,,prairie ,,farmer ,a ,weekly ,journal for ,,the ,,farm1 ,,orchard1 ,,and ,,fireside4 ,,established ,,in #ahda4 ,,entire ,,series3 ,,vol4 #ef--,,no4 #a4 ,,chicago1 ,,saturday1 ,,january #e1 #ahhd4 ,,price1 #b4jj ,,per ,,year1 ,,in ,,advance4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,some pages in the original had the corner torn off4 ,missing text has been marked 9999994 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,the ,table of ,contents was originally located on page #h of the periodical4 ,it has been moved here for ease of use4 ,,the ,,contents ,,of ,,this ,,number4 ,,agriculture--,tall ,meadow ,oat-,grass1 ,page #a2 ,the ,barbed-,wire ,business1 #a-b2 ,a ,rambler's ,letter1 #b2 ,let ,us ,be ,sociable1 #b2 ,seed ,corn ,again1 #b2 ,field and ,furrow1 #c4 ,,live ,,stock--,mr4 ,grinnell's ,letter1 ,page #ad2 ,prices of #ahhc1 #d2 ,docking ,horses1 #d2 ,items1 #d4 ,,the ,,dairy--,lessons in ,finance for the ,creamery ,patron1 ,page #e4 ,,veterinary--,fever1 ,page #e4 ,,horticulture--,ill4 ,hort4 ,society1 ,page #f2 ,a ,short ,sermon on a ,long ,text1 #f2 ,prunings1 #f-g4 ,,floriculture--,gleanings by an ,old ,florist1 ,page #g2 ,am ,i a ,scot or am ,i ,not1 ,poetry1 #g2 ,primitive ,northwest1 #g4 ,,editorial--,items1 ,page #h2 ,seed ,samples1 #h2 ,the ,pork ,question in ,europe1 #h2 ,corn1 ,wheat1 and ,cotton1 #h2 ,chicago in #ahhc1 #i2 ,strong ,drink1 #i2 ,questions and ,answers1 #i2 ,wayside ,notes1 #i2 ,champaign ,letter1 #i4 ,,poultry ,,notes--,chat ,with ,correspondents1 ,page #aj2 ,feather ,ends1 #aj4 ,,the ,,apiary--,keep ,bees1 ,page #aj2 ,the ,new ,bees1 #aj2 ,hive and ,honey ,hints1 #aj4 ,,silk ,,culture--,women ,in ,silk ,culture1 ,page #aa4 ,,household--,the ,schoolmarm's ,story1 ,poem1 ,page #ab2 ,a ,chat ,about the ,fashions1 #ab2 ,a ,kitchen ,silo1 #ab2 ,items1 #ab4 ,,young ,,folks--,talk about the ,lion1 ,page #ac2 ,a ,jack-knife ,genius1 #ac2 ,little ,johnny1 #ac4 ,,book ,,notices--,page #ac4 ,,literature--,robin1 ,dear ,robin1 ,poetry1 ,page #ad2 ,mrs4 ,wimbush's ,revenge1 #ad4 ,,humorous--,the ,carpenter's ,wooing1 ,poetry1 ,page #ae2 ,where the ,old ,maids ,come ,from1 #ae2 ,items1 #ae4 ,,news ,,of ,,the ,,week--,page #af4 ,,markets--,page #af4 ,,tall ,,meadow ,,oat-,,grass4 ,prof4 ,john ,w4 ,robson1 ,state ,botanist of ,kansas1 sends ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer an extract from his last report1 concerning a tame grass for hay and pasturing which is new to that ,state4 ,the grass has been on trial on an upland farm for two years1 during which time he has watched it very closely4 ,the ,professor says1 ,it possesses so many excellent qualities as to place it in the front rank of all cultivated grasses4 ,he enumerates from his notes3 #ast4 ,the seed will germinate and grow as easily as common oats4 #b;d4 ,it maintains a deep green color all seasons of the year4 #c;d4 ,its roots descend deeply into the subsoil1 enabling this grass to withstand a protracted drouth4 #dth4 ,its early growth in spring makes it equal to rye for pasturage4 #eth4 ,in the next year after sowing it is ready to cut for hay1 the middle of ,may--not merely woody stems1 but composed in a large measure of a mass of long blades of foliage4 ,the crop of hay can be cut and cured1 and stowed away in stack or barn1 long before winter wheat harvest begins4 #fth4 ,it grows quickly after mowing1 giving a denser and more succulent aftermath than any of the present popular tame grasses4 ,for several years1 he says1 we have been looking for a grass that would supply good grazing to our cattle and sheep after the native grasses have become dry and tasteless4 ,in the early portion of #ahha1 his attention was called to a tame grass which had been introduced into the ,state of ,michigan from ,west ,virginia4 ,this forage plant was causing some excitement among the farmers in the neighborhood of ,battle ,creek4 ,so he entered into a correspondence with a friend living there1 and obtained ten pounds of seed for trial4 ,the result has been satisfactory in every respect4 ,the seed was sown ,april #a1 #ahha4 ,it germinated quickly1 and the young plants grew vigorously4 ,during the whole summer they exhibited a deep-green color1 and did not become brown1 like blue-grass1 orchard grass1 or timothy4 ,as soon as the spring of #ahhb opened1 growth set in rapidly1 and continued till the latter end of ,may1 at which period it stood from three to four feet high4 ,at this time it was ready for the mower2 but as the production of seed was the object in view1 it was not cut till the second week in ,june4 ,the plot of ground of about half an acre1 on which ten pounds of seed were sown1 produced three barrels of seed4 ,he exhibited a little sheaf of this grass at the semi-annual meeting of the ,kansas ,state ,horticultural ,society1 where it excited much attention--the height1 softness of the stem1 length of blade1 and sweet aroma surprised every one present4 ,on the last day of ,august1 he went into the plot with a sickle1 and cut two handfuls of aftermath which measured twenty inches in growth4 ,this he tied to a sheaf of the ,june cutting1 and exhibited the same at the ,state ,fair1 where it attracted much attention and comment4 ,here1 then1 we have1 he continues1 a grass that will insure a good catch if the seed is fresh2 that can endure severe drouth2 that produces an abundant supply of foliage2 that is valuable for pasture in early spring1 on account of its early and luxuriant growth2 that makes a valuable hay2 that shoots up quickly after being cut2 and affords a fine crop of aftermath for grazing during the late fall and winter months4 ,the ,professor is very anxious that the farmers of ,kansas should test this grass during the season of #ahhc4 ,still1 his advice is not to invest too largely in the experiment4 ,purchase from five to ten pounds of seed1 and give it a fair trial1 and he is confident that the experiment will be satisfactory4 ,the name given to this valuable grass in the ,state of ,michigan is ,evergreen1 but this is only a local synonym4 ,its scientific name is ,avena elatior2 its common name1 ,tall ,meadow ,oat-grass4 ,fearing that he might be mistaken in its nomenclature1 he sent a specimen to ,professor ,carruth1 ,state ,botanist4 ,this is his reply3 ,mr4 ,j4,w4 ,robson--,dear ,sir3 ,yours mailed on the #bb;d1 ,i received last evening4 ,i do not get my mail every day4 ,the specimen of grass you sent agrees perfectly with the ,avena elatior1 of ,wood1 and the ,arrenatherrum avenaceum1 of ,gray2 but ,i have never seen this grass before4 ,i agree with you in the scientific name1 and also in the common name1 ',tall ,meadow ,oat-grass4' ,yours truly1 ,j4,h4 ,,carruth4 ,the ground should be plowed in the fall1 and early in the spring1 as soon as the soil is in good tilth2 sow broadcast two bushels 7or twenty-eight pounds7 of seed to the acre2 cover well with the harrow1 both lengthways and across the piece of ground sown4 ,should the ground prove weedy1 cut the weeds down with the mowing machine in ,june1 and leave them upon the surface1 and they will afford shade to the young plants4 ,this grass is extensively grown in ,eastern ,tennessee1 and is very popular in that portion of the ,state4 ,in some portions of ,western ,virginia it is largely grown for hay and for grass4 ,it is known as tall meadow oat-grass in each of the ,states we have mentioned above4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the main building for the ,new ,orleans ,cotton ,centennial ,exposition next year will be #a1ejj feet long and #ijj feet wide1 with #a1jjj1cih square feet of floor space1 including ,music ,hall in the center1 with a seating capacity of #ab1jjj persons4 ,the design also provides for main offices1 telegraph office1 newspaper department1 fire department1 police1 hospital1 waiting-rooms1 and life saving apparatus4 ,the building will be the largest exposition building ever erected1 except the one in ,london in #ahfb4 ,the design adopted was the work of ,g4,m4 ,jorgenson1 of ,meridian1 ,mississippi4 ,there were ten competitors4 ,,joseph ,f4 ,,glidden4 ,the ,barb-,wire ,industry--,some ,facts in its ,early ,history not ,generally ,known--,its ,growth4 ,joseph ,farwell ,glidden1 the ,father of the ,barb-,wire ,business of this country1 is now a hale and hearty man of seventy-one4 ,he was born at ,charleston1 ,n4,h4 ,when about one year old the family came ,west1 to ,clarendon1 ,orleans county1 ,new ,york1 and engaged in farming4 ,the young lad1 besides mastering the usual branches taught in the common schools1 gave some time to the higher mathematics and ,latin1 intending to take a college course1 an idea that he finally abandoned4 ,he taught in the district schools for a few terms4 ,in #ahdb he came to ,illinois and purchased a quarter section of land a mile west of what is now the site of the pleasant and prosperous town of ,de,kalb4 ,with the exception of three years his life since then has been passed upon this farm and at ,de,kalb4 ,he has from time to time added to his homestead1 his farm now embracing #hjj acres4 ,his land is under excellent cultivation1 a considerable portion of it having been thoroughly tiled1 and his farm buildings are first-class4 ,mr4 ,glidden has been twice married4 ,two children were born of the first union1 both dying in infancy4 ,by his second marriage he has one daughter1 now the wife of a ,chicago merchant4 ,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,farwell ,,glidden4 ,mr4 ,glidden has held several local offices of trust and honor and enjoys in a marked degree the esteem and confidence of the citizens of his neighborhood and county4 ,the rapid accumulation of property of late years1 through his barb-wire patents and business1 gave him the means to gratify his feelings of public spirit1 and in consequence the town of ,de,kalb has benefited greatly at his hands4 ,its leading hotel and many other buildings are the work of his enterprise4 ,mr4 ,glidden has never lost the simple manners of the farm4 ,he is unostentatious1 quiet1 genial1 and at his hotel makes everybody feel as much at home as though enjoying the hospitalities of his private house4 ,his kindly1 firm1 and intelligent face is well shown in the accompanying portrait1 though1 as is usually the case1 the hand of the artist has touched his features more lightly than has the hand of time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,few names are now more widely known among the land holders of the country than that of ,joseph ,f4 ,glidden1 the unpretending gentleman whose life we have briefly sketched4 ,it was his fortune to seize upon an idea1 and push it to development1 which has not only given him fame and fortune1 but which has enriched many others and saved many millions of dollars to the farmers of ,america4 ,he has not only founded a mammoth industry1 but he has revolutionized an economic system of the world4 ,by his ingenuity and perseverance the fencing system of a pastoral continent has been reduced to a minimum of expense and simplicity4 ,not that he individually has accomplished all this1 but as the patentee of the first really successful barb-wire fence1 he laid the solid foundation for it all4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the first application for a patent for the ,glidden barb was filed ,october #bg1 #ahgc4 ,for some weeks previous to this date ,mr4 ,glidden had had in his mind the idea of a barb of wire twisted about the main wire of the fence1 leaving two projecting points on opposite sides4 ,he made some of these by hand with the aid of pinchers and hammer4 ,he strung two wires between two trees and twisted them together with a stick placed between them4 ,a pair of cutting nippers was the next addition to his kit of tools4 ,his next means for twisting the two wires together was the grindstone--attaching one end of the wire to shaft and crank1 the others being fastened to the wall of the barn4 ,and here1 as in most things great and small in this world1 woman furnished the motor power4 ,the strong arm of the good helpmeet1 ,mrs4 ,glidden1 turned the grindstone that twisted the first wire that made the first ,glidden barb fence that kept stock at bay in ,illinois or the world4 ,then followed a device for twisting and barbing1 and the application of horse power4 ,business expanded1 and steam took the place of the horse1 and inventive genius modified and improved the entire machinery1 it being estimated that at least the sum of #a1jjj1jjj has been expended in bringing the machinery for barb-wire making to its present state of perfection4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at about the same time that ,mr4 ,glidden was wrestling with his ideas and devices1 ,mr4 ,i4,l4 ,ellwood was experimenting to accomplish a like result with a thin band of metal1 the barbs cut and curved outward from the strip4 ,in the meantime ,mr4 ,glidden had put up a few rods of his hand-made barb-wire along the roadside at his farm4 ,and here again the good genius of woman enters upon the scene4 ,one ,sunday ,mr4 ,ellwood and his wife were driving along this road and attracted by the wire fence stopped to examine it4 ,mrs4 ,ellwood1 much to the chagrin of her husband1 remarked3 ,this seems to me a better device than your own1 don't it to you8 ,it did not then1 for the remark disappointed and angered him4 ,but it set him to thinking and before the next morning he was of the same opinion4 ,the two men meeting the next day it did not take long to compromise and unite4 ,mr4 ,ellwood dropped his own plans and accepted a half interest in the ,glidden patents1 and assumed the management of the business end of the concern1 in which position he developed ability and tact possessed by few business men in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the barb-wire fence met an unexpected and general demand4 ,we know of few things like it in the history of manufactures4 ,from this small beginning1 scarce ten years ago more than fifty large establishments are now turning out this wire to meet an ever insatiate demand4 ,the establishment of ,i4,l4 ,ellwood 7making the ,glidden wire7 at ,de,kalb is the most complete and extensive of them all4 ,the building is #hjj feet in length1 and is supplied with about #bjj machines for twisting and barbing the wire4 ,it gives1 when running full force1 employment to about #djj men1 and turns out a car-load of wire each hour for ten hours per day1 on an average1 though this amount is considerably increased at certain times of the year4 ,these figures1 though not given us by ,mr4 ,ellwood1 we are satisfied do not overstate the production of this one factory4 ,the progress of the barb-wire industry of the whole country is shown by the following record of the past nine seasons4 ,in #ahgd there were #aj1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahge there were #fjj1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahgf there were #b1hdj1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahgg there were #ab1hfc1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahgh there were #bf1fee1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahgi there were #ej1ccg1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahhj there were #hj1ejj1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahha there were #abj1jjj1jjj lb made and sold4 #ahhb there were about #ahj1jjj1jjj lb4 ,the record for #ahhc is not yet made up1 but will probably show a corresponding increase4 ,in #ahgf ,mr4 ,glidden disposed of his half interest in the concern of ,glidden ,ellwood to the ,washburn ,moen 7wire7 ,manufacturing ,company1 of ,massachusetts1 receiving therefor #fj1jjj in cash and a royalty on the future goods manufactured1 ,mr4 ,ellwood retaining his interest4 ,the new concern began the purchase of prior unused and conflicting patents involving itself in extensive litigation1 but1 sustained by the courts1 soon gained control of almost the entire barb-wire business of the country4 ,nearly all wire-making companies are now running under license from the parent concern4 ,the following is a list of the licensees of last year3 ,pittsburg ,hinge ,co4--,limited1 ,beaver ,falls1 ,pa4 ,h4,b4 ,scutt ,co41 ,buffalo1 ,n4,y4 ,hawkeye ,steel ,barb ,fence ,co41 ,burlington1 ,iowa4 ,james ,ayers and ,alexander ,c4 ,decker1 ,bushnell1 ,ill4 ,indiana ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,crawfordsville1 ,ind4 ,cedar ,rapids ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,cedar ,rapids1 ,iowa4 ,cincinnati ,barbed ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,cincinnati1 ,ohio4 ,cleveland ,barb ,fence ,co41 ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,ohio ,steel ,barb ,fence ,co41 ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,edwin ,a4 ,beers ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,crandal ,manufacturing ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,chicago ,galvanized ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,lyman ,manufacturing ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,daniel ,s4 ,marsh1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,oscar ,f4 ,moore1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,national ,wire ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,herman ,e4 ,schnabel1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,aaron ,k4 ,stiles and ,john ,w4 ,calkins1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,thorn ,wire ,hedge ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,baker ,manufacturing ,co41 ,des ,moines1 ,iowa4 ,superior ,barbed ,wire ,co41 ,de,kalb1 ,ill4 ,jacob ,haish1 ,de,kalb1 ,ill4 ,frentress ,barbed ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,east ,dubuque1 ,ill4 ,grinnell ,manufacturing ,co41 ,grinnell1 ,iowa4 ,janesville ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,janesville1 ,wis4 ,iowa ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,johnstown1 ,pa4 ,william ,j4 ,adam1 ,joliet1 ,ill4 ,lock ,stitch ,fence ,co41 ,joliet1 ,ill4 ,lambert ,bishop ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,joliet1 ,ill4 ,alfred ,van ,fleet ,a4,h4 ,shreffler1 ,joliet1 ,ill4 ,david ,g4 ,wells1 ,joliet1 ,ill4 ,southwestern ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,lawrence1 ,kan4 ,arthur ,h4 ,dale1 ,leland1 ,ill4 ,union ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,lee1 ,ill4 ,lockport ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,lockport1 ,ill4 ,norton ,de,witt1 ,lockport1 ,ill4 ,iowa ,barb ,steel ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,marshaltown1 ,iowa4 ,omaha ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,omaha1 ,neb4 ,h4,b4 ,scutt ,co4--,limited1 ,pittsburg1 ,pa4 ,missouri ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,st4 ,louis ,wire ,fence ,co41 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,j4,h4 ,lawrence ,co41 ,sterling1 ,ill4 ,north ,western ,barb ,wire ,co41 ,sterling1 ,ill4 ,novelty ,manufacturing ,co41 ,sterling1 ,ill4 ,sandwich ,enterprise ,co41 ,sandwich1 ,ill4 ,robinson ,hallidie1 ,san ,francisco1 ,cal4 ,the ,hazard ,manufacturing ,co41 ,wilkes ,barre1 ,pa4 ,worcester ,barb ,fence ,co41 ,worcester1 ,mass4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,glidden ,ellwood first began the sale of the ,glidden fence1 which was confined to the vicinity of ,de,kalb1 they received #be cents per pound for the barbed wire4 ,since then1 as production has increased and the facilities for manufacturing have been multiplied and perfected1 the price has gradually dropped1 until now a farm can be well fenced for forty-five cents1 or less1 per rod1 and to the incalculable advantage of the country over fencing by posts and boards1 hedges or rails1 as any one may see by a simple dollar and cent comparison of materials at his own door4 99 99 99 99 99 ,barb-wire has done much for the city of ,de,kalb4 ,it has built its fine business blocks and residences1 and it has peopled it with industrious1 thrifty citizens4 ,it has made a home market for many of the products of the country 'round about4 ,it should give a new name1 ,barb ,city1 to the bustling1 busy town4 ,there are three concerns now making barb-wire at this point4 ,the one spoken of is the largest4 ,next is that of ,jacob ,haish1 an extensive establishment1 turning out an excellent wire1 and the ,superior1 run by ,mr4 ,hiram ,ellwood1 ,mr4 ,glidden having a considerable interest in it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,i4,l4 ,ellwood is the owner of some #b1fjj acres of land in the vicinity of ,de,kalb4 ,much of this land is naturally low and wet4 ,the proprietor1 with his accustomed energy and intelligence1 has set vigorously to work to reclaim it4 ,to this end he has already laid eighty miles of tile4 ,he last year expended nearly #ae1jjj in this work4 ,his poorest land is rapidly becoming his most productive4 ,mr4 ,ellwood has also turned his attention somewhat to horse-breeding1 and he is now the owner of a fine stud of draft-horses1 the equal of many better-known establishments of the kind in the ,state4 ,of his drainage operations we hope to speak more in detail in a future number4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,glidden told the writer that his first trial of his fence with stock was not undertaken without some misgivings4 ,but he thought to himself1 ,it will stop them1 at any rate1 whether it kills them or not4 ,so he took down an old board fence from one side of his barn-yard1 and towards night when his stock came up1 turned them into the yard as usual4 ,the first animal to investigate the almost invisible barrier to freedom was a strong1 heavy grade ,durham cow4 ,she walked along beside the wires for a little put her nose out and touched a barb1 withdrew it and took a walk around the yard1 approached the wires again and gave the barbs a lap with her tongue4 ,this settled the matter1 and she retired1 convinced that the new-fangled fence was a success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,barb-wire is now sent from this country to ,mexico1 ,south ,america1 and ,australia4 ,it is also being manufactured in ,england under ,american auspices4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,glidden1 associating with himself a ,mr4 ,sanborn1 a young man of push and enterprise1 has opened up an extensive cattle ranch in ,potter and ,randall counties1 ,texas4 ,they have fenced with wire a tract thirty miles long by about fifteen miles broad1 and have now upon it #ad1jjj head of cattle4 ,two twisted ,no4 #aa wires were used for this fence1 and the posts are the best that could be procured4 ,the wire was taken #bjj miles on wagons4 ,the total cost of the completed fence was about #cf1jjj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,messrs4 ,glidden ,ellwood put up the first barb-wire ever used by a railway company--the ,northwestern4 ,so great was the caution of the company that the manufacturers built it themselves1 agreeing to remove it if it proved unsatisfactory4 ,the railway folks feared it would injure stock1 the damages for which they would be forced to pay4 ,it is needless to say that the fence was not removed4 ,more than one hundred railway companies are now using the ,glidden wire1 and it stretches along many thousands of miles of track4 ,a ,,rambler',s ,,letter4 ,i would like to call your attention to the fact that there is considerable cholera among swine in ,dewey township1 ,ill41 west from ,joliet4 ,mr4 ,cooter lost about #acj hogs4 ,other farmers have suffered equally4 ,i have been looking over the stock in this part of the country and find it excellent1 as a general thing4 ,many of the farmers are breeders of fine ,hereford cattle4 ,they also own first-class horses4 ,some of them whom ,i called upon would like to know the address of ,state ,veterinary ,surgeon ,dr4 ,paaren1 and ,i should be pleased if you will give it in ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4,a ,i have often thought1 ,why is it that so many sons of wealthy farmers leave their homes for the purpose of either studying in some classical college1 to learn a trade1 or to become book-keepers and clerks in mercantile business4 ,i think if farmers would take more interest in agricultural papers1 instead of having their children fooling away their time on novels or comic stories and pictures1 it would be better for both old and young4 ,let the parents buy a microscope and let the young folks examine insects and fungi of all kinds1 and let them write their experiences down in a book whenever there is leisure time4 ,or let them write to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer something in the line of farming1 be it agriculture1 horticulture1 or about raising and caring for stock4 ,in so doing the boys of our farming country will become proud of their noble profession and of their homes4 ,they will gradually be1 as every farmer should be1 educated up to the times4 ,there are few farmers who can afford to let their sons study in an agricultural university1 but every one can surely afford to subscribe for an agricultural paper1 it being one of the most profitable investments for himself and family4 ,the ground is covered with snow to a small extent1 and the roads are in a fine condition4 ,the crops are all good here except corn1 which is very poor indeed1 even the crop in most cases is small4 ,farmers are not at all satisfied1 and times are not at all encouraging4 ,h4,a4,p4 ,,weissberger4 ,,will ,,co41 ,,ill4 ,a #cee ,western ,avenue 7south71 ,chicago4 ,a ,,farmer',s ,,library4 ,as this is the season to make up our list of papers and magazines for the ensuing year1 ,i will take a glance around my own cosy room set apart for a library4 ,it is here that ,i do the most of my reading1 writing1 and planning2 and although ,i pretend to be deeply engaged while ensconced in the large willow rocker1 strictly forbidding entrance to my farmer office1 yet the children and ,spot1 my ,gordon setter1 will intrude1 making things lively for awhile1 driving my thoughts wool-gathering and breaking many a thread of thought that ,i had fondly hoped would place my name high on the roll of scribblers4 ,it is a good thing to have the little innocent children and the dog to blame for these shortcomings1 as they can not take issue with us on the question4 ,but ,i started to talk about a farmer's library2 and taking my own for a small sample1 let us see how it looks4 ,for the purpose of keeping my papers in order1 ,i have prepared thin laths of tough wood dressed with the draw knife to a thin edge1 the back being one fourth of an inch thick1 leaving the lath one and a quarter inch broad2 these are cut in lengths to suit the paper they are intended to hold4 ,take for instance ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,i cut the lath just two inches longer than the paper is long1 then cut notches half of an inch from each end1 in which ,i tie the ends of a cord2 this forms a loop to hang up the file4 ,in this ,i file each paper so soon as read1 by which means they are never lost or mislaid4 ,when at the end of each three months the papers are taken from off the file1 the oldest number is laid face down on a broad piece of plank and the number that follows laid face down on the top of the first1 then they are squared evenly and a strong awl pierces three holes in the back edge through which a strong twine string is laced and tied firmly2 this finishes the job1 and the book thus simply and quickly made is placed on the shelf with its mates4 ,this done the file is returned to its hook to await the next number4 ,this is a simple plan for filing papers of any size1 and any farmer can do it1 there being no expense or outlay for material4 ,on glancing up from the stand on which ,i am writing1 the first objects that attract my notice are my breach loader1 cartridge belt1 and game-bag hanging on the wall2 then by the side of the stove hangs the file of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 within easy reach of my left hand2 next it swings the ,country ,gentleman1 then comes the ,forest and ,stream1 then ,colman's ,rural ,world1 then the ,drainage ,journal2 next ,harper's ,weekly1 then ,harper's ,bazar4 ,this is my wife's paper and she persists in hanging it among mine4 ,then comes ,harper's ,monthly and the ,century1 not forgetting the ,sanitary ,journal4 ,on the other side of the room we find the ,inter ,ocean1 ,democrat1 and several other political papers fairly representing both sides1 also some standard books of valuable information2 and last but not least1 the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,map which you sent for my club4 ,now1 this may be considered a pretty large outlay for a common farmer to make1 but outside of life insurance1 ,i consider it my best investment4 ,in this selection ,i get the cream of all matters of practical importance to the farmer4 ,from ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,i get the latest and most reliable information of the great central ruling markets of the ,west ,chicago1 which has saved me sundry times from three to five cents per bushel on wheat1 sometimes paying the price of the paper twenty times over in one transaction4 ,from the ,c4,g4 ,i get the ,eastern markets1 while ,colman gives the ,st4 ,louis2 and by a close study of the three a farmer can always make enough to pay for twenty or thirty dollars worth of good current literature for the use of his family4 ,then the ,f4 and ,s4 is always full of delightful reading for the boys1 refining their cruel propensities1 and teaching them to be kind to the feathered tribe which are the farmer's friends4 ,by reading it they soon lay aside their traps1 nets1 and snares1 with which they capture whole covies of the dear little ,bob-whites1 and disdain to touch a feather1 only when on the wing1 and then with their light1 hammerless breach loader4 ,such reading as that ties the farmer's boys to country life1 and makes them contented under the parental roof-tree until they are ready to build up homes of their own4 ,the ,journal tells them all about tile making and drainage1 a very necessary accomplishment when they get their own homestead4 ,the pictures in ,h4,w4 furnish a fountain of amusement for the little folks1 and teach them--with a little help--many things that will be useful to them in life4 ,as a matter of course the ,bezar is for mother and the girls1 and 999999 consultations 999999 before the fair1 a 999999 daughters1 your 999999 good when she insisted 999999 be put on the list4 ,a boy or a girl with 999999 the ,century in their hands1 999999 room1 with a bright clear lamp 999999 has no thought of city life1 or 999999 ,in those bright pages the 999999 outer world painted in all its various 999999 so interesting and so fascinating 999999 have no desire to see it in reality2 in 999999 they bring the brightest and best thought1 999999 historic1 and romantic to our hearth and home2 furnishing food for the youthful minds1 leaving no room for evil or discontented thoughts to enter4 ,then ,i say to every farmer who has children1 get the magazines for them1 they will save you a mountain of trouble4 ,then to balance things have one or two spicy news papers1 which picture in horrid colors the blackest side of human life4 ,this is necessary to guard the young against the riff-raff of humanity1 such as tramps1 sharpers1 sewing machine and book agents1 the lightning rod man1 and a dozen other sharp swindlers that prey on the farmer and his family for an existence4 ,the ,sanitary ,journal treats of health1 purity1 and cleanliness1 and ought to be read and studied by all4 ,ah1 ,i had almost forgotten ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,map which hangs by the door4 ,what can ,i say about it8 that it is a handsome ornament for a living room or library8 yes1 but that is not all1 it is useful4 ,when it arrived ,i took it to the railroad office and compared it with the best map they had1 also with a map made by the ,u4,s4 land office4 ,i came away satisfied that it was reliable2 it ought to be in the home of every farmer in this great country of ours1 so that their children can learn and know what a grand heritage they have got4 ,there is no excuse for being without it1 as a few pounds of butter or dozens of eggs will procure it and a paper that will gladden the hearts of both old and young4 ,,alex ,,ross4 ,,cape ,,girardeau1 ,,mo4 ,,let ,,us ,,be ,,sociable4 ,a happy new year to all of the readers of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 and may your labors of #ahhd be crowned with success4 ,mr4 ,granger1 what are you doing these long winter evenings8 ,can't you find time to write a few lines to the readers of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer8 ,you can send a little report from your county1 at least4 ,come1 let us be a little more sociable and talk more to each other through the columns of our paper4 ,we can learn something by reading each other's views on different subjects4 ,in my next ,i shall try and tell some of the careless fellows how to run a farm to make it pay4 ,if ,i fail to give a little light on the subject perhaps some one else will try it4 ,we are having what you might call winter1 now4 ,snow is about six inches deep1 but the weather is not very cold4 ,the thermometer has not been below zero but once4 ,nearly all of the corn is gathered2 only about one-third of the crop is sound enough to keep until next summer4 ,farmers are feeding their soft corn to hogs and cattle4 ,in that way the soft corn will pay pretty well after all1 for fat stock brings a good price4 ,stock cattle are wintering well1 for feed in the fields is good1 and most farmers have got plenty of good hay4 ,the weather was so nice the first part of this month that the farmers did a large amount of plowing4 ,potatoes are plenty and cheap2 worth from #cj to #dj cents4 ,apples are scarce1 and good ones bring a big price4 ,butter is worth from #be to #cj cents4 ,s4,o4,a4 ,,knox ,,co41 ,,ill4 ,,seed ,,corn ,,again4 ,there has been much complaint of soft corn in this section on account of planting foreign seed last spring1 but it is all solid since the late cold spell4 ,those who planted seed of their own raising and got a stand have fair corn1 while much of that which was raised from ,kansas and ,nebraska seed was caught by the frost when in the milk4 ,now we will be in just the same fix about seed next spring that we were last4 ,this county has lost thousands of dollars this year in the corn crop alone1 all of which might have been avoided by going through the fields before freezing weather and selecting seed and properly drying it before it froze4 ,and now right here ,i want to say that the great secret of good farming is simply being punctual in attending to the small matters1 and ,i guess ,fanny ,field would say the same about poultry4 ,z4,l4 ,,thompson4 ,,iroquois ,,co41 ,,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhe2 ,for #b4jj you get it for one year and a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,county ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,free6 ,this is the most liberal offer ever made by any first-class weekly agricultural