1
Jc
Water f or a Crnu of Corn.
About awto toils of water per acre
Is Die estimate for a crop of corn.
Kuril n weight of water would crush
m strong building, find yet more t tin u
Hint quantity falls upon nn acre In the
course of a year. It In not so dlfhYult
to obtain the witter n to prevent IN
Ion. It Ia known that If n titlt of wa
ter is covered less evnporntlon occurs.
If the land I cultivated frequently the
loose dirt on flip surface prevents eva
poration, nnd the witter I retained In
the soli for the tine of the plnnls.
I.arel Cultivation Pur Hoed ;rote.
Level cultivation for hoed crops Ih
winning new advocate every year,
especially In corn crop, wheu grown
mi well drained land. Level cultiva
tion lino many thin to recommend It.
It enable you to destroy the weeds
close to the plants with Ki'eater facil
ity and with less labor. It makes
gathering the crop much easier and
less strain and Jar on the machinery.
The greulesl advantiiKe of nil Is leaving
the laud so level for the next plowing.
hs It Ih a most disagreeable task to
plow corn stubble ground that has been
left In ridges.
The hilling process will uo doubt still
be followed on land that In not prop
erly drained, as In that ense a heavy
rain would either drown out the plants
or leave the foil Immediately about
them oolil, sour and not suitable for
plant growl h.-Xew England Houie-
U'lld.
A New Ilevlne to Save Hi Swarm.
Every person who bus Kept bees lias
bad a varied experience as to saving
the escaped or escaping swarms. Some
are sure to get away the best one
can do. A writer In the (Jeruiautowu
Telegraph tells his method as follows:
"I have used a device HUe this: Take
it piece of board, say ten or twelve
Inches srpmre; bore nine or ten Inch
holes In it, and In each of the holes
tick a corncob. ct n light stick four,
teen to eighteen feet long, insert one
eud In this board, and when your bees
warm, elevate these cobs, and carry
II around among the liees where they
seem to be thickest, and they are quite
sure to 'settle1 on them. Then you
have only to empty them down before
the already prepared hive. You soe.
this saves climbing into trees, cutting
off limbs and lowering them dowu,
which needs n careful hand, and even
then, for one cause or another, they
are Jarred off and the work has to be
iloue. over. This scheme simplifies
matters, Is very practical, is easily
done, and there Is no patent on It."
I'lantlng First Seed.
The first important tiling Is to get
good seed. Buy from n reliable socd
iiniu. for it docs not pay to wash- time
with poor, in limit tiring seed. If we
have some of oltr own seed, saved
from the year before, so much the
better, for we are then sure It Is good
anil fresh. Next get from the collar
dirt Unit should have been put there
in the fall, or If we did lint do that,
perhaps we can procure it from s e
other place. Put it in a box. pan or
anything that is convenient, and set It
near the tire, or In an oven for several
days, to drive out Hie. frost and get
war il through. Occasionally give It
a stirring to break up the lumps, shouul
there be any. and to have It heat
through. When It Is thoroughly warm
ed, ami can be easily pulverized, take
an old sieve, collamier or some suck
thing, ami sift nil your dirt through
It into tlic boxes that have lieen pre
purcd for your eed. Tack 11 dowu
rather closely, sow the seeds, but not
too thickly. Theu put a thin, even lay
er of the dirt over the seed, ami again
pack down with a board or some tint
article. Sprinkle lightly with tepid wa
ter, 11 ml set iu n warm place to sprout
the seed. On cool nights remove from
windows, tx any cool place, to the cen
ter of the room, or near a stove, where
the temperature will not full below
sixty degrees. The best result is ob
tained by maintaining a normal tem
perature until the plants get a good
start, giving, lit the moautlme, ylanty
of sunshine. After the plants have
I heir third or fourth set of leaves, aud
seem to be crowded In the box, It will
help them to transplant Ju cans, pott
or boxes, (live them plenty of room
to grow In. After thus transplanting
I hey may be set out of doors on warm
days that tney may be Invigorated, so
that the change,. when they are plauled
In the open ground, will not have auy
effect oo them. The Agricultural Eplt
viulst. Keeping- Animals loo I.ou.
It Is a very couimeudnbleund human
Il aria n sentiment to keep cattle too long,
for It Indicates an attainment for them
Ibnt one Is loth to break, and yet a
farmer who Is raising animals for his
llvlug cannot let sentiment interfere
with what he knows to lie good busi
ness. Others keep cattle too long sim
ply liecauso they happen to be Ignorant
of tho best time to dispose of them,
aud they keep waiting for a better turn
iu the markets to help them get good
returns. Sometime this llvlug In the
hope of doing better Inter induces u
farmer to carry his herd over from
month to mouth, and before he knows
11 a year has slipped by. The animals
are meantime eating up nil the prof
its they ever would have made for their
owners, ami tit the same time are pass
ing the prime of life, when they sell
at the best prices.
