Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 April 1896 — Page 2

THE FAMILY STORY

BURGLARIES AT BOURGEOISVILLE.

I F Detective Sergeant Collie had arrived sooner he might have been able to discover a workable clew, Ike thought, but when he was called in 6ie burglary was three days old. It [was ‘only after the local police had Bone thrfr best and failed that they applied to Scotland Yard for help, and jthat the clever detective sergeant was Isent to Bourgeolsville. * By that time the local police, under kbe aide direction of Inspector bad succeeded pretty well In obliterating everything which might have ■erred as a clew to the sergeant. (Enough, however, still remained to "show him that the burglary was not e work of amateurs, but of profesmals. The way in which Mr. St. ohn-Sanith’s powetful plate safe had jeh forced was really a charming piece of workmanship, and excited the detective’s warmest admiration, and the rapidity and aoiselessness with which the massive silver plate had' been removed, and the reception-rooms Rrtpped of their valuables— including paintings, bronzes and other not easily portable articles—proved the person concerned to possess the highest and rarest skill known to the trade. Although Sergeant Collie thought he might have been able to do something had he been called In immediately, yet he fully recognized that it was no jreat discredit to the local police that they had failed to trace the guilty persons. It was clear that from the first . there was little to indicate who these were. Not a single suspicious-looking nan or woman had been seen in the lelghbofhood for weeks, and yet it looked as if those who committed the burglary had thorough knowledge not merely wf the country about,, but also Of the house and the habits of Its inmates. fJot a single suspicious-looking Vehicle had been seen on any of the toads about the pillaged house, or, indeed, about Bourgeolsville, or the village, as It was called, which was neary a mile distant, on the night of the burglary, and yet the number and Weight at the articles were such as to render it highly improbable they were carried off without the help of a vehicle of seme sort The policeman whose ' beat lay along the London road, off which the pillaged mansion was situated. had seen the ordinary number of {vehicles during that night, but they jail obviously belonged to “carriage Keople” In the neighborhood. There ras not a van, dog cart or other likely conveyance among them. Sergeant Collie spent a whole fortjaight searching for anything that ■night promise a clew to the solution jots the mystery, jpe examined and cross-examined Mr. St John-Smith’s (numerous servants. He searched the grouAE.of “Longleat”—the plundered of the neighboring minutely of :'ithe discovered At Collie r^Hp^^^Wlieadquarters that be had done ill heeould, and bad completely failed to trace the criminals. lA* he was convinced that further investigation on the spot—at least, for Hie'present--was useless, he was recalled to town. Before leaving Bourgeolsrille he Impressed on Inspector 3oodle "the necessity of reporting the cffalr at once if another crime of the r ame kind occurred in or about the ,'lllage. Sergeant Collie had not returned to town above two or three weeks before pi telegram was received at Scotland flfard from the respected Inspector Boodle. It ran as follows: “Burglary last night at Chatsworth, seat of Mr. St. James-Jones. Similar in all respects to that at Longleat, seat of Mr. St. John-Smith. Immense robbery. Send help.” Within half an hour of the (receipt of • Sergeant Collie was In the train bound for Bourgeolsville. A rapid investigation showed the detective that Inspector Boodle's description of the burglary was absolutely correct. The second burglary corresponded with the first In every detailIt was executed with the same skill and daring; the thieves had forced .with the same dexterity an equally strong plate safe, and had removed .with the same rapidity and noiselessness an equally large amount of plate id valuables, and finally they liagi -■ t as few traces by which they • girt be followed up and Identified. ,-rgeant Collie, after three hours’ most careful and intelligent inspection of the hoqse, its grounds, and everything in the neighborhood which by any possibility conld throw light op (the mystery, felt compelled to knowledge that he was as much at sea as to how or by whom the burglary had been perpetrated as the local police had been In the laßt ease. Indeed, the only point that even looked like a clew had been discovered by the local police. Toward evening, .when the detective was wearied and disappointed by his labors, Inspector Boodle came to him with a very mysterious air, and told him that he had found an important clew. This turned out to be a story told by the groom of the doctor at the village, who had been attending one of Mr. St. James-Jones' family. This fellow said that, on coming to Chatsworth the previous day ,wlth a bottle of medicine, he had noticed a shabbily dressed man banging ‘about the Taurekfat the side 61 the lawn. This person, when he saw he was olwerved, hurriedly made off. Sergeant ColMe had the footman before him for examination. It waS .then made clear that the intruder on the lawn was merely a common tramp. The detective, on making aure of this, dismissed toe footman and bis story ,wltli contempt He wtt* cartath of little M regards the burglary save this, that It jvaa the work, not oi tramps, but at men carefully trained In that line of business, who had planned out

every detail in It before taking the job In hand. ' One or two points in the burglary had carefully struck the detective. In the first place the plate safe In Chatsworth was built into the kitchen wall, yet the burglars had gone straight to it in this unusual place. Again, a minute examination of the footprints outside the house qnd It had convinced the officer that two or, at the'most, three,, persons had been, engaged In the job. Thirdly, the plunder carried away—and carried away with amazing rapidity— must have weighed the best part of twenty stone. And, lastly, there was not the slightest evidence to show that a horse add vehicle of any kind had been used to remove the plOn-' der. As before, the usual number of private carriages had been seen passing along London road, but nothing beyond that, ’ . To the detective’s mind all these peculiar circumstances could point to only one conclusion, namely, that the burglara had been In the house before they went there to commit the burglary, and that they must live somewhere in the immediate neighborhood of the scene of the burglary. Accordingly, he directed his Inquiries as ' to the persons who had lately been visiting the servants’ hall at Chatsworth. These he found consisted pretty exclusively Of tradesmen, and the maids’ sweethearts. The former were all ultra-respectable men who had been living in the village for years back, yet the detective thought it wise to inspect the premises of all of them. They raised no objection, and he made no discovery. As to the sweethearts, he found that all the maids had recognised lovers, who were allowed by Mrs. St. James-Jones a pretty free run of the servants’ t\all. Among them was the policeman on whose beat London road was. He informed the detec- 1 tive who the other lovers were, and assured him that no new admirers had been hanging round the place of late. “Hi’d have seen 'em If ‘they ’ad,” he said, “and the missus would lave done so, too. She’s a very systematic lidy. She hallows each of ’er mides one sweet’art and no more. When the gal ’as got one, too, she won’t stand poaching. No, hl’m sure there weren’t no bother men about.” And the men who were about, the detective soon ascertained, were all as respectable and above suspicion as the constable ‘himself. . , Sergeant Collie occupied a full fortnight in these inquiries. ''-At the end of that time he had to confess that he was not an inch nearer the solution of the mystery of the burglaries than ever. He again reported to headquarters thatfurther investigation seemed useless, and requested to be recalled. He was awaiting an answer from Scotland Yard, when, early one morning, he was arousinl by Inspector Boodle rushing excitedly into his bedroom. The officer brought news of another burglary. This time the victim was St. George-Itobinson. The mansion broken Into was called Hatfield and lay on the opposite side of the village to the other two plundered houses. Exasperated at this repetition of the burglaries under his very nose, Sergeant Collie set out hurriedly with Inspector Boodle for Hatfield, fiercely resolved to leave no trace unturned in his efforts to trace the perpetrators; As they hastened along the road—the house was some half-mile from the village—the sergeant cross-questioned his companion As to the character of the poor people who lived In the neighborhood of Hatfield. When he had got all the information he could he became silent. Suddenly, wheu they were not far from the house, he came to a dead stop. “Hurrah!” he cried, delightedly, “we'll uab them this time!” “How? Why? What makes you thinkso?” asked the inspector, amazed. ‘•Dgg’J, you see this?” replied Sergeant Collie, walking across the road and picking up a horseshoe. “Luck—my boy—good luck!” The inspector’s amazement turned into annoyance. “Is that all?” he said. “I thought you were wiser than to pay attention to such old women’s notions as that.’ “You’ll see we’ll nab them,” cried the sergeant exultantly, as he pocketed the horseshoe. “I never felt more certain of anything.” The inspector made no reply; he was too disgusted at his colleague's folly. They were now close to Hatfield. Or going into the house they found everything and everybody there in the wildest confusion. The family were away from home, and the housekeeper, terrified at the burglary, and still more terrified lest she might In some way be held responsible for. it, was in so excited a condition that 'the policemen found it useless to question her. From her daughter, however, who was the only other person staying In the house, he learned that the burglars on this occasion had been disturbed In their work, and that they had hastily to leave the’ house before they could force the plate safe. Dawn was just beginning to break when the alarm took place. The housekeeper and her daughter had sprung out of bed and run to the window to call for help. The burglars by this time, were running helter-skelter down the side of the lawn to some trees which separated Hatfield—which was on the by road—from a field occupied as a dairy farm, and opening Into the main road. ' The Women bad onty a glance at them, and could give no very definite description of them? All they could say was that there were -two men—one looking something ’like a stableman, the other more like a clerk In dress. A remark of the younger woman, however, struck the detective sergeant as of more Importance than her description atfthe burglar. She said that the man who was dressed like a stableman seemed like somebody she could not remember. * The alarm had arisen through the

barking of a little fox-terrier which was sleeping In a basket in the hall of the house. Usually two dogs wcl-c kept ‘there—the fox terrier’and .a big mastiff; but whin the family went to the seaside for the benefit of their only child’s health, the littlegirlasked to _ha vo dopia with her and the dOC-Aor-who was attending her advised that her wish should be granted, as she was much attached to tbe lanimals and'might fret if parted from thorn. The mother assented; but, at the last moment, the father insisted that one should be left behind for the protection of the house. To this fortunate circumstance it was due that the burglary was discovered bfefore the housebreakers could secure their plunder. Collie and Inspector Boodle spent several hours in a most exhaustive examination. At the end of it one or two things seemed clear enpugh. As before, It was clear the burglars were adepts in their business; as before, it was clear, too, that they knew well the interior of the house; and, as before, there was not a trace or a mark to show who they were of where'they came from. When they gave o»ver the investigation for the day they walked back to the village ißoth deeply depressed, and one reflecting deeply. The latter was , Sergeant Collie. After he reached hLs lodgings he sat quietly for some time, reflecting still. Then he rose, put on his overcoat, and walked down to the village farrier’s. The blacksmith was still at the forge,- though It was now evening. Sergeant Collie, who knew him slightly, bade him good-day. —.“Had, a busy day?” the sergeant then asked the blacksmith.

“Pretty well—pretty well,” answered Vulcan. . “.This weather r you see,. makes the roads plaguey heavy. and there’s a lot of shoes dropped.” “I thought so,” answered Collie. “I myself found one.” He took the shoe out of his pocket. “Ay, ay,” said the blacksmith, looking at the shoe ; “f ore off, I should say. I had three of them to-day.” “Anyof them about the size of that?” “All of ’em, 1 should say,” answered the blacksmith. “Whose were they?” ■ v “ “Let me see. Yes. Farmer (lake’s mare, tfhe carrier’s pony, and—and I should say the third was Dr. Fell’s gelding—yes, it was.” “What sort of a man is the carrier?” asked Collie. “Old Faxdell? One of the best old souls living,” said the blacksmith. “He’s lived In the village since it was started, I think—remembers whdn. there wasn’t a big house within three miles, except the old manor house, which was pulled down by St. JohnSmith, three years ago. He’s getting past work. I’m afeard.” The detective sat in silence for a minute or two. Then he said, “I don’t feel at all well to-night.” “I thought you was looking a bit glum,” said the blacksmith. “I’ll go home, I think, and get to bed.” ■ „ Th| detective went home and went to bed. Berore lie was long there he directed his landlady to send for Dr. Fell, and ask him to come as quickly as possible, as the case was urgent. In spite of this intimation,. Dr. Fell was not particularly quick in coming, and by the time he arrived the detective seemed very ill, indeed. He made the doctor feel liis pulse, examine his tongue and try the state of his lungs and heart. Then the doctor loft, saying it was merely a gastric 1 attack, and promising to send him some medicine. When the doctor was gone Collie sat up in his bed and reflected. “I have seen Mm before,” he said to himself. “Was It a witness in a stabbing ease, or what? Let me see, now. He’s altered, of course; but I feel sure I know him.” He paused and thought again. Then he suddenly jumped out of bed. “I’ll swear It. It’s Jack Howes, the forger, or I’m aiTa«i4'’.Ilalf an hour later the doctor, his coachman and footman were in custody ou charges of breaking into and stealing from the houses of Messrs. St. John-Smith, St. James-Jones, and St. GeoT'ge-Roblneon, and half the plunder of those burglaries had been found by the police safely stowed away in the: doctor’s house and stables.

******** At the assizes Dr. Fell and his associates were tried and convicted of the three burglaries. The story of Fell was then made public. His real name was Jojyi Howse. He had been a medical student in a London hospital, from which he had been expelled for dishonesty. One of his chums had succeeded, however, in getting a diploma. This man, who was as disreputable as Howae himself, was called Fell. Shortly after his expulsion, Hawse was convicted of forgery and sent to penal servitude. While he was serving his sentence Fell died, or, at any rate, disappeared. On his discharge, Howse became aware of this fact, and calmly appropriated his missing friend's diploma and name, started practice at Bourgeolsville as a doctor. His former training as a medical student eanbled Mm to carry out the imposture with complete success. Unfortunately his old criminal associates found him out, and, willingly or unwillingly, on his part, made him their chief In carrying out a regular scheme of burglaries. His professional position diverted suspicion from 'him and* them, while his brougham was used to remove the plunder, and his r cade nee to store It till It could be safely disposed of. “You see now,” said Collie to Inspector Boodle, “the horseshoe proved* lucky after all.”—London Truth.

They Fear Nothing.

The followers of Menelek, king of Shoa, while not so large as the fierce Zulus of the south, are about the toughest warriors In the world. They do not know physical fear. I have seen a man jab a burnt stick several Inches in his flesh without wincing, declares a writer in the New York Press. This apparent 'tnsenstbittcy - ttr patn ts~ac('6hipanied with a religious frenzy In battle that renders tin? soldiers unconscious of bodily harm. They have no fear of death, and their happiness is to kill. Whene’er two evils may befall, The less all wise men choose; ’TU wrong to go to war at all. But worse to go and lose. —Washington Btar. ' ’ ~ The funniest things around every house are the things called “ornaments.”

HALF MILLION A DAY

THE PRESENT DEFICIT UNDER THE WILSON LAW. _ 1 '/ Democratic Financicrinc Is Plunging Uncle Sim Into Debt at the Rate of Over One Thousand Dollars a Minute—Facts for Farmers to Read. Revenues Still Short. Half a million dollars a day is a pretty large deficit. But this is.just what •the [Wilson law is doing at the present time. The first eleven days of April produced a, deficit of 50,084,803. Counting only the business days the dally deficit for was $600,000, or, to bo absolutely accurate, $608,480. Counting eight hours a day, for that Is the number of hours the government allows for a day’s work, Uncle Sam has been plunged into debt at the rate of $70,000 an hour, or over SI,OOO a minute all this month. This is an interesting state of affairs for the people who predicted twenty months ago that the proposed new' law would “do what your McKinley law has not done, produce sufficient revenue to meet the expenses.” It is interesting to see how those gentlemen have kept their word. It is now a little less than twenty months since the McKinley law was repealed and the Wilson law took its place. During that time the receipts

DOMESTIC VS. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Til; * , LTIA MUST BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE I>CJ:;.V .. TIU; KKCPTIO2T IS THE WHITE HOUSE.

have been $490,612,095 and the expenditures $572,854,774, making the deficit up to the end of the last week $82,243,749. The receipts under the McKinley law In the first twenty months of its operation were $589,237,402, or a round $100,000,000 more than those of the Wilson law in the corresponding number of months. The expenditures were, In round numbers, $569,000,000, leaving a surplus of a little over $20,000,000. This is the way the comparison of the first twenty months appears: _ Wilson law, first 20 months, deficiency • .$82,248,794 McKinley law, first 20 months, deficiency:. ......, 20,287,402 Possibly some friends of the Wilson law may' assfitne. tlml 11 is unfair to compare the operations of the first twenty months of Its existence with the first twenty months of the AlcKinley law, when the country was in the flood tide of prosperity. They certainly will not object to comparing it with the last twenty months of the McKinley law, which include the period of extreme depression which followed Democratic success at the polls in 1592. Here are the-figures for the last twenty months of the McKinley law, compared with the first twenty months of the Wilson bill: Wilson law, receipts $490,018,025 McKinley law, receipts 560,-121,553 It was in the months which succeeded the meeting of the Fifty-third Congress, with its promise of tariff reduction, that the receipts of the treasury fell under the McKinley law’ to the lowest known point up to that time. In the course of the months of the meeting in special session of that Congress, what the -tariff would die, the importations fell to almost nothing and the receipts of the treasury to less than they had been known in a quarter of a century. Those memorable months of shortage under the McKinley law were from August, 1893, to May, 1894. Yet the receipts of the new tariff law’, with everything in its favor, are actually less in the twenty months of its existence than they were in the twenty worst months of the McKinley law. • Facts for Farmers. In the following tables the exports of farm products in the last fiscal year prior to the repeal of the McKinley law’ are compared with those of the first calendar year after its repeal. It will be seen that in many cases the exports fell off greatly in quantity, while vin cases where there was an increase In quantity there was a decrease in the cash received therefor: McKinley Wilson law’. law. i Fiscal Calendar year 1894. year 1895. Wheat, bu.. 88,415,230 66,804,686 Value .... $59,470,041 $40,898,547 Corn, bu.... 03,324,841 61,956,348 Value .. .. $30,211,154 $27,907,766 Cattle, No. . 331,722 289,350 Value.... $33,455,092 $26,997,709 Cheese, lbs.. 73,852,134 40,800,934 Value .... $7,180,232 $3,401,117 Tallow, lbs. . 54.661,524 24,377,177 Value ....- $2,766,104 $1,207,350 Clover seed, pounds . .. 45.418,663 12,412,276 Vallie .. .. $4,540,822 $1,126,618 Cotton seed meaj x lbs. . 617,104,402 504,022,501 Value .. 7. "$7,10§;i65 $4,352,348 Beef, 1b5.... 193.891,824 184,358,114 Value .... $16,606,583 $10,522,018 Spirits, graiu, gallons ... 6,468,016 1,884,272 Value .... $5,676,936 $1,685,460 Cotton, lbs. .2,653,282,325 2,770,832,486 Value .... $210,969,289 $189,890,645 Hops, lbs... 17,472,975 17,959,164 Value .... $3,844,232 $1,745,945 CoR on seed oil, gals... 14,958,309 21,763,649 Value .... $6,b08,405 $6,429,828 Flax seed „ meal, lbs.. 127,498,827 314,344,294

Value,... $2,845,459 $3,498,898 Bacon, Ids. . 410,057,577 455,380,851 Value $38,338,843 $37,411,914 'Lard. Ihs ... 447,060,8G7« / 517,309,470 Value..., $40,089,809 $37,348,753 ,Pork. 1b5.... 04,744,528 70,135,541 Value .... $5,159,808. $4,430,155 ~ ■ .■ ~— — - —— Will Vote for It in November. _ Tariff for revenue cry of the Democratic party In year s'past, is an utter Ailure as applied bi the existing administration. It has nht even been for revenue only, but an*approach so near to free trade that it not only failed and still fails to afford sufficient revhut . ha% torn down industries, closed factories and taken honest work from honest hands. In this latter respect it has been a success, but its success has been gained at the suffering of thousands of honorable, worthy and willing men and women all over the country. With the Republican party in power a tariff bill will be passed of which the country and the people will not be ashamed. It will not be one stamped with the seal of inefficiency, disgrace and destruction, but with the emblem of prosperity to the industries of the United States. It will be a tariff bill constructed on American ideas. —Tribune, South Bend, Ind. Those Sages in Wall Street. The wonderful economists who devote their mighty intellects to editing the trade and financial journals of New York City are all predicting good times upon the success of the recent bond is-

sue. They fail to explain precisely what they mean, but the assumption is that they think the deeper the government goes into debt and the heavier the interest burden imposed upon the people becomes, the more likely the country is to prosper. They may be right, but if they are it is a pity the fact that running into debt beats productiveness and thrift was not discovered long ago.— San Francisco Chronicle.

A Study for Wool Grower*. The lowest .price that meum Ohio wool ever sold at from ISSO so the end of Harrison’s administration was '. .... 33c. Under Cleveland the price is 18c. Value of sheep in 1893, under protection, was.. . ,t. .8125,909,264 Value to-day, under Cleveland and free trade 0G,085,707 Imports of woolen goods in 1894, under protection.... 10,809,000 Imports of woolen goods in 1895, under Democratic low tariff 57,559,000 Average imports of wool during 1891, ’92, ’93, ’94, under Republican protec- rounds. tion .. 133,647,000 Imports of wool in 1895, under Democratic free trade ...... 248,989,000 Average annual imports of shoddy, rags anu waste in 1891, ’92, ’93, ’94, under Republican protection.... 244,971 Imports of shoddy, rags and waste in 1895, under Dem-' ocratic free trade........ 20,718,000 X Rays on X Roads.

AGRICULTURAL NEWS

THINGS PERTAINING TO THE* FARM AND HOME. Intensive Forminc in Practice—TWO Uses for Corncobs—Our Barnyards Too Large—Gypsum Not Good on Strawberries—The Dairy Cow. Results from a Quarter Acre. Two years ago I planted one-fourth of an acre in early potatoes. As soon as we were done working the potatoes we planted tobacco between the rows of the potatoes. When the potatoes were dug for market the stalks were carried off Snd the ground cultivated, when the lot had the appearance of a tobacco field* writes a correspondent to the Orange County Farmer. It was then sown to turnip seed, and after the tobaee’6 was taken off it was a co Deplete turnip field. 1 The result was fifty bushels of potateees, average price $1 per bushel, S3O; 400 pounds of tobacco at 12 cents, S4B; forty bushels bflur-" nips at 30 cents a bushel, sl2; total, $lO2, or about as much as would be realized at present prices from five acres of corn at. eighty bushels per acre, or seven acres of wheat, or four acres of hay. And yet the taxes were paid for only one-fourth of, an acre. This, in my opinion, was intensive farming. The best crop of corn that I ever raised was grown on a four-acre lot, on which the second growth of the previous year's clover crop was left standing and then plowed-down, The...ground was thoroughly prepared before planting, for I held to the theory that ground ‘ cannot be prepared after the crop is planted. The field was check-rowed, or marked two ways, and the corn planted very thickly, and, after it was cultivated eight or ten times with a cultivator, we went over the field and thinned down every hill to mot more than three stalks. Ido not think there was a vacant hill in the field. The result was 000 bushels of corn ears (150 bushels per acre), six large two-horse loads of corn fodder and half a dozen loads of pumpkins, equal to about as much as is ordinarily raised on twice the number of acres. The next year the same field produced over 200 bushels of oats. Uses for Corncobs. I utilize my corncobs in two ways—by grinding with the grain, and by kindling fires, says a writer in the Country Gentleman. The experiment stations have shown beyond discussion ...at cob meal, when fed to cattle, is fully as valuable, measure for measure, as clear meal, owing, it is presumed, to the fact that ’the cob so separates the particles of grain that the digestive secretions of the animal can more thoroughly act. on them. I also kiudlfe my coal fires with them. By dropping a few chips of paper, and then filling up the stove with cobs, and when these are well on fire, adding a few more, and on these immediately pouring the, hod of coal, I have no trouble in kindling the hardest of coal. I use more or less also in my fireplace, where they make a heat nvore intense than any harwood fire. I have on hand some cords of cobs, left from the shelling of mv seed sweet corn. These I piw* pose to have ground up with the, common yellow corn of the market, and so practically change it into meal value, bulk for bulk. Corncobs are enormously rich in potash, their ashes containing over twenty-three .per cent.,' hut It takes a vast pile of cobs to make a very small pile of ashes. The Size of Barnyards. As the farmer in the closing days of winter is busy scraping up the scattered manure in his barnyard to draw away to the fields he will almost always admit that his barnsard is larger than It should he. Our large barnyards are a relic of the times when stock was mainly fed out of doors, and the large surface was intended to make it convenient for feeding so that stock would not crowd each other. Nowadays stock are all stabled at night; and are always fed under cover, wasting less than by the old method of tli rowing the fodder ion the ground, or in the corner of a crooked" rail rerice; Where stock is kept up at night it needs a very small yard for it to exercise in during the day. The practice of dehorning is also hiaking it less necessary to have large barnyards, so as to prevent vicious horned stock from killing or injuring those that are weaker than themselves. Gypsum on Strawberries. It is not a good plan to sow gypsum on strawberries... It will usually encourage so large a growth of clover that it will be nearly impossible to keep the rows clean even for the first year. The gypsum has besides no special effect in making a large growth of the strawberry vines. Th'e mineral fertilizer that strawberries most need is potash. If this were applied more freely the crop of berries will be. large, and they will be of better quality and color. All the highly colored fruits need large supplies of potash. Oats and Peas. One of the best early feeds for stock, especially breeding animals, may be secured by sowing oats and peas somewhat thdckSy, either to bd pastured or cut for soiling. For this purpose it is best to sow fully three bushels of seed per acre, while if the crop is to be grown for its grain two bushels of seed is a great plenty. The crop should be sown at different times, so that it will come in order for cutting in succession. This soiling crop may be grown on rich land where a later crop of cabbage, celery or other vegetables is to be grown. ' » The Dairy Cow. The modern dairy cow is an extreme--Jw-sfrtifldftl development, and as such should be entrusted only to the expert breeder, feeder and handler, just as a complicated machine is placed in the hands of none but skilled mechanics. The best dairy cow Is of an Intensely nervous nature, and needs to he treated with great consideration, says M. B. P„ in the Ohio Farmer. Kicking a cow is a wicked habit that results in much loss. A cow kept In constant fear of being punished cannot prove profitable to her owner. Give the dairy cow a quiet, sensible, Intelligent keeper. Such a man’s services are worth money. Do not withhold food. It 1 takes a good deal of food to produce a liberal flow of milk. The more food the greater the product up to a certain

limit. Feed not only a liberal ration, but componnd the same with care, taking pains to have It well balanced. Of course, It is always well to know jfist which grains and fodder are most easily and cheaply obtained, and as much of these should be used as possible without Injuring the quality of the ration. Gluten and Hnseed meals are now H Very cheap, and as they are exceedingly rich, they can bg profitably mixed 1 with bran and corfifneaT in Compounding rations that are not only nutritious, but of a quality toproduce excellent manure. Apple Orchards as Windbreaks. Wherever forests are cleared off there soon comes a demand for a windbreak of some kind to shelter buildings and stock from cold blasts, and to protect the farm from the severest winter winds. It is a good practice to set an orchard either on the windward side of the farm or of the house and other farm buildings. It is true the trees are bare in winter, apd unless there is a close fence to obstruct the wind near the surface it will blow under the trees nearly as strong as if no orchard were In the way. This can be remedied by planting a crow of evergreens on tlie windward side. This will also hold the snow from being blown away from the Orchard. Most fruit trees suffer from lack of water in the summer sea- 1 son when they are perfecting their fruit. It Is abundance of water that enables their roots to take up the mineral plant food which. Is essential to seed production. It is the lack of water that pauses so large a proportion of fruit to fS.ll soon after it is formed. The -time comes for. forming the seed, and the mineral element needed is either not in the soil or is unavailable, because there is not water in the soil to dissolve it. • Cornstalks in Spring. Dried cornstalks rapidly lose their sap by the drying which alternate freezing and thawing exposes them to, and they are much less nutritious and palatable than in their sappy green state in the fall. Properly kept ensilage can be preserved better until late In the season than can the dried cornstalks, no matter how much care is taken to keep them from getting wet and being spoiled. When corn-stalks are* cut and piled in heaps they dry out slowly, because the slight heating which they undergo exposes them, to contact with carbonic acid gas, as. in the silo. This gas is a good check on fermentation, which requires oxygen to keep it in progress. _— Sharpening Toots, - Before the season for outdoor work begins all the hoes, cultivators and other farm Implements should be got in condition for effective use. Labor l is too dear to be wasted In working 1 with a dull tool, and the farmer stands in his own light who allows labor to be thrown away because the tools it works with are inferior. . Solomon long ago observed, that “when the axe is dull then must be put forth more strength.” As he immediately added, “But wisdom is profitable to direct,” he gave his opinion pretty plainly that no nmn with much sense would be caught using a dull axe. Dne to Tree Agents. It is due to the tree agents and even to the tree peddlers and scalpers to say that there are doubtless thousands of fruit trees now growing that would never have been planted If they had not stirred up sleepy farmers by their wonderful stories to buy and plant, when the same men would not have gone three miles to a local nursery of their own accord. Odds and Knds. One part acetic acid to seven parts water rubbed well into the scalp once a day, will, it is said, induce a new growth of hair. To remove a grease spot from wall paper, hold a piece of blotting paper over the spot with a hot flatiron for a few moments. Try tying a piece of stale bread in a white muslin cloth and dropping it Into your kettle with your boiling cabbage. It will absorb all the offensive odor. According to a wholesale furniture dealer, the best furniture polish is made of one-third alcohol and -- two-thirds sweet oil. Apply it with a soft cloth and rub with another cloth. When your stove has burned red and won’t stick to It, put a little fat fried from salt pork into The water in which you dissolve your black- * lug and try again. Try chopping your bread Instead of kneading it so long. It is a great help. Put plenty of flour on your bread board and on your dough, when It has been stirred very stiff, and turn your bread often as you chop it. Try to avoid having the bread and cake crack open while bakilig. This cracking on the top is caused by hav-. ing the oven too hot when the loaf Is put in, and the crust formed before the heat has caused the dough to expand. You may remove the tightness caused by a cold almost instantly by mixing ammonia and sweet oil, or fresh hen’s oil will do, shaking It thoroughly and rubbing it on the nose and forehead. By adding laudanum you have a splen-' did liniment, v. Fruit is not a complete dietary in itself, but it is excellent to accompany a meat diet. The acid contained in the fruits assist digestion, and It Is for this reason that apple sauce should be served with roast pork or goose, the fat of which is rendered more assimilable by It. Farmers may make a mistake in overlooking their local markets. When articles are shipped to the large cities, owing tsb inducements In the shape of better prices, the eommissiens and cost of transportation may leave less profit than could be secured nearer home. Butter and eggs can always find a good market and ready sale, being In deBin Ihl BPAfITIIIKAaA - - ...» uiuxiu t v crjiriicrr* * • _ ' There are more than the usual number of new Varieties of potatoes offered this season, and It is safe to claim that the majority of them will drop out of sight next year to give place to another batch of new varieties, but this may be done to advantage with one or two potatoes. Fort your geperal crop stick to the kinds that yon know are adapted to your soil and climate' until yon are sura that some new variety Is better.