COSTA RICA. A CENTHAfi AMKKICAN STATU AT TIIR KAIlt. Fin Rxtttblt of It I'rndiiots -Mln-erals, Woods, Hides, 'of fer, Herbs nml Hoot In (treat Profusion. rOSTA RICA'S Iiousp stands at thn hnnd of thp lugoon which washes the steps tn tlm Art Pnlnee. It in the yellow build ing, with the I iluc, white ntnl red flag Hupping nttovo tho trees. Along tlio back runs it widn piazza, w li o n n foundation iH lniil in Hid water. At tlio front two mar lilt urns stand nt each door post nnd above tin- door in tho cont-of-nrms of tlio State. Striving to de velop its Impenetrable forests ninl ore rilled mountiins, it bankrupted its treasury nnd thus linn not much money to upend for luxuries. However, it is at thn Fair in a most creditable shape, nnd tlm old country which Columbus tumbled on during his third voyage hopes to receive an impulse in the right direction by taking its light from under a bushel. Once out of MAtN KXIIlnlTtO! nATiti IN doht, or even able to meet it obliga tions, the country will forgo to tlio front. It in blessed by nature most lavuhly. Its grcuteHt need in tnuu, nd men with money. Draped in tlio colors nf tlio country, the interior of the building in devoted exolunively to buninenn. There are no elaborate reoeption-roonm nor ofllcvs with niagnifloaut furniture. Dr. Guz man, Costa llioa'a ComniiHsioncr, re tained only a corner for hiiunelf among the animals and birdii, and Hilks and dyes that his country Lias sent. Tho gallery makes tho circle of tho build ing, with great slashes of color hang ing in tho arches. Hhiolds and bronzo gronps of soldiers, and cealots rushing with blazing torches are among tho decorations. Many photographs of almost topless mountains, endless jungles and handsomo girls from the far South, adorn the walls, with here and there oils executed iu peculiar ways. BOUM VBOK OORa RICA. Sarsaparilla grows in Ckxta Bica and long with a wealth of other shrub bwf ihia auedkioa ' ia shown. It is interesting, since the1 average visitor has nevpr seen namnpnrillA nut of bot tles or tlio nodn fountain. Extending down the sido of the long structure mm i I'OSTA RtCA'n PtSrt.AT OF OnF.1. urn a score or morn esse containing bottles and jars of plants and horbs used in medical practice. Ilnrkn, beans, roots, leaves, branches and TITE COSTA BtCA nm.uINO. pulverized wocmIh nro in a bewildering jirofunion until it looks as though na ture had grown a remedy for nil the real and iningiuury ills of body nnd rlenh. Not cveu the old family "doc tor book" can relate a discaso for which Costa ltica does not grow its bnlm. l'yrnmids of minerals and woods fill the center, showing the natural re sources of the country. The stones raugn nloug tho whole gamut of value from tho cumberMomn lumps of iron to bits of precious metals. Tho woods are stub-onds of logs, polished nnd varnished to high degrees and in a variety which is simply marvelous. Tho forests are yet practically virgin, the natives alone being largo consu mers and tho uses being largely those for heat and waste. Long on timber, Costa Kica is short on a market for it, and thus the very best sells at almost ridiculous prices. Hides of almost everything from snakes up are shown, those of the fur tribes being most numerous. The country hue not much uso for warm garraeuts, and it is curious that nature in ita wisdom filled tho south woods with pelts for Arctic coats. The birds with densest plumage always pant where the sun is fiercest, and thus it happens that Costa Rica has songsters with feathers a yard long, and other birds with plumage rivaling the rain bow in brilliancy. They are in the National Building ia great profusion, and arranged as found in tho jungles. Borne look like jokes, with spindling legs and bodies too heavy for them, and others are built on graceful lines with moBt wonderful beauty. One end of the gallery is a long-distance landscape, and the blue sky and white clouds ore helped out by stuffed birds nailed to the oanvas. This is realism iu art with vengeance, but since the aim is to show the birds and not the landscape the criticism hardly stands. Like all the neighboring States and Kingdoms, Costa Bica raises coffee and challenges the world to equal its pro duct in quality. To prove ita value great silver tanks