in men's shoes. They attire themselves as a rule in white muslin, gay with ribbon and brass jewelry. >3300000000000000000000000 I THE PEARL-BUTTON INDUSTRY QF§ | THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 8 boooooooooooooooooonoooooo EARL buttons are | J made, for the moat part, from frosh- water mussel shells. In less A) ss?pprjjjSvv than three yeara iWclam digging for I J this purpose in the upper reaches of -» the Mississippi River has developed from an occa sional pursuit into a science. The bivalves taken up resemble the salt water article as much as a rhinoceros resembles an elephant. They are not fit to eat, they look raw, even when eome adventurous tenderfoot boils them, and they have a taste weirdly compounded of catfish and musk. They aro in reality mussels, and they are wanted not for their meat but for the beautiful mother-of-pearl linings of the shells, from which buttons and hundred of fancy articles are made. A thousand rneu are engaged in this new industry, most of them working on MUSSEL FISHING THUOUGH THE ICE, MISSISSIPPI HIV Ell. their own hook, and they make from S4O to $125 a month, according to their facilities and application. The shells when dried are sold by the ton to the local concerns that are known as button factories, though they do not often make buttons. They aie in reality polishing shops and are fitted up with a vast number of steam driven wheels and brushes, emery circles, etc., for smoothing the in teriors of the shells and grinding oil the rough outer covering. This ma terial is shipped East to factories where buttons are made, as well as hundreds of other useful aud, in many casos, beautiful articles. Clam shells from the upper reaches of the Mis sissippi River are turned iuto shirt ''DEERHORN" MUSSEL WITH BLANKS CUT OUT. buttons, the big buttons, sometimes as big a3 & silver dollar, that are U3ed an women's cloaks, cuff buttons, "uother-of-pearl arabesques with which >ru6hes and combs are to be iulaid, nacks of pocket-knives, shirt studs, theap scarf pins, buckles, ear rings, bracelets aud even linger ring 3. It requires close examination by an ex pert to tell this mother-of-pearl from •ho genuine South Sea article, and ihere is practically no difference in itructure or appearance. The most picturesque feature of the industry is the constant looking for pearls. Thousands upon thousands it clams are opened and examined jarefully for every fair pearl that is Siscovcred. vet a find of almost anv sort is apt to pay the searcher for lii« trouble. The pearls are common enough, but generally they are not larger than a mustard seed, and are PEARL BUTTON SAWS AND SAW IIOLDERS. valueless. Not infrequently, one i> fouuu mat will fetch in its raw state from $4 to $lO, and instances are many of even greater treasure troves. Mussels are obtained with various kinds of apparatus. Those which have been or are now in use are the hand rake, tho tongs, the rake hauled by means of a windlass, tho dredge operated by steam, and tho bar with hook.j. The last named, a very in genious contrivance, came into use in 1897 aud has largely superseded other appliances. It consists of a circular iron bar, aix to eight feet long, with from thirty to fifty-four pronged wire hooks attached at regular intervals in strings of two or three hooks. This apparatus, which is used from a small boat and is hauled over the bottom by means of a rope, depends for its ac tion on the habits of tho mussels. They rest on the bottom, or partly buried iu the mud or sand, with the free margin of their shells turned up stream aud with their shells separated to admit tho water, laden with oxygen and food. When touched they quick ly close their shells, and if a foreign body is interposed between the valves, it is tightly grasped and retained. Anyone who has not witnessed the use of this apparatus can scarcely realize how remarkably effective it is. Often when the mussels are abundant, al most every prong will have a mussel on it, and two or three are sometimes caught cn one prong. When the beds of mussels are compact, one man can take 800 to 1000 pounds in a day, and a case is reported where 2200 pounds were obtained by one man in ten hours. The average daily catch at I resent, however, is probablv not over 500 pounds. After sufficient ice forms on the river, there is con&'-derable mussel fishing through th? ice with "shoul der rakes" and "scissor rakes." For the use of these applianoes, under such circumstances, a hole twj to six feet square is cut through the ice. Preparatory to being used, the mussel sLells, aa purchased from the fishermen, are sorted into sizes. An- other preliminary step is the soaking of the sorted shells in barrels of fresh water for three to six days v> render them less brittle. Even when only a few hours out of the river th > shells become dry and brittle, and crumble or split under the saw. The nest step is the cutting or saw ing of the l-ough blanks. The saws are of flat steel strips about two inches wide, and of various lengths corresponding to the sizes of the buttons. These strips after be ing provided with fine teeth along one of the sides, are accurately bent into a cylindrical form and fitted into heavy iron holders; the latter are ad justed to a lathe in which they revolve on a horizontal axis. As the blanks are cut they pass back into the saw and holder and drop into a box be neatu the saw. After being polished, washe<f and dried, the buttons goto rooms where they are sorted into sizes and grades of quality, and then sewed on card 3 and packed in paste board boxes. What » Utile Girl Thought. • r A party of friends of the late Vice- President Hobart wero visiting Wash ington, and of course spent an hour in the Senate chamber. Among them was a little girl of ten who paid close attention to the proceedings. Two days afterward he met the child, who presently asked: "Do you sit there every day listen ing to those old men talk?" "Yes, dear." "Do you have to?'' "Yes." "I'm real sorry. It's an awful thing to be Vice-President, isn't it?"