A Kansas man ha named bin baby
girl Philippine Manila Hchleyotta
Dewe'.ta Grimes.
The polled force of the state of Hun
Paulo, Brazil, in henceforth to con
dint of 5150 men. Thin is quite an
army, in view of the fact that the
total population of the state in under
1 , BOO, 000.
Perhaps it is merely n coincidence,
hut Hpain sued for peace just one day
after Mine Lizzie Lesdener of Okla
homa announced that ahe had organ
ized a company of female rough rid
ers to go to war.
The inventive facilities of the Amer
ican girl aeem practically nnlimited.
The Atchison (Kan.) Otobesays: "By
tying eaudpaper about her ankles an
Atchison girl produced the name effect
at by buying ail expansive silk skirt.
The pieces of sandpaper rub together
and aound just like a $12 skirt."
Pretty rough on the dressmakers,
though.
Travelers over the line of railway
from the City of Mexico to the city
of Vera Cm a are said to be greatly
impressed with some of the euginei
they aee in use on that route double
headers aa they are termed. The
Mexican railway company has already
aa many as a dozen, adding them from
time to time to Its stock as business
has demanded. Each of these mam
moth constructions weighs 103 tons,
and is capable of hauliug 100 tons up
a four and one-half per cent, grade.
They are of Hootch manufacture, and
have now been in the service of the
road about ten years. The fact is
mentioned as aomewhat singular that
these double-headers are nsed by no
other road in North America.
Many of the United States senators
from Houthern atates come from small
towns, the policy in many parts of the
South being to recognize country
rather than city statesmen. Neither
of the representatives of Texaa is
from Galveston ; neither of the repre
sentatives from Georgia is from
Atlanta; neither of the senatora from
North Carolina is from Raleigh; nei
ther of the senators from Houth Caro
lina is from Charleston; neither of
the senators from Kentucky is from
Louisville; neither of the senators
from West Virginia is from Wheeling,
and neither of the senators from Mis
souri is from Ht. Louis. Home of the
towns represented are Marietta, Oa. ;
Bennetsville, H. C; Tyler, Tex.;
Hcottsville, Va.; Marshall, N. C, and
Marion, Ky. Tenuessee is the only
Bon the: n atate whose two seuatora
represent the trfo chief cities.
There is a volume of instruction
on the elements that gj to make up
our volunteer array in the published
report of the previous occupations of
those soldiers of the Tenth Pennsyl
vania regiment who were ki lid in the
first land battle near Manila. One
was farmer, one was a country store
keeper, two were ooal-miners, one
waa the son of school -teacher, one
was a college student who had enlist
ed on the day before the graduating
exercises of his class. This ia uot an
exceptional list. It ia merely a fair
type and sample of the young men
who in every atate of the Union came
forward promptly and cheerfully to
answer their country's call, comments
the New York Herald. They repre
sent all classea and conditions of citi
zenship, dying ou a common level of
military heroism as they had lived on
a common level of civic patriotism.
As pretty an illustration as we have
yet seen of the new spirit which
marks the interchange of comment
between England and Amerioaappeara
in the last Spectator to arrive by mail,
says the New York Times. Discus
sing the statemeut of the English
captain at Manila, when asked by the
German admiral what be would do in
case the Germaus interfered with the
bombardment of the city the state
ment being that only the English cap-
' tain and American admiral had or
- eonld get any information on that del
icate topic The Spectator says;
"There ia something very naive in the
German admiral imagining that we
abould allow him to bully Admiral
Dewey though, as far a that goes,
there ia no reason to think that the
American sailors would want any one'a
help if it came to fighting the Ger
mans." The first part of this sen-
teuoe ia eutirely friendly, and only a
few mouths ago the possibility that it
might be a little irritating to Ameri
can nerves would not have worried
the Spectator a bit. But now an af
terthought comes, and it guts iuBtaut
expression. The words as they stand
are not exactly a lessou in taut, to be
are, bat aren't they delightful. They
irake the Atlantic ocean aeeui uuiow
MY GRANDFATHER'S SCRAP-BOOK.
ft was a day when oa the pans
The wild wind dashed the tireless rain,
And brawling grew the brook,
That, In the attic, on a quest
Obeying fnncjr'sodd Imfiest,
I found within an nnnlent chest
My grandfather's scrap-book.
A gabled window dimly flung
A soft light where the cobwebs hung,
Within a corner nnok,
And there within the shadows gray,
llnnoath Imagination's sway,
1 lived. Ill thought, the vanished day
Of grand father's scrap-book.
I gawd on many s gay vignette
And ra ti'S cut In silhouette,
Willi quaint, old-fashioned look
On pictured ladlns, fair and slim,
Ami dainty verses faded dim,
With sentiments so sweet nnd prltn
In grandfathers si'rai-book.
r
WAR'S SUDDEN CALL.
J A
ffVTVVVT
A Love Story
In the navy, with its constant nud
rapid changes, it almost limitless pos
sibilities front day to day, the fates
themselves seem to sit alert spinning
on one's very doorstep. One uncon
sciously treads lightly and whispers
iu hopes of being forgotten, if only
for a passing hour. Many a hasty
word dies ou the lips because of the
aching memory of a cruise just passed,
the haunting fear of one fast approach
lug. Of course there had beau misunder
standings between them before, in the
usual rise aud fall in the tide of all
human relations, but never before any
thing like this.
Ensign Phelps had just returned
from a long wearing cruise to Hud a
condition of things political that sud
denly dwarfs the proportions of thiugs
feminine. Also his aeuse of humor,
never rampaut, happened to be further
attenuated by studying late into the
night for liis approaching examination
for promotion.
Mra. Phelps had tried to face it all,
but the two dreary years of separatiou
bad left her with nerves that shivered
at a breath. Then, too, she had in
stantly recognized and resented that
foeling in him that comes to all men
at such times the sense that the deep
purposes nnd ends of bin life had
brushed her aside, that be wanted
both arms free for once. The brute that
fights to win and hits been trained 13
years for just that was awake and on Are
within him. Nothing of this had been
spoken between them, aud yet it was
at the root of their quarrel that spring
morning, when words were said back
and forth that seemed to aweep up the
love, devotion, patience of two lives
like ashes ou the hearth where a Are
has died.
He strode along the gray, chill
streets on his way to hit ship at the
navy yard, and she stood still, wide
eyed and white.and for them both the
past and future were wiped out, and
the present only lived iu one of those
flaming agonies 0f disillusion of which
one somehow survives such a surpris
ing number iu the course of a life
time. The baby at her feet plucked at her
dress, aud the mother did not even
feel it, wrapped in that overwhelming
sense of finality thnt belongs to pas
sionate youth.
Hhe was conscious of uo particular
animosity just then, only a sort of
wonder and awe that this should be
the end of it all. The end of a happy
girlhood, when his words-of love had
made a woman of her in a day, and
happy years of wifehood, wheu they
were lovers still, aud eveu happier
motherhood, that had set her apart
sanctified forever in his eyes so he
had stooped and whispered to her that
night when the light burned low near
by, nud ahe had fallen asleep with her
band in his,
Hhe looked about in dull amazement
at the familiar things about her that
made up their simple little home.
There under the lamp were bis books
and a pad aud pencil where he had
sat studying last night and near it her
work where she had been beside him
sewing in unwilling silence after her
long isolntion. The indent of her
head was still ou the pillow ou the
lounge whereshe had at length throw u
herself and lay watching him nutil she
fell SHloep toward midnight.
Hhe glanced abont half duzed; and
then Hutu, her old colored maid, the
only servaut she had ever had, came
in from the kitchen and spoke to her
in that low, sweet, compelling voict
of hers that weut back to Mrs. Phelps'
babyhood down iu Muryluud. Hhe
oboyed the voice from habit and weut
mechanically about ' her morniug
duties, in the performance of which a
certain warmth and pliability returned
to her frozen mood. A sense of anger
and oatrago began to burn again at
his last stinging words, whose probe
weut deep with the aura cruelty of
long association.
Hhe took her little girl and went out
on her homely round of marketiug,
largely trumped np by keen-witted old
Ruth.
Ou returning she toiled wearily np
the three flights of the apartment
house the elevator ao seldom ran
after the men had gone for the day.
Hhe auuk exhausted ou the lounge iu
the tiny dining room aud let the child
pull oil' her glovea, one. obstinate Au
ger at a time. Her eyes shut, and a
nervous reaction bad set in, when she
beard a youug step bouuding up the
ataira aud a sharp ring at her bell.
Hho was half conscious that Ruth
opened the door and that a boy'a high
voice was saying:
"Cau't I aee the lady herself?"
Hhe sat np as he approached.
"Holding telefonui corner drug
iiore.iaiiy-yonse liner to unrry, be
panted aud was gone again iu a Hash.
Mrs. Phelps sprung after bint and
called down the ataira;
Amid the relics oft I spied,
Houvcnlrs of family pride,
That of the past partook-
Home scion honored try bis land
llmnembered here, or In fine hand
The autograph of some one grand,
In grandfather's anrnp-book.
The hours, beguiling, grew space,
And I forgot the time and place.
And seemed to hear, oddr.ook I
A-penllng through the dusk, eft soon,
A merry, stiitclv. old dunce tune,
And clank and t ri-ml nf high-heeled sboon,
Near grandfathers scrap-book.
Ho dreamed I, till, all hushed the rain
Till through a tiny, dusty pane
A trembling star-ray shook,
And misty shadows, gathering, rose
Around my vldoned belles ami beaux,
And told me it was time to close
Sly grandfather's scrap-book.
-Ellen llrnluerd Puck, In X. V. Home Journal.
of the Present.
"What number? Where from? .Did
you bear?"
"Sixty-one," he shouted, from two
stories below,
"The nnvy yard!" she exclaimed, a
thrill of pretuuuitiou sending her heart
iuto her throat.
A moment Inter she stood alone in
the telephone closet at the corner.and
through the transmitter a soft "Hello"
sped on its war. Then ahe listened.
"Yes, I'm Mrs. Phelps. Who are
you?" Hhe had not recognized the
voice that had answered.
"Oh, Guy!" she cried, softly, in
sudden, illogical, overwhelming relief,
as she clung tightly to the receiver.
"Yes, yesI'll listen carefully,"
she said next, and then silence.
"What? What? Hay it again, very
slowly. I cau't understand. Hitrely
I haven't uuderstood?" her voice was
sharp, with a sudden dread. Again
silence, aud then ber auswer:
"Not today? At ouce? The ship
ordered to Puerto Rico? Have I got
it right? Oh, Guy, have I got it
right?"
. Hhe listened, and a low moan of
pain escaped her.
"But but surely you'll come home
for a minute? I'll see you again?"
The auswer sent a shiver through
ber from head to foot, and she said,
fiercely:
"I cannot stand it, Guy. I cannot!
To have yon go at ouce like this after
this morning. Con Id I see you just
see you, Guy if I went straight to
the yard now?" Aud a few seconds
later:
"It's looterrible, too cruel." Hud
deuly she started violently as a
thought flashed through her head, and
ahe asked, rapidly:
"Guy, be holiest with me. Does
this sudden order mean does it
ineau war? Is there any news?
Something I don't know?" and nfler
an interval;
"Yes, yes, I'll try. No one knows
yet, of course. But, Guy, speak to me
your voice is still cold aud hard and
strange. Hay something to me -one
word I can cling to, to help me!"
"What?" A pause.
"Yon are iu the paymaster's office?
Clerks all about? Is 'that It? Please
whisper it, and I'll try and catch it."
Hhe listened painfully only a burr,
a woman's laugh, a word iu an un
known voice, a tantalizing, incessant
vibration from the endless feverish
crisscross of life going on forever, in
which she had no part.
"I cau't hear Oh, Guy, I can't
hear a word," she punted. "Don't
go yet. When can I hoar from you?
lust one minute; I want to say some
thing, Guy!" The telephone bell
sounded with sharp impatience eveu
as she spoke. Hhe rung again and
again, and there was no anawer.
"Come back; I must say one word.
Central, give me 01, please, give me 61.
Guy, dear, won't yon come for one
single second? I'm I'm ao aorry for
this morning. It was all my fault,
every bit of it." Hhe pleaded sobbing
iuto the senseless thing in her hand
that no longer responded. Hhe mug
again and ouce again, frantically.
Then she sprung rigidly erect and
whispered:
"It'a too late he's gone perhaps
forever." Her head fell forward, she
awayed toward theeloset door.fumbled
at the handle, opened it and cried in a
voice faint and pitiful:
"Will aome one -help me?" Her
failing sight saw Ruth hnrrying toward
her through the street door; ber tail
ing hearing was pierced by the shrill
young voice of a newsboy dashing
roitud the corner:
"Ex-tra,ex-tral President's message
read in Cougressl War sure to "
His voice was lost in the roar of the
atreets,aud Mrs. Phelps sank uncon
scious iuto Hutu's arms.
Twenty-four hours passed. Half
through the night and all day long the
cries of the newsboys reached the
shrinking heariug of the young wife.
Her aweet face was stiff aud ashy with
suffering; ber hauda so cold that her
obild ahrauk from her touch and
whimpered. Ruth hovered about, in
and out, ou a hundred foolish loving
errands. Hhe played and laughed
boisterously with the baby to drown
all other sounds when she caught the
first far cry that wrung ber mistress'
heart agaiu and again, coming uearer
and nearer down the street.
Aa the day drew to its close Mrs.
Phelps lay once again sileut and spent
on the old lounge, aud again ahe
beard a quick step spring np the
stairs, a ring at her bell, the low words
at the door. It seemed like the con
fused memory of a dream. Hhe did
not even open ber eyea until Ruth
aaid close beside ber:
"One these yer mess'ger boys, Mies
Nanuie, jes' broughten thia yer paasel
fo' you. It do smell like it might be
some sort tr bo'quet," ahe Added,
umiliua.
"Pnt It down, mammy; I'll arrangi
them later," said Mrs. Phelps. Prob
ably aome friend at the yard, who knew
of the ship's sudden sailing, bnd re
membered ber and sent a silent mes
sage of sympathy in this sweet way.
It was often done from one sad
hearted wife to another, just to help
a little in the endless pathos of theit
common lives.
"Land sake, Miss Nnnnie.nln't you
put them poHies in the water yet?"
complained Ruth, again appearing at
the door, watching for some spark of
interest in thnt sot, white face before
ber yearning eyes.
"Pat's no way to act, Miss Nannie,
an' yon know dat right well. When
folks takes de trouble an' de
'spense to buy yon some flowers, you'd
in ter spunk up 'nough shorely to say
'howdy' to 'em."
"All right, mammy dear; please
don't scold," said Mrs. Phelps,a smile
breaking for an instant through the
rigidity of her face.
Hhe arose and began to untie the
string about the pasteboard bnx. Hhe
raised the lid and lifted out a great
pile of pink aud yellow roses. The
baby ran toward ber with a soft coo
of delight. Then Mrs. Phelps gave a
Ion I cry, and the roses fell all about
her. Hhe stood staring wildly at ail
envelope that bad slipped to the bot
tom of the box, addressed to tier in her
husband's handwriting. It was as if
it came from a grave, that awful silence
of the sea. For a second she waa
afraid to touch it and atood with her
hauda pressed over her heart. Then
she seized the envelope, aud with one
swift motion of ber trembling forefin
ger ripped it open and read with eyes
balf-bliuded with tears:
"The pilot leaves us at Hcotlaud
lightship in a few moments. He will
take this back to the city. Also an
order for a few flowers, which I can
only hope will go straight. You should
get this tomorrow or next day. I am
ou my knees to you, ray wife, for this
morning. I beg your pardon it was
all a lie, every ngly word of it. Try
and forget it if you can. Htanip it out
of your me-nory, for it has no real ex
istence against all the rest all the
happy years. Just try and remember
those, and love me a little, dear.
"Do not believe the papers do not
read them. Peace may come out of it
all yet, and if not try and be brave.
A sailor has need of a plucky wife, one
drilled into the tough spirit of a 'reg
ular' by long service. Aud remember:
"Ours not to reason why
Ours but to do "
He had shied at the word with no
time to rewrite. "Good bye, my love.
Ah! if I could have held you just for
one second and beard you whisper 'It'a
all right. Guy.' But take our little
one in your arms and look iuto ber
eyes my eyes you've always said
nud read there my endless love and
honor. Kiss her aud hold her close,
mid forgive me, forgive me."
Mrs, Phelps fell on her knees aud
throwing her arms about her baby be
gan to sob like a tired child. And the
lit'Je girl patted her cheek and crooned
to her, the spark of motherhood al
ready alive iu ber, and Ruth brooded
over them both.
At that moment ouce again the
shout came piercingly up from the
afreet below:
"Ex-tra! Congress will declare
war!"
The young wife sprang to her feet
and shook her fist iu the direction of
the voice, and half laughing; half sob
biug.she cried:
"It is not war it is peace, thank
God!" Chicago Record.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
Greece bus a 110-year-old woman.
The egg is currency in South Africa'a
iuterior.
Hiam'a king has a bodyguard of 400
female warriors.
CroHsus, of aucient timet, possessed
about $20,000, 000.
Tobacco seeds a :e so minute that a
thimbleful will furnish enough plants
or an acre of grouud.
Dentists in Germany are using
false teeth made of paper instead of
porcelain or mineral composition.
Rug weaving is an art older than
the Pharaohs, and the history of the
first loom lies shrouded iu oblivion.
Spurious coins are legally made in
China. They are nsed to put in the
coffins of the dead, and the supersti
tion prevails that they make the dead
happy.
The British soldier has uot always
worn a red uniform. White was the
prevailing color under Henry VIII,
aud dark green or russet in the time
or Elizabeth.
The first double-decked ship built in
England was the Great Harry, con
structed in 1500 by order of Henry
VIII. It was 1000 tons burden and
cost 800,000.
On account of superstitions regard
ing the plague the natives of Bombay
still occasionally throw stones at for
eigners moving about alone, and not
long ago a physician's life was saved
only by his helmet, at which a blow
waa aimed.
A Great Discovery.
A modest obemist, living in Los
Angeles, Cal., has discovered a salts
which may kill all existing methods of
supplying ice. A thimbleful ia her
metically sealed iu a uickel-ailver re
ceptacle about three-eighths of an inch
in diameter aud two inches long,
which the soldier may carry by the
dozen in his haversack. It weigha
about aa much as a cartridge. Dropped
into a canteen of water it oouverta the
contents iuto ice in an incredibly
short time. A larger one will freeze
a bucket of Santiago (or any other)
water, aud a atill larger tub. Aa the
salts do not ojuie iu coutaot with the
water the latter remains unpolluted.
New York Press.
IFOR FARM AMD GARDEN
The ll.e of Fnddr Kli redder.
Fodder shredders have been found
equal to cutters iu preparing ensilage
for the silo. According to the ex
perience of those who have used shred
ders for the purpose mentioned the
ensilage is Oner and a linger quantity
can be packed In the silo. It also
keeps well and is mora highly relished
by stock.
t.ala Fall I'lgs.
The only pig that will attain size
enough to safely pass the winter Is
one that is born sit or seven months
before cold weather is expected. We
have raised pigs in the full and that too
when we had the advantage of a base
ment barn to provide warm quarters
for the ii. Yet the growth during the
winter, notwithstanding good feed,
was never satisfactory, There Is too
little sunlight dii-ing the winter
months, slid if the pig is kept warm
without sunlight it is usually at the
expense of poor veutilation. Without
good air no animal can maintain good
digestion or remain healthy.
Whet Chair Is looil for.
All kinds of grain have chaff sur
rounding the kernels. In its wild
state this chaff aerves a very impor
tant use, as it absorbs the moisture
that would otherwise swell the grain
and cause its premature generation.
After long cultivation this use seems
less necessary and there is less pro
fusion of chaff aud husk. It is quite
possible that all our Indian corn orig
inally came from that curious wild
variety iu whioh each grain on the
ear had its separate husk. Wherever
there are severe droughts during the
time the grain is forming there will
be less development of chaff and husk.
With our self-binding grain harvest
era, grain ia now often put into stack
or mow before it baa dried ont as it
should do. The busk in such case
serves an important nse, as the straw
will often rot nnder the baud where it
is tightly oompressed, while the bead
with still damper grain is preserved
from iajury by the loose chaff with
which it is surrounded, and which
very rapidly dries not ouly itself but
the grain in contact with it. Barley,
which is most apt to be injured by
raius, has a better supply of chaff and
awns to keep its head open to air than
has any other grain.
wa as Affecting Food.
Investigations, it is declared, show
that animals fed on sewage farms are,
nnder certain conditions, liable to
have thoir flesh and secretions changed
by the herbs aud grasses, produced by
the sewage, upon which they feed.
Thus, if the sewage ou a given fa in
be so managed that no more of t be
pnt iuto the soil than any given crop
can adequately deal with.it is asserted
that the crop will, under these con
ditions, be sweet nnd natural. and that
the cattle or other animals fed on it
will also be of that character. On the
other hand, if the soil be gorged to
repletion with sewage, then the crops
will be surcharged with sewage ele
ments, and unfit for food the meat
and milk of animals derived from such
crops will also be like the crops, alike
nnpleasaut to the taste aud dangerous
to the health. These hospital state
ments are proved l.y well-known facts;
that is, if a cow is fed ou turnips, her
milk will withiu twenty-four hours
taste like them, the intensity of the
flavor being according to the quantity
of turnips taken; iu the case of hens
and their eggs, a like result follows,
for, if fed on decaying matter, which
they alwaya eat greedily, both their
eggs and flesh will be disagreeable
and nnwholesome eating. Ducks, too,
are still more objectionable iu these
respects. New York Tribune.
Alighting Bosnia.
Not only in winter is the lighting
board of great importance, bnt iu sum
mer as well.
Every convenience about the en
trances of hives should be afforded the
bees, and this is of equal importance
the year round. The entrance to tha
hive of itself should necessarily be
small in winter and for this reason the
surroundings should be more favor
able. A good broad board, well cleat ed at
each end to keep it straight, should
rest on the ground at one end, and
slope to the entrance to the hive at
the other.
This does not apply to well kopt
apiaries, as other conveniences used
are better, but as farm lues are usually
kept.
The up-to-date apiarist makes n
nice little mound of earth to set the
hive on and places the bottom boa'd
directly ou the sa ne, and banks np iu
front with aand, gravel orawdut ou
a level with the entrsuce or bottom
board, aud neither a spear of grass
nor a weed is allowed to grow near
the hives. It ia much better to have
hives set directly on the grouud, but
if the ground is allowed to grow up
with grass and weeds until the beas
are totally abut ont of the hive, then
the old rule of benches two or three
feet high would probably bo better.
Farm, Field aud Fireside.
Ilrainea fur Permanent I'a.tnrm.
In order to obtaiu the greatest
amonut of profit from grasses, selec
tions of seed shonld be made that ou
ordinary soils will give the heaviest
crops of hay, the thickest aud most
nourishing pasture, and last for the
longest time without renewing. The
tendency of the average farmer ia to
pin his faith too closely to timothy
and clover, or to timothy alone, or
xrlth aome other one grass, and aa a
reanlt be ia forced to be content with
a yield of one or two tone of bay per
acre. The best results are usually
obtained from a mixture of several
grasses as put in proper proportions
by reliable aeedinen.
One of the finest mixtures for a
fairly productive soil consists of or
chard grass, English rye grass, mead
ow foxtail, Italian rye grass, sweet
scented vernal, Rhode Island bent and
l ed top. This mixture is sown in the
fall at the rate of three bushels per
sole, more on poor land, and iu the
spring a mixture of clover ia sown
over the Held broadcast at the ralo of
ten pounds to the acre.
The bay crops from this sowing
frequently amount to more thau threw
limes that from timothy and clover or
other two-grass mixtures,leaving after
cutting a pasture of value until late
in the fall. Another J oint in favor
of a mixture of sevetal grasses is the
long life of the mesdow. If cared for
by occasional fertilizing such a mead
ow will scarcely need renewing under
ten or a dozen years.
Drying Wheat for Reed.
After every damp harvest as I lie
present has been in most localities,
the grain goes into the barn with its
straw not so thoroughly dry as it
should be. There is also considerable
dampness in the grain itsolf, and this
will probably cause heating of the
grain in the mow. With spring grain
this does not matter much for the
grain will be pretty sure to dry out
when freezing cold weather comes.
But whenever winter grain is grown
the seed for next harvest has to be
selected from the present year'a crop,
and this often means the prematura
threshing of the winter grain and ns
iug it while still damp as seed.
To this fact is probably to be at
tributed the common belief among
farmers that old wheat and rye are
better for seed than new. In the old
grain the freezing of winter aud tbe
subsequent thawing has made the
seed nearly wholly free of moisture.
Yet all these experiences are not ab
solutely necessary. If the grsin is
thoroughly dried iu the fall that it ia
grown, it is not only as fit but more
fit for seed than it is aftar being dried
out by winter freezing wherein its
germinating powers are more apt to
be injured than they are by being
thoroughly dried ont the previous
fall.
We have heretofore advised the
greatest care in drying seed grain for
fall aowing. Bnt it is far better, we
believe to thoroughly dry the seed
even by artificial means. We have
over and over again dried seed grain
in fruit evaporators such as are used
for drying api la , and always with,
the best results iu a large proportion
grown of the seed that was sown. We
believe that it is best to dry all grain
used as seed by the beat of fire. It
nay be by braiding the seed corn and
hanging it beside the chimney, so aa
to secure t ho heat of the kitchen Are.
But however it is dried, the seed that
has fire heat to dry it is sure . to pro
duce the most vigorous growth and
the largest crop of grain. American
Cultivator.
Soil Kslianetlon.
In Bulletin 91 of the New York
state agricultural experiment stutiou
attention is called to the dangers of e
continued free nse of farmyard man
ures. Referring especially to cereal
crops, the bulletiu shows that such
manures are doticiont iu pota-di aud
phosphoric acid, and thut when nsed
continuously for a considerable period
they wilt hasten soil exhaustion.
It is nudoubt 'dly true that all soils
receive more or lest accessions of am
monia from the atmosphere, through
rainfall and the action of leguminous
plants of vol lous kinds, but potash
and phosphoric acid cannot possibly
be obtained by such means. Conse
quently, while the supply of ammouia
may be obtained within reasonable
limits the mineral fertilizers suffer a
rapid depletion aud crops begin to
fall off. '
Farmyard manure tends to exhaust
the phosphorio acid and potash of the
soil, simply because it coutains less
mineral fertilizer thau ammonia - in
proportion to the needs of the crop.
Tlu effect ou the soil is a kind of
stimulation, for the supplies of phos
phoric acid and potash naturally ex
isting iu tha soil are drawn upon to
make np the balance. While the
amount for any one year may uot be
large, after years of cropping the loss
becomes serious.
Kven iu those cases where no man
ures were usd at all the same result
is reached. A very considerable
quantity of ammouia reaches the soil
every yea" through the aid of legumes, .
w hile every pound of uiiu. ral fertil
izers takeu off in crops is just so much
dead loss to the soil. This is shown
very clearly by the fact thut the sim
pi j application of phosphorio acid aud
potash will very frequently give heavy
crops. The lurge fertilizer manufac
turers of the east make up their mix
tures from actual farm tests, and it is
a striking fact that the aumonia in
such g. toils is very low as compared
with the phosphorio acid and potash.
If farmyard manure is used, or if no
manure at all ia used, dress the field
with phosphorio acid and potash.
When these fail it is time to look after
a further ammonia supply. It ia not
wise to run the soil down to the verge
of exhau-tion by using the most ex
pensive ingredient of fertilizers. For
potash, potash salts are all that can
be desired, aud ordinary bone pro
ducts will supply the needful phos
phorio acid. Cereal farmers will Aud
that the normal fertility of their soils .
may be ni"iutuiued for many years
yet, by the simple application of the
mineral fertilizers.
Kara Botf-rowtMiloa.
Drowning Man Help! Help!
Rescuer (yelling to amateur photog
rapher ou bauk) Wait a second. I've
nearly reached him. Now!
Chicago Tribune.