LIFE. Come, track with me this little vagrant rill, Wandering ita wild course from the mountain'! breast. Now with a brink fantastic, henther-drest, 'And playing with the stooping tlowera at will; Mow moving scarce, with noiseless step and still; Anon, it seema to weary of ita rest. And hurries on, leaping with sparkling zest 'Adown the ledges of the broken hill. -Bo let it lire. Ja not the life well spent Which loves the lot that kindly nature weaves For all inheriting or adorning earth? Which throws light pleasure over true content, Blossoms with fruitage, flowers as well as leaves, And sweetens wisdom with a taste of ninth. ' Thomas Doubleday. A CONTEST WEATHER lVCVIllVeVtV By F. B. C. The young man in the linen suit, after attending to the slight errand that had brought him to Lufkin's Btore at Hardhack Corner, lingered for a little chat with the proprietor, who looked as If he might be a "char acter." As the visitor had approached the Btore he had seen a letter carrier driving away from it, and this fact suggested a conversational . opening that has come to be a favorite with the summer visitor. "This rural free delivery Is a great Institution,'' he began, graciously. But he perceived at once that he had made a mistake. The reply elic ited was in itself noncommittal. "Mebbe 'tis and mebbe 'taln't." But the scorn that the old storekeeper continued to throw into his tone left no doubt as to bis attitude toward this innovation in country life. For more than thirty yeurs Moses Lufkln hnd been the postmaster at Hardhack Corner. The salary had Dot been large, but, as he had often been heard to say, the honor was something. Besides, as "trade fol lows the flag," so does it come to the Btore In which the Government post office is domiciled. Furthermore, in the little gather ings of farmers who came for mail and remained for conversation, Mr. Lufkln had been something of an oracle. But now all this was changed. The postoffice had been abolished, trade bad fallen off somewhat, and worst of all, the ex-postmaster's authority, even in that special subject which he had made a lifelong study, was no longer unquestioned. No wonder he could not be roused to enthusiasm over the blessing of rural free deliv ery! PercelTing this, the young man hastened to change the subject, se lecting a topic this time that is sup posed to be safe on all occasions. Ah, I see that we are likely to have another fine day to-morrow," he said, glancing at a thin sheet of paper lying on the counter. "Well, If we do, it won't be because that thing says so," returned the old gentleman, ns testily as before. "I verily believe there's been more hay ep'iled in this vicinity since that rural carrier began to bring those predic tions than there had been before, for I don't know how long. Why, if I'd made as many mistakes in twenty years as the Gover'ment has in two, I'd have given up trying altogether!" "Indeed! I judge then, that you are something of an expert yourself ta forecasting the weather." "Well, I ought to be. I've been studying it for going on forty years." "It is certainly quite a study," said the young man. "At any rate, I have found it so." Then, answering a look of Inquiry, le added, "You see, I'm in the weath er business myself to some extent. I am an assistant observer of the .Weather Bureau." "What! You help get up those Gover'ment predictions? "In a way, yes." The old man stared for a moment at this embodiment of what had been to him hitherto only an impersonal rival. "What may I call your name?" he asked. "Dole. Clarence Dole, at your ser vice. Here is my card. I -atu taking a little vacation, and am staying at Mr. Blake's, on the hill." "How long are you going to stay In thes9 parts?" demanded Mr. Luf kln, with interest. "About two weeks, I think." l want to know! Well, now, I suppose you'relaughing in your sleeve at my setting up to be a better weath er prophet than the Gover'ment. But I'd like to put the thing to a test with ye, and I'll tell ye what I'll do. I'll write out my predictions every day before the Gover'ment's gets along, and I'll stick 'em up side by Bide on the wall.y Then you and I'll keep tally how tUey come out. Do you dare to try it?" Mr. Dole replied good-naturedly that he would be glad to watch the result; and without attempting any new lines of conversation, he quickly took his leave. "Who is that gentleman going down the road, grandpa?" called a olee a moment later. - The old man's stern face lighted p with pleasure at sight of the young lady standing in the doorway, but he answered curtly enough: "Oh, It's a young chap that's boarding at Blake's Dole, he says his name Is. Claims to be a weather observer for the Gover'ment." ' "Mr. Dole of the Weather Bureau! Why, I know him," said the young lady. "He attends our church in the city.