Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1914 — Page 3

AGRICULTURE IN RUSSIA

N a country of such vast dimensions as that ruled 1 over by the czar, the methods of agriculture nhturally vary enormously in the different districts; but during a visit of three weeks’ duration —a visit now jußt drawing to a close —I have been able to see a good

?leal of the methods of the Russian 'peasant and landowner. In the Petersburg district scientific agriculture is practically unknown. Here the summer is too short to allow the successful raising of crops, and tillage is confined to the lands belonging to the village communities. In Russia practically every village is staterowned—that is, under the control of no landlord, and every village has within its bounds a certain acreage of common land. The inhabitants of the village have each one a fixed amount of this land assigned to them; but, to avoid favoritism, a peasant does not farm the same strip ________

two seasons running, but a rotation is practised whereby each member of the village in time goes over the whole land of the community. The birth of a son is a source of great joy on the part of a Russian peasant, for on such an occasion an extra grant of land is given to him. In the north of Russia wheat is never grown. Oats are produced, but rye is

the staple crop, and It Is from this cereal that the peasant makes his bread. The is put into the ground in September, and thus is able to make a start before the advent of the winter snow, early in November. Between Petersburg and Moscow agriculture is in a primitive condition. 'The fields are extremely small and have a neglected appearance, while the houses of the villagers are in a dirty condition, the cattle and pigs in some instances sharing the dwellings with their owners. The rotation here practised is rye, oats and then fallow, to allow the land to recover somewhat. Proceeding south, however, one finds better conditions prevailing. The fields become larger, wheat takes the place of rye, and one gradually enters the enormous wheat producing district of Russia. Passing through this district, which extends from fcharkoff to the beginning of the Crimean peninsula, for hundreds of miles the country, as far as the eye can reach, is given over almost entirely to the raising of cereal crops. The fields are enormous, more than one field stretchiilg for several miles by the railway line, and

as the whole district is sparsely populated, the problem at once presents itself: From where are the landowners to obtain an adequate supply of labor? They mußt depend entirely on the services of the villagers, and as the latter are quite independent of ;them, they have no power to, force ithem to work should they be disinclined to do so. An instance of this occurred a short time back. A landlord who owned a farm of 40,000 acres lhad a fine crop of 900 acres of beets. When the time arrived for the harvesting of these roots the peasants of the village—op the excuse that, as their own harvest was an abundant one, there was.no necessity for them to work —point blank refused to do the harvesting of the. beets, and the whole of the country had to be scoured —naturally, at considerable expense—to procure laborers. Throughout the extensive corn-growing district referred to above there is an almost entire absence of root crops, with the exception of beets, and only a very small proportion of the land is under grass or hay. How the stock can be maintained under these conditions through the winter months is difficult to understand, but the animalß seen were in poor condition as compared with the English cattle. The most important breed of Russian cow is the Yaroslav, but on the estate where the writer has been staying the stock consisted of Jersey cattle, and crosses between these latter and the Yaroslav are looked on favorably. English pigs, Yorkshire and Tam worth, are also kept Very little Btock is kept on the majority of Russian farms. As well as the cereal crops, one frequently noted fields given over to the raising of sunflowers. These are reared for the productiop of salad oil, which is used extensively during Lent, and the. seeds ' are also eaten largely by the poorer classes. The farm of a village community 1b easy to distinguish from that owned by the landlord, from the fact that the former is invariably in narrow strips. On

PLAY FOR INSURANCE MONEY

Companies Have to Be Constantly on the Watch to Prevent Heavy Losses Through Swindlers. One of the dodges that Insurance companies have to guard against is that of the man who insures his life for a large sum and then disappears, his relatives subsequently claiming the money. Borne time ago a man Insured himself for £5,000, and a month later

this common land the whole of the cattle and sheep of the village are pastured together, looked ofter by one of the villagers, and the mixed stock presented a remarkably pretty sight. On the large farms horses are largely employed for plowing, and one often saw a young foal following its mother patiently up and down the furrows. A noteworthy point is the entire absence of hedges—as far as the eye can reach, field after field stretches away with monotonous regularity, often not so much as a single tree breaking the uninteresting landscape. Comparatively little of the cereal straw 1b stored up, but most of it is burnt in the engines driving the threshing machines. Where farming is practised on so extensive a scale as in the wheat-growing districts of Russia, the farmer naturally is unable to have his servants under his eye, and cases are on record of farm laborers carting the corn to their own standings instead of those of their employer. The absence of any organized system of manuring the fields is all the more evident after one has passed through the rich agricultural district of Eastern Austria. In Russia, I have it on the” authority of an eye-witness that a certain heap of manure exists of the age of no less than sixty years, and no steps are ever taken to distribute it over the fields. Again, the peasants actually use their manure in

TREES WARD OFF HEAT AND COLD

He who plants a tree, he plants love; Tents of coolness spreading: out above. —Larcom.