We cannot afford to keep cm lie one
day longer than the time they reach
full maturity or prime of life. I'p to
this period they have been gaining In
weight and flesh, and every pound of
feed that has been given to them has
made its corresponding n mount of
flesh. Liberal feeding of grow tig aid
inuls makes glad the oenrt of tho far
mer or breeder, but when the food
ceases to exert Its magic liillueuce,
then something seems to be wrong.
The wrong Is very often that the cattln
have passed their prime, ami ull future
feeding will merely tend to help them
bold their weight. There Is uo further
gain.
i'liiue catttlo sold lu tho market
menus something more than fat nnd
well-developed carcasses. It. Includes
a certain tenderness and Juiciness of
meat which can be gained only through
rapid growing and laying on of flesh.
This result has been obtained by good
feeding of good nulmnls. If these ani
mals had leased to grow the meat
would begin to lose much of Its best
virtues. It mny not be an easy iir.t
ter always to tell Just wheu It has
reached Its full prime, but It Is .nore
profitable t sell Just before (lis' period,
and thus ;ose the few extra pounds she
may lu ve gained, than to hold her n
few v ceks beyond full maturity when
she gains nothing In weight and loses
In quality. Most of us are Inclined to
bold our cattle too long, and it may
well be of value to some of us to look
Into the mailer. Are we hampering
ourselves by holding cattle over for
higher markets when they should be
sold nt once, or are we selling them
Just as soon as they have reached their
prime and are In the very best condi
tion for tlie market. E. 1. Smith, lu
American Oultlvntor.
A Convenient Ham.
Modern haying tools are linn! to on.
ernte In the old-rashloned string-girt
centerpost style of building, and a
frame with an open center like the one
shown In Fig. 1 is coming Into use.
Aside from the free swing of the horse
fork, It lias the advantage of allowing
hay or grain to set lie without inter
ference from cross girts.
Fig. 1 represents n iilaiik frame which
Is shown hi detail lu r'lg. L In place of
TIO 1. OPKS CENTER FRAME.
the usual upright post a nlauk nost Is
made by nailing one plank to the edge
of another. T-fashlon. Two planks
bolted to the foot of this nnd extending
to the purlin with the braces, as
shown, form a russ. which takes the
place of the usual cross-teed frame.
Mg. 3 shows the barn lu perspective
and Klg. 4 shows the ground plan. The
break between the stanchions Is a gate
for carrying feed through to the box
stalls. The dotted line extending across
TIO. 2 DETAIL OP PLANK FIIA1IK.
the barn by the side of the drive floor
is really the Imaginary boundary of the
feeding floor. ' A slight additional oz
pense would have provided a partition
with rolling doors, similar to that in
the rear which separates the stable
from the boxes, thus inclosing the
stable. Over the stable aud boxes is
a loft with n matched floor. The mow
floor Is also matched.
Nearly under the granary wludow Is
a en thole, by which the cats enter the
barn through a circuitous alley around
the granary. They say this entirely
prevents the depredations of rats and
mice. For my part, I should have pre
ferred lining tlie granary with sheet
Iron, which could have lieen done for
three cents per square foot.
The 'lean-to," which forms the ma-
HO. 3 BAB fS PERSPECTIVE.
utire pit, was built under separate
contract The timber for sills and
ground floor, and also the stoues for
underpinning, were furnished by the
party for whom I he building was
erected.
The site was that of a former barn
that had been destroyed by lightning.
and sloped away about four feet lu the
rear; sls-by-nlghl-lneh posts, sixteen
feet long, were used Instead of the T-
plank ones-In thls.partlctUnr building.
The dimensions were sixty by thirty
feet. The building coinulete. with
nurse fork lu working order, and two
coats of princess metallic pulut, with
I 1
, rfr
F 'ot tsz:
c :pk i
JILlIS
FIO, 4 PLAN Of THIS IIAUN.
(A. granary; H. motv; (', drive fWor; 1),
feeding Hour; K K, stanchions; drop;
li, plultorru; II II. ho mUIIh, k K,
lounger; 1, iiiumue pit.)
white lead trim, was put up a year ago
for Probably $l.si would have to
be added to that amount tu duplicate
It to-day.
The fact that the builder was archi
tect, contractor, boss carpenter and
Journeyman combined probably saved
turn, but even with that addition to
the expense It Is a cheap barn, consid
ering Its capacity, and for those desir
ing that combination seems to meet tho
requirement lu an effective manner.