- He Is a very pleasant young man." "He Is pleasant-spoken enough," ad mitted her grandfather, "but I know what he thinks'. He thinks an old codger like me can't foretell weather, but I'm just going to show him his mistake." For the next two weeks Mr. Lufkln voted himself to his task with an l'ltlvl) WITH THE BUREAU. (lilntvlvtAI) t ROBBINS absorption characteristic of the spe cialist. Every day the rival forecasts were placed conspicuously on the wall, and every day Mr. Dole, accord ing to his promise, called to compare them, and to diBcuss the degree of fulfilment of those of the day be fore, after which it became quite a habit of his to make a social call at the storekeeper's pleasant house near by. The news of the contest also spread among the neighbors, with the result that visits to the store became almost as much a matter of course as in the old days of coming for the mall. For a week or so the honors were about even. Indeed, the rival fore casts were quite similar in substance, although worded differently, as Mr. Lufkln scorned to imitate the phrase ology of the Weather Bureau. But at last an issue was fairly joined. Wednesday afternoon the narrow slip of paper emanating from the Weather Bureau bore in modest type this prediction: "Increasing cloudiness Thursday, with light rain in the afternoon or night," while beside it on the wall might be seen the announcement, scrawled in red chalk, "A little hazy to-morrow morning, but it will burn off, and be a toler'ble warm day." On Thursday morning the Bun rose very clear and then within two hours went into a cloud, which was a bad sign. It sprinkled a little by 9 o'clock a "drought shower," Mr. Lufkln called it. But an hour later the Bun was again shining brightly, and for the rest of the day there was an almost cloudless sky. It was warm, too. There was no room for controversy. The weather prophet of Hardhack Corner had scored a success, and the "Gover'ment" was beaten. Mr. Lufkln was not only gratified, but considerably emboldened by his success. A neighborhood picnic to take place on a small island in Long Pond bad been planned for Saturday, but on Friday the native prophet shook his head ominously. "I rather calculate that picnic will have to be put off," he said. And ear ly in the afternoon he seized his red chalk, and wrote in flaming charac ters: Look out for thunder showers and high wind to-morrow. The report from the Weather Bu reau, arriving a little later, merely' said: Fair and warmer Saturday. This left the community somewhat In doubt, although the young people, who were especially interested in the picnic, were. inclined to believe that "Uncle Lufkln was a little off that time." This opinion was strength ened the next morning, for never did dawning day give fairer promise of good behavior. "Do you really believe, Grandpa, that there is any danger of showers?" asked Fannie, pausing irresolutely In her task of filling her lunch-basket. "Now, Fannie," broke in her grandmother, Impatiently, "don't you mind a word that your grandpa says. It does seem as if he had gone clean daft about the weather. It's going to be as nice a day as heart could wish. Of course you will go to the picnic. All the folks will. I declare, I'd go myself If I wasn't so lame." The old gentlomar, thus discred ited In his own nouse, started off in decided ill humor, and shut himself up in his deserted store, out of sight if not out of bearing of the merry party that soon passed by. "I wish it would rain pitchforks and blow great guus!" ho muttered, as he went outside late in the fore noon and cast a searching look at the sky. "No, I don't, either!" ho de clared the next minute, in a tone of repentance. "I hope they will have a first-rate good day, and I guess they will, fast enough." In this better mood he seated him self on a much-whittled bench Just outside the door, and was soon peace fully engaged in the never-failing oc cupation of the aged living over by gone days. He was just on tho point of falling into a nap when his grand daughter's voice roused him. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" came the pleasant voice again. "Why, Fannie!" he exclaimed, his eyes blinking in the sunlight. "I supposed you were at the picnic." "Oh, no. grandpa! I didn't quite like to take the risk against your advice, and bo I concluded not to go," said the young lady, demurely. "What, you here, too, Mr. Dole!" cried the storekeeper, in fresh won der, as he became conscious of an other figure a little in the back ground. "Yes. I thought I'd better not go, either," returned the young man, in a very respectful tone. This handsome recognition of bis standing as a weather prophet was decidedly soothing to the old gentle man's pride. "Well, It's generally safest to follow my advice," he ad mitted, "but I guess I missed nry cal culations for once. The fact is, all signs fail In a dry time. Dinner ready, did you say, Fannlet Well, 1 11 go right in. And you must come, too, Mr. Dole, and have a bite with us." The invitation was accepted, and the simple 12 o'clock dinner finally assumed quite the proportions of a banquet, at least so far as time was concerned. The chief topic of conversation was, of course, the weather, and the local prophet listened, at first with tolerance, and finally with keen in terest, while his guest expounded the methods of the W7eather Bureau. So absorbed did the little company become in the talk that no one no ticed the lapse of time until darkness began to steal upon them. Then Grandmother Lufkln, mindful of household duties, peered anxiously through her spectacles at the face of the tall clock In the corner, while her husband sprang up from the table and hastened to the window. "There's a shower coming, true as I live! " he declared, in a voice pitched to its highest key. As a matter of fact, the Bhower, when It arrived, proved to be a rather small affair, but It served to justify Mr. Lufkin's frequent "I told you so," and to establish more completely than ever his confidence in his fore casting ability. In that confidence he still abides. "I've got a grandson," he is wont to say, "or grandson-in-law, I suppose you'd call him, that's connected with the Govr'ment. He works in the Weather Bureau, helping get up those predictions. Well, it's quite a science; and taking the country, by and large, it's amazing how well they hit it. But when it comes to predict ing for just Hardhack Corner and vi cinity, my grandson has to own up that the Gover'ment can't hold a candle to me." Youth's Companion. OUR DISAPPEARING TIMBER. Three Times as Much Used Each Year as the Forest Grows. Every person in the United States is using tover six times as much wood as he would use if he were in Europe. The country, as a whole, consumes every year between three and four times more wood than all of the for ests of the United States grow in the mean time. The average acre of for est lays up a store of only ten cubic feet annually, whereas It ought to be laying up at least thirty cubic feet in order to furnish the products tnken out of It. Since 1880 more than 700,000,000,000 feet of timber have been cut for lumber alone, Including 80,000,000,000 feet of coniferous timber in excess of the total conifer ous stumpage estimate of the census of 1880. These are some of the remarkable statements made In Circular 97 of the Forest Service, which deals with the timber, supply of the United States and reviews the stumpage estimates made by all the important authori ties. A study of the circular must lead directly to the conclusion that the rate at which forest products in the United States have been and are being consumed is far too lavish, and that only one result can follow unless steps are promptly taken to prevent waste in use and to increase the growth rate of every acre of forest in the United States. This result Is a timber famine. This couptry is to-day in the same position with re gard to forest resources as was Ger many one hundred and fifty years ago. During this period of one hun dred and fifty years such German States as Saxony and Prussia, partic ularly the latter, have applied a policy of Government control and regulatiou which has Immensely increased tbe productivity of their forests. The same policy will achieve even bettei results in the United States, because we have the advantage of all the les sons Europe has learned and paid for in the course of 1 ceutury of the ory and practice. Lest it might be assumed that the rapid and gaining depletion of Amer ican forest resources is sufficiently accounted for by the increase of pop ulation, It is pointed out in the circu lar that the increase in population since 18S0 Is barely more than hall the increase in lumber cut in the same period. Two areas supplying timber have already reached and passed their maximum production the Northeastern States In 1870 and the Lake States in 1890. To-day the Southern States, which cut yellow pine amounting to one-third the total annual lumber cut of the country, are undoubtedly near their maximum. The Pacific States will soon take the ascendency. The State of Washing ton, within a few years has come tc the front, and now ranks first of al! individual States in volume of cut. At present but one-fifth of the total .forest area of the United Statef is embraced in National forests. Th remaining four-fifths have already passed or are most likely to past into