THE DESERTED SCHOOL.
BT BIOniBD
fhere brood a pathos of time long paat
Jn every nook nd every grass-grown
way;
JV fences lean as tired out at last.
That once pent in so many lads at p'ay.
The doors gape open, but one harks in
vain
For human voires or for hurrying feet;
lie ruaty weather-cock creaks out that
rain
Or ditys uncloudy come, or anow and
sleet.
The gables droop, the windows, staring
eyed, Do seem to mock one pitying the place;
A thousand birds and flowers long have
tried
To put upon the scene a summer face.
But spite of them, a silence wide and
deep
('lings round the corners, sits on every
stone;
It is a spot for lingering and sleep.
For guessing other fortunes than your
own.
Stacy's Chimney-Top Party.
By Edward William Thomson
WHEN Uia first great woolen
factory was put up at
Cornwall. Ontario, by tiie
Scotch-Canadian capitalists
who are now Lord Moun-Stephen ami
Lord 8trathconn-nnd-Motiut-Koyul,
tuelr contractor for the building was
John Stacy. He was of great physi
cal strength, notoriously "a tall man
of his bands," and everything In the na
ture of n practical joke was dear to
him. although he must have been
fll'ty-flve or sixty years old. So no
body who knew him was surprised
wulij he proposed a luncheon on top
of the factory chimney just after 1U
completion.
It cuuuot be truthfully said tlii.t
men enmo flocking to his Invitations.
The chimney, which stood llbout
twefity-flve or thirty feet clear ef the
factory building, was a plain shaft of
brick with an uuralled Iron copiuavand
to reach this top we had to go cut on
a ladder, about thirty-five or forty
feet long, which slanted from the roof
of the ten-story stair tower to the cop
ing. ' In high winds the tall stack of
brick swayed distinctly, as all high
brick chimneys do at such times
"It's a wonder entirely what ab
sorbing business the gentlemen of
Cornwall do be having on the day of
me luncheon-party," old Mr. Stacy
told me, with apparent solemnity and
a few touches of brogue. "I was ex
pecting the judge would come and re
ply to the toast of the learned pro
fessions, but himself is for hodlliig
court steady all that day. Darby
Bergln darsn't be leavlug his patients
for'two hours, poor creatures!
"When I axed ould Aleck Sundfield
to ate wid us up there, he tied as one
man. Donald P.nu McLennan say
'twill be the height of Impossibility
for him to get away from his ollice
that day at one o'clock.
"And even me bowld John Ban
could promise no better than that he'd
be proud to partake of what would
be going If It was the luck of him to
be able to Join me chimney party.
Sure, it's cloudy in his talk John Ban
can be at times! And ten or a dozen
more 'with one accord they made
excuse.' I dunno what's gone wrong.
There's seldom unwillingness among
them to partake of what's going at
me expense."
"They're n'rald of the height," I
suggested, being youug ami innocent
enough to Imagine thnt the contractor
might really be puzzled.
"Look at that now!" he exclaimed,
eyeing me with mock admiration. "Ho
seen it at wanse! The foolish old man
I am! 'Tls the f lit of the chimney I
should have invited them to! And me
at the greatest of pains to Instruct
theui on the picturesque prospect form
the top, and about the enjoyment of
Bitting fore n I ust yer provisions wld
one hundred and thirty feet of hole
under your toes and the same of clear
air beneath your back-bone!
"And then," Stacy continued, "the
pleasure of climbing out on the ladder
with nothing, bar the rungs, betwixt
your boot-soles and the ground! Faith,
I dlscoorsed of the height as an at
traction! And you think is scared
them! See the penetration of the
young!"
"And so the party won't come off?"
I said, Ignoring his irony.
"Troth, it will! There's yourself
and your chief, Mr. Bell. Ye will rep
resent the noble ar-rt of factory ar
rchltecture; and tha superintendent,
he' climb anything with a good lunch
at the top of It. It's manufacturing
Industries he'll speak for, and me son
George can stand with yourself for
young Canada; and there's meself for
old Ireland; and then there's the re
porters, maybe, and Mr. MacDew,
that Is tho mayor, and wee Macklem
that wants to be. Sure, they'll rep
resent the pr-roud municipality of
Cornwall."
"Macklem! Surely he won't try It!"
"And why not?"
"That little, nervous shivering store
keeper!" "Arran, but you forget the ambi
tion he has to be mayor! It Inflates
him to that extent be might float like
a balloon. How did I get him to ac
cept? Ah, that was alsy! I Just took
It for granted he wouldn't want to be
Climbing high places, and I went on
telling him bow Mayor MacDew had
accepted, and bow I'd arranged for
the Montreal Daily Gazette reporter,
and that the Cornwall Seutlnel would
glvo two columus to my chimney party
and how the owners of the factory
wished mo success in It them that
will be able to influence so many Corn
wall votes hereafther, and what pop
ularity tho present mayor do be al
ways gaining by being to tho fore on
' public occasions. .