have been arranged to cook samples, and when the build ing waa opened all visitors were given long draughts of the fragrant mixture. For this purpose the end next the north had been reserved. Thus all the departments of the country's varied business relations are exhibited, the Qovernment tending many things irom tne national Museum. There are oases of coin and script of the country displays of all tlm articles tmportnl, silken wares nnd sea weed products made. Iv thn tintiven, Everything nbout thn place suggests commerce, and thnt in pxnetly why tho country camp to tho Knir--to boom its export relations with the rent of thn world, and particularly with this edge of it. -Chicago Herald. The Atlantic Urenn. Tlm area nf thn Atlnntio in about .10,000,01m square miles, lew than bal thn area of tho l'sciflc, and between mio-sixth and otio-seveuth of thn total nurfnen nrea of thn world. It would form a circle CilNO milen in diameter, which is rnther morn tlinn double tho dintnncn from Liverpool to Now York. Itn depth in much better known than thnt of thn 1'iieillc, ami averages morn tlinn 'iOIIO fathoms, probnldy about 14,00(1 feet, or nbout two nud two thirds miles. Thn height of Mont llliinc in about three milen. The cubic contents nro thcreforo nearly 80,000,000 cubic, milen, so thnt the Atlantic could bn contained bodily iu the I'neitlo nenrly thren times. Thn number of cubic feet in 1 17 followed by seventeen ciphers, a number Hint would bo ticked olT by our million locks in H70.000 yenrn. Itn weight in H'2"i,000 billion toiin, nnd tho number . II 1 1L 1 1- 11 oi gallons in ii, in flevciiij-mrce trill ionn. A sphere to hold thn Atlnntio would have to be CftH) miles in diam eter. If it were mndo to fill ncirctilarpipa reaching from thn earth to thn sun a diHtnnen of 0:1,000,000 miles the di ameter of tho pipe would bn 18:17 yards, or rnther over a mile; whiln a pipe of similar length to contain thn l'neiHc would bn over n mile and three quarters ncrnsn. Vet thn distance to thn sun is so great thnt, ns hns been pointed out, if a child wcrn born with an nrm long enough to reach to tho sun it would not livn long enough to know that it had touched it, for sen na tion pnmcs along our nerves nt thn rate of 100 feet a second, and to trnvel from the sun to tho earth nt thnt rate would takn a century and a half, nnd such an abnormal infant is an un likely oontouiirian. Longman's Mug azine. authnmatlraf Combination Wonders, If yon want to know to what fnnzy depths mathematics can takn you just begin to figure on combinations ami keep it up industriously for an hour or two. (Inn of tho moat wonderful examples iu this line, perhaps, is thnt relating to thn various combinations iu dominoes. Doctor liein, a Frank fort (Oermuny) mathematician of in ternational reputation, has calculated that two persons playing tho game ten hours a day, and making four moves a minute, could continue one hundred ami eighteen million years (11H,()00, 000) without exhausting all tho com binations of tho game, thn total of which is 248,528,21 1,840 1 St. Louis ltcpulilic. Mrs. Harrison's Monument. Thn monument which ex-President Harrison has ordered for thn grave of his wife iu Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, will bn massivn iu pro portions and graceful in outline Ue foro (leneral Hnrrinon made his choice ho examined designs submitted by monument dealers all over the country. THB HABKISON MONUMKXT. The beautiful memorial to be erected will comprise four huge blocks. On tho third bnse will be the name "Harrison" iu large raised letters. Columns with tastefully carved capitals will be placed at tho four corners of ; the base. Around the massive die, i near the top, will be a handsomely carvod astragal. The monument will be made of granite from Barre, Vt., after designs by J. B. Lame, of Indianapolis. It , win be one ot the uncut monuments in the cemetery. nap." Judge. i The Real Thing. "Well, now, this is what I call a genuine run KAii.n asd (mimies. r.prnct of oiiashrs on woon. Cosrxe, rough, wild grasses hnvo been know n to ch'ingo the quality of Merino wool in a few months. On thn contrary, the line, soft, sweet grasses have always improved thn coarser wooled breeds of sheep. The wool market reports show ,B difference of value in the wools of the same grnde of sheep from different sections. For convenience rnther than from equity, the trade clnssen these domestic tleeeen by stnten nt present, and always have done so. It Is worthy of liotn thnt thesn nrbitrnry grndiugs have been grently modified nnd nre continually tending to higher grades nud vnliH"). It is snhl that wivitern nml prairie fleeces are dirty, gritty, nnd string so badly In scouring as ti reduce their price; ninl as lands lire closely grazed nud become net in bettergrasses, a sod is formed that keeps the sheep's feet from Hie soil and 1. 