paper in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,field ,,and ,,furrow4 ,says the ,iowa ,register3 ,one hundred bushels of corn will shrink to ninety in the crib1 and to an extent more than that1 depending on the openness of the crib and the honesty of the neighbors4 ,the agricultural editor of the ,new ,york ,times says that no doubt many farmers who are intending to underdrain their farms would save money by employing an expert at the first to lay out the whole system and make a good beginning1 and so avoid any possible mistake1 which might cost ten dollars for every one paid for skilled advice4 ,the ,new ,york ,times says that lime seems to be a preventive of rot in potatoes in the cellar4 ,some potatoes that were rotting and were picked out of a heap of forty or fifty bushels were put into a corner and well dusted with air-slaked lime4 ,they stopped rotting at once1 and the decayed parts are now dried up4 ,there is no disagreeable smell about them4 ,cincinnati ,gazette3 ,it is remarked that when young hogs are fed mainly on corn they stop growing at an early age and begin to grow fat2 but that green food makes them thriftier and larger than dry grain4 ,in fact1 it is better to prevent all domestic animals from becoming very fat until they have attained a fair natural size1 particularly breeding animals4 ,a member of the ,elmira ,farmers' ,club recently expressed the opinion that bad results would always be found with wheat sown on land into which the green growth of any crop had just been turned1 although it was believed that buckwheat was the worst green manure4 ,all green growth incorporated with the soil near the time of seeding will in all cases be found prejudicial to wheat4 ,it is announced that ,robert ,clarke1 of ,cincinnati will have ready1 in ,february1 an extensive work on sorghum1 containing the results of the latest experiments and experience of the most successful growers1 as to the best varieties and their culture1 and also the details of the latest and best machinery used in the economical manufacture of sirups and sugars therefrom4 ,the work is by ,prof4 ,peter ,collier1 whose name is a guarantee of the value of the book4 ,it will be very fully illustrated4 ,a ,michigan man writes the ,michigan ,farmer3 ,i have noticed tarred twine and willows recommended for binding corn stalks4 ,i think ,i can propose a better substitute than either for those who are using a twine binder3 save the strings from straw stacks this winter4 ,they are less trouble than grass and never slip4 ,tie a knot in the end of the twine with your knee on the bundle1 then slip the other end through in the form of a bow1 take off your knee and the spring of the bundle will draw the knot tight4 ,pull the bow and use again4 ,human labor1 says ,dr4 ,zellner1 of ,ashville1 ,ala41 is the most costly factor that enters into the production of cotton1 and every consistent means should be adopted to dispense with it4 ,and then the doctor1 who has the reputation of having raised some of the finest samples ever grown in the ,south1 describes how1 by planting at proper distances1 in checks five by three apart1 one-half of the after labor of cultivating may be saved4 ,about the same amount of plow work is said to be necessary1 but not more than one-fourth as much work with the hoe as is required by cotton in drills4 ,prof4 ,j4,w4 ,sanborn3 ,deep tillage in times of drought of surface-rooted crops1 like corn1 is an erroneous practice1 founded on erroneous views4 ',plowing out corn' not only involves too deep tillage in drought but adds to the mischief by severing the roots of corn1 needed at such times4 ,our double-shovel plows work too deeply4 ,our true policy1 in drought1 for corn is frequent and shallow tillage4 ,for this we now have after the corn gets beyond the smoothing harrow1 no suitable implement on our markets1 with a possible exception4 ,correspondent ,new ,york ,tribune3 ,of the use of oatmeal for cows mention is not often made in this country2 but when spoken of it is always with praise4 ,that it is better than corn meal there can be no doubt2 it is richer in both albuminoids and fat2 and the usefulness of these two nutriments1 and especially the former1 for making milk is shown not only by the results of numerous careful experiments1 but by the acknowledged usefulness of oil-cake meal4 ,where this meal is used freely there would be less use for oatmeal2 but under some circumstances it might be advantageously substituted for the bran in the favorite mixture for cows of ,indian meal and bran4 ,the following paragraph appears in an ,english cotemporary3 ,the introduction of a new industry connected with farming into ,ireland will be hailed by everybody1 and therefore we rejoice to learn that a company has been formed with the design of purchasing or renting nearly a million and a quarter acres of land in ,ireland1 and devoting them to beet culture1 from which the sugar will be extracted in a manufactory erected on the land4 ,the promoters of the new company expect that from the #abj1jjj acres which they propose cultivating they will produce #djj1jjj tons of sugar in the year4 ,immense quantities of sugar extracted from the beet-root are manufactured on the continent and imported into these countries1 and there is no reason whatever why ,ireland should not have her finger in the sugar pie4 ,in a paper before the ,oxford 7,ohio7 ,farmers' ,club1 on the subject ,the ,morality of the ,system of ,grain ,gambling1 ,mr4 ,wetmore said3 ,there is a difference between speculation and investment4 ,putting money into an established industry is an investment4 ,putting it into a doubtful or untried business1 with the hope of gaining much or risk of losing all1 is speculation4 ,the latter is infatuating as it increases the risk and yet turns to profit4 ,investments pay no high per cents4 ,speculations may pay much or lose all4 ,hence it is unsafe2 and the farmer who makes his gains only by a yearly turn of his crops1 should not try speculation1 but may judiciously invest his surplus year by year in things of real value1 as land or chattels4 ,invest the last dollar1 but speculate only with loose change4 ,no man can safely invest in a business with which he is not familiar4 ,a lawful wire fence in ,georgia is described by legislative enactment as composed of not less than six horizontal strands of barbed wire tightly stretched from post to post4 ,the first wire no more than four and a half nor less than three and a half inches from the ground2 the second wire not more than nine and a half nor less than eight and a half inches from the ground2 the third wire not more than fifteen and a half nor less than fourteen and a half inches from the ground2 the fourth wire not more than twenty-two and a half nor less than twenty-one and a half inches from the ground2 the fifth wire not more than thirty-two nor less than thirty-one inches from the ground2 the sixth wire not over fifty-five nor less than fifty-three inches from the ground4 ,posts to be not over ten feet apart1 and every alternate post to be securely set in the ground4 ,provided1 a plank not less than ten inches wide shall be used instead of two strands of wire at bottom of fence1 it is also required that a railing shall be placed at equal distance between the two top wires1 which shall answer the same purpose as a wire1 and to extend from post to post in like manner4 ,correspondent ,country ,gentleman3 ,i notice that your journal recently gave currency to the saltpetre method of extracting stumps1 and ,w4,h4 ,white also recommends it in your columns4 ,his method is to bore a hole in the stump in the fall of the year1 fill in the hole with saltpetre1 plug up till the following summer1 then fill the hole with kerosene and fire the stump4 ,it is alleged that the saltpetre and kerosene will so saturate the stump that it will be entirely consumed1 roots and all4 ,this recipe has been floating around the press for years4 ,it is usually credited to the ,scientific ,american1 but that paper has several times denied its paternity4 ,the uselessness of the process can easily be learned by trial4 ,there are few more inflammable substances than pitch and turpentine4 ,the roots of pine stumps are saturated with these1 but it is impossible to burn them out4 ,the addition of saltpetre would not help much4 ,yet there are seasons when the soil and air are so dry that hard wood stumps may be burned out without either saltpetre or kerosene4 ,we had such a year in #ahha1 when corn and clover standing uncut in the field were burned4 ,in some instances the curbing was burned out of wells during terrible forest fires that raged in ,michigan4 ,if tried in such a season the recipe would undoubtedly be successful4 ,in any ordinary season it is no good4 99 99 99 99 99 ,no matter how wretched a man may be1 he is still a member of our common species1 and if he possesses any of the common specie his acquaintance is worth having4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,,farm ,,machinery1 ,etc4 ,,great ,,saving ,,for ,,farmers4 ,,the ,lightning ,hay ,knife6 7,,weymouth',s ,,patent47 ,illustration ,awarded ,,first ,,order ,,of ,merit at ,melbourne ,exhibition1 #ahhj4 ,was awarded the ,,first ,,premium at the ,international ,exhibition in ,philadelphia1 #ahgf1 and accepted by the ,judges as ,,superior ,,to ,,any ,,other ,,knife ,,in ,,use4 ,it is the ,,best ,,knife in the world to cut fine feed from bale1 to cut down mow or stack1 to cut corn-stalks for feed1 to cut peat1 or for ditching in marshes1 and has no equal for cutting ensilage from the silo4 ,,try ,,it4 ,,it ,,will ,,pay ,,you4 ,manufactured only by ,,hiram ,,holt ,,co41 ,east ,wilton1 ,me41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,for sale by ,hardware ,merchants and the trade generally 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sedgwick ,,steel ,,wire ,,fence ,illustration ,,it is the only general-purpose ,wire ,fence in use1 being a ,,strong ,,net ,,work ,,without ,,barbs4 ,it will turn dogs1 pigs1 sheep and poultry1 as well as the most vicious stock1 without injury to either fence or stock4 ,it is just the fence for farms1 gardens stock ranges1 and railroads1 and very neat for lawns1 parks1 school lots and cemeteries4 ,covered with rustproof paint 7or galvanized7 it will last a life time4 ,it is ,,superior ,,to ,,boards or ,,barbed ,,wire in every respect4 ,we ask for it a fair trial1 knowing it will wear itself into favor4 ,the ,,sedgwick ,,gates1 made of wrought iron pipe and steel wire1 ,,defy ,,all ,,competition in neatness1 strength1 and durability4 ,we also make the best and cheapest ,,all ,,iron ,,automatic ,,or ,,self-,,opening ,,gate1 also ,,cheapest ,,and ,,neatest ,,all ,,iron ,,fence4 ,,best ,,wire ,,stretcher ,,and ,,post ,,auger4 ,for prices and particulars ask hardware dealers1 or address1 mentioning paper1 ,,sedgwick ,,bros4 ,manf'rs4 ,richmond4 ,ind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,,chicago ,,scale ,,co4 #b ,,ton ,,wagon ,,scale1 #dj4 #c ,,ton1 #ej4 #d ,ton #fj1 ,beam ,box ,included4 #bdj lb4 ,,farmer',s ,,scale1 #e4 ,the ,little ,detective1 #a_/d oz4 to #be lb4 #c4 #cjj ,,other ,,sizes4 ,reduced ,,price ,,list ,,free4 ,,forges1 ,,tools1 c4 ,,best ,,forge ,,made ,,for ,,light ,,work1 #aj1 #dj lb4 ,anvil and ,kit of ,tools4 #aj4 ,farmers save time and money doing odd jobs4 ,blowers1 ,anvils1 ,vices ,other ,articles ,,at ,,lowest ,,prices1 ,,wholesale ,,retail4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,five-,,ton ,,wagon ,,scales #fj ,illustration ,all ,iron and ,steel1 ,double ,brass ,tare ,beam4 ,jones he pays the freight4 ,all sizes equally low1 for free book1 address ,,jones ,,of ,,binghamton1 ,binghamton1 ,n4,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,,the ,,profit ,,farm ,,boiler is simple1 perfect1 and cheap2 the ,,best ,,feed ,,cooker2 the only dumping boiler2 empties its kettle in a minute4 ,,over #e1jjj ,,in ,,use2 ,cook your corn and potatoes1 and save one-half the cost of pork4 ,send for circular4 ,d4,r4 ,,sperry ,,co41 ,batavia1 ,illinois4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,farm ,,implements1 ,etc4 ,,the ,,chicago ,,double ,,hay ,,and ,,straw ,,press ,illustration ,guaranteed to load more ,hay or ,straw in a box car than any other1 and bale at a less cost per ton4 ,send for circular and price list4 ,manufactured by the ,chicago ,hay ,press ,co41 ,nos4 #cced to #cceh ,state ,st41 ,chicago4 ,take cable car to factory4 ,mention this paper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sawing ,made ,easy ,monarch ,lightning ,sawing ,machine6 ,sent on #cj ,days test ,trial4 ,a ,great ,saving of ,labor ,money4 ,illustration ,a boy #af years old can saw logs ,,fast and ,,easy4 ,,miles ,,murray1 ,portage1 ,mich4 writes1 ,am much pleased with the ,,monarch ,,lightning ,,sawing ,,machine4 ,i sawed off a #cj-;inch log in #b minutes4 ,for sawing logs into suitable lengths for family stove-wood1 and all sorts of log-cutting1 it is peerless and unrivaled4 ,illustrated ,catalogue1 ,,free4 ,,agents ,,wanted4 ,mention this paper4 ,address ,,monarch ,,manufacturing ,,co41 #afc ,n4 ,randolph ,st41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,best ,,market ,,pear4 ,illustration3 ,,kieffer #ii1iii ,,peach ,,trees ,all best varieties of new and old ,strawberries1 ,currants1 ,grapes1 ,raspberries1 etc4 ,,early ,,cluster ,new ,blackberry1 early1 hardy1 good4 ,single hill yielded #ac quarts at one picking4 ,send for ,,free ,catalogue4 ,j4,s4 ,,collins1 ,moorestown1 ,n4,j4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,champion ,,baling ,,presses4 ,illustration ,a ,ton per ,hour4 ,run by two men and one team4 ,loads #aj to #ae tons in car4 ,send for descriptive circular with prices1 to ,,gehrt ,,co41 #baf1 #bah and #bbj ,maine ,st41 ,quincy1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,best ,,is ,,the ,,cheapest4 ,,engines ,,saw ,,mills1 ,,threshers1 ,,horse ,,powers1 7,for all sections and purposes47 ,write for ,,free ,pamphlet and ,prices to ,the ,aultman ,taylor ,co41 ,mansfield1 ,ohio4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,now ,,ready ,,for ,,distribution4 ,,volumes ,,one ,,and ,,two ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,register ,,norman ,,horses ,the most reliable1 concise1 and exhaustive history of the horse in general1 and by far the most complete and authentic one of the ,norman horse in particular1 ever published in the ,united ,states4 ,,prices3 ,volume ,i44444444444444444444444444444444444444 444 #b4jj ,volume ,,ii444444444444444444444444444444444444 4444 #a4ej ,when the two volumes are sent in one package to one address1 #c4jj4 ,sent1 postpaid1 on receipt of price4 ,address your orders to ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,chicago 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,modern ,,horse ,,doctor4 ,,containing ,practical ,observations on the ,causes ,nature and ,treatment of ,diseases and ,lameness in ,horses1 by ,,geo4 ,h4 ,,dadd1 ,m4,d4 ,will be sent upon receipt of price1 #a4ej2 or free to any sender of three subscribers to this paper1 at #b each1 by ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,diamonds ,,free6 ,we desire to make the circulation of our paper #bej1jjj during the next six months4 ,to accomplish which we will give absolutely free a genuine ,,first ,,water ,diamond ,ring1 and the ,home ,companion for one year1 for only #b4jj4 ,our reasons for making this unprecedented offer are as follows2 ,a newspaper with #bjj1jjj subscribers can get #a;c4 per line per #a1jjj of circulation for its advertising space1 or #e1jjj per issue ,,more than it costs to produce and mail the paper4 ,with but #aj1jjj or #bj1jjj subscribers1 its advertising revenues do not pay expenses4 ,only the papers with mammoth circulations make fortunes for their owners1 ,,derived ,,from ,,advertising ,,space4 ,for these and other reasons1 we regard #ajj1jjj subscribers as being of more financial benefit to a paper than the paper is to the subscribers4 ,with #ajj1jjj or #bjj1jjj bona-fide subscribers1 we make #ajj1jjj to #bjj1jjj a year clear profit from advertising1 above cost of publishing4 ,without a large circulation1 we would lose money4 ,therefore1 to secure a very large circulation1 and thus receive high rates and large profits from advertising space1 this ,,only ,,equitable plan of conducting business is adopted4 ,,the ,,first ,,question ,,to ,,be ,,answered ,,is1--is the diamond pure--a genuine stone8 ,,our ,,answer ,,is ,,yes4 ,the stone is ,,guaranteed to be no ,alaska ,diamond1 ,rhine ,pebble1 or other imitation1 but a ,,warranted ,,genuine ,,and ,,pure ,,diamond4 ,if it is not found so by the most careful and searching tests1 we will refund the money1 enter the subscriber's name on our list1 and have the paper mailed to him free during its existence4 ,to the publisher of this paper has been sent a guarantee from the manufacturing ,jeweler1 from whom we obtain these rings1 that they are just as represented1 so that readers may rely upon the promises being fulfilled to the letter4 ,the second question is1 ,,is ,,the ,,paper ,a ,,desirable ,,family ,,journal8 ,,yes4 ,it contains contributions from the first writers of the times3 fiction1 choice facts1 intellectual food of the most interesting1 instructive and refined character4 ,it is one of the ,,leading ,,papers ,,of ,,the ,,progressive ,,west4 ,we are determined to make it the most desirable and reliable paper in the ,united ,states2 will spare no effort or money to achieve that object4 ,sample ,copies sent free on application4 ,remit by draft1 express1 or new postal note1 to ,,the ,,home ,,companion4 ,n4,w4 ,cor4 ,fourth and ,race ,streets1 ,cincinnati1 ,o4 ,don't fail to name the paper in which you see this advertisement4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhd2 #b4jj pays for it from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhe4 ,for #b4jj you get it for one year and a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,county ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,free6 ,this is the most liberal offer ever made by any first-class weekly agricultural paper in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,live ,,stock ,,department4 ,illustration ,stockmen4 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,mr4 ,,grinnell',s ,,letter4 ,last week we briefly noted the fact that ,hon4 ,j4,b4 ,grinnell1 of ,iowa1 ,secretary of the ,committee of the ,national ,cattle-,growers' ,convention1 appointed to secure legislation for the protection of live stock from contagious diseases1 had issued a circular letter to the public4 ,in this letter he discusses with his usual intelligence and ability the important question in hand4 ,as it will form the basis of ,congressional discussion and prove an important factor in shaping legislation1 we give the letter space in our columns4 ,mr4 ,grinnell says3 ,to find a legitimate market for our surplus products is a question of grave concern4 ,after meeting home demands the magnitude of foreign consumption determines in a large degree the net profits of production4 ,it thus becomes the especial concern of the ,american agriculturist and statesman to find the best market for meat products4 ,the profits in grain-raising for exportation1 which impoverishes the soil1 are exceptional1 while our animal industries enrich it1 augmenting the rural population in the line of true economy1 the promotion of good morals1 and the independence and elevation of the citizen4 ,under the laws of domestic animal life gross farm products and rich1 indigenous grasses are condensed into values adapted to transportation across oceans and to various climes with little waste or deterioration2 thus the brute a servant1 becomes an auxiliary to the cunning hand of his master1 blending the factors which determine our facilities for acquisition in rural life1 and attractions which stimulate enterprise1 adventure1 individual independence1 and contribute to ,national wealth4 ,,the ,,meat ,,products4 ,no nation has so large a relative portion of its wealth in domestic animals1 and none can show such strides in material advancement during the present century4 ,but what is our foreign trade8 ,the exports of provisions from the ,united ,states during the last fiscal year were in value about #ajg1jjj1jjj4 ,those in #ahhb amounted to #abj1jjj1jjj1 equal to a falling off in a single year of #ac1jjj1jjj4 ,our exports of manufactured articles for the last year aggregate #baa1jjj1jjj1 against #ajc1jjj1jjj1 a gain of #ajh1jjj1jjj in a single year4 ,it was a reasonable expectation that our animal exports would have increased in like ratio as the manufactures1 which would have enhanced the value of all domestic animals and furnished1 instead of a mortifying fact1 a proud exhibit4 ,the causes of a decline are not found in high prices at home nor in inferior product2 rather in suspicions of diseases1 and the clamor of interested parties which led to arbitrary restrictions1 oppressive quarantine regulations1 and forbidding beeves which were ripened for the highest markets to pass beyond the shambles2 and the egress of young immature cattle on the ,english pastures4 ,pork products up to the ,chicago meeting were prohibited by ,france1 and they are inhibited now from ,germany1 our long-time valuable customer4 ,it was their whims1 caprices1 jealousies1 commercial restrictions and bans which decreased our exports and led the ,commissioner of ,agriculture to call the ,chicago meeting of ,november4 ,the convention developed facts and was fruitful in results3 ,that there were solitary cases of pleuro-pneumonia1 and limited to the eastern border ,states2 that ,western herdsmen had just cause of alarm on account of the shipment of young stock ,west from the narrow pastures and dairy districts of the ,east4 ,it was shown that across the ocean there was a morbid appetite for suspicions and facts which would justify severe restrictions and an absolute inhibition of our products4 ,the ,cattle ,commission formed by the ,treasury ,department gave decided opinions and imparted valuable information1 but they were constrained to admit that they were powerless in an emergency to stop the spread of contagious diseases1 and that it was a vain hope that there would be an increased foreign demand for our cattle and meat without radical ,congressional enactment4 ,skilled veterinarians1 fancy breeders1 political economists1 and savants from the ,east met the alarmed ranchmen1 enterprising breeders1 and delegations and officials from many agricultural and ,state associations1 representing millions of cattle and hundreds of millions of dollars1 resolved that a meeting should be held at ,washington1 and a committee was appointed to secure appropriate legislation4 ,in the discharge of duties assigned to the ,secretary ,i at once repaired to ,washington for consultation and to gather pertinent facts4 ,the heads of the ,state ,treasury and ,agricultural ,departments were awake to the necessity of early and radical legislation4 ,president ,arthur evinced great cordiality1 and gave good proof of his interest by calling attention in the annual message to the approaching meeting in ,washington1 which ,i have called the #ajth of ,january4 ,,facts4 ,i have sent out in a circular to the committee the following head-land facts of startling import1 which should be well considered3 #a4 ,that there is an investment of #a1jjh1jjj1jjj in cattle as estimated by the ,department of ,agriculture1 representing #da1aga1jjj animals4 ,that of swine is #bia1jjj1jjj1 representing over #dc1jjj1jjj animals4 #b4 ,that losses annually on exportation of cattle and beef1 consequent upon restrictive regulations and the decreased relative consumption of our beef1 aggregates many millions of dollars4 ,we reach an approximate estimate by these facts relative to our foreign trade as follows3 ,the exports of #ahhj-ha were #cfh1dfc animals4 ,those of #ahhb-hc were #bab1eed--;a loss of #aee1jji animals1 and in value a loss of #aa1ejf1jjj in two years4 ,the exports of fresh beef for two years were less by #dj1jga1afg pounds1 and by a value of #b1aia1aij4 ,the value of pork products decreased in the same time to the extent of #ce1fgi1jic4 ,this shows a falling off of about #be1jjj1jjj per annum for two years1 as compared with the receipts for the two preceding years4 ,,contagion ,,to ,,be ,,averted4 ,it should be known that the pleuro-pneumonia often mentioned as a scare or a myth by the thoughtless and optimist is a stern reality4 ,its journeys and track of destruction among cattle have been as marked as that of small pox and cholera--contagious diseases which have so tearfully decimated the human family4 ,lung diseases of the modern type were known before the ,christian era1 and were considered by ,columella and other ,latin writers4 ,australia resigned her great herds to flocks of sheep1 as did ,south ,africa1 never yet recovered from the blow to her cattle industries4 ,england has been tardy in the publication of her losses by lung-fever1 yet it is a fact which forbids secrecy that calamity has reached the enterprising breeders1 and colossal fortunes have been swept away by the cattle-plague4 ,in our own country it has been no more the policy of secretive owners to publish facts than that of city authorities to proclaim the prevalence of small-pox in the town4 ,still1 startling facts have sprung from original sources of inquiry4 ,a town meeting is called in the ,state of ,connecticut1 terror-stricken owners in ,new ,jersey1 ,maryland1 and ,pennsylvania meet for council4 ,massachusetts had a ,governor twenty years ago bold in telling truth1 which led to searching investigations by experts and officers of the ,state4 ,with autocratic power they made a diagnosis of diseases1 which led to the stamping out of the infection by law1 and a truthful proclamation that the plague was stayed4 ,the sacrifice of #a1jjj brutes at a cost to the ,commonwealth of about #gj1jjj was a trivial sum compared to the perils that beset a ,state valuation of #g1jjj1jjj1 for bovines1 and the cattle of the ,nation1 numbering #dj1jjj1jjj1 and worth nearly #a1ajj1jjj1jjj4 ,the monarchies of the ,old ,world have set us an example2 even ,denmark1 ,norway1 and ,sweden have pioneered for the world by sagacious acts and the stern enforcement of law in prevention4 ,,an ,,american ,,policy worthy of us is not secrecy1 but boldness--sacrifice commensurate with exposure4 ,this will lead to the formulation of a bill by the ,washington ,convention1 which ,congress will enact in the interest of individuals1 the ,state1 and for the ,national protection4 ,if ,state-,rights theorists bring objections1 the law may be so equitable to the ,states that its ratification may be asked on the ground of a just ,national policy and a right which inheres to the ,general ,government under the ,constitution in the regulation of commerce between the ,states4 ,this implies a power to destroy a contagious disease which if allowed to spread would arrest all commerce in bovines between the ,states4 ,a ,state may and ought to waive the question of damage if it is fixed by a neutral ,commissioner1 and the ,general ,government and not the ,state meets the losses to which unfortunate cattle owners maybe subject4 ,this will be the touchstone--trust by the ,state and statesmanlike generosity by the ,nation--that means courage for the now fearful ranchman of the unfenced domain1 and the furnishing of a clean bill of health for our products seeking a foreign market4 ,having evinced zeal in doing justice1 it can ask for justice--that the rights of our meat-producers be respected under our ,,commercial ,,treaties4 ,commerce means a mutual exchange1 and having performed our home duty will be in no mood to tolerate a whim or a caprice4 ,non-intercourse has been proposed in ,congress4 ,that may be a final resort when a conference1 practical discussion1 and even arbitration have failed4 ,a graver subject measured by dollars may yet engage the statesman diplomat than the ,geneva arbitration1 and we shall have no fair status in discussion or arbitration until our meat and cattle are made healthy by prevention and the best sanitary laws known to civilized countries4 ,,the ,,time ,,is ,,auspicious4 ,cattle-raising as an attractive and profitable vocation is now exciting a deep interest4 ,a lull in politics forbids the wants of our agriculturists1 numbering #fj per cent of the population1 being waived out of notice and their voiced demands drowned by partisan clamor4 ,the treasury has hundreds of millions in its vaults and a fraction of #a per cent of our surplus will only be required1 under a just disbursement1 to isolate and destroy the diseases which fetter our commerce and repress home enterprise4 ,a full and able convention at ,washington is assured by the responsive letters received4 ,the ,state of ,iowa will make her requests to ,congress by fine-stock meeting and other associations1 as becomes the ,state with #ajj1jjj1jjj invested in domestic animals4 ,who can be indifferent in the face of our great perils1 and recounting the losses by foreign restrictions and inhibition8 ,we are emphatically a ,nation of beef-eaters1 and by the extent of our domain and healthful climate are justly entitled to the honored designation of the first producer among civilized nations4 ,it is the question of healthful food for the masses1 of profitable tonnage for the railways1 and of deep concern in cultivating fraternal relations abroad1 not less than a question for the political economist in maintaining a good trade balance-sheet4 ,if we can impress our ,congressional delegations with the necessity of early and decisive legislation1 we shall have accomplished a noble work and have earned the warm commendation of millions of citizens whose interests have been neglected and whose vocation and property have been imperiled4 ,for the committee by request of the ,chicago ,convention4 ,j4,b4 ,,grinnell4 99 99 99 99 99 ,during the first eleven months of #ahhc1 no less than #daa1iib animals in ,great ,britain were attacked by by foot-and-mouth disease4 ,december opened with a greater number of ailing animals than did ,november4 99 99 99 99 99 ,an ,iowa farmer is experimenting with steamed clover hay for feeding hogs4 ,,prices ,,of #ahhc4 ,the average price of ,short-horns at the public sales in this country in #ahhc1 as reported by the auctioneers1 was #bje4ef4 ,the ,breeder's ,gazette figures up the number of cattle of the different breeds disposed of at public sales as follows3 ,breeds4 ,number4 ,totals4 ,average4 ,short-horns #c1bhd #fge1jeg #bje4ef ,herefords #aab #ec1ccj #dgf4fa ,aberdeen-,angus #cjj #aed1hhe #eaf4bh ,galloways #bfc #aaa1bjj #dbb4ha ,angus and ,galloways #dd #af1hfe #chc4ac ,holsteins #bci #hi1bij #cgc4fj ,jerseys #a1fhh #fij1dje #dji4ja ,guernseys #eb #ab1jij #bcb4ej ,red ,polled #ae #d1dce #bie4gj ------------------------------------- ,totals #e1iig #a1hjg1eeg #cja4da ,of the above ,short-horns1 #a1fji were sold in ,illinois1 #eda in ,kentucky1 and #a1acd in other ,states4 ,in ,illinois the average price received was #bbb4bc2 in ,kentucky1 #bga4ja1 and in other ,states1 #adi4gc4 ,of the beef breeds there were sold #d1jah1 the total receipts were #a1jae1ggb1 making the general average #bec4hj4 ,of the dairy breeds #a1igi were sold at an average of #djj4aj4 ,it will be seen that the average for ,short-horns is less than that for either of the other breeds though1 of course1 the number sold is greatly in excess of the others4 ,in #ahhb the average for ,short-horns was but #aib4aj1 and in #ahha but #aeh1 so that on the whole the breeders are perfectly satisfied with the way the business is running4 ,the dairy breeds did remarkably well in #ahhc1 the ,holsteins coming up well to the ,jerseys1 but the latter leads greatly in point of numbers4 ,the pure bred cattle business of the country as indicated by these sales is exceedingly prosperous4 ,in ,great ,britain the ,short-horn sales were less numerous than last year1 or1 in fact1 any year since #ahfi1 but the average was better than since #ahgi4 ,in #ahhj the average for #a1gch head was #bbe1 while in #ahha and #ahhb the average further declined to #age4 ,in #ahhc the average was close upon #bcj1 but1 upon the other hand1 the number of animals sold fell to #a1djj4 ,the highest price paid was #a1eje guineas1 for a four-year-old cow of the fashionable ,duchess blood1 which was purchased by the earl of ,bective at the sale of ,mr4 ,holford's herd in ,dorsetshire4 ,the ,australians purchased largely at the ,duke of ,devonshire's annual sale in #ahgh1 and this year ,american and ,canadian buyers bid briskly for animals of the ,oxford blood4 ,these were the only two sales at which the average reached three figures1 the next best being that of a selection from ,mr4 ,green's herd in ,essex1 when forty-one lots averaged #cfj each1 or less than half secured by the ,duke of ,devonshire's ,short-horns4 ,,docking ,,horses4 ,an ,english veterinary society has lately been discussing the question of docking the tails of horses4 ,the ,president looked upon docking as an act of cruelty4 ,by docking1 the number of accidents from the horse holding the rein under the tail was greatly increased1 for the horse has less power of free motion over the tail4 ,if a short dock is put over the rein1 the animal has so little control of the tail that he can not readily liberate the rein4 ,the stump is sensitive1 the same as the remaining part of an amputated finger4 ,in the majority of cases he considered docking entirely unnecessary4 ,on the contrary1 ,doctor ,axe 7rather a suggestive name for an advocate of docking7 thought the practice improved the looks of a horse1 thus rendering it more salable4 ,his sentimentality did not allow him to argue this question of increased value4 ,he did not think docking increased accidents4 ,statistics1 not assertions1 were needed to establish facts of this kind4 ,as to the remark of the ,president1 that the shortened tail could not be so easily freed from the rein1 he said it would depend on who was driving2 an expert would more quickly disengage the rein from a docked tail4 ,it may be true1 he said1 that there was more flexibility in an uncut tail because its more flexible portion had not been removed2 but the docked tail had not the same power of covering and fixing down the rein that the long tail possessed4 ,the long retention of a certain degree of sensibility after amputation was a known fact1 but neither this1 nor the operation itself1 involved much pain4 ,he detailed the structures divided1 and said that they possessed a low degree of sensation4 ,he would be glad to see horses have the free use of all their members1 if practicable1 and would leave them their tails if the removal of them could not increase the animal's comfort1 value1 or power of being safely used1 but he would not do anything to lessen the value of horses without good reason4 ,it seems that prosecutions for docking1 under the cruelty to999999 common in ,england 999999 convictions are not 999999 in the discussion 999999 vigorous prosecutions are 999999 ,we notice that with 999999 and docking are on the increase 999999 of this country4 ,fortunately 999999 beasts1 public sentiment in this 999999 against the barbarous act2 still 999999 is it that fashion has not yet so 999999 the taste of the majority of people 999999 convince them that docking adds to 999999 beauty of the noble animal4 ,but the rage is now to imitate the ,english in nearly all manners and customs1 and it may not be long before the miserable fashion will gain new headway with us4 99 99 99 99 99 ,too much care can hardly be taken in packing pork so as to have it keep through the season4 ,the chief requisites are pure salt and freeing the meat from every taint of blood4 ,the pieces of pork should be packed as closely as possible4 ,after a few weeks if any scum rises on the surface of the brine it should be cleaned out and the brine boiled so that all impurities may be removed4 ,if pork is to be kept all summer twice boiling the brine may be necessary4 ,for some reason a barrel that has once held beef will never do for a pork barrel1 though the rule may be reversed with impunity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one of the firm of ,galbraith ,brothers ,janesville1 ,wis41 is now in ,scotland to make selection for an early spring importation of ,clydesdales4 ,while making mention of this we may say that ,messrs4 ,galbraith though disposing of twenty-one head of ,clydesdales at the late sale in ,chicago1 have yet on hand an ample supply of superior horses of all ages from sucklings upward4 ,they will be pleased to receive a visit from intending purchasers of this class of stock1 and from all interested in the breed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the first lot of ,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,pratt's ,holsteins1 from quarantine1 recently arrived at ,elgin4 ,the ,doctor informs us that the animals are in prime condition and choice in every respect4 ,he says he is preparing to open a ranch near ,manhattan1 ,kansas1 for the breeding of high grade ,holsteins and ,short-horns4 ,he will also keep on this ranch a choice herd of pure-bred ,holsteins for supplying the growing ,western demand for this very popular dairy stock4 ,,publications4 ,the ,free ,seed ,distribution alone of the ,rural ,new ,yorker is worth at catalogue prices more than #c4jj4 ,this journal and the ,rural1 including its ,seed ,distribution1 will be sent for #c4jj4 ,for free specimen copies1 apply to #cd ,park ,row1 ,new ,york4 ,the ,rural ,new-,yorker is the ,leading ,national ,journal of ,agriculture and ,horticulture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,rural ,new-,yorker has over #fjj contributors1 among them the most distinguished writers of ,america and ,england4 ,it is the complete ,journal for the country home and for many city homes as well4 ,free specimen copies #cd ,park ,row1 ,n4,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,rural ,,new-,,yorker ,the great national farm and garden journal of ,america1 with its ,celebrated ,free ,seed ,distribution1 and ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year1 post-paid1 all for only #c4jj4 ,it is a rare chance4 ,specimen copies cheerfully sent gratis4 ,compare them with other rural weeklies1 and then subscribe for the best4 ,apply to #cd ,,park ,,row1 ,,new ,,york4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,dairy4 ,dairymen1 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,lessons ,,in ,,finance ,,for ,,the ,,creamery ,,patron4,a ,any business to be permanent must make reasonable returns for the capital employed and give fair compensation for the labor bestowed upon it1 otherwise it will be abandoned1 or if continued at all it will be done under the protest of economic law4 ,in addition to the ordinary circumstances attaching to business enterprise1 the creamery business is essentially and peculiarly co-operative4 ,it thrives with the thrift of all concerned--owner and patrons4 ,it fails only with loss to all4 ,the conditions of success1 therefore1 to the patrons are included in the conditions of success to the creamery1 and vice versa4 ,the object of this paper is to suggest some of these conditions and some of the instances of violation of them4 ,it is hardly necessary to discuss the case in which peculiarity of soil or climate1 the greater profitableness of some other kind of industry1 or other reason1 would so restrict the size and number of dairy herds as to make the locality a barren dairy region4 ,notwithstanding the splendid achievements of the dairy industry it is safe to say that it may not be profitable in any and every locality4 ,given the soil1 the climate1 the water1 the people intelligent and disposed toward the exacting duties of this business1 there are still many questions to be considered and many mistakes to be avoided4 ,it has been a pet idea in this country that competition is the corrective of all industrial evils4 ,competition without doubt holds an important place among the industrial forces1 but may be carried so far as to defeat the very objects it is adapted to subserve1 when intelligently encouraged4 ,carried to the extent of employing two persons or more to do the work of one1 of absorbing capital without the full employment of it1 it becomes destructive and expensive4 ,we find1 for instance1 in many towns1 a large number of commercial establishments doing business at an immense profit on single transactions1 but the transactions are so few and so divided up among struggling competitors1 that neither secures a profitable1 nor even a respectable1 business4 ,with choice cuts of meat from twelve to eighteen cents a pound and butcher's stock at three and four cents1 we often see butcher shops multiply1 but the price of meat usually remains the same4 ,indeed1 the very increase of middle man establishments beyond the employment of these to their full capacity1 and the consequent full utilization of the capital and labor employed1 is a sure loss to somebody1 and if it does not all go to the producer it is almost always shared by him4 ,one of the greatest burdens which the creamery business has to carry to-day is the excessive number of its creameries beyond legitimate demands4 ,the co-operative idea1 so far as it enters into this business1 implies the most profitable use possible of the resources employed in it both of patron and creamery owner1 and a fair and equitable distribution of the profits4 ,said a large creamery owner to me recently1 ,i find the comparative value of my butter steadily decreasing from year to year4 ,i have the same territory1 the same butter-makers1 the same patrons1 substantially1 but my butter is not up in quality and price as it used to be4 ,i ascribe it to the excessive competition prevailing in it1 i4e41 it is one of its results4 ,i have lost my influence over patrons in securing the best quality of cream4 ,if ,i make any criticism of their modes or practices they say to me1 ',mr4 ----1 if you do not want my cream ,i will let the other creamery have it4 ,do just as you like about it2 take it or leave it4' ,but the loss of one or two cents a pound on the net proceeds of a season means five or ten per cent of its value1 or of the entire season's results enough difference to make any community in a few years rich or poor1 thrifty or unthrifty1 according to the circumstances in the case4 ,further3 the idea of co-operation implies the doing of equal and exact justice to all included within the co-operative limits4 ,this1 an excessive and unprincipled competition greatly interferes with4 ,it can properly be demanded by every fair and honest patron of a creamery that every other patron should be as fair and honest as himself4 ,indeed1 this is an essential part of the implied contract4 ,but in the case of excessive competition no restraints can be imposed and no penalties can be made to follow attempts to violate the principles of equity1 except the possible inconvenience of changing from one creamery to another4 ,the straight and honorable patron is powerless2 the owner of the creamery is powerless2 and the co-operative element is rendered a nullity4 ,further3 the co-operative element1 in the relations of creamery and patrons1 requires that the price of milk or cream shall vary with the market price of the finished product4 ,contracts for the future are mere speculation1 as a rule4 ,if the transaction is large and the turn of the market unfavorable to the creamery1 ruin is liable to come to the business1 and loss and disaster follow to all concerned4 ,if the turn of the market should be the other way1 among the numerous patrons there is sure to be more or less dissatisfaction and a more or less breaking up of the condition of friendly reciprocity which should exist between creamery and patron4 ,patrons may damage their own interest by exacting too much from the creamery as well as by accepting too little1 and a greedy grasping after an unreasonable share of the profit on the part of the creamery owner is sure to bring retaliation1 disturb cordiality of feeling1 and bring loss to all concerned4 ,the remedy for most of these evils can only come from intelligent and wise action on the part of the creamery patrons of a given locality4 ,they should study to prevent an unseemly and expensive competition4 ,they1 as the encouraging source1 will surely in the end pay the expense of it4 ,it has been said that no people in the world enjoy paying taxes like ,americans1 provided they are only indirect1 sugar coated1 and with some plausible pretense4 ,it would seem1 however1 that even ,american dairymen could see that the maintenance of superfluous creameries1 superfluous teams for hauling cream and milk1 superfluous men for manufacturing and handling the product is an extra expense of which they will surely bear their full share2 if not at once1 they will do so before the outcome is reached4 ,another thing the patrons of creameries may properly take note of is that the expense of manufacturing butter in all well regulated creameries is nearly the same1 and the value of the product does not widely differ4 ,when a creamery therefore claims large and peculiar advantages1 and offers a price for milk or cream markedly above the ordinary price paid for it by other creameries1 you may be sure there is something illegitimate about it4 ,it may be done to drum up business1 to beat a rival1 or it may be a downright swindle1 it surely will not be lasting1 and the operator intends at some time to recoup for himself4 ,it is to be remembered that the dairy business is not one which can be taken up and laid down hastily without greater or less inconvenience1 expense1 and loss4 ,like most other branches of agriculture1 it must be engaged in with the purpose of a steady1 long1 strong pull in order to be a success4 ,it has the advantage of springing directly from the earth without fictitious help1 props1 or governmental protection1 so-called4 ,it taxes no other industry for its own benefit1 and has expanded to its present magnificent proportions in spite of the burdens laid upon it from outside sources4 ,but it is written ,and ,satan came also4 ,nothing could more aptly describe the full influence of adulteration which has come upon this industry4 ,it has come clothed in deceit and fraud1 the very habiliments of the devil4 ,it can be exterminated no more than sin itself4 ,it must be fought by exposing its nature2 by stamping upon it its own features4 ,wise legislation1 ,i believe1 will be in the direction of ,government inspection and the sure and prompt punishment of fraud4 ,the interest of the creamery patron is more deeply involved in this matter than that of any other class1 just as in other branches of production the perils and losses by fraud1 deterioration1 and adulteration ultimately fall back upon the producer of the raw product4 ,the apathy now existing among the producers of milk and cream is ominous of evil1 and discouraging to those who are working in the interest of unadulterated goods4 ,we have no doubt that the time will come when not only the adulteration of butter1 but the adulteration of other food products as well1 will only be carried on under the stamp and inspection of ,government supervision4 ,the thoughts ,i have presented are intended to be suggestive rather than dogmatic1 and ,i leave the subject with the hope that the intelligence of the average dairyman may be as active in tracing and comprehending the subtler principles of trade and commerce relating to the products of his labor as he is in comprehending the more immediate facts of his calling1 such as breeding1 seeding1 and the handling of the raw products of his herd4 ,a ,paper read before the ,illinois ,dairymen's ,convention by ,c4,c4 ,buell1 of ,rock ,falls4 ,,veterinary4 ,,fever4 ,many kinds of horse fevers have been described by antiquated veterinary writers2 but most exist only in the imagination of the writers1 or have been manufactured out of the mistaken analysis of human fevers4 ,all the real fevers of the horse may be comprised in two1--the idiopathic1 pure or simple fever1 constituting of itself an entire disease1 and the symptomatic fever1 occasioned by inflammatory action in some particular part of the body1 and constituting rather the attendant of a disease than the disease itself4 ,though idiopathic fever is comparatively infrequent in occurrence1 it unquestionably meets the attention of most persons who have extensive stable management of horses1 and its general tendency to degenerate into local inflammation and symptomatic fever1 seems to arise far less from its own nature than from foul air1 vicissitudes of temperature1 and general bad management4 ,if idiopathic fever is not easily reduced1 the blood accumulates in the lungs1 the viscera1 or some other internal part of the body1 and provokes inflammation2 or1 if a horse1 while suffering under this fever1 be kept in a foul or ill-ventilated stable1 or be exposed to alternations of heat and cold1 he speedily becomes locally inflamed from the action of the filth or exposure4 ,the symptoms of idiopathic fever are shivering1 loss of appetite1 dejected appearance1 quick pulse1 hot mouth1 and some degree of debility2 generally1 also1 costiveness and scantiness of urine2 sometimes1 likewise1 quickness of breathing1 and such pains of the bowels as accompany colic4 ,idiopathic fever1 if it does not pass into inflammation1 never kills1 but is generally always curable4 ,cattle are subject to both idiopathic and symptomatic fever1 very nearly in the same manner as the horse1 and require1 when suffering them1 to be very similarly treated4 ,the idiopathic fever of cattle has1 in many instances1 an intermitting character1 which may easily be subdued by means of ordinary care2 and1 in other instances1 has a steady and unintermitting character1 and is exceedingly liable to resolve itself into pleurisy1 enteritis1 or some other inflammatory disease4 ,the symptomatic fever of cattle is strictly parallel to the symptomatic fever of horses1 and is determined by the particular seat and nature of the exciting inflammation4 ,but besides these fevers1 cattle are subject to two very destructive and quite distinct kinds of fever1 both of an epizootic nature1 the one of a virulent and the other of a chronic character1--the former inflammatory and the latter typhoid4 ,numerous modifications of these fevers1 or particular phases of them1 are more or less extensively known among our readers as black-leg1 bloody murrain1 etc4 ,the fever which in many instances follows parturition1 particularly in the cow1 is familiarly known as calving fever1 or milk fever2 and the ordinary fevers of sheep1 swine1 dogs1 upon the whole1 follow the same general law as the ordinary fevers of the horse1 and are classifiable into idiopathic and symptomatic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,illustration ,,your ,,name printed on #ej ,cards ,,all ,,new designs of ,gold ,floral4 ,remembrances1 ,sentiment1 ,hand ,floral1 etc41 with ,love1 ,friendship1 and ,holiday ,mottoes1 #aj;c4 #g pks4 and this elegant ,ring1 #ej;c41 #ae pks4 ,ring1 #a4 ,illustration #ab ,,new ,,concealed ,,name ,cards 7name concealed with hand holding flowers with mottoes7 #bj;c4 #g pks4 and this ,ring for #a4 ,agents' sample book and full outfit1 #be;c4 ,over #bjj new ,cards added this season4 ,blank ,cards at wholesale prices4 ,,northford ,,card ,,co4 ,northford1 ,conn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,print ,your ,own ,cards ,labels1 ,envelopes1 etc4 with our #c ,,printing ,,press4 ,larger sizes for circulars1 etc41 #h to #ge4 ,for pleasure1 money making1 young or old4 ,everything easy1 printed instructions4 ,send #b stamps for ,catalogue of ,presses1 ,type1 ,cards1 etc41 to the factory4 ,,kelsey ,,co41 ,,meriden1 ,,conn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,we will send you a watch or a chain ,,by ,,mail ,,or ,,express1 ,c4,o4,d41 to be examined before paying any money and if not satisfactory1 returned at our expense4 ,we manufacture all our watches and save you #cj per cent4 ,catalogue of #bej styles free4 ,,every ,,watch ,,warranted4 ,,address ,,standard ,,american ,,watch ,,co41 ,,pittsburgh4 ,,pa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,agents ,,wanted ,,everywhere to sell the best ,,family ,,knitting ,,machine ever invented4 ,will knit a pair of stockings with ,,heel and ,,toe ,,complete1 in #bj minutes4 ,it will also knit a great variety of fancy-work for which there is always a ready market4 ,send for circular and terms to the ,,twombly ,,knitting ,,machine ,,co41 #afc ,tremont ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 99 99 99 99 99 #ejj ,,virginia ,,farms ,,mills ,,for ,,sale ,,and ,,exchange4 ,write for free ,,real ,,estate ,,journal4 ,r4,b4 ,,chaffin ,,co41 ,richmond1 ,virginia4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,biggest ,,thing ,,out4 ,,illustrated ,,book ,,sent ,,free4 7,,new7 ,e4 ,,nason1 ,,co41 #abj ,fulton ,st41 ,new ,york4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,mystery ,,of ,,the ,,sea4 ,,the ,,fate ,,which ,,overtook ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,boston4--,,captain ,,murray',s ,,ideas ,,and ,,experiences4 ,a few years ago1 the ,city of ,boston sailed from harbor1 crowded with an expectant throng of passengers bound for a foreign shore4 ,she never entered port4 ,the mystery of her untimely end grows deeper as the years increase1 and the ,atlantic voyager1 when the fierce winds howl around and danger is imminent on every hand1 shudders as the name and mysterious fate of that magnificent vessel are alluded to4 ,our reporter1 on a recent visit to ,new ,york1 took lunch with ,captain ,george ,siddons ,murray1 on board the ,alaska1 of the ,guion line4 ,captain ,murray is a man of stalwart built1 well-knit frame and cheery1 genial disposition4 ,he has been a constant voyager for a quarter of a century1 over half of that time having been in the trans-,atlantic service4 ,in the course of the conversation over the well-spread table1 the mystery of the ,city of ,boston was alluded to4 ,yes1 remarked the ,captain1 ,i shall never forget the last night we saw that ill-fated vessel4 ,i was chief officer of the ,city of ,antwerp4 ,on the day we sighted the ,city of ,boston a furious southeast hurricane set in4 ,both vessels labored hard4 ,the sea seemed determined to sweep away every vestige of life4 ,when day ended the gale did not abate1 and everything was lashed for a night of unusual fury4 ,our good ship was turned to the south to avoid the possibility of icebergs4 ,the ,city of ,boston1 however1 undoubtedly went to the north4 ,her boats1 life-preservers and rafts were all securely lashed2 and when she went down1 everything went with her1 never to re-appear until the sea gives up its dead4 ,what1 in your opinion1 ,captain1 was the cause of the loss of the ,city of ,boston8 ,the ,city of ,limerick1 in almost precisely the same latitude1 a few days later1 found the sea full of floating ice2 and ,i have no doubt the ,city of ,boston collided with the ice1 and sunk immediately4 ,captain ,murray has been in command of the ,alaska ever since she was put in commission and feels justly proud of his noble ship4 ,she carries thousands of passengers every year1 and has greatly popularized the ,williams ,guion line4 ,remarking upon the bronzed and healthy appearance of the ,captain1 the reporter said that sea life did not seem to be a very great physical trial4 ,no8 ,but a person's appearance is not always a trustworthy indication of his physical condition4 ,for seven years ,i have been in many respects very much out of sorts with myself4 ,at certain times ,i was so lame that it was difficult for me to move around4 ,i could scarcely straighten up4 ,i did not know what the trouble was1 and though ,i performed all my duties regularly and satisfactorily1 yet ,i felt that ,i might some day be overtaken with some serious prostrating disorder4 ,these troubles increased4 ,i felt dull and then1 again1 shooting pains through my arms and limbs4 ,possibly the next day ,i would feel flushed and unaccountably uneasy and the day following chilly and despondent4 ,this continued until last ,december1 when ,i was prostrated soon after leaving ,queenstown1 and for the remainder of the voyage was a helpless1 pitiful sufferer4 ,in ,january last1 a friend who made that voyage with me1 wrote me a letter urging me to try a new course of treatment4 ,i gladly accepted his counsel1 and for the last seven months have given thorough and business-like attention to the recovery of my natural health2 and to-day ,i have the proud satisfaction of saying to you that the lame back1 the strange feeling1 the sciatic rheumatism which have so long pursued me1 have entirely disappeared through the blood purifying influence of ,warner's ,safe ,rheumatic ,cure which entirely eradicated all rheumatic poison from my system4 ,indeed1 to me1 it seems that it has worked wonders1 and ,i therefore most cordially commend it4 ,and you have no trouble now in exposing yourself to the winds of the ,atlantic8 ,not the least4 ,i am as sound as a bullet and ,i feel specially thankful over the fact because ,i believe rheumatic and kidney disease is in the blood of my family4 ,i was dreadfully shocked on my last arrival in ,liverpool to learn that my brother1 who is a wealthy ,china tea merchant1 had suddenly died of ,bright's disease of the kidneys1 and consider myself extremely fortunate in having taken my trouble in time and before any more serious effects were possible4 ,the conversation drifted to other topics1 and as the writer watched the face before him1 so strong in all its outlines1 and yet so genial1 and thought of the innumerable exposures and hardships to which its owner had been exposed1 he instinctively wished all ,rheumatic ,cure which entirely eradicated who are suffering from the terrible rheumatic troubles now so common might know of ,captain ,murray's experience and the means by which he had been restored4 ,pain is a common thing in this world1 but far too many endure it when they might just as well avoid it4 ,it is a false philosophy which teaches us to endure when we can just as readily avoid4 ,so thought the hearty captain of the ,alaska1 so thinks the writer1 and so should all others think who desire happiness and a long life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,and ,,youth',s ,,companion ,,one ,,year1 #c ,,for ,,the ,,two4 ,it is not required that both papers be sent to one address1 nor to the same post-office4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,pub4 ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,street1 ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhe2 ,for #b4jj you get it for one year and a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,county ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,free6 ,this is the most liberal offer ever made by any first-class weekly agricultural paper in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,horticultural ,horticulturists1 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,illinois ,,horticultural ,,society4 ,the ad-interim committee of the ,illinois ,state ,horticultural ,society for the northern part of the ,state reported through ,mr4 ,o4,w4 ,barnard and ,arthur ,bryant1 ,jr4 ,mr4 ,barnard had found the orchards thrifty and healthy4 ,the yield of apples had not been large this season1 but orchardists generally felt encouraged in regard to the future of their orchards4 ,he had found the high clay soils preferable for the apple4 ,mr4 ,bryant reported the apple crop small4 ,some orchards had borne good crops1 especially of the ,ben ,davis4 ,in others1 this variety had failed4 ,,orchard ,,culture4 ,mr4 ,w4,t4 ,nelson1 of the committee on orchard culture1 recommended the planting of orchards on high1 sloping ground4 ,in the rather low and level country in which he lived 7,will county7 orchard trees lasted but fifteen or twenty years4 ,but few varieties seem to do well in any locality4 ,he would advise men about to set out orchards to ascertain what varieties do well in their particular locality1 and then plant no others4 ,he would not prune young orchards4 ,he recommended the tiling of orchards4 ,,high ,,or ,,low1 ,,land4 ,mr4 ,nelson's report opened up the subject of high or low lands for orchards4 ,mr4 ,robinson got more apples from trees on low lands than from elevated sites4 ,prof4 ,budd did not commit himself to either theory1 but remarked that some varieties do best on low lands1 while others preferred the higher situations4 ,parker ,earle thought that this theory of low lands for our apple orchards was contrary to the past teachings of the society4 ,in his opinion high grounds are preferable4 ,the subject was a complicated one for ,prof4 ,burrill4 ,he had seen many low ground orchards that bore good crops this year4 ,there are many modifications that effect the crop4 ,it is not merely the elevation of orchard sites4 ,it was his belief that high ground1 all things considered1 is the best4 ,mr4 ,robinson was not enthusiastic about the tile drainage of orchards4 ,our trees need more water than they usually get4 ,they do not suffer from too much water1 but from dry summers and rolling land4 ,mr4 ,spalding1 of ,sangamon county1 had found his nursery trees poorest when planted on a depressed surface4 ,he tiled extensively4 ,his subsoil was a clay loam4 ,nine years ago he laid tile #c-a_/b feet deep and #cj feet apart4 ,he did not believe in manuring young trees4 ,too rapid growth is not wanted4 ,trees in ,illinois grow as much in one year as they do in two years in the ,state of ,new ,york1 where they raise more fruit than we do4 ,the most rapid growing trees are the tenderest4 ,he does not force the growth of his orchard trees4 ,he is satisfied nurserymen have manured their young stock too much4 ,the question of high or low land was not settled4 ,it was hard for members to give up the old theory that high lands are best for orchards in ,illinois2 but it may be set down as a fact that the matter1 as first brought to public discussion through ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer by ,b4,f4 ,johnson1 ,esq41 of ,champaign1 is having wide discussion among our fruit men4 ,it will result in close future observation and closer scrutiny of past results4 ,without doubt this is the leading new horticultural question of the day4 ,it requires a careful collection of facts and a broad generalization4 ,the theories and teachings of the past are nothing if facts are opposed to them4 ,,fruit ,,growers ,,and ,,fruit ,,sellers4 ,mr4 ,ragan1 of ,indiana1 read a suggestive paper upon the relation of the fruit-grower to the commission man and the transportation companies4 ,the paper led to considerable discussion4 ,mr4 ,earle always sells his fruit through a commission house4 ,without the commission men market-fruit growers could not do business4 ,he found no difficulty in getting honorable men to do business with4 ,when he got a good man he stuck to him4 ,the commission man is just as important a factor in the fruit business as the grower or consumer4 ,he believes in a liberal percentage for commissions4 ,dealers can not do an honest business for nothing4 ,he is willing to pay ten per cent to the man who sells his fruit to the best possible advantage1 and who makes prompt and honest returns4 ,the cheap commission man is to be avoided4 ,the proper handling of fruit by intelligent dealers at fair rates is what we want4 ,he ships small fruits in full quart boxes4 ,uses new boxes every time4 ,wants no returned crates4 ,to get best returns we must have neat packages4 ,stained drawers1 baskets1 old barrels1 and the like do not help to sell fruit4 ,he would advise shipping black and red raspberries in pint boxes2 blackberries and strawberries in quart boxes4 ,he picks his berry plantations every day during the ripening season4 ,sundays not excepted4 ,no man who is not prepared to work seven days in the week during the picking season1 or who can not get help to do the same1 will succeed in the raising and marketing of small fruits4 ,he has this year paid two cents per quart for picking blackberries and strawberries1 and the same for pints of raspberries4 ,it requires from five to ten pickers to the acre4 ,he likes women or grown-up girls to do this work4 ,as to varieties he likes ,longfellow and ,sharpless4 ,they ripen slowly and everyday picking is not so necessary4 ,mr4 ,pearson said the apple growers in his locality find that judgment must be used in marketing apples4 ,the ,lord made little apples and we must do the best we can with them4 ,a neighbor had small apples and the shippers grumbled at them4 ,the neighbor would not stand this and shipped his apples to ,chicago and had them sold on their merits4 ,the result was satisfactory4 ,an ,iowa buyer came down there and offered #ej cents per bushel for apples without regard to size1 etc41 and he got them and shipped them in boxes to ,muscatine where they were made into jelly1 dried fruit1 etc4 ,we can have no cast iron rules in regard to marketing1 but must be governed by circumstances4 ,this year it was better for his people to sell as they come1 without the trouble of hand picking1 sorting1 and careful packing4 ,we must act like intelligent men in this business as in all others4 ,circumstances alter cases4 ,good common sense is a prime requisite4 ,mr4 ,miller agreed with ,mr4 ,earle about packages for marketing fruit4 ,he uses white wood boxes from ,michigan4 ,,mulching ,,and ,,manuring4 ,mr4 ,earle was questioned about the use of castor bean pomace for strawberries4 ,he uses it mixed with wood ashes4 ,it is capital on poor land4 ,he likes unleached ashes in both strawberry and orchard culture4 ,he pays six cents per bushel for them4 ,the castor bean pomace is good for anything in the poor soils of ,southern ,illinois4 ,he uses about half a ton to the acre4 ,spreads with a ,kemp spreader4 ,five hundred pounds per acre will show excellent results4 ,has tried a tablespoonful of the mixture to the strawberry plant when setting out4 ,has tried salt to kill grubs in asparagus beds1 but found it to kill the weeds and most of the asparagus1 while the grubs seemed to enjoy the application4 ,did not find it of much value as a manure4 ,bone dust had shown no particular results4 ,superphosphates acted much like the bean pomace4 ,does not think coal ashes of much value4 ,he uses the pomace as early in the spring as possible4 ,sometimes he plows it under and sometimes applies after the plants are set1 and cultivates it in4 ,one application answers for two years' cropping4 ,he fruits a strawberry plantation but two years1 and he sometimes thinks one year sufficient4 ,he does not agree with some of his neighbors that mulching has resulted unfavorably4 ,does not think the mulch has increased the noxious insects4 ,knows of a plantation not mulched at all1 that suffered more than any other this year from the tarnished plant bug4 ,,central ,,districts4 ,mr4 ,vickroy reported for ,central ,illinois4 ,in ,august of the present year he visited the orchards in the vicinity of ,champaign1 among them the noted ,hall fruit farm1 near ,savoy4 ,he found the orchards in fair condition4 ,many were sheltered by belts of trees4 ,he observed that in the lower or bottom land he found in connection with drainage1 the best orchards and the healthiest trees1 and that on the more rolling or higher grounds the trees were not as hardy nor did not bear as well4 ,his observations led him to believe in the draining of orchards1 although it was opposed to his previous education and of the teachings he had received in this society4 ,he regarded the experimental orchard which he visited at ,champaign a failure1 for the very reason that it was on too high ground2 that the trees were dying1 and many were not bearing4 ,there were1 however1 some varieties that showed good fruit4 ,in his visit referred to1 he found the following varieties of apples did well in this latitude3 ,fall ,varieties--,first1 ,snow2 second1 ,standard2 third1 ,maiden ,blush2 fourth1 ,colvert2 fifth1 ,baker ,sweet2 sixth1 ,pound ,sweet2 seventh1 ,fall ,romanite4 ,winter ,varieties--,first1 ,minkler2 second1 ,rawles' ,genet2 third1 ,willow ,twig2 fourth1 ,little ,romanite2 fifth1 ,english ,russet2 sixth1 ,ben ,davis2 seventh1 ,michael ,henry ,pippin2 eighth1 ,jonathan2 ninth1 ,gravenstein2 tenth1 ,rome ,beauty4 ,in varieties in pears he gave the ,howell and the ,bartlett4 ,in grapes he recommended the ,martha in white grapes4 ,,grapes4 ,mr4 ,e4,a4 ,riehl1 of ,alton1 read a very exhaustive and complete report on grapes and grape culture1 including the so-called grape rot4 ,the suggested remedies were bagging and training vines up on elevated wires1 so the sun and air could get freely to the fruit4 ,this point was combated by ,dr4 ,shroeder4 ,grapes ripen best in the shade4 ,another gentleman suggested that with the wire system as suggested by ,mr4 ,riehl1 the grapes are shaded by the foliage in all the hottest part of the day4 ,,insects4 ,prof4 ,forbes gave a learned and scientific dissertation on contagious diseases of insects1 and a number of germinal diseases1 and experimental and successful attempts to kill them4 ,the ,professor showed that nausea is contagious and may be transferred by diseased worms1 and that therefore the spread of disease in worms would considerably lessen the danger to plants and fruits from their inroads4 ,these facts1 said the ,professor1 give us reason to hope that we have discovered another means of defense from destructive insects4 ,mr4 ,earle will try pyrethrum next season for the tarnished bug4 ,prof4 ,budd gave a brief sketch of latest methods of killing off noxious insects as followed by ,j4,n4 ,dixon1 of the ,state of ,iowa1 one of the greatest fruit farmers in that ,state or in the ,northwest4 ,he destroys the insect by sprinkling the trees with water diluted with arsenic1 using one pound of white arsenic to #bjj gallons of water4 ,this has proven a great success and is not at all expensive4 ,some members objected to the use of arsenic on account of its poisonous properties4 ,london-purple or ,paris-green were recommended by some4 ,some members did not like to have hogs running in their orchards2 others found them a benefit if but few were permitted4 ,they did a good work4 ,if the orchard is overstocked with them they do harm4 ,they root about the trees and rub against them4 ,it is not an uncommon thing for them to kill the trees in the course of a couple of years4 ,,fruit ,,committees4 ,dr4 ,schroeder1 member of the committee on pear culture1 made no formal report1 but in brief remarks urged the general planting and raising of the kind of fruit as being profitable and productive4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,edwards1 of ,mendota1 chairman of committee on currants1 read a very interesting report on currants and gooseberries1 in which it appeared that the cultivation of this fruit was neglected and was on the decline4 ,dr4 ,a4,l4 ,small1 of ,kankakee1 made a report on plums1 in which he recommended the general planting of this fruit1 he making a specialty of plum trees1 and regarded the plum as a fruit that was coming more in demand and popular1 and one that readily adapts itself to the many kinds of climates and soils4 ,mr4 ,weir also read a paper on plums and plum culture4 ,he recommended the ,chickasaw because it is hardy and not liable to have its blossoms injured by a late spring1 like many fruits4 ,he named the ,newman and ,wild ,goose among other so-called seedlings that were very good4 ,he expressed the opinion that there was but one distinct species of plum in the ,united ,states4 ,,floriculture4 ,mrs4 ,mary ,j4 ,barnard1 of ,manteno1 from the committee on floriculture1 strongly urged the cultivation of house-plants1 not only as beautifiers1 but to give the most pleasant occupation to every lady of the family4 ,she referred to the earlier flowers of summer especially--the crocus1 snow-drop1 lily of the valley1 tulips4 ,next to these came the annuals2 with little trouble these could be had for months4 ,the wild flowers of the prairies were spoken of1 and she suggested that we should obtain seed of the flowers and raise such as we wish4 ,the paper was a good one and was well received4 ,mr4 ,baller1 a florist of ,bloomington1 said that of late the demand for plants had fallen off4 ,the reason given was that there was an increased general knowledge among the people4 ,at the present1 the chief demands are for hot-house1 cut flowers1 and monthlies4 ,the reason given for the falling off of the demand for plants was the fact that plants were more easily raised since the introduction of base-burners4 ,this1 he thought1 could be still further increased by having a double sash1 and the building of bay windows on the south and east of the houses4 ,he reported1 however1 that there was still a good market for hot-house flowers among the rich for decorating purposes1 funerals1 etc4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer will1 from time to time1 consider other papers and discussions at this meeting1 for there was much more of interest said and done than can be condensed into a simple running report4 ,we advise farmers to send one dollar to the ,secretary and receive therefor a copy of the ,transactions when issued4 ,a ,,short ,,sermon ,,on ,a ,,long ,,text4 ,the text will be found in ,leviticus #af3 #ba-bb-bc2 but whether its application can be found is uncertain4 ,horticulturists are prone to find scape-goats to carry their sins of omission and commission2 and they load these--a great burden--upon them1 and send them off to be lost in the wilderness4 ,providence is most usually chosen by them for this purpose4 ,most of their mistakes and failures--sins1 let us call them--are ascribed to ,providence2 and ,he is expected to carry the burden4 ,but ,i strongly urge they remain our own after all4 ,i am led to these conclusions by the fact that among the many failures in fruit culture there are some splendid successes2 and that these successes occur with those1 as a rule1 who are guiltless of these sins2 and that just in proportion to the magnitude of the guilt is the success insured4 ,in other words--that almost invariably are our failures to be attributed to our own want of skill and our neglect--most generally the latter4 ,here and there we note cases of marked success--of heavy crops and large returns for care and labor invested4 ,these are mostly on a small scale2 as for instance1 one man produces from at the rate of #bjj to #cjj bushels of strawberries per acre1 on a few rods of ground4 ,another1 his neighbor1 gets about as many quarts4 ,the conditions of soil and climate are about the same4 ,now is ,providence to be charged with this disparity8 ,certainly not4 ,the same care1 the same intelligent management1 and the same amount of labor bestowed1 would have produced as favorable results in the one case as in the other4 ,and so1 as to larger tracts4 ,i hold that what my neighbor can do on a dozen square rods1 he and ,i both ought to be equally able to do on five or ten1 or twenty times as large a tract4 ,but1 you say1 these large yields are the results of extraordinary care4 ,true1 they are2 and that proves my theory--that extraordinary care will produce extraordinary results4 ,what one man can do once1 he can do again and all the time2 and we all can do the same4 ,extraordinary care may be defined as the care necessary to produce good results1 and if that care were always applied it would cease to be extraordinary4 ,i myself saw in my neighbor's field a crop of strawberries1 on two rows1 which at the safest and closest calculation ,i could make1 yielded at the rate of over #cjj bushels per acre4 ,he had but the two rows2 had given them extraordinary care--had kept them clear of grass and weeds--and the ground mellow--and had mulched them with forest leaves4 ,those two rows were in a field of several acres in size4 ,the same care in planting1 in cultivating1 in mulching1 and the whole tract would have produced corresponding results4 ,that same year1 my crop1 on soil equally as good1 reached a yield of less than one-fifth in amount4 ,why this difference8 ,providence favored him and didn't favor me1 ,i might say1 if ,i felt disposed to make a scape-goat of ,providence for my misdeeds4 ,but ,i do not believe that ,providence did anything of the sort4 ,the fault was my own2 and ,i have no right to attempt to shift the responsibility4 ,and it was not want of knowledge either4 ,we1 none of us1 do as well as we know how4 ,our failures are mostly the results of sheer neglect4 ,mistakes1 we incline to call them4 ,let us call them sins1 and repent of them2 and not endeavor to do as ,aaron did1 pack them off into the wilderness4 ,when we bring ourselves to thus correct our mistakes1 our crops will be increased threefold1 and ,providence will no longer be made a scape-goat for us4 ,t4,g4 ,,prunings4 ,the strawberry was introduced into ,england from ,flanders in #aecj4 ,gardeners in ,london1 ,england1 are always ready to buy toads4 ,the regular market price for them ranges from #ae to #be per hundred4 ,soap-suds are a valuable fertilizer for all forms of vegetation2 especially serviceable for small fruits1 and in the fruit garden proper will never be wasted4 ,an ,italian claims to have discovered that by drenching the foliage of grapevines with a solution of soda the filaments of the mildew fungus will be shriveled1 while the leaves will remain uninjured4 ,a ,wisconsin nurseryman1 however1 advises the use of flowers of sulphur1 which he believes a good remedy1 also1 when applied to the vines and when added to the soil surrounding them4 ,a correspondent of the ,germantown ,telegraph says that he has found salt a valuable remedy for rust on blackberry vines1 and concludes3 ,i have applied two or three handfuls on the surface of the ground1 immediately over the roots1 when the plants were badly rusted2 in two or three weeks the disease had disappeared1 and the plants had made a good growth4 ,i believe moderate applications of salt1 sown broadcast over a blackberry patch1 would be of great benefit as a fertilizer and health renewer4 ,gardener's ,monthly3 ,in the discussions on forest culture1 little is said of the willow1 which forms a very interesting department4 ,the white willow1 ,salix ,candida1 is often used for coarse work4 ,s4 ,vinnunatis and ,s4 ,russelliana1 are the most commonly used in the ,eastern ,united ,states1 under the name of ,osier1 or basket willow1 and ,s4 ,forbyana1 a variety of ,s4 rubra1 or the red willow is often used for fine work4 ,in the ,editor's recent visit to the ,northwest a number of fine species were noted which would evidently be worth introducing for basket-making purposes4 ,the ,germantown ,telegraph says3 ,to grow good crops of blackberries the soil should be good and especially deep1 for the roots run down wonderfully when possible for them to do so2 and as the growing fruit requires its greatest nourishment in the usually dry month of ,august1 it is an advantage to have deep soil for the roots to draw a supply from4 ,a deep1 sandy soil will generally grow the best crop of berries1 while a clay soil tends to produce rust4 ,good cultivation1 good soil1 and a judicious use of manure make stout and vigorous canes1 with a crop of berries in increased ratio4 ,indiana correspondent ,orange ,county ,farmer3 ,i have had a good deal of experience in propagating currants4 ,i always plant my currant cuttings in the fall as soon as the leaves fall off4 ,they will make durable roots two to four inches long the same fall1 while the buds remain dormant4 ,they will make double the growth the next season if set in the fall1 and they should be set in ground that will not heave them out by the effects of frost and should be covered just before winter sets in with coarse litter4 ,remove the covering early in the spring and examine the cuttings to see if any of them hove1 and if so1 press them down again4 ,should they heave up an inch or more1 if well pressed down1 they will start and make better growth than cuttings set in the spring4 ,in either case1 however1 the cuttings should always be made in the fall4 ,a ,rural ,new ,yorker correspondent gets down to the real art of grape eating4 ,hear him tell how to manipulate the fruit3 ,no6 the man who holds the grape between his thumb and dexter finger and squeezes or shoots the pulp into his throat1 does not know how to enjoy the fruit1 and is not likely to appreciate the good qualities of a fine grape4 ,let the berries follow each other into the mouth in rapid succession until three or four are taken1 while with each insertion the teeth are brought together upon the seeds without breaking them4 ,the acid of the pulp is thus freed to mingle with the saccharine juice next the skin1 and a slight manipulation by the tongue separates the seeds and skins from the delicious winey juices2 after this has tickled the palate1 skins and seeds may be ejected together4 ,close to the skin lies a large part of the good flavor of the grape4 ,on the subject of protecting trees from mice1 ,r4,w4 ,rogers1 in ,ohio ,farmer says3 ,as the season is near at hand when farmers will have to look to the protection of their young fruit trees from ground mice1 ,i send you my method if you deem it worthy of publishing4 ,it is as follows3 ,take old tin fruit cans1 put them on the fire until the parts that are soldered have become heated1 when they will come apart4 ,take the body of the can and encircle it around the tree1 letting the sides lap each other1 and press firmly in the ground before it has become frozen4 ,the mice coming in contact with the tin will turn them in another direction4 ,it is far better than mounding up or tramping snow about them4 ,most any farmer can gather up enough for a good sized orchard1 and make them pay compound interest1 which otherwise would be a nuisance or pitched out of the back window4 ,,floriculture4 ,gleanings by an ,old ,florist4 ,,artificial ,,manures ,,and ,,other ,,matters4 ,the successful raisers of many kinds of flowers use1 more or less1 some kind of what might be called artificial stimulants other than the ordinary manuring of the soil at the time the plant is set out1 whether it be in pot culture or in the open benches4 ,this is no new thing under the sun2 not a few who have been in the habit1 and found great results1 have tried to keep a monopoly1 and have been more or less close-mouthed in the matter4 ,perhaps one of the oldest forms of this feeding extra stimulants to their pets was in the form of liquid manure made from various materials1 as horse1 sheep1 cow1 and other manures4 ,they are sometimes prepared with ever so much mystery in the matter of quantity1 time of preparation1 quantity given1 etc41 all of which was supposed to have its influence4 ,of one thing1 however1 there was certain1 tangible evidence that many of these persons managed1 if for exhibition1 to carry off the best premiums2 and if for the market were pretty sure to command the best prices1 and what is more1 obtain the greater results financially4 ,soot1 guano1 ammonia1 and in later years1 material obtained from the immense slaughter-houses1 such as blood and other offal in a highly concentrated form1 find1 perhaps1 nowadays1 more advocates2 principally because the first-mentioned list contains articles that give off very offensive odors while being applied1 so that the more fastidious are loath to use them4 ,what may not be very offensive to the plodding florist would be highly so to the more refined1 or when the general public comes more into contact with the crops while being so applied4 ,in almost all of the cases where the ingredients mentioned are used they are diluted with a large quantity of water1 except in the case of the droppings of the animals2 the latter are often used by florists in the form of a very heavy mulch1 depending upon the ordinary watering to carry down to the roots such parts of the dressing as would dissolve in the water1 and thus give extra stimulant1 and at a time when it would do the most good1 because1 ordinarily1 the more water necessary the greater the growth going on1 and vice versa1 if plants are in a state of rest1 either from a finished growth or from lowness of temperature1 but little water would be needed1 and but little benefit from the mulch1 except such as undoubtedly arises from the ammonia itself in the manure permeating the atmosphere1 which again1 however1 would be the most active when heavy watering was necessary1 simply because of the high and humid temperature4 ,for obvious reasons the votaries of window gardening will use those giving off little or no unpleasant odors4 ,others again make the soil so rich in the first instance that much less of what may be called artificial manures are required during growth4 ,but without some skill in this matter it is not safe1 for if much of the material is not thoroughly decayed 7which1 however1 has then lost most of its volatile ingredients7 it is1 in the common vernacular of the gardener1 too rank to give good growth and results1 whether it be in fruits1 flowers1 or foliage4 ,for example1 in ,henderson's horticulture he recommends1 as the best soil for potting1 loam and hops4 ,he says1 ,not the least simple of these operations is the preparation of our potting soil4 ,we have1 we may say1 only one heap--a big one it is--but it contains only two ingredients1 rotted sods1 from a loamy pasture1 and rotted refuse hops from the breweries1 in about the proportion of two of the sods to one of hop4 ,one-year-old rotted manure1 if the hops cannot be obtained4 ,it is evident upon its face that so large a proportion as one-third of a fresh manure or hops would be disastrous2 but well rotted1 and with care otherwise in temperature and other desiderata1 it would be a highly stimulating soil4 ,this was in #ahfi4 ,we well recollect the commotion the hop business caused in the horticultural world at the time1 as ,henderson recommended it for plunging pots in1 setting pots on mulching outdoors1 and almost every purpose4 ,and did he not grow the best of stuff and himself practice what he preached4 ,spent hops in this city were eagerly sought after and used1 apparently with great success1 in almost every florist's establishment as well as market garden4 ,what before was a nuisance to the breweries was eagerly sought after2 like most things1 however1 it had its day1 and is now seldom seen again4 ,we might1 however1 say that its decline undoubtedly arose from its unpleasant features1 as it drew myriads of insects in its train and often emitted a very unpleasant odor4 ,its great value consists in that it is the seed of the hop plant1 all seeds contributing by far the greatest value in manures4 ,in the green-house the object aimed at1 is the greatest possible results from limited area4 ,of the atmosphere the gardener has almost absolute control--no siroccos1 biting frost1 or destructive winds interfere4 ,he can beat nature all to pieces in growing plants faultless in shape and in quantity of flowers1 but his soil is of limited extent for the roots to wander in4 ,to counteract this1 he can give in other forms just as much and no more nutrition as is necessary to effect his purpose1 and here comes in this artificial supply of manurial agents4 ,mr4 ,de,vrey1 the successful superintendent of ,lincoln ,park1 uses horn shavings4 ,this is the cleanest and most pleasant material that we ever recollect to have seen used for the purpose1 it is the refuse in the factories where the horns from the slaughterhouse are steamed and manipulated into the numerous objects they are applied to1 not the least being into knife and fork handles1 and the like4 ,it is in the form of thin shaving of half an inch to an inch in length1 quite dry and light1 entirely free from odor4 ,he takes all they make1 and this year has a ton of the material for which he pays at the rate of three cents per pound4 ,the method of using is simply to mix with the soil at the time of potting1 giving it1 to the common eye1 as oil specked all through with a white flaky substance4 ,its effect is very visible in a clear1 healthy growth1 given off gradually1 and as it is quite common where vast quantities of plants are required to be grown in small pots1 when there appears to be a necessity of some new stimulant1 it should be given by the amateur in a larger pot4 ,this is done by shaking nearly all the soil from the roots and re-potting again if possible in the same sized pots1 thus doing away with all artificial watering1 and yet having healthy1 luxuriant growth all the time4 ,a pound of the material1 which is light1 will be enough for a wheelbarrow of potting soil4 ,after all1 the question is not so much the exact material employed of a number of similar agents1 as it is with the intelligence brought to bear so as to apply at the right time the right quantity1 and under the best possible circumstances4 ,,edgar ,,sanders4 ,,scientific4 ,,am ,i ,a ,,scot1 ,,or ,,am ,i ,,not8 ,if ,i should bring a wagon o'er ,from ,scotland to ,columbia's shore1 ,and by successive wear and tear ,the wagon soon should need repair3 ,thus1 when the tires are worn through1 ,columbia's iron doth renew2 ,likewise the fellies1 hubs1 and spokes ,should be replaced by ,western oaks2 ,in course of time down goes the bed1 ,but here's one like it in its stead4 ,so bit by bit1 in seven years1 ,all things are changed in bed and gears1 ,and still it seems as though it ought ,to be the one from ,scotland brought2 ,but when ,i think the matter o'er1 ,it ne'er was on a foreign shore1 ,and all that came across the sea ,is only its identity4 ,i came1 a ,scotchman1 understand1 ,by choice1 to live in this free land1 ,wherein ,i've dwelt1 from day to day1 ',till sixteen years have passed away4 ,if physiology be true1 ,my body has been changing too2 ,and though at first it did seem strange1 ,yet science doth confirm the change2 ,and since ,i have the truth been taught1 ,i wonder ,if ,i'm now a ,scot8 ,since all that came across the sea ,is only my identity4 --,wm4 ,taylor1 in ,scientific ,american4 ,,primitive ,,northwest4 ,mr4 ,c4,w4 ,butterfield contributes an article on the ,primitive ,northwest1 to last number of the ,american ,antiquarian4 ,he says that early in the seventeenth century ,french settlements1 few in number1 were scattered along the wooded shores of the river ,st4 ,lawrence in ,canada4 ,to the westward1 upon the ,ottowa river1 and the ,georgian bay1 were the homes of ,indian nations with whom these settlers had commercial relations1 and among some of whom were located ,jesuit missionaries4 ,in the year #afae1 ,lake ,huron was discovered4 ,to it was given the name of the ,fresh ,sea 7,mer ,douce74 ,but1 as yet1 no white man had set foot upon any portion of what now constitutes the ,states of ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois1 ,michigan1 ,wisconsin1 and ,eastern ,minnesota4 ,and thereafter1 for nearly a score of years this whole region remained1 so far as the visitation of white men was concerned1 an undiscovered country2 and such it continued down to the year #afhd4 ,however1 previous to this date1 something had been learned by the ,french settlers upon the ,st4 ,lawrence1 of this 7to them7 far off land2 but the information has been obtained wholly from the ,indians4 ,this knowledge was of necessity crude and1 to a considerable extent1 uncertain4 ,such of it as has been preserved is properly treated of under the following heads3 ,first1 as to what had been gleaned concerning the physical aspects of the country2 second1 as to what had been brought to light relative to the various tribes inhabiting this region4 ,previous to #afcd1 nothing had been learned of ,lake ,erie1 ,lake ,st4 ,clair1 or ,lake ,michigan although it was understood there was some kind of a water-way connecting the ,fresh ,sea 7,lake ,huron7 with ,ontario4 ,a little knowledge had been gained of a great body of fresh water lying beyond the ,mer ,douce1 a grand lac1 so called by the ,french--now known as ,lake ,superior4 ,the length of this superior lake with that of the ,fresh ,sea 7,lake ,huron71 the ,indians declared was a journey of full thirty days in canoes4 ,at the outlet of the great lake was what was described by the savages1 as a considerable rapid1 to which the ,french gave the name of ,sault de ,gaston1 the present ,sault ,st4 ,marie1 in the ,st4 ,mary's river1 the stream1 which1 it is well known1 flows from ,lake ,superior into ,lake ,huron4 ,accounts also had been received from the ,indians prior to the year last mentioned1 of a lake of no great size1 through which flowed a river discharging its waters into the ,fresh ,sea 7,lake ,huron74 ,these were reports of ,lake ,winnebago and ,fox river1 in what is now the ,state of ,wisconsin4 ,as the ,french upon the ,st4 ,lawrence had no knowledge as yet of ,lake ,michigan1 they imagined the location of this small lake1 and its river was beyond1 and to the northwest of ,lake ,huron and that they emptied into it2 ,green ,bay into the head of which ,fox river really flows1 being 7like ,lake ,michigan7 wholly unknown to them4 ,it had further been reported by the ,indians before this date that there was a mine of copper on an island in what has been mentioned as probably ,lake ,winnebago2 doubtless1 however1 this island should have been located in ,lake ,superior4 ,a specimen of native copper had as early as #afaj1 been exhibited by an ,indian to an interested ,frenchman upon the ,st4 ,lawrence1 and an account given by him as to the rude method employed by the savages in melting that metal4 ,but other islands besides the one containing the copper mine had been brought to the knowledge of the ,french settlers4 ,a large one southeast of the ,sault de ,gaston being described1 and two smaller ones1 to the south of it4 ,these islands were1 it is suggested1 the ,great ,manitoulin1 ,drummond1 and ,little ,manitoulin1 of the present day4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,leeds has said that spices were adulterated to a great extent1 but only such substances were added as were purely non-poisonous4 ,mustards were never found to be pure4 ,vinegars were also highly adulterated4 ,competent officers1 who shall be specialists1 should be appointed in each ,state to examine manufactured and natural foods to detect adulteration4 ,so far these examinations have been made by college professors4 ,the ,state ,boards of ,health should take the matter in hand and see that it has the proper attention4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,french periodical1 ,la ,culture1 gives the following simple method for testing the purity of water4 ,in an ordinary quart bottle three parts filled with water dissolve a spoonful of pure white sugar1 cork it well and put it in a warm place4 ,if at the end of forty-eight hours the water becomes turbid and milky there can be no doubt of its impurity1 but if it remains limpid it may be considered safely drinkable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,and ,,youth',s ,,companion ,,one ,,year1 #c ,,for ,,the ,,two ,it is not required that both papers be sent to one address1 nor to the same post-office4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,pub4 ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,street ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,political talk is generally very eloquent1 but it lacks the insignificant element of truthfulness4 ,a great deal of the buncombe of politics reminds us of the lines of ,lord ,neaves1 not long since deceased3 ,transcriber's note3 ,this is where the article ends in the original and the lines in question are not to be found in the rest of the periodical4 ,,publishers' ,,notice4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer is printed and published by ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,publishing ,company1 every ,saturday1 at ,no4 #aej ,monroe ,street4 ,subscription1 #b4jj per year1 in advance1 postage prepaid4 ,subscribers wishing their addresses changed should give their old as well as new addresses4 ,advertising1 #be cents per line on inside pages2 #cj cents per line on last page--agate measure2 #ad lines to the inch4 ,no less charge than #b4jj4 ,all ,communications1 ,remittances1 etc41 should be addressed to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,company1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,,entered ,,at ,,the ,,chicago ,,office ,,as ,,second-,,class ,,matter4 ,,chicago1 ,,january #e1 #ahhd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,original location of ,table of ,contents4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,renew6 ,,renew66 ,remember that every yearly subscriber1 either new or renewing1 sending us #b1 receives a splendid new map of the ,united ,states and ,canada--#eh #da inches--,,free4 ,or1 if preferred1 one of the books offered in another column4 ,it is not necessary to wait until a subscription expires before renewing4 99 99 99 99 99 #ahda4 #ahhd4 ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,,prospectus ,,for #ahhd4 ,,see ,,inducements ,,offered ,,subscribe ,,now4 ,for forty-three years ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer has stood at the front in agricultural journalism4 ,it has kept pace with the progress and development of the country1 holding its steady course through all these forty-three years1 encouraging1 counseling1 and educating its thousands of readers4 ,it has labored earnestly in the interest of all who are engaged in the rural industries of the country1 and that it has labored successfully is abundantly shown by the prominence and prestige it has achieved1 and the hold it has upon the agricultural classes4 ,its managers are conscious from comparison with other journals of its class1 and from the uniform testimony of its readers1 that it is foremost among the farm and home papers of the country4 ,it will not be permitted to lose this proud position2 we shall spare no efforts to maintain its usefulness and make it indispensable to farmers1 stock-raisers1 feeders1 dairymen1 horticulturalists1 gardeners1 and all others engaged in rural pursuits4 ,it will enter upon its forty-fourth year under auspices1 in every point of view1 more encouraging than ever before in its history4 ,its mission has always been1 and will continue to be-- ,to discuss the most approved practices in all agricultural and horticultural pursuits4 ,to set forth the merits of the best breeds of domestic animals1 and to elucidate the principles of correct breeding and management4 ,to further the work of agricultural and horticultural organization4 ,to advocate industrial education in the correct sense of the term4 ,to lead the van in the great contest of the people against monopolies and the unjust encroachments of capital4 ,to discuss the events and questions of the day without fear or favor4 ,to provide information concerning the public domain1 ,western soil1 climate1 water1 railroads1 schools1 churches1 and society4 ,to answer inquiries on all manner of subjects coming within its sphere4 ,to furnish the latest and most important industrial news at home and abroad4 ,to give full and reliable crop1 weather1 and market reports4 ,to present the family with pure1 choice1 and interesting literature4 ,to amuse and instruct the young folks4 ,to gather and condense the general news of the day4 ,to be1 in brief1 an indispensable and unexceptionable farm and home companion for the people of the whole country4 ,the style and form of the paper are now exactly what they should be4 ,the paper used is of superior quality4 ,the type is bold and clear4 ,the illustrations are superb4 ,the departments are varied and carefully arranged4 ,the editorial force is large and capable4 ,the list of contributors is greatly increased1 and embraces a stronger array of talent than is employed on any similar paper in this country4 ,we challenge comparison with any agricultural journal in the land4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer is designed for all sections of the country4 ,in entering upon the campaign of #ahhd1 we urge all patrons and friends to continue their good works in extending the circulation of our paper4 ,on our part we promise to leave nothing undone that it is possible for faithful1 earnest work--aided by money and every needed mechanical facility--to do to make the paper in every respect still better than it has ever been before4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,special ,,notice ,to each ,subscriber who will remit us #b4jj between now and ,february #ast1 #ahhd1 we will mail a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,for ,,one ,,year1 ,,and ,,one ,,of ,,our ,,new ,,standard ,,time ,,commercial ,,maps ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,and ,,canada--showing all the ,counties1 ,railroads1 and ,principal ,towns up to date4 ,this comprehensive map embraces all the country from the ,pacific ,coast to ,eastern ,new ,brunswick1 and as far north as the parallel of #eb deg41 crossing ,hudson's ,bay4 ,british ,columbia2 ,manitoba1 with its many new settlements2 and the line of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway1 completed and under construction1 are accurately and distinctly delineated4 ,it extends so far south as to include ,key ,west and more than half of the ,republic of ,mexico4 ,it is eminently adapted for home1 school1 and office purposes4 ,the retail price of the ,map alone is #b4jj4 ,size1 #eh #da inches4 ,scale1 about sixty miles to one inch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,read ,,this4 ,another ,special ,offer4 ,illustration ,the ,little ,detective4 ,weighs #a_/d oz4 to #be lbs4 ,every housekeeper ought to have this very useful scale4 ,the weight of article bought or sold may readily be known4 ,required proportions in culinary operations are accurately ascertained4 ,we have furnished hundreds of them to subscribers1 and they give entire satisfaction4 ,during ,january1 #ahhd1 to any person sending us ,,three ,,subscribers1 at #b4jj each1 we will give one of these scales1 and to each of the three subscribers ,ropp's ,calculator1 ,no4 #a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a meeting of farmers interested in ensilage will be held at #ee ,beekman street1 ,new ,york1 ,wednesday1 ,january #bc1 at #ab o'clock4 ,all interested in the subject are invited to attend4 ,the ,iowa ,state ,horticultural ,society will hold its annual meeting at ,des ,moines1 ,january #ae-ah4 ,prof4 ,j4,l4 ,budd1 ,ames1 will forward programmes on application4 ,the usual reductions in railway and hotel fares are expected4 ,professor ,s4,r4 ,thompson1 ,superintendent of the ,nebraska ,agricultural ,college farm1 has been chosen to represent ,nebraska at the meeting to be held at ,washington1 ,d4,c41 next week1 for the purpose of taking action in regard to contagious diseases of cattle4 ,he requests stock men and all others interested in the cattle industries of his ,state to correspond with him1 and make such suggestions as they may think proper for guidance at the meeting4 ,since its organization in #ahec to #ahhb inclusive1 the managers of the ,illinois ,state ,fair have offered the following amounts in premiums for live stock3 ,cattle1 #gj1djf2 horses and mules1 #ha1hbe2 sheep1 #bd1dej2 swine1 #be1cbj2 poultry1 #h1bad2--total #baj1bae1 which must be considered pretty substantial encouragement4 ,the total offered in premiums for all classes of exhibits has been #cjc1ifa4 ,thus a little more than two thirds of the entire amount has been given to the breeders and importers of stock4 ,the officers of the ,northwestern ,dairymen's ,association say that every indication warrants the conclusion that the coming convention at ,mankato1 ,minn41 commencing ,february #ab1 will prove the grandest success in the history of the association4 ,a full array of the best dairy talent of the entire ,northwest will be present4 ,the purpose is both in the arrangement of the programme and in the conduct of the discussions1 to make of the coming convention an institute for study and instruction which no intelligent and progressive farmer can afford to miss4 ,the ,missouri ,state ,board of ,agriculture asks the aid of one competent man in every township in the ,state to give it estimates of crops1 etc41 in his vicinity4 ,the aim is to give as full and reliable statistics for crop reports as it is possible to collect4 ,the ,state provides but #a1bej for the general expenses of the ,board1 and it is thus dependent upon voluntary aid in the matter4 ,the ,board will defray all expenses of postage and stationery4 ,competent persons willing to undertake this work for the public good should address ,j4,w4 ,sanborn1 ,secretary1 ,columbus1 ,mo4 ,such persons will receive1 free1 the monthly and annual reports of the ,board4 ,in ,march of last year ,secretary ,fisher1 of the ,illinois ,state ,board of ,agriculture1 submitted his report for #ahhb to ,gov4 ,hamilton4 ,this report has just made its appearance4 ,it has taken the ,state printer ten months to get the volume printed and bound for distribution1 a work that any respectable job office in ,chicago would have turned out in four weeks without any extra exertion4 ,the report is valuable1 of course1 but it would have been worth a deal more had it appeared last ,april4 ,such papers as the report of ,prof4 ,forbes1 ,state ,entomologist1 for instance1 might have been of immense benefit to the people of the ,state if the information it contains regarding noxious insects had reached them in early spring4 ,,seed ,,samples4 ,we have letters from several parties desiring us to publish an offer they make to send packages of seed corn and other seeds to any one applying and inclosing stamps to pay for trouble and postage4 ,some of these parties also send samples of the seed4 ,there is one great difficulty in the way of publishing this class of communications4 ,once we begin1 the door is open to the practice of petty frauds upon our readers which we have no right to encourage or allow4 ,now we are almost certain that all these writers1 thus far1 are honorable men1 who wish to confer a favor upon their brother farmers1 and who do not wish to gain a farthing in the transaction4 ,but some of them are personally unknown to us1 and we do not feel like vouching for their responsibility1 still less so because it is difficult to tell who will next propose a similar scheme4 ,there is to be a brisk trade in seed corn during the next four months1 and parties having a well tested article will find no difficulty in disposing of it at good prices1 providing they can convince people they have exactly what they claim4 ,the way to do is to advertise the seed corn in the regular way1 giving as references such men as the postmaster1 justice of the peace1 banker1 etc41 as may be most convincing and convenient4 ,we are as anxious as any one can be to see the people supplied with well ripened and well cared-for corn grown in the proper latitude1 and we are equally anxious to guard them against imposition4 ,,the ,,pork ,,question ,,in ,,europe4 ,the question of admitting ,american pork into ,france is not yet settled4 ,the ,corps ,legislatif is again all tore up by rash statements made by member ,m4 ,paul ,bert1 who has published a letter at ,paris in which he argues that the use of our pork must result in disease1 and that a general outbreak may be feared at any moment1 so long as the products of diseased swine are offered in ,french markets4 ,he endeavors to strengthen his position by pretending to quote from ,dr4 ,detmers1 ,department of ,agriculture ,inspector at the ,chicago ,stock ,yards4 ,he alleges that ,detmers has reported that diseased and dying hogs are sold daily in ,chicago1 and then shipped as pork1 bacon1 and lard to ,havre and ,bordeaux4 ,to this audacious or mendacious charge ,dr4 ,detmers replies as follows3 ,the statement made by ,m4 ,paul ,bert1 as contained in a cable dispatch from ,paris1 is not only a perversion of facts1 but a falsehood cut from whole cloth4 ,i never certified1 wrote1 or said that dead hogs are shipped to packing-houses1 or that these carcasses are shipped abroad4 ,all ,i ever said in regard to transportation of diseased or dead hogs is contained in my official reports to the ,commissioner of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 and can be found in his annual reports of #ahgh and #ahgi1 on pages #cee and #dah respectively1 where it is accessible to everyone4 ,i simply called attention to the transportation of diseased and dead hogs to the rendering tanks--entirely distinct from packing houses--as affording a means of spreading the then prevailing disease--swine plague1 or so-called hog cholera4 ,m4 ,paul ,bert seems to be a true demagogue1 otherwise he would not resort to a falsehood to please his constituents4 ,i never in any manner1 directly or indirectly1 stated or intimated that packers are or ever were in collusion with dealers in diseased live stock4 ,moreover1 the laws and regulations of the ,chicago ,stock ,yards are such as to render it absolutely impossible that a dead hog should be smuggled into them1 and if an animal should die while in the yards it is at once delivered to a soap-grease rendering establishment outside of the ,stock ,yards1 and can not possibly get into a packing-house4 ,this reply came too late to have any effect upon ,french legislation1 and the decree of prohibition has been re-enacted4 ,so far we notice no marked effect upon the prices of pork products in this country1 but later it must result in depression4 ,we notice the leading papers of the ,united ,states are advocating the retaliatory measures proposed months ago by ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer against ,european ,states interdicting the importation of our meat products4 ,we refer to the prohibition of ,french and ,german adulterated and poisonous wines and liquors1 and dry goods and silk goods colored with poisonous dyes4 ,it must come to this at last if such totally unreasonable legislation against ,american products is to continue in those countries4 ,,corn1 ,,wheat1 ,,and ,,cotton4 ,the preliminary crop estimates by the ,statistician of the ,department of ,agriculture have been completed4 ,he says the average yield of corn per acre for #ahhc was within a fraction of twenty-three bushels1 which is #ab per cent less than the average for a series of several years past4 ,the quality is another thing4 ,it is doubtless true1 ,mr4 ,dodge says1 that the quality of the corn north of parallel forty is worse than for many years1 increasing practically the amount of shortage indicated by the number of bushels4 ,as the whole corn grown in #ahhc in ,michigan1 ,wisconsin1 ,minnesota1 and ,dakota1 added to half that grown in ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois1 ,iowa1 and ,nebraska1 would make #djj1jjj1jjj bushels only--a fourth of the whole crop--so that the possible depreciation of #dj per cent in all of it would be equivalent to a #aj per cent reduction in the value of the entire crop4 ,the ,illinois ,department agents make the quality #ca per cent less than the average in this ,state4 ,an effort will be made later1 after the worst of the crop has been fed1 to ascertain the feeding value of the year's product4 ,it is not proposed1 however1 to reduce the product to the equivalent of merchantable corn1 or sound corn1 as no crop ever is free from immaturity or imperfection4 ,there always are some ,northern fields caught by frost1 some neglected acres1 some choked with weeds or flooded by over-flows1 and so on--corn1 which is mainly nubbins4 ,what is intended without reference to panic or exaggeration is to find out the exact truth and then tell it4 ,there is nothing gained1 be it to farmers or consumers1 the ,statistician adds1 in suppressing truth on the one hand or exaggerating the losses on the other4 ,one feature of corn-growing in #ahhc should prove a lesson to the farmers of the country2 that is1 the general use of seed corn in the ,west1 grown in lower latitudes4 ,the planting of ,nebraska seed in ,minnesota and ,kansas seed in ,illinois1 has demonstrated the folly of attempting to acclimatize the ,southern maize in the more ,northern districts4 ,much loss from frost would have been avoided had the seed been carefully selected from the best corn grown in the immediate neighborhood4 ,the wheat crop is estimated1 as before1 slightly in excess of #djj1jjj1jjj bushels4 ,the cotton product1 as shown by the ,december returns1 is about #f1jjj1jjj bales4 ,there will be another investigation after the close of the cotton harvest and the shipment of a large portion of the crop1 when precise results will be approached more nearly than has been possible hitherto4 ,the ,department evidently feels a little nettled over the criticisms that have been made upon its estimates of the last two corn crops4 ,again we must protest that the amount of harvested corn in the ,west will fall considerably below ,mr4 ,dodge's figures4 ,whether or not the ,department sees fit to reduce the product to the equivalent of merchantable corn such an estimate would be of interest1 and when it gives the result of the feeding quality of the corn1 there will be something of a basis furnished for such a calculation1 especially as we shall have by that time a pretty accurate account of the exported corn of the crop of #ahhc and the amount in sight1 as the grain merchants say4 ,it is true that there is nothing gained to consumers by suppressing truth on the one hand or exaggerating losses on the other but there is something lost to consumers by overestimating yields at about the time the harvest is ready and when speculators can use ,government estimates to force down prices4 ,the statistical machinery of the ,department of ,agriculture is far from perfect1 but it is the best the ,government has supplied it with1 and it is not wise or fair to criticise its estimates too severely1 based1 as they often must be1 upon inadequate returns4 ,the most that can be said is that the ,department should be exceedingly careful not to err on the side that may result in injury to the producers1 for1 as we understand it1 it was created solely to advance their interests4 ,,chicago ,,in #ahhc4 ,compared with the other great cities of the ,union1 and even with previous years in her own history1 ,chicago had a prosperous business year in #ahhc4 ,the total trade of the year foots up #a1jej1jjj1jjj1 which is a slight gain over that of #ahhb4 ,the receipts of flour were #d1djc1ihb barrels2 wheat1 #bj1cab1jfe bushels2 corn1 #gd1dei1idh bushels2 oats1 #cg1gej1ddb bushels2 rye1 #e1ffb1dbj2 barley1 #aj1eia1fai4 ,of cattle there were received #a1hgh1idd head2 hogs1 #e1fdj1fbe2 sheep1 #gdi1iag2 horses1 #ae1bee2 dead hogs1 #ee1fef4 ,of seeds1 #abb1ehb tons2 broom corn1 #ae1jch tons2 butter1 #ec1ihg tons2 hides1 #cd1djd tons2 wool1 #bj1abb tons2 potatoes1 #ac1jjj1jjj bushels2 coal1 #d1jdb1cef tons2 hay1 #ej1jjj tons2 lumber1 #a1hdh1hag1jjj ft42 shingles1 #a1aed1adi ,m42 salt1 #a1jif1ehg barrels2 cheese #bc1eij tons4 ,the total value of farm products of all kinds is estimated at #djb1jjj1jjj1 which is #bj1jjj1jjj above the valuation of that of #ahhb4 ,the products of ,chicago manufactures are valued at #cbe1jjj1jjj4 ,in #ahha the receipts of hogs amounted to #f1dgd1hdd head1 and in #ahhb1 #e1hag1ejd head4 ,the wholesale mercantile trade has fallen off somewhat1 as it has all over the country1 owing to depression that seems to be universal4 ,in manufactures the city is making wonderful development4 ,in growth she is still unchecked and without a rival in the world among large cities and business centres4 ,,strong ,,drink4 ,we often see in the papers the amount in dollars and cents1 that strong drink costs the people of this country4 ,some one has been making out similar statistics for ,great ,britain1 and finds that if the total house rent is added to the rent of farms in the three divisions of the ,kingdom the total is #cj1jjj1jjj less than is usually spent for drink4 ,add together the cost of the linen goods1 cotton goods1 coal1 tea1 coffee1 sugar1 milk1 butter and cheese and the total is only #de1jjj1jjj in excess of the sum spent in drink4 ,and this is only the direct cost4 ,the indirect expense of drink--the crime and misery entailed1 the cost of prisons and almshouses1 criminal courts and trials1 the loss from idleness1 incapacity1 blunders1 sickness--towers above these figures in colossal magnitude4 ,counting all these things it may be said of both countries that strong drink costs more than sufficient to supply the personal needs--food1 clothing1 and homes--of all the people4 ,it is indeed a fearful showing4 ,,answers ,,to ,,correspondents4 ,,charles ,,de ,,long1 ,artesia1 ,miss4--,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer has the reputation of knowing all about the prairies1 north and south1 and1 therefore1 ,i appeal to it to tell me whether the ,japan persimmon will be likely to be hardy in this section1 some portions of which is1 as you probably know1 a prairie country8 ,,answer4--,the ,japan persimmon1 ,diospyros kaki1 is1 as we understand it1 an evergreen of sub-tropical origin1 and will not be likely to fruit satisfactorily far north of the region of the orange4 ,like the fig1 in your latitude1 it may stand what frosts you have and1 like it1 attain considerable growth1 but you will seldom get a crop4 ,we know enterprising nurserymen are telling us it will grow and fruit as far north as ,washington2 but we were told the same story about the eucalyptus1 which proved to be no more hardy than the orange4 ,our authorities for these opinions may be regarded as first-class--no less than ,le,bon ,jardinier1 who says it can not be grown and successfully fruited outside the region of the orange4 ,recently1 at a horticultural exhibition at ,nice1 ,france1 there was a fine show of the kakis contributed by a gardener in the vicinity of ,toulon1 of which the official report gives this account3 ,among the newer exotics were the kakis1 of ,japan1 grown at ,toulon4 ,the fruit is about the size of an average apple1 a bright1 orange-red in color1 and the tree is very productive4 ,the ,japanese make a great account of it1 both as a fruit1 when ripe1 and as a source for obtaining tannin1 in its green state4 ,it appears to accommodate itself remarkably well to the climate of ,provence1 and especially merits to be introduced into ,algeria1 where it will even do better in all reasonable probability44 ,in respect to the appearance of the fruit1 it more nearly resembles in shape and size a bell pepper1 than an apple1 but the color is orange-red1 as described4 ,it is pretty sure to cut a great figure among the fruit products of ,florida1 where its successful cultivation will lend additional attractions to that already seductive ,state4 ,,mrs4 ,,sarah ,y4 ,,staples1 ,,dallas1 ,,texas4--,i do not ask you for a remedy for the roup1 with which my fowls have been recently affected2 but for a course of treatment to follow to prevent its return8 ,,answer--,the roup may be brought upon healthy fowls if they are shut up in narrow and unventilated quarters at night1 and of days turned out in cold or wet weather4 ,and it will almost certainly follow if they are confined under glass1 as they sometimes are in winter1 in abandoned green-houses4 ,in the first place1 see fowls have a dry and airy roosting place1 but where they will be out of a draft or cold currents4 ,feed once daily in the morning1 the following compounded rations4 ,raw onions one part1 pork-cracklins one part1 and bread or boiled potatoes one part1 chopped tolerably fine1 but do not wet the mixture before feeding4 ,if you can substitute a few bits of garlic for twice the measure of onions1 it will be all the better for the health of the fowls1 but they might taint the taste of the eggs4 ,if fowls are fed this mixture once daily1 it don't matter much what the other food is1 whether corn or small grain1 though for laying mill-screenings or shrunken wheat is best4 ,,asa ,,gray1 ,,rockford1 ,,ill4--,i have seen it stated the daily rations of the cowboys of the ,southwest1 in certain sections and during some months1 was confined to raw beef1 rock salt1 and red peppers4 ,how is it8 ,,answer4--,we don't know4 ,will someone familiar with cowboys and their manner of living report4 ,however1 all things considered1 the ration is not a bad one1 for the reason that raw beef digests in half the time of beef well cooked1 and the large1 sweet pepper of the ,southwest deprived of its seeds is not near as hot in the mouth as it is commonly represented4 ,r4 ,,root1 ,,clarksville1 ,,iowa4 #a4 ,does the basket willow have to be cultivated like a field crop8 #b4 ,is there more than one kind1 and if so which is best8 #c4 ,what kind of soil is best adapted to its cultivation8 ,,answer4--#a4 ,in some respects1 yes2 the land having to be given over to them exclusively4 ,in ,france the cuttings are planted from twelve to fifteen inches apart in order to obtain long and slender shoots4 #b4 ,there are half a dozen cultivated in ,europe1 the best two being the ,salix rubra or red ,osier1 and the ,salix vitellina or yellow ,osier4 ,but a hardier variety1 ,salix viminalis1 is commonly preferred in this country where the cultivation1 though often undertaken1 has never been very successful1 from the fact that ,american labor can not compete with the labor of women and children in ,europe4 #c4 ,in cool climates having a moist atmosphere the ,osier willow is successfully grown where ordinary crops thrive1 but in warmer and drier sections low and moist land must be chosen4 ,indeed the whole tribe of willows love cool1 moist situations1 and the richer the soil the stronger and quicker the growth4 ,we should be glad to hear from correspondents who cultivate1 or who live where the ,osier is grown and prepared for market1 the details of the whole industry4 ,b4,f4,j4 ,,wayside ,,notes4 ,,by ,a ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,prairie4 ,i don't know that ,i really ought to take any credit to myself for it1 but ,i hope ,i have done something toward increasing the number of farmer correspondents for the hale old ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,i can't help noticing1 as ,i do with pleasure1 that the number is increasing4 ,furthermore1 the correspondents all write well1 ,i mean1 simply2 they seem to have something to say1 and say it in a manner that can be readily understood4 ,their writings are instructive1 too4 ,well1 ,i hope this writing fever1 like most others1 will prove highly contagious1 and have a run through the entire ,,prairie ,,farmer family4 ,i know from experience the malady is not a dangerous one4 ,at least it don't do the writers any harm2 if the readers can stand what ,i say1 ,i am satisfied4 ,the editor may boil down our communications1 or chop them up and serve them in any style he chooses1 so that he presents all the good we mean to say1 and we will be satisfied4 ,will we not1 fellow-contributors8 99 99 99 99 99 ,rufus ,blanchard1 for many years a leading map publisher of ,chicago1 told me the other day1 that in #ahch he was farming in ,union county1 ,ohio4 ,that year he grew about #a1jjj bushels of oats1 some #bej bushels of wheat1 and raised #ajj hogs4 ,he sold his oats for eleven cents per bushel1 his wheat for twenty-five cents1 and his hogs for one cent and a quarter per pound4 ,he hauled his grain to ,columbus1 forty miles1 to market1 and took his pay in salt4 ,i remarked that this was pretty rough farming4 ,on the contrary1 said he1 in those days we were happy as clams4 ,we had all the pork we wanted without cost1 for our hogs fattened themselves on the mast of the woods4 ,we paid by toll for grinding our wheat into flour4 ,the woods supplied us with deer1 turkeys1 and many other kinds of game4 ,our clothing was homespun4 ,we had plenty of corn meal and cheaply grown vegetables1 and helped each other in sickness or accident4 ,if a neighbor's log house burned down1 we all joined together in putting him up a better one than he had before4 ,we had pretty good schools and interesting religious meetings without expensive pew rents or style in dress4 ,we visited each other and had plenty of sound amusement4 ,i never was so happy or so well contented in my life1 he added1 and ,i believe him1 for his face is wrinkled with care and saddened by misfortune4 ,it don't do1 you see1 to get too far removed from this simple1 natural life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am looking out for a little colder weather4 ,the pond is not yet frozen sufficiently for us to cut ice as we want it4 ,but both my neighbor and myself have gotten all things in readiness for the harvest4 ,i like an open winter pretty well1 but ,i do want ice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seems to me that ,dr4 ,detmers is always going off half-cocked4 ,he once did the foreign cattle shipping interest great harm by an ill-advised and unwarranted dispatch concerning the prevalence of pleuro-pneumonia at the ,chicago ,stock ,yards1 and now ,i notice that his alleged statements regarding diseased hogs and the disposal of them at the same point have furnished the ,french ,corps ,legislatif an excuse for enacting the decree prohibiting the introduction of ,american pork products into ,france4 ,isn't it about time the ,department of ,agriculture at ,washington sat a little down on this man who writes too much with his pen8 ,not that ,i would silence any man who sticks to facts1 no matter whose soap-bubble he pricks2 but a simple alarmist who rushes into print mainly for the pleasure it gives him to see his name in print1 and to know that he is talked about1 deserves to be squelched4 ,for aught ,i know1 though1 ,dr4 ,detmers has been misrepresented by the wily ,frenchmen4 ,what has ,dr4 ,loring to say on the subject8 99 99 99 99 99 ,but1 after all1 as ,i think the editor of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer himself said some months ago1 this foreign agitation of the live stock question may result in great good1 inasmuch as it must lead to proper legislation in this country against the introduction and spread of contagious diseases among animals4 ,it is without doubt the basis of the proceedings at the ,chicago cattle-growers' convention in ,november last1 and of the present movement for immediate ,congressional action upon the matter4 ,the difficulty abroad will1 ,i believe1 prove short-lived4 ,,letter ,,from ,,champaign4 ,with the exception of two days1 the #bb;d and #bc;d1 which were stormy and gave us ten to twelve inches of snow1 followed by a little sleet and rain1 the latter half of ,december has been as delightful as the first half was1 though a good deal colder4 ,the sleighing since the #agth has never been better2 and as there is ten inches to a foot of solid snow now lying on the ground1 it is likely to last some time longer4 ,the sleet and rain formed a crust an inch and a half thick1 and though it is not very strong1 it1 together with the compact snow1 makes getting down to the grass beneath quite out of the question1 and stock have to depend on the stalk fields or be fed hay and corn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this will make a heavier draft upon the grain and hay in reserve than has been anticipated by those who depend on carrying their stock through mostly on grass1 and be sure to lessen the surplus and raise the price of corn1 oats1 and hay accordingly4 ,corn in the field is drying out so fast under the influence of the dry1 cold weather1 stock do not refuse soft corn as they did after the first sharp frost in ,november and ,december4 ,it is now seen that it would have been better to have left all the soft and some of the immature corn in the field1 than to have husked and cribbed it as many did and lost more than would be believed1 if reported1 by mould and rot4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at any rate the fall wheat is safe so long as the present covering of snow lasts1 and this more than compensates for the loss of winter pasture4 ,the snow1 as near as ,i can learn1 covers all ,illinois1 except a few counties on the west1 and as usual1 is quite as heavy in the timbered regions of which ,vandalia is near the center1 as in ,northern ,illinois4 ,so far the cold season considerably resembles the winter of #ahgh-gi1 and let us hope it will continue to the end1 that we may have light snows and many of them1 good sleighing and moderate temperature through ,january and ,february4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it has mystified me1 as ,i have do doubt it has many others1 why ,european ,governments have had so much to say about trichin in the hog1 of which we have had scarcely any1 and so little of hog cholera1 of which we have had a good deal4 ,but the mystery is now cleared up4 ,the sickness and losses from hog cholera1 have either by error or intention been reported to the several ,european ,governments as results of almost universal trichiniasis1 and they have acted accordingly4 ,that it should be so1 seems surprising1 but that it is so1 we have the proof in the following paragraph from a late number of the ,journal ,d',agriculteur ,pratique4 ,the writer1 ,dr4 ,hector ,george1 one of the regular contributors1 in a long article opposing rescinding the order prohibiting the importation of ,american pork products into ,france1 first quotes the report of the ,chicago ,board of ,health1 that #h per cent of hogs slaughtered in ,chicago are afflicted with trichin1 goes on to say3 ,this per cent1 however considerable it may be1 is far inferior to the reality if we judge from an official dispatch addressed to ,earl ,granville by ,mr4 ,crump1 ,english ,consul at ,philadelphia4 in #ahhj trichiniasis destroyed #gjj1jjj hogs in ,illinois alone4 ,according to an official report by ,dr4 ,detmers to the ,government of the ,united ,states1 the hogs sick or dead from trichiniasis are hurried to the packing houses and are thereafter prepared and immediately sent off to ,europe4 99 99 99 99 99 ,m4 ,paul ,bert1 from whom we have recently heard on the same subject and in the same strain1 no doubt got his inspiration from the article in the ,journal ,d',agriculteur ,pratique after which he probably read the official report of ,dr4 ,detmers1 to whom he refers1 and like ,dr4 ,george1 either did not understand or intentionally misconstrued it for political purposes4 ,perhaps what ,dr4 ,detmers did report was bad enough and extravagant enough1 but it had exclusive reference to hog cholera then prevalent1 as any one can satisfy himself who will turn to the reports or the ,department of ,agriculture for the several years #ahgi1 #ahhj1 and #ahha4 ,b4,f4,j4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,record ,,of ,,unfashionable ,,crosses ,,in ,,short-,,horn ,,cattle ,,pedigrees2 a book of #bdj pages2 the only work of the kind in existence4 ,send for a circular4 ,f4,p4 ,o4,m4 ,,healy1 ,bedford1 ,taylor ,co41 ,iowa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhe2 ,for #b4jj you get it for one year and a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,county ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,free6 ,this is the most liberal offer ever made by any first-class weekly agricultural paper in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,poultry ,,notes ,poultry-,raisers4 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,chat ,,with ,,correspondents4 ,notwithstanding the fact that ,i have repeatedly said ,i would not answer questions unless they came through ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer the people who1 by ways and means best known to themselves1 have managed to obtain my address1 keep right on asking questions by mail at a rate that would drive me frantic if anything could4 ,but nothing ever troubles me long at a time1 so ,i take your disregard of my wishes good naturedly1 as ,i take everything else that ,i can't help1 and in the future ,i will answer all questions whether they come through ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer or not1 sometime4 ,to be sure sometime is not very definite1 but it is the best ,i can do4 ,my poultry letters are too numerous to mention and it requires no small amount of time to answer them all2 but ,i won't growl about that if you will only be patient and not grumble if you don't get an answer by return mail1 or in the next paper4 ,all questions of general interest will be answered in these columns as soon as possible1 while those that require an immediate answer will be attended to by mail4 ,poultry raisers who desire information that ,i can give1 and who have not my address1 can address ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,however1 let me ask you not to write except when necessary1 and then please put your questions as plainly as possible1 and be as brief as the nature of the subject will permit4 ,and when you are writing to me don't use postal cards4 ,postal cards are only intended for the briefest of business messages1 but lots of people use them for nearly all their correspondence4 ,i know one man who writes love letters on postal cards4 ,most women and some men manage to make one side of a #e #c inch postal card do duty for four pages of commercial note4 ,they will write up and down and across lots and on the bias until the whole thing is so hopelessly mixed and tangled up that if the mystery of a woman's ways1 or the fate of ,charlie ,ross were solved upon one of these cards all the experts in the world could not unravel it4 ,a penny saved may be as good as a penny earned1 and ,i have no objections to your saving it in a legitimate way1 but when it comes to saving it at the expense of my time1 patience1 and eye-sight1 ,i object most decidedly4 ,hereafter ,i will not answer postals2 ,i will not even read them4 ,an ,iowa woman writes3 ,if it is true that vaccination prevents chicken cholera1 how does it happen that fowls which had the genuine chicken cholera last season took the disease again this season and died from the effects of it8 ,this happened on our place4 ,i have puzzled my brains on the same thing but ,i am not scientific enough to explain things that ,i don't know anything about1 so ,i leave that conundrum to be answered by some of the learned people who have the whole theory of chicken cholera at their tongues' end4 ,several correspondents want to know how to get rid of rats in poultry-houses4 ,one man says that he firmly believes that there are more rats than chickens in his poultry-house1 and although he has tried half a dozen different kinds of rat-traps he rarely catches anything in them4 ,i never found rat-traps much good2 some of them would catch one or two1 but after that the rest of the tribe would fight shy of all such devices for their undoing4 ,a well trained rat terrier proved to be the best rat-trap we ever had on the premises1 and for the poultry raiser who likes dogs a good ratter would be a good investment4 ,or you can use some one of the exterminators that may be obtained at the drug stores4 ,remove your fowls to some other building1 prepare the poison according to directions1 and place it in the poultry-house4 ,the best kinds to use are those that make the rats thirsty and cause them to die immediately after drinking2 water can then be left in the hen house and the dead rats will be found close by4 ,when you have rat poison in the house see that it is properly marked and put out of reach of children and careless hired girls2 and always see that all remnants of bait are taken care of4 ,a ,nebraska man wants to know why his hens don't lay4 ,says they are mostly early pullets1 have a fairly comfortable poultry house1 all the grain they will eat twice a day1 and plenty of fresh water at all times4 ,it seems to me that all the grain they will eat twice a day is rather overdoing the grain business4 ,have some of that grain ground1 mix with boiled vegetables and feed warm every morning2 also give green food and raw bone1 and my word for it your hens will soon lay like sixty4 ,,fanny ,,field4 ,,feather ,,ends4 ,plymouth ,rock pullets are not always early layers1 for they often grow for ten or twelve months before laying1 though some say as early as six months after being hatched4 ,the best plan the keep ,plymouth ,rocks is to get the pullets hatched as early as possible4 ,april is as late as should be desired1 but a ,plymouth ,rock cock crossed on common hens will produce pullets that may be hatched later4 ,n4,y4 ,times3 ,a poultry-house should be large enough to be airy1 but if it is kept strictly clean and sweet it will do no harm to be somewhat crowded4 ,a house #bd feet long1 #aj feet wide1 #e feet high behind and #h feet in front1 and having four roosting poles1 all on a level and only a foot from the floor1 will hold #fj to #hj fowls4 ,this manner of arranging the roosts prevents a good deal of quarreling to get on the top perch4 ,poultry-rearing for export appears to be largely on the increase in ,germany2 and ,rummelsburg1 near ,berlin1 boasts of the largest goose market probably in the world4 ,there arrive daily at that station on an average forty cars with geese and ducks4 ,every car contains about #a1ejj1 thus making about #djj1jjj birds shipped every week1 or an annual total of #bj1jjj1jjj4 ,the largest portion of these birds are reared and fattened in the surrounding provinces1 and thence dispatched to all parts of ,germany1 ,england1 ,belgium1 ,france1 ,switzerland1 and other ,european countries4 ,farmers' ,call3 ,turkeys do not require as warm quarters in winter as do other fowls4 ,they will rest on a cherry tree when the mercury is frozen solid in the thermometer bulb1 and then fly down in the morning and wade through the snow to cool off4 ,this is a hint to the turkey raiser4 ,do not confine the turkeys in quarters too warm and close1 and be sure that they have three or four hours' exercise each day in the open air4 ,the turkey is really a hardy fowl and easily wintered if you do not pet it too much4 ,be a little unkind to it in cold weather4 ,about all the shelter they will need is a wind-break4 ,give them plenty of highly nutritious food4 ,mr4 ,harrison ,weir writes3 ,what the farmers should do is this--they should produce their poultry of the finest quality1 poultry of the stamp of the old ,dorking--plump birds1 thick-skinned birds1 small-boned birds1 and birds with little offal--fat them well1 truss them well1 and send them to market4 ,the white-legged beauties would take the highest price1 and1 if well seen to1 would very soon drive the foreign fowls from our markets1 and ,english gold would gladden the home of the ,english henwife4 ,i may mention that a neighboring farmer intends rearing #c1jjj chickens next spring1 all to be off his ground before the beginning of ,may1 when the cattle will come out4 ,he expects to get #ge;c4 a head1 and ,i believe he will1 and it will pay him if he does4 ,poultry houses should be whitewashed inside and out4 ,for the inside we add two tablespoonfuls of carbolic acid or a pound of sulphur to a pailful of the wash 7to kill vermin72 do not be afraid of putting on too much1 but apply the wash to every corner and crevice in the building4 ,if you have plank floors1 clean them off nicely and put on three or four inches of fresh earth4 ,dirt floors should be dug up the depth of one foot4 ,wash your windows 7if you have any in your house1 and if not you ought to have them71 so that the fowls can see daylight1 and in bad weather they will enjoy the confinement of the poultry houses much better4 ,wash off the roosts with kerosene oil at least once a week4 ,take every nest box and wash inside and out1 and put in clean straw1 sprinkling upon it some sulphur or loose tobacco4 ,observe these rules1 and your fowls will do better and keep healthier4 ,we find this good advice floating about and do not know its source4 ,the hints are worth remembering4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,throat4--,brown's ,bronchial ,troches act directly on the organs of the voice4 ,they have an extraordinary effect in all disorders of the throat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,apiary ,illustration ,,keep ,,bees4 ,the beginning of the new year is a general time of settling accounts and making resolutions for the future4 ,the head of many a family is overcast with gloom as he ascertains the true state of his affairs1 and perceives how little he has to show from the past year of toil4 ,his family may have been industrious in a general way1 and yet been consumers only1 and not producers4 ,we knew a farmer's family where there were three daughters just budding into womanhood4 ,on inquiring of the mother what she had to sell to clothe her daughters with1 she answered1 ,not a thing4 ,have you no butter1 eggs1 fowls1 honey1 or bees-wax to sell from this good farm8 ,no1 nothing4 ,these girls were not idle6 ,oh no4 ,they pounded the organ1 and the result was music as sweet as filing a saw2 crocheted1 darned lace1 and helped mother4 ,when their father went to town they asked him to bring them a pair of shoes1 a bustle1 or a necktie1 with no thought or care4 ,and all the while the neighbors said he was hard run4 ,there are few farmers' families that are so situated that they can not care for a few colonies of bees4 ,they not only need the sweets they gather1 but these industrious insects help to fertilize the bloom of their orchards and meadows4 ,nature has appointed this insect1 and it alone1 to do this work for her4 ,honey can be used in many ways as a substitute for sugar--in canning fruit1 making cookies1 and for other culinary purposes4 ,we would advise all those contemplating bee-keeping to start on a small scale1 if they have had no previous training4 ,two colonies are plenty1 and then let their knowledge increase in the same ratio as do their bees4 ,the next thing in order1 after purchasing bees1 should be a good standard work on apiculture2 and study it well4 ,a person should be full of theory1 and then they are ready for practice4 ,those who are energetic1 willing to work1 intelligent and willing1 eager to learn1 observing1 persevering1 and attentive to their work1 will rarely ever fail in apiculture4 ,we have heard farmers say that bees will not flourish with the same care given to other farm stock1 and that they have not time to attend to them4 ,we would recommend to all such to try the experiment of procuring a colony or two of beautiful ,italians1 in some good movable frame hive1 and present them to the family1 with abundance of bee literature1 and see if they are not taken care of1 especially if the almighty dollar puts in an appearance4 ,,mrs4 ,l4 ,,harrison4 ,,the ,,new ,,bees4 ,prof4 ,cook1 at the late ,michigan ,convention of ,bee-keepers1 spoke in this wise on the topic of the ,new ,bees3 ,i have had no experience with the ,cyprian bees1 but ,i think more and more of the ,syrian4 ,i find no trouble to handle them1 and take my large class of students1 new to the business1 right into the apiary4 ,these thirty or forty students daily manipulate the bees1 doing everything that the bee-keeper ever needs to do1 and rarely ever get stung4 ,i find that the comb honey of the ,syrians is excellent1 that the bees go readily into the sections4 ,we did not get all our sections so that they could be crated without the use of the separators2 but ,i am not sure but that it was more our fault than the fault of the bees4 ,they are very prolific1 breeding even when there is no nectar to gather1 and they often gather when other bees are idle4 ,i have this fall secured from ,mr4 ,frank ,benton a ,carniolan queen1 and shall try crossing the ,carniolans with the ,syrians4 ,perhaps we can thus secure a strain with the amiability of the ,carniolan1 and the business of the ,syrians4 ,,hive ,,and ,,honey ,,hints4 ,mr4 ,willingford1 of ,carlingford1 ,ontario1 who had a crop of several tons of honey this year1 has taken it to ,england for sale4 ,manufacturers of tobacco1 of pickles1 of cakes and cookies1 confectioners1 and pork-packers are now using honey more extensively than ever in the preparation of their specialties4 ,a singular instance of bee-swarming occurred a short time ago in ,singapore harbor1 on board the ,british steamer ,antonio1 which at the time was lying entirely outside the shipping in the roads4 ,a swarm of wild bees from the shore suddenly located themselves directly under the sternpost of a boat lying above the deck1 and all attempts to drive them away proved unavailing1 the chief officer being very severely stung in endeavoring to get rid of them4 ,they held to their position for several days1 and were eventually destroyed after the steamer had hauled alongside the wharf4 ,rev4 ,l4,l4 ,langstroth recently said3 ,when ,i commenced bee-keeping1 a sting caused much swelling1 but in time this trouble passed away4 ,several years passed1 during which ,i handled no bees1 and when ,i again attempted it1 ,i found myself more susceptible to the poison than ever1 but by continuing to work with the bees1 disregarding the stings1 my former indifference returned4 ,ohio bee-keepers will discuss the following questions at the ,columbus meeting on the #ad-af3 ,how to winter bees successfully4 ,how many brood-frames are necessary in one hive8 ,what can be done to prevent adulteration of honey8 ,how to create a home market for honey4 ,how many colonies can be kept in one locality8 ,can we do without separators8 ,what shall we do with second swarms8 ,which is the most salable section--one-half1 one1 or two pounds8 ,which are best--deep or shallow frames8 ,is it advisable to have a standard-size frame for all bee-keepers8 ,many are inquiring the proper way to let bees out on shares1 so as to have both parties satisfied4 ,i do not know any such way1 for the most ,i have known in regard to letting bees out on shares resulted in both parties being dissatisfied4 ,but it all depends on what the agreement is2 and perhaps you had better have it down in writing4 ,one case ,i have recently heard of1 the agreement was to divide the profits4 ,well1 it so happened that there was no profit1 but there was a pretty big loss2 and as no provision had been made for this state of affairs1 each one felt disposed to put the loss on to the shoulders of the other4 ,i decided it would be about fair to divide the loss2 but very likely circumstances might make this not the right way after all4 ,so says the editor of ,gleanings4 ,it strikes us that he is all right1 but if he had said to bee-keepers use the same common sense as to contracts that people do in other kinds of business1 he would have covered the whole ground4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,and ,,youth',s ,,companion ,,one ,,year1 #c ,,for ,,the ,,two4 ,it is not required that both papers be sent to one address1 nor to the same post-office4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,pub4 ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,street1 ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,railroads4 ,illustration ,a ,,man ,,who ,,is ,,unacquainted ,,with ,,the ,,geography ,,of ,,this ,,country ,,will ,,see ,,by ,,examining ,,this ,,map ,,that ,,the ,,chicago1 ,,rock ,,island ,,pacific ,r',y ,by the central position of its line1 connects the ,east and the ,west by the shortest route1 and carries passengers1 without change of cars1 between ,chicago and ,kansas ,city1 ,council ,bluffs1 ,leavenworth1 ,atchison1 ,minneapolis and ,st4 ,paul4 ,it connects in ,union ,depots with all the principal lines of road between the ,atlantic and the ,pacific ,oceans4 ,its equipment is unrivaled and magnificent1 being composed of ,most ,comfortable and ,beautiful ,day ,coaches1 ,magnificent ,horton ,reclining ,chair ,cars1 ,pullman's ,prettiest ,palace ,sleeping ,cars1 and the ,best ,line of ,dining ,cars in the ,world4 ,three ,trains between ,chicago and ,missouri ,river ,points4 ,two ,trains between ,chicago and ,minneapolis and ,st4 ,paul1 via the ,famous ,,albert ,,lea ,,route4 ,a ,new and ,direct ,line1 via ,seneca and ,kankakee1 has recently been opened between ,richmond ,norfolk1 ,newport ,news1 ,chattanooga1 ,atlanta1 ,augusta1 ,nashville1 ,louisville1 ,lexington1 ,cincinnati ,indianapolis and ,lafayette1 and ,omaha1 ,minneapolis and ,st4 ,paul and intermediate points4 ,all ,through ,passengers ,travel on ,fast ,express ,trains4 ,tickets for sale at all principal ,ticket ,offices in the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,baggage checked through and rates of fare always as low as competitors that offer less advantages4 ,for detailed information1 get the ,maps and ,folders of the ,,great ,,rock ,,island ,,route1 ,at your nearest ,ticket ,office1 or address ,r4,r4 ,,cable1 ,vice-,pres4 ,gen'l ,m'g'r1 ,e4 ,,st4 ,,john1 ,gen'l ,tkt4 ,pass4 ,agt4 ,,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer from this date to ,january #a1 #ahhe3 ,for #b4jj you get it for one year and a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,county ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,free6 ,this is the most liberal offer ever made by any first-class weekly agricultural paper in this country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,silk ,,culture4 ,,women ,,in ,,silk ,,culture4 ,the feminine portion of our population is getting to be mighty independent4 ,instead of waiting1 ,micawber-like1 for something 7a man7 to turn up they are going to work to turn it up themselves4 ,they would rather make a living for themselves than have a man to make it for them4 ,they are teaching schools1 operating telegraph instruments and telephones1 clerking1 keeping books of account1 type-writing1 doing short-hand reporting1 lecturing1 preaching1 practicing law1 and some have so far fallen from grace as to be editing papers4 ,but many of these occupations present closed doors to our country girls and women4 ,many of these can not leave their country homes1 and these occupations1 with the exception of school teaching1 can not be carried on in the country4 ,others1 who could leave home1 are chary of braving the wiles and temptations of the city1 and their friends are still more loth to have them go4 ,the great need is some work1 light1 respectable1 and yet fairly remunerative1 which our country lassies can carry on at home4 ,school teaching is possible1 but teaching country district schools is the most thankless of all drudgery1 and1 besides1 a majority of our young women are not able to endure the worry and close confinement4 ,if it can be made successful1 sericulture offers by far the best opportunity to country girls to earn their own pin money1 or even their own living4 ,it can be engaged in at home2 it is light1 pleasant1 and interesting work2 and there is no doubt that ,american silk can be produced of such a quality that there will be a brisk demand for it at good prices4 ,but if all this be true the question at once presents itself1 ,why have not ,american women engaged largely in sericulture8 ,the answer is that they have been appalled at the very outset by the alleged expense of the undertaking4 ,the promoters of the enterprise took to writing books4 ,there was an excuse for this amounting almost to a necessity4 ,to engage in silk culture1 a person must be possessed of some special knowledge4 ,it is no harder than poultry or bee-keeping1 but a person to succeed at these must have some expert knowledge1 and as sericulture was a new thing1 beginners must have books containing what they needed4 ,but these authors made the business much more difficult and expensive than it should be4 ,first of all1 they laid it down as one of the ,medes and ,persian laws of sericulture1 that the worms must have mulberry leaves to subsist upon4 ,mulberry sprouts are costly to begin with2 then the trees must grow at least two years1 and should grow five years1 before the leaves are used4 ,this1 of itself1 was enough to deter but a very few from silk culture4 ,but they made it appear1 also1 that very expensive appliances for a cocoonery were necessary1 and only the most costly breeds of worms should be used1 entailing greater expense and difficulty4 ,the books were1 and for that matter are1 filled with dry scientific details of the internal construction of the worm and of its habits--details which only confused the learner and which1 though giving an author material from which to deduce rules of instruction1 should have been omitted from the book and their place supplied with the rules deduced4 ,in short1 it seemed to be the prime object to make sericulture as hard and forbidding as possible1 and to deter the people from it rather than to induce them to engage in the work4 ,for this very reason there has been considerable popular indifference to it1 and from the agricultural press it has not received that attention which so promising an industry deserves4 ,i would not be so unjust as to leave the reader to infer that all authors on sericulture have been thus guilty4 ,there have been some very few who from the very start have presented it in as easy and practicable a light as was consistent with successful work4 ,nor would ,i be ready to assert that those who have said it could not be made financially profitable without mulberry groves1 fancy priced worms1 and expensive appliances1 have done so from base motives4 ,yet it would appear as if not a few could be justly indicted of this2 for they have mulberry sprouts1 fancy priced worms1 and costly appliances to sell4 ,and perhaps it occurred to them that if they deterred the people generally from taking hold of it1 they would have less opposition and competition4 ,but be this as it may1 the fact is that it is not necessary to have mulberry groves1 costly appliances1 or even fancy priced worms 7though good worms only should be reared71 in order to profitably engage in sericulture4 ,i know of no business presenting so promising an opening that requires less capital4 ,and ,i say this1 having no axe to grind in any way1 simply for the sake of those girls and women who might make money by it1 and who would do so if they only knew the facts4 ,i have no book1 no sprouts1 no worms1 nothing whatever1 to sell4 ,i have said that the leaves of the mulberry are not essential to silk growing4 ,if this be true the greatest obstacle in the way of sericulture becoming a great national industry will have been removed4 ,and that it is true is proven by the experience of not a few practical silk-growers4 ,without exception those who have tested the matter say that the leaves of the ,osage-orange are equal to those of the mulberry1 and some say they are better4 ,my position brings me into correspondence with the leading specialists in agricultural pursuits1 and among others with many practical silk-growers4 ,to-day ,i received letters from three silk-growers1 one in ,illinois1 one in ,kansas1 and one in ,california4 ,each had fed the leaves of the ,osage-orange exclusively for the last two years1 and with the best results4 ,one said there was no doubt that they were at least equal to the leaves of the mulberry1 and the other two pronounced them superior4 ,one of our best authorities on sericulture1 ,prof4 ,barricelli1 has shown by means of chemical analyses and other scientific data1 that as nourishment for silk-worms the ,osage is superior to the mulberry4 ,in fact1 nine-tenths of the practical silk-growers of the ,west1 those who are making it not only practicable but profitable1 are now feeding ,osage leaves exclusively4 ,this should be known by the people at large4 ,there can be no monopoly of the ,osage-orange4 ,no one can demand of the expectant silk culturist exorbitant prices for ,osage sprouts4 ,in very few localities will it be necessary to plant the ,osage even4 ,we have an abundance of ,osage hedges1 particularly in the ,west4 ,in such localities the silk culturist will be at no expense whatever for food for the worms1 and will not be under even the necessity of waiting a couple of years for it to grow4 ,when this is more fully understood by the girls and women of the country1 we may expect silk culture to assume the importance of a profitable national industry4 ,,john ,m4 ,,stahl4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,medical4 ,weak ,nervous ,men ,illustration3 ,whose ,,debility1 ,,exhausted ,,powers1 premature decay and failure to perform ,,life',s ,,duties properly are caused by excesses1 errors of youth1 etc41 will find a perfect and lasting restoration to ,,robust ,,health and ,,vigorous ,,manhood in ,,the ,,marston ,,bolus4 ,neither stomach drugging nor instruments4 ,this treatment of ,,nervous ,,debility and ,,physical ,,decay is uniformly successful because based on perfect diagnosis1 ,,new ,,and ,,direct ,,methods and absolute ,,thoroughness4 ,full information and ,treatise free4 ,address ,consulting ,physician of ,,marston ,,remedy ,,co41 #df,w4 #adth ,st41 ,new ,york4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,two ,,ladies ,,met ,,one ,,day4 ,one said to the other ,by the way how is that ,catarrh of yours8 ,why it's simply horrid1 getting worse every day4 ,well1 why don't you try ',,dr4 ,,sykes' ,,sure ,,cure1' ,i know it will cure you6 ,well1 then ,i will1 for ,i've tried everything else4 ,just six weeks afterward they met again and ,no4 #a said4 ,why1 how much better you look1 what's up6 ,going to get married1 or what8 ,well1 yes1 and it's all owing to ',,dr4 ,,sykes' ,,sure ,,cure ,,for ,,catarrh2' oh1 why didn't ,i know of it before8 it's simply wonderful4 ,send #aj cents to ,dr4 ,c4,r4 ,sykes1 #aha ,monroe street1 ,chicago1 for valuable book of full information1 and mention the ,two ,ladies4 99 99 99 99 99 #cj ,,days' ,,trial ,,dr4 ,,dye',s ,illustration ,,electro ,,voltaic ,,belt1 and other ,,electric ,,appliances4 ,we will send on ,thirty ,days' ,trial1 ,,to ,,men1 ,,young ,,or ,,old1 who are suffering from ,,nervous ,,debility1 ,,lost ,,vitality1 and those diseases of a ,,personal ,,nature resulting from ,,abuses and ,,other ,,causes4 ,speedy relief and complete restoration to ,,health1 ,,vigor and ,,manhood ,,guaranteed4 ,send at once for ,illustrated ,pamphlet free4 ,address ,,voltaic ,,belt ,,co41 ,,marshall1 ,,mich4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,consumption4 ,i have a positive remedy for the above disease2 by its use thousands of cases of the worst kind and of long standing have been cured4 ,in deed1 so strong is my faith in its efficacy1 that ,i will send ,,two ,,bottles ,,free1 together with a ,,valuable ,,treatise on this disease1 to any sufferer4 ,give ,express ,p4,o4 address4 ,,dr4 ,t4,a4 ,,slocum1 #aha ,pearl ,st41 ,n4,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,publications ,,the ,,youth',s ,,companion ,,for #ahhd4 ,,the ,,companion presents below the ,announcement of its ,fifty-,seventh ,volume4 ,its unusual character1 both in the range of its topics1 and its remarkably brilliant list of ,contributors1 will1 we trust1 be accepted as a grateful recognition of the favor with which the paper has been received by more than #cjj1jjj subscribers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustrated ,serial ,stories4 ,a ,story of ,english ,rustic ,life1 by ,thomas ,hardy4 ,the ,foundling of ,paris1 by ,alphonse ,daudet4 ,a ,boys' ,story1 by ,j4,t4 ,trowbridge4 ,the ,covenanter's ,daughter1 by ,mrs4 ,oliphant4 ,a ,story of ,adventure1 by ,c4,a4 ,stephens4 ,my ,school at ,orange ,grove1 by ,marie ,b4 ,williams4 99 99 99 99 99 ,science and ,natural ,history4 ,eccentricities of ,insanity1 by ,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,butler4 ,common ,adulterations of ,food1 by ,dr4 ,j4,c4 ,draper4 ,the ,home ,life of ,oysters1 and other ,natural ,history ,papers1 by ,arabella ,b4 ,buckley4 ,wonders in ,ourselves2 or the ,curiosities of the ,human ,body1 by ,dr4 ,austin ,flint1 ,jr4 ,insect ,enemies of the ,garden1 the ,orchard and the ,wheat-,field1 by ,a4,s4 ,packard1 ,jr4 ,demons of the ,air and ,water4 ,a fascinating ,series of ,papers on ,sanitary ,science1 by ,r4 ,ogden ,doremus4 ,the ,youth ,of the ,brain1 ,speech in ,man1 ,animal ,poisons and their ,effects1 and ,other ,papers1 by ,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,hammond4 ,strange ,ways ,of ,curing ,people4 ,a ,description of ,curious ,sanitaria1--the ,peat1 ,mud1 ,sand1 ,whey1 and ,grape ,cures1 by ,william ,h4 ,rideing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,encouragement and ,advice4 ,hints for ,poor ,farmers1 by ,c4,e4 ,winder4 ,the ,failures of ,great ,men1 by ,james ,parton4 ,a ,dietary for ,nervous ,people1 by ,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,hammond4 ,hints for ,country ,house-,builders1 by ,calvert ,vaux4 ,the ,gift ,of ,memory1 and ,other ,papers1 giving ,instances of ,self-,help1 by ,samuel ,smiles4 ,a ,new ,profession for ,young ,men4 ,the ,opportunities for ,young ,men as ,electrical ,engineers1 by ,thomas ,a4 ,edison4 ,at the ,age ,of ,twenty-,one4 ,a ,series of ,papers showing what ,great ,men had accomplished1 and what they proposed doing1 at that period of their lives1 by ,edwin ,p4 ,whipple4 99 99 99 99 99 ,original ,poems4 ,,by ,,alfred ,,tennyson1 ,,victor ,,hugo1 ,,the ,,earl ,,of ,,lytton1 ,j4,c4 ,,whittier1 ,t4,b4 ,,aldrich1 ,,dr4 ,,charles ,,mackay1 ,and ,many ,others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustrated ,adventure and ,travel4 ,shark-,hunting1 by ,t4,b4 ,luce4 ,four ,amusing ,stories1 by ,c4,a4 ,stephens4 ,outwitted4 ,an ,indian ,adventure1 by ,lieut4 ,a4 ,chapin4 ,a ,honeymoon in the ,jungle1 by ,phil4 ,robinson4 ,wrecked ,upon a ,volcanic ,island1 by ,richard ,heath4 ,stories of the ,cabins in the ,west1 by ,e4,j4 ,marston4 ,adventures in the ,mining ,districts1 by ,h4 ,fillmore4 ,the ,capture of ,some ,infernal ,machines1 by ,william ,howson4 ,breaking in the ,reindeer1 and ,other ,sketches of ,polar ,adventure1 by ,w4,h4 ,gilder4 ,an ,american in ,persia1 by the ,american ,minister ,resident1 ,teheran1 ,s4,g4,w4 ,benjamin4 ,china as ,seen by a ,chinaman1 by the ,editor of the ,chinese ,american1 ,wong ,chin ,foo4 ,stories ,of ,menageries4 ,incidents connected with ,menagerie ,life1 and the ,capture and ,taming of ,wild ,beasts for ,exhibition1 by ,s4,s4 ,cairns4 ,boys ,afoot in ,italy and ,switzerland4 ,the ,adventures of two ,english boys travelling abroad at an expense of one dollar a day1 by ,nugent ,robinson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,reminiscences and ,anecdotes4 ,stage-,driver ,stories1 by ,rose ,terry ,cooke4 ,stories of ,saddle-,bag ,preachers1 by ,h4,l4 ,winckley4 ,my ,first ,visit to a ,newspaper ,office1 by ,murat ,halstead4 ,queen ,victoria's ,household and ,drawing-,rooms1 by ,h4,w4 ,lucy4 ,child ,friendships of ,charles ,dickens1 by his ,daughter1 ,mamie ,dickens4 ,our ,herbariums2 ,adventures in ,collecting ,them1 by ,a ,young ,lady4 ,my ,pine-,apple ,farm1 with incidents of ,florida ,life1 by ,c4,h4 ,pattee4 ,bigwigs of the ,english ,bench and ,bar1 by a ,london ,barrister1 ,w4,l4 ,woodroffe4 ,at ,school with ,sir ,garnet ,wolseley1 and the ,life of a ,page of ,honor in the ,vice-,regal ,court of ,dublin1 by ,nugent ,robinson4 ,student ,waiters4 ,some ,humorous ,incidents of a ,summer ,vacation in the ,white ,mountains1 by ,child ,mc,pherson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,editorials ,,of ,,the ,,companion1 without having any bias1 will give clear views of current events at home and abroad4 ,,the ,,children',s ,,page will sustain its reputation for charming pictures1 poems1 and stories for the little ones4 ,,issued ,,weekly4 ,,subscription ,,price1 #a4ge4 ,,specimen ,,copies ,,free4 ,,special ,,offer4--,to any one who subscribes now1 and sends us #a4ge1 we will send the ,companion free to ,january #ast1 #ahhd1 and a full year's subscription from that date4 ,address1 ,,perry ,,mason ,,co41 #da ,,temple ,,place1 ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,please mention where you read this ,advertisement4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,household4 ,for nothing lovelier can be found ,in woman than to study household good4--,milton4 ,,the ,,school-,,marm',s ,,story4 ,a frosty chill was in the air-- ,how plainly ,i remember-- ,the bright autumnal fires had paled1 ,save here and there an ember2 ,the sky looked hard1 the hills were bare1 ,and there were tokens everywhere ,that it had come--,november4 ,i locked the time-worn school-house door1 ,the village seat of learning4 ,across the smooth1 well trodden path ,my homeward footstep turning2 ,my heart a troubled question bore1 ,and in my mind1 as oft before1 ,a vexing thought was burning4 ,why is it up hill all the way8 ,thus ran my meditations3 ,the lessons had gone wrong that day ,and ,i had lost my patience4 ,is there no way to soften care1 ,and make it easier to bear ,life's sorrows and vexations8 ,across my pathway through the wood ,a fallen tree was lying2 ,on this there sat two little girls1 ,and one of them was crying4 ,i heard her sob3 ,and if ,i could1 ,i'd get my lessons awful good1 ,but what's the use of trying8 ,and then the little hooded head ,sank on the other's shoulder4 ,the little weeper sought the arms ,that opened to enfold her4 ,against the young heart1 kind and true1 ,she nestled close1 and neither knew ,that ,i was a beholder4 ,and then ,i heard--ah6 ne'er was known ,such judgment without malice1 ,nor queenlier council ever heard ,in senate1 house or palace6-- ,i should have failed there1 ,i am sure1 ,don't be discouraged2 try once more1 ,and ,i will help you1 ,alice4 ,and ,i will help you4 ,this is how ,to soften care and grieving2 ,life is made easier to bear ,by helping and by giving4 ,here was the answer ,i had sought1 ,and ,i1 the teacher1 being taught ,the secret of true living4 ,if ,i will help you were the rule4 ,how changed beyond all measure ,life would become6 ,each heavy load ,would be a golden treasure2 ,pain and vexation be forgot2 ,hope would prevail in every lot1 ,and life be only pleasure4 --,wolstan ,dixey4 ,a ,,chat ,,about ,,the ,,fashions4 ,although the lady readers of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer have probably by this time made up the heavier part of their winter wardrobe1 still a few suggestions may not be out of place1 for the fashions is a subject of which we seldom tire4 ,in discussing the subject of silk and silk-culture at the late ,woman's ,congress1 ,mrs ,julia ,ward ,howe said that although silk is said to be depreciating in value1 and is not quite as popular as formerly1 yet we must confess it lies very near the feminine heart1 at which statement an audible smile passed over the audience1 as each one acknowledged to herself its truth4 ,we are glad to see that wrappers are becoming quite the thing for afternoon home wear1 and a lady now need not feel at all out of place receiving her callers in a pretty1 gracefully made wrapper4 ,the ,watteau wrapper is made of either silk or brocaded woolen goods1 conveniently short1 the back cut square at the neck1 and folded in a handsome ,watteau plait at the center1 with a full ruche effect4 ,a yolk portion of silk fills in the open neck and is sewed flatly underneath to the back4 ,the side seams are curved so that a clinging effect is produced at the sides4 ,jabbots of lace extending down the front1 and a prettily bowed ribbon at the right shoulder1 with a standing collar at the neck1 and a linen choker collar give the finishing touches to the toilette4 ,velvets and velveteens seem to be taking the place of silk1 and are really quite as cheap4 ,in fact1 velveteens are cheaper1 as they are so much wider4 ,a suit of velveteen is fashionable for any occasion--for receptions1 church or street costume4 ,the redingote or polonaise is very stylish and pretty1 especially for a tall1 rather slight person4 ,for a young miss the close-fitting frock coat1 with pointed vest effectively disclosed between the cut-away edges of the coat fronts1 is much worn4 ,the latter curve away from the shoulders and are nicely rounded off at their lower front corners4 ,an underarm dart gives a smooth adjustment over each hip1 and in these darts are inserted the back edges of the vest4 ,buttons and buttonholes close the vest1 but the coat fronts do not meet at all4 ,the coat and long-pointed overskirt can be made of any heavy material1 but the vest should be of silk2 a deep box-plait on the bottom of the underskirt made of silk to match the vest will make the suit very stylish and pretty4 ,there ought to be great satisfaction among the wearers of bonnets and hats this season1 because they can so easily have what they want--big or little1 plain or decorated1 as they please4 ,for a person with dark hair1 gold braid loosely put around the edge of a velvet capote is very becoming4 ,bunches of tips are worn much more than the long1 drooping plumes1 though both are fashionable2 while birds--sometimes as many as three on a hat--are often preferred to either4 ,we notice upon the street a great many elegantly dressed ladies with but a single band of wide velvet ribbon fastened somewhat carelessly around the bonnet and tied in a bow under the chin4 ,unique it may be1 but undoubtedly the taste of the wearer1 would be the verdict of the passer by4 ,in fact1 one can scarcely be out of the fashion in the choice of a bonnet or hat1 but care should be taken that it be just the thing for the wearer1 and that it be properly put on4 ,i firmly believe in the doctrine that good clothes tendeth toward grace4 ,what woman can not talk better when she knows she looks well8 ,she can then forget herself and lose all self-consciousness1 which is a state most devoutly to be desired by all women--particularly our young women4 ,so1 girls1 study your costumes1 especially the superfluities1 or furbelows1 as they are wont to be called2 make yourselves look as pretty as you possibly can--and then forget yourselves4 ,i wish all our lady readers might have been here the holiday week1 for the stores were perfect bowers of beauty4 ,it was a pretty sight in itself to watch the crowds of happy-faced children1 with their little pocket-books in their hands1 at the various counters buying presents for father1 mother1 brothers1 and sisters4 ,children always enjoy ,christmas more when they can make1 as well as receive1 presents4 ,so ,i hope all our little readers were made happy by both giving and receiving4 ,i am sorry ,i could not give you a more satisfactory talk on the fashions1 but our space is limited this week4 ,i hope the ladies will not forget that our ,household department is open to them1 and that they will contribute anything that may be of interest to the others4 ,,mary ,,howe4 ,a ,,kitchen ,,silo4 ,the farmer's wife in the ,netherlands has long been using a sort of a silo4 ,probably she had been doing so for long years before ,m4 ,geoffrey began experimenting with preserved stock food in ,france4 ,the ,netherland housewife's silo consists of an earthenware jar about two feet tall4 ,into one of these jars in summer time she places the kidney bean2 in another shelled green peas2 in another broad beans1 and so on4 ,making a layer about six inches deep in each4 ,she sprinkles a little salt on top and presses the whole firmly down4 ,then she adds another layer and more salt4 ,she leaves a light weight on top to keep all well pressed down and exclude the air1 in the intervals between pickings for often the harvest of a single day will not fill the jar4 ,when full1 she puts on a heavier weight1 and covers all with brown paper4 ,she thus has green vegetables preserved for winter4 ,the ensilage is said to be more or less good1 according to taste4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chicken ,,salad3 ,two common sized fowls1 one teacup of good salad oil1 half a jar of ,french sweet mustard1 the hard-boiled yolks of ten eggs1 half a pint of vinegar1 one teaspoonful of cayenne pepper1 eight heads of celery1 one teaspoon of salt or a little more if required4 ,cut and mix the chicken and celery and set away in a cool place4 ,mash the eggs to a paste with the oil1 then add the vinegar and other things1 mix thoroughly1 but do not pour it over the salad until about half an hour before serving1 as the celery may become wilted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,soft ,,gingerbread3 ,one cup butter and two cups sugar well worked together1 three eggs well beaten in1 one cup ,new ,orleans molasses1 one cup good sweet milk and five cups of flour into which has been stirred one teaspoonful baking powder1 not heaped1 two tablespoonfuls ground cinnamon and one tablespoonful ground ginger4 ,bake in small dripping pans not too full1 as they will rise4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mixture of two parts of glycerine1 one part ammonia1 and a little rose water whitens and softens the hands4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,our ,,books4 ,,books ,,free6 ,good books are valued by intelligent men and women more than silver and gold4 ,they are treasures in every home4 ,they are to the mind what light and heat are to plants4 ,they ,,store ,,the ,,mind ,,with ,,useful ,,knowledge2 the mind directs the hands4 ,an intelligent man has an advantage over one who is ignorant1 whether he is a farmer1 or mechanic1 or merchant1 and is surer of success in his occupation4 ,think how ,,losses ,,of ,,time ,,and ,,money ,,may ,,be ,,saved by having some book at hand containing just the information desired in some line of the rural industries4 ,we offer an excellent opportunity for any one to obtain ,,books ,,free for himself or family1 and also for societies1 farmers' clubs1 and associations to make additions to a library1 or to start one4 ,these books comprise standard works1 and the latest and best books for ,farmers1 ,stockmen1 ,dairymen1 ,fruit-,growers1 ,gardeners1 ,florists1 ,poultrymen1 ,apiarists1 ,silk-,culturists1 ,housekeepers1 ,architects1 ,etc41 ,etc4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,company will give to any person1 association1 or club1 who will obtain and send subscribers to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer 7including both new subscribers and renewals71 at the regular price of the paper 7#b7 each1 any of the books contained in our ,book ,list on the following terms3 ,for ,,three subscribers1 books to the amount of #a4ej4 ,for ,,four subscribers1 books to the amount of #b4jj4 ,for ,,five subscribers1 books to the amount of #b4ej4 ,for ,,six subscribers1 books to the amount of #c4jj4 ,for ,,seven subscribers1 books to the amount of #c4ej4 ,for ,,eight subscribers1 books to the amount of #d4jj ,for ,,ten subscribers1 books to the amount of #e4jj4 ,,for ,,twelve ,,subscriptions ,,and ,,upward1 ,a ,,dollar',s ,,worth ,,of ,,books ,,for ,,every ,,two ,,subscriptions ,,sent ,,at #b4jj ,,each4 ,all books given under these offers will be delivered at our office1 ,no4 #aej ,monroe street4 ,if it is desired that they shall be forwarded by express1 they will be packed and delivered at the express office by us1 the receiver to pay cost of carriage4 ,sent by mail to any part of the ,united ,states or ,canada1 the postage will be seven cents on each dollar's worth of books4 ,it is necessary that parties to whom the books are given shall remit us the postage before the books are sent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,dictionary ,free6 ,this is no catchpenny affair1 but a valuable lexicon4 ,it is the popular ,,american ,,dictionary1 on the basis of ,webster1 ,worcester1 ,johnson1 and other eminent ,american and ,english authorities4 ,it contains over #cb1jjj words1 with accurate definitions1 proper spelling1 and exact pronunciation2 to which is added a mass of valuable information4 ,it is enriched with #djj illustrations4 ,,remember1 every subscriber at the regular price of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer gets this ,dictionary ,,free1 if preferred to our commercial map4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,here ,,is ,,another4 ,,ropp',s ,,calculator ,and ,account ,book for #ahhd4 ,this is the most useful thing in the way of a memorandum book and calculator ever issued4 ,it is a work of nearly #hj pages of printed matter and an equal number of blank leaves1 ruled1 for keeping accounts4 ,the contents include a vast array of practical calculations1 #ajj1jjj or more in number1 arranged for reference like a dictionary1 so that a farmer or business man may turn to the figures1 and find the answer to any problem in business4 ,there are three kinds4 ,we use ,no4 #c4 ,full leather2 assorted colors1 with flap1 slate pocket1 and a renewable account book1 ruled with divisions or headings especially adapted to farmers' use4 ,the retail price of this book in leather is #a4 ,we will send it ,,free to every subscriber to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer who sends us #b4 ,or we will send ,,three copies of ,no4 #a1 the cheaper issue4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,and ,,yet ,,another4 ,,american ,,etiquette ,,and ,,rules ,,of ,,politeness4 ,it is the latest and best standard work recommended and endorsed by all who have read it4 ,the acknowledged authority4 ,beautifully and appropriately illustrated2 handsomely and substantially bound4 ,it contains #ch chapters1 treating on all subjects relating to etiquette4 ,we send this book--plain edition1 to any subscriber desiring it who sends #b4jj for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer year1 or for two subscribers to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer at #b each1 we will send ,american ,etiquette bound in ,english cloth1 burnished edges4 ,our large and varied premium list will be issued in a few days4 ,send for it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,to ,,preserve ,,the ,,health ,use the ,magneton ,appliance ,co4's ,,magnetic ,,lung ,,protector6 ,,price ,,only #e4 ,they are priceless to ,,ladies1 ,,gentlemen1 and ,,children with ,,weak ,,lungs2 no case of ,,pneumonia ,,or ,,croup is ever known where these garments are worn4 ,they also prevent and cure ,,heart ,,difficulties1 ,,colds1 ,,rheumatism1 ,,neuralgia1 ,,throat ,,troubles1 ,,diphtheria1 ,,catarrh1 ,,and ,,all ,,kindred ,,diseases4 ,will ,,wear any service for ,,three ,,years4 ,are worn over the under-clothing4 ,,catarrh1 ,it is needless to describe the symptoms of this nauseous disease that is sapping the life and strength of only too many of the fairest and best of both sexes4 ,labor1 study1 and research in ,america1 ,europe1 and ,eastern lands1 have resulted in the ,magnetic ,lung ,protector1 affording cure for ,catarrh1 a remedy which contains ,no ,drugging of the ,system1 and with the continuous stream of ,magnetism permeating through the afflicted organs2 ,,must ,,restore ,,them ,,to ,a ,,healthy ,,action4 ,,we ,,place ,,our ,,price for this ,appliance at less than one-twentieth of the price asked by others for remedies upon which you take all the chances1 and ,,we ,,especially ,,invite the patronage of the ,,many ,,persons who have tried ,,drugging ,,the ,,stomachs ,,without ,,effect4 ,,how ,,to ,,obtain ,this ,appliance4 ,go to your druggist and ask for them4 ,if they have not got them1 write to the proprietors1 enclosing the price1 in letter at our risk1 and they will be sent to you at once by mail1 post paid4 ,send stamp for the ,new ,departure in ,medical ,treatment ,,without ,,medicine1 with thousands of testimonials1 ,,the ,,magneton ,,appliance ,,co41 #bah ,state ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,,note4--,send one dollar in postage stamps or currency 7in letter at our risk7 with size of shoe usually worn1 and try a pair of our ,magnetic ,insoles1 and be convinced of the power residing in our ,magnetic ,appliances4 ,positively no cold feet where they are worn1 or money refunded4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,club ,,rates4 ,to ,our ,readers4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer is the ,,oldest1 ,,most ,,reliable1 and the ,,leading ,,agricultural ,,journal ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,northwest1 devoted exclusively to the interests of the ,farmer1 ,gardener1 ,florist1 ,stock ,breeder1 ,dairyman1 ,etc41 and every species of ,industry connected with that great portion of the ,people of the ,world1 the ,producers4 ,now in the ,forty-,second ,year of its existence1 and never1 during more than two score years1 having missed the regular visit to its patrons1 it will continue to maintain supremacy as a ,,standard ,,authority ,,on ,,matters ,,pertaining ,,to ,,agriculture ,,and ,,kindred ,,productive ,,industries1 and as a ,,fresh ,,and ,,readable ,,family ,,and ,,fireside ,,journal4 ,it will from time to time add new features of interest1 securing for each department the ablest writers of practical experience4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer will discuss1 without fear or favor1 all topics of interest properly belonging to a ,farm and ,fireside ,paper1 treat of the most approved practices in ,,agriculture1 ,,horticulture1 ,,breeding1 ,,etc42 the varied ,machinery1 ,implements1 and improvements in same1 for use both in ,field and ,house2 and1 in fact1 everything of interest to the ,agricultural community1 whether in ,,field1 ,,market1 ,,or ,,home ,,circle4 ,,it ,,will ,,give ,,information ,,upon ,,the ,,public ,,domain1 ,,western ,,soils1 ,,climate1 ,,etc42 ,,answer ,,inquiries on all manner of subjects which come within its sphere2 ,,give each week1 full and ,,reliable ,,market1 ,,crop1 ,,and ,,weather ,,reports2 ,,present the family with choice and ,,interesting ,,literature2 amuse and ,,instruct ,,the ,,young ,,folks3 ,,and1 in a word1 aim to be1 in every respect1 ,,an ,,indispensable ,,and ,,unexceptionable ,,farm and fireside ,,companion4 ,terms of ,subscription and ',club ,rates'3 ,,one ,,copy1 #a ,,year1 postage paid #b4jj ,,two ,,copies1 #c4ge ,,five sent at one time #h4ge ,,ten sent at one time1 and one to ,club getter #af4jj ,,twenty sent at one time1 and one to ,club getter #cj4jj ,address ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,publishing ,co41 ,chicago4 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,self ,,cure ,,free ,nervous ,lost ,weakness ,debility ,manhood and ,decay ,a favorite prescription of a noted specialist 7now retired47 ,druggists can fill it4 ,address ,,dr4 ,,ward ,,co41 ,,louisiana1 ,,mo4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,our ,,young ,,folks ,a ,,talk ,,about ,,the ,,lion4 ,we wonder how many of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer boys and girls have seen the lion1 king of beasts1 as he is called4 ,perhaps not all of you as yet1 though many of you doubtless will as the years roll on--and1 by the way1 you will find that the older you grow the more quickly will they speed away4 ,so be careful in this1 the beautiful springtime of your lives1 to so cultivate and make ready the garden of your minds that the coming manhood and womanhood may not only find you with well developed arms and limbs and muscles1 ready to face the world and to help lift some of its burdens1 but also with a mind that has kept even pace with the body--because of constant growth4 ,we think we will have to depart from our usual natural history articles some day1 and have a talk with the boys and girls on this subject of growth--growth in its largest1 broadest sense1 the mind1 soul1 and body all growing together into the stature of a perfect man4 ,but to return to the lion4 ,this animal is the largest of the cat family and is found1 only in ,asia and ,africa4 ,the ,asiatic lion is not so large nor so fierce as the ,african1 and has a much smaller mane4 ,the mane of the ,african lion is long and thick1 and gives the animal a very noble appearance2 the female1 however1 has no mane4 ,the lion is always of one color1 that is1 without spots or stripes1 generally tawny1 though the mane is dark sometimes nearly black4 ,the lion gets its full growth when seven or eight years old1 and lives usually about twenty-five years1 though some have been known to live much longer in menageries4 ,these animals see much better in the night than in the day1 so they generally hide away during the day and search for food in the gray dawn of the morning4 ,they feed chiefly on antelopes1 zebras1 giraffes1 and wild cattle4 ,it is said that the lion rarely attacks man1 only in cases of extreme hunger2 indeed1 they seem somewhat afraid of man4 ,dr4 ,livingstone says that when the lion meets a man in daylight it will stop two or three seconds to stare at him1 then turn slowly round and walk off a few steps1 looking over its shoulder1 then begin to trot1 and when at last he thinks he is no longer seen will bound away like a hare4 ,the ,doctor says also1 that the roar of the lion is very like the cry of the ostrich1 but the former roars only at night1 however1 while the latter cries only by day4 ,did you not think it wonderful when you saw for the first time1 perhaps1 a keeper walk boldly into the lions' cage1 when in their natural state they are so very fierce and wild8 ,well1 we think it is wonderful1 although the keepers tell us that they are easily tamed4 ,in ancient times they were used in many more ways than they are now4 ,hanno1 the ,carthaginian general1 had a lion to carry his baggage1 and ,mark ,antony often rode through the streets of ,rome in a chariot drawn by lions4 ,a short time ago we read a story of a slave named ,androclus1 who1 while hiding away from his master in the deserts of ,africa1 cured a lion of lameness by pulling a thorn out of its foot4 ,the slave was afterward caught1 carried to ,rome1 and condemned to be eaten by the wild beasts4 ,he was thrown into a lion's den1 but the beast1 instead of killing him fawned upon him and showed the greatest delight at seeing him2 ,androclus was surprised to find that it was the same lion whose foot he had cured in the desert4 ,the ,emperor1 it is said1 was so much pleased at the sight that he gave the slave his pardon1 and presented him also with the lion1 after which he used to lead the great beast tamely through the streets1 held simply by a little chain4 ,in modern times1 also1 lions have been known to exhibit strong friendship for man4 ,in #gii1 two lions in the ,jardin des ,plantes 7,garden of ,plants71 at ,paris1 became so fond of their keeper that when he was taken sick they gave signs of the greatest sorrow1 and when he recovered and came back to them they rushed to meet him1 roaring with joy1 meanwhile licking his hands and face4 ,perhaps you have read of ,theodorus1 ,king of ,abyssinia 7he killed himself in #ahfh71 who used to keep several tame lions in his palace and treated them almost like dogs4 ,travelers tell us1 too1 that these great animals often show fondness for other animals1 as1 for instance1 an old lioness belonging to the ,dublin ,zoological ,gardens was taken sick1 and was greatly annoyed by the rats4 ,at last a little terrier dog was put into the cage1 but was received by the lioness with a surly growl2 finally when the old animal saw the little dog could kill her enemies1 the rats1 she coaxed him to her1 and petted and fondled him1 so that they soon became great friends4 ,the lion is a mammal of the order carnivora1 or flesh-eating animals4 ,the word lion comes from the ,latin leo1 ,greek leon1 lion4 ,would you like me to tell you next week about a bear ,i saw upon the hills of ,nova ,scotia1 near the scene of ,longfellow's beautiful ,evangeline1 a few months ago8 ,,mary ,,howe4 ,a ,,jack-,,knife ,,genius4 ,st4 ,louis ,post-,dispatch3 ,william ,yohe claims to be the champion jack-knife artist of the day1 although he was born in ,st4 ,louis and not ,yankeedom4 ,a reporter heard of this professional lacerator of pine sticks and sought him out4 ,it was not until the inside of an unused ,methodist church at ,kirkwood1 this county1 was reached that ,mr4 ,yohe and his knife was cornered4 ,the knife was slashing cigar-boxes to pieces at railway speed when the reporter opened up with3 ,are you the man who makes an automatic world's fair and ,st4 ,louis ,exposition with a knife8 ,no1 that isn't what ,i call it4 ,i am making what ,i call the ,missouri ,pacific and ,strasburg ,cathedral ,automatic ,wonder1 with the ,golden ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,it will contain over #ahj1jjj pieces and will have #a1ajj moving and working figures4 ,all around the gaunt and dismantled church were piles of cigar-boxes and laths and myriads of nicely-carved pieces of wood1 apparently portions of models of buildings4 ,the whittler was a small man1 with keen eyes and ready tongue and about thirty-six years of age4 ,in the course of an hour's conversation he said in substance3 ,i didn't know that ,i was anything extra of a whittler until about #ahfi1 when1 in a small way1 ,i made some models4 ,i was in ,texas working at millwrighting4 ,the first large piece ,i ever made was a model of a ,bermuda castle4 ,afterward ,i made ,balmoral ,castle1 ,bingen ,castle1 ,miramar ,castle1 and the ,texas ,state ,capitol at ,austin4 ,solomon's ,temple contained #ab1bfh pieces and had #a1cfi windows4 ,it is now on exhibition in ,texas4 ,the ,austin ,capitol ,building has #fb1hdd pieces and #efa moving people4 ,every room and department in the building was given1 with all the officers and legislators4 ,everybody was represented1 down to the man sawing wood in the basement for the furnaces4 ,all the figures were moved by a wooden engine1 which was run by sand falling on an overshot wheel4 ,i made this piece at odd moments in #ahha4 ,i have just hired this church and begun steady work4 ,i shall sleep and eat in this church until about ,may #a1 next4 ,the material8 ,yes1 it does take considerable4 ,i have already used up #ifg cigar boxes and #cjj laths4 ,it will take in all #a1hjj cigar boxes1 #ejj laths1 and #ejj feet of lumber4 ,the cigar boxes ,i get for one cent each4 ,i used no tools except my knife4 99 99 99 99 99 ,little ,johnny ,botts found a garter snake in the park the other day and he brought it home and hid it in the piano4 ,when his sister's young man opened the instrument that evening to play ,for ,goodness ,sake he thought he had 'em and yelled like a ,piute on the war-hath4 ,they won't believe in ,johnny's innocence somehow1 and his father said that after dinner he'd attend to his case4 ,when the family sat down to table ,johnny solemnly entered the room in his stocking feet and carrying a pillow which he placed on his chair before sitting down4 ,what new monkey shine is that8 growled old ,botts4 ,s-s-s-h1 pa1 said ,johnny anxiously2 ,i was playing fireworks with ,billy ,simson this afternoon and ,i swallowed a torpedo4 ,did1 eh8 ,yes1 and if anything should touch me kinder hard ,i might go off and all bust up4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,three ,,thousand ,,dollars in prizes is offered by the ,,youth',s ,,companion for the best short stories either for boys1 for girls1 humorous stories1 or stories of adventure1 to be sent them before ,may #bjth1 #ahhd4 ,the terms and conditions of the competition are issued in a circular--for which all who desire to compete are invited to send4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sin is very much like the ordinary ,north ,american mule4 ,it may be very tame and docile at the front1 but in the rear there is always a sly kick hidden away and you'd better be on your guard4 ,,our ,,book ,,table ,,books ,,received4 ,,arius ,,the ,,libyan3 ,,an ,,idyl ,,of ,,the ,,primitive ,,church4 ,author unknown4 ,,new ,,york3 ,d4 ,appleton ,co4 ,,chicago3 ,jansen1 ,mc,clurg ,co4 #abmo4 ,cloth4 ,price1 #a4ej4 ,this is a romance of the church in the latter part of the third and the beginning of the fourth centuries4 ,the scene is laid near ,cyrene1 ,a4,d4 #bfe4 ,it is an exquisitely written idyl of primitive ,christian life1 and can not fail to attract a great deal of attention1 especially now that the public mind is being turned in the direction of early church history4 ,it deals in a powerful1 yet simple1 manner with that subtle question1 the ,trinity of the ,godhead1 and gives the reader many new thoughts in connection with it4 ,the characters portrayed awaken an unusual degree of interest1 being as they are1 persons eminent in history1 both secular and religious4 ,as one follows the story to its close he can not but agree with the author1 that ,arius1 the hero and arch-heretic of the ,nicene age1 was one of the grandest1 purest1 least understood1 and most systematically misrepresented characters in human history4 ,the latter portion of the book brings out1 prominently1 the real character of ,constantine1 stigmatized by ,arius as that unbaptised pagan1 the flamen of ,jupiter4 ,the noble plan of the book and the grave importance of the questions that agitate the characters1 combine to make it a valuable production to both believer and skeptic4 ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,speech4 ,by ,g4,h4 ,von ,meyer1 ,professor ,in ,ordinary of ,anatomy at the ,university of ,zurich4 ,,new ,,york3 ,d4 ,appleton ,co4 ,,chicago3 ,jansen1 ,mc,clurg ,co4 #ab mo4 ,cloth4 ,price #a4ge4 ,this book is the forty-sixth volume in the international scientific series1 and needs no better introduction than the well-known name of the author4 ,the subject of the organs of speech and their application in the formation of articulate sounds is treated in a masterly and exhaustive manner4 ,the object of the author has been not merely to enter into the field of discussion upon the various modifications of sounds1 99 99 but to bring forward a sufficient number of examples in confirmation of the laws explained1 in which purpose he has most admirably succeeded4 ,the work contains forty-seven wood cuts1 and will be a valuable addition to any library4 ,we would recommend it especially to teachers of vocal music and declamation4 ,,fifty ,,years' ,,recollections4 ,by ,jeriah ,bonham ,,peoria1 ,,ill43 ,j4,w4 ,franks ,sons4 ,sold by subscription4 ,this is a carefully compiled work1 giving the author's observations and reflections on the historical events of ,illinois for the past fifty years1 it also gives very interesting and full biographical sketches of many of the prominent men who have1 during this time1 figured in the affairs of the ,state1 so far as ,mr4 ,bonham's personal acquaintanceship and recollections extend4 ,the sketches1 condensed1 yet complete1 of the sixteen ,governors of ,illinois1 from ,shadrach ,bond1 the first ,governor1 down to the present time are especially interesting4 ,the book will be enjoyed by the old settlers of the ,state on account of its personal reminiscences1 which are all true1 not drawn from the imagination4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,youth's ,companion1 ,boston1 is another famous1 and deservedly so1 ,american juvenile publication4 ,it has attained an immense circulation4 ,among its contributors are a score or more of the most talented ,american authors4 ,it is edited with great care and ability4 ,see advertisement on another page4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from ,w4,d4 ,hoard1 a report of the proceedings of the eleventh annual ,dairymen's ,association of ,wisconsin1 held at ,elk ,horn1 ,january #ca and ,february #a-b1 #ahhc4 ,the pamphlet was compiled by ,d4,w4 ,curtis1 ,secretary of the association1 ,fort ,atkinson1 ,wis4 ,the second edition of ,bee-,keeping for ,profit3 ,a ,new ,system of ,bee ,management1 by ,mrs4 ,lizzie ,e4 ,cotton1 ,west ,gorham1 ,me4 ,illustrated4 ,price1 #a4jj4 ,seventeenth annual report of the ,northwestern ,dairymen's ,association1 with addresses and discussions delivered at the meeting held at ,mankato1 ,minn41 ,february #ad-af1 #ahhc4 ,r4,p4 ,mc,glincy1 ,secretary1 ,elgin1 ,ill4 ,the ,florida ,annual4 ,edited by ,c4,k4 ,munroe1 #adj ,nassau st41 ,new ,fork4 ,price1 #ej cts4 ,how to ,become a ,good ,mechanic4 ,the ,industrial ,publication ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,price1 #ae cents4 ,tennessee ,crop ,report for ,november1 #ahhc1 with the report of the ,tennessee ,weather ,service4 #di ,south ,market st41 ,nashville1 ,tenn4 ,from ,c4,v4 ,riley1 ,bulletin ,no4 #c of ,u4,s4 ,department of ,agriculture3 ,division of ,entomology4 ,contains reports of observations and experiments in the practical work of the ,division1 made under the direction of the entomologist4 ,with plates4 ,landreth's ,rural ,register and ,almanac4 ,philadelphia1 ,penn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,breeders ,,directory4 ,the following list embraces the names of responsible and reliable ,breeders in their line1 and parties wishing to purchase or obtain information can feel assured that they will be honorably dealt with3 ,,cattle4 ,jersey4 ,mills1 ,charles ,f444444444444444444444,springfield1 ,illinois ,,horses4 ,clydesdales4 ,mills1 ,charles ,f444444444444444444444,springfield1 ,illinois ,,swine4 ,berkshire4 ,mills1 ,charles ,f444444444444444444444,springfield1 ,illinois ,chester ,whites4 ,w4,a4 ,gilbert4444444444444444444444,wauwatosa ,wis4 ,,sheep4 ,cotswold4 ,mills1 ,charles ,f4 4444444444444 ,springfield1 ,illinois 99 99 99 99 99 ,,live ,,stock1 ,etc4 ,,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,,pratt4 ,,importer ,,and ,,breeder ,,of ,,thoroughbred ,,holstein ,,cattle #ajj head on hand ,oct4 #ast4 ,,dr4 ,w4,a4 ,,pratt1 ,elgin1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,scotch ,,collie ,,shepherd ,,pups1 --,,from-- ,,imported ,,and ,,trained ,,stock --,,also-- ,,newfoundland ,,pups ,,and ,,rat ,,terrier ,,pups4 ,concise and practical printed instruction in ,training young ,shepherd ,dogs1 is given to buyers of ,shepherd ,puppies2 or will be sent on receipt of #be cents in postage stamps4 ,for ,printed ,circular1 giving full particulars about ,shepherd ,dogs1 enclose a #c-;cent stamp1 and address ,n4,h4 ,,paaren1 ,p4,o4 ,box #cbf1 ,,chicago4 ,,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,i ,,cure ,,fits6 ,when ,i say cure ,i do not mean merely to stop them for a time and then have them return again1 ,i mean a radical cure4 ,i have made the disease of ,,fits1 ,,epilepsy or ,,falling ,,sickness a life-long study4 ,i warrant my remedy to cure the worst cases4 ,because others have failed is no reason for not now receiving a cure4 ,send at once for a treatise and a ,free ,bottle of my infallible remedy4 ,give ,express and ,post ,office4 ,it costs you nothing for a trial1 and ,i will cure you4 ,address ,dr4 ,h4,g4 ,,root1 #ahc ,pearl ,st41 ,new ,york4 99 99 99 99 99 #hj ,,cards ,,best ,,quality4 ,new designs in ,satin and ,gold finish1 with name1 #aj cts4 ,we offer #ajj for a pack of cards any nicer work1 or prettier styles4 ,samples free4 ,eagle ,card ,works1 ,new ,haven1 ,ct4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,seeds ,,for ,,the ,,garden1 ,,farm ,,field4 ,,established #ahde4 ,our ,annual ,catalogue1 mailed free on application1 published first of every ,january1 contains full description and prices of ,,reliable ,,vegetable1 ,,tree1 ,,field ,,and ,,flower ,,seed1 ,,seed ,,grain1 ,,seed ,,corn1 ,,seed ,,potatoes1 ,,onion ,,sets1 ,,etc2 ,,also ,,garden ,,drills1 ,,cultivators1 ,,fertilizers1 ,,etc41 with full information for growing and how to get our ,seeds4 ,address ,,plant ,,seed ,,company1 ,nos4 #hab #had ,n4 #dth ,st41 ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,fay ,,grapes ,,currant ,,headquarters ,,all ,,best ,,new ,,and ,,old4 ,,small ,,fruits ,,and ,,trees4 ,,low ,,to ,,dealers ,,and ,,planters4 ,,stock ,first-,class4 ,free ,catalogues4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,josselyn1 ,fredonia1 ,n4,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,literature ,illustration ,,robin1 ,,dear ,,robin6 ,robin1 dear ,robin1 could you come back to me1 ,back to the hame you'll never mair see1 ,could you sit down at evening and crack wi' me1 ,oh1 what a proud1 happy woman ,i'd be6 ,on the white hearth the fire should burn clearly1 ,nothing of comfort or rest you should lack1 ,and ,i would always be kindly and cheery1 ,could you come back to me--could you come back4 ,oh1 ,robin1 ,robin1 ,i've miss'd you fu' sairly1 ,morning1 and evening1 and a' the day long2 ,many have treated me unca unfairly3 ,o for your arm so tender and strong3 ,if once again in your love ,i could hide me1 ,little ,i'd care though all else ,i should lack ,sairly ,i'm needing your wisdom to guide me1 ,oh1 my lost darling1 if you could come back6 ,never again with frowns would ,i greet you2 ,never again to your love be unkind2 ,ever with kisses and smiles ,i would meet you2 ,oh1 in the days that are gone ,i was blind6 ,oh1 ,i was selfish1 and foolish1 and fretful1 ,now ,i remember--remember in vain2 ,but ,i would never be cross or forgetful1 ,could you come back to me1 darling1 again6 ,no1 you will never come back to me--never6 ,but ,i shall come to you1 ,robin1 some day4 ,then you will ken a' my loving endeavor1 ,just to grow better since you went away4 ,yes1 you will ken1 in that happy to-morrow1 ,i hae been true to you1 darling--sae true6 ,asked my heart always1 in joy or in sorrow1 ,will it please ,robin1 the thing that ,i do8 ,oh1 in that wonderfu'1 wonderfu' meeting1 ,what shall ,i say to him8 what will he say8 ,we shallna weary life's story repeating1 ,seeing the end o' the sorrowfu' way4 ,with such a hope1 then1 how could ,i say truly1 ,robin1 dear ,robin1 come back unto me6 ,heart1 answer the thought sae wild and unruly1 ,robin1 dear ,robin1 ,i shall come unto thee6 --,harper's ,weekly4 ,,mrs4 ,,wimbush',s ,,revenge4 7,concluded from last week47 ,it was a large picnic party4 ,mr4 ,charles ,brookshank had drawn ,mrs4 ,wimbush's arm through his own1 and strolled away from the rest4 ,how delightful it would be if one could know the language of birds1 as folks did in the old ,hindu fairy tales6 ,would it not1 ,mr4 ,brookshank8 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 they do nothing the whole day long but make love and cry ',sweet1 sweet6' ,i would ,i were a bird1 to make love in music4 ,the widow sighed1 but it was more like a purr of pleasure4 ,what did ,i know of love till you came here8 continued ,mr4 ,charles4 ,absolutely nothing--except1 he added1 with reservation1 in a professional way4 ,and then we lawyers generally see the dark side of the picture--the damages and the decrees nisi4 ,but your visit has brightened my whole life4 ,o ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 you can not have been blind to my secret6 ,you have seen it written legibly in my face1 and have not interposed to check its development4 ,i see you understand me1 just as by intuitive fine feeling you can penetrate the meaning of ,mendelssohn's ,songs without ,words4 ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 you have already far advanced toward learning the birds' language4 ,i may rely upon your consent8 ,charles1 this happiness is indeed too much1 ejaculated the widow4 ,you need never be separated from your daughter ,carry4 ,a home for one is a home for both2 and ,i will cherish her while ,i live4 ,but1 ,charles dear1 she may marry4 ,marry1 ma'am8 ,bless my soul1 of course she will6 ,she will marry me6 ,she has said so1 don't you see8 ,mrs4 ,wimbush never said another word1 but fell flat down upon the grass4 ,what on earth has got the woman8 thought ,mr4 ,charles4 ,she couldn't have taken it worse if ,i had proposed to murder her daughter4 ,in their walk they had strayed through the trees close to the outskirts of another picnic party4 ,mr4 ,charles immediately ran to ask some fair volunteer to come to the assistance of ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 who had fainted4 ,at hearing the name1 an active middle-aged lady sprang up and followed him4 ,it was ,mrs4 ,marrables4 ,the sight of her mother brought ,mrs4 ,wimbush round quicker than any smelling bottle could have done4 ,she sat up4 ,mother1 ,mr4 ,brookshank2 ,mr4 ,brookshank1 my mother1 ,mrs4 ,marrables4 ,they bowed4 ,have the goodness to leave us together1 ,mr4 ,charles4 ,he bowed and obeyed4 ,mother1 said ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 what on earth brought you here8 ,i thought you were at ,taunton4 ,no1 dear4 ,i have been at ,bournemouth three weeks1 ,i came merely for change4 ,only last week ,i heard of your being here1 and should have called1 but have been so much occupied1 and ,i felt sure of meeting you somewhere1 and thought the surprise might be the more agreeable4 ,we've had a most delightful picnic with the ,mount ,stewart folks4 ,but what was all this fainting about8 ,one would think ,mr4 ,brookshank had been proposing to you4 ,he certainly made me a proposal mother1 but ,i was quite unprepared for it1 and was overcome4 ,what an imaginative and sensitive-minded girl you must be1 ,matilda6 ,you make me feel quite young4 ,when will you be old enough to attend to business8 ,you will accept him1 of course8 ,well1 do as you please2 you may reckon on my consent1 you know4 ,but ,i must get back to my party1 and perhaps you had better rejoin yours4 ,ta-ta4 ,jilted for her daughter6 ,it wasn't pleasant4 ,when ,mrs4 ,wimbush got home1 she blew up ,carry for being so sly4 ,well1 mamma1 said ,carry1 of course ,i thought you knew all about it4 ,i never made any secret of the affair4 ,i knew very well that you had rejected ,mr4 ,tom1 but ,i could not possibly suppose that was any reason why ,i should refuse ,charles4 ,of course he is older than ,i am1 but he is only five-and-thirty1 and has a good position2 and ,i am sure we shall always give you a welcome2 ,charles said so4 ,well1 thought ,mrs4 ,wimbush1 he has money1 and it will be all in the family2 that's at least a comfort4 ,the effect of the little episode of the last chapter was that the brothers were made friends1 and ,tom recovered his spirits1 and could laugh heartily at what he had before supposed was his brother's rivalry4 ,mrs4 ,wimbush repented her that she had rejected ,mr4 ,tom4 ,her repentance produced a salutary desire on her part to make atonement for the past4 ,she would have him yet4 ,when a widow says so much as that about a man1 let him 'ware hawk4 ,a month went by1 and behold ,mrs ,wimbush and ,mr4 ,tom ,brookshank seated tete-a-tete at an evening party1 where the music which was going on was sufficiently loud to render private conversation inaudible save to those to whom it was addressed4 ,i fear1 said the widow1 affecting an absent manner1 ,i treated you very unkindly1 ,mr4 ,tom4 ,you took me so entirely by surprise1 that1 really1 ,i--hardly know what ,i said4 ,i have been very unhappy about it--very4 ,forgotten and forgiven1 whispered ,mr4 ,tom4 ,how generous of you6 you make me so glad6 because now that your brother ,charles is going to marry my daughter1 we shall be in some sort related1 and ,i could not bear you to think unkindly of me4 ,no1 said ,mr4 ,tom1 fidgeting a little1 ,i shall never do that4 ,how droll6 said the widow4 ,let me see1 what will the relationship be8 ,you will be my son-in-law's brother1 and consequently ,i shall be your mother-in-law once removed4 ,you will have a mother younger than yourself1 ,mr4 ,tom4 ,i hope you will not presume upon her youth to be a bad boy4 ,all this is very true1 he answered2 but ,i see the relationship in a far different light4 ,i shall be your father-in-law1 and consequently my own brother's grandfather-in-law4 ,you mistake1 ,mr4 ,tom4 ,don't you see that ,carry-- ,no mistake at all about it1 ma'am1 for ,i've promised to marry your mother1 ,mrs4 ,marrables6 ,monster6 cried ,mrs4 ,wimbush aloud1 and went off shrieking4 ,the music stopped1 and there was a great fuss4 ,but above all the others was heard the voice of ,mrs4 ,marrables4 ,don't be alarmed1 pray4 ,she is subject to it2 she went off just like that the other day at a picnic4 ,poor young thing1 a very little upsets her4 ,let me come to my little gu-url1 then4 ,they moved her into another room4 ,presently ,mrs4 ,wimbush opened her eyes4 ,mother6 how dare you come near me6 ,go away1 do6 ,you ought to be ashamed of yourself1 at your time of life6 ,my time of life6 ,why1 ,i'm only fifty-four--about ten years older than ,tom4 ,how can you talk so to your mother6 ,mother1 if you don't leave the room1 ,i will4 ,it's really disreputable to have you for a mother4 ,you've never done me any credit4 ,my dear1 ,i am so glad to think you feel well enough to leave the room that ,i will remain4 ,mrs4 ,wimbush got up and went home4 ,jilted1 first for her daughter1 and next for her mother6 ,this was too much4 ,mrs4 ,wimbush went to church as regularly as any one1 but revenge1 after all1 is very sweet4 ,six weeks afterward ,mrs4 ,wimbush recovered sufficient fortitude to go and call on her mother4 ,well1 child1 ,i'm glad you are going to be friendly2 there is nothing like harmony in a family circle4 ,let us consider the relationships into which we are about to enter1 that we may rightly judge of our responsibilities and duties4 ,i and my granddaughter are going to marry two brothers--the consequence is1 she and ,i will be sisters-in-law4 ,but as you are mother of my sister-in-law1 you will nearly be my mother-in-law1 which is a very singular relationship for a daughter to sustain toward her mother1 especially when she is not the wife of one's father-in-law4 ,now1 as-- ,wait a moment1 dear mamma2 ,i've news for you2 ,i'm going to marry old ,unguent6 ,old ,mr4 ,brookshank has asked me to be his wife1 and ,i've consented4 ,the consequence is1 ,i shall be head of the family1 and bona-fide mother-in-law to you all4 ,i don't think we need trouble about harmony1 for we shall be a united family1 more so than any ,i know of4 ,before her marriage1 ,mrs4 ,marrables set to work to draw up a table of the relationships involved by the three weddings4 ,it is an extensive work in three volumes1 and when our readers see ,the ,brookshank ,family advertised1 they will know what it means4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,our ,new ,clubbing ,list ,,for #ahhd4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,in ,,connection ,,with ,,other ,,journals4 ,we offer more liberal terms than ever before to those who desire to take1 in connection with ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 either of the following weekly or monthly periodicals4 ,in all cases the order for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer and either of the following named journals must be sent together1 accompanied by the money2 but we do not require both papers to be sent to the same person or to the same post-office4 ,we send specimen copies only of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,our responsibility for other publications ceases on the receipt of the first number2 when such journals are not received within a reasonable time1 notify us1 giving date of your order1 also full name and address of 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,arthur's ,home ,magazine #d #jj #c #jj ,andrews' ,bazar #c #jj #b #dj ,frank ,leslie's ,popular ,monthly #e #jj #d #jj ,frank ,leslie's ,sunday ,magazine #e #jj #d #jj ,frank ,leslie's ,ladies' ,magazine #d #ej #d #jj ,our ,little ,ones #c #ej #c #jj ,peterson's ,magazine #d #jj #c #cj ,art ,amateur #f #jj #e #jj ,demorest's ,magazine #d #jj #c #jj ,dio ,lewis' ,monthly #d #ej #c #ej ,for clubbing price with any publication in the ,united ,states not included in the above list send us inquiry on postal card4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,now ,is the time to ,subscribe for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,price only #b4jj per year4 ,it is worth double the money4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,publications4 ,,marshall ,m4 ,,kirkman',s ,,books ,,on ,,railroad ,,topics4 ,,do ,,you ,,want ,,to ,,become ,a ,,railroad ,,man ,,if ,,you ,,do1 ,,the ,,books ,,described ,,below ,,point ,,the ,,way4 ,the most promising field for men of talent and ambition at the present day is the railroad service4 ,the pay is large in many instances1 while the service is continuous and honorable4 ,most of our railroad men began life on the farm4 ,of this class is the author of the accompanying books descriptive of railway operations1 who has been connected continuously with railroads as a subordinate and officer for #bg years4 ,he was brought up on a farm1 and began railroading as a lad at #g per month4 ,he has written a number of standard books on various topics connected with the organization1 construction1 management and policy of railroads4 ,these books are of interest not only to railroad men but to the general reader as well4 ,they are indispensable to the student4 ,they present every phase of railroad life1 and are written in an easy and simple style that both interests and instructs4 ,the books are as follows3 ,,railway ,,expenditures--,,their ,,extent1 ,,object ,,and ,,economy4--,a ,practical ,treatise on ,construction and ,operation4 ,in ,two ,volumes1 #hej pages4 #d4jj ,,hand ,,book ,,of ,,railway ,,expenditures4--,practical ,directions for ,keeping the ,expenditure ,accounts4 #b4jj ,,railway ,,revenue ,,and ,,its ,,collection4--,and ,explaining the ,organization of ,railroads4 #b4ej ,,the ,,baggage ,,parcel ,,and ,,mail ,,traffic ,,of ,,railroads4--,an interesting work on this important service2 #dbe pages4 #b4jj ,,train ,,and ,,station ,,service--,giving ,the ,principal ,rules and ,regulations governing ,trains2 #bhj pages4 #b4jj ,,the ,,track ,,accounts ,,of ,,railroads4--,and how they should be kept4 ,pamphlet4 #a4jj ,,the ,,freight ,,traffic ,,way-,,bill4--,its ,uses ,illustrated and ,described4 ,pamphlet4 4#ej ,,mutual ,,guarantee4--,a ,treatise on ,mutual ,suretyship4 ,pamphlet4 4#ej ,any of the above books will be sent post paid on receipt of price1 by ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,st4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,money should be remitted by express1 or by draft check or post office order4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,free6 ,,free66 ,,to ,,any ,,address ,,in ,,the ,,world6 ,,the ,,red ,,river ,,valley ,,illustrated4 ,,an ,,elegant ,,eight-,,page ,,paper ,full of the ,most ,desirable ,information4 ,send for ,publication ,p to ,,james ,b4 ,,power1 ,,land ,,com',r ,st4 ,paul1 ,minneapolis ,manitoba ,ry41 ,st4 ,,paul4 ,,minnesota 99 99 99 99 99 ,,maps4 ,,rand1 ,mc,n,a,l,l,y ,,co4',s ,,new ,,railroad --,,and-- ,,county ,,map --,,of ,,the-- ,,united ,,states --,,and-- ,,dominion ,,of ,,canada4 ,size1 #d #b-a_/b feet1 mounted on rollers to hang on the wall4 ,this is an ,,entirely ,,new ,,map1 ,constructed from the most recent and authentic sources4 --,,it ,,shows-- ,,all ,,the ,,railroads1 --,,and-- ,,every ,,county ,,and ,,principal ,,town --,,in ,,the-- ,,united ,,states ,,and ,,canada4 ,a useful ,map in every one's home1 and place of business4 ,,price1 #b4jj4 ,agents wanted1 to whom liberal inducements will be given4 ,address ,,rand1 ,mc,n,a,l,l,y ,,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,by arrangements with the publishers of this ,map we are enabled to make the following liberal offer3 ,to each person who will remit us #b4be we will send copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,one ,year and ,,this ,,map ,,postpaid4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,drainage4 ,,practical ,,farm ,,drainage4 ,,why1 ,,when1 and ,,how ,,to ,,tile-,,drain --,,and ,,the-- ,,manufacture ,,of ,,drain-,,tile4 ,by ,c4,g4 ,,elloitt and ,j4,j4,w4 ,,billingsley ,,price1 ,,one ,,dollar4 ,for sale by ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,st41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,shepherd',s ,,manual ,a ,,practical ,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,sheep4 ,designed ,especially for ,american ,shepherds ,,by ,,henry ,,stewart4 ,finely ,illustrated ,,price1 #a4ej1 by mail1 postpaid4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,humourous ,illustration ,,the ,,carpenter',s ,,wooing4 ,oh1 beam my life1 my awl to me6 ,he cried1 his flame addressing-- ,if ,i 'adze such a love as yours1 ,i'd ask no other blessing6 ,i am rejoist to hear you speak1 ,the maiden said with laughter-- ,for tho' ,i hammer guileless girl1 ,it's plane what you are rafter4 ,now if file love you just a bit1 ,what further can you ax me8 ,can--will you be content with that1 ,or will you further tacks me8 ,he looked handsaw her words were square-- ,no rival can displace me-- ,yes1 one more favor ,i implore1 ,and that is1 dear ,em1 brace me6 ,she came full chisel to his arms2 ,it really made him stair ,to have her make a bolt for him ,before he could prepare4 ,he tried to screw his courage up1 ,and did his level best ,to nail the matter then and there1 ,while clasped unto her breast4 ,says he3 ,it augers well for me1 ,all seems to hinge on this2 ,and1 what is mortise plane to see ,the porch child wants a kiss4 ,he kissed her lip1 he kissed her cheek1 ,and called her his adoored-- ,he dons his claw-hammer next week1 ,and she will share his board4 --,detroit ,free ,press4 ,,where ,,the ,,old ,,maids ,,come ,,in4 ,do you know1 sir1 inquired an ,american tourist of his companion1 while doing ,england1 can you inform me the reason for the fresh1 healthful appearance of the ,english people8 ,their complexion is far superior to ours1 or our countrymen over the herring pond4 ,well1 ,i know what ,prof4 ,huxley says4 ,and what reason does he advance8 ,well1 ,huxley says it is owing to the old maids4 ,owing to old maids6 ,you surprise me4 ,fact4 ,huxley figures it out this way4 ,now1 you know the ,english are very fond of roast beef4 ,but what has that to do with old maids8 ,go slow4 ,this genuine ,english beef is the best and most nutritious beef in the world1 and it imparts a beautiful complexion4 ,well1 about the old maids8 ,yes1 you see the excellence of this ,english beef is due exclusively to red clover4 ,do you see the point8 ,all but the old maids4 ,they are still hovering in the shadows4 ,why1 don't you see8 ,this red clover is enriched1 sweetened1 and fructified by bumble bees4 ,but where do the old maids come in8 said the inquisitive ,american1 wiping his brow wearily4 ,why1 it is as plain as the nose on your face4 ,the only enemy of the bumble bee is the field-mouse4 ,but what have roast beef1 red clover1 bumble-bees1 and field-mice got to do with old maids8 ,why1 you must be very obtuse4 ,don't you perceive that the bumble-bees would soon become exterminated by the field-mice if it were not for-- ,old maids8 ,no1 if it were not for cats1 the old maids of ,old ,england keep the country thoroughly stocked up with cats1 and so we can directly trace the effects of the rosy ,english complexions to the benign cause of ,english old maids1 at least that's what ,huxley says about it1 and that's just where the old maids come in4 ,science makes clear many mysterious things4 99 99 99 99 99 ,those picture cards ,i brought back from ,boston1 remarked ,mrs4 ,partington1 in a pensive mood4 ,they are momentums of the ,art ,loan ,imposition4 ,don't give up in despair1 girls4 ,naomi didn't marry until she was five hundred and eighty years old--and then she was sorry she hadn't waited a century longer4 ,is you gwine to get an overcoat this winter8 asked a darkey of a companion4 ,well ,i dunno how dat's gwine to be1 was the reply4 ,i'se done got my eye on a coat1 but de fellah dat owns it keeps his eye on it too4 ,her nephew had just come home from his day school4 ,what have you been learning this morning8 asked ,mrs4 ,ramsbottom4 ,mythology1 aunt1 answered the little man1 all about the heathen gods and goddesses4 ,then ,i must brush up my memory1 said ,mrs4 ,ramsbottom1 and ask you a question or two4 ,now1 first1 who was ,juniper8 ,what is a limited monarchy1 ,johnny8 ,well1 my idea of a limited monarchy is1 where the ruler don't have much to rule4 ,give an example8 ,an example6 ,lemme see6 ,well1 if you was bossin' yourself1 for instance4 ,it was at the close of the wedding breakfast4 ,one of the guests arose1 and1 glass in hand1 said3 ,i drink to the health of the bridegroom4 ,may he see many days like this4 ,the intention was good1 but the bride looked as though something had displeased her4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,illinois ,,central ,,railroad4 ,the elegant equipment of coaches and sleepers being added to its various through routes is gaining it many friends4 ,its patrons fear no accidents4 ,its perfect track of steel1 and solid road-bed1 are a guarantee against them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,and ,,youth',s ,,companion ,one year1 #c for the two4 ,it is not required that both papers be sent to one address1 nor to the same post-office4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,pub ,,co41 #aej ,monroe ,street4 ,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,one ,,cent invested in a postal card and addressed as below ,,will give to the writer full information as to the best lands in the ,united ,states now for sale2 how he can ,,buy them on the lowest and best terms1 also the full text of the ,u4,s4 land laws and how to secure #cbj ,,acres of ,government ,lands in ,northwestern ,minnesota and ,northeastern ,dakota4 ,,address3 ,,james ,b4 ,,power1 ,land and ,emigration ,commissioner1 ,,st4 ,,paul1 ,,minn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,agents ,,wanted1 ,male and ,female1 for ,spence's ,blue ,book1 a most fascinating and salable novelty4 ,every family needs from one to a dozen4 ,immense profits and exclusive territory4 ,sample mailed for #be cts in postage stamps4 ,address ,j4,h4 ,,clarson1 ,p4,o4 ,box #bbif1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,medical4 ,,disease ,,cured ,without ,medicine4 ,a ,valuable ,discovery for supplying ,magnetism to the ,human ,system4 ,electricity and ,magnetism utilized as never before for ,healing the ,sick4 ,,the ,,magneton ,,appliance ,,co4's ,,magnetic ,,kidney ,,belt6 ,,for ,,men ,,is ,,warranted ,,to ,,cure ,or ,money refunded1 the following diseases without medicine3--,pain in the ,back1 ,hips1 ,head1 or ,limbs1 ,nervous ,debility1 ,lumbago1 ,general ,debility1 ,rheumatism1 ,paralysis1 ,neuralgia1 ,sciatica1 ,diseases of the ,kidneys1 ,spinal ,diseases1 ,torpid ,liver1 ,,gout ,,seminal ,,emissions1 ,,impotency1 ,,asthma1 ,,heart ,,disease1 ,,dyspepsia1 ,,constipation1 ,,erysipelas1 ,,indigestion1 ,,hernia ,,or ,,rupture1 ,,catarrh1 ,,piles1 ,,epilepsy1 ,,dumb ,,ague1 ,,etc4 ,when any debility of the ,,generative ,,organs occurs1 ,,lost ,,vitality1 ,,lack ,,of ,,nerve ,,force ,,and ,,vigor1 ,,wasting ,,weakness1 and all those ,diseases of a personal nature1 from whatever cause1 the continuous stream of ,magnetism permeating through the parts1 must restore them to a healthy action4 ,there is no mistake about this appliance4 ,,to ,,the ,,ladies3--,if you are afflicted with ,,lame ,,back1 ,,weakness ,,of ,,the ,,spine1 ,,falling ,,of ,,the ,,womb1 ,,leucorrhoea1 ,,chronic ,,inflammation ,,and ,,ulceration ,,of ,,the ,,womb1 ,,incidental ,,hemorrhage ,,or ,,flooding1 ,,painful1 ,,suppressed1 ,,and ,,irregular ,,menstruation1 ,,barrenness1 ,,and ,,change ,,of ,,life1 ,,this ,,is ,,the ,,best ,,appliance ,,and ,,curative ,,agent ,,known4 ,for all forms of ,,female ,,difficulties it is unsurpassed by anything before invented1 both as a curative agent and as a source of power and vitalization4 ,price of either ,belt with ,magnetic ,insoles1 #aj1 sent by express ,c4,o4,d41 and examination allowed1 or by mail on receipt of price4 ,in ordering send measure of waist1 and size of shoe4 ,remittance can be made in currency1 sent in letter at our risk4 ,the ,magneton ,garments are adapted to all ages1 are worn over the under-clothing 7,,not ,,next ,,to ,,the ,,body ,,like ,,the ,,many ,,galvanic ,,and ,,electric ,,humbugs ,,advertised ,,so ,,extensively71 and should be taken off at night4 ,they hold their ,,power ,,forever1 and are worn at all seasons of the year4 ,send stamp for the ,new ,departure in ,medical treatment ,,without ,,medicine1 with thousands of testimonials4 ,,the ,,magneton ,,appliance ,,co41 #bah ,,state ,,street4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,,note4--,send one dollar in postage stamps or currency 7in letter at our risk7 with size of shoe usually worn1 and try a pair of our ,magnetic ,insoles1 and be convinced of the power residing in our other ,magnetic ,appliances4 ,positively no cold feet when they are worn1 or money refunded4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer is the ,cheapest and ,best ,agricultural ,paper published4 ,only #b4jj per year4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,scales4 ,u4,s4 ,,standard ,,scales1 ,,manufactured ,,expressly ,,for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,every ,scale ,guaranteed by the ,manufacturers1 and by ,us1 to be ,perfect1 and to give the ,purchaser ,satisfaction4 ,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,sent ,two ,years ,free ,to any person ordering either size ,wagon ,scale at prices given below4 ,illustration #b-,ton ,wagon or ,farm ,scale 7,platform #f #ab feet71 #ce2 #c-,ton 7#g #ac71 #de2 #e-,ton 7#h #ad71 #ee4 ,beam ,box1 ,brass ,beam1 ,iron ,levers1 ,steel ,bearings1 and full directions for setting up4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,sent #a ,,year ,,free6 ,to any person ordering either of the following ,scales1 at prices named below4 ,illustration ,the ,housekeeper's ,scale--#d4jj ,weighing accurately from #a_/d oz4 to #be lbs4 ,this is also a valuable ,scale for ,offices for ,weighing ,mail ,matter4 ,tin ,scoop1 #ej;c4 extra2 ,brass #ge;c4 extra4 ,illustration ,the ,family ,scale--#g4jj4 ,weighs from #a_/d oz4 to #bdj lbs4 ,small articles weighed in ,scoop1 large ones on ,platform4 ,size of ,platform1 #aj-a_/b #ac-a_/b in4 ,illustration ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,scale--#aj4jj ,weighs from #b oz4 to #cbj lbs4 ,size of ,platform #ad #ai inches4 ,a convenient ,scale for ,small ,farmers1 ,dairymen1 etc4 ,illustration ,platform ,scales--#d ,sizes4 #djj lbs41 #ae2 #fjj lbs41 #bj2 #ijj lbs41 #bd2 #a1bjj lbs41 #bh2 ,wheels and ,axles1 #b extra4 ,in ordering1 give the ,price and ,description given above4 ,all ,scales ,boxed and ,delivered at ,depot in ,chicago4 ,give full shipping directions4 ,send money by ,draft on ,chicago or ,new ,york ,post ,office ,order or ,registered ,letter4 ,address ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,company1 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous ,illustration ,,the ,,standard ,,remington ,,type-,,writer is acknowledged to be the only rapid and reliable writing machine4 ,it has no rival4 ,these machines are used for transcribing and general correspondence in every part of the globe1 doing their work in almost every language4 ,any young man or woman of ordinary ability1 having a practical knowledge of the use of this machine may find constant and remunerative employment4 ,all machines and supplies1 furnished by us1 warranted4 ,satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded4 ,send for circulars4 ,,wyckoff1 ,,seamans ,,benedict1 #ch ,east ,madison ,st1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,given ,,away #aj1jjj ,,in ,,premiums ,,to ,,agents ,ladies or ,gentlemen1 selling our ,,new ,,book ,for particulars write for ,circular ,c4 ,,rand1 ,mc,n,a,l,l,y ,,co41 ,,chicago4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,seeds ,,albert ,,dickinson1 ,dealer in ,timothy1 ,clover1 ,flax1 ,hungarian1 ,millet1 ,red ,top1 ,blue ,grass1 ,lawn ,grass1 ,orchard ,grass1 ,bird ,seeds1 c4 ,,pop ,,corn4 ,warehouses #aae1 #aag #aai ,kinzie ,st4 #ajd1 #ajf1 #ajh #aaj ,michigan ,st4 ,,office4 #aae ,kinzie ,st4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,general ,,news4 ,the ,emma ,bond case has been given to the jury4 ,queen ,victoria will go to ,baden ,baden in ,february4 ,the war feeling in ,france against ,china is increasing4 ,four colored men were lynched at ,yazoo1 ,miss41 on ,saturday last4 ,serious trouble is threatened between the ,orangemen and the ,catholics of ,ireland4 ,the works of the ,lambert ,smith ,wire ,fence ,company1 at ,joliet1 ,ill41 burned last week4 ,mr4 ,villard is sick from nervous prostration4 ,rumor says he is financially embarrassed4 ,it is expected that the ,directors of the ,suez ,canal ,company will pay a dividend of #ah per cent this year4 ,john ,d4 ,leslie1 a grain-dealer of ,elkhart1 ,indiana1 was ruined by handling corn which failed to pass inspection4 ,gen4 ,grant fell upon the sidewalk in ,new ,york1 the other day1 and hurt his hip severely4 ,he is recovering4 ,n4,g4 ,ordway1 ,governor of ,dakota1 is charged with accepting bribes in making appointments of ,county ,commissioners4 ,holloway1 the great pill man of ,england1 is said to be worth #be1jjj1jjj4 ,he spends #bej1jjj per year in advertising4 ,the extensive sewerage system which ,boston has been several years in constructing is at last finished1 at a cost of #d1ejj1jjj4 ,bradner ,smith ,co1 and the ,national ,printing ,company1 ,chicago1 were partially burned out on ,sunday4 ,loss about #bjj1jjj4 ,among the distinguished dead of the year may be mentioned ,chambord1 ,gambetta1 ,gortschakoff1 ,alexander ,h4 ,stephens1 ,karl ,marx1 ,schultze-,delitzsche1 ,turgeneff1 and ,prof4 ,anthon4 ,it is reported that the ,salters' ,company1 one of the largest and most successful of the ,london guilds1 has decided to dispose of its ,irish lands1 and is now offering them to tenants on twenty years' time4 ,during the year #ahhc1 up to the close of business ,saturday night1 #g1bdc1ifi gallons of spirits were produced in the ,chicago distilleries4 ,the total receipts of internal revenue in the first district of ,illinois for the year were #h1ggd1hij4 ,the outcry over the houses of the poor has spread to ,paris4 ,alarming statistics are published of the increase of overcrowding and the consequent spread of disease1 and no less than #fej schemes of reform have been presented to the ,municipal ,council4 ,the deaths between #ahgj and #ahhc have increased per #ajj1jjj inhabitants from #dh to #if in typhoid-fever1 from #ec to #aja in diphtheria1 from #aa to #gd in small-pox1 from #cj to #dc in measles1 and from #g to #ah in scarlet-fever4 ,alarm has been created in ,french commercial circles by rumors that the ,american ,congress will make reprisals for the prohibition by ,france of the importation of ,american salted meats by passing a law increasing the duties on ,french wines or providing for the seizure of ,french adulterations4 ,the ,national1 of ,paris1 says3 ,france must expect that the ,reprisals bill now before ,congress1 which was first directed against ,germany1 will now be turned against ,france4 ,p4,t4 ,barnum has just made his will4 ,in order that there might be no question as to his sanity upon which to ground contests after his death1 he had eminent physicians examine him1 and secured their attestation that he was of sound mind4 ,the will and its codicils cover more than #gjj pages of legal cap1 closely written1 and disposes of real estate and personal property of the value of #aj1jjj1jjj to twenty-seven heirs4 ,the property is in ,new ,york1 ,brooklyn1 ,bridgeport1 ,colorado1 and several other places4 ,mr4 ,barnum values his interest in the ,barnum and ,london ,shows at #c1ejj1jjj4 ,he gives largely to charitable institutions4 ,the number of lives lost by the more noticeable accidents of last year give a total of #abe1jjj1 or over #cdb for each of the #cfe days of #ahhc4 ,these colossal figures are attained principally through the results of three calamities--,ischia1 ,java1 and ,syria4 ,aside from the earthquakes the year was unequaled in shipwrecks1 cyclones1 fire-scenes1 and mining horrors4 ,over thirty people were killed for each day in ,january1 the ,newhall fire1 the ,russian circus horror1 and the ,cimbria shipwreck being the principal of thirty calamities during the month4 ,three hundred and ninety-eight people went down in the ,cimbria alone4 ,two hundred and seventy people burned in the circus at ,berditcheff4 ,the panic later on at ,sunderland1 ,england1 caused the death of #aig children and #aej workmen were drowned like rats in the tub called the ,daphne on the ,clyde4 ,there were #a1fig murders1 #ajg executions1 #ace lynchings1 and #gbg suicides4 ,,markets ,,market ,,reports4 ,,office ,,of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 ,,chicago4 ,jan4 #b1 #ahhd4 ,,financial ,,and ,,commercial4 ,the general bank business of ,chicago last week was rather dull4 ,but few new business contracts were made as everyone was waiting for the ,new ,year to begin before extending business4 ,in the loan market money was quoted throughout the week at #fg per cent interest4 ,eastern exchange opened ,saturday at #be;c off between banks1 but subsequently sales were made at #be;c per #a1jjj premium4 ,the market closed at #becj;c per #a1jjj premium4 ,railway stocks in ,new ,york with the exception of ,northern ,pacific were firm on ,saturday4 ,government securities remain unchanged at last week's quotations4 #d's coupons4 #aijg ,q4 ,apr4 #abc #d's reg41 #aijg ,q4 ,apr4 #abb #d-a_/b's coupon1 #ahia ,q4 ,mar4 #aad #d-a_/b's registered1 #ahia ,q4 ,mar4 #aad #c's registered ,q4 ,mar4 #ajj ,,grain ,,and ,,provisions4 ,more was done on the ,board of ,trade in corn and hog products at the close of the week than in wheat and other grains4 ,the bears had decidedly the best of it on ,saturday4 ,wheat receipts were liberal and everybody seemed willing to sell4 ,outside orders to purchase were exceedingly light4 ,there were many transactions in corn but prices showed a gradual decline4 ,,flour was quiet at about the following rates4 ,choice to favorite white winters #e #bee #ej ,fair to good brands of white winters #d #gee #jj ,good to choice red winters #e #jje #ej ,prime to choice springs #d #gee #jj ,good to choice export stock1 in sacks1 extras #d #bed #ej ,good to choice export stock1 double extras #d #ejd #fe ,fair to good ,minnesota springs #d #gee #be ,choice to fancy ,minnesota springs #e #eje #ge ,patent springs #f #ejg #jj ,low grades #b #bec #ej ,,wheat4--,red winter1 ,no4 #b #iiie;c3 car lots of spring1 ,no4 #b1 sold at #ic-c_/dig-c_/d;c2 ,no4 #c1 do1 #gg-a_/bha;c4 ,,corn4--,fluctuating but active4 ,car lots ,no #b1 #eg-c_/deh;c2 rejected1 #df-a_/b2 new mixed1 #dhdh-a_/d;c4 ,,oats4--,no4 #b in store1 closed #cbcc4 ,,rye4--,may1 in store #edei4 ,,barley4--,no4 #b1 #fffg;c2 ,no4 #c1 #dd;c4 ,,flax4--,closed at #a #da4 ,,timothy4--#a #bc per bushel4 ,little doing4 ,,clover4--,quiet at #e #ijf #ae for prime4 ,,provisions4--,mess pork1 ,january #ad #jb-a_/b per bbl2 ,may1 #ad #eb4 ,green hams1 #h-c_/h;c4 per lb4 ,short ribs1 #g #dj per cwt4 ,,lard4--,january1 #h #ge2 ,february1 #i #jg-a_/b4 ,,lumber4 ,lumber unchanged4 ,quotations for green are as follows3 ,short dimension per ,m #i #ejaj #jj ,long dimension1 per ,m #aj #jjaa #ej ,boards and strips1 ,no4 #b #aa #jjac #jj ,boards and strips1 medium #ac #jjaf #jj ,boards and strips1 ,no4 #a choice #af #jjbj #jj ,shingles1 standard #b #aj #b #bj ,shingles1 choice #b #be #b #cj ,shingles1 extra #b #dj #b #fj ,lath #a #fe #a #gj ,,country ,,produce4 ,,note4--,the quotations for the articles named in the following list are generally for commission lots of goods and from first hands4 ,while our prices are based as near as may be on the landing or wholesale rates1 allowance must be made for selections and the sorting up for store distribution4 ,,beans4--,hand picked mediums #b #ajb #ae4 ,hand picked navies4 #b #bjb #be4 ,,butter4--,dull and without change4 ,choice to extra creamery1 #cbce;c per lb42 fair to good do #bfcj;c2 fair to choice dairy1 #becj;c2 common to choice packing stock fresh and sweet1 #bjbe;c2 ladle packed #ajac;c2 fresh made1 streaked butter1 #iaa;c4 ,,bran4--,quoted at #aa #hg-a_/bac #ej per ton2 extra choice #ac4 ,,cheese4--,choice full-cream cheddars #ab-a_/bac;c per lb2 medium quality do #iaj;c2 good to prime full cream flats #acac-c_/d;c2 skimmed cheddars #iaj;c2 good skimmed flats #fg;c2 hard-skimmed and common stock #cd;c4 ,,eggs4--,in a small way the best brands are quotable at #bfbg;c per dozen2 #bdbe;c for good ice house stock2 #afbj;c per pickled4 ,,hay4--,no #a timothy #h #eji #ej per ton2 ,no #b do #g #ejh #jj2 mixed do #f #ej2 upland prairie #h #jji #ej2 ,no #a prairie #e #ejf #ej2 ,no #b do #d #eje4 ,small bales sell at #beej;c per ton more than large bales4 ,,hides ,,and ,,pelts4--,green-cured light hides #h;c per lb2 do heavy cows #h;c2 ,no #b damaged green-salted hides #f;c2 green-salted calf #abab-a_/b cents2 green-salted bull #f c2 dry-salted hides #aa cents2 ,no4 #b two-thirds price2 ,no4 #a dry flint #adad-a_/b;c4 ,sheep pelts salable at #bhcb;c for the estimated amount of wash wool on each pelt4 ,all branded and scratched hides are discounted #ae per cent from the price of ,no4 #a4 ,,hops4--,prime to choice ,new ,york ,state hops #bbbf;c per lb2 ,pacific coast of #bcbf;c2 fair to good ,wisconsin #aebj;c3 ,wisconsin #ahhb's #hab;c4 ,,poultry4--,prices for live lots were3 ,turkeys #abac;c per lb2 chickens1 #gh;c2 ducks #haj;c per lb42 geese #haj;c per lb4 for full feathered4 ,dressed turkeys sell at #ab;c per lb more than live offerings4 ,,potatoes4--,good to choice #cedj;c per bu4 on track2 common to fair #becj;c4 ,illinois sweet potatoes range at #cc #ej per bbl for yellow4 ,baltimore stock at #b #beb #ge1 and ,jerseys at #e4 ,red are dull and nominal4 ,,tallow ,,and ,,grease4--,no #a country tallow #gg-a_/d;c per lb2 ,no #b do #f-a_/df-a_/b;c4 ,prime white grease #ff-a_/b;c2 yellow #e-a_/de-c_/d;c2 brown #d-a_/be4 ,,vegetables4--,cabbage1 #hab per #ajj2 celery1 #cedj;c per per doz bunches2 onions1 #a #jja #be per bbl for yellow1 and #a for red2 turnips1 #a #ce #a #ej per bbl for rutabagas1 and #a #jj for white flat4 ,,wool4--from store range as follows for bright wools from ,wisconsin1 ,illinois1 ,michigan ,indiana1 and ,eastern ,iowa--dark ,western lots generally ranging at #ab;c per lb4 less4 ,coarse and dingy tub #becj ,good medium tub #cacd ,unwashed bucks' fleeces #adae ,fine unwashed heavy fleeces #ahbb ,fine light unwashed heavy fleeces #bbbc ,coarse unwashed fleeces #babb ,low medium unwashed fleeces #bdbe ,fine medium unwashed fleeces #bfbg ,fine washed fleeces #cbcc ,coarse washed fleeces #bfbh ,low medium washed fleeces #cjcb ,fine medium washed fleeces #cdce ,colorado and territory wools range as follows3 ,lowest grades #adaf ,low medium #ahbb ,medium #bbbf ,fine #afbd ,wools from ,new ,mexico3 ,lowest grades #adaf ,part improved #afag ,best improved #aibc ,burry from #b;c to #aj;c off2 black #b;c to #e;c off4 ,,live ,,stock ,,markets4 ,the total receipts and shipments for last week were as follows3 ,received4 ,shipped4 ,cattle #bg1bie #aa1cfh ,hogs #hi1eje #bb1dej ,sheep #i1dag #d1hef ,,cattle4--,the above figures show a falling off of #ah1hej head from the previous week's receipts4 ,this contraction on the part of shippers is said to have been on account of advice from the commission men who argue that the unusual demand during ,christmas week following the previous large supply would not be very large4 ,dressed-beef operators bought freely and there was a general advance in prices4 ,the quality of the beef was not first-class4 ,the highest price paid for the best was #f #fe per cwt4 ,sales were principally at #ef4 ,common lots brought #d #bed #ie4 ,some poor ones went at #d4 ,cows for butchers sold at #cd1 and inferior lots at #bb #ij4 ,bulls brought from #b to #d #ge4 ,a few car loads of ,texans sold at #c #ejd #ej per cwt4 ,veal calves brought #dg for #ajj lbs4 ,milch cows were lower as the supply has been large4 ,there was a falling off of about #aj per head2 they sold for #be to #ee per head4 ,,hogs4--,during the past week they formed a strong combination to break the market1 all the #bj packing houses doing business here agreeing to buy only a stipulated number of hogs each day4 ,the plan worked as was anticipated1 and although the receipts for the week dropped to #hi1jjj against #ahg1dgj during the previous week1 there was a steady decline from day to day4 ,shippers were good buyers1 taking on an average #e1ejj hogs daily1 but city packers bought only about #aa1jjj or #ab1jjj1 leaving at times upwards of #bh1jjj or #cj1jjj unsold at the close of the day4 ,choice hogs declined only moderately1 but other descriptions were very weak4 ,up to date there have been packed in the ,west this season about #ajj1jjj head more than to same time last year4 ,the market closed on ,saturday at #d #fee #ij for heavy2 #d #fje #cj for light1 and #c #bed #fj for skips and culls4 ,note4--,all sales of hogs are made subject to a shrinkage of #dj lbs for piggy sows and #hj lbs for stags4 ,dead hogs sell for #a-a_/b;c per lb for weights of #bjj and over and ,transcriber's ,note3 blank in original for weights of less than #ajj lbs4 ,,sheep4--,the demand has been brisk and prices for good lots advanced fully #be;c per cwt4 ,the receipts have fallen off greatly4 ,sales were made of common to choice at #b #ejd #fe4 ,no fancy droves were received1 and they were nominal at #d #gee4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,commission ,,merchants4 ,j4,h4 ,,white ,,co41 ,,produce ,,commission #ajf ,s4 ,water ,st41 ,chicago4 ,refers to this paper4 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,gold ,,medal1 ,,paris1 #ahgh4 ,illustration ,,baker',s ,,breakfast ,,cocoa4 ,warranted absolutely pure ,cocoa1 from which the excess of ,oil has been removed4 ,it has three times the strength of ,cocoa mixed with ,starch1 ,arrowroot or ,sugar1 and is therefore far more economical4 ,it is delicious1 nourishing1 strengthening1 easily digested1 and admirably adapted for invalids as well as for persons in health4 ,,sold ,,by ,,grocers ,,everywhere4 ,w4 ,,baker ,,co41 ,dorchester1 ,mass4 ,,cheap ,,farms4 ,,near ,,markets4 ,the ,state of ,michigan has more than #d1ejj miles of railroad and #a1fjj miles of ,lake transportation1 schools and churches in every county1 public buildings all paid for1 and no debt4 ,its soil and climate combine to produce large crops1 and it is the best fruit ,state in the ,northwest4 ,several million acres of unoccupied and fertile lands are yet in the market at low prices4 ,the ,state has issued a ,,new ,,pamphlet containing a map and descriptions of the soil1 crops and general resources of every county in the ,state1 which may be had free of charge by writing to the ,,comm',r ,,of ,,immigration1 ,detroit4 ,mich4 ,,money ,,to ,,loan ,,to ,,farmers in ,illinois on ,mortgage security at #f per cent interest1 with privilege of yearly payments4 ,call on or address ,,burnham1 ,,trevett ,,mattis1 ,champaign1 ,ill4 ,,patent ,procured or no charge4 #dj p4 book patent-law free4 ,add4 ,w4,t4 ,,fitzgerald1 #ajjf ,f ,st41 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,,educational4 ,,university ,,of ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,new ,,york ,,american ,,veterinary ,,college1 #ada ,,west #ed,,th ,,st41 ,,new ,,york ,,city4 ,the regular course of lectures commences in ,october each year4 ,circular and information can be had on application to ,a4 ,,liautard1 ,m4,d4,v4,s41 ,dean of the ,faculty4 ,,sewing ,,silk4 ,,corticelli ,,sewing ,,silk1 ,illustration ,,ladies1 ,,try ,,it6 ,,the ,,best ,,sewing ,,silk ,,made4 ,,every ,,spool ,,warranted4 ,,full ,,length1 ,,smooth ,,and ,,strong4 ,ask your storekeeper for ,corticelli ,silk4 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,buist',s ,,seeds ,,are ,,the ,,best4 ,,warranted ,,to ,,give ,,satisfaction ,,or ,,money ,,returned1 ,,special-,,inducements ,,for ,,market ,,gardeners4 ,,our ,,valuable ,,catalogue ,,of #aib ,,pages ,,free ,,to ,,all4 ,,seed ,,grower ,,robert ,,buist1 ,,jr4 ,,philadelphia1 ,,pa4 ,,facts ,,about ,arkansas and ,texas4 ,a handsome book1 beautifully illustrated1 with colored diagrams1 giving reliable information as to crops1 population1 religious denominations1 commerce1 timber1 ,railroads1 lands1 etc41 etc4 ,sent free to any address on receipt of a #b-;cent stamp4 ,address ,h4,c4 ,,townsend1 ,,gen4 ,,passenger ,,agt41 ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo4 ,illustration3 ,,ferry',s ,,seed ,,annual ,,for #ahhd ,will be mailed ,,free ,,to ,,all applicants and to customers of last year without ordering it4 ,it contains illustrations1 prices1 descriptions and directions for planting all ,vegetable and ,flower ,seeds1 ,plants1 etc4 ,,invaluable ,,to ,,all4 ,d4,m4 ,,ferry ,,co4 ,,detroit1 ,mich4 ,illustration ,,lyon ,,healy ,state ,monroe ,sts41 ,chicago4 ,will send prepaid to any address their ,,band ,,catalogue1 for #ahhc1 #fjj pages1 #baj ,engravings of ,instruments1 ,suits1 ,caps1 ,belts1 ,pompons1 ,epaulets1 ,cap-,lamps1 ,stands1 ,drum ,major's ,staffs1 and ,hats1 ,sundry ,band ,outfits1 ,repairing ,materials1 also includes ,instruction and ,exercises for ,amateur ,bands1 and a ,catalogue of ,choice ,band ,music4 ,,knabe ,,pianofortes4 ,,unequalled ,,in ,tone1 ,touch1 ,workmanship and ,durability4 ,,william ,,knabe ,,co4 ,nos4 #bjd and #bjf ,west ,baltimore ,street1 ,baltimore4 ,no4 #aab ,fifth ,avenue1 ,n4,y4 ,,agents make over ,,one hundred per cent4 profit selling the ,,reflecting ,,safety ,,lamp which can be sold in every family4 ,gives more light than three ordinary lamps4 ,,sample ,,lamp ,,sent ,,for ,,fifty ,,cents ,,in ,,stamps4 ,we have other household articles4 ,send for circulars4 ,,forsee ,,mcmakin1 ,,cincinnati1 ,o4 ,,seeds6 ,,plants--,catalogue ,free4 ,a4,e4 ,,spalding1 ,,ainsworth1 ,,iowa4 ,,pig ,,extricator ,to aid animals in giving birth4 ,send for free circular to ,,wm4 ,,dulin1 ,avoca1 ,pottawattamie ,co41 ,ia4 ,,free ,by return mail1 ,full ,description ,,moody',s ,,new ,,tailor ,,system of ,dress ,cutting ,,moody ,,co4 ,,cincinnati1 ,o4 ,,cards #ej ,,satin ,,finish ,,cards1 ,new ,imported designs1 name on and ,present ,free for #aj;c4 ,cut this out4 ,,clinton ,,bros4 ,co41 ,clintonville1 ,ct4