It I hard II. Mitchell, lu Country (lent Io
nian. Physicians ure In great demnnd In
Brnall. They are well paid, but their
life Is a hard one, as they often have
to lido ull day to teach u putleut-
WTAtt ON INSECT PESTS.
t, WAY OF RENDERINC PLANTS
BANEFUL TO THEIR ENEMIES.
rha Annihilation or the Farmer's tons
Jllraed at ttia Lata Meeting of the
Society For the Promotion or Agri
cultural Science-. Pea I. lie All Females
The Idea advanced by Professor
(lallowny nt the Joint meeting of the
Society for the Promotion of Agricul
tural Science and the Association of
Economic Entomologists, that plants
may lie so cultivated as to change their
chemical constitution, rendering them
either agreeable or baneful to Insect
pests, yet without Injury to the
plants themselves, suggests the large
possibilities of scientific agriculture.
And this, oue Is told, Is no mere the
ory, but. a demonstrated fact. A to
bacco grower, whose name was not
given, lias already put this In prac
tice. He analyzes his plants and finds
which are nutritious nnd which are
not so to the Insects; and lie cultivates
those that will starve out the Insect.
Ills method seems to depend largely
In the mat ure and experienced Judg
ment of the grower, varying according
to circumstances. Trofessor Oiillowny
suggests the extension of similar
methods to starve out those other
pests, now so destructive, the Ilesslan
fly Iu wheat, and the nplild lu
pea plants, which, for lack of a bet
ter name has been culled the green
pen louse, nnd which bns almost
ruined the crop In Maryland for two
years the Nectarophorn destructor.
One of the most Instructive papers
read was that of Professor Johnson ou
the rnvages of this Insect nnd the
fight against It. A small, weak, harm-leRS-looking
creature, It came down
ou the pen plants In May, 18IK. a blight
ns silent nuil as sudden almost as the
destruction of Sennacherib's army.
Whole fields turned black nnd per
ished, causing the loss of half the
crop, or $3,000,000, nnd this year
$4,000,000. The Insect Is vlvlporous:
some are winged, some wingless, but
nil females and parthenogeuetic. Be
ginning to breed when eleven days
old, they have six to twelve young
dally for nearly a month, so that tak
ing the minimum number, over 400,000
will be produced from one In six
weeks. The young are extruded feet
first, "born kickers." aud It Is several
minutes before the head appears, dur
ing which time they exercise their
feet constantly. As soon as born they
attach themselves to the leaf, and
remain for two days immovable, suck
ing the Juice of the plant, which Is
converted Into a sort of honey dew,
sticky and tarry, ruinous to clothing
nnd even to shoes of persons who go
through the fields. So numerous are
they ns sometimes to cover the leaf
entirely. A bushel of them Is shaken
down from a row of peas ten rods long.
Spraying was at first, practiced to
kill them, but this killed also their
enemies. Now the system is to plant
peas In rows, and to shnke off the In
sects and follow with n cultivator,
Their most efficient enemy is the
larva of the Syrphtis, which devours
them at the rate of one a minute, but
these in turn have their enemies. Bas
mih Is u parasite ou them. Other in
sects also prey on the nphlds: and cer
tain parasites attack them. A fundus
disease, Empusa. has proved very de
structive. Their original habitat
seems to have been clover, from which
last year they emigrated to neighbor
ing pea-llelds, with such destructive
results. Professor Johnson stated,
and others iu discussion confirmed the
statement, that this insect has ap
peared In destructive numbers this
year at many places. Professor Web
ster reports their appearance partic
ularly In Ohio. It Is feared thnt other
regions will share the fate of Mary
land. However, the belief was ex
pressed by several members that tlie
insect may disappear as rapidly as it
came. Instances lu point, are not lack
ing. Professor Hopkins a few years
ago noted the outbreak of a destruct
ive insect umong tlie evergreen trees
of West Virginia, which has now ut
terly disappeared.
The question of nomenclature of in
sects as regards the common names
was brought up by a criticism by Pro
fessor Fletcher, of the name of "green
pea louse," applied to this insect, ns
It is not n louse nt all, but an aphid,
and there Is uo such plant as "green
pea; simply the peas are used when
green; also, the Inject thrives on other
plants, and Its usual hnbltat is clover.
Many other anomalies exist In the
name commonly npnlled to insects,
very different names lielug npplled to
the same Insect in dlffeient localities.
Ou the other band, different Insects
are designated by the same name,
causing great confusion. Professor
Lounsberry iuatanipd the oyster-shell
scale. This resembles the oyster
shells of this country, but not those
of South Africa, so IDs name seems
inapplicable to the same scale there.
An amusing Instance of multiplication
of names was mentioned' in 'the ease
of the harlequin cabbage hug, which
is also culled iu Maryland'! lie firebug,'
because it destroys vegetation ns tf a
fire had swepl over the country; also
the Cuthollc bug, because It has a
cross on Its back, and the Spanish bug
because it has the Spanish colors; four
uames lu different parts of the same
State. A committee wns apjHilnled
to have charge of the nam lug of in
sects, so as to secure uniformity.