'"Aud finally,' Nays I, Tin sorry
you won't take a bite with us on tho
chimney-top, Mr. Macklem.'
'"But I will,' says ho, 'and thank
you.'
" 'Tis a brnve little sowl he has In
Ms little ouotsy body! So you see ''tis
"Hi settled, aud I've bespoke tho mater
ials, aud a high time we'll have that
, day, auuyhow." '
A week iuter we W(!le 0 tlj0 tQp
o the chimney at about ouo o'clock,
a party of six, awaiting the upcoming
Of Mr. MacUleuj aud young George
BOTOX.
I people all the playground up and down
With nulling forms and sound of laugh
ter high;
I watch the light of evening like a crown
Upon the walls, till pales the western
sky.
I wonder how those sturdy limbs have
fared
That since have wandered far as east
and west;
I wonder who from sorrows have been
spared,
1 strive to read the hearts that have
been blest;
And so my love would follow, one by one,
The life of each, and ail its changes
know
Until the fares fade, as did the sun
That lit the players in the long ago.
And I am left a so'itary, all
My youth gone from me, in a dace to
take
Mid-manhood's burden up, until I fall
Upon the beaten highway of Heart
break. The Criterion.
Stacy, whom we had last seen at tha
foot of the stairs on the ground floor;
the elevator was not yet running. We
sat with our feet dangling Inside tho
great flue, and the void gulf at our
backs.
A thick plank laid across the coping
supported the viands. The wind was
light, tho day sunny. Ou.- eyes ranged
on nu Immense prospect from far
south of the hi'oad, green t. Law
rence northward to the dim blue Law
rentlan hills beyond the Ottawa.
We were oil at ease, for all had
grown used to being on high during
the upward progress of the building,
except Mayor MacDew, who seemed
devoid of nerves and perfectly cou-
tented.
Stacy had Just remarked, "I'm 'fenrd
the stairs has played puck with Mr.
Macklem's polite acceptance," when
that aspirant's head came through the
hatchway ou top of the stair tower.
He was ghastly pale. We could see
him trembling ns he tottered to the
ladder aud laid hands on a rung.
Behind him came young George
Stacy, looking very serious, nnd then
frowning fiercely up nt two or three
who were grinning at Macklem's plight
and dialling him.
George told me nfterwnrd that he
had tried to dissuade Macklem from
coming up out of the stair tower, for
tho higher lie mounted the plainer
was his fright. "But of course he was
my father's guest," George explained,
"and I could not stop him by force.
He would come on he said he had
promised, and MacDew would laugh
If he backed out. I was sorry for tho
little man, and when I heard those
two Jeering at him, I felt like going
up and kicking them off the chimney."
Macklem's grasp on the rung seemed
to steady hi in for a few moments, and
he came slowly up, baud over hand
and foot past foot, well out over the
abyss. But be was in a shocking state
of fear. We gazed at him breathless
ly, realizing his danger.
His face was clammy with a cold
sweat, he seemed not to respire, his
white lips were fixed wide in a death
like grin that' showed the gold fillings
of his teeth, and bis eyes were tight
shut and wrinkled, as if he were striv
ing to close them more completely
lest he should by chance glunce down.
Clearly he might collapse at any mo
ment, and yet he came slowly quiver
ing up the slanting ladder.
"By the powers, he's a bravo man!"
whispered old Stacy, sincerely.
Then lie called down encourag
ingly; "You're doing flue, Mr. Macklem,
and there's what'U do you good up
here waiting!"
Probably the words and tone helped
the little man, as Stacy Intended, by
slightly distracting him from the hid
eous fear against which he strove.
"George," old Stacy called to bis son,
who had began to ascend, "you had
better be coming right close after Mr.
Macklem, close, so as to give him a
boost at the top!" But the old man's
real purpose was that his strong son
should catch Macklem instantly if the
man collapsed-. If be should fall back
ward from the height of six feet above
George's broad shoulders the young
man might be hurled down with Uu
father's guest. ,
As Macklem felt the ladder tremble
under young Stacy's quickened move
ment he stopped with aa Inartlculato
cry, as If believing that tho ladder had
given way, but when George called
out, "I'm coming up closer after you,
Mr. Macklem!" he seemed to under
stand, and clutched for a new rung
above him.
Old Stacy nnd all of us were as pnlo
as Macklem when at last bo put bis
hand on the coping In reaching for one
rung more.
"Well, done, sor!V said old John,
"."ust put up both your hands und I'll
help you up by the shoulders." He
was afraid to tako hold of Mackleu
without siich a warning, for tho
strained serves might break down at
an unexpected touch.
But Macklem kept his lower hand ou
the rung, and spoke, If speaking that
could be called which was little nioro
than a motion of ashen Hps.
'Tut an oyster In my mouth!" hla
lips whispered.
He gulped It down with difficulty.
"Now I've lunched with you an I
said I would," nnd suddenly bo put
ono foot down as If to retreat.
