THE HAVEN OF DREAMS.
VAST K. BUCK IN CHICAQO INTER-OCEAN.
When the weary day with its toil is o'er
And darkness broods over earth once
more,
We gladly slip through the gates of night,
And sail for a mystical shore.
In the soft-winged shallop of sleep we glide
O'er a silent sea with a rhythmic tide,
That lulls to rest each throbbing woe
Our aching hearts may hide.
And though from afar no beacon gleams.
Nor mariner's star sheds its guiding beams,
Yet ever the unseen ships go by.
Seeking the haven of dreams.
And when we've entered that haven fair.
The wonders untold that await us there!
Back in the meadows of childhood we
Basking again in the lovelight of home.
The dear ones we've lost are with us once
more,
•Tust as we knew them and loved them of
yore;
And none ever doubts all is not as it seems
While we linger entranced in the haven of
dreams.
So it seemeth to me that some shadowy
night
When death draws the curtain we'll slip
out of sight,
And sail in a shallop like that we call sleGp,
To a wonderful land where no eyes ever
weep,
And the haven of dreams lieth white.
* '%
j His Dream Wife
V
T ~J~ E— the man ot this little inci
(lent, that took place one af-
I I ternoon this week ih one of
Q the skysoraping office build
ings down town—was a young lawyer
of considerable practice and some in
herited wealth. She—the woman who
held the strong, shapely hand ot the
man—was a manicure girl. The warm
rays ot the sunshine that filtered
through the window glass in the young
woman's daintily furnished "manicure
parlor" seemed to smile kindly on the
pair. She was a pretty girl with nat
ural light colored hair and agate blue
eyes. There was an admiring gaze in
the young lawyer's eyes as lie watched
her polishing his thumb naii. After a
few moments' silence the girl ceased
work, looked up and inquired:
"How is your wife to-day?"
With a sudden start which indicated
that his thoughts had been wandering
the young man said:
"Ah; oh, yes—my wife, she is about
the same, you know."
"I am glad," responded the girl, "for
you said she was well when you were
here yesterday."
"Was it only yesterday that 1 was
here last?" inquired the lawyer.
"It was, aud you were here the day
before that and the day before, and in
fact every day for two weeks," she
said with a smile.
He leaned hack in liis chair and
gazed into the attractive upturned faec
of the girl and remarked: "It's so
pleasant here, you know; just to rest
and chat with you and and have
you hold my hand."
"Don't say such things to me," said
the girl as she brushed from lior face a
stray strand of her golden hair. "He
member your wife—she might not like
It."
"That's true," responded the young
fellow, with a sigh, "but let us forget
her."
"You must not," said the gill, "for I
have always admired you for the way
you spoke of your wife. I hate men
who abuse their wives to other women,
I have always thought that no matter
how disagreeable a man's wife might
be nothing could justify him in gossip
ing about her faults."
"Do many men do that?" inquired
the young fellow. "I know they some
times tell their lawyers about their do
mestic troubles, but "
"Oh, yes," said the girl, "that's one of
the most disagreeable features about a
manicure girl's life—at least, I find it
so men come to us with their
troubles. Men sit here by the hour and
tell me what disagreeable creatures
their wives are; it often seems to me
that no man loves his wife. They all
seem to tell the same story—of a sud
den infatuation, a hasty marriage and
then disappointments and quarrels."
"It's simply awful, is it not?" in
quired the interested listener.
"Yes, it is. There was a time when,
like every other girl, I suppose, 1
thought of marrying, hut two years of
manicuring men's finger nails lias
made me fearful of marriage. I could
not hear to think that my husband
would abuse me to other women."'
"I don't think that any man would
speak unkindly of you—even though
you were his wife," said the young
lawyer, as he looked full into the up
turned face of the girl.
She blushed, shook her head and
said: "That's the way all men talk—so
[ have been told—before marriage."
"I am certain 1 never could were
you my wife," remarked tho young
fellow with a tender tone of voice.