I

save our crops from many an Insect injury. They lend a grace and beauty to every homestead and every roadway that they border. For shade, trees should be planted wherever it is desirable to be shielded from the hot rays of the summer sun. Not all shade is agreeable. The shade of some trees is too dense and others too light. A heavy woolen blanket properly suspended will make a shade; so will mosquito netting, but it would not be best to use either. Trees with a close, compact head and large, heavy leaves may make too dense a shade. There is much bad tree planting, and even worse lack of care after planting. Much has been written about how planting should be done. It may be well to note' a few things that should not be done. The following are some of the things to be avoided: 1. Don’t plant trees that are more than from four to six years’ old.

went out in a sailing boat alone at an English seaside resort. He took good care that his departure in the boat was well noticed by people in the vicinity. Next morning the boat was found dismantled and tossing on the waves—empty. He had disappeared. His hat and other personal effects were found floating on the water, but no trace of the man could be found, and the relatives conveniently assumed that-he had been drowned and claimed the insurance money. The insurance company, however, refused to

Y THEIR grateful shade trees screen us from the too fervid heat of the sun. They abate the winds and protect from the chilling blasts of winter. Their leaves prevent the spread of germladen dust and help to purify the air. They encourage the birds and

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

ing atmospheric nitrogen, so a powerful factor in the amelioration of the land is absent. * A large proportion of the wheat grown in the South Central district of Russia is exported to England and Germany from the port of Odessa by steamers which reach that port with cargoes of coal. On several occasions, on the journey from Moscow to the Crimea, we saw a dead pig enveloped in burning straw, and learned that the pig, as soon as killed, is placed on straw, which Is then set fire to in order to burn the animal’s hair. After the desolate and monotonous country of the wheat producing district, one was most favorably impressed by the Crimea. The Crimea may be said to be the wine and fruit-producing district for the whole of Russia, and at the moment I am writing these lines (April 27) the vines are just cojnmencing to shoot. The Crimea is essentially a land of hills, and it is on these hillsides that the vines are grown. Cereals are produced only in small quantities—the climate is too dry and the soil too rocky to permit of extensive operations in this line. A little wheat and oats are grown, and occasionally one sees a field of rye already bursting into ear, while far up the hillsides orchards with fruit trees—apple, pear, apricot, plumladen with blossom, throw their perfumes far over the land.

2. Don’t overcrowd trees in planting. 3. Don’t plant trees in straight lines. 4. Don’t plant shade or ornamental trees in anything except good soil. 5. Don’t plant a tree in a bowlshaped hole that is deeper in the center than elsewhere. 6. Don’t forget to cut off all mangled or broken roots. 7. Don’t fail to apply a mulch to a

An Enjoyable Shade, the Result of Somebody’s Planting. transplanted tree if there is the slightest danger of drought 8. Don’t allow trees to be used as hitching posts. 9. Don’t forget that good shade trees are the result of intelligent choice and care.

pay. They made diligent inquiries, and discovered that a man greatly resembling the “deceased” had landed on a not far distant Island, had caught the next boat to the mainland, and had then taken a passage for America, The matter came to court, and, owing to the suspicious circu distances, a verdict was found (n the company’s favor.

Cambric.

On what supposition could a house be built with a pocket handkerchief! If it became brick (cambric}.

making embankments over gullies, these embankments being ironically known as “golden bridges." The Russians depend mainly on leaving their fields periodically fallow for the recuperation of the soil, and a certain! amount of good is also effected by the grazing of the rye by the stock in early spring—the wheat and oats are never put into the land in the autumn, and so are not grazed. A point perhaps worth noting is the/fact that'lit- . tie land is under leguminous crops, which enrich the soil by virtub of their power of fix*