The remark wns several times made
during the meeting that the entomolo
gists are belter organised and coop
erate more efficiently lu the I 'tilted
States than any other body of scien
tists In the world. The proceedings
of the Association of Economic En
tomologists are regarded as so impor
tant I hat they tire annually published
by the Secretary of Agriculture ai pub
lic expense, so that dues of member
ship are almost nominal. The Treas
urer reports about eight dollars iu the
Treusury, more than enough for an
other year's expenses, so no assess
ment was levied this year.
Professor (illlette, who presided at
this meeting In the absence of Profes
sor Bruiier, wns elected to preside
ugalu next year, and he closed the
meeting with the wish thnt he might
meet the association next year ut
Denver, which Is near his own sta
tion. He reports much enthusiasm In
Colorado over the prospect thnt Den
ver will be selected for next summer's
meeting of the allied societies. New
York Post.
ANTIQUITY OF THE SADDLE.
The IIpbtt War Variety In t'ne In
A. n. 840.
Saddles In some form are of the
greatest antiquity. t'nder Tiglnth
Plleser III. ithe Asyriinl cavalry were
provided with them, and the early Ho
muus used a covering of cloth, hide or
skin, which was, no doubt, very situ
liar. Thtso early examples would
probably represent light, saddles. The
heavy war saddle seems to be much
later, one of the earliest Instance of
its use being by it lie Visigoths in A. I.
3-10. Theodoslus the (ireat fifty years
later effected great Improvements.
ltrldles were also lu use In very dis
tant. ngis. Auclcul Thessallail coins
often represent a horse with a long
rein' touching the ground. The young
Kumans were trained to ride and mount
unassisted, but. the use of tlie bridle
was known from the first. According
to LIvy, Aulus Cornelius, In a buttle
with the Fldenae, ordered the Roman
cavalry to unbridle before charging,
probably to give them more weight.
At the battle of the Tlcinus 1 1 ii n ii II :i I'm
Numldlnu horses hud no bridles and
were drawn up on the wings, while the
heavy cnvalry, with bridles, were In
the centre.
Stirrups were about -M) years later
than saddles, the flrst men I Ion being by
the Emperor Mauritius toward the end
of tlie sixth century. In earlier times
the Oreeks mounted by means of a
cramp iron attached to the lance, while
the young Ilomaus leaped, spear iu
hand, from either side of the horse.
The younger (interims adopted the
(ireck method of placing large stones
at Intervals nhmg tlie road to assist
horsemen to mount.
Spurs were probably little enrliei
than the first feudal times. The great
Importance of the spur in the days of
chivalry seems to point to Its having
been a late invention. The barbarous
goad a single spike, which was the
earliest form wns replaced lu the four
teenth century by the large rowelled
spur.
Horseshoes are of uncertain date,
and have caused some discussion
among military historian. Nulled
shoes were not known by the Oreeks,
for Xenophou gives minute Instruc
tions for hardening the hoof. Nor did
the Homatis use them. Nero had mules
shod with a phite of silver fasteued by
crossed thongs to the hoof. With Pop
pnea, his later wife. It Is said these
plates were of gold. The earliest posi
tive evidence of nailed shoes s fur
nished by the skeleton of a horse found
In the tomb of Chllderlck I. (4."H-oKl) nt
Tournay, In IHT3. Notes and Queries.
Of Course lie Knew.
"You understaud. of course," pur
sued the lawyer, "what is mcuit by a
preponderance of. evidence?' "
"Yes, sir," tvpli-cd the man whom he
was exnink'.lu.!,- with reference to ills
qualifications as rt Juror.
"Let me have your Ideas of il, if you
please?"
"I iindcrsland It. I tell you." '
"Well, what is It?"
"Why, anybody can understand thai."
"Still, I would like to have your dcli
11 1 1 loll of it."
"I know what It Is, all right. When
I tell you I know what a thing is I
know it. That's all there is about
that."
"Well, what was the question I asked
you?"
"You ought, to kuow what Hint was.
If you've forgot your own questions
don't try to get me to remember them
for you."
"I don't want, to hear any more of
hat kind of talk," interposed tlie court.
"Answer the questions addressed to
you by the counsel."
"Judge, I did. He asked me If I
knew what it was, and I said I did."
"Are you sure you understand what
Is meant by the term 'preponderance of
evidence?' "
"Of course I am, Judge."
"Well, let us hear your Idea ol' a."
"It's evidence that's been previously
pondered." Chicago Tribune.
IhIhiiiI of St. Helena.
Ail English health Journi l su vs In re
gard to St. Helena as a place ol' mili
tary (ontiucmeiit, that ivoiu tlie liealtl
point of view, probably uo pbice lu the
world could bo louud more suitable
than St. Helena for the confinement of
prisoner.! of war. Thevo is not !n ihe
whole island an iusaltiDrlous spot.
The teniHrature is remarkably equa
ble, aud although tJc Island is so much
nearer tiie equator than the cape, it. Is
very much cooler. The winters are
much warmer than those of England,
but the Hummer heat is rarely so gli al.