"Don't you think you had bettor go
now," said tho girl. "Your wife will
expect you home to dinner."
"My wife will not be kept waiting
she never dines with me. She—well—
she is a most disagreeable person."
"Don't; please pleaded tho girl,
"you know you always told me before
hew much you loved and admired your
wife. I loved to sit aud listen to your
description of jour happy home—your
domestic wife. I know you aaid she
was not pretty, hilt you told me she
was dainty and refined looking; that
she wns so gentle and considerate; that
she did not care for society, except
when you went with her. Oh, I know
she must he lovely; I wish I could sec
her and tell her how nohlj' you have
talked about her. She is all that I
would try to te to a husband I loved."
She suddenly ceased talking aud sat
with ber hands clasped and her face
upturned. The young lowycr arose,
walked to the window and looked out.
After a few minutes of silence he again
faced the girl and said:
"Yes, that's all true. I did say those
things, but that was the story of a
dream wife, an ideal, not (lie reality."
"Then you were lying all the time?"
gasped the girl.
"No, not that," was the response. "I
was just painting my dream in words
—you know that there is nothing so
happy as dreaming, aud I have been
dreaming some years about a wife—the
kind I would like "
"But," exclaimed the girl witli a per
plexed expression on her Hushed face,
"you have a wife."
"She's a nightmare," retorted the
young fellow, "not a wife."
"Please go," urged the girl. "It's
cowardly to speak so of a woman and
that woman your wife. I am disap
pointed in you—more than X can tell."
"Let me tell you of my nightmare
wife," plendod the young lawyer as he
stood directly in -front of the chair in
which the girl was seated.
"I admit that I loved her very much,
that our courtship was happy, roman
tic and all that. She was an ideal wife
for a few weeks, then all changed. To
my faults slip was always unkind. She
became cold and indifferent to lny de
sires and fancies. She was cross and
fretful. She became careless in her
personal appearance except when she
expected friends. She quarrelled with
the servants, she neglected the
house "
"Don't tell me any more," pleaded
the girl.
"Just a little more," urged the young
fellow. "When I sometimes—not of
ten—came homo a little under the gen
tle influence of something stronger
than water, my nightmare wife did not
wait until the next morning, when I
had recovered, to scold me, but talked
at me when I wanted sleep and began
again at breakfast."
"Was that so bad?" inquired the girl.
"That was the very worst of it; a
man with a bad head can't stand a
scolding. A wife—a loving, gentle,
sensible wife—would wait until after
the head had resumed Its normal shape
nnd then do her scolding."
"I think you are right," said the girl,
with a smile.
"Do you mean that?" inquired tho
man.
"I do; I know you are right."
"I thought that I had not made a
mlstnke in you—l have been studying
,Vou for many days and I am a good
judge of character."
"I am awfully sorry you have such a
wife. I loved the wife you first told
me about. Why (lid you do that?"
Because 1 wanted to draw you out
nnd study you. I pictured my dream
wife and now I have told you of my
nightmare wife."
"Which is the real one you have?"
eagerly inquired the manicure girl.
"Whether I have the dream wife I
think depends on you," said the young
lawyer, as he leaned over the girl's
chair and gazed into her face.
"I don't understand you." retorted
the girl.
"I have neither a dream wife nor n
nightmare wife, except in fancy, hut I
want j*ou to be my wife —my ideal
wife." Silence reigned supreme for n
few seconds and with the glory of the
setting sun full on her pretty l'aec the
girl softly said;
"I understand, and I will try."—New
York Sun.
Pure Sunlight niut Air.
We have often heard of "Sunny
Italy," or the "clear light" of Egj'pt,
says the Desert, lint, believe me, there
is no sunlight there compared with
that which falls upon the upper peaks
of the Sierra Madre or the uninhabit
able wastes of the Colorado desert.