The sole of bis boot came hard on
George Stacy's left hand. At this con
tact with something unexpected Mack
lem's strength gave way and ha fell
In a dead faint.
His face fell forward aud bis legs
sprawled down in George Stacy's
front; bo slipped down over the rungs
until the youth Jammed tbo limp
figure against the ladder by pushing
bis own body forward.
Old Stacy gave a loud cry, fearing
his sou must go down, too, and be
made a movement as if to help him
by getting ou the ladder, which might
not have borne tho addition of bla
leavy frame. But wo held tho con
tractor back for uu Instuut, nnd t'hen
It was all over. George seized Mack
lem about tho waist with, his wijrhty
left arm. and easily backed down the
ladder with him.
II? laid Macklem on the roof of the
stair tower and hurried nway for some
stimulant.
When he returned with the remedy
the party had nil descended from the
chimney top.
It was fully fifteen minutes before
the stimulant nnd the funning of his
face and chafing of his hands revived
tho merchant. Then, like the famous
"consular of Rome," the first words
he spoke were of tho fight:
"Didn't I keep my word with you,
Stacy?"
"Faith, you did, then!" cried old
John. "And a bolder deed I never
saw. Only It wasn't necessary. Be
dud, I'm ashamed of me foolish prank
la tempting you up, Mr. Macklem. If
It wasn't for my boy being a better
man than, hi father, 'tis a murderer
I'd feel meself this minute. Fnlth,
It's a strong sowl ye've got In that lit
tle wake body! If It wasn't so sense
less of ye to Insist on ascending for the
sake of wan oyster, I dunno but I'd
call ye a hero."
"I guess George was the hero on this
occasion," said Mayor MacDew.
Then the contractor had the luncheon
brought down to tho ninth floor, where
Macklem helped to dispose of It with
wonderful spirit.
The affair Illustrates one thing
worth remembering In days when
newspapers make a fresh set of heroes
every time armed men do anything
Indicating normal human courage. At
Stacy's dinner party" a nervous, seden
tary, small man encountered what
was to him nn Immense dancer, and
fought his own fear till he fainted, all
from n not despicable desire to keep
r i engagement though the engage
ment was entered Into from petty van
ity, Jealousy nnd ambition. Youth's
Companion.
The Spanker of Parliament.
The speaker of tho House of Com
mons is an autocrat. He Is supposed
to be Impartial, and to protect tho
rights of the minority, aud there Is no
appeal from hla decisions. He Is
elected nt the beginning of each ses
sion, and can be removed und another
substituted in his place nt any time
by a vote of the house. This has been
done on several occasions, but ns long
as he Is In the chair his power is ab
solute. He can terminate n debate; he
can recognize whomsoever he pleases;
he can refuse to co; Blder propositions;
he can stop a member In the midst of a
speech, and can do anything else
which. In his Judgment, Is necessary "o
promote the nuslncss of the nation,
und tho order and discipline of the
commons. That is his responsibility.
nnd be exercises It to his best Judg
ment aud se-.so of Justice. If be errs,
he must suffer the penalty, but there
Is none to question or dispute bis au
thority ns long nr: lu Is In the chair.
With this extraordinary power there
are some drawbacks. The speaker of
the house of commons cannot dele
gate bis authority. He must always
bo present during the proceedings, nnd
preside, except when the house Is !u
committee of th whole. Then be mnv
retire for the time being, but canuot
leave the building. Ho must nlwnys
be withla call, so thnt he may resume
tljo chair nt a moment's notice. Ho
mis mugmncent apartments in the par
liament bouse, which are known as
"tho speaker's pnluce" n suite of be
tween thirty nnd forty rooms sump
tuously furnished. He receives a sal
ary of $125,000, aud the most of It is
required to maintain the expense of
his establishment. He pays all bis ser
vants and uas to entertain a great deal.
Theoretically, the palace and the sal
ary ho receives are Intended for thnt
purpose. When he retires be Is usual
ly elevated to the peerage and voted a
pension for life. Chicago Ilecord-Her-
ald.
Covernment'Mlnert and Assayers.
Next to our agricultural resources
the mining wealth of our land is the
m out, importune, and tho agitation
made some time ago to establish a
new department, with a Cabinet Min
ister at Its head, to look after the
mining Interests of tho United StateB,
Indicates bow important this Held has
become. In the assay offices through
out tho country there are hundreds
of expert chemists and scientists who
look after tho interests of those who
have mines. The man who makes a
fortunate discovery of gold or silver
does not have to go to a private con
cern to have bis wealth tested. The
nearest Government assay office will
do that for him without fear or favor.
