Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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'tyS*) THE HERALD VOL. IV. DARLINGTON, S. C., FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1894. NO. 31. JULY THE FOURTH. Thou greatest of oil glorious day% July the Fourth, ill hall! You lit a lamp in Freedom'* fans Whose flame shall never fall t The Fathers of this Western World Gave endless fame to thee, When they proclaimed to all the earth ' That men by birth was free! Thy morning signaled Freedom’s dawn, Whose noonday splendors now Flood earth and sky with radiance beamed From fair Columbia's brow I Immortal Doy! We hall thy rls* As Freedom’s Faster morn. When Liberty, so long entombed, In glory was reborn. The prlsonsd flame of a&deot Boms^ ►wv, 4 * ‘Of Carthage and of Orseee, Whose absence made tbs centuries dark, In yon found glad release— To blase above this continent, From ocean’s rim to rim, To sheer all struggling nations on And never more grow dim. Ton symbolise a sacred law— The right of all mankind To win their share of all that God For human needs designed! We know the lesson that you teach, The duty you proclaim, And we are here to guard that trust In Freedom's sacred name. —P. 8. Cassidy. HOW THEY CELEBRATED. . r- . A FOURTH OF TOLI STOUT. ' N the little rail road town of Co lumbia money came rather slow to a majority of the boys, and how to celebrate the Fourth of July in an ap propriate way was indeed a question of considerable magnitude. Most of toe boys’ fathers were railroad men, and railroad salaries are proverbially ■mall. J With plenty of money the boys eonld have celebrated in a way that would have awakened the sleepy little town so effectually that the older in habitants might have imagined that hoetilities between the North and Bonto had broken out anew. To obtain the necessary articles with which to celebrate was the all-im portant question before the boys’ olnb, called the “Our Boj's, ” two weeks before the time designated as the “Qloriona Fourth." One of toe boys, Bern Oflman, suggested chip ping in and buying a lot of skyrockets and red fire, but as his father was an engineer and made big money, the proposition was nothing remarkable. The words “red fire" suggested an idea to another of the club, Jim Slade, and on his plan of celebration there was a unanimous agreement. It was to the effect that au effort be ineugu- rated at once looking to the collec tion of ns much red fire as possible in the two weeks yet remaining before the Fourth of July, and on the night of that day letting it off in a buuch. To the members of the 1 'Our Boys" there was no necessity to formulate plans or advance ideas as to how this red fire wes to be obtained. They were sons of railroaders, and knew red fire by heart. Every flagman on a train leaving East or West has among his colleotion of lamps, torpedoes, poker and -novel a couple of stickk of this material, which are used on foggy or stormy .nights to warn the train following of their near approach to the train ahead. These stioks burn five minuter, and, of course, contain a large quantity ot the red powder. All she railroad men leaving from Colombia on the eastern or western trips were known, and very few of the throngh men, running from one end of the diviaion to the other, were not known. * The ‘‘Our Boya” Club originally was a ball club, but had beer, in exist ence for seTer<- seasons as a social or ganisation, minus a club house and toe luxuries of such. Jim Blade, being a member of a State militia company as drummer boy, knew something about organiz ing for effeetive work, and he it was that proposed and appointed commit tees to corral every train that pasaed through toe town. ' Boys born and raised in a railroad town soon become expert car jumpers, end it most indeed be a fast train that they eennot successfully mount. A rendezvous was selected beck of the railroad round house, in the cellar of e deserted house, in which was to be stored all the material secured. The boj a worked like beavers and as only boys can work when a Fourth of July celebration is in the prospec tive, and at the end of the first week twenty-seven sticks had been secured end some seventy-five railroad torpe does The latter article is also an im portant part of a railroader’s outfit, and, crossing the vision of one of the coll actors, several were secured, and thereafter they were added as a sort of auxiliary. • As the day drow near toe boys re newed their efforts and the red fire and torpedoes came in in such quan tities that one or two of the mure timid boys suggested e halt. But, like the trained bloodhound, they ■melt toe sport from afar and decided to give the little town a celebration diet should go down in its histurv as a red-letter day of the most vivid hne. To add zest to the collection the railroad officials began to notioe the grafti inroads on their supply of com boatiblee, and the train men had to raok their brain for new stories es to their rapid disappearance. On account of the vigilance of the railroad officials the boys' base of operations was transferred from the yards of the road to the outskirts of the town. Trains going east were easy to mount, but toose going west Evolution *f tkft Firecracker. 4: »■ called for Volunteers who were eipert train jumpers, and the narrow escapes made wherein the loss of a limb, or even a life, hung in the balance, were numerous enough to appall any boy but the eon of a railroader. Charley Van Lew and Johnny Hook were both thrown half under a fast mov ing freight in one day, but their cool ness and strength pulled them through with badly torn clothes. Coupled with these mishaps were numerous brushes with the railroad detectives in the way of chases over cars and out over the hills into the country. The boys were known to the detectives, and while they did not care to arrest them it was theif duty to keep them off the oars and protect the company's property. At nightfall several of the boys, in company with their fathers, would run across these officers, but a knowing wink would set matters right before any harm had been dons. On the 1st day of July a halt was made in the foraging and the work of extracting the red powder from the sophomore signals was begun. A flour barrel was used as a recepta cle, and at the end of two days’ work it waj three-quarters filled. The tor pedoes had mounted up in number until nearly 300 ot them were piled up in a store box in an off corner of the room. Then, as a final endeavor, throe of the boye in whom were traits that go toward making up a diplomat called on the chief train diapatchet at that bint and in the most persuasive tones •egged for a contribution toward help ing out their oelebration. With keen discernment the dis patcher saw into the whole scheme and promised to help them if they would let him know the full particular.) of their plans. No more fau-loving man lived than “Em." Stevenscn, the dis patcher, and the boya, knowing this, told him all. His contribution was an eye opener to the boys, an 1, after opening the signals, the barrel was filled to the brim with the precious red Are. At last the great day arrived, and the parents of the boys belonging to the club were astonished at the use to which the money given for firecrack er) and other explosives was put. In steal of buying firecrakers and tor pedoes they made the mouths of many of the outside boys water as they passed among them .munching peaches or apricots, or contentedly chewed away on some delicious sweetmeat. And then the novelty of the situa tion struck some of the younger boys and sarcastic remarks were flung at them as to their patriotism. But the members of the ‘‘Our Boys" said noth ing, looked wise and waited for the cover of nightfall. At 8 o'clock everybody in the little town was on the streets promenading and viewing the few roman candles and skyrockets set off by the more aristo cratic and wealthy citizens. By that time the barrel of red fire had been transferred to a field just back of the town and a long fuse con nected therewith. Each boy appro priated as many torpedoes as he could carry without exciting suspicion and took up positions assigned to them by ~ iff conspirator, town was to be given ^surprise the chi •The and the Fourth of July a oelebration t^at would open the eyes of the oldest resident. The schema worked to a charm. At 9 o’clock exactly the through ex press was 4ue and from the telegraph operator it was learned that it was on time. The town was located along side the track and a grade of consid- erable length ran through the center of the former and was the cause of most of trains reaching a high rate of speed. The express was alHays a heavy one and on the schedule was not called upon to stop at Columbia. The boys knew this, and on the instant that a freight preceding the express had pulled out of the way they set to work. Only five minutes intervened, but they were experts at putting down tor pedoes, and in three minutes' time every torpedo oolleoted had been placed on two parallel rails. Then the •harp whistle of the express was heard in the distance, and on it came with c. rash and a roar. The boys soattersd and with bated breath awaited developments. They came the next instant. With reports like the explosion of musketry, and if anything louder, the torpedoes wt-nt off in quick succes sion and the promenaders first halted in amazement and then took to their heels in affright. They thought the noise would cease, but instead it seemed to increase. Two hundred tor- psduea stretch out over a considerable distance, and they were laid for the length of two squares. People came Funning down toe streets front the baok highways in quiring the oanse, and it appeared as if the town was on its feet, or, figura-. tively speaking, on its head. And the engineer and passengers on the train, what of them? To the boys they indeed furnished a surprise that was unlooked for. The engineer, with hair on end, was trying all he oonld to bring his train to a standstill, but it was impossible to do so before the last torpedo had exploded; the passengers frightened almost into a frenzy, were climbing back over the seats*out onto the plat form and gesticulating wildly from the windows. At last the train halted and all gath ered around, and, as the train dis- patohef simply motioned the engineer to go ahead, a great laugh went up and the passengers were enlightened to the foot that this was the glorious Fourth, and they, too, joined in the hilarity. As the train disappeared around the western corner of the street paral leled to the railroad and the people of the town gathered in groups to dis cuss the strauge occurrence, the con spirators disappeared from the soeue and glided toward ond of the engine houses of toe local fire department. They kne ir what was coming next. All of a sudden a great shout went up from every part of the town and all eyes were turned toward the west ern section of the town. It appeared as if the town was to bs destroyed by fire and that a mighty conflagration was under way. The sky was blood red and a mighty column of smoke was ascending on high. The boys had done their work well, scattering the red powder over • large area and leaving the most daring boy of the crowd to set the mass off. Soon the firs bells were tolling and the exciting jingle of the f're appar atus denoted a race was on between the different companies who were de sirous of seouring places of vautags from which to fight the supposed con flagration. In this race it is needless to say the members of the ‘‘Oar Boys” were in dulging to their hearts’ content. They all swore allegiauos to owe company, the Vigilant, and were head and front of the rush with the hose reel of that engine. At the end of the street the cause of the light was discovered, and again the tongues ot the citizens were set wag ging, and the younger generation of young men voted the day’s oelebration a great success. Even the solitary pa per of the town, while taking the con spirators to task the following day for the fright they had given the towns people, oould not bat commend the plan for its originality and startling effectiveness. Among the boys of the town the story leaked out, and soon the details of the celebration were known to all. To say that the “Our Boys" Club took* a boom but faintly expresses it. Every boy in town put forward his name as an applicant for membership, but “exclusiveness was desired,” and the tone of the olub remained at its first great height for several years there after. They Are Engaged. “George,” said the maiden, fondly, “did you hear Willie’s firecracker just now?" “Yes, Miss Mantalini, I did." "Didn’t it pop gracefully?" It was enough. The Natch to BUme. “Johnny," cried Jinks, angrily, ae the sky-rooket went off, “who sent that rocket up? Didn’t I tell yon not to touch it?” “I didn’t touch it,” said Johnny. “It was the match touched it.” A Sign ot Mental Activity. “Talking to one’s self is generally considered a sign of a weak brain,” said a doctor yesterday, “but nothing could be a greater mistake. It is a sign of an extremely active brain. It may be a strong or e weak intellect, but the activity must be there to cause this peculiarity. If you will -'beerve you will be astonished how many people you will meet cu the strse* who are thinking aloud. The ‘alkiug is done unconsciously- Often the people addicted to the habit, if you called their attention to it, would aver that they never were guilty of each a thing. Some of the brightest men I have ever known do their thinking aloud without knowing it and, on the other hand, some of the weakest individuals, mentally, whom I have met in my practice keep up a continuous conversation with them selves. So it would seem that a man who talks to himself must be one ot two extreme, a wise man or a fool —Pittsburg Dispatch, THE JOKER’S BUDGET. JESTS AND VANNS BY FUNNY MEN Of THE NNESSt Caution ••Kept Them Away* «Which Wan Woraa?--Another Theory•• Mere In ltd.Eto.. Eta. CAUTION. Hubby—So we are to hare pur old cook back again? Wife—Yes; but you hadn’t better let her hear you call her ‘'old. ’’—[De troit Free Press. KEPT THEM AWAY. Summer Hotel Proprietor—It’s sin gular there oiw 30 wore young people here this year. Clerk—Not at all. Proprietor—Why isn’t it? Clerk—Didn’t you advertise that the bock piazzas would be lighted by electricity ?—[Life. WHICH WAS WORSE? “Papa hod a tooth pulled yester day," proudly exclaimed the little girl to her next door neighbor. ‘‘That ain’t nothin,” came the re- gro' day ply, and a triumphant light sh from her eyes. “I heard my papa say ho had his leg pulled the day be fore.”—[Atlanta Constitution. ANOTHER THEORY. “We learn that Adam’s fall,’’ said the Sunday school superintendent, "had something to do with forbioftiin fruit. Can any of you tell me What Adam did With that fruit?” “Did he throw the peeling on the sidewalk?” hazarded a fair haired little boy, deeply interested.—[Chi cago Tribune. MORE IN IT. Miss Willing (meaningly)—Do you know (hey are talking of putting a tax on old bachelors? Mr. Bonder (more meaningly)— They would raise more revenue if they’d tax all the old married men who wish they were single.—[Life. APPROPRIATE- Plankinton (visiting Bingo)—Gra cious, old man, what have you got blood-red wallpaper in thie room tor/ Bingo—This, old chap, is the room in which I Shave myself. COULDN’T HELP IT. George—I know I am not worthy of you, but— Ethel—Don’t over say that again; it’s no use worrying over what you canlthelp. ~ WANTED TO BE IN iT. Dick Hicks—Sometimes I wish I was an elephant or a giraffe.- Mrs. Hicks—Why do you wish that? Dick Hicks—So I could go to the circus every day. A NEW HAT, ODD STYLE. Mrs. Slramtns—You don’t look like yourself in that hat. Is it different from your other? Mr.Sanming—Yes; I’ve {laid for It. —[Chicago Inter Ocean. WHEN WOMEN VOTE. Jess—What Is the issue in this campaign? Bess—Um—Stripes versus polka- dots, I think. HOPE FOR HIM. Uiglamps—My sole ambition is to be an orator, but, alas! I fear there is no hope for me. Ethel Knox—You shouldn’t be dis couraged. They are teaching mon keys to talk. SUCCESSFUL DECEPTION. Little Boy—What did they tell you to get you to take that naety medi cine? Little Girl—They said it was good for my complexion. ONE ON THE DOO. Fitz Williams—I thought that dog would have eaten you. What caused him to loosen his grip? ■’ Dusty Rhodes—I took the precau tion to empty my snuff-box into my coat-tail pockets before I went in.— [New York World. PLAIN, OKDINABY MAN. Hubble—How would you like to have a new bonnet* my deNr? Wlfie—You lovely thing, Tm just dying for one. Hubble—I’m sorry your condition is so critical, my dear, for I can’t give you one now.—[Detroit Free Press. YOUTHFUL PRECOCITY. Willie—Grandma must be dread fully, dreadfully wicked, isn’t ahe? Mamma—Why, what do you mean? Of course she isn’t! Willie—Well, she told me her own self that the good die young.—[Inter- Ocean. MEAT AND DRINK. Westchester Willie—Wot did yer get over dere, Tommy? Tuckahoe Tommy—Oh, I got a bite from the dog. What did you get? Westchester Willie—I got a horn from the bull.—[Truth. TANKIN8 WAS ASTUTE. ‘,How does Tankins manage to keep up his extravagant mode of liv ing!" “He has credit.” “How did he get it?” “By pretending to be worried Al most to death over the income tax.” —[Washington Star. NOT IN A HURRY TO DIE. The Wife—I don’t think you love me as well as you did before we were married. The Husband—I don’t) Why, I’ve just had my life insured in your favor for $20,000. The Wife—Yes, but you eeem to stronger and healthier every ,y.—[New York Press. HE HOPES TO TRY IT. “Look here, Staggers! I don’t be lieve you can look an honest man in the face.” “Well, I won’t deny it until I’m brought face to face with one.—[Chi cago Inter-Ocean. SHE ADVISED. Cholly—Weally I must select some fad. Now what would you advise? Grace—I think dolls_would suit you exactly.—[Chicago Inter-Ocean. NOT A BIT OP DANGER. Inquirer—?Dt> you think any person is ever burled alive? Phyaician—I should say not. There is no danger of such a thing if a reg ular physician is In attendance.— [New York Press. ' NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. May—Is it true that they are madly in love with each other? Carrie—Madly? Yes, Indeed ; they are always quarrelling—[Truth. NECESSARY CAUTION. “Hello I Is this the teleplione of fice?” “Yes.” “Say, how does my voice sound? Notice anything peculiar about it?” “No.” “Then call up No. 41,144. I've got to explain to my wife that it’s busi ness that’s keeping me so late.”— [Chicago Record. THE ORIGINAL FAD. Daughter—What is a fnd, mamma? Mother (contemptuously)—Some thing made out of nothing. Daughter—Then the whole world must be a fad, for it was made out- ol nothing.—[Detroit Free Press. TIMELY HINT TO YOUNG LOVERS. When a woman asks you for youi candid opinion she really wants you! candled, and woe be unto the man who makes a mistake and gives tier toe first article instead of (lie second —[Indianapolis Sentinel. NO RIVALRY. Now Girl (timidly)—I s’pose you are a fine cook, mum 1 Young Mistress—Bless me, no; 1 don’t know a tiling about it. New Girl (relieved)—Then we’ll get on famously, mum. I don’t either.— [New York Weekly. COULDN’T RECOMMEND THE PUDDING. Guest—-Waiter, bring me some rice pudcling. Walter—Boss, I can’t just recom mend de rice pudding to-day. . “What’s the matter with it?” “Nufiin, ’cept dar ain’t none.”— [Texas Siftings. PHYSICIANS’ CHARGES. “I don’t think it’s right for doctors to charge some patients more than others.” “Oh, I do; life is worth a great deal more to a man who has a million dollars than it is to me.”—[Newport News. INADEQUATE LAWS. “There ought to be a punishment to fit the crime,” said the police judge to the reporter as became into the palace of justice. “Isn’t there?” inquired the re porter. “No. ’ “What’s the crime?” “Playing ‘Daisy Boll’ on a hand- organ in the public thoroughfares.” —[Detroit Free Press. didn’t want to work. Mrs. Murray was reading a story to her son Justin, aged five years. Mrs. Murray—Now Justin, if youi father were to to die, would you work to help mamma? Justin—Why, mamma, what (or? Haven’t we got a nice house to live in? Mrs. Murray—Yes, Justin, but we can’t eat the house, you know. Justin—Well, mamma, haven’t we got a whole lot of good things in the pantry? Mrs. Murray—Certainly, pet, but we would soon eat them up, and then what would we do? Justin—Well, mamma, isn’t there enough to last until you could get another husband?—[Brooklyn Life. PARIS NEWS FROM THE WEST. In Ft .nee, some years ago, a man died, and, as is asnal when men die, preparations were made for the fu neral. In that country the corpse is carried on the shoulders of the pall bearers, and in this particular in stance the procession slowly wended its way to the cemetery. When pas sing through the gate one otthe pall bearers knocked against the post and the jar aroused the man supposed to be dead. Ho came to life, and wac taken home and the funeral train dismissed. Now, in the course of several months the same man died again and another funeral was held. This time everything went smoothly, for when they came to the gate the widowjcalled out: “Now, for heaven’s sake, don’t knock against the post.” Which showed she didn’t want any more family jars.—[Indianapolis Sen tinel. FARM AND GARDEN. SELECTING SEEDS. Every man that plants seeds, whether for the farm, the vegetable or flower garden, should select those that do the best in the locality where they are to be planted. Different soils require different varieties, and every fartc»r or gardener should select, after trial, the kinds that sUooeed best on his land. One of the best guides in this direc tion is to note the success of the veri ties used on similar soils by neighbors; the State experiment station can also usually give good advice. —American Agriculturist. CONTRACTS WITH HIRED MEN. A contract with a farm laborer is not necessarily to be made in writing, bnt it is wise to make it so, in case of disputes that so often arise when the man suddenly makes up his mind to leave just at haying or harvest time. The safest way to make a contract to meet this frequent contingency is to scale the wages, giving the least the first month and increasing each month so that at the end the largest amount is paid. This may be arranged in this way: If the sum is $20 a month and the time live month', the amounts may be $10, $18, *20, $22 and $24. The average is $20, and if the man leaves before the end of the term be forfeits the larger sums. In the contract everything agreed upon must be writ ten down; it must be signed by both, one copy for each, and witnessed* both parties stating to the witness that they agree to the terms ot the contract. This will avoid many disagreeable dis putes and many changes tint will otherwise occur. If the man leaves without dne notice provided in the contract, he should forfeit the whole wages of the broken month, and the payments should be made on the 1 »tli of the month following the work done. This gives some security against sud den leaving by the man.—New York Times. CONTRACTED HOOFS IN MOLES AND HORSES. Contraction of the hoof in horses and mules can scarcely be called a disease, but merely the result of some injury to the parts, for it m ly occur from alternate soaking and drying the feet, from bad shoeing, and removing the frog, which supports the walls of the hoof. An animal that is severely foundered, followed by severe inflam mation in the legs and feet, is almost certain to have contracted hoofs,unless given prompt Attention in reducing the fever in the feet. Contraction, of coarse, implies a wasting away of the internal strnoture of the feet. Re move the shoes and then keep the mnle standing in a puddle of wet clay for twelve hours a day, or wrap the front feet in rags and keep these con stantly wet until the inflammation subsides, then apply hoof ointment to keep the horn soft. It may take two or three weeks of soaking in water half a day at a time to reduce the in flammation, but if kept up it can scarcely fail to remove the fever. Have the edges of the hoof smoothed off level and even, and then when the animal is in condition to do light work have your blacksmith put on a bar shoe to protect the heel and prevent cracking. For a hoof ointment use equal parts of sweet oil, pine tar and mutton tallow, and in warm weather add a little beeswax to make it harder. For the stiff cords of the leg rub them two or three times a day with the hand and apply almost any good liniment or simple spirit) of camphor. Never attempt to work au auimil while there is anything the matter with the feet.—New York Sun. Fish inf by Electricity. A very “taking” net has been de vised, having a small incandescent lamp in the center. It is a cast net with a thin rubber tube on the outer edge, which is easily inflated from the shore or boat. The fish, attract ed by the light, surround It and the pneumatic tube rising to the surface of the water, the fish are caught easily and without injury to the spawn, a most important result when such fish are needed for breed ing purposes.—[Atlanta Constitution. LIBERAL MANURING FOR CORN. If any one has gained the impres sion from what has been heard from lecturers at institutes the past win ter that oern can be successfully grown wit- it a supply of plant food, applied or alr<. ar y in the soil, he has only got to try it to be convinced of toe error. Corn, in common with all other plants, draws on a store of plant food out of which to make up its growth. If this supply is not within reach it refuses to grow, the same as any and all other plants. The idea, then, that it does not exhaust the soil, or draw upon manures that may be applied is an error. It is trne that through experiment in these later years it has been learned that in some way corn will make a crop with a less application of the one material — nitrogen — than formerly was supposed. In some way it sup plies itself, and without the hand of the farmer, with at least a portion of this one important ingredient that is represented in the crop after grown In many cases lands that have been manured with barn manures for a long series of years contain a surplus ot this one iugredient, which the corn may draw upon possibly for several crops. And then again, there is evi dencx that goes to support the theory that the corn plant has the power to seenre a measure, at least, of its needed nitrogen from the air. Whether it is the one or the other that is really the source of supply, the fact remains, all the same, that good crops of corn are being grown with a smaller application of nitrogen than was formerly deemed necessary. But it is this one element only that can be spared or can be reiuoe.l iu quantity in the growing of this crop. The phosphoric acid and the potash must be supplied in the fall proper tion called foi. In manuring with barn manures the application must be liberal enough to meet the wants of the crop in these two elements or it will be a failure. If heavy crops are wanted the manuring must be liberal Corn cannot make the crop without the fall supply of plant food. No farmer, then, need oonelude he can grow corn successfully with scanty ap plications of manure. —Maine Farmer. VALUE OP STRAW ON THE FARM. Straw is worth more to any formes to nse at home than it is to sell, write* E. R. Flint, of Michigan, to the Amer ican Agriculturist. The cost of baling is one dollar and a half per ton, be sides boarding the four men and two teams of the pressers. Add to this ona dollar per ton for hauling to market, > and the amount reaches close to three dollars per ton. Good, bright wheat or oat straw soils at from three to four dollars a ton, seldom reaching the lat ter figure. Where the profit comes in is not clear, yet there are large number* of farmers who sell all the straw they can possibly spars every year, actually depriving their stock of bedding to do so. Straw is not of great manurial value in itself, yet fur nished freely to stock in the form of bedding, or where they can tread' it into the litter of a barnyard, it adds greatly to the value of the manure by absorbing the liquids and holding the gases, to say nothing of the added comfort to man and beast obliged to travel over it. It is always a mark of an intelligent farmer to see well lit tered stables and a barnyard dry enough to be comfortable under foot. Can anything more uncomfortable tot any animal be imagined than to be foiced to occupy a stable where there is a week’s accumulation of filth, un relieved by the thick coating of straw which would, at least, make its bed dry, if not clean? Yet that is exactly the state of many a stable, and that too, perhaps, with a straw stack within a rod of it. I wish it were possible to impress upon the mind of every farmer the desirability of providing all his stock with a good thick bed of dry straw. No one should be guilty of robbing his animals of that comfort for the few paltry dollars that the straw brings. Bnt there is another point. On heavy soil nothing surpasses straw to lighten and loosen it. Spread the straw and plow it under, and if it does not plow under, scatter it in the far row for the next furrow slice to cover.' If this plan is followed it will not bo many years before a change may be observed in the character of the soil; it will be more friable, as well as more fertile. It is a bad practice to 1mm the straw. The ashes may have some manurial value, but not mnch in pro portion to the whole straw. The valuable nitrogen has been wafted away by the flames. It may be that on some farms the quantity of straw la so great that there is no other way of disposing of it, but burning is cer tainly the least desirable way of do ing so. Give the cattle, horses or sheep access to a stack of straw throngh the winter, and there will net be much of it left in the spring. Oat. and barley straw make good feed for stock, given in connection with grain. When hay is high-priced, it would be wise to utilize a portion of the straw in this way. Another profitable use for straw, in many instances, is in keeping out the cold from the stables. If there is a place where the wind whistles through or the snow sifts, nail boards to the inside of the studding, beginning at the bottom, and fill the space between that and the outside with straw. It is excellent for this purpose, and will soon pay for the expenditure in tha improved condition of the stock. This is especially true of cows in milk. Nothing more quickly shrinks the flow of milk than cold. In finding methods to dispose of surplus straw, do not forget the hog pen. No animal more enjoys a gool dry bed than a hog, and there is no more perfect picture of content than a number of hogs comfortably nestled in a pile of straw. There is no reason why a nog should be regarded aa partial to filth. If be could talk ha would express himself in favor of clean food and dry quarters. True, he seeks relief from heat and flies in a mud hole when he can find no clean water, but if he had access to the straw stack he would show his appreciation of it. Feed the straw, work it into tha manure pile, tread it under foot iu the barnyard, plow it under ground, dispose of it as a mulch around trees, berry bushes or grape vines, but never sell straw off the farm. It is needed at home, and should be used there in some way. FARM AND GARDEN NOTB3. Give the colts a good start and there will be little trouble about the finish. Lead a cow rather than drive her. Gentleness should be the watchword to the dairy stable. It would seem to be only a question of time when the Clydesdale and Shir* breeds would unite. The best grades of butter have no foreign market to sustain prices, hence the slump this year. The red raspberry is a good honey plant, and larger and better berries are the result of the visit of tha bees. The whey following a good cheese- maker’s work is poor feed for pigs. it contains but little casein, or butter fat. It is folly to raise a scrub, when a grade which will bring double price can be as easily bred, and as cheaply raised and fattened. To make the cow truly profitable, you must maintain her milk yield along natural lines of feeding. Indul gence in freaks of food stimulation does cows more harm than good. If a team pulls unevenly the trouble may be remedied by unhitching the inside traces and crossing them so as to have the same horse attached to the same end of each single tree. While dairy animals need shade in summer as much as shelter in winter, it should not be so extensive in the paature as to interfere with the natu ral development of nutritious grass.