— Phil adelphia Saturday Evening Post.; How the Boflrs Hobble Homes. This is the way Oom Paul's men hobble their horses to prevent them running away at night. Erery one of the Boer soldiers now fighting the British in South Africa is mounted, and a camp scene showing the ponies grazing while tethered in this way i3 quite picturesque. The custom is said to be a cruel one, and fno doubt the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will start a it indue time. Apparatus For Opening Difficult Doors. In a new invention a single cell is made to open the most difficult of doors, even at a distance of fifty yards. The apparatus can be fixed either inside or outside the door. It will also lift or shoot strong bolts. It works with a single-pressure of a knob. It is especially adapted for asylums or jails, where emergencies requiring just such an appliance are likely to arise. Benefits of New Foods. The introduction of new foods is an excellent plan for both the health and commercial prosperity of a nation. Nearly all of what are regarded as in digenous fruits and vegetables have been imported to u.ifrom other lands. Of the food plants now in use only pumpkins aud a few grapes, plums and berries were originally found on the soil. An Appalling Pun! "I see it stated," remarked the Horse Editor, "that the monarch of Abyssinia may make trouble for Eng land in South Africa." "I don't think," added the Snake Editor, "that the Abyssiuian Monarch will strike Menelikes for the Boers."— Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph. 'f« . n <\t%££. fa; ■&.**■% $» % JtTYn* * - A ff fr- A oKEMINGLY IMPREGNABLE POSITION THE BRITISH^ASSAILED. It ia against such impregnable positions as this that the British have to go. In the fight aronnd Colenso a heavy naval gun had to be taken np this almost unscalable hill, and in the face of a murderous fire from the peaks of a berg, behind which the Boer marksmen lay. It took twenty-six oxen to drag the eun no the rocky elope. A HISTORIC FORTRESS. Imposing Rains That tl»e Italian Gov eminent WHI Restore and Preserve. The imposing ruins of the famous Castello Carpinets near Beggio d'Em ilia, the Canosoa of once on a time, perched on precipitous rocks, were to CASOSSA CASTLE. have been sold by auction recently but the Italian Government steppea in and informed the heirs of the late Count Valdrizti, the present owners of the castello, of the intention of thf State to purchase the property. II was within the now dilapidated walh of the castle that Emperor Henry IV. humbled himself before Pope Gregory VII. in 1077, by waiting three days, barefooted and in sack cloth, for the papal pardon. Beferring to thi3 re markable incident, Bismarck gave ut terance to the now proverbial words, in his struggle against the supremacy of the ultramontancs in 187'2, "Tc Canossa wo shall not go." The castle was partially destroyed by the revolu tionary burghers of Beggio in 1255, and during the centuries which have since elapsed the touch of time has gnawed mercilessly at the once almost invincible stronghold. Several of the halls and chambers of the castle are still intact, and both the Italian and foreign archfcologica! associations which were prepared to bid for the historical ruins at the proposed auc tion are now most anxious that the Itaiian Government preserve the castle from further decay in default of re storing it to its pristine condition. Swapping Beaftts In a Zoo. Horse "swapping" is a dull and un eventful branch c 112 industry compared with the gorgeous possibilities that are within reach of the animal men in Central Park in New York City. Who woald be content with trading a spav ined horse for a blind mare, when he hears of the trading that the folk in the employ of the city did during the last three months? They "swapped" a buck nylghau for two cassowaries, two zebus for five bald eagles, one buck nylghau for two llamas, and, final and crowning deed of all,they exchanged a hippopotamus for a select and valuable bunch of as sorted beasts, consisting of one lioness, one tiger, two leopards, two pumas and two antelopes. Faraday's Sympathy For Newsboys. A writer in the Century tells tjiis new anecdote of Faraday: The great physicist and his friend Hoffmanu were walking one day together through the streets of London, where both wero then professors, when Faraday stopped a newsboy and bought a. paper. Hoffmann asked him why, with his house supplied regularly with all the papers he need ed, he stopped to buy a paper from a boy in the street. Faraday replied: "I was once a newsboy myself aud sold papers on the street." fFOR FARM AND GARDEN.! Removing Itnhbiili From Orrliiti-d*. During the summer a good deal of rubbish is