The whole isltud Is much above the
level of the sea and always breezy.
The water f.upply from JtW w.'Us Is ex
cellent, and almost all kibd. of Euro
pean fruits and vegetables are nvowu.
Should the prisoners desire employ
ment, there Is much land needing recla
mation aud abundant scope for gar
dening. ' 'As the island lies oil the
ocean highway there should lie no diffi
culty in supplying alniudauce of mut
ton, coll'ce and other nocessirles.
I.nee Hlrile For Hweethearu.
It's the proper thing now for tlie am
orous swhIu to send u pnir of love
birds to his Inamorata, says a Phila
delphia dealer, who has them for sale
nt $10 it pair, including the cage. Love
birds are charming little things. They
come from China aud Java, where
they are ns plentiful ns the English
sparrow is here, lu fact, they resem
ble Ihe sparrow In build, although ihcy
arc pure white and have quite, largo
Is'iiks of a delicate pink. They are
very affectionate, and will sit for hours
pressed closely against each other on
their perch, billing and cooing iu lino
style. The denier, who is a florist,
says In confidence, Hint he has them on
sale because Mowers are too common lu
summer for the youut; men to send tiia
girls, and he thought the love birds
would Just about fill the bill.
To l'rmer.e Old Hattle I'Ihk.
Rattle flags, as kept in most rcposit -ill's
In this country, are In great daii
ger of decay. In the Koyat Museum ut
Dresden the flags are supported ut
each end by a staff, the stripes of Ihe
ting running horizontally. Then the
flag Is mounted upon a background of
wire netting, with meshes about two
inches square. This distributes the
support of the ling evenly ull over Its
surface. Chicago News.
'STORY of the bayonet.
ORIGINALLY IT HAD NOTHING TO
DO WITH CUNS.
Where It Oct lis Several IN atnet Thrill
Ing Storlen or Its lle Flrtt Carried
ly Hrltteti Soldiers Under Charlee II
One Heronet Aaalnet an Army,
It is rather curious thnt the weapon
flrst called a bayonet had nothing to
do with musket or rifle, but wns slm
lily a short, fat dagger. Three hun
dred years ago It wns described ns a
grent knife to hang at the girdle like a
dagger. LIngnrd, the historian, writ
ing of a battle fought In Franco In
14.3, says that the English commander
"was slain, ns he lay ou the field, with
a bayonet" meaning, uo doubt, the
kind of weapon we have Just de
scribed. British soldiers did not carry
a bayonet of the modern kind as part
of their equipment till the time of
Charles II. That not very warlike
monarch ordered by royal warrant
that the soldiers were "to have und to
carry oue bayonet or grent knife." In
those dnys the "grent knife" was it
kind of last, resource. The bayonet In
Its flrst form could only be used by
having Its handle screwed solidly Into
the musket barrel, thereby completely
blocking the mnar.lc: so it was not tin
til the ammunition wns exhausted, or
until the enemy were so close that
there was not sufficient time for the
somewhat lengthy nnd complicated
process of recharging the clumsy oli
mur.zle-londlng muskets It was not till
then thnt the bayonet wns brought
Into play.
Our friends the enemy, however, be
fore long taught us bow to turn the
weapon to lietter nccounl. While the
bnttle of Ilnmillles was In progress,
In May. 1700, some keen-eyed observer
on the British side noticed thnt the
French Infantry were nble to charge
with the bayonet Immediately they
had tired their volley, not waiting to
screw their "knives" Into the muzzles
of their muskets. When . the battle
wns over and Marlboro's victorious
troops held the field, some of the fire
locks abandoned by the foe In their
fight were picked up and examined,
nnd It wns found that the ba.Vonet wns
secured by n circular bund of metal
clasping the barrel, a simple arrange
ment, which left the muzzle perfectly
clear. The wonder Is that such a
clumsy process as shifting the solid
hnndle of the bayonet Into the mouth
of the musket was ever adopted nt all.
Our military authorities, however, were
not above taking a hint from (lie en
emy, and the English bayonets were
soon fitted after the French manner.
There hns been some discussion ns
to the origin of the word "bayonet."
The commonly received explanation is
that the weapon tukes Its name from
the city of Biiyouue, lu Southern
France, where the bayonet Is supposed
to have been first made or first used.
This Is likely enough, although there
Is no direct evidence on the polut, but
It. is also possible that the word Is de
rived, us n. diminutive, from an old
French word, "bayou," which meant
the arrow or shaft of a crossbow. The
transfer of the iiaine, with the ndded
diminutive termination of "ette," from
the long-pointed arrow to tin- short,
stabbing dagger, would be natural and
easy, but the matter Is of no great Im
portance, and It Is certainly not worth
dogmatizing iibotii.