Dure sunlight requires for its existence
pure air. and the Old World has little
of it left. When you are iu Rome
again and stand upon that hill where
all good Romanists go at sunset, look
out and see how dense is the atmos
phere between you and St. Peter's
dome. That same thick air is all over
Europe, all around tho Mediterranean,
even over in Mesopotamia nnd by the
hanks of the Ganges. It has been
breathed and burned and battle smoked
for 10.000 years. Ride up and over the
high tablelands of Montana—one can
still ride there for days without seeing
a trace of humanity—and how clear
nnd scentless, how absolutely intangi
ble that sky blown, sunshot atmos
phere! You breathe it without feeling
it. you see through it a hundred miles,
and tlie picture is not blurred by it.
Once more ride over the enchanted me
sas of Arizona at sunrise or sunset,
with tho ragged mountains of Mexico
to the south of you, and the broken
purs of tlie great Sierra round about
you, and nil tho glory of tho Old shall
be as nothing lo the gold and purple
and burning crimson of tliia New
World.
Tins Sea Trout.
Tlie gainrst of salt water fish, after
tlie striped bass, Is the wcakllsb or sea
trout. Tho sport of angling for them
Is generally enhanced because, feeding
as they generally do near the surface,
it is possible to fish for them with light
tackle. The best places to flml them
In the vicinity of New York are Ja
maica Bay, tlie southwestern shore of
Staten Island and tho mouth of the
Shrewsbury River. While they have
been caught weighing upward of twen
ty pounds, a six or ten pounder is a
good size and tlie average will only
run from ore to two and a half. There
is never any doubt when a weakflsh'
bites. He does not nibble around the
hook, hut tnkps the bait at one fair
swoop and then starts off with it like a
limited express with time to make up.
He is a shy fish and the man who uses
a small line, light leaders and snells to
his hook, and keeps quiet while fishing
is the one who is apt to have tho best
luck.—Country Life in America.
yy, fAcre y£
The women of Ainu, North Japan,
admire bearded faces, and they tattoo
their own faces to make them seem
sprouting with whiskers.
There still flourishes at Dundee. Scot
land, a tree which was dedicated as a
"tree of liberty" more than a century
sgo during the ferment caused by the
French revolution.
The ancient cemetery of St. John's
Convent, Bergen, Norway, was exposed
to view last summer in excavating the
site of a modern building. The con
vent was abolished about the year
1500, so the skeletons that were un
earthed must be at least 400 years old.
The reason why fish and many other
living things tend to bo dark on the up
per part of the body and light on the
under part is thought to be this: The
earth is lit from above, and it is neces
sary if birds, fish. etc.. are not to be
exlreineiy conspicuous, that the inevit
able shadows be connected. As Pro
fessor E. B. roulton puts it: "The form
painted light below and dark above,
with connecting radiations, looks vis
ionary and ghostlike, as wild animals
always appear in nature."
The Fire Department in Jersey City,
N. J., was recently called out by a
strange accident. A small boy who
had been tormenting an ice cream ped
dler. finally succeeded in irritating the
Italian to such an extent that he left
his push-cart and gave the urchin a hot
chase. Not succeeding In overtaking
him, however, the cart-pusher picked
up a brick and threw it after the fleet
boy. The brick missed the boy's head
by a narrow margin and crashed Into a
fire-box, breaking the glass door and
bringing the Fire Department upon the
scene. Not even the chemical engines
were necessary to cool the Italian's ire.
In ICSI Parliament passed the first of
what are called the "Navigation Acts."
They forbade the colonies to trade with
any other country than England, or to
receive foreign ships into their ports.
They were particularly aimed at New
England, whoso people had gone eager
ly Into commerce, but they were not
well enforced for many years. The
revenue officers were careless, or ftiok
bribes to allow vessels to trade with
foreign countries, and thus most of the
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Con
necticut merelinnts ware compelled to
be smugglers, and to engage in trade
that was forbidden by the law. About
100 years after the passage of these
laws the attempt was made to enforce
them in earnest, and this helped greatly
to bring about the Revolution.
Mlnintnre Japanese Garilfni.
