Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1875 — Page 6

Tiger-Hunting in Central India.

A single tiger will kill iui ox about every five days, if not disturbed, eating, if very hungry, both hind-quarters the first night. He will not go farther than he can help after this meal, but will return again next eight to the carcass, which, in the meantime, he open stores away under a bank or covers with leaves, etc. This time he will finish all but the head; next night he will clean the bones; and then for a ■couple or days he will not take the trouble to hunt for a meal, though he will strike down another quarry if it comes near him. Should he have been fired* at, however, when thu6 returning to his kill, he will frequently abandon such measures of economy, and kill a fresh bullock whenever he is hungry. A tigress and grown cubs are also far more destructive, finishing a bullock in a night, and, like the daughter of a horse-leech, always crying for more. Tltoyoung tigers seem to rejoice in the exercise of their growing strength, springing up against trees and scratching the bark as high as they can reach by way of gymnastics, and if they get among a herd of cattle striking down as many as they can get hold of. The tiger very seldom kills his prey by the •“ sledge-hammer stroke” of his fore-paw, so often talked about, the usual way being to seize with the teeth the nape of the neck, and at the same time use the paws to hold the victim, and give a purchase for the wrench that dislocates the neck. Tigers that prey on cattle are generally perfectly well known to the cowherds ami ■other who resort to their neighborhood They seldom molest men, and are often driven away from their prey, after killing it, by the unarmed herdsmen. Frequent- - ly they are known by particular names; and they really seem in many cases to live among the villagers and their herds much like a semi-domesticated animal, though, from a mutual consent to avoid direct interviews as much as possible, they are chiefly known by their tracks in the river-beds, and by their depredations on the cattle.- They do not, of course, confine their attacks to the cattle of a single -village, usually having a whole circle of them where they are on visiting terms, and among which they distribute their favors with great impartiality. Generally there is at least one native in every circle of villages whose profession is that of shiJcari, or hunter, and who is always on the outlook to shoot the village tiger. When he hears of a bullock having been killed he proceeds to the spot and, erecting a platform of leafy boughs in the nearest tree, watches by night for the return of the tiger who, though he may kill and lap the blood during the day, never feeds before sunset. Generally he does not get a shot, the tiger being extremely suspicious when approaching his “kill ” and the .shikaris being usually such bunglars at their work as to disturb bim by the noise of their preparations. Often he misses when he does shoot, the jungle-king being somewhat trying to the nerves; and if he kills one tiger in the course of the year lie considers himself lucky. His weapon is a long matchlock, which lie loads with six “ fingers” of powder and two bullets. These fly a little apart, and if they hit are usually the death of the tiger. His method of shooting is sometimes imitated by lazy European sportsmen. Another way of hunting ordinary tigers is to beat them out of their mid-day*re-treat with a strong gang of beaters, supplied with drums, fireworks, etc., the guns themselves being posted at likely spots ahead. This plan is often successful when the operations are directed by some one who knows the ground. Frequently, however, the tiger is not found at all, and moreover he very commonly manages to escape at the sides or break back through the beat without coming up to the guns at all. It has also the disadvantage of exposing the beaters to much danger; and there are few who shoot in this fashion who have not had more than one beater killed before them. To stalk in on a tiger in his retreat on foot is generally impracticable, as a man commands so little of a view in thick cover that he rarelj- sees the tiger in time for a shot. In some places, however, where tigers lie in rocky places inaccessible to elephants this is the only way to do: and a very certain one it then is, there being generally little cover and plenty of commanding elevations whence to see and shoot The best way of hunting the tiger is undoubtedly that usually adopted in Central India—namely: to bring in the aid of the trained elephant and follow and shoot him in his mid-day retreat Anyone who thinks he has only got to mount himself on the back of an elephant and go to a jungle where he has heard of tigers, to make sure of killing one, will find himself very much mistaken on trying. A number of sportsmen with a large line of elephants may kill tigers if they simply beat through likely covers for a long-enough time; and many tigers are thus killed, or by driving the jungle with beaters, without the possession of any skill in woodcraft whatever. But no sort of hunting requires more careful arrangements, greater knowledge of the habits of the animal, perseverance and good shooting than the pursuit of the tiger by a single sportsman with a single elephant.

