Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 226, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1913 — Page 3

A PYRENEAN PROVINCE

By FREDERICK PICKAIRING

Mil WO sentiments, says the “little history of the province, which a wise gfl educational committee has provided for the children’s use in old French Catalonia, two sentiments are native to the heart of every good Catalan — An love of his country and the love of liberty. An ardent Independence, as VQ* the same authority explains, and a distinguishing capacity > for pursuing serenely their . self-appointed way have always marked this hardy people. Hence; it is that to this day the Catalan retains his racial characteristics, cherishes his old traditions and —Catalan to Catalan —speaks in the ancient tongue. Again and again his country has changed hands. The seaboard plains-and the lofty highlands upon the eastern Spanish frontier known to the mediaeval world as Catalonia, have shared the usual fate of border territories. Peoples from the north and peoples from the south —Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Franks, counts of Roussillon, kings of Arragon and of Majorca, rulers of France, rulers of Spain—in turn have conquered or possesed the land. But the Catalan has never ceased to feel himself a Catalan or lost his mastering sense of race. The name Catalonia is usually taken to imply merely the Spanish province, and to mention the Catalans is to call up disturbing visions of industrial strikes, evoking memories of anarchist activity and desperate Barcelona riots. The picture, it may, par parenthese, be said, is perhaps hardly fair to the men whose energy has created the largest, most flourishlfig seaport of Spain, who, all said and done are certainly the most progressive, most intelligent, most resourceful of King Alfonso’s subjects. In any case, the Catalans on the French side of the border are un-

known to newspaper fame, nor does the traveling public know very much as yet of the beautiful and varied land which they are so proud to inhabit. It is the Frenchman’s boast that samples of the world’s best scenery and the range of all its desirable climates are found within the boundaries of his native country. In these respects French Catalonia —which (with a portion of old Languedoc) is defined urfbn the modern map as the department Pyrenees Orientates —may be described as France in miniature. Mont Canlgou, admittedly one of the most majestic, most impressive of the Pyrenean peaks, is 9,500 feet high; Puig Mat, a less conspicuous neighbor, stands a trifle higher; and, clustered close, are other splendid heights. The scenery among these giants is of the kind we usually term “Alpine,’’ but: from the snow-slopes of the Canlgou you may look down upbn. the sun-burnt shores of Spain and the blue, gleaming floor of the far-stretched Mediterranean. Or, deserting the heights, and starting, say, from Mont Louis, loftiest of the fortified towns of France, and a new center for winter sports, you descend the winding valley of the Tet, and In an hour or so you find yourself among the olive orchards. Soon magnolias, the pointed aloe, even palms, are seen among the vineyards and in the roadside gardens, while If It be springtime, mimosas flaunt their feathery plumes, and near and far under the sunny sky stretch fields of pink peach blossom. "To this favored land,” said "Dagonet,” writing in the Referee, “Nature has been more than kind; she has been effusive.” But a sun-filled, spafkllng air and the striking contrasts of the natural scene are not (he only charms of Catalonia. For the historian, the antiquarian or the archaeolot gist the country abounds in interest. Its successive conquerors failed appreciably to mold the temper or to Change the habits of its people; inevitably they left behind them concrete vestiges of occupation. Local tradition makes much of les Arabes shd the curious tall towers upon the mountain spurs, of which the Tour de Goa, near Vernet-les-Balns, 'is a conspicuous example, are popularly ascribed to the vigilance of the Saracen rulers. Obviously, however, these watch towers are of far* later construction, and, like many other so-called Moorish remains, date from the Arragon dominion, or—more probably—from the ienancy of the Majorcan kings. It was the kings ©f Majorca who made Perpignan, now the chief town of the department, a royal capital. The architecture of Perpignan catbodral —as. Indeed,

A HOUSE IN OLD VERNET

CHURCH AND CHATEAU OLD VERNET VILLAGE

PART OF THE ARCARDE

the frontier, was built upon the site of a temple dedicated to the goddess Venus, and was originally “Portus Venerua.” ... The Romans were 500 years in Catalonia, and besides the building of .numerous roads, they naturally found time to exploit some of the many mineral springs. The insignificant townlet, Prades, still possesses the remains of baths which were constructed by the Romans; local chroniclers assert that they also discovered the healing waters at Vernet-les-Bains. Vernet, which stands among the foothills of Mont Canlgou, is a veritable "beauty spot” of the Pyrenees. For centuries it has been frequented by Frenchmen and Spaniards; latterly it has leaped into

SHIPS WHICH WILL NOT SINK

Once more we hear talk of an unsinkable ship, remarks the New York Commercial. An English Inventor claims to have solved the problem, but bis experiments have been confined to a small model only four feet in length and nine inches wide, so the problem of applying his system to a vessel 500 or 1,000 feet in length is by no means solved. • ' 4 Few people outside of practical shipbuilders and navigators understand the difference between a large vessel and a small one in point of structural strength. The strongest vessel that floats in the water is a common rowboat One can take an ordinary roWboat and carry it by the ends or it can rest on cleats under each end without breaking in the middle, but the strongest man-of-war or ocean liner that floats today would break in two if subjected to a similar strain. The larger a vessel the weaker it becomes in this respect and for this reason many apparently good ideas which work out well in model form have failed utterly when applied to large vessels. It is doubtful if any real progress tn building ships has been made since the days of the Great Eastern, as far as the use of watertight compartments and bulkheads Is concerned. The designer of the Great Eastern divided that vessel into cellular compartments, and no improvement on this plan has as yet been made, although it is not used extensively because it requires too many hatches for the loading and unloading of cargo. The invention to which reference has been made consists of surrounding the vessel with a water-tight belt divided into calls for the purpose

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

of most Catalan churches —shows marked trace of Spanish Influence. A little below Perpignan is the small town of Fine with the ruins of an abbaye and some beautiful, richly-ornamented clpisters. The Visigoths made Fine the seat of an important bishopric. ZJGII Roman times the little r town, which then stood actually upon the coast, was known as Helena, so called in compliment to the mother of the “good” Emperor Constantine. Collioure, tiny but extremely picturesque, also owes Its name to the Romans. Port Vendres, another fishing port, still nearer

CATALANS AT HOME

favor with the English as a winter spa. The old village of Vernet, which faces the luxurious grounds of the modern etabllssement, is a typical Catalan village, and, t owing to its situation, Is strangely, picturesque. The red roofs of the crumbling houses cover both man and beast, and the narrow, twisting streets follow th© outline of the hillock in the manner usual with southern mountain hamlets, but they are crowned by a mediaeval church and chateau, and framed by distant blue and purple heights. Near at hand Mont Canlgou erects his snowy head. For the Catalans Mont Canigou is the “delectable mountain,” an object of admiring wonder, almost a legendary god. Another spa, made fashionable by the Romans, is Amelie-les-Bains, a trim, Spanish-looking town close on the frontier, whose warm climate attracts the French consumptive. Not far from Amelie is the pass across which Hannfbal led his legions on the historic march to Italy. The Romans had previously sent ambassadors to beg the Catalans not to allow the Carthaginian mercenaries to traverse their territory, but to turn them back. Hannibal, however, contrived to flatter the owners of the soil: Catalans and Carthaglnians made friends, and the soldiers were allowed free passage. The Col de Perthuis —Hannibal’s route —and another Catalonian col are the only two passes across the Pyrenees which ar© practicable throughout the year; they offered a Convenient means of egress or retreat to Moorish and Spanish invaders. Had there been no good passage through the great chain the history of the Catalans must have been less chequered and the Catalonian seaboard might not have formed a fairway for the restless warrior peoples of mediaeval Europe.

of giving the vessel greater buoyancy as it sinks in the water. There is really nothing new in this Ideea and it has been applied successfully in building lifeboats and other small vessels. It adds to the width of the vessel above the water line and the inventor is wrong in claiming that it would not interfere with its cargo-carrying capacity. Modern steamships are safe enough when at sea, so far as the storms and lashing of the waves are concerned. The dangers that threaten them are collisions with other vessels, with derelicts or with Icebergs, and, of course, running ashore or on a rock in a dense fog. Take two vessels *f equal size crossing each other’s paths, let ose strike the other amidships and the vessel struck would be cut In two If the other were going at full speed. The tremendous force of the blow is almost beyond calculation. In the case of a vessel the size of the new Imperator, It would probably be equal to a striking force of 8,000,000 foot tons. No cellular belt or any other conceivable construction would save a ship under such conditions. The thing to do Is to avoid all such risks as far as possible. The Titanic was'lost because its captain had too much confidence in its unslnb able construction.

THEN TROUBLE BEGAN.

“Those who are unlucky in love are said to be lucky at cards,” remarked Mrs. Gnagg. "If that’s the case,” responded Mr.' Gnagg, *TV bet 1 could break the bank at Moate Carta.”

COMFORT AN ESSENTIAL IN THE DAIRY BARN

By R. E. CALDWELL,

Purdue University Agricultural Exten slon.

CROUND FLOOR PLAN of PRACTICAL DARY DARN

Such a barn ae the above may be constructed at a cost of about SSO per cow, and it will be found to give excellent satisfaction.

Indiana, as a state, has very acceptable farm buildings, although, in many Instances, they are woefully lacking in general sanitary construction and convenience. Barns that are especially adapted for one line of animal husbandry are very rare, indeed, only in exceptional cases, is it advisable for farmers to construct buildings of a specialized type. Where dairying is the leading business of the farm, special arrangements must be made whether the cows are housed together with other classes of live stock or isolated in a separate building. Where cows are expected to yield a large return in an economical way, certain factors must be considered in the construction of their stable. The first, and prime requisite is that of comfort. Poorly constructed floors and the absence of light or proper ventilation will retard high production and be conducive to disease. Convenience in general arrangement will do much to reducn the cost of production as contented dairy farm labor is a very essential factor in successful dairying. Silos that are located at a disadvantage for feeding or feed bins that require a trip to the second floor, tend to make the dairy work a burden rather than an agreeable operation. The location or position, the milk Shouse occupies, with respect to the cows, will have much to do with the quality of the milk, as convenience in weighing and cooling the milk is necessary if it IS properly done. In general, dairy bams are of three classes: —the two-story dairy and storage barn, the single story bam and the.covered shed milking stable. The first one mentioned is generally considered the most desirable among men that are definitely established in the dairy business. Its compactness, with respect to feeding and the possibilities of convenient arrangement, causes many to select this type. The single story bam is ideal in many ways, especially from the standpoint of sanitary construction. Its cost, however, is much higher than that ot any other type when you consider the matter of providing the necessary feed stprage space. A covered shed and milking stable will meet the needs of the average dairyman to excellent advantage and, at the same time, be witbin his means. Its chief difference lies in the fact that only a small section need be reserved for milking purposes, leaving a large amount of space available for the cows to have free range and still be protected from the weather and have the feed conveniently located.

LAMB FEEDING INDUSTRY PAYS IN INDIANA

By F. G. KING,

Lambs Fed a Ration of Shelled Com, Clover Hay and Com Silage Gained: 30.8 Pounds Per Lamb in 90 Days at a Cost of 85.25 Per Hundredweight Gain and Returned a Profit of $2.21 Per Head.

Live stock feeding gives balance to farming operations. Every farm produces large quantities of rough feed that is very high in fertility value compared with the market price. Live stock disposes of the roughage and preserves a large proportion of the fertility value contained, and often re turns a profit on the operation. Purdue university experiment station on November 18, 1912, placed on feed 25 lambs weighing 1,561 pounds. Within 90 days these lambs had eaten 1.8 bushels of oats, 47.3 bushels of corn, 1.88 tons of corn silage and 1.18 tons of clover hay. They gained during the the 90 days 758 pounds at a cost of |5.25 per 100 pounds gain. The total cost of lambs and feeds was >147.52. The receipts from the' lambs when sold were 1202.82, thus leaving a net profit «f |UJO on 25 tarabs, or an average

Department of Dairy Husbandry, Purdue University, School of Agriculture.

Purdue University Experiment Station.

Purifue University Extension.

All milking stables, whether of ona type or another, should have the same essential dimensions for that section occupied by the cows. The average width of a dairy bam should range from 30 to 36 feet with a ceiling 8% or 9 feet in height All walls and ceilings should be tight and of a smooth material. Light and ventilation are two essentials of the dairy. The windows should occupy about half of the w»& space above the line of a four-foot wainscoting. The King system of ventilation may be installed at a very moderate cost and be found to be veryeffective. The floor and its detailed construe* tion will have more to do with a satisfactory barn than any other one factor. The materials to use in its construction may depend upon circumstance, however, for the average man, cement is the best material. To be true, it will be necessary to bed the cows heavily with straw but, in either event, the practice is advisable. The platform upon which the cows stand should vary in length from 4 fL 8 to 5 ft. 2, depending upon the size of the cows. The stall width is usually given at 3 ft. 6, 3 ft. 9, or even 4 fL for extra large cows. The platform should be about one inch lower at the gutter than it is at the manger to facilitate proper drainage. The gutter should have perpendicular sides and have a dimension of 16 in. in width and 7 or 8 in. in depth. The floor bohind the cows should be four or five feet wide in order that the walls may be kept clean and the milkers have ample room for milking the cows and cleaning the stables. The manger may be made of cement, although the use of this material is discouarged. The bottom of the manger should be on the level with the front feet of the cows or slightly above, never below. Its width at the top should be 33 in. ot 36 in. as a large amount of the teed will be wasted if a narrower type is used. There are various types of ties used in dairy barns, however, the swing stanchion is generally considered the best method. Stanchions that permit of only a small amount of freedom and have an adjustable construction prove very efficient In a word, the construction of a dairy barn is a very simple matter, but without a proper knowledge of details, serious error may be made. The Dairy Department of Purdue stands ready to assist those that arecontemplating the construction of a dairy bam in working out the detail* of their plans.

profit of >2.21 per head. In addition to the profit there was returned to the land the manure produced from the feed. The lot of lambs to which the above reference is made, was one of nine lota of lambs fed at Purdtp in 1912. The profit on the nine lots varied from >1.41 to $2.21 per head and the average profit on 223 lambs was 81-89 per bead. The lambs were bred in Idaho, shipped to the Chicago market and later to Purdue experiment station at Lafayette. They were representative of western lambs which are purchased by lamb-feeders of the corn belt. The lamb-feeding industry in Indiana can well be extended. Live stock on the farm conserves soli fertility* disposes of rough feed, distributes 1» bor and adds beauty and attractive ness to the business. --