Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1902 — Page 7

AGRICULTURAL

Throwing the Ball. Put a halter on. Take a sound ordinary cart rope, make a loop at one end and pass it over the head and let It rest close around the neck, low down, like a collar; bring the rope to the near side, pass it over the back just behind the shoulders, bring it underneath the chest and pass it under and then above the rope, so as to make a loop around the chest; carry the rope back, pass it over the loins and bring it underneath the belly, close to the flanks; make another loop as and carry the rope straight behind the animal and tighten up the loops, one close to the elbows, the other close to the hind flanks. All being ready, in-

HOW TO THROW A BULL.

struct the man who holds the halter shank to pull forward, and at the same time the men who have hold o£,.the loose end of the rope to pull straight backward, and down the animal goes, generally without a struggle. Keep the head down and the rope firm, and as a rule the animal lies quietly until such time It Is desired he should get up, when slacken the rope and up he gets, none the worse forjthe casting. The heaviest bull may be cast in this way, but of course no one would think of casting an in-calf cow or heifer either this or any other way.—Exchange. Effects of- Freezing Seeds. Prof. A. D. Selby of the Ohio station has tested the effects of extreme cold upon certain seeds, Including corn, wheat, rye, flax, sunflower, castor bean, cucumber, mimosa, yellow lupine, sain foln and pine. They were taken right from the temperature of the room and Immersed in liquid air, for six, twelve, twenty-four and forty-eight hours for each lot. The liquid air represents a temperature equal to 310 degrees below zero, certainly an extreme test, for it Is not often that the coldest portion of the United States reaches much more than 50 degrees below zero. The seeds were germinated by the side of lots not subjected to treatment, and there was no essential difference in the proportion that germinated. The com was not of high grade, and the starchy portion cracked badly, but the germ did not seem to be affected. The extreme cold seemed to be favorable rather than otherwise to the flax and rye. Of course the seeds were properly dried, that is air dry, before being subjected to the test, but with this precaution the farmer need not fear injury to seeds from freezing weather. If the castor bean, native of a tropical climate, could cold, our garden beans and peas should do so, and we see no good reason why squash, pumpkin and melon seed should not endure cold as well as cucumbers, or clover, cabbage, turnip and others of the same size as well as lupine and flaxseed.—American Cultivator. Growing Corn. Secretary Wilson said, after returning from his Inspection of the corn crop last fall, that there were many fields injured by the beat withering the tassels so that they failed fertilize the silk; but this was much less noticeable where there Was an abundance of organic or vegetable matter from plowed-under grass roots. Shallow cultivating frequently, so as to maintain a dust mulch of two or three Inches on the surface, also seemed a benefit where It was practiced, as it prevented evaporation of moisture below, as also the organic matter helped to retain moisture In the soil. Much of the bottom land Is too wet In the spring, causing the corn roots to spread out too near the surface, and also to dry up when the drought came. Such land should be underdrained, that this surplus moisture may be carried away, the ground be ready to work eartier, and the roots to strike down deeper. How Much Grain. The amount of grain fed should vary with the Individuality of the cows, says p?rof. D. H. Otis. A cow giving thirtyfive to forty pounds of milk dally will steed from twelve to fifteen pounds per (day, while a cow giving fifteen to (twenty pounds of milk will probably jnot need over six to eight pounds of £rain. The amount of groin should (vary with the yield of milk. Give the cows all the grain they will consume at a profit. ' Make th* Cow Comfortable. A cow Is a great deal like a person. She cnjojyj a good and comfortable place to.cat and sleep as well as any plan. Do yon think that you would en-

joy standing out on the south side of a barbed wire fence to eat your meals when the wind is blowing at the rate of forty or fifty miles an hour from the northwest In the winter? No, I guess not! Can you expect a cow to make you money when served in that way? Then, summing up all of this, the cow must be at .ui'i foot case iiinFcothfOTU" ably situated and have kind treatment in order to give good results. Use of Preservatives. The committee of the British Local Government Board has been for two years investigating the Subject of preservatives and coloring matter In foods, and their report does not indicate the danger from their use that had been feared by the alarmists. They name as these preservatives four classes, borax or boric acid and its compounds, sulphurous acid and sulphites, salicylic acid or its soda salt, which is more soluble, and formaline ’or formaldehyde (made from wood alcohol). Of these the last is the only one in which they could find any proof of injury caused by their use. Yet as milk that is clean and properly cared for needs no preservatives, they would run no risks in an article of food so largely consumed by young children and recommend that the addition of preservatives or coloring matter to milk offered for sale in the United Kingdom shall be an offense under the “sale of food and drugs” act. They would have the use of formaldehyde and its preparations absolutely prohib-. ited, and that salicylic acid should not be used to over the amount of one grain in a pint or pound of food. There is no evidence that it is hurtful in this small quantity. For butter, cream and margerlne only boric acid or borate of soda should be allowed to be used, and that only to amount of one-fourth of one per cent in cream and one-half of one per cent in butter. Corijfort for Swine. »A model sleeping room for swine may be cheaply constructed by using heavy lumber and covering it with tarred paper. The house should be set up from the ground the height of a brick laid flat at each corner and the space between the corners filled in with boards to keep out the wind. The floor should be of plank or cement, and there should be some division between the portion where the animals are to sleep and the clear space in the house. This division need be nothing more than an eightinch plank set on edge. Plenty of straw should be used for bedding, and when it is broken up so that it is too fine for this purpose it may be scattered over the floor in the clear portion of the house.

Handy Feeding Box. The feeding box will prevent the greedy or stronger individuals from getting more than their share of food. Chopped ' roots, cabbage, etc., are placed in the box and by the shape of the backboard kept in motion as tbe supply at the bottom is eaten through

FEEDING BOX.

the narrow opening of the front board. The box is supported on a low, tablelike structure with a narrow cleat around the edge, to prevent the food from falling to the ground. A cover should be attached so that the fowls or sheep can not get at tbe contents of tbe box from tbe top. If Men Only Would. If the young men who are measuring tape and laces would surrender their work to the young girls who are seeking employment and turn their attention to the pursuits of agriculture, there would be less misery and more contentment In the land; there wfiuld be more independence and less servility; more men and fewer creatures; more .happy wives with comfortable homes, healthful children and cheerful tempers.—Southern Farm Magazine. ———“vBase Corn Shredders. Reports of people being Injured by corn shredders are so frequent that the demand for a safer machine of this kind Is growing. Such machines are now on the market Tbe operator stands about eight feet from the snapping rolls, and puts the com on a feeder, which carries It Into tbe machine. .Turnips for Blieep. The turnip or rye is so watery that it Is not worth intrlnslcaly half of Its approved value in practice. It is a tonic. It loosens tbe Juices of the body, it supplies a lubricant for tbe bowels. Sheep are as' hungry for this poor, watery brouse as they are for salt when long denied.

CHICAGO PROFESSOR CLAIMS TO HAVE STAYED DEATH’S HAND.

$7? N announcement made by Prof. Jacques JLoeb at the University of Chicago. is to the effect that on a minute scale the secret of eternal life is in the of mankind. Dr. Loeb delivered an address at the fourteenth annual meeting of the American Physiological Society and described a series of experiments with which he had been occupied. These were with the eggs of the lower marine animals, especially those of the sea urchiu, and the professor’s paper was entitled, “The Prolongation of Life of Unfertilized Eg gs of the Sea Urchin by Potassium Cyanide.” Dr. Loeb maintained that his experiments prove death to be caused by the work of an active agent in the cells of the body and not by the decay of the tissues. His object was to annul the activity of this agent and he claims that he was successful. Unfertilized eggs of the sea urchin were placed in a weak solution of potassium cyanide and abandoned for several days. In ordinary conditions an unfertilized egg dies in a few hours, destroyed by the death agents born with it. At the end of several days the eggs were again examined and were found to be still capable pf fertilization and of producing healthy animals. In explaining the results, Prof. Loeb said that the “mortiferous processes” were due to the actions of certain ferments of an unknown nature, whose destructive tendency was counteracted by the potassium salts.—Chicago American.

A REMARKABLE SITUATION.

Uncle Sam's Overflowing Treasury Too Much for Mr. Gage. As with private individuals, most governments are chiefly concerned with devising ways and means to make the income of their treasuries sufficiently great to meet the outgo. Italy is practically bankrupt and her people are driven to the verge of desperation and rebellion by the pressure of taxes. The German Emperor is at his wits’ ends to devise means for raising the money necessary for the carrying out of his pet schemes. Even rich old John Bull is finding difficulty in raising the wherewithal to meet his current expenses, so great is the expenditure caused by the South African war. With Uncle Sam the anxiety arises from an exactly opposite cause. His income is so much greater than his ex-

EX-SECRETARY OF TREASURY GAGE.

penses that his strong box is overflowing, and he is perplexed as to how to dispose of an enormous and constantly increasing surplus. Tlie growth in the United States treasury fund is unprecedented, and Secretary Lyman J. Gage confessed himself overwhelmed, and is only too glad to surrender the shovel to Leslie M. Shaw of lowa. Never before in the history of the United States has a Secretary of the Treasury been confronted with such a problem as Mr. Shaw must face. At a time when the other great countries of the world find themselves at the end of their intellectual resources to devise means for stopping the tremendous and constantly growing deficits, the United States actually is at a loss how to dispose of its enormous surplus, a quantity which is increasing in leaps and bounds. The available cagh balance is now about $175,009,090, exclusive of the $150,000,000 in the reserve fund. Tho excess of receipts over expenditures for the past six months has been nearly $45,000,000, more than double the excess for the corresponding six mouths of last year; and this despite the reduction 'or abolishing of the internal revenue taxes. The amount of gold, free of all demands | outstanding, and held in the treasury amounts id $71,000,000 in coin. Besides this there is $58,000,000 in gold certifi cates. The ofily way the Secretary may hold down this surplus is by the roduction of the national debt. This debt Is in the form of bonds. Secretary Gage bought back $43,000,000 worth of these bonds, but neither he nor hie successor dares go much farther. He cannot buy them except at a premium, and ft would be considered bad policy for tbe Secretary to bld against himself by raising the market for bonds.

PROF JACQ UES LOEB.

MARVELOUS FEAT OF “FILLING” BY THE “Q."

The greatest prairie land “filling” known to railroads in thh West is under way on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad at a point known as “Sugar Creek,” near Ottumwa, lowa. A valley seventy-one feet deep, between the crests of two hills 2,600 feet apart, is being filled up. The work will require ”28,000 cubic yards of grading and will not be finished for a year, although begun in June last. At the top of one of the hills three 'Steam shovels dump clay in ihe cars, which a .dummy engine pushes out upon, the high, portable iron bridge, where they deposit their loads into the valley. With one end supported upon the hill and the other upon trestle work the bridge is moved along as the work advances. When the grading is completed it will be 275 feet wide at the base. To provide for the spring flood waters which rush along “Sugar Creek” two thirty-five-foot arches have been constructed. One hundred and fifty men were employed iu their construction. Besides the stone the arch work contains 600,000 bricks.

IMMIGRATION IS INCREASING.

More Immigrantu Last Year than in Any Other Year Since 1801. A report of the number of immigrants to the United States last year has been issued by Eben E. McLeod, chairman of the Western Passenger Association. The figures show that the total number arriving last year was 487,018, which, with the exception of.J he year 1891, is the largest showing made since 1888. • The following table shows the increase or decrease of the countries of Europe: Countries. 1900. 1901. Inc. Austria-Hungary ....114,847 113,390 *1,467 Belgium 1,190 1.579 383 Pen mark 2.920 3.050 729 France 1.739 3,100 1,411 German empire IK,507 21,651 3,144 Greece 3,771 5,910 2,139 1ta1y100,135 135,996 35.MJ1 Netherlands 1,7:16 2,349 014 Norway 9A75 12,248 2,073 Portugal 4.234 4.105 *69 Huumaiila'. 0,469 7,156 090 itussl.i ... .;90,787 88,257 *5,530 Hervla. Bulgaria .... 104 G 67 549 Bpal ii 355 592 237 Sweden.... 18.060 23,321 4,681 Kwltxerlanil .... .... 1,152 2,201 1,049 Turkey In Europe,... 2*5 3K7 102 United Klugiloni .... 48,237 45,540 *2,091 Not specified 2 18 16 Total Kurope ..,.424,700 469,237 54.284 •Decrease.

RICHARD 'CROKER ABDICATES.

The New Leader of Tamftuay Hall la. Lewie Nixon. Richard Croker is no longer the leader <>f the New York Tammany hall. He has retired from the Chairmanship of the Finance Committee and will soon sail for Europe to lie gone for an indefinite period. I>ewl» Nixon, his snceeasor, was elected at a meeting held Saturday night. Mr. Nixon, tbe new bead of the tiger organisation, says he ia not going te be * figurebead. He ia about 40 yean old.

A PARTISAN ALMANAC

CURIOUS OUTGIVING OF THE AMERICAN COBDENITES. It Treats of Eclipses, but Fails to Record the Terrible Eclipse Which the Tariff Reformers Brought On the Country from 1803 to 1807. A copy, of the Free-Ttade Almapac for 1902/ has been received by the American Economist, bearing the imprint, “Issued by the American FreeTrade League, GO2-3 Tremont Building, Boston, U. S. A. Price, five cents.” Cheap enough, one would say at first thought and yet dear enough would be the second thought when one considers /the cause in propagation of which the Almanac is put, forth. For example, we find: “Its object shall be to free our trade, our industries and our people from all tariff taxes except those imposed for revenue only. “Its method shall be to enlist conscience, intelligence and patriotism against the system called protection, which at the dictation of organized wealth taxes the whole American people for the benefit of a few.” Five cents is a good deal of money to pay for that sort of thing! But there is a liberal discount for cash and large quantities. If you should happen to want 100, you may have them at 2 cents apiece. At that price no family need suffer for lack of the FreeTrade Almanac. These are protection times, it must be remembered, and nearly everybody nowadays can scrape 2 cents together. It was not so, however, in free-trade times of recent memory. In those days there were vast numbers of people who had lost their jobs and didn’t have 2 cents to buy bread, much less a Free-Trade Almanac. Commercially the outlook for

THREE THINGS WHICH WE NEED MORE THAN RECIPROCITY.

this publication Is better than it would have been four to eight years ago. Whether the enterprise will win Its share of the general prosperity which its promoters had no hand in bringing about is another question. Be that as it may, the Free-Trade Almanac is before the people, and Its publishers are prepared to push It. They tell us that they have come up from small beginnings and that they are now In flourishing shape. Tbe organization first saw the light in 1884 and was christened the Massachusetts Tariff Reform league. In 1888 it burst the bonds of Statehood and became the New England Tariff Reform League. Next it broke the shackles of Tariff Reform and in 1894 blazoned forth as the New England Free-Trade League. Last November it had grown so bold as to defy all local limitations, and it now calls Itself the American Free-Trade League. Under this title it may claim a practically unlimited Jurisdiction in the Western hemisphere. It may hope for an Esquimau member from Cape Columbia in the Far North, and we are quite certain it would not reject a cash contribution from Terra del Fuego. There is room for the organization to grow—anywhere outside of the United States. According to the Almanac: “The membership of the League now numbers over a thousand, representing forty States and Canada, and including a number of manufacturers, many business and professional men, and over thirty college professors and teachers of economics. President Charles W. Eliot, of Harvard; Dr. William G. Sumner, of Yale, and many others. A more Intelligent, patriotic body of men cannot be found. No sordid greed of gain brings them together, but the desire and hope of serving their country and redeeming her from the errors and oppressions of “protection," and setting her upon tbe true path of Justice, sound economics, and world-wide commercial supremacy. Besides tbe annual dues, many of them zealously and generously aid the cause by voice, pen and money. Last year $5,650 was thus contributed, 24 articles written by members and others without pay, and 240,000 pamphlets sent broadcast over the country.” As an almanac pure and simple we tannot conscientiously Indorse the pubIcatlon. It cantalna, to be sure, some neteorologlcal matter of Interest, but t leaves out much Information that should have place in a work of this tbaracter. For example, we are told ihat “There will be five eclipses la 1902, three of ths sun and two of the moon.

four of which will be invisible >n tbo United States.” ’ But not a word about the terrible eclipse of 1893-97, when the sun of prosperity was for nearly four years invisible behind a heavy bank of tariff reform clouds, and only emerged when the skies were cleared by the advent of McKinley and protection. Strange omission! Important as the publication may be considered by virtue of the pleas in behalf of Industrial and commercial devastation by a score or less of gifted contributors, it cannot be commended as an all around economic almanac. It may have its uses, but not, we repeat, as an almanac.—American Economist. • To Kill the Beet Industry. Petitions are being circulated in thq Eastern States asking Congress td abolish the duty on raw sugar. The petition is sent out ostensibly by the National Pure Food Association, which has its headquarters in New York. It; is also being circulated by agents of the United States Export Association. The same men are officers of both these associations, F. B. Thurber being President. Under the thin disguise of these two associations, this movement is known to be in the interest of the American Sugar Company, which has recently increased its stock to the extent of fifteen million dollars for the purpose of purchasing Cuban sugar plantations in the expectation that free sugar will be possible. With the duty on raw; sugar abolished the Havemeyer com-t pany would have no difficulty in ruining its most active competitors, the American beet sugar factories, and. that done, the HAvemeyers would have control of the markets of this country. With the beet sugar industries—which are increasing rapidly—out of existence, the Havemeyer company could charge whatever it saw fit for sugar, and the pipe dream it is now putting forth of a saving of millions

to consumers would vanish Into thin' air and the profits would go to its stockholders.—Helena (Mont.) Record. • Would Stimulate Hostility. ' Reciprocity is being urged as a means of staving off or allaying European tariff hostility to the United States, yet it is more calculated to. stimulate it. Whatever concessions we make to one nation we must make to its competltors, or else we shall have all sorts of trouble. The matter of tariff would thus be transferred from Congress to the State Department, and constant tinkering would be the result. If we are going to make changes in our tariff rates it would be far better to make them direct and have them apply to all countries, than to begin frittering away the protection of our industries piecemeal. with constant disturbance of trade because of the uncertainties of he future. The interests that are behind this movement for extending the markets for some of our products at the expense of others are powerful and apparently have with them a strong following in the Senate, but it takes a two-thirds vote to ratify a treaty and here is where they may fall.—San Jose (Cal.) Mercury. The Cloven Hoff. It is reported from Havana that letters have been received from H. O. Havemeyer which urge tbe Cuban planters, tbe Havana merchants of influence and the local press to demand absolute free trade with the United States for sugar. The anxiety of the magnate in tbe matter is said to ba due to the fact that the sugar trust has acquired the entire Cuban sugar crop on speculation and that Its exportation will take place when tbe duties on the staple have been removed. - Chicago Chronicle. Nelfher should it be forgotten that the Sugar Trust has $15,000,000 set aside for Investment In Cuban sugar property, which would be vastly benefited by tbe removal of the duties on Cuban sugar.—Tbe Beet Sugar Gazette. Reverse of Free-Trade. McKinley's own words. In his Buffalo speech. . defined reciprocity as “sensible trade arrangements which will not Interrupt our home production." This Is the reverse of freetrade.—Benton (III.) Republican. In the Meantime. Uncle Sam Is throwing foreign manufacturers into hysterics with bls trade extension movements, and In the meantime every American workingman who wants work can gel It.— Cleveland Leadax. • ... . v i • ' v* :• ’..ix