'us limit raised to settle iu the lleeees, mid so fleeces nrci cleaner ninl liht -r. American Farmer. OST OF fill K A III NO HIII'.KP. It is not desirable t wash the sheep before shearing them tiulcas tlm wool lias been permitted to become filthy, and this no careful Hhccpuui'itcr should allow to happen. (Icnerally the wash ing injures the wool by removing the yolk and natural grease that give the usual softness and lustre to the II 'eee, ami this ia a damage to it, because it gives a harsh, rough feeling to the wool, mid actually inj ires its selling value, whiln nothing nt nil ,i gained in any way. If the fleeces have 1 ri per mitted to bei Ui, the sheep should be washed iu warm water two or three weeks before shearing, mid some HWcct oil rubbed on the wool before i) is quitii dry. In the interval between the washing mul the shearing, the wool will regain its wiftm-ss mul natural feeling nnd strength mul elasticity. Hut as a rule the practice of washing sheep in brooks or ponds, with its semi barliarous recklessness ns to the health of the men employed, is be :uiii' rightly obsolete milling sensible shep herds. Thn price paid for shearing varies from three cents n head to seven or eight. It is not dillicult to shear n sheep in ten minutes. Thus n good shearer may make nearly n day nt his work at three cents per fleece, and he well deserves it. A bungler is dear lit any price, ns he will cut the sheep nml make future trouble. New York Times. WI'.TTINO ASI) COOK I Nil UKA',. One of the largest feeders of swine gives his experience nud judgment ss follows: I find that if 1 take Km bushels of meal mul wet it in cold water mid feed twenty-live hogs with it, they cut it well, but if 1 take the aamo quantity and cook it, it doubles the bulk and will tako the same num ber ot hogs twice ns long to ent it, nml 1 think they fatten twice ns find in the same length of time." Professor Stewart, iu commenting on this, says he took two lots of three pigs each from tho same litter, weigh 'J'J.'t pounds each lot. Lot 1 hud com ment soaked twelve hours iu cold water. Lot 2 hail cooked comment, mul each had nil they could cat, ami each had u cock of early cut clover every day. Lot 1 consumed 2,111 pounds of meal, nud gained 40 pounds or 140 each. Lot 2 gained 000 pounds, or 200 pounds each. Or, figuring iu another way, ho got 11 pounds of pork for a bushel of meal soaked in water, and 10.47 for a bushel when cooked, a gain of nearly 5) pounds to the bushel, getting half ns much again for his corn by cooking it. Professor Stewart further says that "by good management the general feeder may reach with raw corn eight pounds, with raw meal ten pounds, with boiled corn twelve pounds, and with boiled meal &ftccn pounds of live pork per bushel. " Rural Life. C0N( F.nNISO CIIF.AM AND BUTTER, It has generally been believed, writes Mrs. 8. E. Wilcox of Ohio, that milk, to yield cream most per fectly in cold weather, must be kept in a warm atmosphere. Home exper iments that I have made during the last winter would appear to disprove this. These few suggestions, regard ing cream and butter, are not given for those who have large dairies, with separators, creameries, and other modern appliances, but for the aver age farmer who has only a few cows, and for the farmer's wife , who, with common and not altogether modern appliances, aims to make the most of tho milk and butter. City people re ly largely upon fancy dairy or cream, ery butter. But there ia a large pop ulation in small villages who depend upon the local farmer for their eup- ply, and arc willing to pny a good prlen for a prima article. During Inst winter I have kept milk nt ns low a temperature an possibln abovn freezing, not only away from a fire heat, but, except In thn very cold est weather, the window the room In which it has stood for thirty-six hours before being skimmed, wns open night and day. It hns been n matter of sur prise how well thn, milk, under these conditiomi, withstood frost. Only n few times hns it been necessary to in troduce hent to prevent freezing. I think I have never gathered as much cream from thn same quantity of milk under other clrciimstnncen'. The "gmlu man" affirms that "thn cows nrn tho same as formerly, and have not re ceived as good rntioiin an usual." Directly nfter thn milk was skimmed it wns emptied from the puns into a large vessel and placed in a warm room i quoting from thn "glide ni'in" njain "it was turned over mul skimmed on the other side," mid iu twelve hours yielded a supply of ream for Coffee, soups, mi 1 gravies. Many nfllrm tint this second rising Is counterfeit cream, and will not hum into butter, but I enn testify tint, it Is n very acceptable article for the cook. Doubtless many writer on dairy matters will soy these experiments were very superficial, and their results unreliable nnd of little practical value, but make a note of them, my rural sisters, for future ex-pcriim-litii an I satisfy yourself re garding them. Into the fir-it Kkiininin ( of cre:i:n put half a tcnciipful of salt mid ft heap ing tcnspnolifiil of pulverized Halt peter to every gallon of en nm when churned. Salt causes cream to yield butter more readily mid retards acidity. This quantity will not mak- the but termilk too s.i.t for culiii try purposes. Saltpeter temlu to keep the cream from becoming bitter in winter, mid gives butter a firmer texture in the summer. It also nets as a preservative in thn butter. I find some excellent butter makers arc putting white sugar in but ter; some use half as much iiug.tr as sail. I us one-third. Tlm presence of Hiigar iucreatics th.i preservative quality of salt mul imparts n pleasant lluvor. Few people on siii.ill farms have ice, but nearly all luivo plenty ot cold water. With neither ice nor cold water good butter cannot be made in warm weather. Put a strong bail on mi old-fashioned atone churn and keep the cream iu it. In hot weather put the jar int i the well twelve hours be fore churning. This is nlso a good place to cool biltt -i'. Most wells cm be nrraiigcd to iiuikn this practicable. If this jar is used for n churn, it saves time nud labor in handling tlm cream, mul is easily kept sweet. It is claimed that granular butter cannot be made In u dash churn, yet an article enn be made for which local consumers will gladly pny more than the market price. American Agriculturist, FAItM AND UAItDKN NOTES', Waste no grain in harvesting. You cnu't give corn too much culti vation. Keep a careful re?ord of all farm ex periments. Never eh.inge milkers when it can be avoided. Bran will balance fodder better than com meal, as a milk ration. Rosin mid tallow in equal parts make a good covering for wounds in fruit trees. In some cases one reason why peach es do not do well is lack of potash in tho soil. Nothing is too good for a good feeder tint is cupalilu of improvement iu Henri and order. Weeding out the poorest is thi cheapest way of improving tha recorJ of a dairy herd. Horses will do more work on bnr. ley than outs, com, peas, be. ms or anv combination of these. night pasture for work horses will help to cool their blood. Give their grain ration just tho sumo. Growing colts need plenty of exer cise, and this is as important in sum mer as at any other season. The trouble with u very largo amount of dairy butter is tho luck of skill and system in its manufacture, henco the quality ia often variable. A cow is a good cow simply because she has an increased capacity for turn ing raw material into the kind of pro duct the dairyman wants. Give your stable thorough clean ing occasionally, it will more than repay you in the way of appearance, and is beneficial iu a sanitary way, American horses are too high for their weight, with legs too small for their overgrown bodies, a lack of auhataaoa which superinduces unsoundness autl woak constitution. Mm.vnm mi ham. Fnlsn teeth are now mndo from pa per, and nre