Country Life in America draws the
following interesting comparison be
tween the methods of gardening in our
country and those employed in Japau:
"The Japanese create tiny models of
landscape—growing gardens so small
that they may occupy 110 more space
that the top of a good-sized table. In
these the merest pebbles do duty as
rocks, a cupful of stones will construct
a cliff and a hunch of small plants
.serve for 11 forest, while the paths and
streams may lie spanned by a finger's
breadth. Landscape gardening Is said
to have been introduced into Japan
from China, where Buddhist priests
had created miniature landscapes in
the temple gardens. It was to this end
that the dwarfing of trees and shrubs
became a necessity. The artistic pur
pose was to copy the attractions of a
true landscape and to give the impres
sion that a real one conveys. It
stands for a picture, not merely to look
upon, hut one to stroll about in aud to
lie enjoyed from within the picture
itself. The Japanese garden is as
much au art creation as a painting."
A Praying General.
As we scan the pages of the world's
history, we now aud then see stand
lug out in bold relief the names of men
famous in battle, who were known dis
tinctively to the world as men of much
prayer and Bible study.
Henerul Havelock, of Indian warfare
fame, was such an one. It is said that
he found time to pray, not only by Him
self, but with his men. The largest
tent in the camp baggage was a prayer
tent. This was pitched at the stations,
and in it he conducted a prayer service
and read the Bible to the soldiers. Dur
ing tile most hurried marches he arose
two hours before his men in order to
have time to pray. It' they were to
begin their march at 0 o'clock in the
morning, he was up nt 4. If the enmp
were to break up at 4, lie was up at
2. He believed there was time for
the business of religion. And they tell
lis there were no soldiers so prompt
and faithful in duty, so reliable in
those dreadful times of the Indian
mutiny, as General Huvclock aud his
praying regiment.
Secret of Keeping Young')
One of the secrets of keeping young,
vigorous and supple-jointed is to con
tinue to practice the activities of youth,
and to refuse to allow the mind to stif
fen the muscles by Its suggestion of
age limitations. If men like Peter
Cooper and William E. Gladstone, who
kept up the vitalizing exercises of
robust manhood when far into the
eighties, had succumbed at forty to
the thought of approaching age, how
much of their valuable life-work would
have remained undone!— Success.
The Shallow Mind.
The shallow mind is the mirror of
other people's thoughts.—New York
Press.
THE LADY GIRAFFE.
rhe ladv giraffe for the ballroom waa
dressed
In the latest decollete style,
When a dashing young beau,
The good-looking dodo,
Stepped up to her side with a smile.
'My dear Miss Giraffe," said he, with a
bow,
•'You're the fairest of maids at the ball;
And vet, if your neck
Should grow longer a speck
You would need to wear nothing at all."
—Puck.
"Their wealth must he prodigious."
"It is. They own two automobiles."—
Detroit Free Press.
He studies his geography
And thinks he has it tine,
When some one brings the soldiers out
And moves the boundary line.
—Washington Star.
She (after aeecpting hirnl—"Have you
ever loved any other girl?" He—"Sure!
I can bring you half a dozen written
testimonials if necessary." Chicago
News.
"I hope there will he no mistake in
administering these medicines." "Have
no fear, doctor. I am a professional
nurse, and madam is a professional in
valid."—New York Weekly.
Stranger—"How did this out-of-the
way place ever get the reputation of
being a health resort?" Native—"Why,
my dear sir, at least three prominent
men have died here."—Chicago News.
There wus once a villainous tough,
Who receives u surprising rebut!
When in trying to jolly
A chappie named Cholly,
He was handled exceedingly rough.
—Philadelphia Record.
Mrs. Dimpleton—"Why don't you get
your life insured?" Dimpleton—
"What's the use? I'm well enough,
and I'll probably outlive you." "Well,
you always did look on the dark side."
-Life.
Stoekson—"Are the officers of your
new oil company prudent and far-see
ing men?" Tiekertape "Are they?