It muy be noted, by the way, that
the vulgar pronunciation of "bayonet,"
or "bagnet" "Now, gcuTinen, 'full
ou,' as the English said to the French
when they fixed bagonets," remarked
Mr. Weller at the picnic Is of very
long standing, and wns originally of
the hlghcs' respectability. A diction
ary maker of 1751, Deujamln Martin,
after detlniug the word as meaning "u
short dagger, having, Instead of n bill,
it hollow iron hauillu to fix it to tlie
muzzle of ft uiusquct, now used instead
of a pike," goes on to say: "We speak
the word bngonet." Another lexico
grapher of a few ye; ;s later, remarks
somewhnt naively, that the bayonet,
"when ammunition Is spent, Is uo bad
resource." A very early example of
the now vulgar pronunciation may be
foiind lu the Loudon tiazette of il02.
where, iu No. 742, "bagonets aud all
other arms," ure mentioned lu un offi
cial notice. Aud u little later, In a
book published iilsiut 1700, the utithor
ship of which has been uttrlbuted to
Defoe, some peaceful person plaintive
ly pleads: "I came not Into the world
to be cannonaded or baguoctted out of
It." The weaiwn, however, has pushed
a great many peaceful folk, as well :.s
Its more legitimate prey, out of the
world.
No army, of course, can claim a mo
nopoly of the use of the bayonet, but
It has been peculiarly associated, with
the heroic deeds of British Infantry on
many a hard-fonght Held, aud lu many
a struggle in the imminent, deadly
htfuch. At Waterloo.lt wns-the. brist
ling Hues of bayonets girdling the In
vincible squares of Infantry that the
French fjOttudlt.vajn to .attack. Again
and again tbo French cavalry surged
against those seemingly solid islands
of meu and steel, but could make no
Impression on them. More recently,
at Abu Idea, anil on other Egyptian
battlefields, the gallaut dervishes who
survived the fire of rifles and Maxims
found the Hue of bayonets a last aud
Impregnable line of defense. As a
weapon of offense, too, as well ns of
defense, the bayonet has proved of
wonderful effect, in British hands.
Other enemies than Boers have found
It difficult to face the "cold steel" at
close quurters. Sir Henry Havelock,
describing a small uction during the
mutiny struggle lu Iiidln, when three
of the enemy's guns were strongly
posted behind a lofty hiiuilel. well In
trenched, says that he ordered the Seventy-eighth
Highlanders to advance.
"Never," ho wrote, "have 1 witnessed
conduct more admirable. They were
led by Colonel Hamilton, and followed
him with surpassing steadiness and
gallantry under a heavy fire. As they
approached the village they cheered
and charged with the bayonet, the
pipes sounding- the pibroch. Noed I
udd that the enemy fled, the vllluge
wua taken und the guns captured?"
The combination of buyonels and bug
pipes was Irresistible.
The glittering steel did similar work
on many of the peninsular battlefields.
At the Buugulnury struggle of Busaco
tho bold of the British on the height
Which was the main objectof the French
attack was secured by the charge or
dered by Crawford wheu. In Nuulur'a
graphic phrase, "eighteen hundred
British bayonets went sparkling over
the brow of the bill." A few days be
fore .this battle was fought a singular
Incident had occurred, when n single
Irish soldier attacked the French army
with his bnyonet- It was toward the
end of the fighting on the Con, and
practically the whole of the British
army had retreated across the river.
Among the last to come down was a
gigantic t'lstermnn named Ktownrl,
called the "Boy" becnuse he wns only
nineteen years of age, though of grent
stature and strength. Throughout the
action he had fought bravely, but when
he reached the bridge be refused to
pass. "Turning found," says the histo
rian, "he regarded the French with n
grim look and spoke aloud as follows:
"So this is the end of our boasting!
This Is our flrst battle nnd we retreat!
The boy Stewart will not live to hear
tha; said." Then, striding forward In
his giant might he fell furiously on
the nenr'-s'. enemies with the bayonet,
refused the quarter they seemed di
si rous of granting, nud died fighting
lu tho midst of them!"
CURIOUS FACTS. .
Butter Is now preserved in France
by varnishing It. The vnrnlsh Is very
strong syrup, which Is applied warm,
Tho heat melts the surface of the but
ter, which mingles with the syrup
The latter sets very rapidly, and cov
crs the butter with n crystalline layer
A mystery with which every snilot
Is familiar Is the formation of dust at
sen. Those who are acquainted with
sailing ships know thnt. no mnltei
how carefully the decks may be
washed down In the morning and how
little work of uuy kind may be done
during the day, nevertheless, if tin:
docks are swept ut nightfall an enor
mous quantity of dust will be collected
The Purk Board of Detroit, Mich.,
has authorized the construction of a
rather novel electrical fountain for one
of Its parks. The basin will be forty
feet in diameter, and the fountain
proper will comprise five cobblestone
columns, from the apex of each of
which will burst n stream of water
all to be lighted by hidden electric
bulbs. The fountain will cost $.1000.