said to wear well nif lif t a lifetime. Thn excavation of Hell Onto reef. New York City, was attended by 21, 0(H) soundings and 8,000 borings. An alloy of seventy-eight per cent, gold and twenty-two per cent, allnio' Inttm is the most brilliant known. Diamond cutters in Holland have succeeded in cutting stones so small, thnt it takes 1,500 of them to weigh Varat. More women th in men go blind In Sweden, Norway nnd Ireland; more men tlinn women in tin' rest of Kuriipe ml the Tinted States. The Prussian government is making an experimental boring in tho Rybnik district of Prussian Silesia which at the depth of a mile and a quirter, hi still progressing. N'sptlialefie, which is a product of conl tar distillation, In apxarsncn something like pnrafTin, has been found useful in F.ugUnd for tho pre servation of timber. F.nghitid reports n ten-ton cutter nbout to be built of the new metal. The theory is thnt nn aluminum hull with the usual lend keel ollht to bo both light nud stable. A locomotive engineer's car bo comes so acutely trained to the noise of his engine that wlmti n bolt gets loose or anything goes wrong iH sense of hearing informs hint of the trouble at once. A Victoria Regis lily in the pnrk of Sehoitbriinu, near Yi unci, was in bloom recently. 'I'll 1 plant has eleven leaves, mid oneof them is capable of supporting sixty-five pounds without sinking in flic middle. There arc nt present something like 70,000 public gas jeti in Loudon; their average power i i that of sixteen ciiiullci. that is to say, the total is equal to 1 1, lO'l.Oil 1. Were these nil clustered together nri-l placed nt a height of 2,0'f0 feet, th ' r suiting light could be seen for a dint nice of moro than loo miles. It is said that n process of gilding nnd plating on aluminum Iris been in vented by n Oermini scientist. By this process aluminum may now lie gilded and plated either by galvanic deposit, in the same manner as is adopted for other metalii, or by direct application mid heat. The proccsi involves tho covering of aluminum with n special metallic film, nnd it is completed by the usual electro-plating methods. An invention designed to facilitate the immediate st.qqiin of n vessel moving in dangerous waters, or in colliding with another vessel, has been patented by a Peruvian. A vertically sliding frame on a post at the bow of tho vi-sm-l 1ms on it ' idvs pivoted wings adapted to osp.ii. 1 t ..risvers. ly to offer resistance to the forward mo tion of the vessel in the witter when the frame is iu its lowermost position How Plants Travel. Tho manner in which soma plant travel is peculiar. A certain weed was transferred to Antarctic inland in tho mould clinging to a ppadn and soon became common. Birds carry Beed.s in tho clay w hich stick: to their feet, sheep and other aainiahi in their liuir; and few things nro more com mon than tho K.;pcrsioa of edible plants by birds and beasts which pass the indigestible seeds of the fruits thoy have eaten. Tho struggle for existence between tho native and tho alien flora is, on a smull scale, as remarkable as the same process in the ca..e of men. jn the end the struggle tends to right Itself, for the prolirta growth of tho llien species on favorable ground leails lo severe internal competition, and uf ter the earth is drained of the substan ces which they especially require they die a natural death, while the native plants, which wero temporarily ban ished, recover their position. Muuy instances are quoted of vigorous and heavy crops of foreign weeds one year being followed by total disapperanoe tho next. Buttons of Blood. "One secret cf the Chicago packers' great fortune is simply," said a resi dent of that city recently, "they don't waste anything. The meat, the en trails, everything is made use of but the squeal. They cun't catch that, so it is wasted. Funny thing w hat they do with the blood. It ia all caught in a great tank, and after it clots ia cart ed off to a stamping house, where powerful machines are busy stamping it into buttons. Yes, buttons of blood are a uoveUy. It is all dune at one tamp of the big dies, and it was found that they wore remarkably well. They are distinguished by their peculir rjl oolor".
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers