Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1875 — Page 6

Mountains of Asia.

In the progress of railroads it cannot be long before Asia will be opened to travel as well as traffic in such a manner as to invite the attention of the world: The railway is already working wonders in India and it eanndt be long before it will make the more interior regions of Chinese Tartary accessible. Nor will the opportunity thus to be offeree be neglected by tourists. If Europe has her Alps Asia has her Himmaleh range. A recent writer in Blackwood's Magazine says that the great cluster of mountains called the Thibetan Kailas (the height of which remains unascertained and some of the peaks of Which may be even higher than Gaurisanker) well deserves to be called the center of the world. It is, at least, the greatest center of elevation and the point from whence flow the Sutlej, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra; while to Thibet, meaning by that word the whole country in which Thibetan is spoken, we may ascribe most of the rivers of the Punjah and also the Jumna, the Ganges, the Irrawaddi, the Yangtse, and even the HoangHo, or great Yellow River. The pass at Shipki, over which I crossed, is one of the lowest of the passes into Chinese Thibet. There is another and more difficult pass close to it, about 12,500 feet high; the others are of greater height,, and the Mana pass between Thibet and Gurwhal ial&iuQfcfit. ,n. ; ..> Again, he says: The view up the Spiti Valley had a wild beauty of its own, and ended in blue peaks at this season nearly free from snow; but the surprising scene before us was on the left bank of the Spiti River and on the right of the Sutlej, or that opposite to which we were? A mountain rose there almost sheer up from the Sutlej, or from 9,000 feet to the height of 22,183 feet, in gigantic walls, towers and aiguille* of creamcolored granite and quartz, which had all the appearance of marble. At various places a stone might have been rolled from the summit of it down into the river, a descent of over 13,000 feet. In appearance it was something like Milan Cathedral of its loftiest spire and magnified many million times, until it reached the height of 12,000 feet; and I either noticed or heard several great falls df rock down its precipitous sides during the eight da A I was on it or in its immediate neighborhood. Here and there the white rock was streaked with white snow, and it was capped by an enormous citadel wit* small beds of wear; but there was very little snow upon the gigantic mass of rock, because the furious winds which forever beat and howl around it allow but little snow to find a resting-place there. At Shipki they told us that even in winter Lio Porgyul, as this mountain is called, presents much the same appearance as it had when we saw it. Half of it rests on Chinese Tartary and the other half on Hanggrang, a province which was ceded by the Chinese less thana century ago to the Rajah of Buasahir, so that Lio Porgyul might well be regarded as a great fortress between Iran and Turan; between the dominions of the Aryan and the Tartar race.

New Application of Electricity on Railroads.

The French have lately introduced a system by which a stationary electric battery is made subservient to blow the whistle of an approaching locomotive, in ease the road- is not clear, without the engineer having to give any attention to it. Such an arrangement is of course exceedingly valuable at night, and especially during a fog, when signals cannot be seen at a distance. It is the reverse of the system introduced bh bur Hudson River Railroad, by which every approaching locomotive sets a stationary electro-magnetic alarm-bell at the depot in motion. In the French system referred to the obstruction at the depot starts the steam whistle on every approaching locomotive when the train is still far enough away to slacken speed and stop. It has now been in successful operation for a year on the line of the Northern ( »mpany of France, informing the engineer whether the way is clear or not. The signal tender turns a disk and sends an electric current in the direction of the coming train to bar placed between the rails; when the engine reaches the spot a metal brush placedbetween the wheels sweeps the bar,, the current passes to the engine, and by means of an electro-magnet presses upon a lever which opens the steam whistle, thus makinc it blow automatically.—3T. ZrnipAfc.

A Bunko-Settler.

The bunkoists have at last met with an ugly customer. His name is Fredericks, and he comes’ from lowa, and he is a man of brawn and muscle. Arrived in the city, and strolling about to see the sights, he was of course picked up by a “roper-in’’ for a bunko establishment, who, of course, knew him and all his family, was an old townsman, and was very solicitous concerning his welfare. It was not long before he had placed himself on terms of intimacy with the man from lowa, and volunteered to show him the lions of the city, and one of the very first lions was a bunko establishment. The man from Ipwa, however, had not be,en in the establishment long before he saw through the* little game, and remonstrated. Then the bunko men, intent upon fleecing him, attempted to lock the door, but the man from lowa knew a game worth two of theirs. He did not sutler himself to be stripped and then go and whine to the police. He placed himself upon the war path, promptly ar i expeditiously, and gave them a taste of Granger muscle. One, > two, three, and three of the bunko men were piled up and 1 doubled up promiscuously on the floor, wondering what hit them. Then the man from lowa took the key from one of the crowd, opened the door, and departed without molestation. He dispensed with the services of any more guides, went over to the Universalist Convention, which happened, to be the only religious body in session, and obtained .some spiritual consolation, and then went to his wile and babes in lowa in a serene and contented frame of mind, and without any loss in purse. We are glad that at last one Granger has turned up who is piaster of the bunko situation, and knows how to play tie game. We hope that lowa has more of them, and that she will send them here early and often. There is nothing- which disturbs a gambler so much as a brawny Granger fist planted squarely between his eyes. It is aquiet, and prompt, and satisfactory method of dealing with the ques--tion, and the men of muscle from the rural districts should understand this. It is of no use for them to appeal to the, police authorities for help, and money loatin these dens is lost forever. A

great deal of satisfaction, however, may be obtained as the man from lowa obtained it, and we hope our rural friends will help themselves. No one will call them to account for it.— Chicago Tribune, Jan. 23.

Taming a Wild Horse in Mexico.

The following graphic, sketch of the breaking to saddle of a wild horse in Mexico is given by an eye-witness: Preparations began for saddling the wild horse; no easy task, for in order io saddle him it was necessary to keep pirn on his legs; and, as if he guessed the object of the vaqueros, he began to kick up furiously, ,A lasso was passed under the fetlock of the left hind leg and fastened tightly to the breast-leather of the horse, so as to press the thigh against the belly. I The right front leg was bent by the same means, and thus kept in equilibrium the horse was condemned to immobility. * Benito seized bis heavy saddle by the pummel and threw it over the back of the horse, who shook and trembled when his loins felt the burden and the large wooden stirrups rebounded against his side. The girth was violently tightened under the belly, and the vaquero seated himself on the ground to fasten _ the spurs on his feet. At this moment I glanced toward the stand Maria Antonio waa motionlcsa,but her large black eyes, immediately open, sparkled in her now pale face, and the agitation of her bosom betrayed her agony. Pon Ramon himself seemed frightened, and once I hoped he was about to recall the permission which exposed the intrepid young man to almost certain death. But he said nothing. When Benito had fastened his spurs, the bonds which kept the horse’s legs w ere loosened and the leathern bandage tied over his eyes. Yet. though held by the rope which twisted his lip, the furious leaps of the animal prevented his being mounted. He was forced down op his knees, and two vaqueros, each biting one of bis ears, kept him thus a second. Benito sprang on the horse’s back. “Let him go,’’ he exclaimed in a firm voice. The two vaqueros quickly jumped back whilst the wild animal started up as if moved by some concealed melanism. Owing to the leathern bandages that blinded him, he at first stood on his legs, trembling, with upturned nostrils. Benito availed himself of this short respite to seat himself firmly in the saddle, leaned forward, and raised the bandage that covered the animal’s eyes. Then commenced a truly admirable struggle between the man and the beast. , Frightened at the sudden light which dazzled his bloodshot eyes, shaking his tangled mane, which stood erect with rage, the fiery animal neighed, terribly and bounded toward the four points of the compass as if to scent the wind. Benito, without seeming shaken by these impetuous bounds,, still kept on the defensive, roughly kicking away at the beast’s mouth, as it tried to bite his legs. The foiled animal reared suddenly on his haunches. In vain - the spurs running into his groins made him rear. Instead of falling on his legs he threw himself violently on his back. The spectators all screamed, but the pummel of the saddle alone knocked against, the earth with a lugubrious sound. Benito, foreseeing the shock, had sprung rapidly to the ground. In the midst of a cloud of dust the astonished spectators soon beheld the horse-tamer leap into the saddle by the oft" side, against all equestrian rules, at the moment when the bewildered horse got up neighing. The vaquero, in his turn, appeared mad with fhry. For the first time in his life lie had been unhorsed. Impatient to revenge this insult his legs never ceased pressing the horse’s legs but to trace bloody furrows with the spurs under his belly; his hands only left hold of the horse-hair snaffle but to shower down blows on the enraged animal's bruised skin. But as yet neither had the advantage; and, after a few minutes of furious struggle. the two antagonists stood still for a moment. Applause resounded on all sides; and" certainly to meet the admiration of those centaurs it was necessary to have accommore than it givenman' to accomplish. Either the vaquero was one of those whom danger or intoxicated, or he thought himself able to do Stillmore, for he profited by this truce to draw a sharp knife out of the garter of his boot. “ Hollo!” exclaimed Don Ramon, a less passive spectator of a struggle in which, apparently, the life of a horse was in ; question; “ is the rascal going to cut the ■ horse’s throat?” Indignation flashed from Maria Antonio’s black eyes at the Supposition that a man whom she had distinguished could be a coward, and a superb smile of pride lighted up her features at the sight df Benito, who, in a fit of wild temerity, intoxicated, no doubt, by the presence of his beloved, had cut the horse’s" snaffle, ‘ and thus placed himself, without bridle, at the mercy of an untamable animal. . i Freed from the bozal which compressed his nostrils, the horse noisily i breathed the air of the forests, shook the waves of his golden mane, and set off in the direction of the lopped tree. . Such was the impetuosity of his ca- ! reer that it seemed impossible to preI vent his dashing against the obstacles in his way. Nothing, therefore, could prej vent the rider from the fate awaiting ; him. The horse was only a few yards off the : fatal trunk when by a sudden and un- ! expected movement Benito pulled off i his broad-brimmed hat, and, at the mo- ' ment when a final bound was about to : end the struggle, the hat, interposed between the tree and the horse, made the latter spring with terror in another direction. We then witnessed the singular spectacle of a rider without a bridle guiding his unmanageable horse, which sprang from side to side as the bugbear passed from one eye to the other. The horse, shuddering „with rage, passed thus beneath tne stand, where Maria Antonio rewarded Benito’s fortunate temerity with a glance.' > The pride of triumph which brought I out the energetic and masculine beauty of the horseman, and lighted up his brow, over which the wind waved his floating hair, wonderfully justified the young girl’s choice. Giving a fresh impulse to the horse?? which was panting and disconcerted by unexpected resistance, Benito allowed him to take the direction of the forest. We beheld him for a few seconds shaken like a reed by the furious bounds of the animal, bql, we 50011 lost sight of him.

A few horseman followed him; but bis course was so rapid that they soon returned to the stand, giving up the pursuit as useless. He returned in less than an hour.i bringing back the hitherto unmanageable horse completely mastered.

PHUNNYGRAMS.

—As a Louisville girl was taking leave of a gentleman at her father’s house one evening recently she said to him: “If you ever hear that T am in the habit of allowing my male acquaintances to kiss me good-by you mustn’t believe it, as! seldom allow such liberties.” The close of that interview may be imagined. —A spruce youngster with his darling, who came from the regions west of Arcanum to take a look at the bright feature of our city, were standing near the ticket office, at the depot, last evening, waiting for the departure of the train which was to take them home. It was cool and dreary, and the temperature was touching up the girl’s ears and nose with a blending of purple and red. “Look here, Josh!" she exclaimed, petulantly, “ I’m tired standing up here. I’m half froze. Let’s go to that place (ladies’ room). Everybody else goes in there!” “No, you don’t!" said Josh. “No sir-ee! I’ve spent money enough now, and I ain’t agoin’ to pay to go in there!” — Dayton. Democrat. ■■ —A New Englander, riding in a railroad car, seemed particularly disposed to astonish the other passengers with tough stories about Yankeedom. At last he mentioned that one of his neighbors owned an immense dairy, and made a million pounds of butter and a million pounds of cheese yearly. This story produced some sensation; and the Yankee, perceiving that his veracity was in danger of being questioned, appealed to a friend, asjifollows: “True, isn’t it, Mr. P.? I speak of Deacon Brown—you know Deacon Brown?” “ Y-e-e-s,” replied the friend; “that is, yes; I know Deacon Brown; I don’t know as I ever heard precisely how many pounds of butter and cheese he makes a year, but I know that he has twelve saw-mills that go by buttermilk.” —When Mr. Blank lost his wife he lay down on the floor, and for seven hours without intermission, except for meals, he beat the carpet vehemently with his boot-heels and cried: “ What shall Ido?” When his elderly servant mildly said, “ She’s in a bettef place,” he beat the ground still more violently, and roared more piteously than ever. Still nothing seemed to come of it, and echo merely sent his wild question back again upon his swelling heart. In a sympathetic tone his faithful attendant warned him that he would weak himself out, whereat he became inconsolable, and frantically exclaimed: “ What shall I do?” The elderly woman advised him to look out of the window awhile. He looked out, and in six months he was a newly-married man. His neighbor, who had sustained a similar loss, never groaned, and never marat Work.

Over-Exercise.

Gymnastic training has received a temporary back-set by the death of young Cushing from injuries sustained in the gymnasium connected with the Boston Institute of Technology. Of course his case was somewhat exceptional and abuse furnishes no argument against use. But it seems to be a law of human development to push a particular tendency to an extreme, regardless of consequences, and then to push the opposite tendency to a similar extreme- A few years ago the Graham fever swept over the country and hundreds of people dropped the eating of flesh as poisonous, and starved themselves on hard bread and cold water, with a raw turnip now and then by way of variety. The good in the Graham system was turned into evil by abuse. Hydropathy was an invaluable discovery in itself, but no sooner was it found that a class of peculiar cases might be benefited by a treatment of cold water than the extremists set about soaking and bathing and showering and packing and douching everybody ibr all real and possible maladies, and doubtless hundreds of people had their vitality quenched and were washed into their graves by the unreasoning application of a method which is admirably suited to particular cases and constitutions. Half a century ago systematic physical exercise was hardly thought of. and students, clerks and people of sedentary habits and quiet pursuits suffered lor want of muscular development and activity. Physicians and health reformers preached exercise to people who could not afford horseback riding and had not time to walk enough to get" the exercise they required. The gymnasium grew but of a necessity. But like other needful and useful things it has been carried to an extreme, in many cases, which has proved injurious, if* not fatal. The notion has gained currency that exercise is a good thing in and of itself, and when a person has exhausted his vital forces by brain work it is t pnly necessary to exercise his muscles in a vigorous'way to regain his equilibrium. Expenditure of nerve power must be balanced by an equal expenditure in myseular activity,' and if the time is shortened the action must be correspondingly increased in violence. The folly of this notion is apparent when it is remembered that the system is.a unit, and the vital force expended in oneway cannot be recovered by another expenditure in a different way, any more than a man regains the money he expends out of one pocket by spending an equal amount from another. It is constantly forgotten that recuperation requires rest as well as exercise, and that gvery tension of the will should be followed by a passive condition. Modern life is an aggregation of activities. Everybody is on the jump. The faculties are strained to their utmost tension. Study and business and pleasure axe done on the high-pressure principle, and the same intensity of movement is carried over into recreation and appears in violent exercises in climbing, rowing, ball-playing, and the performances of the gymnasium. It should be borne in mind that the antithesis of action is not action in another way, but quiet and passive repose. The vegetative processes must be respected and the jaded faculties must be given time for recuperation. The thing wanted i$ not a crusade on calisthenics and the gymnasium, but a wise discretion in their use. We have learned how to make a perfect horse and ox and hound; we have not yet learned how to make a perfectman or woman. In this respect the wise old Greeks were far ahead of any modern people, and it would be well for our teachers to borrow a hint from their methods and experience.— N. Y. Graphic.

RECIPES, ETC.

—Castle Pudding.—Two eggs, onequarter pound of sugar, one-quarter pound of butter, one-quarter pound pf flour; beat butter to a cream, and sugar finely-pounded, then add eggs and flour. Bake three-quarters of an hour in a moderate oven, and in small cups; when done turn on a flat dish and cover with thick white sauce flavored with wine or essence. —To Keep Earth-Worms from Pots.— To keep earth worms from pots a correspondent of Vick gives the following remedy : • “ I put ten drops of carbolic acid in a pint of water, and poured that on the earth in the pots, and it acted like a charm, killed all 4he worms, and the plants improved at once. It has been three weeks since it was applied? and they are all in a nice growing condition, and I think it is time enough to show what it will do ” .. .. —To Extinguish Kerosene Flames.— One of the most ready means is to throw a cloth of some kind over the flames, and thus stifle it; but as the cloth is not always convenient to the kitchen, where sufch accidents most frequently occur, some one recommends flour as a substitute, which is always on hand in the kitchen, and w’hich, it is said, promptly extinguishes the-flames. It rapidly absorbs the fluids deadens the flame, and can be readily gathered up and thrown out of doors when the fire is out. —A member of the Michigan Pomological Society stated at a late Adrian meeting that he was very successful in keeping winter apples, and had secured sound, fresh fruit in May by the following treatment: He picks his fruit in October, and places it in heaps in the orchard, covering the heaps with bay, which remain untouched till December, the slight moisture of the earth and the few inches of hay preventing any injury to the apples, even during sharp weather. They are then assorted and packed in barrels, which, after heading up, are placed in a cold cellar, which is kept at a temperature of about thirty-two degrees, and if it should happen to be a few' degrees lower for a short time the protection of the barrels will prevent any injury, and they will come out sound in the spring. —To Steam a Turkey.—All of us are used to roast and boiled turkey, but a steamed turkey is more of a novelty, while it is also a most delicious dish. Cleanse the fowl thoroughly, then rub pepper and salt well mixed into the inside of it. Fill up the body with oysters mixed with a small cupful of bread crumbs. Sew up all the apertures ; lay tire turkey in a large steamer and place over a kettle of boiling water; cover closely and steam thoroughly for two hours and a half. Now take it up; set the platter in a warm place, and turn whatever gravy there is in the steamer, straining it first into the oyster sauce, which you have prepared in the following manner: Take a pint of oysters, turn a pint of boiling water over them in a colander. Put the liquor on to boil, skim off whatever rises to the top. Thicken it with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed into two tablespoonfuls of butter; season well w’ith pepper and salt; add two or three tablespoonfuls of cream or milk to whiten it, and pour it over the turkey and platter; serve boiling hot. This sauce must be made while the turkey is still in the steamer, so that it can be poured over the turkey as soon as it is taken up.

Let Horses Go Barefoot.

Every day of my life I see horses who are begging their owners to relieve them from tight shoes. Let us bring the case hame. What does a man do who has bad corns? To relieve himself he at once pulls off his boot and relieves the pressure from the corn. Now, what is good for a man is good for a horse in very many cases, certainly where corns exist, and very few horses are entirely free from them. A month’s work barefooted on the snow will help a horse with corns more than his owner will believe, without trying ■ the experiment. Instead of being stuck upon three calks, the foot gets the true bearing which nature intended it should have. When I urge people to drive their horses barefoot on the snow, if only for a week or two, I am constantly told, “ My horsewill fall down, or break his hoof all to pieces.” Now, I know the horse will do “ nothing of the sort.” I don’t say that he can be driven at a three-min-ute gait and not chip his hoof; but Ido say that for all light driving, at a moderate, respectable rate, the hoof will never break to injure it. I drove my old horses (twenty-one and twenty-two years old), without shoes last winter, and tkey did not fall once, or slip any more, if as much, as horses which were calked, and whose calks were worn down. Another immense advantage in going barefoot is being able to drive through deep snow without feeling afraid that your horse will get cut with his calks.— Cor. Our Dumb Animals.

Seed-Corn.

Most farmers saved at the suitable time their seed-corn. But is it safe this wintef? Farmers should look to this question and should also know why and what care it needs. The analysis of corp shows that it contains, when dry enough to grind, about 15 per cent, of > water. This is its salient point. So i large a per cent, of water renders it lia- , ble to the destruction of its vitality by ! freezing or to fermentation by heat ? generated spontaneously. The hard, ! glossy covering of a grain of corn conj stitutes a good protection to the grain I while it is on the cob, so it is saffe to con- ! elude this is the best way to keep corn. The damp breath and noxious gases arising from cow or horse stables is exceedingly injurious to the vitality of corn, and it should never be put over stables occupied by any kind of animals. The great secret in the preservation of Seed-corn is in having it dry on the approach of cold weather and keep it dry, j with a plenty of free air. In a granary ; where the wheat, rye or oats go through ; a sweat or any dampness arising from ■ the bins is almost fatal to seed-corn. A ‘ corn crib, where it can have plenty of I room, free circulation of air,. • and > protected from any damp, is a good i place for it. In the garret of jfa i dwelling-house with a tight roof protecti ing from rain or drifting snows, with a dry and warm current of air passing up ! through the building, is the best place Lthe common farmer can use. But see j that snow does not sift through on it, thaw and then freeze. Serious failures in crops sometimes occur from bad seed planted too late for a second planting. Distress and ruin will come upon a man for slight neglects in the care of seed. Some may .have not furnished them-' selves seed. Now is the time to provide against such neglect. There is time now

aud it may be more easily obtained than in the hurry of planting crops. Look also at the kind of seed. In nearly all communities there are varieties of corn that differ in yield from ten to fifteen bushels per acre, and yet equally as early. The corn that has been grown on the same place until it produces nothing but nubbins had better be fed to hogs and a better article purchased, even if it has to be sought at some distance. — lowa State Regitter. • ±

Economy of Fuel.

To realize the question of economy of fuel it is necessary to consider in tfie first place what a given quantity of fuel is capable of doing. As regards hot water, if water is kept at a temperature of 200 degrees, or from that to 210 degrees, the gases from the fire can, after communicating the heat to the boiler, pass off into the chimney at a temperature of little beyond that point; but if the water be allowed to boil in the first place a large amount of latent heat is absorbed by the steam, which is lost if the steam passes off into the air or the chimney, and, in the second place, it will be found that the gases, after they pass off from the boiler, will have a temperature of as mqch as 300, 400, and even 500 degrees. Unless, therefore, water is required to be actually boiling for use, if the water is ’permitted to boil, a great quantity of heat is wasted up the chimney. For household purposes it is never necessary that the water in the boiler should exceed 200 degrees. Tea, to be good, should be made (as clearly shown by Francis Galton in his “ Art of Travel”) with water of temperature of from 180 to 200 degrees. Very few culinary operations require the water really to boil, and, when boiling water is wanted, it is required in a saucepan standing on the fire. All operations of cleaning, etc. (except washing clothes), require water at a very much lower temperature than 212 degrees. If, however, water at a higher temperature is wanted, it’can be supplied up to about 230 degrees without the generation of steam, by heating it under pressure; this can be attained by having a close boiler fed from a cistern placed at the top of the house. For the preparation of preserves and some other cooking operations such a system is most convenient?— The Housekeeper.

The Apple Orchard.

There are many farms in our pioneer settlements upon w’hich no apple or fruit trees have as yet been planted, while in - the older States new' orchards are annually set out to take the place of those past their prime and going to decay. Here we have two natural causes for a constant demand for fruit trees, and there is another also more potent than either, which is the increase in population. Twenty years ago many of our nurserymen and dealers in fruit trees predicted that the country w’ould soon be fully supplied because so many trees were annually propagated and planted; but time has shown that the demand for fruit has kept pace with the supply, and in some favorable localities has even exceeded it. We can well remember the time when the very best of winter apples, such as Rhode Island greenings, Spitzenburgs, and fall pippins would not bring fifty cents per barrel in any of the Central or Western New York markets, and farmers in those regions did not count their apples as a cash crop at any price. But the increase in our population, accompanied by increased facilities for shipping to a distant market, has changed all this, and orchards havq been renovated and thousands of new ones planted. The same thing is likely to occur in all localities, and should there be any at the present time where choice fruit is not in sufficient demand to warrant extended culture it must not be considered the rule for all time to come. Making selections of varieties is probably one of the most difficult questions to settle connected with fruit culture. In the first place it-is well known that certain varieties succeed much better in one locality and soil than they do in others;.in fact, there are few- or no varieties of- the apple that succeed well in all localities. Knowing this, our nurserymen who expect to do an extensive business propagate sorts adapted to a great variety of localities; hence the long array of names to be found in their catalogues. The man who only desires a dozen sorts is frequently puzzled to select them from a list of several hundred, all of which are described, and perhaps correctly, as excellent and desirable. The novice in these matters must bear in mind that the description of varieties as given in the catalogues must necessarily be very brief, the details in regard td’cultivation and adaptation to climates and soils being left out in great part or altogether. The best apples for the Middle States may not be the best for the Southern or extreme Northern, specific information on these points having to be determined by experiments with the varieties themselves. We must look into our standard pomological works for this information, or to the reports of lodSl societies in order to learn which are the best varieties to plant in any particular locality. A farmer in Minnesota or Wisconsin would be very foolish to purchase and plant the same varieties that he may have known to be excellent in Kentucky or Maryland. Still there are hundreds who have done sd, and been much disappointed in the result of the venture. This is one good reason why a man should always endeavor to obtain his trees of trustworthy dealers, and then if he does not know the merits of particular sorts himself he can leave the selection to the nurseryman. In extreqie northern localities none but the Russian and Siberian apples can'Tie depended upon, and pf these there are at present a goodly number of sorts in cultivation ; consequently in all the essential qualities, except perhaps size, the residents in the colder regions of our country may with proper care obtain an abundance of good apples. Without attempting to name the sprts known to succeed in any particular locality or region of country, we would say to every farmer who reads the WeMy Sun, do not purchase or give an order for appß or other trees without first consulting some good authority on the subject, unless you know positively from experience that the varieties about to be purchased are likely to succeed. There is scarcely a State or Territory at the present time in which there are not one or more local horticultural or agricultural societies, organized for the very purpose of obtaining and disseminating just the information needed by the novice in thesematters. If there are no such sources of specific information near at hand then a man. had better apply to the Secretary of the American Pomological Society, pr to the editor of some agricultural or horticultural journal fox a list.

There are thousands of farmers who to save a dollar or two as membership fee to some horticultural society or perhaps subscription to a newspaper have lost hundreds of dollars by being swindled in tne purchase of trees and plants entirely unsuited to their wants or the climate iiTwhich they reside. The most successful orchardists are those who have sought and obtained the best information on the subject.— N. Y. Sun.

Malleable Glass.

The French journals contain an » account of experiments made with a new kind of glass so perfectly annealed as to have lost all brittleness, wherefore the inventor calls it, justly or unjustly, malleable glass. His name is De la Bartre, and the experiments were made at the workshop of the railroad company of Pont d’Ain, said company wishing to ascertain the value of an invention which at the present day is exciting a great deal of interest, especially in such pursuits where glass is exposed to a great deal of strain and danger. ( A pane of common glass a quarter of an inch thick, of which the borders were supported by h wooden frame, was laid on the ground. A copper f weight of four ounces was dropped on its surface,elevating gradually the height of its fall. The glass broke at the shock caused by two-and-a-half feet of fall. In place of that pane anotlK-r,-half tuted, of one-eighth inch in thickness, of the glass tempered after the new method. The same weight was dropped, raising successfully to the height of the ceiling of the hall, without causing any damage to the glass. The experiments were continued outside the building, and the experimenter climbed on a ladder leaning against a wall, to let the weight fall, it broke at a fall from seventeen feet. It was then proved that the tempered glass does not break by shocks of longer or shorter duration, as the common glass does. It is broken in a great number of very small crystals, resulting from its new molecular disposition. When thrown on the ground the tempered glass rebounds, giving a special sound like that of the fall of a sheet of metal. The observations as to its resistance to heat have caused another series of experiments to be made. A strip of common glass was laid flat over the flame of a lamp. At the end of twenty-four seconds a sudden noise told that the glass was split. A glass annealed according to the new method subjected to the same — conditions resisted indefinitely. It was taken and plunged in a pail of water, put again all wet above the flame. It was in no way broken by the fire. Patents have been taken in France and in other countries. A society was formed at Bourg by the aid of some friends, who have offered their testimonial to the inventor. The buildings for manufacturing this kind of glass are in course of erection. We add to these details given by the local journals that the inventor patented .his process inFrance*" The claim of his invention is: As soon as the malleability begins the glass is thrown at once in a greasy, resinous or other substance, previously heated to various degrees, in proportion to the nature and quality of the glass on which they operate.— N. F. Grup/iie.

Drilled vs. Broadcast Wheat.

Dr. E. M. Pendleton, Professor of Agriculture in the Georgia State College of Agriculture, has made some experiments in sowing wheat broadcast and in drills, the results being largely in favor of the latter system. In the first place less than half the quantity of seed is required per acre, if sown in drills, than broadcast, this being no small item saved where a large area of land is cultivated. The yield reported is nearly 50 per cent, in favor of drilling; besides, for every bushel of wheat obtained from broadcast sowing, 137 pounds of straw were produced, and from the drilled only ninety-nine pounds. From this showing it would appear that a man, in raising thirty bushels of wheat per acre in drills, gets a half ton less straw than by the broadcast system; consequently drilled wheat is the least exhaustive of fertility in proportion to the amount of grain produced. In the experiments referred to it was further shown that culture of the growing crop produced decidedly beneficial results. After the crop was well started in spring, a subsoil plow was run between each two rows, breaking up the earth, but throwing none against the plants. If stirring the soil about corn in summer is beneficial, we can see no good reason why it should not be for the young wheat plant. Whether the increase in yield and quality of grain will be sufficient to pay the extra cost of culture remains to 1 be determined by a series of experiments extending through several years. One or two failures or successes are not to be taken as conclusive iw demonstrating the value or worthlessnessof such systems of culture.— N. K Sun.

Curious Trees.

Just beyond the Darbonne or Caleasieu River, in the parish of Caleasieu, is a white oak tree about two and a half feet in diameter. There are no branches for twenty-five or thirty feet up. About twelve or fifteen feet up a pine limb dr top part of a pine tree, six or eight inches in diameter and”twelve or sixteen feet long, runs at right angles through the center of the tree, sticking out about the same distance on either side. It tapers a little to one end, where are two or three knots, giving it the appearance of a tree-top. The oak, where it passes through, is grown closely around it. The pine is rich in turpentine and will not decay. There is no fork or hollow! in the oak, but it has the appearance as if a hole had been made and the pine stuck through, after which the oak • closed on it by growth. The question is, how did the pine get through the oak or the oak around the pinet In Mallet woods there is another -white oak of considerable size that divides into two prongs about one and a half feet from the ground, which, after running up like a pair of bow-legs about fifteen feet, unite in one round, compact stem. The prongs are about one and a half feet in diameter, and where they unite above the tree is larger than either of them, but smaller than both together. A man can walk between the two prongs and the tree stands on a land boundary line. Forked trees are very common, but the question here is, how did the two prongs unite so perfectly into one stem above? Comparing the two women together, the Milwaukee News Bays that “ Mrs Grant is not so handsome a woman as Anna Dickinson, but she can get up a better boiled dinner than Anna can.”