ECONOMY SOUGHT FOR

POINTER FOR WORKERS IN THE RAILROAD OFFICES. r : ' Eastern Line Estimates That a Saving of $30,000 a Year Might Easily Be Effected by Care of Little Things. - Reducing operating expenses by eliminating waste is only a rational procedure and yet the cultivation of that carefulness of habit that leads to an unconscious conservation of supplies is all too little engaged in, in the affairs of the individual, while evidence in the matter of small economies as applied to others’ expenses is painfully suggestive of a natural human tendency to carelessness and extravagance. Teachers complain of the spirit of prodigality of youth in school; business finds its workers almost equally heedless as to the cost of waste. The estimate of an eastern railroad that the elimination of waste in the use of paper, pens, pencils and so forth, on the part of the heads of departments, clerks, agents and other employes in the 2,000 offices of the system could easily result in a saving of $30,000 in a year is probably not overestimated. The average saving of each office asked for is only sls and yet, in the immensity of the business, the sum total would be well worth striving for. The lesser proportionate saving possible through carefulness in the smaller business concerns of any community would be equally worth while, rendering a percentage of reduced expense that would correspond to increased earning, under the old qmle that a penny saved is a penny earned. Heeding economy in the use of paper, hanging on to a pen while there is good in it, getting the most out of a pencil, curbing recklessness' with ink and blotters and typewriter ribbon, with pins and elastic bandß and putting mentally a worth while value upon every item of desk equipment may seem like small business to folks to whom lavishness Btands for success and prosperity. But it ie just the opposite of lavishness, when lavishness is uncalled for and so becomes waste, that success and prosperity are built upon. Economy in the use of supplies is getting the most possible for the money. Sensible people will do that for themselves; and if they do not do it for their employers they are neither sensible nor considerate.

TO STANDARDIZE ALL ROADS

Chinese Statesmen See the Necessity If the Nation Is to Benefit From Its Lines ' The building of the railroads of China without any regard to a national system has resulted in the use of a variety of- gauges, according to Popular Mechanics. Practically every road has been built as a local proposition, and where Interests other than Chinese have been in control, these interests have insisted on following their own ideas and plans without regard to those of other roads. , The Chinese as a ryle have adopted the standard gauge of 4 feet ,8% inches, but several important lines are built to other gauges, the use of the meter gauge and even narrower gauges being common. In connection with the present movement to standardize the railroads of China this one feature will call for enormous expenditures.

FLEXIBLE TRACK THE LATEST

Bimply Laid on the Ground In Any Desired Location and Is Ready for Use. The portable railroad track is invaluable in the development of the industries, but at present these are usually in the form of sections, which are laid on the ground on ties and secured at the ends with suitable curves provided here and there. The newest thing in this line is a portable and adjustable track, which is so flexible that it has only to be laid on the ground in the desired location and it is ready for use.

Railroad Tracks With the Flexibility of Rubber.

Curves of any shape or combination may be established wherever they may be wanted, and there is no bolting of any account, as the sections may be made much longer than the straight sections now availed of. The track is composed of a number of interlocking sections, fitted together with a little play at each Joint, and the track may be laid in a straight line or curved at will by simply bending 1L

QUAINTEST SPOY IN UNITED STATES

ASK any western traveler to point out the most picturesque spot in the United States. Without hesitation he will turn to the map of New Mexico and put his finger on the spot representing the pueblo of Acema. “There is no more weird and strange place in the world than Acoma,” said a sunburnt traveler who hunts the out-of-the-way places in the Southwest. “In the first place, hardly any tourists are ever seen there. It is off the beaten trail, and, though only half a day’s Journey from the pueblo of Laguna, which is on a transcontinental railway, Acoma is as remote from civilization as it was when discovered 300 years ago,” writes Arthur Chapman in the Buffalo Express.

“I suppose not over a dozen white men call at Acoma in the course of a year. It is a hard trip over there, across the hot desert, and the Acomans, who belong to the Queres tribe, are none too hospitable to the stranger within the gates. Unless you have a pull with the gobernador or governor and general poohbah of the pueblo, you might as well make up your mind to say good-by just as soon as you have said hello, because you’ll be given to understand, and very plainly, that you are not wanted.

Want to Be Left Alone.

“It isn’t any special unfriendliness on the part of the Acomans, for they are just as progressive as any of the Southwest Indians, and there are many educated members of the tribe, but they simply prefer to be left alone and figure that they have worried along pretty well without white assistance for several hundred years and will be able* to do so for several hundred years more. “These are the very things that make Acoma a delight to the discriminating traveler, who has secured the necessary pull and who is made welcome by the gobernador and his satellites. It is all so primitive and unlike anything else, this quiet place in the bright New Mexican sunshine, in a picturesque stage setting. “As you approach the mesa you understand how easy it would be for the Acomans to defend themselves against .any attack that might be made upon them. The main trail is plainly defined. It winds across the desert and brings you up-against the base of the mesa between a couple of big groups of sandstone 200 feet high guarding the pass like giants. The trail slopes upward from these giants, and mules and horses can make the ascent to the top. There are two other trails, but they are for foot purposes only. Unless one has a clear head and is a good climber he doesn’t want to tackle either one of them, as the paths are cut in solid rock, and in some places are merely footholes in the side of the precipice. “Long files of Indian girls are passing up and down these three trails all day long, carrying water from the springs on the plains below. There is no water on top of the mesa, except that which is collected in the vast communal basin scooped in the sandstone. In time of drought this basin is as dry as a bone, and all the water that is used by the Acomans is brought up from the plain below in the gaily decorated water jars that are balanced on the beads of the Acoma maidens.

“The town itself, when once you have reached the top of the mesa, is something never to be forgotten. It Is built after the style of most pueblo villages, all the houses being of adobe. Some of them are three stories in height, the upper floors being reached by the ladders are always leaning agairist the walls and which add such a picturesque effect to every pueblo. There are three long rows of buildings, with ten large communal houses. The streets and alleys are nar- %•

row, and when looking down them one always gets the wonderful effect of distance—for the vision leaps right oft the edge of the . mesa and out on tot the plain, no matter which way youi look. "Some of the houses are built on the edge of the cliff. As nearly aft the Acomans sleep on the roof, especially during the summer months, it is a wonder that some of them do not! roll off or step off when walking their sleep and dash themselves to pieces 300 feet below. When the wakes up in the morning, .5 after his nap on the roof of one of these dwellings, and finds himself on the verge of such a descent, he hM apt to plead for sleeping quarters that! ' are less airy. Bklllful Farmers. j “If you are fortunate enough to bi|| in the good graces of the gobernador, whose lightest word is law, you wfß • have no trouble about accommoda-| tions. You will be taken into an Acoma family and get a good meal of « tortillas, meat and sirup, ami then everybody will sit around and smoke ! and discuss you in Spanish, which is the language used more than the UA-S tive Queres tongue. The Acomans are inveterate smokers, and manufacture ; a peculiar kind of smoke from tobacco and corn husks. There is always ail bundle of corn husks wherever y»gf go, and these are used by the eU!||| munity. , “The people have irrigated tracts of the plains below, and are skillful farm- ' era. They are moderately industrious, and in the inorning a crier makes the round of the pueblo Calling on all the | inhabitants to rise and go forth to labor. Another crier announces the time for meals, and at bedtime ouif criers make their last round and all is quiet. "At night the herds of burros, goats and cows are driven in by the boys, who act as herders, and the sight is something never to be forgotten. The brilliant colors of a New Mexico 4a%j| set light up the pastoral scene Uhe $| painting. In fact, morning, noon as4|| night, Acoma will prove a delight to the painter, for there Is a wonderfulpicture no matter which way you look. -- The burros and cows are brought to the summit of the mesa and turned ; into corrals, while the goats are cor*; raled at the foot of the cliffs, wh«| they will be safe from attack by any \ wild beasts. The rude carts, plows . and other farm machinery are storeftl among the hollows in the rocks at the ; bottom of the cliffs. “A short distance away from the pueblo of Acoma is the wonderMla Mesa Escantada, or Enchanted Mesa»j This mesa is even larger than the ©n*| on which Acoma is located, and ther«| is no trail to the top. Legend sajli that the one trail was destroyed by m lightning bolt hundreds of years aft|l At that time It is said there was a j town on the Enchanted Mesa. MmM of the inhabitants were away in the! fields when the trail was det*roye<b| but a few were left on top of IhH mesa, where they starved. The aajM§ vivors moved to the other mesa anfti built the town of Acoma, and todijll the Enchanted Mesa is shunned by.tbiw Acomans as If evil spirits lived there."H

The Busy Police.

“Gent uptown telephones for an qflH cer at once. Burglar in the housaji “Let me see,” said the captain refleeti] ively. "I’ve got four men out censcor-j ing plays, two inspecting the gowttg] at a society function and two raiM supervising a tango tea. Tell him Ij can send him an officer in about ti|j|

England’s Automatic Phones.

England is ahead of the Vgjtijjfl States in the development of aotifl matic telephone service and the ice is expanding. Contracts for |so<y 000 of new exchanges recently wseis placed. 1