In South Africa the British sentries
gave warning of the tiling of tlie Boer
guns by a peculiar whistle. It seems,
according to the London Dally Mail.
that the mocking birds have learned to
whistle In complete mimicry of the
sentries. They guve their warning
whistles nnd theu greatly enjoyed see
lug the soldiers dodge Into cover, to
wait tu terrible suspense for the shell
that did not come.
Among curious trees are the grass
trees of Australia, which send out
long grnssllke streamers; thr rice
paper tree of China: the centre of
which is filled with pith, which Is made
into a delicate and beautiful paper;
the wax palms of New tlranaila
which grow to a height of 100 feet,
the branchless trunk being coated with
:i vegetable wax that Is mixed with
tallow and made Into caudles by tho
natives.
1 Mifintr a recent thunderstorm In tin
F.f;st Durham district, Euglaud, there
was a remarkable phenomenon ut
Sl.crburu Colliery. The llghtiiing eu-
tereii the wire rope hunir nir from the
;iulLy und ;ittnched to the cage, which
was at tlie bottom, ar.u bv this menus
passed into tlie pit. where it was dls-
linctty seen to strike the flat-sheets.
The force did not, however, expend It
self here, but struck a lump held by a
driver further In-by. Fortunately, the
lad was not Injured
The Touean at ltuuil,
The toucan was an amiable and. at
first, a silent bird. He lived lu a very
large cage, chiefly on fruit, and tubbed
constantly. But the curious and minis-
lug thing was to see him preparing to
roost, and he began quite early, while
other birds were still wide awake. Tho
fist thing was earefiilly to cock up
for it was u slow and cautious proceed
ing his absurd little scut of it tail,
which was only about three or four
luches long. This must iu some way
have affected his balance, for he never
moved on the perch after the tall had
been laid carefully back. Then, later
In the evening, he gently turned the
huge, unwieldy bill around by degrees,
until It, too, wns laid along his back
and burled In feathers lu the Jisual bird
fashion. By the way, I have alwuys
woudered how and why the myth arose
that birds sleep with their heads un
der their wings? A moment's thought
or observation would show that it Is
quite as Impossible a feat for a bird
as for a human .being.. However, the
toucan's sleeping, arrangements result
ed lu produclug an oval mass of feath
ers, supported, on oue leg, looking as
unlike a bird as it Is possible to Im
agine. When ho was ruthlessly awak
cued by a sudden poke or noise, which
I grieve to stste was often done In
my absence, ueedless to say I heard
that he Invariably 'tumbled down in a
sprawliug heap, being unable to ad-
Just the balance required by the pon
derous bill all iu a moment. The Com
bat.
A Defence of Ulaoksnakee.
The reporter was advised not to kill
a blacksnake under any circumstances.
An old honest, reliable man explnlued
thus: "Duly u few duys ago I saw
a black nicer whizzing nrouiul In n
circle, iiis flaming eyes distended; his
attention secunsl riveted ou something
not far awuy. I advanced, and, to my
astonishment, I snw a large rattle
snake culled up In buttle army. Tho
blacksnaku continued his circuits, get
ting a little nearer his victim each
time. After ten or fifteen minutes the
ralllcsnake dropped Ills head ou the
ground. Almost luslaiiljiucnusly the
blacksnake poll need on his victim. Af
ter securely fustenliig his teeth in the
back of ithe rattlesnake's hend, he be
gan his deadly colling. Within five
minutes that rattlesnake wus dead. So
don't kill a blacksnake." The color
came lu the old gentleman's face as he
was relating the ubovo. nud ho said:
"Boys, blucksnukcs are game, but they
won't hurt you. for I hud one for a
pel for our years, uud because my old
wouiau woke tip one night uud found
the snake In bed she raised an awful
fuss and killed It." Lebauou (Ky.) Lu-teruiisu.
Oeeoratlns Ihe Thl,
Thero ure many conviMiti,,',,.,!
for table decorations. bMl
keeper should carry out ir
ldens. A tnble set without ln,t
nmjr in inucil line a llnilm fr I
tlV fllk lltllirtlutn..n. IT-.. . 9
, , . ,i,lv0 r()r
day use a potted plant, or, if n
ors are acceptable, n few cut f,
If the tnble is large ,i )mt
of fruit or flowers in t,. altt
the candelabra or i-ii,iiM,tl(.kH'
small dishes of ferns rinir tiw
Ribbon and lace have no ,,!,,,, ,
dlnary table decora Hons. l ,
should be washable ami iaui r
materials ns may be emlly i
What Laundreeiee Fall i Com.r.1
........ n ""suing 11 prof,.
first place, because II uii
more soup being required tft m-i
uituer witn nam water than wlti
In the second place. In TllllaUk I.e.
