NATURAL GRAFTING. Union of Two Trrra of the Same Spectra lroliilile Cnuse. A good Illustration of the not uucom mon plionomonon of tlm nuturiil Join ing of trees of the same species grow ing near together; probably limbs from each tree rubbed together tunny 3$' TURKS HHMLT JOINED, years Ago until the bark was partially denuded and then grow together, the union gradually enlarging until it be come the broad, firm brace so well ahown In the cut. Much rarer Is the apparent grafting or union of trees of diverse species, but this Is accomplish ed by one growing over or around a portion of the other and not by a true physiological union of the tissues. Thus we have seen a hemlock and beech joined togethei. but close Inspection showed that the beech had closed about the hemlock limb that formerly grew through a crotch In the former tree. Rural New Yorker. I Work of Oxen. We have known a man to buy a yoke of three-year-old steers In the spring, work them hard six days In the week, giving them good hay and about four quarts of meal a day until October, when the work lessened and the grain was Increased. In November he sold them as beef for about $30 more than he paid for them. If horses had done the same work they would have wunt efHmore grain and probably would have been valued much less In the fall than tbey cost In the spring. It Is snld thnt oxen might not work as well on the reaper or mowing machine, but they might also. We lave had three or four year cattle that "would walk for miles as fast as any pair of horses and force many horses to trot a part of the way to keep up with them and a pair of old cattle that walked faster than the ordinary farm horse. A part of that was due to their having been trained to walk quickly, ud a part was due to the breed. mull cattle like the Devon, Jerseys or yrshlres are naturally active and easily learn to walk fast, while the larger Durhams and Hereford like to move more leisurely, and this Is true of grades as well as of thoroughbreds. American Cultivator. Aalnimls That Bell. In regard to selling stock the South ern Cultivator says: The man that has well tilted animals tor market does not have to hunt for u luyer. The buyer comes to him. The :mau whose stocK is In poor shape for .marketing has to hunt his buyer and sell at a discount. The demand for mutton Is constantly on the Increase. With the Improve ment In qnnllty due to tlm Introduction of mutton breeds much of the prejudice that has existed against mutton has dis appeared. The early maturing steer Is most jirodtalile. VnrniMr Oyster. The cultu:-;U direct! )-. given for the pariuip upply t I".;: plaat. It Is very aally grown and generally comes through the winter In the extreme west ern states without Injury. It Is safer, however, to dig the roots In autumn and put in pits until spring or for use during winter.' The' root Is highly es teemed and has the flavor of oysters. The best variety is the Mammoth Sand wich Island, which Is far superior to any other. Green. Roma-aaare Rack. In the accompanying cut is shown a roughage feeding rack that was used with considerable success upon the Ne braska experiment station farm last winter. The comers pf the rack stand FEEDING BACK. between seven and eight feet high, with a plank sided bottom. The width Is about four feet, and the length can be whatever may be desired. The general, plan of the work is brought out In the accompanying Illustration. Prairie Farmer. WHEN TO PRUNE. Late Winter and F.arljr Spring- Beat. ! ' Cut tltnba Clone. ' The brat time for pruning tipple trees 1b on warm day from January to ! May. More ran he accomplished hi the longer days of March, April nnd May, hut many prefer to go through the orchard on the crust of a deep now. The time of year when the ent Is tnnilo has little effect on the readiness with which the wound heals, Imt more care In necessary to prevent Injury to trees pinned when the wood Is frozen. A wound made Ity removing n llrnl) heals best If the cut Is made close to the trunk or brunch. A stub two or th;'ee Inches long does . not Ileal and becomes a lodging place for spores of fungi and bacteria, which cause uecay nun ucatn or llie tree. J no splitting down of large limbs may often be avoided when pruning by sawing In from the underside first, but In every case see that the wound Is left clean and smooth. Wounds should be covered Immedl- j ately with a coat of paint, shellac or grafting wax to keep out the moisture and the spores before mentioned. KILLING FARM POULTRY. A Practical Device For Making a ulck, ( lean Cnl. A useful article for those who have any poultry to kill Is the device shown In the Illustration. Take a strip of Iron one Inch by oneelghlh of an Inch and thirty Indies long, such as an old buggy tire, and bend In the center, so that the straps c.iino parallel, leaving a slot in the center the thickness of the blade. For the blade any sheet of steel three Inches wide and nine Inches long on top will do a piece of an old scythe flattened out, for Instance. The ends of the blade can bo beveled or squared, as shown by dotted lines In Fig. 1. Fit the two parts together, Foil KILLING POULTRY. drill holes (A A) about two Inches from each end and fasten with soft Iron or copper rivets. A piece of the same material as the straps can now be cut equal to the remaining lengths of the slot, holes drilled at B H. about one Inch from each end and riveted as before. Drill a hole at O for hanging up, sharpen well, and tlm tool Is ready for use. Drive two spikes on a slant about an Inch apart Into a block (see Fig. 2) and place the chicken's neck between them. In this way the neck can be nicely stretched, and a combi nation of the two Ideas will save both time and trouble, says a reader of Farm and Fireside. Composting Manure. In Intensive farming, truck growing and the like composting is still in vogue, but human labor Is now so ex pensive that manure ought to be bnn dled as little as possible, which ,means that it ought to go as directly as pos sible from the stable to the field. For the sake of the animals It ought not to be piled close to the stable. It costs too much to haul It twice once to some compost heap and then away. Lime should never be added to ma nure heaps. This rule is Invariable. Gypsum may be used In the stables or spread on the tops of manure piles. Untreated rock phosphate may be mix ed with the manure with good results. lletter apply the manure directly to the laud where that method Is possi ble. Use good judgment in piling the mninire not to allow too much nir to circulate through the pile. Tack rath er than pile loosely. Ou land to 1e sown with corn or rye by all means spread the manure directly from the stable. Add neither lime nor potash. Professor Smith In Country Gentle man. Apple Timber. In parts of Michigan large quantities of tipple wuod logs are cut and sold for taw bandies, says an exchange. Apple timber . Is hard, tough and without much grain, and once it is shaped it seldom splits or shreds. No other lum ber is so well fitted for saw handles. The supply In Michigan comes In short logs six or eight feet long from aban doned orchards. Faraa BreTltlea. Never pasture the alfalfa the first year. A healthy flock of sheep is a profita ble flock. Dragging the roads will make them less dusty. Mutton eaters are Increasing faster than mutton. Weeds and poor seed cause many of the alfalfa failures. You can't afford to have a clock watcher for a hired man. There Is such a thing as compelling bucccss to come your way. Alfalfa can be raised in Maine. IIow nbout Its winter killing In Iowa? Soil that has been well cultivated and fertilized seldom needs Inoculat ing. Ordinary farm work is considered un skilled labor, but it requires skill to do farm work well. For permanent pasture sow every kind of grass that Is known to do well In your section. Kimball's Dairy Farmer. 1 IiOAD-IMPROVEMENT WHAT HAS &EEN ACCOMPLISHED IN RHODE ISLAND. Fine HlghwuM Have Been Ballt la Kverr section nf the State With Onod Heaulta The Repair nntl, Care of Honda. Much has been done In Ithode Island to Improve the highways during the past four years, and there has been a popular demand of the people of the state that there should be built a uet work of thoroughly up to date and sub :t.inllal roads, not extravagant, not cheap, but u system where at a mini mum of expenditure, yet conserving every qualification of utility anil wear ing quality, there should be a service for every part of the slate. Hoads have beeu built In every section of the . tate to the furtherance of Its social, moral and Intellectual Interests, and ,:i ve Is not one part of it that has not ;e!t the rebound. In describing the work done the fourth annual report of the state board of public roads of Ithode Island says: From every side there goes up the pica for better highways ami improved roads, and It Is being answered not In l ho spirit of mere enthusiasm, but out of cold hard sense, for men are coming to see the real value of such roads to Iho ordinary business and commercial life of the day. Surely It Is the best public policy for the state to keep Its highways, its feeders of life and com merce. In the best possible state of preservation, for the more compact the llfi of the community the more neces sary do Improved, well laid, well kept roads become. The popular movement for good rouds, according to the very nature of the problem, cannot be localized. There fore the question of a bond Issue Is one that touches the whole state and one on which the whole state should be heard. There is no question of the ex penditure of public money which Is more vital than this, and none where a greater number re benetlted. Hoads cannot In any sense be considered sec tional or built for the accommodation of the few. On the other hand, Inas much as the future Is to reap as much if not more of the harvest of utility and Is to receive equal benefit. It Is on ly fair that It should pay a proportion ate part of the expenses. The repair of the roads Is of vital lm-' port. It means the saving of the time, money and engineering skill which have already been Invested. It Is a question of waste against that of economy. It Is a mistaken Iden that a macadam road, once laid, needs no fur ther attention. On the contrary, to preserve Its fundamental structure It should be cared for continually. The value of a macadam road does not lie in the fact that It Is never going to wear out, hot in the regulation of grade, the hardened roadbed, the char acter of drainage that It gives. The engineering force can make the necessary repairs to better advantage while at work upon the section being extended than should they be obliged to return to It. Repairs should not he left to outside control, which at best would be Irregular, spasmodic and un satisfactory. The causes of disintegra tion are not altogether travel and usage. There are also those of atmos pheric and climatic conditions, those due to the nature of the stone of which the road was primarily constructed. A ri.idbi'd will not wear alike In all places. Were it so there would be needed only the occasional extensive reconstruction. It b.-ea '.: in patches, and the mending p.'jcess is therefore constantly necessar.-. During the year l:;.if untracts were awarded for the c vntrnctlon of 22.08 miles of maeadar.. rud, ti be built up on the highways U:. .'n'ed In the plan o." Improvement as :. !i;ite J by the gen e al assembly, mnkli:.? a total of flfty :;even miles of mac:; '.am road eoniplet o.l Nince t'.ie present plan of Improve ment. ' Now that the ele 'jrs of the state have voted to nr.V.i i W.e the expendi ture for th's ;mb"c ! :provement It Is ir.:t reasonable t y. -same that they oslre and expect t h ive the use of the In-proved, rivi'.i ns soon as they ci be Jinllcixwly 1 id economically V.:::;. We beK.r.w I; i. v over, that they would not approve of an undue haste !n the work, which would result In roads of an inferior quality or of an unnecessary cost of construction. Sci entific road building on the scale now being done by the state, like every other large building enterprise, re quires adequate time as well as money for its proper completion. Bill For Good Roada. Representative Sheppard of Kansas has introduced a bill in congress direct ing the office of public roads of the department of agriculture to advise with the proper state and local authori ties having jurisdiction over the roads used for rural free delivery of the United States malls as to the best methods of maintaining them In a pass able condition throughout all seasons of the year, to suggest necessary alter ations, relocations and Improvements, and, whenever desired by the commu nities tributary to such routes, to co operate In th manner now pursued by said office In tho construction of such sections of o'ljeet lesson roads along said routes as are necessary' properly to Illustrate suitable methods of eon t ruction and maintenance. The office of public roads Is nlso required to in spect and report the conditions of said roads to the postofflce department whenever requested by It to do bo, with snr.h reconijjH'miations as may be deemed advisable. THE CHANGE Conducted by J, W. DARROW, Chatham, N. Y Prrm OirreirponnVtil Aeio l'orft Mat Until o MAINE MATTERS. w. J. THOMPSON, LECTURER OF STATE GRANGE. Comment on the Work In the l'lne Tree State A Mranite of Nearly Klne Hundred Members Rlerehnndlne Salea, OJ.OOO. W. J. Thompson Is one of Maine's most successful farmers. Although bis operations may not be on so large a Bcalc as many, he has succeeded In making his farm show n good balance on the right side of (he ledger. lie i was for iniiny years a teacher In Krs- kino academy and has served tho state In the last two legislatures. He Is tin enthusiastic grange worker, and much of the success of the Order In Maine may bo attributed to his earnest labors. Sneaking of the grange work in tho Pine Tree State, the Itural New York er has this to say: "Conditions In Maine are very favor able for grange work. There are few large towns and cities, so that country people are thrown largely upon their own resources for entertainment and nodal Intercourse. The grange has W. J. THOMPSON, LF.CTITIIBR MAINS STATU GItANGB. risen to Its opportunity and met the situation nobly. For example, Turner grange has a membership of GOO and property valued at ?7,20O. Its mem bers drive five to nlue miles to meet ings. One ffiturday we found an au dience of over ClIO, with a literary and musical programme that could be equaled In few large towns. It is an eye opener for one to go from a com munity where farmers dlBtrust each other and have little In common to such a uolghhorhood ns Turner, where thero Is true fraternal spirit and whero the best in human unture la brought out At the close of the meeting the audience arose and sung "America," and 75 per cent of the people seemed to have the song committed to mem ory. Wo have In this country a num ber of sour minded 'thinkers' who Imagine that there Is no moral force left In American society. They ought to go to a grange meeting in Maine and 'sweeten up.' " FOR NEW MEMBERS. Method of Procedure Outlined by State Maater Hill of Pennerlvanla. Applications for membership In a subordinate grange should be presented at a regular meeting. The fee should in each Instance accompany the appli cation and be placed In the bands of the secretary, who at the close of the meet lug Is expected to turn It, along with the other receipts of the eveulng, over to the treasurer, taking his receipt for the full amount. When an application Is presented. Indorsed on the back by two members of the grange and accom panied by the fee, it becomes the duty of the master to appoint an Investigat ing committee. It Is expected by the grange that this committee will, In the Interval between then and the next reg ular meeting of the grange, If the appli cant be Dot personally and well known to them, make diligent Inquiry con cerning his character, general habits, etc.. reporting at the next meeting either favorable or unfavorable, the nature of their report having been de termined by their knowledge or per sonal findings in regard to the appli cant. Should the report be presented as being unfavorable It Is to be re garded as an expression of the views of the committee lyon the advisability of the grange receiving blm, but does not In any way affect a necessity for taking the ballot. Unless the application Is withdrawn by friends the ballot must be taken Just the same when the report is unfavorable as though it were favor able. It Is not legal for a subordinate grange to ballot upon an application until after it has been presented to the grange and laid over until the next reg ular meeting. At this second regular meeting, however, the ballot may be taken and the first two degrees con ferred if desired. It Is of course well understood that not more than two de grees are to be conferred upon a candi date at the same regular meeting. Brange News, i - - A BlaT Maine tiransre. There Is but very little difference In numbers between Iloulton grange of Maine and Wolcott grange of New York. Each of these granges numbers nearly 000 members at the present time. Iloulton grunge does things on u large scale. The report of the pur chasing ngeut shows that cash sale for six months were over $."2,000 and over 592,000 for the year. A slnglo item of cash sales was over $9,000 In grass seed. Nntlonul Orange, Tho next session of the national grange will be held at Denver, Colo., the second week In November. ....-..i-....,M How They Got Their Rank i J. . lu'lclntil.l "Horgonnt Mililkln, I wish you to take thirty men, strike the Tennessee river at Hrowu's ferry and look out for a Confederate force snld to be making for that crossing. The distance Is about forty miles, and you should reach the ferry liefore dark tonight." (Sergeant Millikln ond his thirty men were soon In the saddle briskly canter ing westward. Iteachlng the ferry at sunset and finding no enemy, they crossed the river and rode oinfor a few miles. Ity this time the twilight had faded and It was nearly (lark. Hearing something ahead, Ml II IK in halted his command anil listened. Presently not eighty yards distant he heard a voice: "Lieutenant, go back nud tell Colonel Williams to halt his regiment and go I Into bivouac. Then go on and order the other regiments to bivouac, tho Sixteenth Alabama on the left of tho road, the Fifty-second- ami Klghteeiitli Tennessee ou the right. Let the artil lery remain In the rear." Millikln heard horses' hoofs receding, but before they were out of hearing the same voice said: "Captain Carter, I wish you would ride olT Into the woods there where the cavalry are and tell Colonel Hunt that we're going to halt here till daylight, when we'll cross tho ferry and I shall expect lilm to be on the other side to cover our crossing before day." Hushes beside the road wero break ing before a horse, and Millikln, who had heard all he wanted to know, whispered un order to his men to walk their horses ns silently ns pos sible to Hit rear, mid after he felt that they were out of hearing the command broke Into a trot, then n gallop, till they reached the ferry. Having crossed they rode on to headquarters, pressing fresh horses by the way, and Millikln rode up to the general's tent bug be-fo:-e noon. "General," said the sergeant, "we struck n force of Infantry, nrtlllery and cavalry nbout six miles beyond Brown's ferry. Thoy were to cross at daylight this morning." The sergeant was commended for his effect I vo scouting, und preparations wero made to rocelve the enemy. A vedette lino of cavalry was sent out, back of which skirmishers were de ployed, nnd the main force of Infantry and artillery was posted on choice ground for defense. For two days the Union troops waited under arms, then' a scout came In from tlig commander of the cavalry, who suld thnt the Con j c '. es must have retreated, for every avei.uo of approach had been scouted and no enemy found. Then the troops were marched back to their camps. Sergeant Millikln for having given timely warning though tho enemy had changed bis plans and thus rendered the information unnecessary was made a lieutenant at the first vacancy. One night recently at one of the hmiqucts of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion two graybeards sat Bide by side, and, though not acquainted, fell Into conversation. One was an Invited guest, who had served In tho Confederate army, and both held the rank of major. "I sometimes feel," said the Con federate, "that I never performed but one service to entitle me to the rank I held, and that was a mere matter of presence of mind. In the summer of lSfl2 I was a sergeant In the Sixteenth Alabama Infantry. I was sent out from Corinth to discover If tho force holding north Alabama was pushing across country to attack us in flank. One evening when I was many miles from Corinth, and becoming fearful of running into a trap, I took two men of the thirty I commanded ami rode a nead to search for a place of con cealment In which to spend the night. Hearing the sound of horses' boofs nhead we hid among the trees beside the road. . A party of cavalry came along and stopped not far from me. I knew that If we three men were to take to our heels we'd be overhauled. So I ordered my men in a loud voice to tell imaginary Infantry and artillery to go Into camp and the cavalry to be ready to cover our" The Confederate stopped short His hearer was staring at him as at a ghost. "Do you mean to tell me that you were the man that gave those orders?" "I do." "And there were only three of you?" "I had but two men with me In that spot. There were twenty-eight more half a mile back of me" The Union ex-offlcer gulped down a glass of wine, then turned to the other and said: "You mentioned, I believe, that you were promoted for that service. May I ask why?" "Well, my general considered my performance a cool one, and the ne groes told me that you Yanks were pushing forward on the other side of the river 10,000 strong and nearlng Tuscumbia, I never stopped till I had carried this news to my general." "Major," said the Union officer, and paused. . "Major," repeated the Confederate expectantly. "You and I both reached, the same rank through a- mistake. I was a ser geant commanding the troop you met, and I went back and reported that you were coming in force. Our men stood under arms waiting for you. You re ported 10,000 of us nenring Tuseui bla. We hadn't half that number, all told, in north Alabama." "I reckon," suld the Confederate In lowered voice, looking about furtive ly to soo if they had been overheard, "that we'd bettor not say anything about how we got our start in rank." KnwATtn c. mvixo. " Brighten Up Nearly every family has some art leli) of furniture that has become old and faded why not have It, upholsterod and made good as new ? We can do the work for you at a reaonablo cost and your home will bo tho brighter for It. Have It don.; now. wullo you have the chance. wo may dot bo bore always. E.A.REITZ Shop on Fifth street, near M. E.' cliuicii, Ia-yii'i:il:,villu, I'piin'n. ODD COURTS MARTIAL Solemn Km-rea V 1 Have lleen Ra uc-ti-tl In tli.- Ilijliah Niivr. It U a ruli! In tin- i:ritlsh navy that wh '.i n ship Is cast away or otherwise lost a court martial must sit In order to irpnrtlo:i tli;' blame. Sometimes tl.e e court reilly try and condemn tiio e that arc li .d to be responsible. At other times t'.elr duties arc, from the very nalmv of the catastrophe, more or le-is ict;ilu:il. Thus, when tin- Serpent was lo.d off the Hpanltdi coast, n court martial as scniMcd mid solemnly "tried" three or dinary bluejackets, the sole survivors, although they of course had no more to do with the error in navigation which led up to the catastrophe tl.au the man. In the monn. f A siimU v ;.:." !. rarco was eudclcil after the In? of the Captain In the bay of Illscay. when "183 olllcers and :::en lost their livej. In this case a ;,".timer named .Tames May, one of the eighteen who escaped from tho wreck, was the nominal "culprit." The ver dict r.-as that the loss of the ship was due to Instability and faulty construc tion, "his really amounted to a vote of ceiiiure o:i Mr. C'owper Coles, the i'.e.:'.';...'r. I vt as he went down with the ;:af'-V nioiister he had created h'j wr..-. 1.. ; ,ii: I the reach of either blame or praise. Ou another occasion a small "middy" of thirteen years of age was put upon bis trial, and once. It is said, a court martial assembled on a cat. which chanced to he the sole living thing found abourd a derelict frlgute. Hit it. "You can't guess what sister aald about you Just before 'you came In, Mr. Highcollar." said tittle Johnnie. "1 haven't an idea In the world, John nie." "That's It. You guessed It the yery first tin;:'." The Dlffeenee. Tell ii woi.ien her face Is her fortune and y:c 1 i fnpliinc-led. Hint to a ma m' fiat hU cheek l'i his most 'valu able asset cud he Is likely to get mad. - Chicago Kecord-IIerald. Ho who rcad.i only what pleases nev er grows very learned. JIBKL IN lIVOI:l.'K. Mary E Homier vk. Vtp Hoiii'hib No. V, April tuim, ('lories uhpoena In IJIvorce. JsFFRitsoM County, ss: The Comn'Otiweiilth of Puniisyivanta. To I'l-lHr Homier, (jrceifr k: We noiiiiiiiiiie you, as twice before you were cnrnnmniJeil, Unit ail mutter of hiMinesH and exroM-s hclnu I u-lile, you ho and xpoear In your proper purso-i bi-forp out Juure at HriKikvillt-, al our llourt, of Common Pleas, I here to be held on the second Monday of Novembi-i- next, lo hmv chumo, If unv you have, why your wife. Mary E. p.indera, should not fie divorced from the lj.nd4 of ' matrimony which ho frith contracted with foil, the said Peter Donders, agreeable lo the etlllon and Libel exhibited against you be fore our said Court, and this you shall in no case omit ai your peril. Witness The Hon. John W. Reed, President of our said Court at Hrookyllle, the 16th day Of August, A. D. ltm Allowed by the Court. Ctkiis II. Blood, Protbonotary. ToPeter Ponders. Greeting: You are hereby notified to appear before the Honorable Judge nf the Court of Common Pleas, at Brookvllie. Pa , on the second Mon day of November next, to answer as set forth In the above subpoena. GRANT SCH EAFNOCK ER, September 28, Mo. Sheriff. JIBEL IN DIVORCE. Malcolm O.'McGiffln rs. Alice H. McGlffln. No. UK November frm, 1905. Plurles sub poena in divorce. JBFKKRSOS ColTNTV. SSI The Commohweulth of Pennsylvania. To Alice H. Mi lilftin, Greeting: We command ymi, as twice before yen were commanded, thai all matter of buslm - md excuses being set aside, you be and ap... ur In your proper person liefore our JudL-e at Brookvllie, at our Court of Common rieu, there to be held on the second Mmnl;,y of November next, to show cause. If any you have, why your huoand, Malcolm G. lc (tlllln, should not be divorced from the Ixinds of matrimony which lie lialh contracted with you the said Alice II. McGlffln, agreeable to llie petition und libel exhibited against you before our snld Court, nnd this you ahull la no case omit at your peril. Witness The I Cm. John W. Reed, President of out said Conn at llrookvilla, the Itiih day of August, A. H., MHi. Allowed by the Court, CYtifS II. Hi, odd, Prothonotnry To Alice II. M.-Giftlii, Greeting: You are hereby notified to npiicir before tlm Honorable Jink-cot the Court of Common i'leas. at. Ilrookville, I'a., on ilie.ivoml Mon day of November next, to answer us set forth In the above subpoena. OHNT SCHEAI NOCKEB, September ti, VOL sheriff. -