Why. they only own three shares each,
and we had to pay 'em to take them."—
Tuck.
Captain Smythe (a good soldier, hut
no society man, to the hostess) —"I
have to thank you, Mrs. Browu, for an
evening which has been—cr—after two
years on the veld, most enjoyable."—
Punch.
Mamma—"Johnny, I told you to go
and wash your face and hands. When
I tell you to do a thing, I expect you to
do it." Johnny—"You're not much of
a judge of human nature, are you,
mamma?" —Boston Transcript.
Barnes—"There goes Hiller in his au
tomobile. llow quickly he lias learned
to run the thing." Shedd—"Yes; I sup
pose it is a faculty that is inherited.
His father used to be quite an expert
at the wheelbarrow." Boston Trans
cript.
"I wonder if advertising like this,"
said the unsophisticated youth, after
looking over the department store an
nouncement, "Is really expensive?"
"Walt till you get a wife who reads
those ads and you'll tlnd out," replied
Pharallman.—Philadelphia Press.
"Well," said the lady who was en
deavoring to give the widow consola
tion 011 the way borne from the ceme
tery, "the worst is over now." "I'm
afraid not," answered the afflicted one.
"The lawyer says there's a bad flaw in
oiie of the insurance policies."—Chica
go Record-Heraid.
Tito lJuycr of llcof.
The buyer occupies a position of con
sequence in the stock yards com
munity. He is an expert, usually a
man of middle age, who has obtained
his education and technical ability
partly in the packing houses aud part
ly on the ranch. An experienced buyer
is likely to receive a salary of SIOOO to
SSOOO a year, aud lie Is worth all of
that, for on his ability to tell, by a
moment's inspection, what quality of
beef will be produced by a steer that
he never before laid eyes 011 depends
primarily the excellence of the product
issued by his house, aud hence the in
crease of its business.
The buyer's work is not arduous, and
to all appearance his task is a simple
one. lie walks along the flat board
laid along the top of the fence, glanc
ing keenly at the cattle in the different
pens. Some lie passes by without a
pause, others he stops to inspect more
closely and occasionally ho displays
his interest in a group by asking a
question or two of the man in charge.
Long experience enables him nt a
glanee to distinguish between a grass
fod steer and a corn-fed steer, to de
cide whether an animal is entitled to
be classed as "fancy," "good" or "com
mon," and to guess within a few
pouuds of an animal's exact weight by
glancing at him. The buyer makes
ills purchases "on the hoof," paying
the market price ruling for the day
for the grade in which it. is decided
each group of cattle belongs. In a few
words the transaction is completed and
the buyer's interest in the affair is
ended.—Leslie's Monthly.
8100,000,000 of Beef.
The total annual export value of
United States meat—of which beer
forms the principal item—ls in round
ftgures $100,000,000. If we add to this
the distributive sales of the various
packing establishments in the United
States for the domestic market as well,
we find that it reaches the enormous
total of 1,000,000 carloads, valued at
$2,000,000,000. Added to this is the
value of the many by-products of the
packing house, which amount to many
millions more.—Leslie's Monthly.
H AGRICHLTMt. -1
A Liberal Kution For Cows.
If cows are fed a liberal ration of
palatable, nutritious ground feed night
aud morning they require no driving.
No dog or boy is necessary to chase
the fields over to persuade them, but
about milking time they are ready to
walk from the pasture to the barn quiet
ly, and pniis will be fuller, as there lias
been no excitement. Keep cows quiet
and they give better returns. Thus a
saving of labor and patience pays in
part for grain fed.
Home# Preferred For Cnltlratlng.
Slow horses are sometimes preferred
for cultivating, but a fast walking
horse docs much more work In a year
thaD the slower one. If a horse travels
twenty miles a (lay, and another twen
ty-five miles In the same time for every
working day In the year, the faster
horse will travel 1500 miles more than
the other. When working a large field
a horse may travel from fifteen to
twenty miles a day. and a difference of
a mile or two, when several horses are
In use, Is quite an Item In a week.
