7"
TESTING SEEDS.
tSTKItR'TIJtn (ITERATIONS AT
AN kXPMtlHKN T 8TATIUX.
Seed Adulteration Has tlin tie
ouced to m Kclenre Test for Im
purities llome-Mude (term
. Inntliig Apparatus,
"V "V"T"IT1I tho coming of spring,
heralded by t lie nlluring
V n'' highly colored adver
tisements of sood dealers
And florists, the fnrmer, housewife nnd
anintmtr gnrdoner nre flooding tlio
mall with tlio lord orders tliey nro
ending to the dealers. Tbo llttlo paper
packages, full of promifes of lovely
tloonu tnd lunip vegetahlo, will la
Mnl by-return mnil, mid then will
com tho planting, waiting, anxiety
and Iriuninh or disappointment.
Those who bought their seeds of ro-
SKED-flKltMlNATINd APPAHATUS
Sntnble, oomicioutionn dealers will
ave tbemneWos to blnme tf plnuts,
grnuoi, flowers and sbrnbs fail to
pring Irom the seed, but too ofton
the little bags or pnokages of needs
contain tend, crnshod quartz, "dead"
eed or inferior seed mixed with a
mnll proportion of the genuiuc, for
Mod adultorntiou has been reduced to
aoieuce.
- rJometimcs this adnlteration is duo
to sheer careletimefis on the pnrt of
frroweis and dcnlerx, but more ofton
it is the result of careful study nnd
icareful manipnlntiou by dishonest
men. Enropn sot thooxnmplo of mix-
'log inferior, dead nud cheap seed with
the good to increase the profits of the
; grower and dealers, nnd some of the
worst punts which trouble farmers
were introduced into this coun
try through thu medium of adul
terated scedi.
' The Ruuinn t'uiflUe, a foul weed
which covers over ;)5,()U0 square milos
of good tanning lnuds nud seriously
Interferes with agricultural operntious
in teven States, stole into the United
PLAN OF HBSD-CIiEANIKa UACHINK.
States more than n score of years ago
in ltnsaian nnxseeu.
It is said that the average farmer
bays thn cheapest seed in the market
and trusts to luck lor results. This
praotioe is condemned by experts, who
declare that cheap seed is tbe princi
pal source of the hosts of noxious
weeds whioh spring up on many farms.
Purity is a primary requisite to
good seed and adulterate! send is not
pare. The adulterating matter may
bo worthies;, harmless stut), such as
and, dirt, stones, crashed quarts or
dead seed, or it may be seod of narui'
fnl weeds, which so nearly rasemblos
tbe genuine tbat tbe cloiest inspeo
tion fails to discover the fraud.
Grass and olover seed are the prin
eipal viotims of tbe dishonest "mixor."
A common method of adulteration is
to mix the seed of wild and inferior
grasf es with tbat wbiob commands a
high price.
in Europe there are several "seed
control" stations where seed is tested,
nd seed investigation now is an im
portant feature in many agricultural
experimental stations in this country.
. The apparatus and applianoes used in
these Investigations are complete in
very particular and somewhat expen
sive, but any farmer or gardener oan
test his own seed and arrive at correct
conclusions.
Tbe points to be considered are gon
nineness, purity, germinating power
and actual value of the seed, A good
magnifying glas, a set of small bottles
or tabes provided with corks, and
borne-made germinating apparatus are
ail tbat is neoessary to enter into
personally conduoted pure-seed inves
tigation. The method of testing as
. carried on in an experimental station
is about as follows :
. A fair average sample is secured,
ad this sample is divided up into
, arjsdlu average samples, so that sev
ens! taste aan be oarried on at the same
t'-na. After this smaller average sam
j to we?;5id, tie iMds we spread
t 1 iyp;
IT
P
H -
ont upon a smooth ginned blnok or
white surface tnd all of the impurities
nro carefully sopnratod from the gen
11 i no teed, welched end tholr percent
nge ascertained. All chair, fend end
foreign mixtures of spy sort ere re
garded as impurities. The seeds of
woods ere ideutiflod, if possible, end
every result in onrnfully recorded on
blanks mndo fur tlio purpose. When
tlio test for impurities ts complete the
germinating tout in mndo. Whore the
tosts nre mndn thoroughly two lot of
seeds nro taken for thn germinating
tent 1 otin for tlio germinating nppnrn
tun nnd one for outdoor or
greenhouse ciiltnro. For sprouting
seeds it Is noconssory to have
Homo sort of nn apparatus in which
nil of thn diirrnnt factors governing
germination, Mich ns light, tmnporn
turo nhd moisture, can be controlled,
nud thin requires nrtiflninl hunt which
run be readily rogulntud. Vnrlous
forms of equipments nre used I one of
them constat of n squnro ohnmbor
a
UHED I1Y Till! COVEItNMENT,
made with doublo walls whiob are
rilled with water to preserve a low
temperature. The lower part of tbo
chamber is made of sheet iron and
contains a Ilunsen gas burner con'
ucotod with nn nutomntio hunt regu
lutor, which is usud to control tbe
temperature. The upper ohnmbor is
provided with holes for tbo insertion
of thermometers nnd for the admission
of oxygon. Tlio chamber is provided
with shelves made of galvanized iron,
nnd on tiino shnWos are copper pnus,
tn which the seed may he germinated
in Tnrimm wayr. llofore the loud is
placed in this or any other generating
apparatus it is soaked in distilled
water or rmn water from six to fifteen
hours to hasten germination. The
"sprouting bod is made of some
material whioh will soak np water,
such ns porous disbor, thick olotb,
flnuuol or blotting paper, aabextns
cloth, enith or sand. Tlio soloatad
seeds sro plncod on or between the
sprouting bed, nnd plaood in the
germinating chamber. The tempera
ture Is maintained at a uniform do
gree ns it is in an incubator, and, in
(net, the nrtifloinl germiuittinpof scods
and the artificial hatching of oggs are
alike in many respoats, and a good
germinator onn be made ont of an
ordinary incubator. The seeds are
left in tbe germinating chamber until
they sprout, and the germinating
valuo of the sample of seeds is found
by oounting tbe number of seeds
whioh sprout within the time allowed
and ascertaining the peroontnge of
(Do wnoie number.
Usually tbe time allowed for seeds
to gorminate is as follows : Ton full
days for cereals, clovers, pens, beans,
lentils, sunflowers, oabbage. rape
mustard, flax, obioory, homp, poppy
and tobacoo ; fourteen full days for
beet-seed balls, rye grasses, timothy,
oarrots, etc ; twenty-one full days for
grnsses, except meadow and rye grassos
and timothy; twduty-eight full days
lor meadow grasses, birobes, alders.
acorns, beeohes, etc, nnd forty-two
full days for white pine nnd itone
fruits. Seeds which do not germin
ate witmn me sneoiued time are
counted bad, and, in the calculation,
ngnre as such.
A simplo, homo-made germinating
apparatus oan be made of a good-sizod
milk pan, a porons dish, such as is
used for setting flower pots in. and a
pane of glass b'g enough to entirely
cover the pan. The bottom of tbe
pan is covered with water and tho por
out saucer is placed in tbe middle. In
the bottom of the saucer a pieoe of
tmoK Plotting paper or nannol is laid
and on this the seed are spread, and
then another pieoe of paper or cloth
HOIK-KADI RID 0IB1UKAT0B.
ia laid over the seed and the pane of
glass ia plaoed over the pan. The
paper or olotb is soaked in water
before tbe seeds are laid in and
the seeds are soaked from six to
fifteen hoars before patting them
in the pan. The water soaks into the
porons saucer and this keeps the
"outing-bed" moist enongh to
'-iry living room to suitable if
mi
cere is taken to place the pnn nnnr the
rtoTo or in eome wnrm plnae t night.
The pun mnr be loft pnrtly open from
time to timn to permit frenh nlr to
ronab the feed. With thin nppnrntim,
nd utrong ningnif jlng glnnt to nid
in trrmrntina the linpnritiim from the
inmplo to be touted, any frmer enn
Moertnin the praetionl tnlue of hi
cod. The nnmpte ehould be n fnlr
Merngn of thn whole end it khoitld be
weighed end the need oonntod no thnt
the proper pornentnge of purity end
germinating tnluo onn be Mccrtnined
eeiiretely.
For olennlns Inrgo qunntitlon of enod
from which to goonre tout Rnmiile n
neod-olonning ninnhino in rniiiired.
One ueod in nn xporliiiontnl ntntion It
like n funning null. Thin mnohine not
only fepnrnto thnohnd nnd dirt from
the neeit, bnt dWidos the olenn eoed
into light nnd honvy noodn.
All thnt thin machine done rnn bo
done by n dinner with n number of
Hioren, varying In thn number of
mention to tlio inch. With ntuulwr
of mioh nlome the nee.ln enn bo olonnnd
nnd nopnrnled qniokty nnd cheaply.
Uuiengo lU'Ourd.
MUSEUM H THE "WHITE HOUSE.".
Confederals Memorial Collection Ks-
tabllshcd In Itlehinond.
The building in whioh the Oon fede
rate miifnnm has just been established,
says Leslio's Weekly, is the old White
Ilonso of tbe Confederacy. Tbo build
ing was purchased by tho oily of Ilioh
mond for 111, 0(1(1 and presented to
l'reildoiit Davis when the neat of the
Confederate Government was moved
from Montgomery, Ala. TofTorson
Davis occupied it tour yearn. In April,
IHQ.i, when the Federal Army ooenpied
tho town, this building became head
quarters for "Military Dixtrlct No.
1. I'Tom 1H71 to less than two years
ngo it wns nsod as a publio school.
Miss Winnie Davis, "the Daughter of
the Confederacy," vsi born in the
bouse. Little Joe Davie fell from the
portico and was killed.
A Confndnrnto bazaar in Richmond
in IVJ'i yielded WJ.OIIO, and with this
nud other contributions the building
hns boon restored nud improved under
the direotion of tho Indies of tho Con
federate Memorial nnd (Literary Ho-
ointy. It is a hnndsomn houae, with
splendid round oolumus, roomy por-
tioos, mantols of Carrara marble, aud
ill tMsmmfi-
COSFEDEIUTK ML'HEUM AT IUOilMOND, VA.
(Formerly tho White House of the Cotifoileraay.)
large, high rooms. To every Htate of
the old Confudoraoy a room will be as
signed, to be in cbargo of n rogent
representing tbst Btnto. These re
gonts are the daughters of distin
guished Confedoratos, including Miss
Mildred Loo, Miss Daisy Hampton nnd
Miss Winnie Davis. There nro many
visitors daily to the now museum, and
it is expeoted that tho projeot to es
tablish a battle abbey will be consoli
dated with this enterprise. The mat
tor ia now under consideration.
A Twenty Thousaud Dollar Uug.
The pioture given herewith shows a
"lady bird beetle," a small bag
brought from Australia by tbe United
States Government to head oil tbe
run 320,000 duo.
ravages of tbo "white scale," an inseot
which threatened tbe orange industry
of California with destruction. It cost
20,000 to introduce the lady birds
into California, bnt as they fed vo
raciously upon the white soalos tbe
latter were nearly wiped out, and tbe
orange groves were saved,
Tbe Heavy Butter Flute."
One of the tricks of tbe gTooers'
trade ie "the heavy batter plate.
Some grocers have a habit of patting
th wooden plates upon which they
sell their batter away in a damp place
to absorb moutare and gain in weight.
In this way the grooer gains about an
ounce to the pound, whiob, in a
month sales, reaches a pretty total.
Cbioago ttooord.
Better for tbe Hots.
The Judge of tbe Maysville (Ky.)
Police Court summoned into court tbe
parents of some incorrigible boys, and
offered them tbe option of giving their
sons a sound whipping or having them
sent to the workhouse for tuirty dart.
They chose tbe former, and officers
stood by to sea tbat tbs peddle was
WU appuaa.
A NINE-FOOT Ml'STAl'H C.
An Mnho Man Is the Possessor and
Una No IMvnl In the World.
Jnms II. Drown, Iisiie Clerk at the
Port Unit Indinn Agency, lloss Fork,
IMnglinm County, Idaho, has the long
est mustache of any man living. It
jamka n. iinown.
nicnsurea njMe fu(,t frnm ti p to tip, four
and a half font etch way from tho een
tro of tho lip. This miiHlaihe is Mr.
llrowu's grenteitt joy nnd pride. It in
most onrolullr kept, nnd would nt
trnot marked attention anywhere. Tim
Indians look upon this enormouilj
long mnstaohe witbnwonnd roveronce,
belioving Mr. Ilrown to have been ex
ceptionally blessed by God.
Mr. Ilrown is by birth a Virgininn.
lie was born in Loudoun Comity,
eloven miles wost of Leosburg, near
what is known now ns Hound Hill.
His father movod from Londcun
County to Harbour County, thou in
Virginia, but now in Wet Virginia, iu
October, 1857.
Mr. Ilrown's occupation has always
been thnt of a fnriner, with tbe excep
tion of a period of oixhtoon yoarD,
wbioh ho devoted to tho lumber busi
ness, nud the timn he hns been giving;
to Unoln Hnm. Fourteen months ngo
Mr. lirowu wns appointed Issue Clerk
nt the Fort Hnll Indian Agenoy, wbioli
position he is still filling.
Tbe fame of Mr. llrown's olongntcd
mnstaohe is by no means confined to
the wilde of Idaho. It is known
throughout the Virginias and the South
gonerally. Tho nownpapers of the
plaoos of tho towns visited by Mr.
Ilrown have loudly extolled the won
derful length of his mustache, bnt this
is the first tune that a pioture of tbe
roud ownor of the Jongost muHtache
in tho world has ever been priutad.
Facts About Dint.
Of all othnr factors, perbans dnst
ban its considerable part in tbe pro-
oess 01 nature; for microsoopto atmos
phere doos not alsrnya consist of tha
ooarie notes which may be sometimes
seen in the path of a sunbeam. T her
is much tbat is wonderful and mysteri
ous couueolod in the exintenoe of dust.
for even in tbo pnre air, at an eleva
tion of 4000 fcot, it has been ascer
tained that there are about 34,000 dust
particles per oubio inoh, bnt in a room
in a crowded oity they would n mount
to no loss than 3l),l)fi0,000 particles per
cable inoh. It will bo, therefore, espy
to ttuderntand how important an in
fluence this invisible clunt must exer
cise over tbo health conditions of a
highly sensitive organism. Alth'ouga
their chemical analysis is difficult, tbo
more txsot olomenti of these dast par-
tioles can be soiontincally determined.
These minute atoms are at first mioro
soopic, bnt become visible and ara
ever increased by contaot with tbe
surrounding land and water. Per
haps, however, that whioh oonoerns
atmospherio hygiene most is the living
orgnuisms oontained among the dust
partiolea, or baoteria, as we call them.
National Board ox Health Magazine.
Kite Ice.
An Amorioan farmer in Brazil who
longed for the oooling liquids of hie
native land and was unable to obtain
them in tbat tropionl country, has
utilised a kite for tbe purpose of ob
taining ioe, says the South American
Journal. He Alls a tin can with water
and sends it to the height of three
miles, where it is promptly frozen.
After a suffloient interval tbe kite ie
rapidly hauled io and the oake of ice
ia seonred, Tbe inventor is so pleased
with his toy that he, now proposes to
send up a kits 150 feet long by a steel
wire oable. Under the kite will be
suspended a pulley, over which runs
an endless ohain bearing oans attached
to hooka. Tbe oans will be filled with
water and the speed of the belt upon
whioh they ran will be so regulated
that the topmost cans will be ooovsrt
ed into ioe sufficiently hard to stand
the downward journey. This to ear
tainly tha most original iea maohto
el wbiob w have aver heard.
ft-
FASHION'S REALM,
SEASON A HfiB HINT COCKttW
IN( KfCMIMNR At'FAlthfi.
Collets for Wprlng and Bummer Wear
-iJHlnty lraa for a Mttle
Ulrl-Styllsh 8hlrt
Wnlst.
FOH rprlng and cool days in
summer those collets lllustrnt
ed herewith are vory noocs
(. snry, stylish nnd becoming to
wenr with street gowns or light jnokots.
Two of tbe most popular styles nre
here givon. No. 1 has n pointed yoke
of blnnk velvet, almost covered with
Jet pnssemontcrlo, a cirnnlnr ripple
enpo of block sntln doing joined to its
lower rdge, which Is baiidnomely
trimmed with lace fulled on nnd head
rd with narrow bonding. A full mail
ing of Inoe or chiffon stylishly finishes
the neck, which enn be omitted in far-
m ar
DECOMINO COLI.ET3 DEHIONED BY MAY MANTON.
or of the flaring Medici collar. No. 2
is made from emorald velvet riohly do
oorntnd with jet pnsnementerie in sorolls
nnd edgod all around with blank ost
rich feather ruohlug. It onn be olosod
to thn nook or left open ns here illus
trated nnd oat with or without the not
ches in bnck nnd front. ISoth capes nro
lined with fanoy tnlTeto, a firm iutor
linlng adding to the .warmth and im
proving the set of these strlish collets.
Tbe quantity of matorial 4t inohes
wido required to make those collots
for a lady of medium size is 1) yards
for No, 1 deiign, and lt yards for No.
3 dosigu,
A LiTTLs aiitrs mr.M.
White embroidered lawn made the
simple and attractive frook pictured
in the engraving, the square yoke be
ing cnt from tbe skirt edging and the
bretellos, nook and wrists trimmed
with embroidory to match. Shoulder
straps, rosettes and long ends of viojet
satin ribbon form the pretty deoora
tion. Tha full skirt is gathered front
and back and joined to the lower edge
of the straight yoke, the points of em
broidery being allowed to fall over
the gathered fullness. Tbe neok is
finished .with a standing collar, Fnll
I (Trip
DAINTY BUMMEB DRESS 50B A LITTLS GIRL.
puffs, gathered top and bottom, are
gracefully disposed over comfortable
sleeves, that fit closely from elbow to
wrists, where they are completed with
embroidery. Tbe smooth pointed
bretellos are edged with embroidery
and sewed to tbe yoka across the
shoulders, to stand oat well over the
full sleeve puffs. This style is special
ly deairable for summer wash fabrics,
gingham, peroale, lawn, dimity or
wash silk, which oan ba daintily
trimmed with insertion, laee, fancy
stitohing or embroidery. Cashmere,
camel's hair, serge and other woolens
will develop prettily with yoka and
advr altvvta of aoatrMtioc fabric
neb srvelvet or tllk, tbe bretsllei ba
iug trimmed to match,
The quantity of material flfl Inches
wide required to make this dress for a
ohild four years old la 8 yards) for s
six-year-old size, f) yards) for a tan-yoar-yesr-old
sizo, fl yard.
aTri.mn antnt wamt.
Persian printed lawn matld tlif
stylish shirt wll, the oollar and onfTa
lining of One white linen. Tbe front
and back fit smoothly at the top, a
pointed yoke facing thnt onn be made
with or without a centre neam being
stitched aorors tho shoulders on back.
A box plnit Is formed on right front,
through which button holes nre worked
to oloan with studs or buttons. Tapes
are inserted In a casing at the waist
line in bsok and tied In front to regu
Into the fnllnesi, the lower edge being
hemmed nnd worn under the skirt. A
nsrrow belt encircles the waist. Tha
neek is finished by a turndown oollnr,
and closes with double studs or but
tons. Full gigot shirt sloeves ara
gntherod at top and bottom, on each
aido of tbo slashed openings, the fall- .
noss nt the wrists being Joined to
straight cuffs that are closed with link
mm
LADIP.S' SmRT WAISTT.
buttons. Shirt waists in this style ara
made of stripod and plain batiste, gram
linen, percale, madras, ootton cheviot
and other plain and fanoy shirtings,
with oollar and ouffs to matob, or of
white linen as here illustrated.
Tbe quantity of material 86 inches
wide required to make this shirt waist
for a lady having a 80-inch bust
measure is 8J yarda. ,
THE OLO-FASBIONXO BAJUEOM,
The old-fashioned bareges bava
come back with the mohairs. They
sre thin and wiry, with an iuSniteai
mal thread of so'me eolor running
through a black ground, A narrow
blsok aatin stripe run the otbe
way of tha goods. These, too, will
nave a eoiorea auk lining to gie
tnroaga tut uaasparsat tesrara,