Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Abbeville Press and Banner.! BY HUGH WILSON. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1895. ESTABLISHED 1844 M -M FARM AM) GARDEN, "j EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS J FROM TRUSTWORTHY SOURCES, j A Cheap and Convenient Apiary or Summer and Winter Stand for Bees, IIlus- 1 tinted, and Directions Given for Build- I lag the Same. An Illinois correspondent of Rural New ( Yorker calls the structure shown in the j accompanying cuts "a cheap and conve- J nient apiary or summer and winter stand 1 for bees." FIG. 1?A CHEAP APIAUY. It is a frame building, 10 by 16 feet, 8 feet from floor to ceiling. The door is in the south and a double window 1n the north. The studding in both ends are * - - ' * * ' ?i j sided up msiae ana out wiui snip i?ppeu lumber and the space between and that above the ceiling are packed with chaff or sawdust to the depth of 5 or 6 inches. The sides are made double of lumber 8 inches wide. The lower inside board being sawed so as to fit between the studdings, of which there are three in each side, is hinged to the floor and falls outwards, the ends being sawed on a miter on each side of the studding thus making a reasonably tight joint when the board is raised; the next board is nailed solidly the whole length; the next one sawed as before and hinged to the top of the second board and alternately to the top. The outside boards are left the entire length and are put on the reverse of the inner ones, the upper board being first nailed I on, the next one hinged to its lower edge and so on, or a two inch strip could be nailed on with its lower edge 8 inches below the plate, and the second board hinged to its lower edge and a strip cut to fit between its upper edge and the cornice board hinged to its upper edge. Jl KIO. 2?A CITE A I* AI'IAHY. In summer, by lowering the inner door9 and raising the outer doors and hooking them up, the bees have free access to the hives while they cau be protected from heavy driving rains by unhooking the outer doors and lowering them. In winter by closing all the doors and pricking between them with chaff a good, warm room is obtained. A Living The process of ornamenting vases with living green is by no means new; but as very inauv of our readers may not know how it is done, we fjivo the representatiou of a living vase, with direct ions for duplicating it, that appeared recently in The Southern Cultivator. Any sort of vase may bo employed, but those of unglazed terra cott". are preferable, being porous. In such vessels the water with which the vase is filled percolates constantly through the sides and t.l.nitf. U'llioll Q T?0 flVOf] f lYl ifQ JJlUlBieua tuu piauio " UiCU 1*4 v uavu vw t?M surface. This kind of vase is, however, not indispensable, for we can ornament all kinds, whether in glass or metal. In the latter case it is necessary to prepare the surface so as to convert it into a sort of soil, which it really represents?an operation which is easily managed by the aid of a piece of cloth or tlannel which is fixed by means of a little pack thread or thin iron or brass wire. This being understood, the means employed lo grow the seed must next be described. If a porous vase be used it is filled with water or. better still, left in a pail of water to soak. After a lapse of twenty four hours, when the water has thoroughly saturated the vase, it is laid on its side, and the seed sprinkled slightly over the surf&ee, taking care to tnrn the vase in different directions, in order that the whole surface may be well covered with seed. This operation terminated, the vase is placed in a dark closet for some time, and, if possible, under a class frame, so as to preserve humidity and facilitate germination. If a nun porous vase, after having well soaked the cloth which covers it, the seed is sown upon it and the same care is given as has already been indicated. When a norous vase is used it should be kept constantly full, as it is the water filtering slowly through it that feeds the plants which cover the sides. If that be insufficient to insure vigorous growth, the vase must be watered, taking care to pour the water cautiously, so us not to detach the plants. If glazed or metal vases be used, glass bottles, for instance, they must bo constantly watered; the water should be poured from tho top over all, so that, iu descending, it wets all parta' cloth, which should always be damjk!- Whenever the plants droop they must he refreshed by watering them carefully. The vase should stand in a aucvr or plate. A VASE COVERED WITH FOLIAGE. The seeds used should be very fine, and especially light and of easy and quick germination. Mix hen manure -with fine soil be for? applying to plants. BUTTER PACKAGES. n<-srri|>tIon of Four Kinds of Packages I ( ( iicml l!su lor Creamery Butter. There are lour kinds of packages i policial use for ci eamery butler Thr< of ihese are made ot wood, liie reujaii iug "in: is of t in A form verv commonly used i3 know as the Welsh tub. although it is made i America The Welsh tub is made < white ash and is hound with black as hoops The staves are made by machine! and the bottom is fitted in like a barn head Dither live or six hoops are use< more generally five If only live, two at placed at each end and one in t he tniddli If six art! used, three are placed at eac end The weight of the tub is eight < niiio pounds, and it holds fifty live i sixty pounds of butler The firkin is also largely used It I made of white oak. with hickory hoop! It is headed top and bottom, like a barre and is the same size at each end. beiri twelve and one half inches in diameter f the ends and fifteen inches in the tniddh The staves are thirty inches long Tli firkins arc very often sawed in two un used as half firkin tubs, with white oa covers, which are mailed on. The lirki holds about a hundred pounds of bultei The creamery pail iioids irom sixty i eighty pounds. It is made of white oa ami bound with iron hoops, either pi vanized or not. These pails are painte and are fitted with patent fastenings ft the ash or oak covers, nnd make the ham somest packages in the trade. 'Ilieyai not popular with commission merchant! as t hey are so expensive that they have t be returned to the creameries. Tin packages are growing in favor an are used by the government, but are long way from superseding wood in tL markets, not withstanding that t hey seei to be equally as good as wood in all r< spects and better in some. They are noi absorbent, of course, and do notliavor tli butter, while they keep it much bette; Tin packages are made of all sizes, i cylindrical shape, and are cased and cm ered at the top with wood. The woode cover rests 011 the salt brine which lies o the butter. A Year of Plenty. Corn leads the cereals in general in portance and promised abundance of tl: crop. Spring wheat has not fully mail tained its high promise in June. Full estimates of winter wheat cannc yet bo made, but the results of tliresmii so far as known promise a larger vie! than was expected early in the seasoi Cotton has passed through the scaso with but little injury from climat changes, rust or insects. Pasturage i the main has been excellent, and in t) states and territories forming the grei pasturage belt exceptionally good. The apple and peach crops are large, e pecially iu states where scarcity exists last year. It is a satisfaction to kno that importations of potatoes will not t needed, every state reporting a high a1 erage. Hay is generally satisfactor; clover standing high in quality. Thei has been a large increase in acreage < oats, and the crop is probably the large: ever grown. Selecting Seed Corn. Professor Johnson, of the Michigo Agricultural collegc, has practiced tl following method of selecting seed coi for a number of years with satisfactoi results: When husking1, the most perfect ca: are selected and sent to the drying roon A second sorting follows, when all eaj not up to the standard are rejected. T1 corn is then tied up with wool twine i lots of fifty cars or more, or strung c wire with "Smith's device for hanging u corn." The ears are then hung up in tl drying room. The room below the dryir room is heated by a coal fire, and tl chimney from this room passes throug the drying room, thus securing a dry au even temperature. First?Selection < perfect ears when corn is husked. Se ond?A careful second selection. Thij ?The hanging up of the coru. FourtliA dry and even temperature iu the dr; ing room. How to Tie Knots That Never Slip. The knots here shown were original illustrated and described iu Prair Farmer, where it was claimed that th< are excellent for the ends of hoisting ro] and for a thousand other places, as th< are easily tied and untied, and never woi loose or slip. \J EXCELLENT KNOTS. On the end to which the horses a hitched use a'' bowline" or ' "sailor's knot This is shown at A and C, A being tl knot before tightened, showing how it tied. It is hard to describe how the kn< is made, but by studying the illustrate and using a stiff string you can learn in few minutes. When a clevis is hook< in the large loop at the right hand si< and pulled, it will tighten and make firm a knot as any known. The one shov at B is excellent for tying to tho fork, is made by passing rope twice throuj ring and returning the end around ro and under both coils. Things Talked About. Every sheep raiser makes his own luc according to the care and attention ' gives his flock, says Rural Home. Prominent fruit growers find th thinned peaches are of a superior size ai excellence and sell much better than t unthinned ones. Prominent commission merchants r< ommend that the Le Conte pears shipped so green that they will keep ti weeks and not mellow up till the reti dealer gets them. Ail English farmer says: "My twent five years' experimentation with pota on Norfolk soils warrants me in advisi: its application to roots in preference any crop in the ordinary rotation." Henry Stewart thinks quicklimo is indispensable in a dairy as ice. It is e ceedingly absorptive of moisture, taki up one-third of its weight and faili slowly to a fine, dry powder, without a appearance of moisture. Professor Beal asserts in The Americ Agriculturist that there is probably C-5-1 ?S1J llninn. more oeuemuai wuu amuiui America than the skunk, which does untold amount of good in digging up a devouring the common grubworm, t larva) of laclinosterua fusca, a pest to grass lands and a curse in strawbei beds. The International dairy show is to i held at Chicago at the time of the : stock show, Nov. 13?25. TWO USEFUL PLANTS. in A Common Sense Talk About the Cultar* of Sage and IUiubatb. q n A World correspondent has the follow'* Ing to say concerning two plants of im1 portance, which are, however, often omitj ted 111 the farmer's garden: U n ! Rhubarb and sage are not only medicinal " plants, but aro also classed among onr , useful culinary vegetables. These two '' very useful plants are generally raised ' ? from seed when grown extensively, though they may be propagated from divisions of ' the roots, and sage will also grow from slips or cuttings. The latter process, ' however, is resorted to only when a few " " plants for private use are required. The ~ ,r seeds of each of these plants should be " ,r fresh, or tliey will not germinate freely, and disappointment will be the result. c< 18 The farmer may sow his own seed if he so 8-1 " Hociro for t.hnv rinen verv freelv in this ^ I climate The soil must be rich for both 11 " these plants. ^ lt The seeds of sage may be sown in April, C( 3 May or June, scattered thinly in shfcilow C( l(? drills two and one-half or three feet apart J for field culture and about two feet apart j k in the garden patch. These must be kept a| " clear of weeds, and the early sowing will v bear twice cutting, the lato only once. ? Though garden sage is a perennial under f1 shnib, it is, I believe, mostly treated as tc Jl an annual or biennial, and after one or two crops the ground is plowed up again. ,r The sago family (Salvia) is very extensive, , I" and some species are beautiful flowers. (? 0 Salvia splendeus, or scarlet sage of the , 3> flower garden, is of this class. Only the 0 broad leaved sage (Salvia officinalis) should . be sown for either market or family use. Sage comes to perfection the first year. u Sago is in great demand in the fall by 10 sausage makers, and in many sections 11 complaints are made that they are una'' ble to procure enough for their purposes. It is also in great demand for tho stuffing 16 and dressing of poultry. Sage tea is a p" tonic and exhilarating to the spirits. It F a is a sudorific, aromatic, astringent and T' antiseptic. Some use it in their families b< n as a substitute for Chinese tea, and I c< n have yet to learn that such a family or it any member of it was ever attacked with is chills and fever, or the intermittent V called fever and ague. Therefore, I hold p< that its properties are most invaluable. c< 18 Rhubarb generally will not have ac- tl 1 quired sufficient strength till the fourth ci . or fifth year from the seed. If one or two It 1-? -1 Un. m yUVLL U1U piUUbO U1 bUCOO v^au wrw |/ivvuivv* ? 5 there will be that much time saved in ii waiting for the crop. Rhubarb may be ft L forwarded by artificial heat like aspara- 8] gus, and if a flour barrel be set over a ii 10 hill early in the season, with the head o: u left in, the plant will blanch as white as l? celery or eeakale, or if barrels be set over 1? 1 hills with both ends out its growth will tl be forwarded and the stems will be longer a j and more tender. Large plants lifted in si the fall and placed in barrels or tubs of v earth will kept growing all winter in any d warm place. Rhubarb or pie plant is S] " very wholesome and comes in at a time n I' when fruits are scarce, and both stem and tl - root are medicinal. I believe the cathar- t< t tic virtues of the root are little inferior v 5 to that imported from Turkey, and an a: excellent aud wholesome wine may be t made by fermenting the expressed juice h ^ of the stalks, with the addition of a little & 10 sugar. Jam, jelly and a nice preserve ,n may also be made from the stalks. Rhu- b ~ barb is best raised in a seea oca ana ? ^ transplanted out when large enough, and v ra only tho largest species of Polmatum, & a such as the Linneas, should be grown for < fi ' market. b ie Winter Dairying. Il One of the most powerful arguments in e: favor of winter dairying, says Rural f? ^ Home, is the fact that it gives the fanner si profitable employment the entire year, ai During fivo or six months there is a ces- s] sation of growth of the farmer's products [j and then, if he has no way of profitably employing his labor for the remainder of c tho year his remuneration must be much n <(j less than if he could profitably employ w _ himself every secular day in the year. t< Tho value of his products depends largely g] ' upon the amount of labor he can put into si them. The forces of nature are laboring h for him six months of the year; then if he [v can employ the other six months profit- si j, ably in manufacturing his raw products, h j- converting them into more valuable forms, fi jg his profits must be greatly augmented, b >v The subject is important amd many sided 1 ,jj and we may refer to it again. a ci Best Fowls for Breeding Purposes. We find that the best birds for breeding Cl purposes are from one to three years old. d We do not prefer pullets j ust commencing to lay for breeders. It is a great mistake a' to sell off the older liens and breed from Eullets; hardier and better developed s' irds will be the result if bred from 2 and 3 year old hens. More than ono-half of tl early maturity is in high feeding.?Amer- 11 ican Agriculturist. * 11 P A Few Hardy Grapes. P *0 On the experimental farm at Ottawa, 1 jg atapoiut 1,200 feetabove sealevel,ninety- . six varieties of grapes wero planted six m years ago. At a meeting of Ontario fruit a growers the following varieties were recJ(j ommended for hardiness, yield and flavor after this rather severe test: Black? 0 ag Wilder, Worden, Moore, Concord, Barry. P ,n Red?Delaware, Brighton, Lindley, Aga- Cl jt warn. White?Niagara, Lady, Martha. jj? jh y pe Wliat Others Say. If a fiockmaster attempts to winter his ij sheep without shelter enough to keep q t.liem rlrv. though it mav not furnish much n k warmth' he will not get a good fleece, & jjg says Rural Home. p The promptest, cheapest and most effec- ei x tive means of restoring a M orn out orchard I . is, according to Dr. T. 1L Hoskins, to ti . dress it heavily with coarse, ground bone v and unleached hardwood ashes sown upon ti the surface and plowed in. t k" Fall plowing, after corn or potatoes iV0 or beans are removed, and thorough and repeated plowing after oats and barley " are harvested, aro the true methods of J1' killing Canada thistles, says Joseph Har- " '7" ris, iu American Agriculturist. n A prominent dairyman holds that salt ought always to bo kept in a place where the cows can get at it whenever they . want to; that it keeps them in good con119 dition. positively increases the flow of ? !X" milk, and that they will never eat more J,1 nS than is irood for them. dcj Professor A. J. Cook, of Michigan, Is re- ? ported as using only large, fino mares to ? - ?>?4. ?.:?k ^ . uu lariJi v. uru. nu uiiua muu mgu ^ an Percherons are fino walkers, and to break ^ them it is only ucccssary to hitch them p ln in at threo years of ago and go tu working v ai} them T!:e fall colts are valuable and ]j can be raided at a profit. ajj Apropos of mulching winter wheat, a p .ry corres;;j!idcnt of Country Gentleman says: n "When I was a boy, beforo tho war, buck ' p in old Virginia, it was common custom for farmer:! to scatter straw thinly over | the poorest knolls of their wheat fields in *' __ tho fall, and always with good results." 0 FARM AND GARDEN. PPORTUNE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THINGS IN EVERYDAY LIFE. is?ases of the Respiratory Organs ol Horses Usually Classified Under Three Heads?Local and Non-Contagious, Gen* eral and Contagious, Chronic or Acnte. Diseases of the respiratory organs pre Etil to a great extent among horses, and e classified under three heads Undei le first head?local and non-contagious -explains a veterinary surgeon in Ohic ractical Farmer, we find a disturbance f the respiratory apparatus caused bj >ld, which attacks the. bronchial tubes, id the nasal organs are also involved, isulting in a discharge, more or less, 'om the nose. Such a disturbance is nenable to treatment, and cannot be msidered infectious or contagious, ex ;pt when in a more advanced state. The ord contagion means the propagation ol isease by contact. Infection means most the same, but in the latter the irus must be received into the system, hile in the former it has only to come ito contact. Any disease of the respira >ry organs, if allowed to run unchecked, tG. 1?CIRCULATORY SYSTEM OP THJ HORSE. scomes general, as the whole system be >mes involved; the circulation is inter ;red with, causing a disturbance whici i the first warning that fever has set in v'e have quickened pulse, higher tem Brature and a general fever. It is thei mtagious. In the chronic or acute forn le whole system is involved, and in thii tso it is DOtQ contagious ana mietuuua ; does not remain local, but takes th< i align ant general type capable of caus ig the death not ouly of the animal af ;cted, but of all other animalB and ever pedes that may come in contact with i1 i any form, either by breathing the ai] r being touched with the virus. In Fig. 1 is shown distinctly the circu itory system of ?? le horse, so that mere glance is iifflcient to conince one how any |H isease of the repiratory organs ^ JWBRU lay be carried djfe JBwBqgHl irough the sys- fflflHrn ?m and thus in- ~ olve the whole nimal system in- em ally. The eart, pulmonary rtery, pulmonry veins, verte- iH ral artery, dorsal |9 rtery, jugular jjj re all clearly de- ^ ^ JlJ ; illustrates the w 2?bad case of sternal effect of pakcy ircy, a disease opposed to be glanders by many, but :cording to the authority quoted, it is i pecific form of blood poisoning. The Heliotrope In Winter. With good management the heliotropi lay be made to bloom profusely during 'inter in either the window or conserva )ry. To have a supply of winter an< pring blooms, select plants that wen tarted from slips in June, and whicl ave low, bushy forms. During the flowering stage the plant! hould nave from 50 degs. to 60 degs. o eat, and about once a week, or when ii nil bloom twice a week, they may witl enefit receive liquid manure at the roots 'he plants, like the flowers themselves fter cutting do better for not beinj rowded together or with others. The heliotrope delights in a compos Dnsisting of three parts of fresh loam o: ecayed turf to one part of rotted manure rith. a good sprinkling of sharp san< dded. In dealing with that common pest o ach plants, the green fly, care must b iken that the foliage be not injured wit! tie usual remedy?tobacco smoke. Thi smedy may with safety be applied ii loderately strong volume if the simpl recaution of syringing or otherwise com letely wettrng the foliage just previou 3 starting the fumigation is observed therwise the plants would be liable t ecome badly burned. Posts Preserved with Petroleum. In building a fence around our younj rchards several years ago we tried man; lans ior preserving pvoua. imruig uw asion to remove the fence this winter vn oted the conditions of the posts a: allows: Those set with no preporatioi rere decayed an incli or more in thick ess; those coated with a thick wash o me were better preserved, but weri uite seriously attacked by worms; thosi osts coated with hot tar were perfectly ound as when put in the gTOund; thos< ainted with petroleum and kerosene wen qually as sound and as good for setting <et the posts get thoroughly dry, am tien with a pan of cheap kerosene and i whitewash brush, give the lower third o be post, the part to go into the ground wo or three applications of the oil, let ing it soak in well each time. Posts s< reated will nft be troubled by worms o: isects of any kind, but will resist deca] o a remarkable degree. This we find ti e the simplest, easiest, cheapest and bes lethod of preservation. A Good Toule for Fowls. Probably the best tonic for fowls, say: iniericau Agriculturist, is the Douglas: nxture: i&Ke one pouna or suipuaLe u ron and two ounces of sulphuric acid an< issolve in one gallon of water. Add on< ablespoonful of this mixture to on< allon of drinking water for the birds. Remove the droppings from the poultry ouses every morning instead of onco 01 wice a week, as is often directed. If thii ractice were strictly adhered to then fould be less disease among poultry an( ctter results generally. Cull the fowls very closely. It will no ay to winter disqualified birds. There i! lore success with fewer birds and highe; rices. Cream is a ready absorbent and there ore quickly injured by association witl dors of all sorts. IN THE VINEYARD. Picking Grapes for Packing?Best Grajx for Market. In harvesting grapes that are to t l picked away for market or long keeping d? exceedingly careful not to rub off th r bloom in handling the fruit. Place i large shallow trays and place in a co< airy spot for several days to "cure" to ' fore packing. During this curing proces the skin becomes toughened and tl stems to the cluster shrink somewha and the berries will not fall off, as the 1 would if packed at once. The varieti* vary greatly as to the time required f< 1 this. The best keeping grapes, such f ' Catawba, Iona, Diana, etc., should be a 1 lowed to hang upou the vine until quil ' ripe; this will be known by tl stem to the cluster losing its stii ness and the bunch hanging direct: down. [ The most salable variety of grapes, a ' cording to urcnara ana uarueu, are ua ware and Concord, but a few Ives seedlii j and Ilortford Prolific, coming vei early in the season, often bring g0( 1 prices. White varieties, such as Marti ' or Rebecca, gave a somewhat uncerta: demand. Strictly fancy lots often s? ' very well, but unless very choice th< ' ere generally neglected. The best pac > ages are light wooden boxes containii two or three pounds each; the thn pound boxes are generally used for tl black varieties, but the higher pria kinds, Delaware, Martha, etc., are usual packed in two pound boxes. The box should be packed in slat cases, holdir eighteen three pound boxes, or twent four two pound boxes. After pickin the grapes should lie at least twenty-foi hours in a cool, dry place before packin as when packed fresh from the vin they shrink in the boxes. Remove t] bottom of the box, and pack against tl cover first. Fill full, but not so that tl mTitorto ?nll Vio hniisAd. Put one kii s only in a box. Lithographic labels ct be obtained for the top of the boxe which give the package a handsome a - pearance; the name of the variety shou i be printed neatly upon the label. Vinegar Making. 1 Vinegar making is now in order in t 1 sections of the country where there is 3 surplus of apples. Much vinegar is ma< from the juice of early apples, wastes ' mills and repressings. Farmers who mal * vinegar in small quantities for home us " as a rule cling to the old fashioned wi 1 of putting the cider into barrels or cask t filling them two-thirds full and lettii r them stand till the contents turn to vi egar, which usually takes about tv * years. The vinegar business carried on in large way, however, necessitates son kind of a generator which hastens tl process. The vinegar generator shown in tl a -j x cut id au arrangement useu uy vunnea . Green, of Rochester, N. Y., and was i cently described and illustrated in Rui New Yorker. The design of this arrangement is draw cider from one barrel to anothc exposing it to the air and heat. The rid slowly drips from the upper barrel dov the troughs to the other barrels. Whi the first barrel is emptied, another rolled up to take its place. Another plan sometimes used, when is desired to make cider vinegar quickl consists in making shelves with groove say an inch deep, through which t! cider flows backward and forward ai then down to the next shelf and so < until in this way the cider is exposed t.ViA fttmnanViorfl warmth for an ho or more before passing into a barrel tank. Another plan is to fill a barrel wi oak shavings, run sharp vinegar throuj 1 them, then run the cider through t. shavings slowlv. But it has been fotu that all methods of hastening the makh of vinegar are inclined to affect t' b quality; that vinegar hastily made is sha r and stingy, but that it lacks body ai - richness of fruit tone, and yet the proce 1 can be somewhat hastened without 1 b suiting in any injury, as for instance wi l the generator illustrated. To make vinegar in a small way t 3 most practical mode, as has been in f mated, is to put the cider in barrels thrc i fourths full, leave out the bung and ke l the cider in a warm place, the warmer t . better up to 80 or 85 degs. The authori , quoted from advises, when one has c r vinegar barrels or casks containh "mother" and some good vinegar, the fc need not be removed. Simply put in t r cider daily or weekly and draw it off , fast as made, and place in fresh barm i This is the manner in which the be vinegar is made, and "sith the lea f trouble. By this plan the vinegar q being made continually with vigor. I a member that vinegar is always grown 9 stronger or weaker, and that if an old bt i re L of vinegar has no new material suppli e it may perish from idleness, ita streng and virtue becoming worthless. ^ A CHEAP VINEGAR GENERATOR. ? An old vinegar barrel containing plen of "mother, the vinegar having iu i been drawn off, is worth twice as much a nmit hairal rnntnininir no "mother." f The color of vinegar adds to its salat value. This desirable color is sometim \ gained by the addition of the pressed o * juice of black raspberries, cooked eith fresh or dried. As high authority as M Green says this is the coloring matter f j vinegar and that a spoonful of it w color a barrel of water. When using try a little of it until you get just the d sired tint?not too dark. Here and There. Killing frosts have done damage to tl f corn fields in many sections of the cou 1 try. 3 The English apple crop is at least 3 partial failure; on the other hand, ti continental crop promises well. < The Hudson valley grape crop Is i r enormous one. 3 A large crop of white beans is nc J being harvested in Spain and Italy. TI * United States, it is expected, will fumi: a market for the surplus. 3 The present average rate of month r wages for farm labor in the United State according to the department of agricu ture, is |l8.34 without board and $12. . with board. i The American Institute fair. New Yo: city, commences Oct. 8 and closas Dec. ARTIFICIAL INCUBATORS. & Short Chapter on Artificial Incubators by One Who Has Experience. ? P. H. Jacobs, Hammonton, N. J., in r?f, j?ly to queries asked by Rural New Yorkit er's readers, makes the following state? ments: There are no "good incubators," il for all incubators are good according to ?- the management of the operator. We * have the Monarch on one place, the ?petit ator considering it the best. Another t, thinks the Eureka the best. Another preiJ fers the Perfect Hatcher, and another the * Keystone, while others pin t.heir faith to jr me noi water mcuoator. oome succeeu i* with one and fail with another, while a 1* neighbor succeeds with the kind the other could not work, and fails with one that i? has been successful. The man does not I- live who can pick out the best incubator, Ly any more than one can select the best harvester, the best thrasher or the best o- churn, as each is a favorite with some, a- The incubators used at Hammonton are ig the Monarch, Perfect, Eureka, Centennial, 7 Keystone and hot water incubator. >d The percentage of chicks hatched dei* pends upon the season. Sometimes an in operator will hatch 90 per cent, and over, ill and the next time he may get only 40 per 57 cent. k- We find that eggs from pullets produce if weak chicks, that eggs must not be M chilled, that males with frosted combs are * of no service, that inbred stock cannot be relied upon, and other objections, yet lj these difficulties are in the way. e* The operator who hatches and markets >g 40 chicks from every 100 eggs is doing y- well. The loss is ia the eggs, not from g> any fault of incubators, as the eggs have a* been tested with hens also. With good " 4-Vir* mimVkaw r\f /?Vkf/?lra mAiiln Vuk 1)1 1/ilC UUU1VC1 Vt vuivuh ? vvuw ww largely increased. ^ Some of the broiler farms are 110 larger I* than half an acre. Howe, who marketed M about 6,000 chicks, lives on a town lot. id The egg difficulty is the greatest drawu* back. Only a few months of the year are used P." 14 The Jessie and Yale Strawberries. The Jessie strawberry is very favorably reported upon from many localities, though here and there appears an account J] of its having failed to come up to expecg tations. Professor Green believes it will ie become a standard variety. Secretary E. of Williams, of the New Jersey Horticultural ;0 society, considers it a promising berry, e, and this opinion is entertained bv Mr. ij Hale, of Connecticut; Mr. Lovett, or New :9f Jersey; Mi-. Kellogg, of Wisconsin, and !g other progressive growers of small fruit, n. On The Rufijtl New Yorker's grounds, eo while the Jessie did fairly well there, it has not shown itself to be at all remarkg able. Mr. Kellogg, who has had it on se trial four years, says: "Of new varieties at I know of nothing so near perfect in every respect as the Jessie." Of the pistillate new varieties, by the way, this grower thinks, no one will be disappoint e od with Buhach and Ontario. a] The Yale, a chance seedling strawberry, that originated in the vicinity of New to Haven, Conn., it is affirmed, is one if, o? the most promising of the new ea sorts for a late family or market berry. to The Yale has perfect flowers, which enan ables it to be planted without other variia eties to fertilize them. The berries are sound, of good size, of a deep red color; it the flesh is solid and red. The fruit y, ripens ten to twelve days later than the is, Sharpless tm ^ Rendering Bees Wax. in The following query was recently pro to pounded in The American Bee Journal and answered by leading apiarians in different or sections of the country: "In rendering th out the wax from old brood combs does it jh make the wax darker if it is boiled in a he cast iron kettle than it would be if a tin or copper kettle was used?" James Hedag den replied: "Iron should never come in be contact with hot wax." A. J. Cook said: rp "I do not see why it should, but I should not wish to boil the wax much in any s8 kettle." J. M. Shuck replied: "Thekettle q. does not color the wax. Excessive heatth ing colors it, and worse than that, ruins it. Heat it just enough to get the wax he out, and no more; boiling does no good." ti- H. D. Cutting said: "Some grades and ie- mixtures of cast iron will darken wax ep every time; while other grades will have he no effect on it. You will notice that tj some iron kettles will always rust after ,ld use and put away for a few days, while ag others never rust. Copper is best, as you tSe ara sure of the results." ? he The editor of the journal quoted, from aa concluded with: "Yes, take the tin or Is. copper kettle every time. If the ir$n !9t kettle is old, well used and perfectly at clean, it mieht be used, but the ordinary ii run of iron Kettles will color the wax." ag Destroying Ants In the Apiary. ur- Professor Cook is credited with recomed mending the following for destroying ants th in the apiary: Find their nest and make a hole in the center of it with a crowbar or other iron rod, then turn in half a gill of bisulphide carbon, and immediately fill the hole and cover it with a little clay, which should be trampled down. The ? liquid vaporizes and kills all the ants. i Like gasoline, it is very inflammable, so it must not be exposed, either the liquid or vapor, to the fire. Farm Notes. The rye crop of Europe is considerably short. American evaporated apples are largely sold in Germany. Heavy losses have occurred to cranberry growers from the severe frosts. i_. Prospects for increased apple exporta from America this year are encouraging. ? Tn TToncoc Hrrmirlit, has paused a SOVCM MJ1 ALX decline in tlie condition of the corn crop. '! Killing frosts have done great damage g? to the corn crop in many sections of tho ut country. r? The general average of cats r.t time of ? harvest was four points lower than at the yj last report. rt The prospect eppeara to be that th? ie. onion crop of the country will fully equal the largo crop of 1886. P. H. Jacobs, who is assured from experience that the "incubator ha3 come to he stay," nevertheless advises those who n- contemplate using it to begin In n small way and learn how beforo sttemDting to g do a largo business. ha A Maine farmer flays: '"From experience continued through many years we are still surprised each haying season by *** the better staying yujun-wa vi v fa-ruoa where stock is entirely kept off and never lW more surprised than this present year. It is cot good practice io feed grass sh fields." One of the troubles which cheese makly crs have to contend with is a floating !s?: curd. There are numerous ways of treatjj* i iug floating curds, but the main points lo i bo observed are: Draining the whey early, I developing an acid, ssposure of the curd rk to the atmosphere ft long time and grind& in# io a curd mill. ti - MISERERE. V>$ 1 mi Deep in a churchyard green with spring's frttfc. gladness I hear the strokes that mark the noontide hoar; Dark yew trees stand in immemorial s&dneaa, | I And iry girds the gray old Norman tower. And while the lark above is never weary. Outpouring clear his midday ecstasy. ' 7 My eyes are bent upon the "Miserere" That from a time worn stone looks up to me. j No word but this; naught yields a faint sngge*> don j Of man or woman or of youig or old; Yet here there sleeps beyond all doubt or que* tion Borne tragic story to the world untold. Vain all the mind's conjectures and surmises Before so sad an epitaph as this, ' vr-J And yet the thought resistlessly arises Of faith forsworn and perjured lore's abyss. Of lone heart struggle and self immolation ' In ways where tired and wounded feet mnst t ; " ? Of cruel trial and supreme temptation And then the enshrouding darkness of the end. Thus to a wanderer does the mournful "Pity" Plead mutely o'er the unrecorded dead; Oh, may the soul have reached that peaceful city Where ne'er a "Miserere" need be said! , ?Clinton Scollard in Congregationalism j ' >~j They Wear Big Hats. At Annam, an empire occupying the eastern portion of the Indo-Chinese peninsula, with a population of 15,000,000, men and women wear their hair in the same way and dress almost alike. Like the man, the woman wears a turban, a long tunic, wide, loose trousers and a bright sash, the ends falling below theknees. The physiognomy is almost the same, as the men are beardless and have their hair done up like the women. The only clew to distinguish them is the earrings and finger rings, worn by women . ' only. The earrings are like double shirt studs, and among the lower orders are of colored glass. The wives and daughters of mandarins alone are allowed to wear gold jewelry. 'me rings are or spiral wire, fitting tight and standing ont to some height. Some women of the npper class wear also necklaces of strings of gold or silver beads. The hat of the woman is monumental. It is like a large barrel cover, three-quartersof a yard in diameter. Six or seven silk cords as thick as a quill are fastened on each side, and when "worn fall down be- '' low the waist. Where the ends are fastened to the hat on each side is a huge black or brown silk tasseL Some of than hats are artistically made of carefully se- > ^ lected palm leaves and lined with neatly plaited flag leaves. These are expensive, especially when they have chiseled silver clasps at the tassels. Many womei fasten a little round mirror in the hat, before which they arrange their turban when they go to town. The hat is the article most prized by the stylish ladies, and often costs $10 or $15.?St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Pede?trlan? on the Big Bridge. It is entertaining to note the democratic effect of the Brooklyp bridge upon pedestrians. Thousands of persons patronize ? j__ __ A < CQe promenaae every aay on ineir way back and forth. As a rule the walkers do not "hoof it" because of poverty, but on > account of the exercise. The walk is about one mile and an eighth, just long enough to stimulate an appetite for supper without fatigue. The promenade is frequented by millionaires and workmen alike. Charles Pratt, the millionaire, can often be seen, with his coat on his arm, leisurely strolling over to this city. The Rev. Dr. Talmage is also frequently seen walking over. A noticeable feature is the absence of conventional v{ street formality. A man or wqppOv who assumes the most dignifiedJ>? .wihiln on a public thoroughfare will apparently throw aside all fear of observation, and saunter across the river in the most careless qnd comfortable way. But when the other side is reached coats are put on, caps adjusted, the ladies glance over their shoulders to see that their drees improvers hang just right, and backbones . are stiffened to the perpendicular regarded is necessary to conform to ordinary street manners.?Ernest Jarrold in New York Journal Bismarck Surprised. 1 t was a witty answer by which a hero whom Bismarck was commissioned by the emperor to decorate with the Iron Cross of the First Class discomfited the chancellor's attempt to chaff him. "I am authorized," said Bismarck to him, with that liking for playing jokea which has been so strong throughout his creer?"I am authorized to offer you a hundred thalers instead of the cross." "How much is the cross worth?" asked tbe soldier. "Three thalers." "Very well, then, highness; I'll take the cross and ninety-seven thalers." Bismarck was so surprised and pleased by the ready shrewdness of the reply that he gave the man both the cross and the money.?London Tit-Bits. * $? VyJ A Negro Millionaire. Daniel Seales is the colored millionaire of San Francisco. He is a friend of Senator B. K. Bruce and Frederick Douglass. His acquaintance with distinguished men of the nation is extensive. Mr. Seales is of fine appearance. He dresses in the height of fashion and his gray beard frames a v face of amiability. Forty years ago he went to California, and his early investments in San Francisco property made him rich. Mr. Seales has never been in politics. He has confined himself entirely to law and realty. Although in his seventieth year he is as lively as a cricket He believes in enjoying life.?Denver Republican. A Sole Leather Calculation. There are 300,000 or people tnat wauc about the streets of London daily, and in so doing they wear away a ton of leather | particles from their boots and shoes. Thia would in a year form a leather belt six inches wide and one-fourth of an inch thick long enough to reach from London to New York. The amount of disintegrated leather at twenty-five cents a pound would amount to $25,000. Reduced to a strap one inch in width it would reach more than once around the world.?St. Louis Republic. A Matter of Mind. Mistress (to applicant)?You are sure you can mind children? Applicant?Yes'm. A lew aays miei; Mistress?You can bo. I thought you said you could mind the children. Applicant ? Yes'm. But they won't mind me.?Pittsburg Bulletin. It is stated that a German artillery officer has succeeded iu making a new explosive from carbolic acid, and that a shell filled with this material possesses a power hitherto unobtained. Experiments made with these shells thrown from mortar* have all, it is said, proved highly successful.