When tho assay Is made tbo poorest
miner feels that he has been Justly
dealt with; but this feature of tha
work Is only ono of many others
equally Important. The Government
has Us corps of mining engineers and
experts who examine new mining
regions ouJ report upen their obser
vations. In all these positions under tho Gcv
ernment some scientific training or
knowledge is necessary as a prelim
inary. The fcur or favor of political
pull in less than In most ether depart
ments. The work is all of a scientific
or semi-sclentiilu character, and a
mere political follower or word hench
man cuu hardly cut a deccut flgurs In
such a position. Consequently the po
sitions uro In less demand than tho
mero clerical ones. Collier's Weekly.
Mors Afraid of Woman Than of Man.
The driver was beating bis horse un
mercifully. Ouo or two men remon
strated agulnBt such cruelty, but he
paid no attention to their appeals for
mercy. Presently a woman hove In
sight, and ho laid down his whip and
assumed nn air of Innocence.
"That's always the way," aaid a by
stauder. "It Is queer how muci more
afraid thoso fellows are of a woman
thuu they are of a man. They treat
our threats with contempt, and seem
not to hold us In the slightest dread,
but Just let a woman happen along
and they quiet down aud becomo meek
as putty. I suppose It Is because the
women reilly mean business, for It it
a fact that two-thirds of the com
pluluts turned luto the office of. the So
ciety for tho Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals are furnished by them. TITW,
of course, Is in accord with the repu
tation of the sox for gentleness, but I
really don't think It speaks very well
for us men." New York Sun.
Of Spain's surface only thirty-seven
per cent. Is cultivated, twenty-six per
cent, being pasture aud forest, aud the
vest wild aud barren mountain land. ,
FARM AND GARDEN.
Clean the RoatUlil of Weeds.
It Is perhnps not the business of the
farmer to keep the roadside clean by
cutting down the weeds that grow on
sneh places, but, as the seeds of weeds
are carried to long distances by the
winds, the farmer who keeps the road
side clear of weeds will have fewer
weeds ou bis farm.
Keep the Hay In tha Rnrn,
A large proportion of the hay nnd
fodder produced on farms Is stacked,
but hay stored In the barn will keep
In much better condition than when
stored lu stacks. It Is almost Impos
sible to escape loss when It Is exposed
In stacks. Damaged hay will lie
wasted by the Animals, and there Is
nn additional loss In quality by expos
ure that may not occur In the mow.
It Is better to sell tho hay that cannot
be stored In the mow thnn to accept
risk of the weather.
The Profit In Eaa.
The question has been discussed ns
to whether there Is n larger profit In
eggs In winter than In summer. It Is
not denied that In winter prices are at
times very high, but it may happen
that but few of the hens are then lay
ing, while the expenso of maintaining
the non-layers adds to the cost of the
eggs. In the summer season eggs are
low, but ns the hens can then largely
sustain themselves tho cost Is reduced.
As the fowls forage nnd pick up many
articles of food that would be other
wise wasted, It Is really the case that
many farmers sell eggs In summer
thnt did not cost anything at all. An
other fact Is that a larger proportion
of the bens lay In summer, and those
thnt are unproductive can be made
fat and sent to market at less cost than
during nuy other season of the year.
Open Ditches.
Open ditches should only be made
where absolutely necessary. The rea
son Is obvious a tile drain will gen
erally cost but little, If any more, than
a properly constructed open ditch with
sufficiently sloping banks. Fields can
be cultivated, hauling done in less
time nnd with less Inconvenience, be
side the additional ground to culti
vate which would be waste land if
the ditch was left open. There Is a
constant demand for the deepening
nnd widening of ditches, nnd this de
mand will continue until their bot
toms nre sunk low enough not to ob
struct the discharge of the tile drains.
The bottom of nn open ditch should
bo at least two feet below tho neces
sary depth of tile drains to prevent
the tile from being filled up and ob
structed by the ever-accumulating sed
iment In the bottom. Probably the
best way to treat this deposit of sedi
ment would be to muke bank slopes
not to exceed two to one, or still flat
ter, which will greatly reduce tho cost
of cleaning out the ditch and keeping
it in repair, by plowing nnd scraping
out the deposit nnd spreading It on
the adjacent land. The Epltomlst.
Barn Shed and Poultry Honso,
The cut shows an addition to the
side of a barn covering a side door
and affording a house for poultry nnd
an open shod for the poultry to scratch
in during tho winter. It affords a
chance also for cows to find protection
during showers on summer nights
when they nre confined In the stable
PLAN OF IHB BUILDING.
yard. If the horse stalls are adjacent
to the side door, the horse mnnure can
be thrown out Into this open shed for
the hens to scratch over, a little grain
being thrown into It. The barnyard
fence can be mado fowl-tight as well
as cow-tight, thus obviating the neces
sity for a separate poultry yard. New
England Homestead.
Acre of Dandelions Yields S100O.
The dandelion Is but little grown In
this country as a vegetable, other than
In some parts of New England. Some
of the market gardeners in the vicin
ity of Boston claim to have taken as
much as (1000 worth from an acre.