" IIII'C
ter contains a deposit (,f mf 1
is not good for the cloth, i
to rot the fibres. One soon Ictrt)
Know tne (iiirerenee in feeling be
hard nnd soft water. Th
stance so hard that It cimnot 4
solved sooner or late" with i
Water dissolves the dirt, nnd I
without soap will do thin. rJ
soap, however, to soften the R
which holds the nurtlcles nf iitr Jl
loosen ns the grease Is niniwilj
therefore, tbe wnter which ymi
compelled to use Is hard, uw 1
to sorten It. oninns Homo
pnnlon.
Preparing- For Preaerrlns Unl
In putting up fruit sot? that alf
essentials are on hand before b
nlng work. Don't wait until the
is in the preserving kettle before!
nlng to the corner grocery for a
sugar. It Is economy of time toft
sugar In twenty-five or Httr-
bags this month, for yon will tie
rignt nioug. pee ttmt all utennllf
in perfect order, that it supply of
rubber bands is on IihihI, nwl
the cans nnd glasses are ns cleans
sweet nnd dear as soap and
enn make them. If every time 4
has been emptied It hns been cur,4
washed and dried nnd put awny
Its own top screwed on this pm
the work will be. greatly almpll
Yet, even If cleaned before ptil
away, they will need to be wi
just before using. Have tvm
small, sharp-poluled knife fur p.ij
a silver plated fruit knife Kiouil
a flue edge and kept expressly fmf
purpose Is best. Have n half winf
pnrnlllne on hand for covering
several long-hauilleii wooilcu p
a ladle, a colander, a )iriiit tin -t
er. !'. muall skewer or silver nut
several large bowls ami platters,
a couple of large porcelain er I
ite kettles. Never use tin vessel:
cooklnir fruit, nor yet iron. M
when thoroughly denned. Is pit
to use, but Its expense uud Ihe
necessary to keep it in Rood
tlon nreclude Its nilnnllnu iu th
dlunry kitchen. A plentiful upp$
cheese cloth uud towels, und a IB
mouthed funnel to use in tlllltu;
should also be iu readiness.
recipes:
Tomato Tonst-Sfew nud
olther fresh or canned tniuntoes; t
en with a little flour, season with
Moisten the toast, and I lieu poutt
tomatoes over II.
Parsley Fritters - Tour boiling
ter ou half . pound of stale 11
Drain well, udd a cup' of I"1'
minced tine, four eggs, two suliff
fills of salt and one of pepper. '
Into flitters, fry and serve with 14
quarters.
Aspuragus Salad Take the
from one pound of cold iisparaK"
one cucumber Into thin sll'"-
stand one hour ill cold Wtr.
add to It half a teaspoonful of
Mix llahtlv with the tips, cover
i i i.... tui-ve 00-
laajuuuniMe iirrsniuH o", .
tttce. I
Almond Dresslnir-SliHll and M
twojve sweet aud four bitter un"
soak them In cold water an hour,
drain and Dound In a mortar "
tie lemon luloe: add enough mori
on Juice to make It the conili"1"'
thin cream. Heap strnwirr.e.
Utart leaves of lieud lettui ai
ual saucers, and dust with mtgar.
ngar; I
pour the dressing over.
a !.,.,. ...-I..., t.. 1'n'UIU
gallon of new milk, nnd pi"' "
it .. a tittle niof-r
a pan over the fire, and lt u T
ti r.uii u until " ij,
Ing. With tho pint uinae a v
tard llalncr tivn nirirS. UUll tllKl",I1
wn .,,.., nt ...ii-n tlolir. WI""11
mm. .... ,.. i..iniur pouH
. . . . . . i. ..lutniitiy
ine custuru, BtttTiiiK ,
It thickens. Set aside to "
when l,l rYseen 111 the (irdlUHry
ltrWtn'a Polfo lelnL'-Ht'llt tlie
... .. ntltT froth' f
III. -B " 1 ..I,lUt
gradually one pound of ir" " T
sugar, beating ull the tlm'- im f
tit the mixture win . . J
. .. . . .. r.,ar i roe-
nk:i-uii. Him iuvi, . f
n.,,1 .,.,1 ,,,111 II l, "
a gvnli; or two, of ultra'1111' ' .. t
dlgo Mue. Mix this in '"
i, ... ... ... i .-....L- AIII'U -
lint it win uoi siit;, -.. g
cake with a broad, pliable WM
nl ., , SCl'lllllllg I"1""!
Angel l'arfalt-Boll a"!""' IJ
car aud a half cupful ' ,,u .J
B - M IB
of two eggs beuteti until totm
until cold. Flavor with lr
spoonful of violet extract ''" ,
.r ........ . .1 mlllfllltf 01"
mo wnip irom mi"1 ,,W1J
'Vrn 1, t mold. I. lll'W"f
cover over a sheet of I'l'r'
v"" - ... ...urt.
In Ico and salt ror e
from the mold, gurulHh uu " 1
ludytingcrs.