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