The variety known as the Improved
French thick leaved Is the best and
most generally known. It Is not at all
particular as to soil or situation In
fact, It will thrive anywhere but the
larger profits aro mado In growing It
on a heavy loam, with good tilth. The
seed should be sown after May 1, but
good results are obtained when grown
as a second crop, the seed being sown
as late as August 1.
The soil should be finely prepared-,
as the seeds are very small, and the
young plants because of their dark
color are quite Inconspicuous. Sow In
drills ono foot apart aud cover thinly.
Roll the ground after sowing. In or
der to see where the rows are a little
lettuce seed should be mixed with It,
say, two ounces to the acre. The let
tuce will plainly show the rows.
Cultivate In summer so that weeds
will not grow. Upon the approach of
cold weather cover with any coarse
litter and remove same in early spring.
Oue-quarter of a pouud of seed is suffi
cient for an acre. Itural New Yorker.
Tha Ilalunced nations.
If silage Is cheaper thau dried corn
and cheaper and better than roots; If
clover, soy beans and the peas and all
tho other possible leguminous crops
nre as vuluablo sources of protein as
the by-products of the mills and trusts,
and they will balance the ration to
the fullest requirements of the good
cow, and do It more cheaply than the
feeds of commerce, theu why should
they not grow on all our farms? Then
tho bulauclng may be done nt home.
Pnsturago Is here, and It Is well to
maintain our balance. The cew Is In
business for life. If you starved or
neglected her last winter your good
grceu grass of this spring Is being
cluirgcU back to tbo winter's uubal
anct. And the spring's abundance of
verdure should not delude us Into any
u'ubualneGBllUe relaxation of our solici
tude and provision for the time wbnn
the grasses fall nnd tho flics Increnon
and multiply. We may reflect now.
when our cows are enjoying the ful
ness of the spring that each one Is eat
ing nbout 100 pounds of grnss, and
thnt It Is a well bnlanced ration; that
It has about the same food constitu
ents ns loo pounds of milk. This la
only so when the grnss Is at Its per
fection; ns It grows older It loses Its
pnlntnblllty ns well as Its solubility,
and (he balance is lost. The cow se
cures less than she bad In perfect pas
ture grass, a decline in production is
Inevitable In spite of all the drafts sfcte
makes upon her reserve forces In her
efforts to sustain the balance, for the
good cow loves her master.
I have seen cows penned In ft dusty
pasture working away at the grnss
roots, when Just over the fence waved
nnd fluttered rich green corn, fifteen
tons to the acre, all waiting to get ripe
nnd dry to be fed to the cows ttie next
winter for them to bnlnnce up on, and
the owner thereof have "no stock" In
a balanced ration nnd no bnlnnced ra
tion In his stock. Surely feed de
ferred mnketh the milk fall. W. F.
McSpnrran, in National Stockman.
Beautifying the Farm Rome.
Farm life Is too often devoid of con
veniences and small attractions which
nre Inexpensive, nnd which add so
greatly to the comfort of those who
practically spend their lives within
the confines of tho home acre. There
Is less of the higher civilization in
farm life than Is compatible with the
ability of the occupants to obtain.
There are n dozen and one things that
might be ndded to farm homes which
would enable one to enjoy In Its ful
ness the comfort and freedom of our
surroundings.
Tho average farmhouse has nt the
rear, or side, from the kitchen what
A 8IMPLB SHAD? PORCH.
may be called a stoop or porch, though
usually consisting of a step or two
lending from the door to the ground.
The Illustration shows how a simple,
inexpensive and shady porch may be
made. If It Is considered too expen
sive to have this structure permanent
with a regulation battened or shiugled
roof, the framework only need be
erected, using for the roof a few yards
of protecting cloth, such ns Is used for
hotbeds. By stretching this tight and
nt nbout the same pitch as shown In
the Illustration it will shed water per
fectly. A broad bench Is placed at
one end of this porch and a roomy
table nt the other. Vines may be
planted in the rich soil at either end
of tho porch nnd trained on cords or
narrow wire uettlug up over the roof,
to' provide additional shade. If the
structure Is made permanent, hardy
vines the honeysuckles, Virginia
creeper, nkebia and clematis may be
planted on one side and a climbing
rose on the other. The first season
climbing annuals may be used to se
cure quick shade, using morning glory,
climbing nasturtiums and the like.
The good housewife will assuredly ap
preciate such a convenience, which
will enable her to do much of her work
In the fresh, cool air, instead of In the
hot kitchen. The broad seat will be
useful when vegetables are to be pre
pared or other work done which may
be performed sitting. Such a covered
porch Is Inexpensive, and may be made
by any one bandy with tools. Xew
York Tribune. -v . i
Relation of Salt to Dairying.
Cows should be salted regularly, or,
better still, should have constant ac
cess to suit.
The practice of salting them once a
week Is not a good one, as most cattle
will lick a little salt every day If they
can get it.
Thus provided they will yield more
aud better milk than otherwise, and
will also maintain a better degree of
health.