apt to accumulate in or chards from the breaking down of limbs of trees from overloading or from storms. In such cases those limbs lying on the grouud prevent the snow from lying closely on the sur face and offer the most convenient harbors for mica. It is a good plan before heavy snow comes to remove all the rubbish from around fruit trees, aud also the grass that often grows near the tree trunk while the tree is small. The Moulting Period. Hens do not moult at the same period every year. They begin a lit tle earlier each season. A heu that moults in Jkily of this year may moult in June next year, aud the older they get the sooner they begiu to moult. It is not desirable to have them begin before July, as the summer is the best time in the year for securing eggs. August is late enough if the hens are to get through by winter. The object should be to assist them with nutri tious food and protect them from the weather. Separate the hens that be gin to moult from the others, so as to be able to feed them in the best way. Tonics in the drinking water are un necessary, but fresh bone pounded up will be found always beneficial. The Pod-Spot. The yellow or wax varieties of beans are subject to a disease that is called pod-spot or anthi acuose. It begins by the appearance of small spots that are of a reddish brown color and are slightly depressed. As the pods grow, the centres of these spots assume a dark color and they may run together. It shiinks the pod and dwarfs and shrivels the beans. It is not usually prominent except in rainy seasons. It lies over the winter in diseased bean*. If such beans are mixed with sound beaus, when sending them to market, the fuugus will spread rap idly. The same rust attacks melons, aud hence melons should not follow beaus that have had the disease, for the spores, like the spores of coru smut, are in the ground. If beans that have been pod-spotted are used for seed, the disease will appear upou the leaves as soon as the seed leave 3 appear and may kill the plant, and sometimes the largest proportion of the crop is killed. One of the best preventives is to plaut 011 high, light, well drained soil. In selecting seed beaus, all that show sigus of the disease should be rejected. When the plants are two weeks old, they will be benefited by being sprayed with a weak I ordeaux mixture, to which enough soap has been added to make a little suds. Re peat the spraying three or four times at intervals of ten days. If the pods are to be eaten the spraying should not be repeated more tuan once. Whenever the disease appears upou a pod or leaf, that pod or leaf becomes a centre of infection, aud ought to be ronioved and destroyed. Burning is the best means of destruction.—Agri cultural Epitomist. Winter Cwre of Iter*. The latest method of locating the hives on the ground, each hive sitting 011 its own bottom board, is a much better way of wintering bees than the way of setting the hives on high fences, and perhaps a number of hives ou the same platform. These benches set up thus ou stilts are preatly af fected by the storms, and the shaking thus produced is detrimental to the bees. The hives should be iu such position that they mav be kept free of any motion or jar, and when set close to trees the limbs of the same should not come in contact with the hives, but any limb that may be driven against the hives by wind should be removed. Wiudbreaks in winter are very beneficial to the bees and should iu all cases be placed around the hives. High board fences are the best, but anything that will answer the purpose is better than none, and may be used but temporarily. Evergreens are the most complete windbreak and should be largely used for uot only bees but general wind breaks. They are both very useful aud ornamental. Posts set in the ground with railings attached and corn fodder set up against this makes a good winter break for temporary purposes, but must be well excluded from stock of any kind. No stock of any kind should have the run of the apiary. Poultry will do no harm in summer, but should not be attracted about the bee hives iu winter by the use of straw or any- ' thing of that nature about the hives. It is always best to have hives to face the south or east in winter, or rather [ to have the backs of the hives toward ' the storm. Heavy snows do no injury to the bees aud should not be shoveled ; away from the hives. This is often done, and more damage than good results from it. Hives may be en tirely covered with snow, aud during a very severe spell of cold weather this is very beneficial protection to ' the hives. —A. H. Duff, in Farm, Field uud Fireside. Feedlnir for Milk, liutter nnd Flesli. Selected milch cows at the Maine experiment station were fed two rations which differed widely in the amount of protein contained. W. H. Jordan reports that in both the tim othy hay was the same aud the weights of the grain were equal, but in one ration the grain consisted of equal weights of corn meal, gluten and cot tonseed meals, while iu the others it was all corn meal The digestible material furnished was practically the same in both rations, thongh the »ro portion of digestible protein was nearly twice as great in the mixed grain ration as in tlie corn U9al ration. The general appearance of the cows showed less thrift while being fed the corn meal ratiou, though the body weight did not vary