private handB. The average age of the trees felled for lumber this year Is not less than one hundred and fifty years. In other words, if he is to secure a second crop of treei of the same size, the lumberman ot private forest owner must wait, say. at least one hundred years for tbe second crop to grow. As a rule, such long time investments as this wait ing would involve do not commend themselves to business men who are accustomed to quick returns. But the States and tbe Nation can look much further ahead. Tbe larger, then, the area ot National and State control over woodlands, the greater is the likelihood that the forests ot the country will be kept permanently productive. ' During the calendar year 1906 w exported $7,000,000 worth ot mer chandise to tbe Philippines. FOR. r Sorghum as Stock Feed. Professor George C. Humphrey, of Wisconsin Experiment Station, says that next to corn sorghum is very highly recommended as a late sum mer feed for cattle, hogs and other classes of stock. Enormous yields ot it are reported, surpassing that of any other crop, and its palatability is unquestioned. It can. be cut and cured where sowed thick and is not allowed to get too coarse, and will serve as very good hay, the leaves being smoother and equally as palata ble as those of corn. Cattle and pigs will eat the grain and chew the stalks ot ripened cane, and in this form it Is considered good feed that need not be wasted if not fed as soiling. Horses and Cattle Together. Mr. L. T., of Fairmont, Neb., asks whether it is good practice to run different classes of stock together in a pasture. We never like to put vic ious or troublesome horses in with cattle, for they are apt to annoy the :attle, but a few horses put In the cattle pasture will help clean up the pasture, for the horses will eat the rich growth around the spots where the manure of the cattle has dropped. A few sheep run in with cattle will not touch. The most important thing Is not to overstock with any one class, to the detriment of the other. Pas tures in which horses, cattle and sheep are tun will be eaten down close, and one should never over stock. L.dinna Farmer, Rack For Dehorning. The illustration Bhows a rack to be used either for dehorning cattle or ringing hogs. For sills use three pieces four feet long and four inches by four inches mortised for bottom of posts eight inches each side of centre to allow the sites and bottom boards to drop into place. Four posts four Inches by four inches and five feet four inches long and two posts four Inches by four inches and five feet eight inches long are tenoned to the sills. Three cap pieces two Inches by four inches and four feet two Inches long are mortised at the ends to re ceive tops of posts. The caps are of oak. One oak piece in front of the cap, which holds the stanchion, is two inches by two Inches and four feet two inches long. The lower oak piece in front of the stanchion is two Inches by lour inches and two feet long. The lumber is two inches thick and seven feet long for sides. One board two inches by seventeen Inches and seven feet long is used for the bottom. For stanchions in front use one board two Inches by ten Inches, five feet eight inches long; one board two inches by ten inches, five feet two Inches long. For back gate use two pieces two inches by twelve inches, four feet four inches long, cut sloping to fit the frame. It 1 put on with hinges. The stanchions in front are bolted at the bottom be tween a two inch by four inch piece, and the sill, leaving a space up and down in front five inches wido. -Two and a half feet from the bottom of tbe stanchion slope cut a place for the animal's neck. The two inches by two inch oak piece is bolted to the Bide of the cap with blocks to allow the top ot the stanchions to open and close and work with a lever. The lever, which can be made of wagon tire, is five feet sis inches long. A three-eight-inch hole is punched in the top of the lever, a second hole thirteen and a half inches from top hole, and the third eleven inches from second hole. The upper hole is for attachment of two iron straps, one on each side, which are fastened to the left hand Btanchion. From the lower hole two pieces of iron four teen inches long go to the right hand stanchion. When the stanchions are closed bore one or two half-Inch holes in post back ot lever, in which to use an iron pin to hold the stanch ions in place. Montreal Star. Ecarly and Late Plowing. ' Experiments as to early and late plowing are made on bottom land with these results: The land was divided Into six plots, each one of which was plowed alter nately late and early, the early plow ing, April 7 to 19, and the late plow ing, June 3, all the plots being cul tivated