As salt provokes thirst, the milch an
imal should have as free access to
water as to the saline mineral, or the
latter will do her more harm than
good. -
Speaking of salt leads me to say
that some failures In dairy butter
making I have noted came about by
salting the cattle and the butter out
of the same barrel.
In other words, coarse. Insoluble
salt was used for the butter, when
only the highest and most refined
grade should be employed.
Salt that Is not soluble will not per
meate the substance of butter evenly,
and thus rancidity may be Induced.
Again, grains of salt In butter clwayg
detract from Its appearance, and nre
Inimical to even flavor, from these
causes alone lowering Its market value.
Let us say here that there are to-day
Just as fine grades of American dairy
salt produced as come from England.
American milch cattle fed on Amer
ican grass produce butter salted with
American salt that is the peer of any
on earth, and is so conceded In for
eign markets.
Iu attaining this result, however,
one must utilize the best of every
thing, thinking not that poor or cheap
material can be Introduced with Im
punity to future quality.
I knew a dairyman ouce who, In a
spasm of economy (?) sought to save
fifty cents by purchasing a cheaper
grade of salt than was his wont, and
later lost ou his shipment of butter
thereby $7.
It was one of the most effective les
sons be could have been taught In
practical dalrylug, exemplifying as It
did that cheap material always pro
duces cheap quality. When it comes
to cheese making salt holds Just as im
portant a position as In other dairy
lines, I. e., that solubility and purity
are highly necessary.
Tho relation of salt, be It under
stood, to all phases of dairying Is
highly Important one, nnd because this
fact Is so little appreciated accounts
for many dairy failures. George B.
Newell, In American Cultivator, .
Inoculation has lowered fatal cases
Iu cholera from ten to two y-at cent.
Machinery Working; a Revolution.
TIT HE perfection of farm ma
I chlnery has worked a revo
I ' lutlon In all farming tneth-
C-1 oils. Now a man can with
cas do the work In a day that used
to take him three or four days to per
' form. By means of the improved ma
' chlnery and scientific methods the
t progressive farmer has cheapened the
cost of his produce by half; the per
fection of railway service takes bis
surplus to the market In half the
time, with a freight charge of one
fourth the tariff of thirty years ago.
There is more money now In fifty
cent wheat than there was in "dollar
wheat" then.
In every field of human activity in
this country, save one, there have
been nnd nre being made glnnt
Btrldes to multiply productivity,
lessen cost and add convenience. Shall
we not expect ere long thnt the top
wire of main fences will connect with
telephones and join farm to farm, and
these, In turn, to the town nt the rail
way, the county seat and the city?
But what shall we say of the roads
In these there has been practically
no advancement In fifty years. Wagon
transportation shows little, If any,
progress for a century. Periodically
In every community tho farmers go
out, nnd under the direction, or, more
properly, misdirection, of the pnth
master, plow up nnd destroy more or
less of the roads In working out their
annual poll tax. May we live to see
the end of this idiotic practice. Mnny
of our mnln traveled roads have had
more time and money thrown nwny
upon them In these nnnunl fits of "im
proving" than it would cost to build
nnd maintain a first class macadam
road. The necessity for good roads
is Immediate and Imperative; expand
ing trade nud the perfection of ocean
transportation have put American
grain Into competition with the food
products of Crimea, Iudin, Australia
and Argentina. In all of these coun
tries American machinery and meth
ods nre no strangers, nnd nil of the
economies known nnd prnctlsed here
nre understood and employed there.
If, then, the American farmer Is In
the future to bold the first position as
the feeder of the world, he must still
further cheapen the eoBt of his pro-
! duce In the world's market. There
may be various ways to do this, but
there Is one way so potent, so pro
nounced and self-evident thnt It out
ranks all the others, and that Is to
build good roads, and thus reduce the
cost of transportation from the farm
to the railway by two-thirds No less
nn authority than the United States
Bureau of Agriculture finds that It
often requires one-fourth of the farm
produce to pay for cnrrylng the whole
from the farm to the railway. The
Secretary of Agriculture says: "No
permanent prosperity will or can
come to agriculture without good
roads." The cost of hauling from the
farm to the market Is three or four
times more than the cost of similar
service In Europe, and Is, at least,
three times whet the cost would be
here with good hard roads. New York
Tribune.
. v.
Bad noada a Double Injury.
Bad roads work a double Injury;
when the natural dirt roads arc good,
tho teams are usually wanted in the
fields. When the rain comes so that
the work Is stopped in the fields, the
roads are often Impassable. The fact
that prices are usually the best when
the roads are the worst Is one bo gen
eral and bo often repeated as to bo
well known to every one. In iuct, the
scant supply Is due to the embargo of
mud, which creates a shortage In the
market, and this Increases the price.
.When the roads are good again, the
Immense quantity of produce thrown
upon the market depresses the prices.
Bad roads nre, In fact, the most ex
Venslve burden the farmer has to bear.
They require twice the horsepower,
twice the time nnd only one-bnJfthe
load as compared with good roads'.