While attention has been given to the
breeding of fast trotters and runners,
there is room for improvement in the
walking gait of horses.
Variations in Vegetables*
Freaks and variations In vegetables
have been numerous at experimental
stations. One of the beets planted for
seeds, instead of throwing up a seed
shoot, emitted brandies from the root,
and these branches, coming from the
surface, threw out leaves, thus forming
a cluster of roots, which have grown
as annuals, showing no tendency to
seeding. A potato plant developed tu
bers !u abundance in the axils of its
leaves. An onion of the white Globe
variety sprouted into a top onion, the
cluster of small bulbs replacing the
top formation. Bi-nnnuals become an
nuals, for rows of sorghum and salsify
grown from seeds from plants which
were bi-annuals one furnished annual
plants the next year, thus showing how
easily and quickly the habits of some
plants can be changed by selection.
Strength of Farm Horse*.
In trials made it was found that a
pair of more than ordinarily powerful
farm horses, one weighing 1250 pounds,
the other over 1400 pounds, at a "dead
pull" drew 1000 and 1025 pounds each.
This was when the band was so tight
ened that the straightening of the
traces gave the horses the benefit of
their own weight. With loose band,
allowing the traces to rise naturally,
each horse drew 300 pounds less.
These horses were both well shod.
Another horse of about the same ap
parent strength as theßc, but unshod,
could only draw 675 pounds with a
tight band. In each case the horse
was hitched to the end of a rope about
150 feet long, having the beuetit of the
stretching of the rope as a relief from
a "dead pull." The maximum strength
seemed to be exerted at each trial, all
the horses being accustomed to heavy
pulling.
A Cheap Burn Door Latch.
The accompanying Illustration shows
a convenient latch for a barn or gran
ary door on rollers. The inside view,
a, shows how this may be attached to
the door, 1) Is the latch seen from the
outside, c is the block over which the
latch drops when the door is closed. I
have used it 011 my farm buildings for
a number of years and find it exceed
ingly convenient and very cheap. It
cannot get out of order, and If it is bro
ken it can he easily and quickly re
placed.— C. J. Shell, in New England
Homestead.
Locating an Apiary.
Where wild flowers and linden trees
are abundant is an excellent place to
locate an apiary. On the farm such
seeds as buckwheat and clover can be
sown and will yield a crop of honey be
sides the usual crop they are iitlenw, .
for. The bees will find any nectar pro
ducing plants within 11 radius of two
miles of the apiary, aud sometimes
they will fly even further. Bees need
a great deal of water during spring and
summer, especially in March and April:
this is used to dilute the thick rich
honey which lias been left over the
winter aud make it suitable for the
young larvae, so a brook or stream
near by would be desirable, although
not specially necessary. The hives
should be placed southward, or east
ward: a wind-break 011 the norili and
west is a great protection to the bees,
a hedge of evergreens or a wall or
honeysuckles grown on an iron fence
Is a quicker way, as one does not have
to wait too long for results. A board
fence will answer the purpose if one
does not care too much for looks.
Formerly tall trees near by were con
sidered an objectionable feature, for
sometimes the swarm would go out of
reach of the apiarist, but they arc no
longer a detriment to the beekeeper,
for with the queen trap placed on the
hives nt swarming time, the queen
is trapped and the swarm will return
to the Hive in less than a half hour, no
matter how high they may have clus
tered. If a hoard is laid on the ground
in front of the hfves, it will prevent the
grass and weeds from growing np In
front of the entrances; an occasional
handful of salt will also be effective.
—F. G. Herman, in The Epitomlst.
The Question of Breeds.
There are certain characteristics that
constitute the good, the best, or the
ideal horse. It will be conceded by all
that the horse deficient in such charac
teristics is not the best or the ideal
horse, no matter what his breed is. lt~
there is one breed that may be depend
ed upon to yield more of such horses
than another then that breed would be
adjudged to be the best of the two.
But even that docs not prove that one
should buy or breed to the horse only
because it is of that breed, for it might
be a poor individual, and he might get
a much better horse of the breed de
cided by the test named to be the infe
rior one. The discussion referred to
should be made along the line suggest
ed, and if it can be shown that one
breed is productive of more good
horses than the other, then to that ex
tent it will be proven to be the best
breed, and to that extent only.
Breeding is yet too far from an exact.
science to be depended upon entirely
as an assurance of quality. The ideal
individual with a good ancestry, and
possessed of the prepotency that gener
ations of line breeding imparts, is the
one that is the best, while the poor in
dividual, with the same kind of breed
ing is the worst Imaginable. The truth
is that education and discussion should
be devoted to equipping horse breeders
to know a good individual on sight,
and to know how to use it in reproduc
tion.—Farm, Stock and Home.
The Use of Lime on Soils.
Probably more general misunder
standing prevails regarding the nse of
lime on soils than any other mineral
element which we apply. A good many
still seem to believe that lime is a ma
nure, and that its application tnites the
place of nearly all other fertilizers. The
best way to dispel this error Is to state
at the outset that lime is not a manure
or fertilizer, and where so used a se
rious mistake is made. Lime put on ~
poor soils is generally a waste of time
and good material. It never yet Im
proved poor soil unless the land was
sour or overfed with humus which It
could not well digest.
On rich soil, however, lime has an
important function to perform, and it
can be made to do it with great suc
cess. Lime is more like a disinfectant
than anything else. One should apply
it to the soil much as a man would take
some anti-bilious medicine. When the
soil is in danger of getting congested
and heavy with too much plant food a
dressing of lime might well he applied
to help it. Consequently, we And the
use of lime In connection with clover
excellent. Clover crops add a great
deal of material to the soil, and some
times there is so much in the land tlia*
lime is essential to help its digestion.
As n dressing on clover, lime projf
duces the best results, especially where •
the clover has had a heavy stand for
two or more seasons. Land that is led
heavily every year with barnyard or
green manure will he helped by a
dressing of lime. Sometimes the soil is
so rich, but congested with unassimi
lated food, that a dressing o" lime for
ouc season without any fertilizer is the
best thing for it. Because of success
ful work in this way some have appar
ently got the notion that lime is a good
fertilizer. But it is not. and would not
have worked so well 011 any oilier soil
that was not rich in manure to begin
with.—S. W. Chambers, in American
Cultivator.
An Kxcetleilt Corn Crib.
Corn, unless properly stored, is liable
to great damage by rats and mice,
while that which remains 111 a;' become
so mouldy even as to render It unlit
use. A good corn crib, therefore, is or I
the utmost value where this crop i.- '
raised, and for the generality of locali
ties none are better than the one shown
in the accompanying illustration. Not
only will the corn stored in it he abso
lutely safe from the depredations of all
rodents, hut it is sure to keep in splen
did condition.
The in-sloping sides will prevent the
rain from getting at the corn, albeit
the sides arc of open slatwork to let the
air pass through. It can he construct- i
cd any size desired, (hough it is down
to not over five feet wide at the floor.
Doors can also ho placed under the
eaves, and the corn turned in through
them direct from the wagon, in which
ease a chute is needed to pour the corn
into and two men to do the work of ail
ing, one standing on a step ladder at
tile required height to empty the bas
kets easily into the chute, and the other
down in the wagon to pass them up to
him full of corn.
Generally, however, the corn can best
lie carried in by I lie busketful through
the door at the end of the building, and
dumped where wanted. The crib, un
less very large, should always he filled
solidly from the rear to the door; if un
usually wide, there may he a walk
through the centre, with cribs on either
side. The posts. It will be observed,
have broad strips of tin tacked about
them. Those stop rats aud mice from
getting up to the corn. If possible, tile
structure should he built at a consider
able distance from ail other buildings,
and no fences or the like 011 which
mice can And a foothold should ruu
anywhere near It.—Frederick O. Sibley*
in New York Tribune Farmer.