At the outset of one’s experience in forest life it is impossible to avoid the belief that the tiger of story is about to show himself at every step one takes in thick jungle; and it is not tiiLevery effort to meet with him has been used in vain that one realizes how very little danger from tigers attends a mere rambler in the jungles. During ten years of pretty constant roaming about on foot in the most tigerish localities of the central provinces I have only once come across a tiger when I was not out shooting, and only twice more when I was not actually searching for tigers to shbot. In truth, excepting in the very haunts of a known man-eater, there is no danger whatever in traversing any part of the jungles of this, or 1 believe any other, part of India. Some people affect to despise the practice of using elephants in following tigers and talk a good deal about shooting them on foot. As regards danger to the sportsman nine-tenths of the tigers mid to be shot ob foot are really killed from trees or rocks, where the sportsman is quite secure. The only danger, then, is to the unfortunate beaters, if used; and when this is not the case the sport generally resolves itself into an undignified sneaking about the outskirts erf' the covers, in the hope of getting an occasional pot-shot from a se-„ cure position. In this method of hunting many more tigers are wounded than are finally secured, the only danger lying in following up a wounded animal, which is usually avoided; and thus an innocuous animal is often converted into a scourge of the country-side. A very few sportsmen do for a short period of their lives make a practice of hunting and shooting tigers really on foot, but drey are seldom very successful, and sooner or later get killed, -or have such narrow escapes as to cure them of such silly folly tor the remainder of their days. A man. on foot has no change whatever in thick jungle with a tiger that is bent on killing him. He can-

not see a yard before him, and (is himself conspicuous to every sense ol (he brute, who can completely hide in a place that looks scarcely enough to conceal a rat and can move at will through the thickest cover without the slightest sound or stir. At the same time the sportsman who, as a rule, uses an elephant in thick cover will find quite enough opportunities, in special cases, of testing his nerve on foqt, particularly if he marks down and tracks his Own game instead of employing shikaris to do so. Even on the elephant all is not perfect safety, instances being not rare of elephants being completely pulled down by tigers, while accidents from the running away of the elephant in tree-jungle arc still more common. Much df the excitement of the sport depends on the sportsman’s method of attacking the tiger. Some men box a tiger up in a corner and push in at all hazards, getting repeatedly charged, while others keep at a distance, circling round and offering doors of escape to the tiger, and never get a charge at all. As a rule, when on an elephant in tair ground, the object should be to get the tiger to charge, instead of letting him sneak away, as the hunt is then ended in a short and exciting encounter, while if let away it may be hours before lie is found again, if he ever is at all. —“ Highbinds of Central India," by Capt. James Forsyth. tV

A Pennsylvania Tragedy.

About five years ago William Russell, a farmer, living a few miles from this village, was left a widower with one child. The care of the farmer’s house then devolved upon his daughter .Harriet, aged sixteen years. A girl named Mary Stokes, about the same age, was employed to aid in the household work. Miss Russell discovered that her father was paying the attention of a lover to the girl. The farmer's daughter dismissed the Stokes girl from her situation in the family. When Russell learned of this proceeding he immediately brought the girl back and told his daughter that she was to rema^ there as long as she chose. The daugfiler 'ftwfeupon left “the bouse and went to work at sewing in the neighbor; hood. Mary Stokes finally left Russell’s, and a few days afterward sliss Russell resumed her old position in her father’s bouse. Living in this village was a highly-re-spected young carpenter named. Horton Hurst, llis father owned a farm adjoining that of the Kussells. Some years ago a difficulty arose between the two farmers about the proper location of a line fence. A long, bitter and expensive lawsuit followed. Farmer Hurst was finally successful in the suit, and died two years ago. Russell Jiated the name of Hurst, and when, some three years since, be made the discovery that bis daughter and the son of his old enemy bad formed an attachment for each other and were actu-, ally engaged to be married he threatened* to disown Harriet if she did not at once renounce the idea df wedding young' Hurst. She made the sacrifice in obedience to her parent About three months ago Russell astounded his daughter by telling her that he intended to soon marry the girl Mary Stokes, and bring her back to the farmhouse. Harriet assured him that when he brought his wife home he would find his daughter gone. Friday morning the old farmer, telling Harriet that he would return with his wife in the afternoon, drove away toward the home of Mary Stokes, 'fhe daughter placed the house in readiness for the return of her father, and about noon started for Roseville. She left behind her on the bureau in her room the following letter addressed to her father:

Dear Father —l have always tried to be a dutiful daughter to you, but the act you intend to do to-day is more than I can submit to, as I have more than once told you. You choose a companion above me. I hope she will be as true to you as I have been, and that Jou both will be very happy. Do not think am writing this with alight heart, although in leaving the home of mychildhood I go to find a home with one I have long loved and whose wife I expect to be in a few hours. God bless you, father, and good-by. Your once-loved daughter, Hattie. Upon reaching this village Miss Russell was met by Horton Hurst. They proceeded to the bouse of Mrs. William Filley, a sister of Hurst’s, and about three o’clock in the afternoon were married by the Rev. Mr. Young, of the Methodist Church. Afterward they went in company w ith Mrs. Filley and a young gentleman, a friend of Hurst’s, to the village tavern, where it had been arranged to take dinner. They were nearly through the repast, which had been very like a wedding feast, when the door of the din-ing-room was burst in, and Farmer Russell, pale with rage, and a singular glitter in his eye, sprang into the apartment. His daughter arose hastily and ran toward him with outstretched arms, but he threw her aside and sprang upon her husband. “ You scoundrel!” he exclaimed, “ you set my daughter up to leave her home!” He graspki Hurst by the throat, but the young man threw him off and commenced backing toward the door. Russell seized a knife from the table, and, getting between Hurst and the door, attempted to stab the young man. Hurst received the thrust in his arm, and seeing that the old man was bent on murder drew a revolver and warned him to stand back. Russell did not heed the warning, and continued to make deadly lunges with the knife. Hurst received many of these in the arm and shoulder. Hurst’s sister escaped from the room during the melee, and the young men present seemed to be paralyzed with terror. At last Hurst pushed his assailant back from him and leveled the pistol at him. His wife at this instant sprang between the men just as her husband’s pistol was discharged. The ball entered her brain, and she fell to the floor and expired without saying a word. The report of the pistol brought a number of persons into the room. Hurst had fallen an his knees beside his wife’s body, and, after several times frantically appealing to her by name to look up and speak to him, he rose to his feet and before a hand could be, extended to prevent him shot himself through the head and he fell dead beside his wife. Russell seemed stricken dumb by the fearful scene, and was led from the room like a child.

As soon as the excitement that followed the news of the tragedy could be so*ueallayed the bodies of the young married couple were removed to the residence of Mr. Fijlgy, followed, by , hundreds of People. In the evening an fnquest was held by James Powell, Justice of the Peace. Russell was arrested and held in $2,000 to await the action of the Grand Jury. A verdict that Mrs. Harriet R. Hurst met her death by the accidental discharge of a pistol, and that Horton Hurst came to his death by his own hand while temporarily insane, was rendered.—BasetiOe Cor. Philadelphia. Telegraph. „ A Pennsylvania coroner has petitioned the Legislature to abolish the use of stomach pumps in that State.

How Wild Animals Are Trained.

A reporter of the New York Mercury has obtained from “the great lion-tamer and wild-beast king, Charley ‘White," the following information respecting the subduing and training'of wild animals,: taken full-grown from the woods and jungles are generally much more easily trained than those that have been born in captivity and brought up by the human hand or by their mother in the cage. These latter or “ pet” animals, nearly always acquire many tricks and manners wliicli they have to unlearn before they tan be properly taught. Then, too, their constant familiarity from eariy cubhood with mankind tends greatly to divest them of that fear-of the human animal which is the first essential in their education to proper subjection. On the other hand, those beasts that are brought up so as to know no sentiment but fear soon learn that their ill-temper will not he tolerated for a moment, and that a fit of sulks only brings heavy punishment. The first great agent in taming wild beasts just taken from their' native lor-' ests is partial starvation.- They are kept without food until they are both weakened in-strength and subdued in temper and fierceness. Food is then given them by degrees, always by the same person, until they learn to recognize man. As soon as expedient their claws are cut so closely that, their power of mischief is nearly destroyed from those weapons—they are then muzzled, and having been sufficiently accustomed to "the presence of the keeper they are then exeraHsfd in a cage one at a time. The slightest sign of viciousness is instantly punished by a sharp blow until the animal learns to know the whip and to understand the word of command.

The same routine is pursued in the case of lions, tigers, panthers, leopards and all other animals of the cat kind, which must ever be controlled by fear, and mugt be constantly watched lest their treacherous nature break out. To teach an animal to jump through a hoop, a piece of meat is suspended-in such a manner as to be only accessible by a'leap through the ring—after a few repetions the animal soon learns to connect the ideas of food and the ring and the act of leaping, and will soon make tlie leap and he content to wait for the reward. It will be noticed that a cage of performing animals is always fed during or immediately after their exhibition. The nose is the most vulnerable spot. A sharp blow on the nose with a whip will give a lion or tiger exquisite pain, when a liit with a sledge-hammer between the eyes lie wouldn’t mind at all. Next to the nose the paws are the most sensitive portions of the frame. It is'often asserted that red-hot irons are used in training animals for public performances. This is all a mistake. Hot irons are only resorted to when a keeper has been seized and is in imminent danger, and hot irons chalice to be near. Sometimes they are used to separate two large lions or tigers which are fighting and cannot be driven apart in any other way. Long bars of iron or steel, heated to red heat in a forge, are pressed against the jaws and teeth of two fighting brutes. For a time each imagines that the unwonted pain comes from liis adversary; but a few minutes serve to convince both that some power more potent is at work, and they quickly return to milder duties. A lesson of hot irons seldom has to he repeated more than once a year. Of those animals seen in an ordinary performing cages the hardest to train is the black leopard. This animal is treacherous and always liable to break out into open insubordination. Thus it will be seen that, both in the training and the performing of caged animals, and in the keeping them in subjection at all times, the one element of fear is all that is mainly relied on. Only thus can they be managed with even tolerable safety, and no matter how carefully managed they will, in some sudden, inexplicable fit of ill-temper, attack a keeper whose daily companion they have been for years. Despite a commons-received opinion to the contrary, beasts —the larger felines, at all events—do not seem to possess the means of Communicating to each other any acquired knowledge. Each one has to be taught separately. The others tell him nothing. Among certain of the smaller animals this fact does not hold, as may appear in the sequel. The last few years have dissipated certain ideas, formerly universally prevalent, about various animals which were alleged to be untamable. These were notably the hyena, zebra, rhinoceros, gnu, or horned horse, and one or two of the minor animals, not usually considered worthy the trouble of taming. The first—and, indeed, we believe the only—rhinoceros tamed was broken by Dan Rice, when he was a circus proprietor. He broke the unwieldy brute to run round the ring backward and forward, being always controlled by a long ringrein fastened to an iron ring in his nose. This was all the sulky beast could be compelled to do. He would learn no trick and was always dangerous. The first hyena ever trained, or whose supposed fierce nature was ever overcome so as to submit to being handled by man, was one which was experimented on in 1854 by Charles White in Brooklyn. He was five or six years old, full grown, and as full of vice as all of his grave-rob-bing fraternity are reported to be. The first time the daring, trainer ventured into the cage Mr. Hyena came at him, mouth wide open, tusks protruding, screaming like an angry horse. It was evidently to he a sharp’ fight between the man and the brute. Mr. White, with a huge club in his hands, awaited the coming of the amiable Mr. H. As soon as Mr. R: got near enough Mr. White prostrated him with the club. This was repeated again and again till at length he needed no more club, and from this time was as docile as any untrained animal, and needed no more and no severer correction than does a young lion or leopard.

One large show in London had several hyenas trained to do tricks—they were performed by a stalwart negro, who, among other feats, fastened an iron belt around his waist, upon w hich were a number of hooks arranged like those we see in butchers’ shops. On these steel hooks were stuck pieces of raw and bloody meat which the animals were permitted to take off with their teeth when they had done their tricks. Their performances were similar to those of other animals, consisting of various leaps over the keep er’s back, over bars, through rings, and over banners, together with taking part in sundry posturing and grouping, of which the man is always the central figure. v ' QZebras have been so often broken to harness within the past ten or a dozen years that the old notion of their untamable nature has about faded out of recollection. It is by no means uncommon to see zebras driven about the ring in harness by circus managers.

The gnu, or horned horse, formerly thought to be the unicorn of the Bible, is another of the so-c Ailed untamable. He has, however, been sulklued to about the same extent as Dan Rice’s rhinoceros—that is, simply to leading, and that, too, with the greatest precaution. Bears, those which are so-tame as to walk the street comparatively übguarded, with the organ-grinders, are easily taught. Bruin is simply a graft, good-natured pig, rather disinclined to active exertion of all sorts. Having a particular sensitive spot in the instance of his nose he is comparatively easy to manage. His intelligence is nearly equal to that of the dog, and were it not for his unwieldly shape and his great weight and tendency to corpulency could easily be taught to do all the jumps and rollings-over and other feats of agility in which the dog so much excels. The most that is required of him, however, is to climb poles, and posts, to puss around a tin cup for pennies, to go through various semi-military maneuvers with a stick in imitation of a gun, and occasionally to take part in a simulated sparring-match, ih wliicli, slow as he is, he is certain to win. Sometimes .poor Bruin will perform a peculiar slow series of steps, which is called a dance, and a well-trained bear will even waltz with his master. Beyond the rough training elephants receive in the countries where they are caught, which teaches them to mind the words of the keeper and to submit to its necessary bonds,"' it has to undergo a special education to enable it to go through its many tricks in the broad arena of the circus. Being more intelligent than a dog, as tractable as a horse, as full of pride and vanity as a woman, and quite as willing to learn as his master is to have him, his teaching is a matter of but short time. He learns by imitation, and will adopt a new trick from seeing another animal perform it far more readily than a dog will. A little coaxing, feeding with much-loved delicacies (lie is passionately fond of sweets of all kinds and fruits), appealing to his vanity by gay trappings and dresses, and Mix Elephant soon learns to trot, walk, lie down, get up, go lame, sham steps, stand on tubs, walk tlie tight-rope, stand on his head, and in fact to undertake anything which the keeper can make him understand. Elephants are worth from $2,000 to $30,000 each, according to size, age, docility, amount of training, etc. It being natural to monkeys to climb, it is very easy to teach them to" run up balconies and second floors to collect small moneys from the little people, a sharp jerk from tlie long pords attached to tlieir waists soon bringing them back to earth if they seem disposed to wander out of hounds. They are taught to hold little sticks in their hands in imitation of a gun by placing the sticks in their hands and rapping them sharply if they let them fall before the word is given. A great advantage is'also taaen of the monkey’s faculty of imitation. The trainer will handle the stick or fire off tlie pistol or pick up pennies from the ground and put them into the red cap, and in a short time, if left to himself, Mr. Monkey is sure to imitate ali the operations, thus unconsciously learning all the lessons which are to earn him his living in after life. The little street performer with his red military suit, or the little lady with her fine embroidered petticoat, are corrected much more severely for losing or overlooking a pennyin the collections of the day than for forgetting or bungling any of the tricks. This accounts for the restless eagerness with which a street monkey will scratch “over every inch of “dust and gravel, and the great sigh of satisfaction he will give when he at last picks up the last of the scanty donations. Losing a penny means to him also losing his supper as well, to say nothing of a sound whipping thrown in gratuitously.

The Suicide Mania.

From the memoranda of tlie large number of suicides which have been committed within the past two months it would seem that a perfect suicide mania, almost equaling an epidemic, is passing over the country, old and young, rich and poor, alike becoming its victims. Various causes are assigned by sociological philosophers tor the mental condition which superinduces suicide, and it is questioned whether one who is in the full possession of the mental faculties can or ever did succumb to it. To those who are in their right minds it does not seem possible, and for this reason, if for no other, the probabilities of the argument are on the side of those who contend that no person, unless afflicted with insanity, either spasmodic or as a disease, can commit suicide.

Be this as it may, however, a contemporary, with much show T of reason, assigns two causes as the chief ones which lead to self-destruction, viz.: Domestic troubles and financial embarrassments. To one who has read the long line of suicides which have occurred recently these causes are certainly the most prominent ones, and a remedy could easily be found could society be organized upon a more healthful basis. Marriages are too often recklessly entered upon without seriously counting their cost or the mutual obligations they impose, and after a brief period of time, when the glamour of romance has all passed away, and sober reality takes its place, the full measure of the mistakes made is realized, and it follows that either two unmated mates must fight out a peaceless battle of life, or resort to the divorce courts, desertion, mutual separation or suicide. Women, through their dependence and poverty, are generally the greater sufferers if mated with brutal or reckless men, and as to them honorable support is surrounded with greater difficulties they oftener become victims to the suicide mania than men. The reckless extravagance of fiving deemed requisite to occupy social positions of respectability, and to live beyond one’s real and ostensible means, as it leads to financial embarrassments, is, with the proud and ambitious, a potent stimulant for the suicide, who, too weak to-bear disappointment, flies to self-destruction for relief and oblivion. , While nothing can be more pitiable than a mental state of such intense despair and hopelessness that it seeks death as its only remedy, the sympathy which a community feels for the unhappy victims of such a condition ought not to mislead public opinion to an under-estimation of the great weakness of character which impels the suicide. While civilization makes self-destruction no longer dishonorable, and it is not held in the light of a cardinal sin, and the old customs whereby various brutalities of burial were practiced have become obsolete, still it is the duty of the press and all those who have power of molding public opinion to point out theYeal weakness which causes suicide, and show that those w f ho 'patiently take up the burden of life and bear it with good sense and philosophy are really the true heroes and heroines of the world.— Toledo Blqde.

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

—Bell peppers make very fine mangoes, stuffed just as you would musk-melons, omitting pepper and substituting celery seed. y —To seal preserves, beat the white of an egg, take good white paper (tissue is the best), cut it the size you require, and dip it in the egg, wetting both sides. Cover your jars or tumblers, carefully pressing down the edges of the paper. When dry it-will be as tight as a drum-bead. —Tomatoes and Rice. —Scald a tea-cup of good rice; scald and peel five to six nice, ripe tomatoes; put both together in a stew-pan, add a tablespoonful of sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and-water enough to bring the rice when done to the consistency of plain-boiled rice. Before taking up add a tablespoonful of butter. —Through the country everywhere we find as the corn is cut up such vast quantities of weeds. Now if one were to select a farm it would be satisfactory to have it capable of growing thrifty weeds, but it is too bad to have the capabilities of a field divided between twg crops, one of which is worthless to the proprietor. Weeds are not legitimate channels for the passage of elements of plant growth, and they are a shame to a farmer, and it only looks worse when we see them in a corn-field after the crop is cut.— Detroit Free Press. —A writer in the Florida Agriculturist says that kerosene will relieve the irritation occasioned Jby poison from ivy in forty minutes and eradicate the poison entirely in as many hours. With the point of -the finger or a soft brush rub a small portion of the oil over the places where the eruption appears, repeatingiftie application three or four times a day. Relief from the itching will be almost immediate and .the cure certain and speedy. Other cutaneous diseases, he adds, such as ring-worm, itch and the lighter type of tetter, can be cured by the same treatment, and the minutest drop of kerosene will kill bedbugs quicker than lightning. —To make tomato figs, pour boilingwater over the tomatoes to remove the skins; weigh and place them in a stone jar, with as much sugar as you have tomatoes, and let them s‘and two days; pour off the sirup and boil and skim it until no scum rises. Then pour it over the tomatoes, and let them stand two days, as before ; boil and skim again. After a third time they are fit to dry, if the weather is good; if not, let them stand in the sirup until drying weather. Then place on large earthen plates or dishes, and put them in the sun to dry, which will take about a week, after which pack them down in small wooden boxes, with fine white sugar between each layer. Tomatoes prepared in this manner will keep for years.— American Farm Journal.

Pasturing Meadows.

The principal object in managing meadows is to keep down noxious weeds and increase or multiply the useful grasses. Whatever encourages the growth of useful plants tends to decrease the number of noxious ones, through a natural system of crow-ding out. The farmer usually commences operations for a meadow by destroying the wild plants by plowing and harrowing the land, after which seeds of choice kinds are sown, thereby giving them'(the advantage over the wild herbs formerly in possession of the soil. Up to this point the majority of our farmers proceed with some 6liow of system and forethought in their operations, but after reaching it, or getting their meadows well established, they depart from a judicious course of management very rapidly. The first mistake is in neglecting to apply tertilizers that would keep up a vigorous grow-tli of the tame grass and compensate tor the loss of fertility removed in each crop of hay. As the soil becomes too poor for the support of a high order of plants a lower takes their place, the inputritious crowding out the nutritious. But a great source of evil is the severe pasturing to which many farmers subject their meadows in the fall. Men who should know, if they do not, that continually depriving plants of foliage is certain death to the roots will keep their .paeadows cropped close even up to the time cold weather sets in, and then puzzle their brains to know why certain kinds of grasses “ run out.” On very rich soils, where a strong, luxuriant aftermath is produced in tlie latter part of summer, there can be no great objection to light pasturing, but even in such instances stock should be removed before the ground becomes soft enough to permit of injury to the sod by their feet breaking through. It is true that the droppings of animals will in part compensate for the injury which may be done in close cropping of meadows in fall, but it will bear no comparison to the damage which is done by breaking up the sod after it has become soft and spongy late in the season. The most luxuriant growth of grass during the latter part of summer is usually on low, moist ground, where the trampling of stock is likely to be the most injurious. The tame grasses are killed out in this way and their place occupied by the wild sedges, which are worthless as food for stock. A word to the wise should be sufficient on this subject of pasturing meadows.— N. Y. Sun.

Wheat After Wheat.

On all new land, and everywhere in the wheat-growing sections of this country when first settled, the growing of wheat after wheat was the common practice. This was partly a necessity, for in early days wheat was often the only crop which would bring a cash price, and even now it is almost always the crop that best beam the cost of transportation, owing to its higher price per bushel. For a time this severe cropping did net seem to injure the soil or seriously impair its fertility. There would, occasionally, be a poor crop, but this was attributed to cold or wet or drought, rather than poverty of soil. But it soon began to be noticed that these mjcidents of the season I 'occurred more and more frequently, until finally only with perfect weather throughout could a crop be assured. Of late years, in the older-settied pans of the country, wheat is very rarely grown after wheat, and in many places there is almost f a superstitious objection to this method of cropping. Yet, as successive crops of wheat have been and are grown on new land, it is evident that the difficulty is not the practice itself, but in the londition of the soil. Make the soil riclrenough, and a second or even third crop of wheat may be grown, and the last be as good as the first We have often known the second crop to be better where the first was sown on a newly-turned sod, which will be in much better condition for the second crop than for the first. As for the. exhaustion of fertility, two crops of wheat in succession are certainly no worse than the common rotation of corn or potatoes, followed by oats or barley, and that by wheat. A wheat stubble is n worse than oats or barley, and we incline to think it

rather better, especially if plowed as soon as the crop is harvested. Either way we have two grain crops in succession, and our experience is that wheat is not so exhaustive as oats. We do not advocate sowing wheat after wheat as a general practice, hut there are some occasions when it seems advisable, and others where it may be provided for. If tlie clover catch has entirely failed it is better to plow and je-seed with wheat than to leave the field till spring to be sown with oats or barley, and then with wheat a year later. It is better than to have the field barren a year to fill with weeds, as such fields are sure to do. With a very little manure as topdressing, or some commercial fertilizer drilled in w r ith the seed, wheat after wheat is one of the most certain of crops, and there is an absolute certainty of a good catch of clover. - ' 1 There is one place where twq crops of wheat ought always to be taken, and that is after a heavy growth of clover has been plowed under and the field summer-fal- • lowed.' This preparation is the very- best for wheat; but it is .too costly to be afforded for one crop, and there is a further dis- , Acuity in getting a good growth of clover on such land. Unless the season i? very favorable for clover there will not he half a catch, and in dry seasons the field after harvest will he almost bare. The result, will be that the-next year the weeds will have free course, ana fill the soil with seeds as badly as before it was fallowed. One chief use,of a summer-fallow is to make the land'clear; and where theclover fails this advantage is entirely neutralized. Our way with suoh fields is to not sow clover-seed on a clover ley, for it will be a waste of seed, but turn under the stubble immediately after harvest, fit the land as well as possible and drill in 200 pounds of superphosphate per acre with the wheat, using as much barn-yard manure as topdressing as we can obtain. Next spring seed heavily with clover, and it will grow in such a mat as to. entirely eradicate the weeds. In this way the costly summerfallow is made to give two good crops of wheat and a good catch of clover, rather than one crop of wheat and no seeding. It is easy to see which method is likely to be most profitable. Timothy seed sown in the fall will generally give a good catch on clover sod; but the effects of clover in improving the soil are so important that we prefer to wait a year longer and take a second crop of wheat in order to insure a good growth of clover. —j ßural Few Yorker.

Irrigating Grass Lands.

The luxuriant pastures in which cattle aud sheep now revel and grow.fat and the abundant growth of aftermath on meadows, even those that produced a very light crop g£ hay, sufficiently demonstrates to the most superficial observer that an abundance of water is necessary to the best success in grass culture. We have not had such fall pastures for a great many years, simply because we have not had such a wet summer for a great many years. In many localities the hay crop was short because of insufficient rains in the spring. We have seen some meadows that would mow a better second crop than they did the first. These facts prove the advantages pf irrigation, as far as the. grass crop is concerned. —™ There are thousands ot farms in Ohio and adjoining States where irrigation is both practicable and economical, and where it is an absolute waste not to apply it. In dcterminmg whether it will pay or not it will be perfectly safe to estimate tlie grass crop at double what it would be without irrigation. According to the best information we can obtain it is really greater than this, and in some localities it would be four times as great as without irrigation. Then it must be remembered that with irrigation grass lands will produce these extra crops for an almost indefinite period, without manure or the trouble and expense of plowing up and reseeding. The extent of surface that can be irrigated must also be considered, as it might cost as much to irrigate ten acres as fifty, and of course the profits in the former case be only one-fifth as much as in the latter. Against all the advantages or profits place the cost of damming, trenching, manuring, reseeding, etc., and you can tell whether it will pay to attempt it or not. On one farm we know of it was shown that an abundance ot water could be conducted from a never-failing steam half a mile distant at a cost of SI,OOO, and fifty acres of dry, sandy soil could be irrigated thereby. If the grass crop could be doubled by this process how long would it take to pay the cost of constructing the ditch? Many farms are so favorably situated that irrigation is available with very little expense. Wherever a reservoir can be filled, on higher ground than that which is to be irrigated, either from springs, rains, swamp drainage or brooks, there irrigation is available and should not be neglected, for there is no other means that will produce so much profit at so little expense. We have said nothing about how irrigation increases the crops; this fact is taken for granted, as it has been demonstrated thousands of times in all ages the world, and in all countries. Our object is to simply call the attention of farmers to the subject. If additional information is desirea in regard to methods employed or results accomplished, it can be easily furnished. —Ohio Farmer.

Hens Eating Eggs—A Cure.

A correspondent of the Poultry Bulletin says: Having seen the question asked how to cure hens from eating eggs, and having been pul to my wital ena to devise some means to stop them, I finally, by accident, hit upon a plan that I have never known to fail. One great trouble with many breeders is, they make their hens’ nest too large, and Brahmas and Cochins the nests are near the ground, and in many cases the eggs are in view of the lien. This was the case with my nests. Having tried every available stuff, such as pepper, mustard, turpentine, and everything I could hear of, hut no cure, I then took a common nail-keg, cut it in two, or a piece about eight inches high, and placed it in the box where the hens laid. I then put in an egg; the old hen mounted the nest or keg and tried to reach the egg, standings on the edge of the keg, but it was no go; she then got down in the keg, but that was a failure, for she did not have room to get at the egg; after trying for some time she gave it up as a bad job. I have never have had an egg eaten by the hens since then; all of the nests in my coops have a piece of a keg in the boa, and have parts of kegs for nests. Do n*'t makethem too deep, but deep enough so that 9 the hen cannot reach the bottom when standing on the edge of the keg. You that are troubled with hens eating their eggs, by plan; it costs but little, and I think you will nevi r regret the trouble it will be to outwit the old hen.