greatly. The ni trogenous ration produced from one fifth to one-third more milk than the corn meal, and this milk was gener ally the richer in solids by 30 to 40 per cent. The ration fed seemed to have little effect upon the composition of the milk solids. Throughout the experiment the proportion of fat steadily increased without regard to what the cows were feil, anil no evidence was furnished iu 1 support of the claim that by changing the food of cows, more butter fat will be produced without an accompany ing increased p.f ;ductjon of (lie mi'k solid-). Hence the most profit able food for Lutter production will also be the most profitable for the cheese maker or the milk farmer. The chemicil tests did not show any ap preciable difference in the buttet made from the two rations. Corn ' meal needs the addition of more ni trogenous material to make it a useful food for dairy cows. Prunlnc In tile Fruit Orchard. While the winter season is one ol some leisure to the orchardist, it ought not to be «.ne of entire inactiv ity, for their is pruniug to l.e done, and its proper performance is a mat , ter of much importance, says Joseph Meehau in the Country Gentleman. The young orchard may need but lit tle hard work, but it will need much head work, for ou its proper treat | ment now will depend whether or not it is to afford pleasure and profit in after years. The young apple orchard needs lit tle more than the thinning out ol branches where they are too thick, i and the shortening in of others that may need it to give good shape to the future tree. It is by judicious work iu this way iu the early years of an orchard that well-formed, beautiful ! trees are developed. There is no gain iu having branches too low. Prune them up to five or six feet, that getting about under them is practica ble. Large bearing trees ofteu need -no pruning. Sometimes, where a branch is unthrifty, it is better to cut it out, to induce a new, healthy one to take its place. And where such large trees have not been well pruned when 1 young, there may be largo limbs which need cutting out that others may be i benefited. AVhen such is the case, saw off close to the truuk, and paint the scar to prevent decay. Much the same rules apply to prun ing the pear as to the apple, but as it makes more branches when young, it needs closer atteutiou at that time. ery ofteu good-sized trees are seen with far too many branches 011 them. 1 The tendency of almost all pruners is to leave too many branches. Do not let them interlace each other. The J time to cut them out when they show a teudency to do this is when they ara I quite small. Cut them off close to the limb they start from, that no buds will be left to start afresh. The large, round buds of winter are the ones that bear the flowers. Sometimes in prun ing it is well to observe them, as it , sometimes occurs that it is desirablo a certain kind should flower the com ing season. Bearing trees will ofteu have their branches brought out ol shape bj- the weight of fruit. Prum such crooked branches in such a waj> that a good outline will be kept up. Peaches and apricots are little pruned, as usually seen, and yet few fruit trees are more benefited by it. 1 Should there be no youug wood there will be no fruit. Left to grow as thej will, which is the usual way, what lit tle young growth is made is at the ex tremity of loug branches. Pruned a little every year, there is young wood over all the tree,from near the ground to the top. Do not let strong shoots go uupruned. Not only is a little pruning good; that of summer, per formed while growth is still going ou, is perhaps better. In regard to the plum, what has been said of the peat applies to it very well. Keep the brauches from getting too thick. Fewer brauches, permitting of mort air and light to the remainder, would bring better fruit to many a tree. Watch the plum, to cut out diseased brauches as soou as seen, be it wiutei or summer. In the small fruit line a shortening in of the canes of raspberries nnc blackberries should bo made, thi former to about four feet and the lat ter to five feet. All old eaues slioulc be cut. Currants and gooseberries need little pruning except to proven' them carrying to.) many shoots, an<; to keep up a supply of youug wood Tho fruit is the best on strong two year shoots, and the aim must be tt keep up a supply of these. The Eug lish type of gooseberry does not pro duce as much wood as our nativ» sorts; hence needs less pruning. ; have known old bushes of curranti and gooseberries to be the better fo: being cut down completely to thi grouud to give them an eutirely new start. Grapes must be pruned in 1 way to have an abundance of yonu; wood. There are those who prefer t> have little else besides young cane* from the ground each year. i\t th< same time, if the last year's fruitiijJ cane be well provided with side it will prove satisfactory for auotho; crop. Pi uue the side shoots back t« within two 01 thrOe eyes of the mail stem. This cutting back decreasei the number of bunches, but adds t< the size of what are produced. To enable a person to float in th* water in an upright position a Massa chusetts man has designed an app ira tus composed of a belt to be inflated and placed aronnd the waist, with a weighted rod attached to each leg to keep the floater vertical.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers