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ABBEVILLE PRESS AND BANNER. 1 BY HUGH WILSON AND H. T. WARDLAW. ABBEVILLE, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1882. NO. 27. VOLUME XXVII.. II The Comet, The cornet! He is on his way, And singing as he flies; The whizzing planets shrink before The specter of the skies; Ah! well may regal orbs turn blue, And satellites turn pale, Ten million cubic miles of head, Ten billion leagues of tail. On, on by whistling spheres of light He flashes and lie flames; He turns not to tho left nor right, He asks them not their names; One spurn from his demoniac heelAway, away they fly, Where darkness might be bottled up And sold for "Tyrian dye." And what would happen to the land, And how would look the seft, If in the bearded devil's path Our earth should chance to be? Pull hot and high tho sea would boil, Full red the forests gleam; Methonsht I saw and heard it all In a dyspeptic dream! I saw a tutor take his tube, The comet's course to spy; I heard a scream, the gathered rays Had stewed the tutor's eye; I saw a fort?the soldiers all Were armed with gogglos green; Pop cracked the guns! whiz flew the balls! Bang went the magazine. saw a poet dip a scroll Each moment in a tub, I read upon the warning back, "The dream of Beelzebub;" He conld not see his verses burn, Although his brain was fried, And every now and then he bent To wet them as they dried. I saw tho scalding pitch roll down The crackling, sweating pines, And streams of smoke, like waterspouts, Burst through the rumbling mines; I asked the firemen why they made Such noise about the town; They answered not?but all the while The brakes went up and down. I saw a roasting pullet sit Upon a baking egg; I saw a cripple scorch his hand Extinguishing his leg; I saw nine geese upon the wing Toward the frozen pole, Arcl every mother's gosling fell Crisped to a crackling coal. I saw the or that browsed the grass Writhe in the blistering rays, The herbage in his shrinking jaws Was all a fiery blaze; I saw huge fishes, boiled to rags, Bob through the bubbling brine; And thoughts of supper crossed my soul; I had been rash at mine. Strange sights! strange sounds! Oh, fearful dream! Its memory haunts me still; The steaming sea, the crimson glare, That wreathed each wooded hill. Stranger! if through thy reeling brain Such midnight visions sweep, Spare, spare, oh spare thy evening meal, And sweet shall be thy sleep. ?Oliver Wendell Holmes. CHRISTINA. BY MRS. REBECCA IIARDIXG DAVIS. She w as the result of an fexperiment ?a desperate experiment. How desperate it was some of the girls who read the Companion no doubt know from experience. Mother and I lived alone in the dear old homestead, just outside of a drowsy village in Delaware. Old Sanders worked the farm and lived in the tenant house, as he had done for thirty years, but he was getting old and cranky, and threatened every month to leave us. But our great misery? " the messenger of Satan sent to buffet us"?was the " girl" who was not in the kitchen. With all the neighborhood we depended for servants on the free negroes, who invariably decamped in a body to the-fields or the great canning-houses as soon as the peach crop came in. We tried a wandering woman; she drank. A genteel woman who had seen better days; and she disappeared with my one silk dress. During'the whole spring and summer mother and I worked, cleaned, canned berries, milked and churned, and "tried" a succession of poor creatures who left us with our patience worn to the l;ist thread. One night mother announced: "I am goingto try an experiment. Itshall be with a foreigner who cannot speak a word of English, who never heard of ' privileges,' of canning-houses, of the fashions or the beer-shop. I will go j u rmmueipinu tu-uiurjuw, uuaiu. mi ei /grant ship and carry off an untamed savage?a woman Friday." I laughed at it as a joke, and was a good deal startled that night when mother at prayers asked that she " might be successful in her undertaking," adding, after a little pause: " May the woman I shall bring be of help to us in making our daily life more cheerful and peaceable, and may we help her upward in her way through life." "Well, mother," I said, doubtfully, as we started up to bed, " I never knew you to ask the Lord before to control the kitchen affairs." "Some people," she said, gravely, " think it an insult to the Almighty to suppose that lie concerns himself about our little worries. Perhaps lie has His messengers for such small work in the upper world, just as He has in this. I don't know. But I do know that He does attend to all the things that I ask Him about." Mother was as simple and direct as a child, even in her religion. Tiie nejt day she visited the city, went aboard a Bremen vessel and Drougnt nome?vjnristma. one was about sixteen; fat and round as achurn; with clean skin, blue eyes, a funny little knob of hair atop of her head, a white muslin waist, short gray woollen petticoat and heavy shoes. " She cannot speak a word of English," said mother, looking half scared. " She is a Norwegian. The agent said she had a terrible history. But her honest face tempted me. I seemed to hear a voice saying: 'Take this one.'" "She is an escaped convict, no doubt," I said. "That guiding voice of yours, little mother, induced you to bring in Blue Peter out of the almshouse, who set fire to the barn. "Well, I'll show her about the supper." Christina followed me?dumb and watchful?from kitchen to diningroom, while I laid the table, prepared the muflins, fried chicken and made coffee. She did not offer to touch anything or to help me. But the next morning, when I went down to make ready the breakfast, there was the table laid, and the chicken, muffins and coffee precisely as she had seen them the night before. She was faithful and imitative as a Chinaman, and she was already a good cook and dairy maid. She learned a few words of English, and with them she showed her gratitude for any simple kindness shown her. we fancied, too, that she took pleasure in the beautiful country about her It never looked more beautiful than it did that summer. The great orchards were red with fruit, constant showers kept the forests pure in tint, the wild rose and sweet briar covered every field and roadside. But the poor Norwegian was wretchedly unhappy. Her unsmiling face and wide sad eyes seemed to carry misery into the barnyard and dairy, and leavened the very bread we ate. When she was safely in her own room I heard her stifled sobs until late in the night. " One is almost tempted to remember your convict theory," said mother, anxiously, one day. "It doesn't matter. "We'll keep her if she were Lucretia Borgia herself," fcate/ . wv., v . ... _ ; . I said, luxuriously loaning back in the rocking chair on th<? porch. "The idea of being free from pots, pans and brooms at last!" AVe tasted our comfort at leisure; brought out some fancy work and books which we had never hoped to find time to read. Then came a letter from Julia "Webb. It was a thunder clap in our clear sky. Julia was a cousin only by the sheerest courtesy ; a beauty ; a spoiled heiress ; a belle withado/.cn lovers. She was coming en route to Newport, to spend a week with us. "Very likely some of these troublesome men will follow to lind how your hermitage suits poor little butterfly nie," she wrote. " Hut you will make them welcome, darling auntie? There is a Count Pasco who is my chief nuisance just now. Such a charming, : ridiculous creature! L shall be de- < lighted to give him a peep into an : American middle-class interior. And it will be a good opportunity for you < and Cousin Martha to have a glimpse 1 of a foreign nobleman. Your gloomy i I lifn nniulc 'i litflo i<tuw?rinrr " 1 I tore the letter up, a little viciousI ly, I confess, and mother laughed. " Never mind, Mattie," she said. "It is true; we are middle-class ' people." "It isn't that. But you know, | mother, even if potatoes turn out well, ( we shall not have a dollar over when the year is out. I low are we going to ' meet this high tide of company and 1 fashion and foreign nobility? .Juliais quite capable of staying a month if the ^ whim for 'hermitage' life seizes her." ' "We can do without our winter ( dresses," said mother, thoughtfully. 1 "But even with that the table must 1 be very plain." I wondered secretly if the blessed J woman had put this calamity in the 1 care of the angels. Afterward, 1 be- { lieved that she had. Julia came; so did the lowers; so ( did Count Pasco. There was a regiment of them at the t village inn, but they took our house by * storm all day. < There were charade-parties, picnics, * excursions. Julia trailed her magnificent silks or gauzy lawns up and 1 down the wet meadows; she called s the old homestead "a charming old c rookery;" pointed out the magnificent ^ sweep of hill and valley to the east, ] with the great glittering plane of the bay beyond, as a "nice little effect;" ( and told Count Pasco that mother and v/ i I.f i were "queer uus ui uuuicui unu-ubrae." ^ But she was so pretty, and brilliant, and willful that nobody could be angry with her. ! One day I found her in the kitchen * with a blue silk wrapper perched on a flour barrel, while Christina, standing f before her, poured out a Hood of words, sobbing and wringing her hands. Tears, too, had wet Julia's rose-leaf , cheeks. "What is the matter? Can you s understand her?" I asked. "Pretty well. You know I passed r a summer in Norway and picked up a good deal of the language. Poor ; thing! She was brought here by mistake." "By mistake?" , "Yes. It seems they were fright- J* fully poor?her mother and brother ^ and herself?and she went as nurse , with some tradesman's wife to Bremen. J5 When her time of service was out she : was sent home, but by some mistake, at night, was put aboard the steamer . for Philadelphia instead of for Christiana." f " Why! We ought to send her back a again!" I cried, feeling as if I had u been concerned in a case of kidnaivPing. jj " No. Better bring her family out I here. She says it is so beautiful; so plenty to eat; it is like the Harden of Eden. If her mother and Jan could come, she would have nothing more to ask." "She might save her money and c send for thenir a " It costs a good deal. It would take si her years to earn so much. Besides, " Jan is under Donas to pay a aeot 01 a his father's. I don't know how much, i One or two thousand dollars. No; si she'll have to carry her burden like tl the rest of us. Where's the count?" a and she skipped out of the kitchen li humming a song, while Christiana b turned hopelessly to her work. h The few stammered words in her t own tongue, however, had made the a poor girl a slave to Julia. She followed ii her around from that day, waited on 'I her; told her her story a hundred ii times. a " I am horribly bored by this unend- t ing talk of 'mutter, mutter,' and ' Jan, f; Jan,' said Julia, stretching her tiny p mouth in a yawn. n "It is the only thing she knows," h said mother, gently. v " Do keep her away from me to-day, p then," impatiently. p " To-day was to be signalized by an v oyster-bake on the shore of the bay. n The count and four other worshipers a wpre suimoseil to act as cooks and ser- <1 vitors, but Christina did all the work, t She built the lire of driftwood ; cut t the bread; made the coffee and baked ? the oysters, running incessantly to Julia with the biggest, her round face c red as a peony. h It was a gray, gusty day, too gusty j] for us to use the little sailboat which ii was drawn up on the beach. This dis- ii appointment offered J ulia a chance for c peLty willful pettishness. s " Too provoking! I had set my t heart on a sail!" she cried, pouting, r " I will wager a rose against a pair of t gloves that I have it yet, count!" her ; eyes suddenly sparkling. ii The bet was taken. Ilall an hour s afterward we missed Julia, and the o next moment saw her in the cockle- t shell of a boat drifting out of the little " cove, the sail half raised, Happing in <j the wind. She stood on the bow, her t red ribbons lluttering, kissing her hand \ saucily. s " I have won ! I have won the bet!" ? she cried. f "Put about!" shouted the count, (j " You are going out to sea!" ;i "\\*e rushed down to the edge of the p water, all shouting orders at once. Julia, terrified by the sudden conscious- I ness of her danger, sprang on the bow. A heavy Haw came just then and the <. boat was capsized instantly. t "Mon Dieu ! I cannot swim," cried j the count. The other men were .in i j me same case, i wo 01 uieiu, now- j ever, threw themselves into the water ?. manfully, lmt were washed back. A solid tody leaped into the surf with a ? splash ! It was Christina divested of j shoes, stockings and outer petticoat, \ striking out boldly for the place where \ the girl went down. " Hurrah for old Xorje!" cried the f count. "She swims like a frog!" j She came back with Julia, a very ( wet and drabbled butterfly, in her , arms. ' There was no justice to my mind in , the end of the accident. Julia, when j dry again, was rosy and pert and j. charming as ever; but poor Christina 11 had been thrown against the hull of , the boat. She was quite badly in- ] jured, and was laid up in bed for a , month. Mother and J had her work ;, to do, while Julia took wing to New- j \ port. " Things are strangely ordered in j this world," 1 said, as I laid down a J half-read letter from her one day in October, full of her gayeties and sue- j cesses, and glanced at Christina, beginning to limp heavily about in the kitchen, "They always come out right," said mother, quietly. " What is that on j the other side?" I turned the letter and read. " Oh, by the way, 1 thought I owed 'Old Xorje' some reparation for her injuries in my behalf. So I wrote to our consul in Christiana to pay Jan's debt for ino, and to send him and his mother out by the next steamer. You told me that old Sanders had finally grumbled himself into his grave. "Why not take Jan as farm hand and put him and Ids mother into the tenant house V 1 have ordered from New York a few odds and ends to make it comfortable for them. They will arrive in Philadelphia on next Monday." I could hardly finish; the tears choked me. "I have been very unjust to Julia," I said. We agreed not to tell Christina, but to surprise her. A\'<; had grown very fond of the patient, affectionate creature with her everlasting chatter of " miitt.nr !in<l .T:in " The 44 odds and ends" proved to be a very complete, though plain, plenishing for a house. Christina helped to clean the house for "the new farmer," itnd to arrange the pretty furniture. On Monday mother went up to Philadelphia to meet the steamer. She was to come down in the morning train next day. I watched it pass on to the little station. A handkerchief waved out of the car w indow the signal that all was well. [ saw from the porch three figures alight on the platform and take their way across the field. When they had time to reach the ienant house, I said, carelessly : " Come, Christina. There is something yet to be done for the new farmer." 44 I hope," she said, in her pleasant >roken English, 44 he will be gout neighbor. It is nice house. It is as goot as jur pastor lives in. at ho.me. This is ine country for the poor, Mamzel Mar:ha." I nodded. I was too excited to >peak. "When we reached the steps nother came out, her face all in a jlow. " They are inside. They are all we on nf/itOxr ;uiliu ir>n, cu ucigciij. 1 One minute, Christina," ami she ran ,o the astonished girl, smoothing her 'air hair, retying the gay handkerchief ibout her neck, while I hurried into he room. A heavily-built man in the Nor vegian dress, with honest blue eyes, itood waiting, and beside him a tall rect old woman, with a peculiarly jentle, kindly countenance. They vere both greatly agitated and scarcev noticed me, their eyes being on the loor. It opened. I heard mother say,with t half sob: "Go in, child. God bless rou," and Christina came in. She stood one moment dumb and till, her hands stretched out in ama/.enent. Then came the cry: " 0, Muter! Mutter! 0, Jan!" It was the pent-up love and longing ' >f years forcing its way into speech. ; We came out and left them alone 1 ogether. 1 Mother and I had prepared a little east for them ; a good substantial upper as foundation, and frosted akes, llowers and grapes as embellish- ] nents. I After awhile we brought them out 1 o it, but they only ate to please us. riiey were too deeply moved for such i ittle pleasures. After supper we went into the j :itchen and the old mother/looking, at ] he fire upon the hearth that had been ] ;indled for them in a strange land, t aid a few words in a low voice, and ; hey all sank reverently upon their j nees while she prayed. 1 Mother and I knelt with them. "What ; id it matter that the words were in a < trange tongue. We understood her, 1 nd the Great Father of us all heard < s as we kneeled side by side. { " I think, dear little mother," I said, 1 s we went home that night, "God 1 o;ir?l vnur urnvor wlinn von went out < [) find your savage that day." < " lie always hears," she said, quietly. - Youth's Companion. A Child Without a Skull. A remarkable -freak of nature was xhibited in Cincinnati in the way of child which has managed to live for eventeen months without that bony dome of thought" which is regarded s essential to continued existence, loreover, says the Enquirer, the child eems to have no use for a brain, if lie eyes may be believed, for, in the bsence of a skull, the head is trans- , tcent and almost transparent, while , y the aid of a lamp properly eld it may he perceived that lie brain cavity is filled with colorless fluid. Nothing exists n this serum that can be perceived, 'lie head is larger than the body, the icrease of size being almost entirely hove the temples, and measures wenty-seven inches around. The lower iice is perfect, and the child would be retty but for the monstrous development. The rapid growth of the head as drawn the skin until the eyelids irill not close and the eyebrows are ulled up an inch above the normal osition. When an Enquirer reporter isited the child it was asleep, and its lother would not allow it to be wakened for experiments. A rather im coal oil lamp was placed behind lie monstrous head and gleamed hrough it as though the skin formed he only obstacle to the light. The child lias every appearance, exept in the color of the skin, of good ealtli. It is fully developed, is very lump, and is said to be strong, while t has a good appetite. In all its liabts it is regular, and like any other ( liilU. mat it siiouia nave progressed , 0 far as to have been weaned, main- , aining good he;dth, and should have eached its teething period, is one of lie wonders of physiology. Its senses tre said to be perfect and acute, and ! t possesses enough intelligence to ; mile faintly when tickled and to rec- i gni/.e food when lie sees it. When , he child was born it was known as 1 the headless lnby," as it seemed cut ! iff above the ears on a line sloping oward the nape of the neck, while a vrinkled skin covered the top. It 1 uffered greatly and its life was preerved with difticulty. At three or our weeks of age the skin began to (ill mt, when the child's sufferings ceased ind it enjoyed good health. The growth has been constant since. 'eople "Who Live on a Steep Hillside. Lieutenant Ilealy, of the United states revenue steamer Corwin, visited he habitations of the natives of King's island, in the Arctic ocean, a curious xjople, who live upon a precipitous lillftde as no other people live. He iavs: The house is erected upon poles, rhe entrance to each is affected through i hole in the front wall, about fourteen nehes in diameter. Having clamlored through this entrance one finds ihnself in a room about eight feet square, which is the common living room of each house. From the sides >f this room are found several apertures t/A fill, main nno of which lead to as many sleeping apartments. The appearance presented by these houses is, to say the least, unique, md more strikingly so by reason of their great contrast with those of the usual Indian village, which is always Iniilt on low sand spits. The principal means of livelihood of these natives lire fishing and walrus and seal h tinting. To these people the walrus is the more important animal, inasmuch as from its hide and intestines they obtain the covering for their houses and boats, and the ivory they sell to traders is the most valuable article in demand. The necessities of their position have stimulated such inventions and developed such superior workmanship as to cause their articles of manufacture to be the most greatly prized of any along the coast. Minneapolis mills will) this year cut 293,100,000 feet of lumber, 108,750,000 shingles and 50,600,000 laths. . ' - v-V* ' i ' T1IE FARM ANI) HOUSEHOLD. Stable MnnnKcmcnt of Horses. The following hints from the American Cultivator will aid you in the proper care of your horses: Never allow any one to tease or tickle your horse in the stable. The animal only feels the torment and does not understand the joke. Vicious habits are thus easily brought on. 2. Let the horse's litter be dry and clean underneath as well as on top. Standing on hot fermenting manure makes the hoofs soft and brings on lameness. 3. Change the litter partially in some parts and entirely in others every morning and brush out and clean the stall thoroughly. 4. To procure a good coat on your horse naturally use plenty of rubbing and brushing. Plenty of "elbow grease" opens the pores, softens the skin and promotes the animal's general health. 5. Xever clean a horse in his stable. The dust fouls the crib and makes him loathe his food. 6. Use the currycomb lightly. When used roughly it is a source of great pain. 7. Let the heels be well brushed out every night. Dirt, if allowed to cake in, causes grease and sore heels. 8. Whenever a horse is washed never leave him till he is rubbed quite dry. lie will probably get a chill if neglected. 9. When a horse conies oil a journey, the first thing is to walk him about till he is cool, if he is brought in hot. This prevents his taking cold. 10. The next thing is to groom him quite dry; lirst with a wisp of straw and then with a brush. This removes dust, dirt and sweat, and allows time for the stomach to recover itself and the appetite to return. 11. Also let his legs be well rubbed by the hand. Nothing so soon removes a strain. It also detects thorns or splinters, soothes the animal and enables him to feed comfortably. 12. Let the horse have some exercise every day. Otherwise he will be liable to fever or bad feet. 151 T.of vmir liAron cfnnrl Iahcq if AV? JUV/U ^UUl JIWIOV.- OUlim I lUUOV/ li |iUO sible, without being tied to the manger. Pain and weariness from a confined position induce bad habits and cause swollen feet and other disorders. 14. Look often at the animal's feet and legs. Disease or wounds in those parts, if at all neglected, soon become dangerous. 15. Every night look and see if there is any stone between the hoof and the shoe. Standing on it all night the- horse will lie lame next morning. 16. If the horse remains in the stable his feet must be " stopped." Heat and dryness cause cracked hoofs and lameness. 17. The feet should not be " stopped " oftener than twice in the week. It will make the hoofs soft and bring on corns. 18. Never allow drugs to be administered to your horse without your knowledge. They are not needed to keep the animal in health, and may do the greatest and most sudden mischief. EiiMiliiffC. The report on silos and ensilage published by the department of agriculture gives returns from records of practical tests made in various parts ofthe United States and Canada. The summary says the, silos are generally built with reference to convenience in feeding, in, under or near the feedingrooms, and may be above, below or partly below the surface. The form of 1*iu? snu is geiicituiy <i luuuui^uiui jiuiiwntal section. Tlie cylindrical form is recommended. Depth is important, jecause less surface is exposed to the lir, but if too deep there Is danger of expressing juice from the ensilage at the bottom. When the contents are ;ut in a vertical section the narrow >ilo has the advantage of exposing lit;le surface to the air. The capacity of ;he silos varied from 304 to 17,200 nil lie feet. The largest would hold ibout 480 tons. Practically the capacity s less to the extent that the ensilage settles under pressure. This should lot exceed one-fourth. Stone, brick md concrete are used for walls under ground. In firm soils that do not become saturated with water walls are lot essential to preservation of ensiage. Above ground two thickness es of nch boards, with sheathing paper between, if supported against side pressire, will answer. Boards generally jover the top, put on transversely, so :hata part may be uncovered while the tYUl^llb X CUlillUD Ull tllU leavy may do for the weight. The *ost of a silo runs from fifty cents to ?5 a ton. Of the crops for ensilage, corn takes ;he lead, but oats, sorghum, clover, Hungarian grass?almost any crop, ;an be used. Corn, sorghum and similar crops should be planted in rows, i ;he quantity of seed corn varying from i sight quarts to a bushel and a ludf for in acre. The common practice is to put crops in the silo when they have i *eached their full growth and before ippning begins. Corn yields per acre < ibout twenty tons of fodder. The largest variety of corn is preferred for . nsilage. Sweet corn by many is valued ;he most, though it does not yield large :*rops. Various cutters are employed, Ine cutting?a half inch or less?being < n favor because the ensilage packs closer and is likely to keep better than If coarse. "While filling the silo the jnsilage should be kept level and well trodden. Rapid filling is probably the < best. The cost of filling the silo is from ten to thirty-five cents for labor, und $2 and over per ton includes the entire cost of the crop. The ensilage should remain under pressure till cool. ; rhe loss by decay is nearly always liirht. .Generally the ensilage has kept for months in the silo. It is better to expose a new surface daily than to cut lown sections. Ensilage is fed to milch cows with no unsatisfactory results. Several feeders consider it equal in value to one-third of its weight of the best hay. There is a decided increase in the quantity and improvement in the quality of milk and butter nfter changing from dry feed to ensilage, which is like changing to fresh pasture. Ensilage has been fed swine, poultry and every kind of stock excepting horses with success. The daily rations for milch cows are fifty to sixty pounds, with some dry food. It is not found best to feed cows on ensilage alone. The stock fed on this food has gained both in health and weight. The general use of ensilage depends, of course, on -i.; apness. There is hardly a doubt expressed in regard to its profitableness. Knriii nntl (<nril<>? Note*. Pasture is necessary for the healthy development of swine. Keep sheep dry under foot. This is even more necessary than roofing them. * Breeding from immature animals is a great mistake. It is the foundation of degeneracy. Manure on all lands, particularly irrjiss l;in<l. should 110 snrfjid :is evenlv as if you were sowing grain. Rock salt dissolved in water is a j cheap and safe remedy for many of the skin diseases that afllict animals. Tlio average shrinkage of wheat from threshing time for the next six months is estimated to be six per cent. Don't overfeed the hogs and let them eat soar feed or feed left over, but give them freely three times a day all they will eat up clean and relish it. An Ohio dairyman, who claims to have weighed the shimmed milk fed to swine and the gain in llesh thereof, says 100 pounds of skimmed milk will produce three pounds of pork. One of the principal causes of the superior quality of Dutch butter, of which a large quantity is sold in the London markets, is the extreme degree of cleanliness observed during its management. The best forage crops to produce on the side of the roads are white clover and blue grass. They are ornamental I i as well as useful, and the peculiarity of the location is very favorable to their growth. The ground is well drained by tlie ditch on one side, and is kept fertilized by the dust that rises from the traveled road. Neither of these two plants grows to such height that it interferes with foot travel when it is desired to walk along the side of the road. The length of time that a cow goes dry has quite as much to do with her value as a milker as her butter product per week. Going dry for a long period is a matter of habit, and if a young heifer is not milked until pretty nearly her time for calving, her value as a /.ah' ill 1\n lncennn/1 tlinrnoi' V W? >? ill 171/ V1IV.1V.ULtor. Aftot drying up once for three or four months before calving it is very difficult to get a cow to give a paying amount of milk later than this date at a subsequent time. As soon as cows are put on dry feed the milk falls off, but if they are well fed what is lost in quantity is gained in quality. A cow that is milking should have at least two quarts of mixed corn meal and bran daily, with as much chaffed hay as she will eat. A cow will usually eat two bushels of the chaff in a day. Some roots in addition would be useful. Dry cows should have one quart daily ; it will not hurt a cow to take on a little fat at this season, nor make her milk any less when she comes in. Dr.. Sturtevant made an examination of the depth to which the roots of the potato run. A plant was selected which grew on a high*ridge, the seed having been planted six inches deep. A trench was dug at the side to expose the soil, and the roots were washed with a stream of water turned against it, laying the fibers bare. One root was found reaching thirty-four inches below the top of the ridge, or twentyeight below the tubers. The deeper roots appeared most fibrous. Very few roots were ftmnd above the tubers. For several years after a writer in the Practical Farmer began raising wneai no coum noi gei me yieui nigner than twenty-three bushels per acre, although the land was rich enough to raise large crops of grass, corn and potatoes. The wheat was top-dressed with rotten manure, but still the yield was no greater.. Then the two-horse sulky cultivators came around. lie bought one and used it freely in connection with the harrow and roller, and the next year without any manure his wheat yield jumped up ten bushels per acre. The brown Leghorns I find to be the best layers; and of all varieties there are none at the present day receiving more attention than the brown Leghorns. I find them to be far superior to?the white Leghorns. In color they have a decided advantage over their white brothers, who always look as if they were afraid of soiling their white coats, and look pale and sickly. The brown Leghorns have a dark, rich colored plumage, which makes them very attractive and perfect beauties. I would never exchange mine for the w 1 li te. ?Jou rnal of A;/limit u re. With insects and diseases on various trees fruit raisers have good reason for discouragement. One of the hardest to cope with of these diseases is the black knot on cherry and plum trees, a fungus growth, somewhat similar to smut on corn and other grains. There is no better remedy or preventive known at present than cutting olf All the twigs five or six inches below the warts or knots and burning them. As the disease may be carried from tree to tree for a considerable distance through the air by means of spores, which the knots throw off as they ripen, it will be necessary to destroy the knots, not only on the trees we would save, but also upon all others in the vicinity. A worthless wild tree standing by the roadside may become the nursery of the-disease, from which it will spread to all the valuable tr es on the farm. IIeelpcn. BkefLoaf.?Chop fine three pounds of steak, add one cup rolled crackers, two eggs, one cup of milk, one teaspoon each of pepper and salt, small piece of butter; bake nearly four hours. Dressing for Poultry.?Place in a pun a small loaf of baker's bread, one half cup of butter, the yolks of. four eggs, pepper, salt, a little summer savory and two onions sliced and fried brown ; pour overboiling water enough to wet it thoroughly, then mix. Jumbles.?One pound of butter and one pound of white sugar?powdered or granulated?rubbed together to a cream ; add six well-beaten eggs, the juice and grated rind of two lemons; to this add Hour enough so that you can mold them into shape with your hands, but not roll them. Dip each one in cracked loaf sugar, drop a blanched almond on each, and press in the center of the jumble. Great care must be taken to prevent burning while they are baking. The quantity here given makes a large number of cakes! Fiiied Cabbage.?Cut the cabbage very line on a slaw cutter, if possible; salt and pepper, stir well and let stand five minutes. Have an iron kettle smoking hot, drop one tablespoonful of lard into it, then the cabbage, stirring briskly until quite tender ; send to table immediately. An agreeable 'ib*?r> /#a io 4-a r\itf /?r> A_l?nlf o mm nf LJlflll^U ID Ii\J JMIU \/ llly'lllUJ CC V/L4j/ MM. sweet cream ;ind three tablespoons of vinegar?the vinegar added after the cream has been well stirred?into the cabbage and after taken from the stove. When properly done an invalid can eat it without injury, and there is no offensive odor from cooking. IIoitKchoId IlintM, To keep tinware nice and bright scour it every two or three weeks with linely-sifted coal ashes. To clean willow furniture use salt and water, and apply with a coarse brush and dry thoroughly. Machine grease may be removed from wash goods by dipping the fabric in cold rain water and soda. To make pastry llaky mix it two or three days before using and place in a very cold place. It can be kept a week or ten days with good result. To make good starch, mix with cold water and add boiling water until it thickens; then add a dessertspoon of sugar and a small piece of butter. This makes a stiff and glossy linish, equal to new. A side dish, which will bo new to many cooks, is made by slicing very thin some onions and green tomatoes, in about equal proportions, and frying them together just as you fry onions alone. .Salt them well, and if there is any danger of their being greasy drain before serving. Forpot He Was Jlnri led. A young man who until recently bad lived at the house, of his father, in Augusta, Me., married a few weeks ago and leased apartments in another part of the city. The other evening, after completing his day's work, lie left the ofliee, went up the street, bought his Boston paper, and then climbed the hill to his father's house.' Entering its familiar precincts, he marched to the wash-room, made his toilet, anil then presented himself at the table. The family, who had been watching his operations, eyed him with amazement, and at last his mother softly inquired : ".My son, have you procured a divorce thus early in your j wedded career?" A pale Hush suf\ fused the young man's face, which rapidly deepened into cardinal. Then he gasped : "I forgot all about being married." Leaving the table amid a roar of laughter, the young man hvirried out and walked hastily home, where his young wife was impatiently awaiting hia coming, FACTS AND COMMENTS. Tiie English Wreck Register shows tliat for the year 1880-81 the number of wrecks, casualties and collisions on the coasts of the United Kingdom was 3,575, or 1,056 in excess of those of 1879-80, the number of lives lost during the past year being 984. As probably between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 of persons were passengers by water, the proportion of accidents was very small. A correspondent of the American Cultivator gives the following as a rule for the location of storms : The wind almost always blows in a circle around a storm, and when it- blows from the north the heaviest rain is east of you; if it blows from the south, the heaviest rain is west; if it blows from the east, the heaviest rain is south ; if it blows from the west, the heaviest rain is north of you. Xursestrained in New Yorkhospitals are in great demand to attend the sick. According to an ambulance surgeon, sufferers from accidents or violence ask tor be taken to hospitals that have lady nurses; and, as a matter of course, wealthy families secure trained nurses for their invalids. Nursing the sick is an occupation which is not likely to be overdone, though there are now schools for training nurses in most of our large cities. This, however, is not a new thing. In the middle ages women were not only the nurses but the physicians, and Roman Catholic hospitals are still under the charge of nuns. X" 1 According to information furnished by recent numbers of the Ferhan, the journal of Ispahan, civilization is making considerable progress in Persia. A large college, which was completed last year with government aid, has now commenced in earnest among the upper classes of Persian youth, who will have the advantage of tuition at the hands of nrofessors who. if not Euro peans, have at least graduated at the principal seats of learning in Europe. Further signs of improvement arc to be found in the increased employment of Europeans in connection with railways, telegraphs, etc., and in the recent decree for the assimilation of weights and measures throughout Persia. There are ten large bath-houses at Hot Springs, Ark., and the price of a bath varies from fifteen to thirty cents, the latter being the limit fixed by the State government, which owns the springs. An attendant is paid not more than $1 a week. The natural temperature of the water is about 140 degrees, and for bathing it is usually reduced to 100 or a little less. The baths are taken, as a rule, in tubs, placed in a large hot apartment, and separated by low partitions. There is not much luxury in the appliances or surroundings. Vapor baths may be had, but not much in the style of New York establishments. Opinions differ widely among the invalid visitors as to the curative qualities of the water, but all agree that at least a temporary relief is afforded. One of the springs is set apart, at certain hour.-* of the dayj for indigent persons, who are allowed to plunge into a pool. This daily gathering of crippled and dying wretches, who have begged their way to this place, is described as a most pitiful spectacle. The extent of wine making in California astonishes visitors from the East. At the vineyards of San Gabriel, the largest in (lie State, 500,000 gallons of wine and 100,000 of brandy will be made from this year's crop of grapes. The unskilled labor employed is usu;dly Chinese, but the experts are mostly from the wine districts of France and Germany, though Americans learn the process readily. The grapes are stemmed and squeezed by machinery. The juice runs into vats, where it ferments sufficiently and is pumped into great butts in the cellars. There it stands until it is clarified by whites of eggs, isinglass or gelatine, alter which it is filtered throngh charcoal and -1 ~-TP rf-.oolra f/\i? ?nmonf A a uniwil U1L Hi 1/1/ CclOIVO lUi Qiii|nav.uv. axu to tlie profits of grape culture, it is calculated that the vines will bear in the third year after the cuttings are set out, give a profit in the fourth, and in the fifth yield enough to pay all expenses, including the cost of the land. There are seven wine-producing districts in California, and the total vintage this year is 12,000,000 gallons. Some of this will be distilled for brandy, and some drunk at home, but the bulk will be sent Eastward, to be sold under foreign labels. An English project which has for its aim nothing less than a revolution in the inland transportation of merchandise will probably be brought before parliament for its sanction during the coming winter. It is not the scheme of penniless adventurers, but the well-considered enterprise of some of the leading shipowners and merchants of Liverpool, who have already raised a large guarantee fund. The project is designated "The Lancashire Plate Railway," and, broadly stated, the proposal is to lay out a series of roadways, radiating from Liverpool to the centers of manufacturing industry in South Lancashire, to carry along these roadways a double set of iron 1_A .1 In r-m m h picllt'S CUIie?[>UUUIllg iu uicuuuu with the wheels of ordinary wagons, to set the loaded wagons on this smooth plate way, and draw them by steam traction engines to their appointed destination. P;issenger traflic is excluded from the scope of the scheme; it is confined entirely to goods, and the anticipation is that it will be possible to carry these at a much lower rate than is now charged by the railway companies. The movement has its origin and motive in the burdensome charges now levied, which have been the subject of persistent protest by all the commercial bodies of Liverpool. The chief saving will be in the handling of goods. The wagons, which will be similar to those in general use on ordinary roads except that the axles will be of the same length, will be loaded directly from the steamer or the factory, drawn by horses to the nearest station of the "plateway," and there attached to a long line of similar vehicles with an engine at its head. Arrived at their destination, horses will draw them to the factory or steamer. The metal plates will lie laid in two parallel rows, with long flanges on the outer edge to keep the wagons on the track. It is thought that $35,000 a mile will construct and equip the plateway, and that the cost of maintaining and operating it will be comparatively small. Ah Tnniorfiirlmlilo Kinsr. Of the eccentric king of Havaria there is a new story, says a Munich letter. To gain his sympathy and break into his reserve has been the aim of many women who have been summoned to his presence, but so far all in vain. A well-known actress was ordered to sing for him in the winter garden on the roof of the pal| ace, while he sailed about on the little i shallow artificial lake in a swani shaped boat, a la Lohengrin. Instead j of remaining hidden in a grotto, where | she might be heard and not seen, she j caused herself to fall into the water, I where, she cried to be saved. King j Louis calmly rang a bell and said to a servant: "Take that woman out ol the. water," and that very day sent her out of the kingdom.? linslmi Trail.?crij)t. The mind and memory are ] morf sharply exercised in comprehending another man's things than our own, Origin of Thansfegiving Day. The idea of Thanksgiving day, says a writer in the Chicago Tribune, is as old as the human race. It is a part of natural religion. la connection with the fruits of the earth the thanksgiving festival has heen celebrated from the remotest antiquity. We find it in the seventh Idyll of Theocritus, where Simicliidas says: "Now, this is our way to the Thalysia; for our friends, in sooth, are making a feast to Demeter (Ceres) of the beautiful robe, offering the first fruits of their abundance. Since, for them, in bounteous meiisure, the goddess has piled the trashing fioor with barley." Plutarch tells of the emperor who, after his re turn to itome trom a disastrous campaign, concealed the facts and proclaimed a "Thanksgiving," which was duly observed; explaining, when the facts came to be known, that he did not wish to deprive the people of a day of enjoyment. Under the Hebrew dispensation thanksgiving was observed as the Feast of the Tabernacles, or of the Ingathering; earlier in the season there being the festival of first fruits, in connection with which the people were reminded of the giving of the law. The idea of law was also connected with the feast of Demeter or Ceres; and the analog)7 between the classic and the Hebrew festival is significant and worthy of investigation. But the ancient thanksgiving did not, as some have fancied, skip down over the ages to find an exclusive home in America. In one way or another it was always observed on the continent, as in parts of England, it. occurred at Martinmas. Indeed, it was a popular institution in England before it fairly had a foothold in Massachusetts. Butler, who wrote in 1G51, gives a better idea of the true state of things in a few lines than could be given by any formal history: For Hudbras who thought he 'ad won The field a3 certain as a gun, And having routed the whole troop, With a victory was cock-a-hoop; Thinking he 'ad dono enough to purchase Thanksgiving day among the churches. When we go back to the century be fore Butler it is found to be filled up with fasts and thanksgivings, especially during the time of Elizabeth, as the publications of the Parker society prove. Under Elizabeth it was expressly ordered that on Thanksgiving days no servile labor should be performed, and severe penalties were attached to the violation of the order. The New England worthies adopted the principle. In 1569 Thanksgiving entered into Rogation day, and it was ordered that thanks should then be offered "for the increase and abundance of His fruits upon the face of the earth." In the seventeenth century the custum was continued; and in the year 1749, when Massachusetts was dumb, Henry speaks, in his published sermon, of the 'Te Deums, proclamations, forms of prayers and thankgivings, sermons," etc., that abounded. Such, then, was AI i? J- ? - e ii-.' ? . - Tn 1 -1 X 3 ~ uie suue 01 uung?m jMigiitiiu. xiiueeu, just before the Plymouth colonists came over, the special thanksgivings had been incorporated into the prayerbook; while Copeland's "Virginia's God be thanked," preached before the Virginia company in Bow church, illustrated the tendency of the times, he being followed by Dr. Donne. The early settlers brought with them a traditional respect for days of thanksgiving. Nevertheless false notions on this subject abound, and Thansgiving day is popularly supposed to have been established first at Plymouth, and continued without interruption from the landing until now; while a supplemental theory declares that the socalled originators of the festival intended thereby to suppress Christmas. In the first place, it must be stated that the earliest service of this kind was held by the Church of England men, the Popham colonists, who, August 9,1G07 (0. S.), landed upon Monhegan, near the Kennebec, and, under the shadow of a high cross, listened to a sermon by Chaplain Seymour, also "gyving God thanks for our happy meetinge and saffe aryvall into the contry." Next we pass to Plymouth, where, in 1621, the autumn after the arrival, a notable thanksgiving was held. The brief accounts present a joyous picture. As we learn from Winslow. the harvest being cathered, the governor " sent four men on fowling, that so we might, after a special manner, rejoice together," and the traditional turkey was added to the abundant venison. The people gave themselves up to recreation, and the great chief Massasoit was feasted for three days with his ninety swarthy retainers. Cheap Living In Saxony. A correspondent of the Chicjjgo News writes that while everything was exceedingly cheap in Saxony, none of the Americans with whom he had been talking had been able to live on less money per diem than it cost them to live at home, but they had all lived more luxuriously. " I am taking music lessons here," said a young fellow from Cincinnati, who does not talk much. "I take two lessons a week. I pay for the lessons about twelve and a half cents each, or $1 per month. I pay all the teacher asked." "Iam paying fifty cents per lesson to a teacher of German," said another. " I paid $15 for this suit of clothes," said another, "and I couldn't buy it in +li/? TTnitnil fr?r A40 TIipv wpro made to order for nie." "I pay twelve marks, or $3, per month for my room, with coffee every morning," said another. " I rode in a beautiful carriage from 11 o'clock until G o'clock yesterday. I had a splendid driver. 1 had beer, and so did he. The day's amusement cost me &J. It would cost more than that for the privilege of taking off your hat to an American hackman." Other adventures and experiences of a similar character were gone over. I have just given enough to show why it is that people of small means in England llock to Saxony. They can live well here for what it would cost them to live poorly at home. Americans have not taken advantage of the inducements offered by Dresden or1 Leipsic as yet, because Americans do j not live like the English on annuities. j Hut to persons in America who have I an income from rents or invested cap- i ital of say $1,000 a year, the induce- j mcnts offered by tiiis delightful coun-; try are beyond computation. A Practical Joke. Miss Van Zandt, the American1 prima donna, who has won such envi- j able honors in Paris, was lately the | heroine of a little comedy at the* f Musee (Jrevin. She went to that fa-1 nioits gallery of wax ligures with her mother and some friends, and, seeing witli red cur ;i \ ui'iiut iu? ? - .. tains, in a room whore there were no other visitors than her own party, slipped into it, gave her friends an admonitory glance, and sat still. The curtains were drawn so that only her bust and head were visible, l'retty soon visitors thronged in. "See," said one, "there is a new li^nre, Mile. Van Zandt. What a g i likeness!" A group gathered round, expressing,! some admiration, others disapproval, tin? fair singer meanwhile keeping' perfectly still. At Inst a languid, j supercilious and altogether superior; lady came along, viewed the dainty features, fair locks and sparkling eyes , and then said: "So this is Mile. Van Zandt, is it? Quite pretty, but no likeness. I never would have recognized , if if 1 hadn't been told?" and then tlie supposed wax figure hurst into a ' merry peal of laiighler, sprang from the niche and tripped away amid the ; .astonishment and chagrin of the critic' iind the applause of the crowd. 7 1 FOR THE LADIES. New* and Notes for Women. Queen Victoria's visit to the/south of France this winter will be spent at Cannes. xne maaeira roau at x>ngnum, iu I England, has become a great place for ladies on tricycles. There have been 184 women students at Michigan university during 1882. Of this number 110 were in the literary department. Paris is setting women a sensible fashion in dispensing with high-heeled shoes. Flat soles are to be the order hereafter, and women will, be able to walk without a rotary motion. It is said that a lady school-teacher in Auburn, Me., during the summer vacation raked 100 tons of hay, harnessed the horse for the meadow and felt all the better for the field exercise. Miss Mary S. Pegram, for many years preceptress and teacher of mathematics in Illinois female college, Jacksonville, has accepted a similar position under Dr. Lie Motte, Xenia college, Xenia, Ohio. Mrs. Mary Austin, who recently died in "Washington, was the mother of forty-four children, only eleven of whom are now alive. In addition to these duties, she was a doctor and sur geon ana served uirougn tne war wiwi the rank of major. The competition of young girls for appointment in the English postal service is increasing. At an examination to test the qualifications of applicants ! there were 800 candidates for thirty places. The salary is very small, beginning at only $2.50 a week. Mrs. Mary Jacklin, Detroit's female I broker and speculator, has raised a family of four children with success, giving them a liberal education, and ' has accumulated a fortune of $50,000 in the produce business. She is now ! sixty-four years old and " smart as a cricket" yet, being well and favorably known in the business circles of De- ! troit. Taking the United States through there is not a large city, says the Philadelphia Press, where marriage engagements are so formally announced and looked upon as such solemn obligations as in Philadelphia. Long engagements also prevail here to a considerable ex tent, and they are looked upon as good things, because they familiarize young people with each other and give them a chance to test their congenialty and escape in time if they find they do not agree. ! Fashion Notes. Fancy feathers of every description j are the rage for millinery use. Arabesques of satouche are the leading jacket and wrap garnitures. Telegraph, hussar, electric and loyal are four very popular shades for blue. ; Royal cardinal jackets are very fash- 1 ionably worn over black skirts of silk, > satin or cashmere. Amazone cloths embroidered' or ! adorned with arabesques of satouche ' compose the favorite trimmings of ( autumn promenade costumes. , Shaggy goods of all kinds in brown, fawn color, dark green, dark blue, or in plaids of heather mixtures are the most fashionable of all utility fabrics. , The coming of the "Jersey Lily" has largely increased the sale in Amer- ' ica of the jersey bodice, whose popu- i larity she long ago inaugurated in i London. Derbies and other masculine-looking hats appear on the heads of many nrpt.tv and well-dressed vouner women I" "" ~ ? u along the fashionable promenades of New York. Standing collars of velvet, fastening behind, have falls or frills of Oriental lace below them, while the collars rest upon the neck without any relief of white or cream lace above them. The newest linen collars are narrow bands fastening with a simulated slide or buckle of linen, through which a linen tongue is passed, and fastened afterward with a small gilt screw button. Jersey waists shaped to the figure are finished at the bottom with high scarf draperies, and sometimes with a box plaiting set on high, with the bottom of the jersey cut into points back and front. A dark, dull green velvet train and bodice of the same are considered the correct wear with pale green silk or satin front breadths, paniers and plastrons forming the other parts of an evening toilet. Dorsay redingotes are imported, made of black Lyons velvet . and trimmed with a magnificent applique work of black embfbidery and jet. They are fastened down the front from the throat to the bottom of the skirt with cosny corueueres auu handsome cut jet buttons in medallion designs. The huge bridal bouquet of white . roses is now frequently replaced by a large fan made of gardenais, white star flowers and stephanotis. This fan depends from the right side by a gold or silver chatelaine, but is raised and carried in the hand in place of the bouquet as the bride enters church or parlor. Some of the most expensive wraps are simply long cloaks of embossed plush or velvet or plain fabrics, with borders of priceless fur or needlework passementerie, with each raised leaf and flower worth the price of a yard of ordinary trimming, while'other garments are so complicated in construction and so elaborately garnished as to be almost as indescribable as some of the intricate costumes with plaitings, puffs, plastrons, Vandykes and other decorative features. Western Siberians. The Yuraki and Samoyecles wander about clad in winter in reindeer skins from head to foot, leaving exposed only a small portion of the face. They are excellent archers, and in hunting they . still use the bow, lire arms and powder being not yet easily within their reach. The women use a good deal of ornament on their dresses, in the shape of i. pieces of bright colored cloth, while on i their tresses, thrown behind, dangle a ' number of trinkets, as odd sometimes J as the lock of a gun. Their shamans I, or priests cover their dresses with |' pieces of metal, which make a noise in j _ their religious dances. They use also ' a magician's drum, which is found i among the Laplanders. The Yuraki | are among the least Christianized of i the Siberian tribes. In many cases | they transform the trunks of trees ' into idols. Among those furthest north, { dogs are used for draught, and oeca-l' sionallv are allowed to mine within 1 ?i... ii'itiif;itinn l?ut tliev are i' nut affectionate animals, having to lie , rule. 1 !?y fear rather than by love. The Wussian exiles living on tin* Obi are not in confinement, but arc placed in 1 the villages to gel their own living, or ! partly so. This they do by commerce, j lisliing and hunting. They go about in winter on snow-shoes. Occasionally \ the belter educated among the exiles find employment in teaching and in ; photography. Mr. Lansdcll. in his recently issued "Through Siberia," says: "That the commercial value of the! basin of the Obi, and a large part oft Western Siberia, is not yet realized by Kuropean capitalists is the opinion of most of those who have been there." I He speaks of the Altai mountains as rich in silver, copper and iron, and of j a belt of black earth, GOO miles wide,; like a vast tract of garden land, well suited for the production of wheat, oats, linseed, barley and other cereals, i and from which the inhabitants can j easily obtain a great deal more corn ' ' than is needed for their consumption.! i ?London Graphic. j Giving and Gaining. Though the river to the sea . . la forever flowing? Though the blossom greets the bee, All its sweets bestowing: Still the river floweth fleet? Still the rose's heart is sweet. 'Tis the grand eternal law, Giving is but gaining; . Nature knows no single flaw * 3 In her wise ordaining: He who gives 'mid plenty stands? Who withholds hath empty hands. \ ?Carlotia Perry HUMOR OF THE DAY. Late in life George Washington rode in his own carriage, but in his earlier ,' v? years he took a hack at the cherry .. J| We sneer at the Siamese for wor- M shiping the elephant; but think of * V3 the money that is paid here annually just to see it I?Saturday Night. When a man gets into a fit of tern- ' ?! per, do not allow his example to become contagious, for there is a law against counter fits .?Boston Transcript. V ^ jjjjl It is said that trained dresses for evening wear are coming back into -;o favor. It is very evident that if they were not trained it would be very hard ^ for the wearers to manage them.? v; Lowell Citizen. -L The difference: A young gilded (or* as they now say, nickel-plated} youth ot New York ordered a pair or pantar ~ Js loons of his tailor and returned them . -vj| as too tight. "You told me to make them skin-tight," said the man. " Yes," Baid the youth, " but I can sit down in my skin and I can't in these."?Puck. A chicken at Alliance, Ohio, went . J to roost upon an axle of a freight car. During the night the car was attached ,-M to a train, and when the feathered bird descended from his unsteady perch he failed to recognize the scenes :/Jj of his childhood. He was in Lima, Indiana, and the man in whose garden the fowl went to scratching got into a "jS fight with the whole neighborhood by accusing everybody of owning the bird.?Boston Journal. This country may not be ready to go to war with a foreign power on a day's notice, due anetjouia soon una ? ^ substitute for cannon balls* provided ^ there were a shortage in this particnIar. It is estimated that there are a $ million baseballs in this country, and if they were fired from a cannon at the enemy the destruction would be terrible. The American peace society might object to such an exhibition of cruelty, / m however, and want scrap iron used in their stead.?Norristovm Herald. How the Lion Kills His Prey. I once had a rare chance of seeing J a lion catch and kill his prey in the ^ open daylight. While on a short hunt li to the north of Waterberg, In the Transvaal, in the winter of 1874, with ia Dutch boer, we saddled up one after- . noon to shoot a couple of quaggas (Burchell's zebra) for our followers, fM quagga meat being preferred above all others by the natives of that country. We had ridden a considerable round ^ without falling in with any, but about ' < an hour beforesundown we came across a troop of about fifty. Galloping up within shot, we fired, when one mare *?3 dropped. Reloading and mounting, we s 3tarted after the troop, which had now disappeared over a ridge. On gaining ' the rise we saw the quaggas tailing oat v in the hollow and commencing to as- 'f'u cend a second slope, one or two stal- ifM lions bringing up the rear, as is ? " usually the case. Cantering on, my companion suddenly pulled up and t'l pointed out to me a lion trotting swift- ; ly up across the quaggas' line of retreat behind a few scattered bouldera U and low bushes dotting the slope, evidently with the intedtion of securing the supper. "We moved slowly forward, when the hindmost stallion, thinking we were getting too close, started after his companions at a smart caDter. It _ was now exciting. The quagga was rlnap. t.n the line of the lion's aoDroach; * a couple of seconds more and the dark mass of the lion's form shot out from J behind a stone on his prey. In a mo ment the quagga was on the ground. ^5 The lion left him instantly, moved a few yards distant and lay down with his head away from the quagga, twitching his tail nervously from side to . * side, as much as to say: "I have done T*. that properly." The whole thing was - J done so quickly and suddenly that it is difficult to describe. The lion had not yet seen us, but riding nearer he turned and faced, looking rather put out at our appearing on the scene. At first he u seemed inclined to bolt, but at last lay down, facing us, evidently unwilling to give up his game. Being anxious to examine the quagga, and knowing ? . my Boer friend to be reliable, we rode .. up to about fifty yards and dismounted. I held the horses, keeping my double ? *; rifle in reserve in case of accident. The lion, not liking the look of things, ' got up and walked a few steps toward ' '.-i us, growling savagely. I told the Boer to shoot straight, which he did, hitting ,f the lion*with his old six to the pound on the point of the shoulder; the bullet passed out behind the other shoulder, dropped the lion on the spot. On examining the quagga it would gippear from the claw mark that the lion's left forearm was thrown over the wither and the claws fixed in the shoulder, \ the right forearm's claws in the chest, tlip left hind claw had been driven *' into the flank a little below the level of the hip-bone, the right hind * foot evidently on the ground, thus holding the animal as in a vise, while the teeth had met in the neck about three inches or four inches behind the * 1 ears, smashing the bone as effectually as a two-ounce bullet. My two front fingers met in the bite-hole. Death was instantaneous. The lion was a full-grown male with perfect teeth. On a previous occasion a riding mare belonging to a friend of mine was killed near Wonderfontein, Transvaal, one night close to the wagon, while on a blesbok hunt. The mare was hobbled when caught. The claw marks and the bite that killed were identical with those on the quagga. ' From all testimony that I could gather from old hunters during seventeen years' residence in the Transvaal, md my own limited observation, I would say that the lion uses his claws is a holding power and kills by bit'). ? London Field. ^ Tim I!ortsftii WIlV. A writer in the Michiyan Farmer loses an article on "The Distribution _ [)f Seeds," as follows: We often hear it remarked?and the fact passes for a mystery?that when one kind of timber is cut away another variety will spring up. This is true in a restricted sense. The nut-bearing trees do not spring up so universally as the trees with winged seeds, ;is the maple, or tho pine or otlur conifers. "Cut away beach timber and maples will grow," simply because the maplj seeds have been scattered tliero by the wind, and so with pine. A hickory nut, an acorn or a beech nut I mav be carried some distance and j buried i>v a squirrel or ;i wood-mouse, J and an accidental tree be the result. m In every instance where a different m species of timber has sprung up to replace that cut away, it has been the 1 winged-seed species, and when this is remembered, there is no mystery about ,r it. In fact there is no mystery in any of (lie plantings of nature if we but open our cy<s wide enoflgh. It hat been said that v. hat we term weeds art} , only |ilants<n!t of place. Soineofthem J will persist i:i occupying the places we I have devoted to other plants which I we can utilize: that is the trouble, and they attmd to their own seeding,