at the sama time and with the same tools. The crop yield from the early plowed land is more than from the late, at the rate of 6.G bushels per acre. The moisture holding power of soils is greater with the early plo-ned Rack For Dehorning. Tttft uiki t . git and thmmh land at one, two . or three feet In depth than that of the late, the great est difference in its favor being found in the surface root. When the moisture contents ot this particular Boil falls' below twelve per cent, the leaves of many plants curl early in the day, and the plant turns a yellowish color and Is more or less checked in its growth. Nitrification takes place with a gradually 'decreasing intensity, at one, two or three feet in depth. The seasonal average amount of available nitrogen found for the early plowed land in the surface foot is twice that found for the late at the same depth. - The available nitrogen in the sur face foot of the early plowed field Is four times that found in either the second or third foot, early or late land. That the mean soil temperature for the early plowed land is in all cases during the entire season lower than that found for the late plowed. The low mean soil temperature found for the early plowed land is accompanied throughout the season by a greater amount of moisture and available nitrogen than is the case with the late plowed, which has the higher temperature. Jn many cases a high temperature Is followed by a high rate of nitrifica tion, while in others it is not, thus suggesting that the process of nitrifi cation is more or less dependent upon what may be called the rate relation between the water content and the temperature of the soil, provided other factors are favorable. Rich mond Tlmes-Dlspatch. Pen Vine's Feeding Value. The feeding value of pea vine hay Is becoming more generally recog nized. The failure to secure a stand of red clover has materially enhanced Its value in the eyes of the farmer, for it is really the best substitute for clover hay that has yet been found. Considering its feeding value alone, It is much richer in digestible pro tein than clover hay, and for certain purposes on the farm is more valu able. Pea vine hay is splendidly adapted for feeding to sheep and to cattle whether milk or beef production be the object In view. It Is not so well adapted to feeding to horses and mules, especially to horses, because it is dusty and is supposed to be one of the principal causes of "heaves." While it is true that clover hay is a fertile cause of heaves, it is not so likely to prqduce the disease as pea hay. Many have objected to using pea hay for horses because It has been said to be a frequent cause ot death. Investigation has generally shown that death was only followed when moldy pea hay was fed, and as the feeding of timothy or clover hay un der the same conditions would as likely have produced death, it is not fair to attribute any injurious effects to properly made and cured pea hay. More or less of a good quality of pea hay has been fed to horses and mules on the university farm for the past three years without injuring ef fect. A. M. Soule, Director Virginia Experiment Station. Improved Butter Churn. The old-fashioned hand butter churn, so long associated with fresh' air and country life, seems destined to be overtaken by others up to date and which require less labor to op- Foot and Hand Power Churn. erate. The old-fashioned churn was a clumsy affair and not a little "el bow grease" was required to manipu late It. ' In the illustration is shown one of newer hand churns, which nev ertheless contains mcst ot the prin ciples of the older churns. Tbe only change is in the application of the power mechanism. In this machine the power is so placed that little ef fort is required to operate it. A foot pedal is added, and tbe hand power is entirely different from the old method. Instead of forcing the pad dle up from the churn after every de scent with tho hands, springs are placed beneath the hand grips which do the forcing automatically. It would be possible to operate this churn and at the same time read a book or newspaper. A Kentucky man is the inventor. Philadelphia Record. , (Ttae Common House Fly, Whence He Comes and Whither Hs Goes. By HAROLD SOMERS, M. A, The common house fly (Musca Do mestical is a creature of such secre tive habits that although from the very earliest times he has been with us, and the most ancient writers have mentioned and described him, still very little was known of his origin and history. It remained for tbe eminent Bos ton biologist, Dr. A. S. Packard, in 1873, to make known his origin, hab its and transformations from the egg through the larva state with its two changes to the puna state, then to the perfect fly. Near the first of August the female lays about 120 eggs of a dull gray color, selecting fresh horse manure In which to deposit her eggs, and so secretes them that they are rarely Been; it takes only twenty-four hours for them to hatch into the first form of larvsf white worm one-quarter of an inch & length and one-tenth in diameter. They feed on the decaying matter ot their environment, and two changes or casting ot skins occur be fore .they turn' Into the pupa state; this change comes very suddenly. The entire period from the egg to the pupa state is from three to four days. It moist food is wanting when in this condition they will eat each other and thus decrease their number. Heat and humidity greatljasslst their de velopment, as upon careful computa tion each pound of manure around Etables and outhouses develops un der favorable conditions over 1000 flies. It is no wonder that where these conditions exist we have such a veritable harvest of the fly pest. In the pupa state when the fly is about to emerge theend of the pupa case splits off, making a hole through which the fly pushes a portion of its, head, but here It seems to encounter a difficulty; the pupa case Is too stiff and hard to pass through, hut nature comes to Its assistance, and a sort ot bladder like substance forms behind the head, which swells out apparently filled with air; it acts as a means of pushing away the pupa case and releases the fly. When the fly first emerges it runs around with its wings soft, small and baggy; It Is pale and the colors are not set; Its head rapidly expands and the bladder formation passes away within a few hours the wings grow and harden; it is now a perfect fly. The whole time from the deposit ing of the egg to the perfect fly Is not over ten days in duration. Many persons who observe small flies In midsummer suppose they are the young, but such is not the case; they are flies that are imperfectly nour ished in the larvae and pupae states, and do not attain full Bize; in fact, they are the dwarfs of their race. The male fly differs from the female in the front of the bead between the eyes, being at least one-third narrow er, though in size the female is rath er smaller. Adult flies like most other creat ures have parasites of minute size that prey upon them; these can often be seen as presenting smail red specks over the body of the fly. Another enemy in the form of a fungus often attacks, the fly in the early autumn. This makes its ap pearance as a white swelling and the white spores of the disease can be seen penetrating the body of the fly, which it finally distends and rup tures. The fly hibernates in winter, but with his usual secretive habit it is very difficult to find him in his winter quarters. With the first chill of au tumn the flies, feeling the cold, seek temporary warmth in houses, and clustering together form bunches in the corners ot walls and other places. They are then sluggish and not so ac tive as in the warm weather. How ever, they do not make a permanent stay indoors, but on the first mild, sunny day seek the windows to get out and find their permanent winter hiding place. Many prefer to make their homes in the roots of grass on lawns, where they hide themselves so effectually that the ice and snow of winter does not destroy them in their hibernating state. If in the first warm days of spring when tbe snow Is gone and the grass on the lawns becomes dry and warm, long before the yellow dandelion shows its head, a close observer may see numbers of files crawling up on the grass to get the welcome sunshine, their wings standing out stiff and useless, but they soon acquire the power of flight in the warm rays of the sun. A great many days, however, elapse before they appear in the homes of men. In recent years the medical profes sion have demonstrated that while the fly itself does not propagate disease, it is one of the most industrious car riers of disease germs, which by con tact adhere to his feet, hairy legs and body, distributing them to Innocent victims. If every housekeeper could know all these interesting facts, which have never before been brought to their attention, they would realize the im portance of securing the very best fly exterminator. 1 A New Industry. Australia has started a new Indus try. Nearly half a gallon of oil pos sessing lubricating qualities has been obtained at Gilgandra, N. S. W., from "3 pounds of rabbit skins with out lessening the commercial value ot the latter. 24 W. F. Fernald of Old Orchard, Me., has a big scrapbook which contains nothing but newspaper clippings treat.it' g ot appendicitis. All phases of every case ha can hear ol err noted, 1 V "1
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers