Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1891 — Page 3

FIRMS AND FARMERS.

FARM KOTSS. In Rural New Yorker experience the failure with setting hens was directly in proportion to their distance above terra tirma. “Every one that had a chance to nest on the ground did well.'* Concerning the cattle trade a wellknown commission salesman talks to the Chicago Journal as follows: “There is a wide difference between dry lot cattle and cattle that have been fed corn and grass, and still a wider difference between cattle fed corn on grass and cattle that have had no corn on grass. Light halffat grass cattle are not wanted at any price. Plenty of this kind that has been here a week and no bids, and why farmers should ship this grade of cattle with plenty of grass and a good prospect for a corn crop is something we can not understand. Western range cattle are looked for in the next ten days, and if they come good,nothing but good fat corn fed cattle will be wanted, so take notice in time.” T ■ * ' “Bon’t kill the toads, the ugly taads that hop around your door. Each meal the little toad doth eat a hundred bugs or more. He sits around with aspect meek until the bug is neared, then shoots he forth his little tongue like lightning doublegeared. And then he soberly doth wink and shuts his uglj mug, and patiently doth wait.until comes by another bug.” The Ohio experiment station has made some interesting experiments, showing the effect of removing tassels from corn. They were made to test the theory that if the tassels were removed from corn before they have produced pollen, pollen bearing being an exhaustive process, the strength thus saved to the plant would be returned to the ovaries and a larger amount of grain be produced. From each alternate row of a plot of corn the tassels were removed as soon as they aypeared. Briefly, the result of the experiment was that the number of good ears and the weight of mercantile corn were both a little more than 50 percent, greater on the rows from which the tassels were removed than on the others. Here Is a good chance for the boys to make a like experiment to convince themselves if there is any lasting practical truth in tne Ohio experiment it is worth knowing. Boys, suppose you

take hold of this; and coax your father to allow you to try it on a dozen rows of corn. It is the boys that are to make the future farmers, and we want they should have a chance to use their brains as well as their hands. There is nothing better than a brainy experiment to make a boy love farm work. The census reveals the fact that the total area devoted to tobacco in Connecticut, 6,331; the total product 874,914; the value of the crop to the producer according to a basis of actual sales $1,132,111. These figures give a value per acre for the State of nearly $179. The shotage of the supply of beef cattle at the Chicago stock yards for the first six months of the present year amounts to over 200,000 head. It would be only a trifling exp ise for farmers to have fresh meat all summer if a number of them would fit up a cheap cold storage house into which to place it. This storage would not cost them over one-tenth or qne twentieth of a cent per pound, dependent on the number of farmers who combine. They could also at the same time store butter, eggs, dressed poultry, pigeons, cooked vegetables and fruits. As it would

require a moderate quantity of ice to make the cold storage, each family could be supplied with that also, taking care to harvest* enough of it in winter to give what Would be necessarv for the additional purpose. —A. B. Allen.

SWINE NOTES.

The larger part of the swine feeding should be done in the summer or early fall; that is if the feeder wants the greatest grain for food consumed. This should be a great point aimed at -the greatest gain for food consumed. A feeder is always safe in making this one of his objects, whereas when Jie feeds for a certain time and price his calculations may not be realized. It is so often true that when a sow comes to her best days she must be fatted off on account of her unruly disposition, bad habits she has fallen into, such as opening gates, breaking fences and other bad traits. How does she come by these bad traits? They come partly on account of tho carelessness of the owner in having poor gates and doors insecurely fastened and bad fences; but the most prolific source of these habits is insufficient feeding. Hunger drives the sow to try for better and more abundaut food.

LICE—HOW TO DESTROY THEM.

We suppose every breeder and every farmer is troubled more or lass with these pesky little suckers. We fire certain that many of the best breeders have “to tussle with them more or less every year. One writer unjustly remarks that a pig was never shipped out of Ohio that was not lousy. The point is not do they exist but how to exterminate them. One year ago we found our herd infected. Got them through a purchase and got them spread over the herd pretty well, too. We purchased crude oil of the Standard Oil Company. Hurdled the hogs in one pen and the pigs in another and sprinkled them' With this crude oil, and the effect was quite magical. Crude oil wiil not blister or take the hmr off like kerosene. Crowd the pigs together and their pushing and

rubbing together will cause the oil to be thoroughly applied. 'Die working of it into the afcn in ibis manner excels an individual application and has the advantage of ' doing the lice up in a wholesale fashion. Try crude oil and report. —F. R. Payne in the Rural Life. * SILO BUILDING. .r A number of the farmer readers of the Inter Ocean have written us expressing their desire for information on the building of a silo. The following from the pen of Mr. S. P. Brown, of Canada, is so complete and practical that we gladly give it place m this connection: In the first place it is necessary that the building wherein he shall store the green corn shall be perfectly air-tight, for this is the all-important feature in preserving anything. It is also best to be frost proof, as frost damages it considerably.' If the building is to be by itself outside the bam, it is best to trench in a wall of stone or brick, raising it about a foot above the level of the ground. This answers the double purpose of making it air-tight at the bottom, and preventing rats from burrowing through for the grain, that is in the silage, thereby admitting air to the injury of the fodder. Upon this wall, bed a 2xlo inch plank In mortar all around*then spike the second on top, breaking joints and miss-matching ends, so as to bind the corners. When the frame is to be put up, lay the studs in order at the proper distance apart, spike a plank on the bottom and like those on the wall, and another on top for the plate, and raise a side at a time, spiking strongly to the planks bedded on the wall. When all the sides are up spike a second plank on top, breaking joints and binding corners as for tne sills. The inside may first be boarded up with ordinary lumber, not the Best, so long as it is not shaky, then apply tar paper. Some dress these boards with hot coal tar before putting on the paper, which will then stick, and when the next covering of boards is put on, it makes the building more perfectly air tight. This last sheeting should be of good lumber, but not necessarily matched: then, when dressed with coal tar or crude petroleum it will last a long time. If the silo be round the inside sheeting may be of onehalf inch stuff, ordinary fencing, ripped and dressed on one side; this will spring round more easily. Put on three thicknesses, with paper between each, being careful in each case to break joints as much as possible. It is well also to fit a piece into the corners of the square one, 2x6 champered. This keeps the silage out from the corners, so it will settle better and be less liable to admit air. The outside may be boarded up any way to suit the taste of the builder so long as it is reasonably tight. The floor should be raised with earth, well packed in, till it is on a level with the wall; so that the silage will not come in contact with it, as masonry causes it to decay much more rapidly than woodwork. The roof may be made to strengthen the walls against the side pressure by tying the rafters from the heel of one to about the center of the other on the opposite side. The door may be made ice house fashion, between two studs, with loose boards to fit in, but allowing about two feet of the sheeting to run clear through in two or three places between bottom and top, so as to tie the building. A shoot may be made outside to guide the feet down if desired, but in every case feeding should be done from off the whole top, so as to leave no surface exposed any length of time.

A WORD FOR THE COMMON HEN. □lt is with a feeling of actual timidity that I venture to say a word of approval for the good old-fashioned fowl, disrespectfully known as the “dunghill hen.” So highly popular have become the fancy breeds of poultry that to express approval of the common hen seems now almost ridiculous. She is, however, the same old hen that pleased and gave perfect satisfaction to our mothers twenty years ago, but since the advent of the many fancy breeds the good qualities of the faithful fowl have been forgotten. True, she is a small species of fowl, and in market will weigh less than the fancy breeds, but she has her own good qualities which are not to be forgotten. It is not to the poultry specialist that I recommend the common - ' hen. I do not rqake a specialty of poultry, and do not feel capable of advising ; thoso who do. It may be tnat the pure breeds are more profitable for him who deals in poultry alone, and who can devote his entire time to caring for them. There happens, however, to be another kind of poultry raiser—one who can give but a small fraction of time to the poultry yard. Take the busy wife of the Western farmer. The farmer himself deals extensively in cattle or grain, perhaps both. He cares nothing for the hens, if only he gets enough eggs to eat ahd can have a fried or roast chicken now and then. In this case it is the busy wife who “sees to the chickens.” She has no time to prepare boiled breakfasts or steamed food for the hens. Much of her time is absorbed boiling and steaming food for farm hands. Neither has she time to spend doctoring and administering doses of hen medicine to some great sized breed of poultry which ifi so remarkable in no way as in its capacity to contract disease and to die of rapidly. Yet this woman wants to raise poultry. She wants to have plenty of eggs for home use, and she wants

to have plenty of chickens to fry and roast; also she would like to have some eggs to exchange for groceries, and, if possible, to sell a sow chicken in the winter, when they command the best prices. It is to this kind oi poultry-raisers that I venture to recommend the old-fashioned hen, In the first place they are excellent layers, and have not that drawback which some of our fancy breeds have, that of being poor setters. Another very desirable quality is their meat which is sweet and tender. It is true that they are blamed, because of heir activity, with “running off their meat.” Perhaps they do run some off but lam bound to say that what they leave on is of a most desirable quality. It is true that the blooded fowl will weigh more than the other, but I can not but think that many will agree with me in preferring a small portion of sweefi and tender meat to a great quantity of coarse and, sometimes, tasteless food, such as is furnished by the great light Bramahs, Plymouth Rocks and others.

When I first got the Plymouth Rocks I was greatly pleased with them. They were so much larger than the other kind; also they were tamer. I soon found however, that they had their own drawbacks as the old kind. They seemed possessed oriittle or no instinct for carrying for themselves. On cold winter nights they would take to the fences to roost instead of going to the comfortable hen-house prepared for them. Several nights I carried them through the snow from the fences to the henhouse, but they still seemed possessed of a great liking for the breezy roosting jHaces. I had but little time to spend upon them and the result was that many froze to death that winter. In the summer part of them died of disease. The remainder took to eating their eggs. After this I tried another kind.

The light Brahma proved to be rather satisfactory in some ways. They laid well and eertainly weighed a great deal. In the fall however, when I began dressing them for table use I was less pleased. After tasting of the first one I cooked my husband observed that I did not “cook as good as his mother used to.” It had been some time since I had heard that remark and I wrathfully laid the blame where I am sure, it belonged—on the coarse meat of those great Brahma fowls. After the Leghorns and Wyandottes were tried. The former were good hens to lay, but I had to borrow hens of my neighbors to set, as my hens showed no disposition to do so. The Wyandottes proved to be tender little things, anything killed them. Whether it was because they were a fancy breed and possessed ol pure blood or not I cannot say. Any way they were always dying. I resorted once more to the common hen and found them for the most part satisfactory. If neglected they will shift wonderfully for themselves. This is a very desirable quality. In a very busy season on the farm it is sometimes impossible to give much care to the poultry. The old-fash-ioned hen, however, can get along admirable without it. She will pick up corn among the hogs and will search and scratch for smaller grain anywhere on the farm. At the same time they will produce eggs satisfactorily or will set readily. In the different neighborhoods in which I have been I have always found some to agree with me in regardtothe common hen, and lean not but think that a few, at least, who read this will share my opinion, too Rooney Donovan. ►

HORSE TALK.

A prominent veterinary dentist speaks as follows about horses' teeth: “I have observed in stock farms in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire, where I have been professionally called, that a common mistake among horse breeders is not .to attend to the second growth of teeth in their colts, and not to examine whether the first ones were shed before the second came. The result of this neglect, ill-growing teeth, indigestion, foul breaths, leanness; and although the horses may have a good appetite, his food does not seem to nourish him because improperly masticated. All this combined makes a horse what is commonly called a puller. A wolf tooth in a colt hurts him when he is bitted, and,gives him a bad mouth to drive. Many a horse has been called vicious or unmanageable which only had bad teeth. Budd Doble says the promise of a trotter depends on getting him in condition and fit to trot a race without becoming injured or broken down. The muscles must b.c hardened, the appetite keen, the lungs in good working order, and the.feet and legs protected from injury by every siSely appliance known.

Progressive agriculture has sustained a serious loss in the death of Colonel F.-D. Curtis, of New York, distinguished as a dairyman and writer and conductor of the travel* ing dairy schools of his own State. He died on May 29 in the midst of his work, he having been seized with disease on the 26th, while conducting a dairy school at Cuba, N. Y. It is the small farm well tilled that is the profitable one. If thie farmers were to begin at once to out up their farms into small tracts of from ten to fifty acres each and sell the same for whatever reasonable price they could get for them, and thoroughly cultivatethe remaining acres, they would reap the harvest in lower taxes, in fewer fences, in better crops, quicker returns and less work and in less general wear and tear of the body and conscience and anxity,of mind. —Orange County (N. Y.) Farmer.

THE BEAUTIFUL HOG

He Again Triumphantly Enters the German Field. the Restriction of all Hog Products Removed at Last—Corn Also to Be Given —Better Treatment— - It is understood in Washington that an arrangement has been made between the United States and Germany by which the latter country will revoke her decree, issued in 1880 and 1883, excluding American pork, bacon and other hog products, in re- | turn for which the duty on beet sugar imported into the United States, removed by the McKinley act, will not be restored by President Hairison, who has power to restore it under that actThis arrangement will not take the form of a treaty, but a proclamation will be issued by President Harrison regarding the beet sugar duty as soon as he is officially notified of the removal by the German government of the restrictions against American pork. The negotiations have been conducted ty Minister Phelps at Berlin. There is no one in Washington who will officially declare that the negotiations are concluded, although it is known they Tons’ The State Department will give out nothing, and there is no one at the German legation that is informed on the subject. There is no doubt, however, that the President’s proclamation will be Issued very soon. It can be looked for any day- _____

President Harrison will within a few days issue a proclamation covering the arrangement which hap been made between this country and Germany concerning American pork. It will be the last chapter in a long controversy over removing the German embargo on American meat products. The embargo has been in operation for about eleven years. Minister Phelps has finally been able to persuade the Germans that the new meat inspection laws are a complete sanitary guarantee, and the further fact that Germany produce? about eight-ninths of all the beet-sugar imported into the United States induced Germany to close negotiations favorable to this country. It would have cost the Germans about 120,000,000 for sugar duties if the retaliation allowed by the McKinley act had been made against them. The President’s proclamation will announce the satisfactory settlement of the negotiations on behalf of American pork and will further indicate that free sugar may continue to come from Germany without fear of a discriminatory tariff which the President has the power to proclaim against it. Secretary Rusk is much elated over the success of the negotiations with Germany. He says the admission of pork into Germany is the most important step for farmers the government has taken in many years. The Secretary has received official notice that the embargo on American pork has been raised. The agreement relative to the admission of pork into Germany was signed at Capo May Point about ten days ago, but at the request of the German government the fact was withhold from the public press until official action could be taken by tho homo government. The agreementhot only provides fpr the admittance of our pork into Germany, but also affords to the United States the same schedule with reference to our farm products as that enjoyed by Russia. Secretary Rusk is confident that lie will soon be able to extend our market for corn by introducing it into Germany as an article of food in the place of rye, tho crop of which in Germany is this year exceedingly short.. To this end he has instructed his corn agent. Col. C. J. Murphy, now in Euiope> to proceed at onoe to Berlin and lay the matter before the German government. That the removal of the embargo means millions to Americans may be judged by the following facts and figures: While the German decree of June 25, 1880, in terms excepted ham and bacon from the prohibition, the exports of those products declined from 83.1»,507 in 1831 to $339,880 in 188 g. In tho year ending June the exports were increased to a total of 81,469,283, but tho exports of lard fell off 8140,000. In March, 1883, came the decree excluding bacon and hams, and in the year ended June 30, 1884, the total exports of bacon amounted to 8207,983, and of hams 859; in ’IBB6 the same items amounted to 5121,120 and 822 respectively; in 1887 to $165,643 and SOS; in 1889 to $50,080 and $4,815; in 1890 to 8148,914 and $12,841. A cable from Berlin on the 4th says: The Reichsgesollblatt publishes an order tb the effect that the prohibition of the importation of swine, pork and sausages of American origin shall no longer be enforced when such live pigs or hog products are fnrnislied with offioial certificates stating that they have boon examined in accordance to American regulations and found free from qualities dangerous to health. The Chancellor has sent instructions to the proper officials that the order bo given immediate effect.

HEROIC REMEDY FOR FITS.

4 • Child Pot In a Fan or Water and Kept on n Store Until Almost Cooked. A shooking affair has just como to light at Petcrboro, Ont. About two weeks ago a two-year-old child was attacked with fits. While In a fit the old-fashioned remedy of putting the ohihi into a pun of warm water was tried. Tlio wiiter was not sufficiently warm, so tho lid was removed from the stove and the pan, with the child in It, was placed on K. The child writhed In agony, but the woman in attendance deeming it the result of the fit, paid no attention. Finally the pan was removed' and when the ohtld was taken out of It the skin and flesh peeled rff its body In large pieces. The child died soon after. The authorities are investigating the case. Pennsylvania Democrats on the 3d ohoered the name of Cleveland, and nominated Robert E. Wright for Auditor and A. L. Tllden for Treasurer. The platform favors tariff reform, butts devoted almost wholly to State affaire.

POPULATION OF INDIANA.

Interesting Figure* From the Cenraa Bureau—Other Washington News. The Census Bureau has Issued a bulletin giving the population of Indiana in detaih bv counties, cities, wards of cities, towns and townships, taken as of June 1,1890. The population of the States, is 2,192,4C4, an increase of 214,103, or 10,82 per cent., over that of 1880, when it was 1,978,301» Of the ninety-two counties in the State, twenty-five show decreases, but in only four of these are the decreases more than 10 per cent. In 1880 there were twenty seven cities in the State having a popula-; tion of four thousand or more, the aggre , gate population of which was 327,248. In 1890 the number of cities having lhat pop-, ulation was thirty-seven, with an aggregate population of 507,133. This shows an increase in population in cities of this! size of 129,885, or 54,97 per cent. The most Considerable increases in urban population In number are found in Indianapolis and Evansville. Indianapolis shows an increase of 30,380, or 40.40 per cent., while Evansville shows an increase of 21,476, or 173.35 per cent, Ft. Wayne and South pend also show large proportionate increase. The largest per centages of increases are found in Hammond, Marion Anderson, Muncie, Franklin and Kokomo. In only two cities are decreases phown. " Of the total number of inhabitants 507,133 live in the thirty-seven cities having over 4,000 inhabitants, as follows:

POPULATION INCB’SE - ' » : ——- -—“ ■■ 1890. 1880. Perc’nt Indianapolis 105,436 75,056 40.48 Evansville 50,756 29,280 73.35 Fort Wayne 35,393 36,880 31.67 Terre Haute 30,217 26,042 16.03 South Bend 21,819 13,280 64.30 New Albany 21,057 16,423 28.23 Richmond 16,608 12,742 30.34 Lafayette.... 7.... 16,243 14,860 9.31 Logansport........ 13,328 11,198 19.02 Elkhart 11,360 6,953 63.38 Muncie 11,345 5,219 117.38 Michigan City.,.. 10,776 7,366 46.29 Anderson.... 10,741 4,120 160.33 Jeffersonville...... 10,606 9,257 13.99 Madison 8.936 8,945 aO.IO Vincennes 8,853 7,680 15.27 Marion 8,719 3,182 *175,58 Kokomo 8,261 4,043 104.38 Huntington : 7,328 3,863 89.10 Laporte 7,1261 6.195 15.03 Peru 7,028 5,280 33.11 Columbus....— 6,719 4,813 39.90 Crawfordsville.... 6,089 5,251 15.96 Washington......... 6,064 4,323 40.27 Goshen 6,033 4,123 46.33 Frankfort 5,916 2,803 111.17 Brazil 5,90 S 3,441 71.61 Shelbyville 5,451 3.745 45,55 Hammond 5,428 69£ 676.54 Seymour 5,337 4,25 C 25.53 Wabash.... 5,105 3,800 34.34 Valparaiso 5,030 4,461 14.10 Mt. Vernon 4.705 3,730 26.14 Connersville 4,548 3,228 40.89 Greencastle 4,390 3,644 20.47 Lawrenceburg 4,234 4,668 a 8.23 Bloomington 4,018 2,759 45.79 a—decrease.

The population of the eounties is as follows: Adains, 20,181; Allen, 55,689; Bartholomew, 23,867; Benton, 11,903; Blackford, 10,461; Boone, 25,572; Brown, 10,308; Carroll, 20,021; Cass, 31,152; Clark, 30,259; Clay, 30,536; Clinton, 27,370; Crawford, 13,941; Daviess, 26,227; Dearborn, 23,364; Decatur, 19,277; DcKalb, 24,307; Delaware, 30,131; Dubois, 20,253; Elkhart, 39,201; Fayette. 12,630; Floyd, 29,458; Fountain, 19,558; Franklin, 18,336; Fulton, 16,746; Gibson, 24,920; Grant, 31,493; Greene, 24,379; Hamilton, 26,123; Hancock, 17,829; Harrison, 20,786; Hendricks, 21,498; Henry, 23,879; Howard, 26,186; Huntington, 27,644; Jackson, 24,139; Jasper, 11,185; Jay, 23,478; Jefferson, 24,507; Jennings, 14,603; Johnson, 19,561; Knox, 28,044; Kosciusko, 28,645; Lagrange, 15,615; Lake, 23,886; Laporte, 34,445; Lawrence, 19,792; Madison* 36,487; Marion, 141,156; Marshall 1 23,818; Martin. 13,973; Miami, 25,823; Monroe, 17,673; Montgomery, 28,025; Morgan, 18,643; Newton, 8,803; Noble, 23,359; Ohio, 4,955, Orange, 14,678, Owen, 15,040; Parke, 20,296; Perry, 18,240; Pike, 18,544: Porter, 18,052; Posey, 21,529; Pulaski, 11,233; Putnam, 22,385; Randolph, 28,035; Ripley, 19,350; Rush. 19,034; St Joseph. 42,457; Scott, 7, 833; Shelby, 25,454; Spencer, 22,000; Starke, 7,839; Steuben, 14,478; Sullivan, 21,877; Switzerland 12,514; Tippecanoe, 35,078; Tipton, 18,157; Union, 7,006; Vanderburg, 59,809; Vermillion, 13,154; Vigo, 59,195; Wabash, 27,126; Warren, 10,955; Warrick, 21,161; Washington, 18.019; Wayne, 37,638; Wells, 31,514; White, 15,681; Whitley, 17,768.

The Prohibitionists of New York on the 3d nominated a full State ticket, tho nominees being farmers with one or two exceptions. Tho platform reaffirms the principles maintained in tho platform adopted by the last national convention; denounces high license; affirms that legislators in this State, both Democratic and Republican, are subject to the control and domination of the liquor interest, and call 9 for the submission to the voters of the. State of a prohibitory amendment; favors the appointment of a non-partisan tariff commission, which committee should so adjust details of tho schedule that the total of import duties shall not exceed the revenue requirements of the government and duties levied on imported articles of manufacture shall be no higher than are necessary to restore to the homo manufacturer whatever equality of conditions he may have lost by reason of the payment of a higher scale of wages in their production; denounces the State Department for assisting American brewers to extend their business in our sister republics of South America; favors the submission to tho people of a female suffrage amendment; declares against national banks and advocates the Issue of treasury notes redeemable In gold or stiver, and the maintenance of a metal reserve sufficient for that purpose, and calls for the strict enforcement of the ciyil service laws. Miss Georgia Dignan, aged seventeen, daughter of Lawrence Dignan, of Ft. Wayne, Is mysteriously missing from home, and her parents and betrothed are utterly at a loss to account for her disappearance.

SCIENCE.

It has been discovered that alma-; nacs date-back to the year 100 A. I>. It is estimated that every sea! consumes about ten pounds of fish daily. An electrical expert says that no light has been found that will penetrate a fog better than the old oil lattip. Humboldt calculated the mean level of North America to bo 748 feet above the sea, and he found that in 4,500,000. years the whole of North America might be worn down to the sea level. White tar is one of the latest inventions or discoveries. It will not become soft under the sun’s rays in any climate, and it is expected to be used largely ip calking the deck seams of fine yachts. > Experiment has proved that if a delicate piece of lace be placed between an iron plate and a disk of gunpowder and the latter be detonated, the lace will be annihilated, but its impression will be clearly stamped on the iron. John London Macadam, the inventor of the road that bears bis name, labored for years to perfect his ideas, and, although Parliament voted him 130,000, it hardly covered his outlay. His monument is the roads of England. A handful of raw pig iron, weighing about five pounds, isjvorth sc; it would be about sixty table-knife blades,, worth sls; converted into steel watch-springs there would be about 110,200 of these little coils, which, at the rate of $1.75 a dozen, would be valued at $1§,070.83. It has been shown that an incandescent electric light does not smoke the ceiling, as has been claimed, but that the smoky effect is due to dust. The heated lamp causes a current of heated air to rise, and the consequence is there is more dust deposited above the lamp than anywhere else.

The lobster is greatly in dread of thunder, and when the peals are very loud numbers of them drop their claws and swim away for deeper water. Any great fright may also induce them to drop their claws, but new claws begin at once to grow, and in a short time are as large as the old ones, and covered with hard shells. The lobster often drops its shelly when it hides until the new shell is hard enough to protect it. A correspondent of the New York Press answers the oft-asked question as to how fast a type-writer can write. He states that the best record was made at Toronto on Aug. 13, 1888, by Miss M. E. Orr. She wrote 987 words in ten minutes. Five minutes of the time were spent in writing correspondence and the other five minutes in law the matter dictated being entirely new to all the contestants. The rate of travel of thunderstorms has been studied by Herr Schonrozk from the record of 197 such storms in Russia in 1888. The velocity is found to have varied from thirteen to fifty miles an hour, with a mean of 28.5 miles an hour in the hot season and increasing to thirtytwo miles an hour in the cold season. It was least in the early morning, increasing to maximum between 9 and 10 p. m. The storms traveled most quickly from southwest, west and northwest.

In the general report of the commission in Prussia in charge of mining matters, which has recently been published, the commissioners state that in their opinion electricity is perfectly safe for mine use, providing care is taken to see that conductors are properly insulated, lamps well protected and the current not too intense. A more extensive tee of electricity in mines would be possible were a portable electric lamp devised combining simplicity, duration of power and cheapness. A plantation of India rubber trees was started by the government of Assam, in 1873, in a forest at the foot of the Himalaya mountains. Seedlings were planted in the forks of trees, and by 1885 they reached the ground. The trees were subsequently placed in beds forty feet wide, protected by the surrounding forest. In 1890 the plantation extended over 1,160 acres, and contained 16.054 healthy plants besides 84,000 seedlings. The experiment will not begin to be profitable until after several years more.

The practicability of telegraphing without wires has recently been demonstrated by the success of several experiments. Not long ago Mr; Preece, the head el ictncian of the postal telegraph system in England, succeeded in establishing communication across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, and telegraphed also across the river Severn without wires, merely using earth plates at a sufficient distance apart. IL is now proposed to make practical use of this system in communicating with lightships.

' A curiosity was discovered at Sewickly station, on the Baltimore A Ohio railroad, in the shape of an iron chain Imbedded in the body ol a big sycamore tree. The chain had been originally used for tying up a skiff. It was evidently placed there a number of years ago, and the barb on the opposite side from the river cut to hold it in position. Both the bark and wood have long since "grown over it, and tt.e chain novr passes completely tnrougli the trunk nine inch s from the surface. It is held as firmly as a ruck. Patti is a lit le shot t of c*sh, and she is going to make another farewell tour in the T ToiV'-i estates.