Transportation Is really the great
est economic question of the age. In
no department of human activity has
there been a greater or perhaps so
great an advancement as In the rail
way transportation in this country.
The American railways have solved
the question of the most perfect ser
vice at the least possible cost. A
modern locomotive over a modern
track will carry from 00,000 to 100,000
bushels of grain In a single train. We
can boast of the best railways and
the worst public highways of any
country on earth.
What It Means.
An eminent authority on agricul
ture Bays that the farmer In any
community having hard roads, which
will enable him to market his crops
upon any day In the year, can, by
watching the markets aud taking ad
vantage of good prices, gain from
three to five cents on a bushel on
his grain and from onj-balf to one
cent a pound on bis hogs over and
above what he can ordinarily get,
when, for weeks at a time, he Is mud
bound and can neither deliver bis pro
duce nor keep In touch with the mar
ket. He goea further and says: "This
means an Increase of the cash profits.
of the farm irom seventy-five cents to
$1.50 an acre. There can be no doubt
that good, hard, every day in the year
roads are worth from $100 to 200 in
cash a year for every quarter section
reached by them." If this Is true, It
will, upon the same basis that uiana
facturers and other Industries ore
Hooted, add from $-'000 to $4000 to the
actual cash .value of the farm.
Mat Half Way.
Under direction from Washing
ton. a special ageut of the Department
of Agriculture took up tho question
of transporting road material with the
presidents of ten of the leading rail
ways In Illluols. In every case they
expressed their wllllugness to Imil
road material for this purpose at ac
tual cost. Ouo president said: "Wo
will haul it ou any terms required,
und If eost isn't li.w enough tho far
mers may fix the taiitf." -
COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
Ocacral Trad Condllioas.
New York (Special). R. G. Dun It
Co.'s weekly review of trade says:
"There is no complaint t'ronf any part
of the country over the volume of cur
rent distribution of mcrchane, and
what hesitation is observed is? general
trade is chiefly due to the uncertainty
as to the duration of the labor trouble
in the steel manufacture. Collections
continue good, better weather has help
ed the agricultural classes, money is
easy, and stocks of merchandise car
ried are not above the average for this
season of year, particularly in the West
and Southwest.
"Having no further ammunition in
heat and drought reports for hoisting
prices, speculators have turned sudden
ly to the other extreme and demon
strate that early frosts threaten all late
planted corn. The result has been spot
quotation at this city of more than 6a
cents all the week, and the practical
elimination of exporters from domestic
markets.
"Failures for the week were 173 in.
the United States, against 177 last year,
and 31 in Canada, against 23 last year."
Bradstreet's says:
"Wheat, including flour, shipments
for the week aggregate 8,83.1, 190. busli
els. against 6,463,391 last week, and 3,
318.760 in the corresponding week o
ixx.
LATEST QUOTATIONS.
Flour Best Patent, $4.45; High
Grade Extra, $3.95; Minnesota bakers,
$2.Qoa3io.
Wheat New York, No. 2 red, 77'jc;
Philadelphia, No. 2 red, 7314740; Bal
timore, 7aViC
Corn New York. No. 2, 6i?ijc; Phil
adelphia, No. 2, S95a6oc; Baltimore,
No. 2, 6ja63c.
Oats New York, No. 2, 39c; Plifla
delphia, No. a white, 45c; Baltimore,
No. 2 white, 42343c.
Rye New York, No. 2, 5o!Sc; PhuV
adclphia, No. 2, 58c; Baltimore, No. 2,
56c.
Hay No. t timothy, $i6.ooal6.so;,
No. 2 timothy, $15.00315.50; No. 3 tint-!
othy, $14.00814.50.
Green Fruits and Vegetables Ap
ples, ber bbl., fancy, $.2.0032.25; 'air t
good. $(.50.11.75. Beets, per bunch, a
ic. Blackberries, per quart, Rochelle,
4a5C Cabbage, per 100, T'lat Dutch,
J3.ooa4.oo. Cantaloupes, Gems, per
basket, 25340c; native, large, per 100,
$4.ooa6.oo. Carrots, per bunch ia2c.
Corn, per dozen, 435c. Damsons, Aid.
and Va., per bbl, $4.0034.50. Eggplants,
per basket, 6oa65c. Huckleberries, per
quart. 7a8c. Onions, per half-bbl bas
ket. 603656, Peaches, yellows, 75a$r.oo;
reds, 65380c. Pears, Manning Eliza
beth, per basket, 50375c; Bartlctts, per
basket," 353500. Pineapples, Florida, per
crate, as to size, $2.0033.25. Plums, 8-lb
basket, I2al5c Squash, per basket, IS
a2oc. String Beans, per bus, 65375c.
Tomatoes, 2-baskct carrier, 75ca$i.oo;
Antie Arundel, per bssket, 30340c.
Watermelons, per 100 selects, $i8.ooa
22.00.
Live Poultry Hens, ioc; old roost
ers, each. 25330c; spring chickens, 14c;
ducks, 7a8Vjc; spring ducks, 8a 10c.
Potatoes White New York river,
per bbl, No. 1. $2. 5033.00; do. do. culls
and seconds, $i.5oa2.oo; do, do, Rappa
hannock, per bbl. Rose, $2.6oa2.9o; do,
do, Chili R. per bbl, $2.5032.75; do, do,
seconds, per bbl, $1.2532.00; do, Eastern
Shore Md., per bbl, $2.5033.00; do, do,
Va., per bbl, $2.5083.00; do. native, pet
bushel box. coca$i.oo; do, Md. and Pa.,
per bus, 8oa9oc. Sweets New North
Carolina, per bbl, yellows. $,.ooa4.oc
do, do, Eastern Shore Virginia, per bbl,
yellows, $3.5034.50; do, do, red. per bbl.
$2.ooa2.5o. Yams New, per bbl, $2.50
a27S.
Provisions and Hog Products Bulk
rib sides, 9'Ac; clear do, 9-kic; shoul
ders, 8rA'e; do fat foscks, 14 lbs and un
der, 8)4c; do, 18 lbs and under, S'Aci
do, belles, ipc; do, mess strips, S'Ac
do, ham butts, 8jc; bacon clear sides,
io'ic; do, clear, iojc; do, shoulders,
9J4c; sugar-cured breasts, small, 13'A'c;
do, do, 12 lbs and over, 13A; do, do.
shoulders, bladecuts, g'Ac; do, do, nar
rows, g'Ac; do, do, extra broad, ioj-iq;
do, do, California hams, 9c; hams, id
lbs, 13 to 1354c; do, 12 lbs and over,
I2f$c; do, 15 lbs and over I2j4c; eb,
skinned, 14c; do, beef, Western, caa
vascd and uncanvased sets, n'Ac; do,
do, tenders, I54c; mess pork, $16.50;
ham pork, $16.00; refined 50-lb cans,
ojic; do, do, half-barrels and new tubs.
Hides Heavy steers, association and
saiters, late kill, 60 lbs and up, close se
lection, toatiViC; cows and light steers,
oaof'jc.
Eggs Western Maryland and Penn
sylvania, per doz, 14c; Eastern Shore
Maryland and Virginia, 14c; Virgrafa,
14c; Western and West Virginia, 14c;
Southern, I3ai3c; guinea, 7c.
Dairy Prodwcts Elgin, 22a2jc; sepa
rator, extras, 2ia22c; do, firsts 2oa2ic;
do, gathered cresm, 19320c; do, imita
tion, 17318c; ladle extra, I5at7: ladles,
first, 14315c; choice Western rolU, 15a
16c; fair to good, I3a4c; half-pound
creamery, Maryland, Virginia and
Pennsylvania, 2ia22c; do, rolls, 2-lb, do,
20c.
Cheese New chcase. Urge, 60 lbs,
I0J4alo?c; da, flats, 37 lbs, i6'Anoic;
do, flats, 37 lbs, io.'iaiolic; oicnios, 20
lbs, naiijc.
Live Stock.
Chicago. Cattle Good ta prfjie
steers, $5.6036.15; stockers and feeders,
$2.2534.00; cows, $2.5034.40; bulls, $2.50
84.30; calves, choice higher at $3.ooa
6.50. Hogs mixed and butchers, $5.70
aS-951 good to choice heavy, $5,908,
6.0754. Sheep good to choice weth
ers, $3.6034.00; fair to ohoiee mixed,
$3.25aj.6o; Western sheep, $3.2584.00;
yearlings, $3.7534.30; native laaiibs, $2.00
05.15; Western lambs, $4.2585.15-.
East Liberty. Cattle Extra, $5.59
5.80; prime, $5.50565; g"'d, sao
5.40. Hogs dull and lower; prime heavy
$0.05; assorted mediums, $6.ooa6.os;
best Yorkrs, $6.10; light do, i5.90a6.00.
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
"Cern exports for the week aggre
gate 090,714, against 653,604 last week,
and 2,890,754 in this week a year ago."
Fort Worth has 40 unions.
There are 45.000 union merchants.
Philadelphia is to have a labor tem
ple. Fort Worth has a Woman's I-abel
League.
Brooklyn bricklayers' laberers get $J
a day. .
Louisvifle carpenters get Ji.jo lor
mite hoaij.
Columbia, S. C. bricklayers won the
nine-hour day.
In New York the prices ef horses
hav doubled.
Pawlucket, R. I., plumbers now work
eight hours per day.
Charleston painters were conceded
the nine-hour day.'
There are two 'union men 111 the St.
Augustine, Fla., City Council.
Equality, III., city laborer have heen
granted the eight-hour day.
Alton, 111.. City Council has estab
lished the eight-hour day for laborers.
Wewanee, 111., . bricklayers secured
the eitflit- hour day without redaction in
wage.