,,prairie ,,farmer ,a ,weekly ,journal for ,,the ,,farm1 ,,orchard1 ,,and ,,fireside4 ,,established ,,in #ahda4 ,,entire ,,series3 ,,vol4 #ef--,,no4 #b4 ,,chicago1 ,,saturday1 ,,january #ab1 #ahhd4 ,,price1 #b4jj ,,per ,,year1 ,,in ,,advance4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,the ,table of ,contents was originally located on page #bd of the periodical4 ,it has been moved here for ease of use4 ,,the ,,contents ,,of ,,this ,,number4 ,,agriculture--,dew and ,soil ,moisture1 ,page #ag2 ,specialty in ,farming1 #ag2 ,public ,squares in ,small ,cities1 #ag-ah2 ,farm ,names1 #ah2 ,diogenes ,in ,his ,tub1 #ah2 ,field and ,furrow1 #ah-ai2 ,agricultural ,organizations1 #ai2 ,didn't ,no4 #ch ,die ,hard1 #ai2 ,a ,grange ,temple1 #ai4 ,,live ,,stock--,items1 ,page #bj2 ,swine ,statistics1 #bj2 ,iowa ,stock ,breeders1 #bj2 ,the ,horse and ,his ,treatment1 #bj2 ,items1 #bj-ba4 ,,the ,,dairy--,winter ,feed for ,cows1 ,page #ba2 ,churning ,temperature1 #ba2 ,seas of ,milk1 #ba4 ,,veterinary--,about ,soundness1 ,page #ba2 ,questions ,answered1 #ba4 ,,horticulture--,the ,hedge ,question1 ,page #bb2 ,young ,men ,wanted1 #bb2 ,possibilities of ,iowa ,cherry ,growing1 #bb-bc2 ,prunings1 #bc4 ,,floriculture--,gleanings by an ,old ,florist1 ,page #bc4 ,,editorial--,items1 ,page #bd2 ,illinois ,state ,board1 #bd-be2 ,sorghum at ,washington1 #be2 ,the ,cold ,spell1 #be2 ,american ,ash1 #be2 ,wayside ,notes1 #be2 ,letter from ,champaign1 #be4 ,,poultry ,,notes--,a ,duck ,farm1 ,page #bf4 ,,the ,,apiary--,apiary ,appliances1 ,page #bf2 ,what ,should be ,worked ,for1 #bf4 ,,scientific--,the ,star of ,bethlehem1 ,page #bg4 ,,household--,how the ,robin ,came1 ,poem1 ,page #bh2 ,after ,twenty ,years1 #bh2 ,will ,readers ,try ,it1 #bh2 ,the ,secret of ,longevity1 #bh2 ,how the ,inventor ,plagues ,his ,wife1 #bh2 ,recipes1 #bh2 ,pamphlets1 etc41 ,received1 #bh4 ,,young ,,folks--,the ,city ,cat1 ,poem1 ,page #bi2 ,amusing ,tricks1 #bi2 ,bright ,sayings1 #bi2 ,compiled ,correspondence1 #bi4 ,,literature--,the ,wrong ,pew1 ,poem1 ,page #cj2 ,yik ,kee1 #cj-ca4 ,,humorous--,a ,leedle ,mistakes1 ,page #ca2 ,sharper ,than a ,razor1 #ca2 ,a ,coming ,dividend1 #ca4 ,,news ,,of ,,the ,,week--,page #ca4 ,,markets--,page #cb4 ,,dew ,,and ,,soil ,,moisture4 ,bulletin ,no4 #f of ,missouri ,agricultural ,college ,farm is devoted to an account of experiments intended to demonstrate the relation of dew to soil moisture4 ,prof4 ,sanborn has prosecuted his work with that patience and faithfulness characteristic of him1 and the result is of a most interesting and useful nature4 ,the ,professor begins by saying that many works on physics1 directly or by implication1 assert that the soil1 by a well-known physical law1 gains moisture from the air by night4 ,one author says ,cultivated soils1 on the contrary 7being loose and porous71 very freely radiate by night the heat which they absorb by day2 in consequence of which they are much cooled down and plentifully condense the vapor of air into dew4 ,not all scientific works1 however1 make this incautious application of the fact that dew results from the condensation of moisture of the air in contact with cooler bodies4 ,farmers have quite universally accepted the view quoted1 and believe that soils gain moisture by night from the air4 ,this gain is considered of very great importance in periods of droughts1 and is used in arguments favoring certain methods of tillage4 ,professor ,stockbridge1 in #ahgi1 at the ,massachusetts ,agricultural ,college1 carried on very valuable and full experiments in test of this general belief1 and arrived at results contradictory of this belief4 ,he found1 in a multitude of tests1 that in every instance1 save one1 for the months from ,may to ,november1 that the surface soil from one to five inches deep1 was warmer than the air instead of cooler1 as the law requires for condensation of moisture from the air4 ,that exception was in the center of a dense forest1 under peculiar atmospheric conditions4 ,after noting these facts1 ingenious methods were employed to test more directly the proposition that soil gains moisture from the air by night1 with the result that he announced that soils lose moisture by night4 ,professor ,stockbridge's efforts met with some criticism1 and his conclusions did not receive the wide acceptance that his view of the question justifies4 ,in reasoning from observation1 ,professor ,stockbridge noted that the bottom of a heap of hay1 during harvesting1 would be wet in the morning1 the under side of a board wet in the morning1 and so of the other objects named4 ,in the progress of tillage experiments related in his ,bulletins ,nos4 #c and #e1 ,prof4 ,sanborn's attention was again called to this question1 resulting in the prosecution of direct tests of the soil moisture itself4 ,when completed it is thought that there will then no longer be occasion to reason from assumed premises regarding the matter4 ,the trials were begun late1 and under disadvantages2 and are to be understood as preliminary to more complete tests during #ahhd4 ,the experiments were all conducted upon a soil bare of vegetation4 ,prof4 ,sanborn concludes from his experiments thus far that the surface gains moisture from soil beneath it by capillary action1 but gathers nothing from the air4 ,this is made strongly probable1 if not shown2 first1 because the soil is warmer by night than the air4 7,he relies upon other facts than his own for this assertion47 #bnd4 ,because he found more moisture in the soil when covered over night than when left bare4 #c;d4 ,because when hoed1 thereby disturbing capillary action1 he found less moisture than when unhoed1 in surface soil4 ,finally1 he concludes the position proven1 for1 when he shut off the upward flow of water to the surface of the soil1 he found not only less moisture above the cut off or in the surface soil than where no disturbance of capillary action had been made1 but actually less moisture in the surface soil than the night before4 ,strongly corroborating this conclusion is the fact that all of the tests conspire to show that the gain of moisture in the surface of the soil by night is traceable to one source1 and only one source4 ,illustration3 ,,american ,,ash4--,see ,page #be4 ,the facts of this bulletin accord with the previous ones in showing that mulching and frequent shallow tillage economize the moisture of the soil and add new proof of this to those already given4 ,,specialty ,,in ,,farming4 ,this subject in my estimation should begin to attract attention1 especially among the large land owners and farmers of the ,west4 ,if we study the whole catalogue of money-making enterprises and money-making men1 we find that the greatest success has been attained where there has been the greatest concentration on a special line of work4 ,true1 it is1 that specialists are subject to unexpected changes of the times1 and if thrown out of their employment are not well prepared for other work1 and yet their chances for success as compared with the general idea man are as ten to one4 ,for an example look at science4 ,how has it advanced8 ,is it not by the invaluable aid of men who have given their whole lives to the solution of some special problem8 ,it could not be otherwise4 ,if every scientist had attempted to master the majority of scientific truths before he was contented to concentrate his time on some special branch of science1 science would have progressed little or none at all4 ,linnus opened the way in botany1 and the world profited by his blunders4 ,but to be brief--it seems to me that the most successful farmer in the future is to be the man who can so arrange his work that he is led into the deepest research on some one branch of farming4 ,he must be a specialist4 ,he must thoroughly master the raising of fine stock for breeding purposes1 for practical profit and the shambles4 ,attend stock associations1 and hear witnesses testify on every hand to the difficulties connected with properly rearing calves for breeding purposes4 ,the honest breeder1 though full of ideas1 acknowledges he knows but very little on breeding4 ,his time in farm life1 for twenty years or more has been devoted to too many things4 ,is not the expert swine-grower the successful man8 ,books are something1 but practical experience is something more4 ,it matters little however practical the author of a work on agricultural science may be1 unless the man who reads has some practical experience1 his application of the author's truths will be a total failure4 ,we insist1 therefore1 that the successful farmer must be a specialist4 ,he must devote his time to special more than to general farm work4 ,you ask me to outline in detail the idea thus advanced4 ,you somewhat question its practicability4 ,to attempt it might lead to endless discussion1 but let us reduce to example4 ,farmer ,a4 raises cattle1 hogs1 and sheep for breeding purposes1 devotes some attention to fine horses1 and keeps thirty-six cows for dairy purposes4 ,farmer ,b4 devotes his entire attention to dairying and has invested in dairy cows as much money as ,a4 has in all his stock4 ,is it not evident that though each farmer began life the same year1 the latter man will make the most money1 providing the section he is in demands dairy work8 ,it seems to me so4 ,and if we further place limit on the dairyman's work1 we should say he can not afford1 with fifty or seventy-five cows1 to give as much attention to the manufacture of cheese and butter as that work necessarily demands4 ,even though he employs a specialist in creamery work1 he himself must be a specialist to some extent4 ,we say to investing farmers do not put #ejj into horses1 #ejj into fine cattle1 and #ejj into swine1 but concentrate on one class of stock1 and give that your time4 ,j4,n4 ,,muncey1 ,asst4 ,ag4 ,expts4 ,ag4 ,col41 ,ames1 ,iowa4 ,,public ,,squares ,,in ,,small ,,cities4 ,,by ,h4,w4,s4 ,,cleveland4 ,a respectable looking1 middle-aged gentleman called upon me not long since and told me he was a resident of an interior city of some eight or ten thousand inhabitants1 and at a recent public meeting had been appointed chairman of a committee on the improvement of a small park1 which it was thought might be made an attractive ornamental feature of the town4 ,on further inquiry ,i learned that the proposed park was simply a public square with a street on each of its four sides1 on which fronted the principal public buildings1 stores1 etc4 ,it was a dead level1 with no natural features of any kind to suggest the manner of its arrangement1 but they thought it might be made to add to the beauty of the town1 and he had called to ask my advice in regard to it4 ,as the arrangement of such areas had occupied my thoughts a good deal in a general way1 it occurred to me that this was a good opportunity to ventilate some opinions ,i had formed in regard to prevalent errors in their management1 and accordingly ,i addressed him substantially as follows3 ,it is very rare that the people of any town show a just appreciation of the value of such an area for ornamental use4 ,such a piece of ground as you describe in the very business center of a town must of course possess great pecuniary value1 and the fact that it has been voluntarily given up and devoted for all time to purposes of recreation and ornament would lead us to expect that they would at least exercise the same shrewdness in securing their money's worth1 that they do in their private transactions4 ,they have given this valuable tract for the object of ornamenting the town by relieving the artificial character of the buildings and streets by the refreshing verdure of trees and grass and shrubbery1 and that it may afford a place for rest and recreation for tired wayfarers and laborers1 and nurses with their children1 and a pleasant resort for rest and refreshment when the labors of the day are at an end4 ,its arrangement1 therefore1 should be such as to set forth these objects so obviously that no one could look upon the scene without perceiving it4 ,the trees should be so arranged in groups and in such varieties as would afford picturesque effects when seen from the principal points of approach4 ,the paths and open areas should be so arranged as to prevent the possibility of saving time by a short cut across1 and so provided with seats under the shade of the trees as to invite to repose1 instead of this1 in nine cases out of ten1 the trees 7if any are planted7 are simply set in rows at equal distances1 without the faintest attempt at picturesque effect1 and the paths are carried diagonally across from corner to corner for the express purpose of affording an opportunity for a short-cut to every one who is hastening to or from his business4 ,the consequence is that at certain hours the paths are filled by a hurrying throng whose presence would alone suffice to banish the effect of repose which should be the ruling spirit of the place1 while at all other times it is comparatively deserted4 ,perhaps these ideas might not be satisfactory to your people1 and ,i have therefore set them forth somewhat at length in order that you may understand what ,i conceive should be the ruling principle of arrangement4 ,i perceived that my visitor was somewhat disturbed and it was not till he had told me1 in a kind of half apologetic way1 that he did not know but what ,i was pretty nigh right1 that he finally informed me that the square in question was already divided in the manner ,i described1 by diagonal paths1 and moreover that the paths were lined on each side by rows of well-grown trees4 ,i could not help inquiring what further laying out it required1 and it then came out that there had been no thought of a re-arrangement of the component elements of the park in order to give it an expression of grace or beauty1 but they had thought ,i might be able to make it attractive by the introduction of rustic arbors and gateways1 or perhaps a fountain or something of that sort to give it a stylish look4 ,i gave him an advertising pamphlet containing designs and prices of garden ornaments1 and told him they could select and order whatever they liked from the manufacturers1--but declined to give any advice which should connect my name with the work4 ,i have told this story as the readiest means of setting forth my ideas of the capabilities of such public areas1 and also as an illustration of prevailing errors in regard to landscape gardening1 which most people seem to think consists solely of extraneous1 artificial decoration1 by means of which any piece of ground can be made beautiful1 however stiff and formal may be the arrangement of the trees1 shrubbery1 and lawns which give expression to its character as truly as the features of a human face4 ,such squares as ,i have described are the most common and simple forms of public parks1 and they might and should in all cases constitute not only a chief ornament of the town1 but a most attractive place of resort for rest and refreshment4 ,nothing beyond the materials which nature furnishes is needed for the purpose1 but it is essential that these should be gracefully dispersed1 and that they should exhibit a luxuriant1 healthy growth4 ,above all we should avoid the introduction of artificial decorations which are intended to look pretty4 ,if arbors or rests are needed1 let them be placed at the points where they are obviously required1 and be made of graceful patterns2 but do not put elaborate structures of rustic work where no one will ever use them1 and where in a few years they will be only dilapidated monuments of a futile effort at display4 ,the ,village ,improvement ,societies which are everywhere springing up should devote their earliest efforts to the tasteful arrangement and care of these public ornamental areas1 which should form the nucleus and pattern of the graceful expression which should pervade the streets4 ,,farm ,,names4 ,since the call of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer for something new ,i have been afraid to follow any of the old beaten paths so long traveled by agricultural writers2 and have been on the lookout for the something new4 ,something that does not appear in our agricultural papers1 yet of interest to the fraternity4 ,it matters little how trifling the subject may be1 if it begets an interest in farm or country life2 anything that will make our homes more attractive1 more beautiful1 and leave a lasting impression on the minds of the boys and girls that now cluster around the farmers' hearths throughout this vast country of ours4 ,there is a beautiful little song entitled1 ,what is ,home ,without a ,mother8 which could be supplemented with another of equal interest1 to wit3 ,what is ,home ,without a ,name8 ,i answer1 a dreary waste of field and fence1 there being nothing in the mind of the absent one to remind him of his distant home but a lone farm-house1 a barn1 long lines of fences1 and perhaps a few stunted apple trees2 and when he thinks of it1 his whole mind reverts to the hot harvest field1 the sweat1 the toil1 and the tiresomeness of working those big fields6 ,nothing attractive1 no pleasant memory4 ,nothing to draw the mind of the youth to the roof that sheltered his childhood4 ,no wonder boys and girls yearn for a change4 ,then what are we to do to change this for the better4 ,i say give your country homes a name1 no matter how homely or isolated that home may be4 ,give each one a name1 and let those names be appropriate and musical1 short1 sweet1 and easily remembered and pronounced1 and then1 when you go to visit a neighbor1 either on business or pleasure1 instead of saying1 ,i am going to ,jones'1 or to ,brown's1 or ,smith's1 let it be1 ,i am going over to ,the ,cedars1 or1 to ,hickory ,grove1 or1 to ,holly ,hill4 ,how much pleasanter it would sound4 ,there would be no mistake about your destination1 there being perhaps half a dozen ,jones1 ,browns1 or ,smiths within five miles of your home1 but only one ,hickory ,hill4 ,then1 when young folks make up their surprise parties during the long1 cold1 winter evenings1 in place of notifying each other that they are going to surprise the ,james'1 the ,jones'1 or the ,jackson's1 it would be1 we are going to surprise ,pleasant ,valley ,viewfield or ,walnut ,hill4 ,every member of the surprise party would know the place intended1 and the squads and companies of sleighs with their closely packed loads of laughing girls1 and well filled baskets of good things would begin to marshal on the several roads that lead towards the trysting place2 and when the merry-makers reach the well trimmed walnut grove from which the farm takes its name1 and march up to the dwelling1 instead of shouting3 ,mrs4 ,brown1 we greet you1 or ,uncle ,brown1 etc41 it would be3 ,walnut ,hill we greet you1 which would include all the ,browns1 old and young4 ,one of the brightest spots in my memory is the remembrance of ,rose ,valley my childhood's happy home4 ,every pleasant occurrence of my boyhood clusters around that never-to-be forgotten name4 ,it has acted like a guide1 a land mark for me through my life2 and my great aim in life has been to make my own home just like dear ,rose ,valley4 ,to begin the work1 ,i have set my own house in order2 and the following names given to the farms under my care will practically illustrate my plan4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------- ,,former ,,owners4 ,,farm ,,names4 ,,present ,,tenants4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------- ,thompson ,place ,hickory ,ridge ,a4 ,maddox ,home ,elmwood ,mr4 ,houck's home ,doutey ,south ,elmwood ,d4,q4 ,renfrue ,horroll ,gravel ,hill ,t4,h4 ,miller ,conran ,cedar ,grove ,a4 ,miller ,casebolt ,millbrook ,c4 ,blettner ,harness ,burnside ,a4 ,tunge ,heller ,pleasant ,hill ,j4,h4 ,kempf ,lewis ,woodlawn ,w4 ,lewis ,oaks' ,castle ,rock ,noah ,neff ,held ,the ,glade ,w4 ,reubelman ,jackson ,beechwald ,g4 ,edwards ,bottom ,deerfield 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,benna ,the ,mound ,r4 ,oliver ,williams ,blacklands ,w4 ,mitchel ,mc,gee ,lone ,tree ,tom ,miller ,johnson ,south ,park ,owen ,bush ,new ,land ,cedar ,cliff ,peter ,heller ,cypress ,grove ,geo4 ,surlett ,old ,homestead ,middle ,park ,johd ,meintz ,west of ,city ,west ,park ,dave ,meintz ,east of ,r4 ,by4 ,spring ,park ,jas4 ,ballinger ,manning ,place ,longview ,aug4 ,klemme ,cox ,meadow ,hill ,h4 ,stinehoff ,davis ,lilypond ,chas4 ,davis ,renfroe ,beechfield ,i4 ,renfroe ,ruble ,sycamore ,springs ,mrs4 ,sarah ,miller ,bair ,clover ,hill ,w4 ,gunter ,edmonson ,riverside ,j4,h4 ,relley ,new ,cotton ,grove ,w4,h4 ,henson ,garaghty ,wheatland ,j4,h4 ,relley ,price ,roundpond ,w4 ,miller ,jordan ,parsonage ,wm4 ,jackson ,bird ,richwood ,mrs4 ,jackson ,laseley ,richland ,w4 ,lackey ,new ,lakeside ,d4 ,edmunson ,new ,the ,island ,geo4 ,laseley ,sexton ,beech ,hill ,j4,h4 ,irving ,martin ,creekfield ,joe ,bair ,miss ,co ,catalpa ,grove ,geo4 ,burns ,cramer ,hubbleside 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,miller ,spring ,grove ,a4 ,miller ,brown ,east ,gravel ,hill ,j4,h4 ,miller ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ,i give these as samples to guide my brother farmers in selecting names for their homes4 ,every one of those farms can be identified by some local peculiarity1 prominent and visible4 ,for instance1 ,davis place is situated close to a large pond covered with white lilies4 ,standing on the doorsteps of the ,manning place you can view a ten-mile stretch of the ,mississippi river1 while ,mr4 ,relley's place is situated on the banks of that great stream4 ,such names can be multiplied to an indefinite extent1 and duplicated in each county4 ,if such names were generally in use1 it would greatly assist postmasters in their difficult task of knowing which ,smith or ,brown was intended4 ,now brother farmers1 ,i have moved the adoption of appropriate names for every farm in the land2 who will second the motion8 ,give your wives and daughters a chance to name the homestead1 and my word for it1 it will be both musical and appropriate4 ,let us give our children something pleasant to think of after they have left the dear old home4 ,to afix the name1 paint it on a large board and nail it over your front gate4 ,,alex ,,ross1 ,,cape ,,girardeau1 ,,mo4 ,,diogenes ,,in ,,his ,,tub4 ,allow me1 ,messrs4 ,editors1 to give you notes of what ,i see1 and hear1 and learn1 and cogitate1 and endeavor to inculcate1 from my snug little home in my ,tub--will you not8 ,well--having your assent1 ,i begin by wishing you all--editors1 correspondents1 typos1 and devils--a ,happy ,new ,year1 and your excellent paper unlimited success in #ahhd1 and a long life thereafter4 ,next1 permit me to advert to the contents of some ,,recent ,,numbers4 ,first1 to the pro and con of pasturing corn-stalks4 ,that is a subject1 like many others1 on which much can be said on both sides4 ,mr4 ,stahl 7in ,no4 #ej7 quotes ,prof4 ,sanborn as saying that a ton of corn fodder1 rightly cured and saved1 is worth two-thirds of a ton of good timothy hay4 ,that may be true2 but to be rightly cured and saved it must be protected from the rains and snows as the hay is2 otherwise it will be as worthless as the corn left standing in the field4 ,most people who have cut their corn and left it standing in the shock during the fall rains1 know by experience that large portions of it are rendered useless4 ,and if we deduct the waste of corn by wet1 and by rats and mice1 and the waste of fodder1 added to the cost of cutting1 it would seem that a ,subscriber 7in ,no4 #eb7 has at least a strong side of the argument4 ,but these men are both right1 in a degree4 ,in the ,east in cases where the crop is not large1 or in the ,west1 and where the producer has large barns or sheds in which to store his fodder1 it had doubtless best be cut and utilized in that way4 ,but where no such facilities exist and the crop is large1 as usual in the ,west1 ,i can conceive of no better way to utilize the product than to feed it where it grew4 ,,how ,,to ,,raise ,,wheat4 ,prof4 ,hamilton 7see ,no4 #eb7 has hit the nail squarely on the head in his essay4 ,i doubt if there has been a more valuable article on wheat-growing in the public prints1 for many a day4 ,it gives a new view of the question1 and in my opinion illustrates1 at least in part1 why it was that in the early days of wheat-growing throughout the prairie ,states1 the crops were so much better than now4 ,wheat was then sown for the most part on newly broken prairie sod1 and its character was such that the grain could not be deeply covered1 nor could the ground be heaved so much as in later sowings1 when it has been mellowed by deeper culture4 ,prof4 ,hamilton's essay ought to be read by every wheat-grower in the country4 ,other valuable articles in ,no4 #eb are those of ,j4,h41 on ,corn1 ,prof4 ,hall's lecture on ,schools1 and many others--not omitting what the two talented ladies say about hens and bees4 ,,counts ,,and ,,barons ,,in ,,america4 ,some alarm has been manifested in certain quarters1 and ,congress been inquired of1 concerning the fact that divers ,european noblemen have been purchasing large bodies of lands in our public domain4 ,there are no laws1 ,i believe1 to prevent foreign noblemen from acquiring lands in large or small quantities in our ,territories2 but it is clearly contrary to public policy to permit these1 or our own capitalists or syndicates to do this thing4 ,the public lands should be held for actual settlers1 and for them alone2 and it is to be hoped that ,congress will so amend the laws as to prevent ,english or ,european lords1 or ,american lords1 from acquiring large bodies of land4 ,the ,government has been generous--too generous--to the railroads in the gift of lands2 and that policy ought now to cease1 and the roads required to fulfil their side of the contract to the letter4 ,,monopoly--,,agrarianism4 ,in connection with the above1 it will do to say1 that as monopolies increase and gain strength1 agrarianism also is extending4 ,legislation should be so shaped as to check the one1 and give no cause for the other4 ,good government and strict regard for the rights and interests of the masses1 are the surest means of checking agrarian and nihilistic tendencies4 ,had the ,french monarchy and governing classes been just1 the revolution would have been impossible4 ,,to ,,conclude4 ,it does seem to me that your magnificent offer of your ,standard ,time or ,commercial ,map--worth #b itself--in connection with ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 all for #b1 ought to bring you hosts of subscribers1 and that it does is the hope of ,,diogenes4 ,,field ,,and ,,furrow4 ,the best temperature to preserve apples1 potatoes1 turnips1 or any other roots or fruits stored in the cellar1 is just above the freezing point4 ,stiff1 hard clays intended for tillage in the spring ought1 by all means1 to be broken up in the fall4 ,a light1 sandy soil should1 on the contrary1 be suffered to remain unbroken4 ,a wholesale drug house in ,indianapolis1 tells the editor of the ,drainage ,journal that tile drainage has reduced the sale of quinine and other fever and ague medicines nearly sixty per cent4 ,the ,american ,cultivator says that if barley has not germinated the fact of its having been slightly stained by wet is no actual detriment whatsoever2 the grain is not really injured and ought to bring to the farmer just as much as the bright samples of equal plumpness4 ,dr4 ,e4 ,lewis ,sturtevant1 reporting in ,bulletin ,,lxxii4 of the ,state ,experiment ,station his hybridizing tests during the past season with #ace different kinds of corn1 incidentally mentions that the red ears have a constancy of color which is truly remarkable2 where sweet corn appears upon red pop and red dent ears the sweet corn partakes of the red color4 ,an esteemed exchange suggests1 if farmers would go to the barn on a wet day and spend their time in making an eaves-trough for the barn or stable1 and thereby carry away the drip which would otherwise fall on the manure pile1 causing a waste of the elements of plant food contained therein1 they will make more money that day than they could any fine day in the field4 ,american ,cultivator3 ,in winter1 while the ground is covered with snow and the soil is frozen deeply1 it is sometimes curious to note the effect of openings leading down to deep underdrains4 ,the snow will be melted away by the warm air coming up from the unfrozen earth4 ,even in an uncovered drain three feet deep1 a little straw or loose earth will generally protect the bottom from severe freezing4 ,cincinnati ,gazette3 ,there are so many excellencies about the cow pea1 and it is good for so many uses1 that we advise our ,ohio1 ,indiana1 and ,kentucky farmers to be sure and cultivate it this year4 ,next spring1 when all danger of frost is over1 sow1 plant1 or drill more or less of these valuable peas1 and1 in the language of the elder ,weller1 you'll be glad on it arterwards1 and so will your live stock4 ,new ,england ,homestead3 ,nearly level culture1 hand-hoeing and slightly hilling but once1 and keeping the cultivator running1 was recommended at the ,waterbury meeting as the best culture for potatoes4 ,it was said that the second hilling induced a second growth of roots higher up on the plant which produced small tubers4 ,if this is not done the additional growth will make large potatoes4 ,cincinnati ,gazette3 ,during sundry recent visits to ,tennessee1 we noticed that a considerable share of the immigrants arriving were from ,michigan4 ,they are mostly of the second generation from the settlers from the ,east in that ,state--men in the prime of life1 who are seeking cheap lands in a genial climate1 where the pastoral1 dairy1 and fruit-raising pursuits to which they are accustomed may be pursued with perfect success4 ,michigan farmers are usually intelligent1 practical workers1 who understand their profession and like it4 ,they1 and such as they1 appreciate the advantages they will enter upon in their new homes at the ,south4 ,new ,england ,farmer3 ,prof4 ,goessmann1 as ,director of the ,state ,experiment ,station1 has been analyzing a sample of rye hay1 sent to the ,station by ,secretary ,russell of the ,state ,board of ,agriculture4 ,the sample was not cut till in full bloom1 but ,prof4 ,goessmann finds it compares well in nutritive value with a medium good quality of meadow hay4 ,this agrees with our own estimate of well cured rye hay1 judged by its effect in practical feeding to stock4 ,animals usually have to learn to eat it heartily1 as they do many other kinds of coarse fodder which are inferior to the best hay4 ,rye should be cut before it comes in full bloom1 to obtain the greatest feeding value from the fodder4 ,it is then liked better1 and a larger per cent will be digested4 ,republican1 ,manhattan1 ,kan43 ,in traveling through a considerable portion of the country this week1 we noticed that the wheat looked exceedingly promising4 ,the contrast between the green fields and the dry grass and naked trees was cheering to behold4 ,cattle are in good condition2 most of the farmers are provided with sheds or shelter of some sort to protect the animals1 but we saw some small bunches of young cattle standing in unprotected enclosures shivering from the north wind2 it is cruel to take them through the winter without so much as a wind break to turn off the scorching blasts4 ,surely every farmer can afford to build a wind break1 at least a pile of brush and old hay1 around the stock yards4 ,the cost would be more than made up in the saving of feed4 ,they are growing some pretty heavy crops of wheat in ,new ,hampshire4 ,the ,lebanon ,free ,press reports that ,harlan ,flint1 of ,hanover1 raised this year eighty bushels of wheat on five acres of ground1 and ,uel ,spencer1 of the same town1 #bjf bushels from four and a half acres1 while the town farm crop averaged forty-three bushels per acre4 ,that raised by ,mr4 ,flint was winter wheat1 and ,spencer's ,white ,russian4 ,a ,meredith correspondent of the ,laconia ,democrat says that eight farms adjoining each other1 in that town1 have produced this year #ebd bushels of wheat4 ,reports from all sections of the ,state show that a great yield of wheat has been secured wherever the crop has been sown4 ,perhaps by the time the prairie skinners of the ,northwest have spread over all the wheat bearing land this side of the ,rocky ,mountains1 they may begin the ,new ,england ,states and travel the continent over again4 ,correspondent ,farm and ,fireside3 ,there is nothing so much needed about many houses as good walks in paths that must be used daily4 ,there is hardly an excuse for not having them when either brick1 gravel1 or timber can be had4 ,a good walk through muddy yards can be easily and cheaply made by placing poles side by side1 a short distance apart1 and then filling the intervening space with gravel1 or with broken corn cobs1 or with sawdust4 ,oak planks will last many years1 if turned over occasionally1 and this also counteracts warping4 ,one of the best of walks through a level barn-yard can be made by cutting off short pieces from logs1 a foot or more in diameter1 and setting them upon end in a shallow trench4 ,such a walk from the barn to the kitchen will always be clean1 and there will be less to disturb the temper of the women folks of the household1 to say nothing of the good effect upon the men folks who take pleasure in lightening the labor required to keep everything neat and tidy within doors4 ,,agricultural ,,organizations4 ,officers and members of farmers' organizations of all kinds are invited to send for publication in this department notices of meetings1 time of holding fairs1 and other pertinent information4 ,we desire to make of it a weekly bulletin that shall be looked for with interest by members of clubs1 granges1 fair associations1 and agricultural and horticultural societies4 ,the ,maine ,state ,grange has elected the following officers3 ,master1 ,frederick ,robie1 of ,gorham2 ,overseer1 ,h4,e4 ,gregory1 of ,hampden2 ,lecturer1 ,d4,h4 ,thing1 of ,vernon4 ,at a meeting of the ,wisconsin ,state ,grange resolutions were passed requesting the ,legislature to separate the ,state ,agricultural ,experiment ,farm from the ,state ,university1 and to locate it in an agricultural district4 ,at the ,vermont ,state ,grange's annual meeting at ,brattleboro1 ,december #ac-ad1 #ahhc1 #gb granges were represented4 ,for the first time since the organization of the grange its doors were opened to the public1 and the ,state ,board of ,agriculture met with it4 ,worthy ,master ,franklin's address revealed a healthy condition of the ,order in ,vermont4 ,the meeting of the ,massachusetts ,state ,grange was an excellent one4 ,master ,draper was again re-elected4 ,the committees' reports and discussions revealed a hearty interest in and sympathy with the experimental station and the agricultural college1 but the present system by which the college trustees perpetuate themselves was sharply criticised1 and a change in the law was recommended4 ,it was also ,resolved1 that as ,patrons of ,husbandry1 we recommend such a change in the law as will withhold the ,state bounty from all societies that permit liquor selling or gambling at their annual fairs4 ,the annual meeting of the ,michigan ,grange last month was largely attended4 ,the ,secretary's report showed the grange to be in good condition4 ,the committee on the agricultural college recommended the admission of girls to that institution4 ,reports were adopted recommending the restoration of the duty on wool1 so that it shall equal that on manufactured woolen articles2 urged that taxpayers be required to make oath to their assessments2 recommended the continued fostering of the sorghum industry2 condemned the extortionate practices of many millers in the ,state1 urging co-operative mills if necessary to remedy the same1 and asks the appointment of a committee to draft a bill similar to the ,reagan bill to remedy some of the evils of transportation4 ,,didn',t ,,no4 #ch ,,die ,,hard6 ,new ,england ,homestead3 ,the eminent men--,george ,b4 ,loring1 ,daniel ,needham1 ,charles ,l4 ,flint1 ,benjamin ,p4 ,ware1 and ,george ,noyes--composing the late ,massachusetts grange ,no4 #ch1 couldn't appreciate what had happened to them when the ,state ,master's action in revoking the charter of their grange was sustained by the ,national ,grange tribunal4 ,so ,brother ,ware hied him to ,barre1 last week1 to bring the matter up before the ,state ,grange at its annual session4 ,no doubt the eminent men supposed that the presence of the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,ware would alone be sufficient to cause the ,state ,grange to tremble and humbly beg pardon for their ,master's action in disturbing the serenity of this mutual admiration society4 ,alas1 pride must have a fall6 ,judge of the consternation of these eminent men when the ,state ,grange unanimously refused admittance to ,brother ,ware because he was a suspended member6 ,now if the honorable delegate from ,no4 #ch deceased had known when he was set on1 he would have silently packed his grip sack and returned to the secrecy of the obscure agricultural newspaper office at #de ,milk street1 ,boston1 the headquarters of the corpse of ,no4 #ch4 ,but like all eminent men he made a grave mistake4 ,at a subsequent session he induced a friend to move that he be given a hearing1 but the grange again voted against taking any further action in the matter4 ,this double rebuff was effectual4 ,with his hopes dashed to the ground1 the honorable suspended brother crept sadly away to the depot1 and when last seen was trying to derive some consolation from his flattering picture as it appeared in the ,homestead of ,december #ae4 ,as our able contemporary1 the ,maine ,farmer remarks1 it was a triumph of principle1 proving that the grange recognizes no aristocracy4 ,thus may it ever be6 ,a ,,grange ,,temple4 ,at its last meeting the ,national ,grange determined to enter upon the work of erecting1 in ,washington city1 a building in which the records and archives of the ,order may be preserved4 ,it is proposed to raise the money needful to erect such a building in a way which shall enlist the brotherhood at large1 and yet not to be burdensome to even the least wealthy of the members4 ,the ,national ,grange asks each subordinate grange to solicit from every name on its roll a contribution of not less than fifty cents4 ,the money so collected is to be kept separate from all other funds1 and is to be used for no other purpose than the building of a ,grange ,home in ,washington4 ,the treasurer of the ,national ,grange is directed to procure a book in which the names of all contributors1 and the sums contributed1 shall be properly entered4 ,in due time a building-fund certificate will be prepared1 containing an engraving of the building1 and such other devices as may be agreed upon1 and a copy of the same will be sent to every individual who donates the sum of fifty cents or more4 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-,fourth ,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 ,,folks2 ,,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 ,,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 ,,farm ,,machinery1 ,,etc4 ,,nichols' ,,centennial ,,wind ,,mill4 ,illustration ,contains all the valuable features of his old ,nichols' ,mills with none of their defects4 ,this is the only balanced mill without a vane4 ,it is the only mill balanced on its center4 ,it is the only mill built on correct scientific principles so as to govern perfectly4 ,,all ,,vanes ,are mechanical devices used to overcome the mechanical defect of forcing the wheel to run out of its natural position4 ,a wind wheel becomes its own vane if no vane is used1 hence1 vanes--save only to balance the wheel--are useless for good1 and are only useful to help blow the mill down4 ,this mill will stand a heavier wind1 run steadier1 last longer1 and crow louder than any other mill built4 ,our confidence in the mill warrants us in offering the first mill in each county where we have no agent1 at agents' prices and on #cj days' trial4 ,our power mills have #be per cent more power than any mill with a vane4 ,we have also a superior feed mill adapted to wind or other power4 ,it is cheap1 durable1 efficient4 ,for circulars1 mills1 and agencies1 address ,,nichols ,,daggett1 ,,elgin1 ,,ill4 7,successors to the ,batavia ,manf4 ,co41 of ,batavia1 ,ill47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,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 #aj4 #dj ,,lb4 ,,anvil ,,and ,,kit ,,of ,,tools1 #aj4 ,,farmers ,,save ,,time ,,and ,,money ,,doing ,,odd ,,jobs4 ,blowers1 ,anvils1 ,vices ,other ,articles ,,at ,,lowest ,,prices1 ,,wholesale ,,retail4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,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,b4 ,,sperry ,,co41 ,,batavia1 ,,illinois4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,evaporating ,,fruit ,,full ,,treatise on improved methods1 yields1 profits1 prices and general statistics1 free4 ,,american ,m',,fg ,,co4 ,,waynesboro ,,franklin ,,county1 ,,pa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hoosier ,,auger ,,tile ,,mill4 ,illustration3 ,mills on hand4 ,prompt delivery4 ,,for ,,prices ,,and ,,circulars1 ,,address ,,nolan1 ,,madden ,,co41 ,,rushville1 ,,ind4 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 ,,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 ,,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 ,,miscellaneous4 ,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 99 99 99 99 99 ,,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 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous ,,seed ,,corn ,,for ,,sale4 ,a large quantity of first-class1 selected ,iowa seed corn1 in large or small quantities4 ,address ,,mitchell ,,vincent1 ,onawa1 ,iowa4 ,please state you saw ad in this paper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,great ,musical ,wonder of the ,age4 ,a ,,stem-,,winding ,,musical ,,watch4 ,each ,watch is finely made1 silver plated1 and a complete and sweet-toned ,musical ,instrument4 ,size and shape of an ordinary ,watch1 and has a ,music ,box attachment concealed within1 so arranged that when wound at the stem plays one of the following tunes3 ,wait till the ,clouds ,roll ,by1 ,carnival of ,venice1 ,blue ,bells of ,scotland1 ,home1 ,sweet ,home1 ,coming ,through the ,rye1 ,swanee ,river1 ,waltz1 ,polka1 ,schottische1 etc4 ,the notes1 time1 and tones are correct4 ,it will please both old and young1 and is truly the ,greatest ,novelty ever offered to the ,american public4 ,,our ,,special ,,offer4 ,in order to introduce our large ,illustrated ,family ,story ,paper entitled ,,youth into every home in the ,union where it is not a visitor1 we are making this extraordinary offer3 ,upon receipt of #dj ,,cents 7or #bj two-cent postage stamps71 we will send our paper for the next ,,three ,,months on trial1 and this ,musical ,watch as an absolute ,free ,gift4 ,just think of it6 ,a ,music ,box and our large #af page paper three months for only #dj cents4 ,for a club of #c and #a4jj will send three subscriptions and three ,musical ,watches4 ,this is a chance of a life-time4 ,write to-day4 ,address1 ,,youth ,,publishing ,,co41 #bg ,,doane ,,st41 ,,boston1 ,,mass4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hope ,,for ,,the ,,deaf4 ,,peck',s ,,patent ,,tubular ,,cushioned ,,ear ,,drums cure ,deafness in all stages4 ,recommended by scientific men of ,europe and ,america4 ,write for illustrated descriptive book and testimonials from doctors1 judges1 ministers and prominent men and women who have been cured1 and who take pleasure in recommending them4 ,they are unseen while in use1 comfortable to wear1 and make a permanent cure4 ,address4--,,west ,,co41 #g ,,murray ,,st41 ,,new-,,york1 ,,agents ,,for ,,south ,,and ,,west4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,fay ,,grapes ,currant ,,head-,,quarters4 ,,all ,,best1 ,,new ,,and ,,old4 ,,small ,,fruits ,,and ,,trees4 ,,low ,,to ,,dealers ,,and ,,planters4 ,stock ,first-,class4 ,free ,catalogues4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,josselyn1 ,fredonia1 ,n4,y4 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year1 and the subscriber gets 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 ,illustration ,,live ,,stock ,,department4 ,stockmen1 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,hon4 ,a4,m4 ,garland is expected home from ,australia about the first of ,february4 99 99 99 99 99 ,col4 ,j4,w4 ,judy ,son1 the popular thoroughbred cattle auctioneers of ,tallula1 ,ill41 last year sold #b1jeg head of cattle for #ejj1fbj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ohio ,jersey cattle-breeders will hold a convention at ,columbus1 on the #aeth4 ,the ,short-horn breeders of the ,state will meet at the same city on the same day4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,c4 ,huston1 ,blandinsville1 ,ill41 has gone to ,scotland to purchase ,clydesdale horses4 ,he expects to be gone about half the year1 and will make several shipments4 99 99 99 99 99 ,wm4 ,yule1 ,esq41 the well-known ,short-horn breeder1 of ,somers1 ,kenosha county1 ,wisconsin1 names1 through ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 ,march #aith prox41 for his public sale for #ahhd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the annual meeting of the ,american ,guernsey ,cattle ,club1 held at the ,fifth ,avenue ,hotel1 ,new ,york1 ,december #bjth1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,nelson ,borland1 ,new ,london1 ,conn41 was re-elected ,president2 ,edward ,norton was chosen ,secretary and ,treasurer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,three new cases of pleuro-pneumonia were recently discovered near ,west ,chester1 ,penn4 ,thus far the disease has been confined to three dairy herds4 ,all infected animals are promptly appraised1 condemned1 killed and paid for by the ,state4 ,the disease was introduced there by cows purchased at ,baltimore4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the twenty-ninth volume of the new series of ,coates' ,short-horn ,herd-,book has just been published by the ,english ,short-horn ,society4 ,it contains the pedigrees of bulls ranging from 7#dgcaa7 to 7#dhigh74 ,the larger half of the volume is devoted to the entry of cows with their produce4 ,each breeder's entries of females are recorded together under his own name4 ,her ,majesty the ,queen heads the list1 followed by the ,prince of ,wales4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the offices of the ,american ,short-horn ,breeders' ,association in ,chicago were badly damaged by fire on ,sunday1 ,december #cj4 ,some #a1ejj pedigrees were destroyed and many others partially destroyed4 ,pedigrees received previous to ,december #bjth1 were saved4 ,it will take time and work to restore these pedigrees and the loss must cause some delay in the work of the office4 ,it will be remembered that the records of the association had a narrow escape at the time the ,evening ,journal office burned4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following are the officers of the ,national ,chester-,white ,swine ,record ,co4 for #ahhc3 ,hon4 ,jack ,hardin1 ,pleasureville1 ,ky41 ,president2 ,h4,w4 ,tonkins1 ,fenton1 ,mo41 ,vice-,president2 ,w4,b4 ,wilson1 ,eminence1 ,ky41 ,treasurer2 ,e4,r4 ,moody1 ,eminence1 ,k41 ,secretary4 ,the capital stock of the company is #e1jjj1 in shares of #aj each4 ,fees are charged as follows3 ,book of #ajj blank pedigrees1 with stub for private record and instructions for filling1 #a2 for entry in ,record1 each pedigree1 #a2 stockholders1 #ge cents2 ,record will be furnished at cost of publication4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the late meeting of the ,american ,merino ,sheep ,register ,association at ,burlington1 ,wis41 the following officers were chosen3 ,president1 ,c4,s4 ,miller1 ,caldwell1 ,wis42 ,first ,vice-,president1 ,daniel ,kelly1 ,wheaton1 ,ill42 ,second ,vice-,president1 ,f4,c4 ,gault1 ,east ,hubbardton1 ,vt42 ,secretary1 ,a4,h4 ,craig1 ,caldwell1 ,wis42 ,treasurer1 ,george ,andrews1 ,mukwonago1 ,wis42 ,directors1 ,c4,a4 ,dingman1 ,troy ,center1 ,wis42 ,g4,b4 ,rhead1 ,norvell1 ,mich42 ,george ,peck1 ,geneva1 ,ill42 ,e4 ,campbell1 ,pittsfield1 ,ohio2 ,s4,d4 ,short1 ,honeoye1 ,n4,y42 ,john ,s4 ,goe1 ,brownsville4 ,pa42 ,f4,c4 ,gault1 ,east ,hubbardton1 ,vt42 ,e4,f4 ,gilman1 ,farmington1 ,me42 ,ward ,kennedy1 ,butler1 ,ind42 ,a4 ,wilson1 ,richfield1 ,minn42 ,fayette ,holmes1 ,russell1 ,kan42 ,h4,j4 ,chamberlain1 ,davilla1 ,tex4 ,registering committee1 ,t4,w4 ,gault1 ,waterford1 ,wis42 ,c4,a4 ,dingman1 ,troy ,center1 ,wis42 ,perry ,craig1 ,caldwell1 ,wis4 99 99 99 99 99 ,here is an excellent prize winning record3 ,s4,h4 ,todd1 of ,wakeman1 ,ohio1 won on ,chester-,whites and ,poland-,chinas in #ahhc as follows3 ,at the ,tri-,state ,fair1 at ,toledo1 ,o41 sweepstakes for best herd of ,poland-,chinas1 and the same on ,chester-,whites4 ,at the ,michigan ,state ,fair he took sweepstakes on ,chester-,white boar2 at the ,illinois ,state ,fair1 sweepstakes1 for best ,poland-,china sow2 do4 for ,chester-,white sow1 and the grand sweepstakes of #ej for the best herd on the ground regardless of breed4 ,he also won in breeders' ring the prize for best herd of ,chesters1 and the prize for best boar with five of his get2 also first and second prizes for sow with five of her pigs4 ,besides these notable premiums ,mr4 ,todd's stock won for him nearly #ajj class prizes at various leading fairs4 ,,swine ,,statistics4 ,one of the ,chicago dailies recently made the point that this city should be the center of the swine and pork statistics of the country on the ground that here is the center of trade in these products4 ,the point is a good one4 ,some years ago the bulk of the hogs of the ,west was marketed at ,cincinnati4 ,at that time the ,price ,current of ,cincinnati with commendable enterprize established itself as an authority in swine and pork statistics1 and it has held the position from that day to this1 despite the fact that ,chicago has for several years received and packed several times as many hogs annually as has the original porkopolis4 ,and this year1 as usual1 the ,chicago press is dependent upon ,cincinnati for packing statistics throughout the extensive swine-growing regions of the country4 ,of course it makes no real difference to merchants or producers where the figures emanate from so that they are comprehensive and reliable4 ,it is only a bit of local pride that suggests the idea that here should the records be kept and the statistics compiled4 ,if there is not sufficient enterprize here to capture the business1 there is no ground for complaint4 ,we should not have alluded to the matter1 probably1 but for the fact that the ,cincinnati ,price ,current1 with its hog-packing statistics1 for the season of #ahhc has just brought it to notice4 ,here the figures are compared with those of last year3 ,cities4 #ahhc-hd4 #ahhb-hc4 ,chicago1 packed #a1dje1jjj #a1ejj1jjj ,kansas ,city #bed1jei #bcc1ccf ,cincinnati #cja1jjj #cjj1jjj ,st4 ,louis #bjj1jjj #bjg1jjj ,indianapolis #aha1gjj #ahc1jjj ,milwaukee #ahe1jjj #aig1jjj ,louisville1 ,ky4 #adb1jjj #aah1jjj ,cedar ,rapids1 ,iowa #ia1fah #hf1ife ,cleveland1 ,o4 #fb1bhj #db1ceb ,keokuk1 ,iowa #bh1fja #ca1daa ,,iowa ,,stock ,,breeders4 ,the ,iowa ,state ,improved ,stock ,breeders' ,association had a good attendance at its annual meeting at ,ames1 last month4 ,,sheep4 ,hon4 ,j4 ,kennedy read a paper on the subject ,will ,sheep ,breeding ,pay4 ,viewed from a financial point of view1 he thought there had been no better financial results from any commodity than from the sheep--the wool and mutton--when given proper care and attention4 ,speculators and traffickers in wool and woolen goods were failing all over the country1 but he attributed this to want of fitness for the business in which they were engaged4 ,though the present depression in the wool market was somewhat due to tariff tinkering1 was more the result of over-production--greater supply than demand4 ,mr4 ,grinnell said that at one time he was the owner of a flock of #f1jjj sheep1 but wool went down in price1 and he did not think it profitable to keep so large a flock1 and sold out4 ,col4 ,lucas believed the owner of #afj acres of land could not do better than to put upon the tract at least #ajj sheep4 ,hon4 ,e4 ,campbell had found the business profitable where flocks were fairly dealt with4 ,he thought ,iowa one of the best places in the world in which to raise sheep4 ,he believed that both sheep and cattle could be profitably kept upon the same farm4 ,his favorite cross is ,cotswold and ,merino4 ,the average weight of fleece in his own flock was over six pounds4 ,,swine4 ,col4 ,john ,scott introduced the subject of swine by reading a compilation of historical facts regarding them4 ,he presented drawings1 showing the different breeds and the improvements made in them1 in form and size4 ,mr4 ,failor spoke of the ,jersey-,reds as his favorite breed for docility and other essentials4 ,prof4 ,knapp said the most profitable hogs are those with sound constitutions1 good muscular systems1 of early maturity1 and in general made to resist diseases which prevail from time to time1 all over the country4 ,mr4 ,young said that when we want an animal for the farm1 we must first look to soundness of constitution4 ,breed is not of so much consequence4 ,a breed should not be run after merely because it is novel4 ,he breeds ,poland-,chinas4 ,in order to gain the most prolific breeding1 the sows of this breed should not be allowed to get too fat before dropping the first litter2 simply keep them in good condition4 ,c4,r4 ,smith thought early breeding injurious to the swine interests of the country4 ,h4,w4 ,lathrop asserted that the forcing system of putting on meat had injured the constitutions of many of our breeds of hogs4 ,in times past1 when less pampering was in vogue and hogs were allowed wide range1 there was less disease than now4 ,,cattle4 ,mr4 ,clarkson1 of ,des ,moines1 read a paper entitled ,plain and ,practical ,thoughts for ,common ,farmers4 ,it treated of the breeding and care of cattle4 ,mr4 ,roberts said the more care there is bestowed upon cattle1 the more profitable they are4 ,he had bred up from a good ,short-horn bull4 ,other members agreed upon the necessity of improving the grade of cattle4 ,the best demand is always for the best stock4 ,hon4 ,j4,b4 ,grinnell read his paper upon the extent of the cattle interest and the necessity of protecting our cattle from contagious diseases1 in this connection1 the following resolutions were passed3 ,resolved1 ,that we earnestly urge upon ,congress1 in view of the fact1 the cattle interest is one of the most important industries1 the justice and expediency of passing laws providing for an effectual eradication of pleuro-pneumonia from the entire territory of the ,united ,states1 and also preventing the introduction of all contagious diseases in the future4 ,this is the only authority to which we can go for the power for this purpose1 as ,congress has the exclusive power to regulate commerce with other nations1 as well as among the several ,states2 and1 as there is now no law in any of the ,states to prevent any man who has a herd infected with a malignant1 contagious disease1 from taking them anywhere he pleases to the herds of any of the ,states2 to prevent which1 there must be a law more comprehensive in territorial power and extent than any ,state has4 ,therefore1 it is of the most vital importance that the authority to regulate inter-,state commerce should promptly act to protect our great cattle interest from total annihilation4 ,resolved1 ,that the ,legislature of ,iowa1 as a police regulation1 should put the power in some hands1 carefully and wisely guarded from abuse and wasteful extravagance1 to arrest by isolation and destruction1 if necessary1 any contagious disease which may suddenly be developed in any neighborhood4 ,this1 however1 not to include any of doubtful contagious character1 such as hog cholera2 and that we respectfully ask the ,governor to call the especial attention of the ,legislature to this subject1 though there is no pleuro-pneumonia in our ,state now1 nor has there ever been any1 but we need laws to arrest it if any should be introduced4 ,resolved1 ,that nations1 as well as individuals1 who ask justice should do justice1 therefore1 we insist that our ,government should as carefully and vigilantly seek to prevent the exportation of contagious cattle diseases as to prevent their importation4 ,this policy would create a feeling of national comity1 and an effort to eradicate the scourge of nations 7the cattle diseases74 ,,wolves1 ,,dogs1 ,,sheep4 ,the committee on resolutions submitted the following1 which was adopted3 ,whereas1 ,it has become impossible to keep sheep in safety in many parts of this ,state1 owing to the loss occasioned by the ravage of wolves and dogs3 therefore1 be it ,resolved1 ,that this association petition the ,state ,legislature to increase the bounty on wolves and the tax on dogs4 ,resolved1 ,that the ,president of this association be requested to appoint a committee to draft a bill embodying the sense of this meeting in reference to a wolf and dog law4 ,,business4 ,the next meeting of the ,association will be held at ,ottumwa1 commencing the first ,tuesday in ,december next4 ,col4 ,scott is to prepare and publish the proceedings of this meeting4 ,the edition will be #e1jjj copies4 ,the following are the officers for #ahhd3 ,president1 ,c4,f4 ,clarkson2 ,vice-presidents1 ,h4,c4 ,wheeler1 ,b4,f4 ,elbert1 ,r4 ,stockdale1 ,h4 ,wallace1 ,w4,h4 ,jordan1 ,e4,w4 ,lucas1 and ,p4 ,nichols2 ,secretary and ,treasurer1 ,fitch ,b4 ,stacy4 ,,the ,,horse ,,and ,,his ,,treatment4 ,,number ,,one4 ,history chronicles no improvement in the horse made by the agency of man4 ,the horses of the days of ,pharaoh1 or of ,homer1 have their superiors in no part of the civilized world to-day4 ,the ,arabs have for ages been noted for the excellence of their horses1 but that excellence was not created1 nor has it been increased by the arts of man4 ,since the time of ,cromwell the horses of ,england have steadily degenerated4 ,those most conversant with the matter say that this degeneracy has been the most marked and rapid during the last fifty years4 ,the horses of this country lack the value of their ancestors of the ,revolutionary period4 ,nowhere1 or at no time1 can man boast of improving the horse by the arts of breeding4 ,what is the reason of this8 ,the horse1 the ox1 the hog1 and the sheep comprise the four great classes of domesticated farm animals4 ,in certain directions man has improved these three last4 ,these improvements have made them more valuable4 ,the ox has been bred to make more flesh from the same amount of food1 and to lay on fat at an earlier age2 the cow has been bred to give instead of a supply of milk barely large enough to sustain her young1 a bountiful yield1 and of a richer quality2 the hog has been bred into a veritable machine to convert food into pork2 the sheep has been bred to yield more wool1 and of a finer texture1 and to make more mutton4 ,all these changes have been beneficial because the value of the animal lay in its production of beef1 milk1 pork1 wool1 or mutton1 as the case might be4 ,it is true that these changes have been accomplished at the expense of vigor and endurance4 ,these two qualities are important in the hog1 ox1 or sheep1 but those that have been developed so far overshadow their lessening that on the whole we can say that the arts of man have improved our kine1 swine1 and sheep4 ,but it is not so with the horse4 ,its value does not depend upon the quantity and quality of its flesh1 milk1 or bodily covering4 ,unlike the others its value depends upon the work it can do4 ,hence vigor and endurance are the prime essentials of a good horse4 ,but as man has lessened the vigor and endurance of the hog1 ox1 and sheep1 so he has of the horse4 ,this is the invariable result of human art4 ,whenever man tampers with the work of nature he is certain to lessen bodily vigor4 ,it could not be otherwise4 ,for the course of nature1 undisturbed and undeflected1 is always towards the greatest health4 ,man changes the course of nature and the result is lessened vigor and endurance4 ,man has improved some qualities of the horse4 ,he has increased its speed1 perhaps1 but only for short distances4 ,our race horses of to-day would make a sorry record with those of days no longer past than those of the pony express1 to say nothing of the couriers of centuries ago1 because they have been made to deteriorate in vigor and endurance4 ,we have ponderous1 heavy horses to-day2 but they can not do as much work before the plow or dray as those of the eighteenth century4 ,we can not point anywhere to horses produced by breeding that are the equals of the horses of the days of chivalry4 ,they lack not only in vigor and hardihood1 but in intelligence4 ,as the perfect symmetry of development by the course of nature has been destroyed by man the intelligence of the animal lessened4 ,whenever the hand of man has touched his equine friend it has been only to mar4 ,this decrease in the excellence of the horse can not be shifted from man to time4 ,one instance alone demonstrates the unfairness of this4 ,the ,andalusians are now mere ponies1 yet they are the descendants of those noble beasts ridden to victory by the ,spanish chivalry in the days when the valor of the horse was as important as the valor of the knightly rider4 ,taken from their hills and valleys to serve in the haunts of men1 and to be subjected to the arts of breeding1 they have sadly degenerated4 ,but the horses of the ,spanish explorers of both ,north and ,south ,america escaped1 and to-day the descendants of these same ,spanish horses are1 under the nurture of nature and nature's ways1 the superb wild horses of the new world4 ,they are the work of nature2 the ,andalusian ponies are the work of man's art4 ,as this degeneracy is the necessary co-existent of man's breeding1 so far as it is produced by this cause it can not be escaped4 ,but a good part of the evil is not the necessary sequence of breeding per se4 ,it is also attributable to errors in treatment so palpable and easy of correction that it behooves us to note and avoid them4 ,in my next ,i shall briefly mention a few of the most important of these4 99 99 99 99 99 ,breeder and ,sportsman3 ,the old story of the countryman and his deceptive plug was recently repeated in ,jersey1 where people are supposed to have their eye-teeth cut4 ,it was an old gray pacer this time1 attached to a dilapidated wagon by cords and odd ends of harness4 ,the astute hotel proprietor refused to give #bj for the outfit4 ,owner then replied that he would pace the horse over a good track in three minutes4 ,landlord bets #ajj to #ej that he can't do it4 ,money was then put up1 and owner wanted to draw1 as the track was a good way off1 and he could not spare the time to attend to the matter4 ,landlord insisted that the horse must pace or pay forfeit4 ,a sulky and harness were borrowed1 and judge placed in the stand1 according to ,hoyle4 ,owner claims the right to three trials1 according to ,national ,association rules4 ,point conceded4 ,old crowbait is scored up and given the word4 ,works off the mile very slick in #b3dc4 ,landlord feels small1 and #ajj goes into owner's pocket4 ,another greenhorn bets #ajj that horse can't beat #b3dc4 ,rips off another mile #b3db1 and owner pockets the money4 ,landlord feels better2 owner better yet4 ,latest advices3 same old side-wheeler won two or three hundred same way at ,flemington1 some more at ,paterson1 and has had a little pacing circuit all to himself4 ,what fools these mortals be6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following by ,richard ,white in the ,new ,york ,sun1 might very properly have been dedicated to those trichin-frightened twins1 ,bismarck and ,paul ,bert4 ,sing1 heavenly muse1 the noble quadruped1 ,whom ,orientals oft presume to scorn1 ,who glorifies the food that he is fed1 ,extracting carbon from convenient corn4 ,peaceful his life1 his death almost sublime1 ,his end a grand effect of modern art2 ,scarce has he bid a sharp adieu to time1 ,when he is packed and ready for the mart4 ,he goes abroad1 our land to represent2 ,the earth1 from pole to tropic1 is his range2 ,he fills the bill for use and ornament1 ,greases the world1 and regulates exchange4 ,though ministers abroad may lightly treat ,the rights that only appertain to men1 ,they must protect our ,western corn-fed meat1 ,defending our four-footed citizen4 ,if ,bismarck bars our barrels1 tubs1 or cans1 ,forcing our pork to make its way incog1 ,upset his schemes1 and overthrow his plans1 ,and clear a pathway for the native hog4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,detmers1 ,v4,s41 stationed at the ,union ,stock ,yards at ,chicago1 by the ,department of ,agriculture for the purpose of inspecting swine1 alleges that during the last four months he has examined at one packing-house not less than four thousand hogs and has seen at least ten times that number1 but has not seen the slightest trace of disease1 as he certainly should if any had existed4 ,during the last two years but very little swine plague has prevailed anywhere1 and1 as far as he knows1 no diseased hogs have been shipped2 nearly if not all the small rendering tanks having been closed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,m4 ,pasteur1 the eminent ,french scientist1 says epizootic hog-cholera1 even of the most virulent type1 can be prevented by inocculation with the attenuated virulent virus4 ,he also says it is proven that the period of immunity is more than a year2 that1 consequently1 this is long enough for the requirements of hog-raising1 since the period of fattening does not generally exceed a year4 ,yet1 in spite of these happy results1 ,i repeat that the question of the use of vaccination for different breeds needs new investigation1 so that the vaccination of swine may be made general4 ,,the ,,dairy ,dairymen1 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,winter ,,feed ,,for ,,cows4 ,the increasing demand for milk in our cities and villages1 and for gilt-edged butter during the winter season1 is leading some of our most intelligent farmers to study more carefully the problem of winter dairying4 ,it costs more to make butter in winter than in summer1 says the ,american ,agriculturalist1 but if a select class of customers in cities or elsewhere1 are willing to pay for the increased cost of producing it fresh in zero weather1 then there is no good reason why they should not be gratified4 ,its feasibility is already established on a small scale1 and there seems to be no discernible limit to the demand for a first-class article during the six months when the pastures are barren4 ,the farmer who has the capital can readily provide a barn that will make his cows nearly as comfortable and healthy in winter as in summer1 and shelter all the food they need to keep up a constant flow of rich milk4 ,we have not attained1 perhaps1 all the information necessary to secure the best rations for winter milking1 yet we are approximating toward that knowledge4 ,some think they have found in ensilage the one thing needful4 ,yet1 some of the parties dealing in gilt-edge butter begin to complain of that made from rations consisting largely of ensilage4 ,we shall probably have to put down early cut hay with the flavor of ,june grass in it as an essential part of the winter rations for first-class butter4 ,we doubt if the bouquet of the ,june made article can be found elsewhere4 ,another ration will be ,indian meal1 our great national cereal1 which is abundant and cheap and likely to continue so4 ,then we want green1 succulent food with the dry fodder to sharpen the appetite and help the digestion4 ,this suggests roots as another ration4 ,we have carrots1 mangolds and sugar beets2 all easily raised1 and cheaply stored in barn cellars or pits4 ,and from our own experience in using them during several winters in connection with dry feed1 we judge them to be a safe ration in butter-making4 ,cabbage also is available1 and in districts remote from large markets1 might be grown for this purpose4 ,near cities it is probably worth more for human food than for fodder4 ,the whole subject is yet in the tentative state1 and all are looking for further light6 ,,churning ,,temperature4 ,a correspondent of the ,new ,england ,homestead found difficulty in making the butter come from cream raised in the ,cooley ,creamer4 ,in a later issue several correspondents tried to help her through the difficulty4 ,one said3 ,first of all be sure your cream is ready to come before you churn it4 ,if you have no floating thermometer1 please get one right away4 ,deep set cream needs not only to be ripened1 but the temperature must be right--not less than #fb degrees1 and #fe degrees is better4 ,don't guess at it1 but be sure4 ,mix each skimming with the others thoroughly1 and keep the cream pail in a warm place at all times4 ,another said3 ,keep the cream at #fj degrees to #fe degrees all the time before it goes into the churn4 ,take care to thoroughly mix the different skimmings4 ,sometimes in cold weather the butter will nearly come1 and then hold on without any advance4 ,in such cases1 put into a thirty-quart churning1 half a cupful of salt and four quarts of water heated to #ee degrees2 it will cut the butter from the buttermilk in five minutes4 ,my butter sells for fifty cents a pound and this is the way ,i manage4 ,another3 ,sour your cream before churning and have it as near #fb degrees as you can1 and you will have no trouble4 ,the first fall we had the ,cooley we had one churning that would not come into butter4 ,i found it was perfectly sweet4 ,since then ,i have been particular to have it ripe and have had no trouble4 ,,seas ,,of ,,milk4 ,a newspaper correspondent contributes the following which is of course made up of a mixture of facts and guesses4 ,but as it is somewhere near the truth1 as a general thing1 we do as all the rest of the papers are doing1 print it4 ,there are nearly #b1jjj1bej1jjj invested in the dairying business in this country1 said an officer of the ,erie ,milk ,producers' ,association yesterday4 ,that amount is almost double the money invested in banking and commercial industries1 it is estimated that it requires #ae1jjj1jjj cows to supply the demand for milk and its products in the ,united ,states4 ,to feed these cows #fj1jjj1jjj acres of land are under cultivation4 ,the agricultural and dairy machinery and implements in use are worth over #bjj1jjj1jjj4 ,the men employed in the business number #gjj1jjj and the horses nearly #a1jjj1jjj4 ,the cows and horses consume annually #cj1jjj1jjj tons of hay1 nearly #ij1jjj1jjj bushels of corn meal1 about the same amount of oat-meal1 #bge1jjj1jjj bushels of oats1 #b1jjj1jjj bushels of bran1 and #cj1jjj1jjj bushels of corn1 to say nothing of the brewery grains and questionable feed of various kinds that is used to a great extent4 ,it costs #djj1jjj1jjj to feed these cows and horses4 ,the average price paid to the laborers necessary in the dairy business is probably #bj a month1 amounting to #afh1jjj1jjj a year4 ,the average cow yields about #dej gallons of milk a year1 giving a total product of #f1gej1jjj1jjj gallons4 ,twelve cents a gallon is a fair price to estimate the value of this milk at1 a total return to the dairy farmer of #haj1jjj1jjj4 ,fifty per cent of the milk is made into cheese and butter4 ,it takes twenty-seven pounds of milk to make one pound of butter1 and about ten pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese4 ,there is the same amount of nutrition in three and one half pounds of milk that there is in one pound of beef4 ,a fat steer furnishes fifty per cent of boneless beef1 but it would require about #bd1jjj1jjj steers1 weighing #a1ejj pounds each1 to produce the same amount of nutrition as the annual milk product does4 ,,veterinary4 ,,about ,,soundness4 ,it may be supposed that the hackneyed term sound is so explicit as to need no comment1--and most people conceive it to be so2 but the term sound really admits of as much contrariety of opinion as the word tipsy2 one man considers another so if1 at ten at night1 he is not precisely as cool and collected as he was at one in the day4 ,another one calls a man so when he lies on the floor and holds himself on by the carpet4 ,so1--as to soundness1 some persons can not see that a horse is unsound1 unless he works his flanks like the drone of a bagpipe1 or blows and roars like a blacksmith's bellows2 while some are so fastidious as to consider a horse as next to valueless because he may have a corn that he never feels1 or a thrush for which he is not1 nor likely to be1 one dollar the worse4 ,so far as relates to such hypercritical deciders on soundness1 we will venture to say that1 if they brought us twenty reported horses in succession1 we would find something in all of those produced that would induce such persons to reject them1 though1 perhaps1 not one among the lot had anything about him of material consequence4 ,to say the least1 we will venture to assert that nine-tenths of the horses now in daily use are more or less unsound4 ,we make no reservation as to the description of horse1 his occupation1 or what he may be worth4 ,we scarcely ever had1 indeed scarcely ever knew1 a horse that had been used1 and tried sufficiently to prove him a good one1 that was in every particular unequivocally sound4 ,we have no doubt that there are thousands of owners of horses who will at once say we are wrong in this assertion1 and would be ready to produce their own horses as undeniable proofs1 whereby to back their opinion and refute ours4 ,they may1 perhaps1 say that their horses are never lame--perhaps not2 that is1 not lame in their estimation or to their eye2 but we daily see horses that go to a certain degree indubitably lame1 while their owners conceive them to be as indubitably sound4 ,these horses1 perhaps1 all do their work perfectly well1 are held as sound by owners1 servants1 acquaintances1 and casual observers2 but a practical eye would detect an inequality in their going1 as a watchmaker would do the same in the movement of a watch1 though we might look for a week1 or listen for the same length of time1 without being able to either see or hear the variation4 ,the watch might1 however1 on the average keep fair time2 but it would not be a perfect one2 and what matters1 if it answers all the purposes for which we want it8 ,a really bad watch that can not keep time is a different affair2--it is pretty much the same with a horse4 ,if the unsoundness is such as to render him unable to do his work1 or even to do it unpleasantly to himself or owner1 or if it is likely to bring him to this1 our advice is to have nothing to do with him4 ,if1 however1 this is not the case1 or likely to be so1--if you like him--buy him4 ,it is not improbable that a man may say1 ,i begin to believe that few horses that have done work are quite sound2 but a sound one ,i will have2 ,i will1 therefore1 buy a four-year old1 that has never done a day's work4 ,we will acknowledge that if he does so1 he may probably get his desideratum2 but do not let him make too sure of this4 ,there are such things as four-year olds1 unsound1 as well as worked4 ,but1 supposing him to have got this sound animal2 what has he got8 ,an animal that he has to run the risk of making useful1 so far as teaching him his business goes2 and by the time this is effectually done1 and the colt has arrived at a serviceable age1 he will probably be quite as unsound as many of those he has rejected2 independent of which1 and supposing him to continue sound1 the breeder of this horse must have better luck or better judgment in breeding than his neighbors1 if more than one in five or six that he does breed turn out desirable horses in every respect4 ,if he turns out but a middling sort of beast1 it is but small satisfaction to know that he is sound2 in fact1 so little satisfaction should we feel1 that1 if we were compelled to keep and use him1 so far from rejoicing that he was sound1 we should only regret that he was not dead4 ,in relations to the doings of dealers in horses1 it is not our present object to expose the tricks of the trade1 or to prejudice the unsophisticated buyer against all horse dealers4 ,there are honest horse dealers1 and there are dishonest ones2 and we are sorry to say that1 in numbers1 the latter predominate2 that honesty in horse dealing is not proverbial4 ,but horse dealers1 like other mortals1 are apt to err in judgment2 and all their acts should not be set down as willful wrong-doings4 ,however1 be their acts what they may1 the general verdict is against their motives4 ,therefore1 supposing we could bring any person or number of persons to believe the fact that a man conversant with horses might sell1 as a sound horse1 one that might1 on proper inspection1 be returned as unsound1 all that we could say or write1 would never convince the majority of persons that a dealer could innocently do the same thing4 ,if his judgment errs1 and leads him into error as to the soundness of his horse1 it is set down1 not as willful or corrupt perjury as to oath1 but most undoubtedly as to his word and honesty4 ,,questions ,,answered4 ,glanders1 ,chronic ,catarrh1 and ,horse ,distemper4--,h4,p4,w41 ,peotone1 ,ill4--,query--,what are the symptoms whereby a person may know the difference between glanders1 catarrh1 and ordinary horse distemper8 ,reply--,among the prominent symptoms of glanders may be mentioned a discharge of purulent matter from one or both nostrils2 one or both glands on the inside of the lower jaw bones are more or less swollen1 hard and knotty4 ,one or both nostrils are sometimes swollen and glued up by a sticky1 unhealthy looking pus1 sometimes streaked with blood4 ,on opening the nostrils1 pustules and ulcers are seen on the inner surface4 ,the nose may sometimes bleed4 ,the eyes are often prominent and watery2 the coat rough and staring if the horse is in lean condition2 and the voice more or less hoarse4 ,the appetite is not often impaired4 ,sooner or later1 farcy buds may appear on the head1 neck1 body or limbs1 generally along the inner side of the thighs4 ,in chronic nasal catarrh or so-called gleet1 the glands between the jaw bones are very slightly1 if at all1 enlarged2 they are loose1 not hard and knotty1 as in glanders4 ,this ailment1 which is apt to persist for months1 unless properly treated1 may leave an animal in an unthrifty state1 with a staring coat1 disturbed appetite1 dullness at work1 cough and discharge from one or both nostrils2 but there are no pustules or ragged sores or ulcers within the nose1 as in glanders4 ,chronic nasal gleet1 however1 is apt to run into glanders2 and1 as there is no telling when the beginning is1 such a horse1 with chronic discharge from the nose1 should always be looked upon with suspicion1 and be kept away from other horses4 ,the difference between glanders and influenza or ordinary horse distemper1 is so marked that a mistake is not easily made4 ,the more prominent symptoms of distemper are as follows3 ,with signs more or less prominent of a general febrile condition1 there is great dullness and debility1 frequent and weak pulse1 scanty discharge of high-colored urine1 costiveness1 loss of appetite1 and a yellow appearance of the membranes of the mouth and the eyes4 ,the eyes appear more or less sunken1 upper lid drooping and lips hanging1 giving the animal a sleepy look2 there is cough1 soreness of the throat1 and labored breathing2 the mouth is filled with frothy slime1 the legs are cold and sometimes more or less swollen below the knees and hocks4 ,in the advanced stages of distemper1 there is a free discharge from both nostrils4 ,brittle ,hoofs4--,i4,f4,c41 ,camden1 ,ill4 ,if the animal is shod1 the shoes should be removed and reset at least once a month1 to allow the feet to be properly pared and trimmed4 ,if habitually brittle1 it will be proper to keep such feet off from much moisture1 and instead provide dry floor of whatever kind4 ,once or twice a week such feet should be given an ample coat of some simple hoof ointment1 such as equal parts of tar1 tallow and beeswax1 carefully melted together1 and stirred till cold4 ,lung ,disease in ,swine4--,a4,j4,t41 ,emery1 ,ill4 ,most internal diseases of swine1 especially inflammation of the lungs1 which is often given the wrong name of thumps1 are very intractable and apt to prove fatal when occurring during the winter months4 ,prevention is the sheet anchor for these troubles1 and it must be a poor farmer indeed who can not manage to provide clean1 comfortable and dry housing for his live stock during this season1 or who can not comprehend that such is necessary for the well-doing of animals as well as of himself4 ,any animal1 even a hog1 will of course suffer more1 or less severely when constantly exposed to chilly winds1 draft of cold air1 wet ground and damp surroundings1 icy or frozen drink or food1 etc4 ,blindness ,after ,lockjaw4--,m4,j4,g41 ,los ,angeles1 ,cal4 ,let the animal go loose in a comfortable1 roomy1 well-bedded shed1 from which strong light is excluded4 ,apply1 once daily1 to the hollow space above the orbit of the eyes1 a small portion of fluid extract of belladonna4 ,give food which does not require much hard chewing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year1 and the subscriber gets 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 ,,horticultural ,illustration ,horticulturists1 ,write for ,your ,paper4 ,,the ,,hedge ,,question4 ,at one of the ,december meetings of the ,massachusetts ,horticultural ,society a prize essay from the pen of ,john ,j4 ,thomas1 of ,union ,springs1 ,n4,y41 was read on the subject ,hedge ,plants and ,hedges4 ,the subject of the essay was proposed in the form of a question1 ,are live hedges to be recommended either for utility or ornament1 and if they are1 what plants are most suitable8 ,the answer to this question was given from the experiments of the essayist during the last forty years4 ,the deciduous plants tried were the buckthorn1 ,osage orange1 honey-locust1 privet and barberry4 ,the evergreens were the ,norway spruce1 hemlock1 and ,american arbor-vit4 ,the buckthorn has the advantage of great hardiness1 thick growth1 and easy propagating and transplanting1 and requires but a moderate amount of cutting back4 ,but the growth is not stout enough to resist unruly animals1 unless in very rich soils1 and even a moderate amount of cutting back is an objection to farmers4 ,the cost of buckthorn hedges1 including the preparation of a strip of soil five feet wide1 purchase of plants1 setting1 and occasional horse cultivation on each side1 was about twenty-five cents a rod the first year4 ,the yearly cultivation and cutting back1 until the hedge had reached full size1 was three or four cents a rod4 ,though the buckthorn has nearly passed out of use on account of its inefficiency1 it is not impossible that it may be extensively planted when cultivators find that it may be converted into an efficient barrier by inclosing two or three barbed wires extending its length through the interior--these wires1 supported on occasional posts1 being successively placed in position as the hedge increases in height1 the branches growing around the wires and holding them immovably in position4 ,galvanized wire should be always used1 on account of its durability4 ,osage orange hedges require more care than buckthorn1 in assorting plants of equal size and vigor1 and the rejection of feeble plants4 ,like all other hedge plants1 they should be set in a single line1 and eight inches apart is a suitable distance4 ,for the first few years the ground must be kept well cultivated4 ,it is partly tender and will not endure the winters at the ,north1 unless on a well-drained soil4 ,hence the importance of placing a good tile drain parallel to the hedge and within a few feet of it4 ,thus protected1 good hedges have stood for twenty-five years where the thermometer has often shown ten or twelve degrees below zero1 and sometimes lower4 ,no hedge is more commonly mismanaged than the ,osage orange4 ,it is planted in imperfectly prepared ground2 vigorous and feeble plants are planted indiscriminately1 cultivation and pruning are omitted or not done thoroughly1 resulting in broken and irregular lines4 ,when more care is given1 the hedge is nearly spoiled by being pruned too wide at the top1 the heavy shade above causing meagre growth and openings below4 ,it should be pruned in wedge shape1 but shearing is objectionable as causing a thick and short growth of leaves at the exterior1 excluding light from the inside and causing bare branches there4 ,cutting back more irregularly with a knife allows the growth of interior foliage1 and gives more breadth to the hedge4 ,the sheared hedge presents an unnatural stiffness in ornamental grounds2 but skillfully cut back with the knife it has more of the beauty of natural form4 ,the manner of pruning is very important1 both as regards utility and beauty4 ,for farm barriers hedges do not require so elaborate care4 ,another mode of treatment has been adopted in the ,western ,states4 ,the trees are trimmed and the main stems trained upright for a few years4 ,they are then cut half off at the ground and bent over at an angle of thirty degrees with the ground1 a tree being left upright at distances of four or five feet1 and the inclined ones interwoven among them1 a straight line of trees being thus formed4 ,the tops are then cut off about three feet high4 ,new shoots spring up in abundance and form an impenetrable growth1 as many as fifty having been counted from a single plant the first year4 ,the top is cut to within a few inches each year of its previous height4 ,hedges made in this way have no gaps4 ,a similar treatment may be adopted when a hedge becomes too high by long years of growth4 ,the trees are first partly trimmed with a light axe or hook with a long handle1 and then half cut off at the ground and bent over4 ,a new growth will spring up and form a new hedge4 ,this course was adopted by the essayist with a hedge planted twenty-eight years ago1 and which has been a perfect farm barrier for more than twenty years4 ,the cost of this hedge was about twenty-five cents a rod the first year1 and the three subsequent cuttings for sixty rods cost about twenty dollars1 averaging less than a dollar a year4 ,but it was usually too tall and shaded1 and occupied too much ground1 to be recommended where land is valuable4 ,ninety rods of ,osage orange hedge1 properly trimmed1 cost about the same for the first four years of cultivation1 but more for annual cutting back4 ,it was planted twenty-four years ago1 and has been a perfect barrier for about twenty years4 ,the yearly cost of pruning was about four cents a rod for ten or twelve years1 and since it has become larger and higher nearly double4 ,for cutting back a stout hook with a handle two and a-half feet long or a stout scythe was used4 ,hedge shears are too slow except for ornamental hedges1 and even for these the knife is preferable4 ,the ,honey locust has been extensively used for hedges of late years on account of its hardiness4 ,seed should be selected from the most thorny trees4 ,the trees have a tall1 slender1 and not hedgy growth1 and require thorough cutting back to secure a thick mass of branches at the bottom1 and very few have received this treatment when young4 ,the care in planting and rearing is similar to that required by the ,osage orange4 ,many hedges have been injured or even destroyed by pruning after the summer growth has commenced4 ,the pruning must be done in spring before the buds swell1 if vigorous growth is to be preserved4 ,but strong-growing hedges1 that are likely to become too high1 may be checked by summer pruning4 ,though the cost of planting and starting a hedge is less than that of building a good board fence1 they are not adapted to farmers who will not give them the continued care required to keep them in good order4 ,this conclusion is justified by observing how few have succeeded with hedges1 and many have allowed them to be ruined by neglect4 ,the evergreens which have been employed have been exclusively for ornamental screens1 and not for farm barriers4 ,the ,norway spruce may be placed at the head on account of its rigid growth1 hardiness1 and the freedom with which it may be cut back1 it will bear more shade than many other evergreens1 and hence the interior of the screen is green with foliage4 ,the cutting back should be done with a knife1 and not with shears4 ,next to the ,norway spruce is the hemlock1 which excels the former in its livelier green in winter1 while it is unsurpassed for retaining interior foliage4 ,it will bear cutting back to an almost unlimited extent in spring before growth commences4 ,but it is not so stiff as the ,norway spruce as a barrier4 ,the ,american arbor-vit1 though much used1 becomes destitute of foliage inside1 and is browned by winter4 ,by the introduction of barbed wire an important change is likely to take place in planting hedges4 ,barbed wire makes a cheaper fence for its efficiency than any other material4 ,a serious objection to it is the danger of animals being lacerated against it1 the wires being nearly invisible4 ,this objection may be obviated by inclosing the wires in visible hedges4 ,efficiency may also be thus imparted to small-growing hedge plants1 such as privet1 barberry and small evergreens1 which will require but little labor in pruning and would become handsome ornaments4 ,the purple barberry1 for example1 would present an attractive appearance during a large portion of the year4 ,a new value may thus be given to hedges by rendering moderate growers and those easily kept in shape efficient barriers for farm and fruit gardens4 ,,young ,,men ,,wanted4 ,perhaps one of the greatest needs of horticulture at the present day1 is young men to engage in the work--intelligent1 patient1 energetic young men1 who will begin and make it a life-labor and study4 ,what nobler employment in which young men can engage8 ,what field for study and investigation can be found for them which offers a more gratifying and pleasant pursuit1 and promises richer and more substantial results8 ,there are so many open questions connected with the science2 so many points that need investigation1 so many problems to be solved2 so much to learn that is yet unknown--that the needs for more laborers are great and pressing2 and the wonder is that more of our young men are not entering upon the work4 ,that young men are needed1 rather than the old or middle aged1 is because many of the investigations to be undertaken require a lifetime to perfect1 and can only be brought to a profitable issue in a long series of years4 ,such1 for instance1 as the production of new varieties of fruits2 the relative hardiness and longevity of trees2 the effects of soil and climate1 heat1 cold1 etc41 upon plant life2 the degeneracy of species1 etc42--all of which require a long series of experiments to determine4 ,older men1 here and there1 are engaged in these investigations2 but they are passing away in the midst of their work only partially accomplished1 and their labors are thus in a degree lost4 ,our farmers' sons--stout1 healthy1 energetic young men--are the ones upon whom this labor and high duty more properly devolves4 ,to them belongs1 or should belong1 the honor and glory of pushing forward this noble work4 ,many of these1 however1 are mistakenly leaving the farms to engage in trade and speculation2 while others who remain at home mostly incline to other branches4 ,the agricultural colleges are doubtless developing a few faithful workers for these too neglected fields2 but these munificently endowed institutions are believed to fall far short of their duty in this respect4 ,i will close by recommending this matter to the thoughtful consideration of the young readers of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 who1 as a class1 ,i believe to be as capable and intelligent as the country affords1 and with the remark that ,i know of no business in life to which ,i would sooner urge any young friend of my own to devote his talents and his energies4 ,t4,g4 ,,possibilities ,,in ,,iowa ,,cherry ,,growing4 ,prof4 ,budd1 of ,iowa1 sends ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer the following copy of his address before the ,eastern ,iowa ,horticultural ,society1 remarking that its appearance in this paper may lead the ,bloomington nurserymen to look up this very important line of propagation3 ,the topic assigned me is1 as usual1 experimental horticulture4 ,i select the division of the work implied in the heading for the reason that it is1 as yet1 mainly an unoccupied field of inquiry4 ,if the idea occurs that my treatment of the question is speculative rather than practical permit me to suggest that thought and investigation must always precede the work of adapting fruits to a newly occupied country1 especially if that country is as peculiar in climate and soil as the great ,northwest4 ,in the summer of #ahhb1 ,i was fortunate in having a fine opportunity for studying the varieties and races of cherries in ,continental ,europe4 ,the fruit was ripening when we were in the valley of the ,moselle in ,france1 and as we went slowly northward and eastward it continued in season through ,wirtemberg1 the valleys and spurs of the ,swabian ,alps to ,munich in ,bavaria1 through the passes of the ,tyrol in ,saltzburg to ,austria1 ,bohemia1 ,siberia1 ,poland1 and ,southwestern ,russia4 ,still farther north of ,st4 ,petersburg and ,moscow we met the cherries from ,vladimir on every corner1 and our daily excursions to the country permitted the gathering of the perfectly ripened fruit from the trees4 ,still again when we passed six hundred miles east of ,moscow we had opportunities for picking stray cherries of excellent quality from trees standing near the #efth parallel of north latitude4 ,to undertake to tell of the varieties of the fruit and the relative hardiness of the trees--as estimated from the behavior of varieties we knew something of--of the many varieties and races we studied on this extended trip would make too long a story4 ,on the plains of ,silesia1 north of the ,carpathian mountains we first began to be intensely interested in the cherry question4 ,here the cherry is the almost universal tree for planting along division lines and the public highways4 ,as far as the eye could reach over the plains when passing over the railways1 the cherry tree indicated the location of the highways and the division of estates4 ,as we passed the highways running at right angles with the track we could get a glimpse down the avenues to a point on the plain where the lines seem to meet1 and we were told that unbroken lines along the highways were often found thirty to fifty miles in length4 ,as a rule these street and division trees are of a race wholly unknown in this country excepting a few trees of the ,ostheim in ,iowa and ,minnesota4 ,they are classed in the books as ,griottes with colored juice and long1 slender1 drooping branches4 ,the trees are smaller than our ,english ,morello with low stems1 and neat round tops4 ,while some other races are hardy on this plain as far north as ,warsaw in ,poland and ,russia the ,griottes are grown for three main reasons4 7#a7 ,the trees are deep rooted and so small in size that they do little shading of the street or cultivated fields4 7#b7 ,they rarely fail to bear full crops as the fruit buds are hardier and the fruit buds expand later than the ,kentish and the other and more upright forms of the ,morello4 7#c7 ,the fruit is less acid and richer in grape sugar than the ,kentish forms making it more valuable for dessert1 culinary use1 and above all for making the celebrated ,kirsch wasser which here takes the place of wine4 ,some of the thin twigged ,griottes with dark skins and colored juice are as large in size as our ,morello and nearly or quite as sweet4 ,that they will prove hardy and fruitful with us we can hardly doubt as they grow on the dry plains of ,northeast ,europe where the ,kentish forms utterly fail4 ,why have they not been introduced8 ,i once asked this question of ,mr4 ,george ,ellwanger1 of ,rochester1 ,n4,y4 ,he replied that in the early days of their nursery some varieties of the ,weichel type were introduced in their collection4 ,but the ,eastern demand ran in the line of the ,heart cherries and the ,dukes1 and if sour cherries were wanted for pies the ,kentish forms with uncolored juice seemed to be preferred4 ,i suspect the difficulty of propagation and the inferior look of the little thin twigged trees in the nursery had something to do with the ignorance of our people of the merits of this hardy and fruitful race4 ,in the trying climate of the ,swabian ,alps1 the ,tyrol1 and the east plain of ,silesia1 ,hungary1 ,poland1 and ,south ,russia1 the trees are on their own roots mainly1 and the sprouts are used for propagation4 ,when small they are placed in the nursery with the tops and roots cut back in the form of root-grafts4 ,for the use of methodic growers and or planting on private grounds where sprouts are not wanted the trees are budded or inarched on ,prunus ,padus4 ,how will we propagate this valuable race of the cherry8 ,the scions are too small for profitable grafting1 and budding on our ,morello seedlings hardly answers1 as the slow-growing top favors sprouting from the root4 ,perhaps we shall find that our bird cherry 7,prunus ,pennsylvanica7 is best suited for our use4 ,the question of propagation of this race is important1 as the cherries grown in immense quantities in the ,province of ,vladimir1 one hundred and fifty miles east of ,moscow1 and in all the provinces of the upper ,volga are of this thin twigged race4 ,beyond all doubt it is the coming cherry for universal use in ,central and ,northern ,iowa1 and even in ,dakota and the far ,northwest4 ,yet it is not the only race of the cherry which will thrive on our prairies and prove longer-lived1 more fruitful1 and far better in quality than any we now have4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the grounds of the ,pomological ,institute1 at ,proskau1 ,silesia1 we saw many varieties of the ,amarelle and ,spanish cherries that will bear more summer heat1 an aridity of air1 and a lower summer temperature than our ,richmonds or ,english ,morello4 ,in leaf and habit of growth these ,amarells of ,austria and ,south ,russia are much like our ,carnalion1 but some of the varieties bear large fruit1 as nearly sweet as is desirable for dessert use4 ,the race known as ,spanish bears sweet fruit1 much like our tall growing ,hearts and ,bigarreaus1 but the leaves are smaller1 firmer1 and thicker1 and the habit of the tree is nearly as low and spreading as that of the ,amarells4 ,in ,austria we are told that the original stock of these round-topped1 sweet cherries came from ,spain1 but as we went east to ,orel1 ,veronish1 and ,saratov we met varieties of this race on the grounds of amateurs and proprietors who told us that the race was indigenous to ,bokara and other parts of ,central ,asia4 ,while these varieties are hardier than the ,richmond the trees are lightly protected with straw during the winter for protection of the fruit buds1 when paying crops are secured4 ,north of ,orel the ,griottes alone are grown on the bush plan1 with from three to six stems springing up from the crown4 ,in ,vladimir tens of thousands of acres are covered with these bush cherry orchards1 producing many train loads annually of fruit of surprising excellence1 considering the far northern and inland location of the plantations4 ,on the college farm we have some specimens growing of the ,ostheim1 ,vladimir1 double ,natte1 and other forms of the ,griottes1 and a few specimens from ,orel and ,veronish of the ,amarells and the ,spanish races4 ,we have now orders out1 of which we have received a part1 for perhaps fifty other varieties from ,austria1 ,poland1 and ,south ,russia4 ,for the present these will be planted in experimental orchard with a view to noting their behavior in our climate4 ,until scions are grown here we can not make much advance in propagation4 ,the work is necessarily slow1 but it can not fail1 ,i think1 to finally demonstrate that so far we have been on the wrong track in attempting to grow cherries on the prairies of the ,northwest4 ,,prunings4 ,if turnips or other vegetables to be fed to stock become frosted1 place them in a cool cellar1 cover lightly with straw1 and let them remain frozen4 ,if they do not thaw they will be little harmed for feeding4 ,snow should not be allowed to accumulate on evergreens4 ,if so1 and it partly thaws and then freezes1 it can not be removed1 but will catch the snow and wind1 often to the entire destruction of the tree4 ,a frost proof vegetable house is described as made with walls fifteen inches thick1 double boarded1 the space between the boards being filled with sawdust4 ,the ceiling is also boarded1 with about ten inches of sawdust between the boards4 ,new ,england ,homestead3 ,the early black cranberry is the popular early berry on ,cape ,cod4 ,it escapes the early frosts and so the crop produces better prices4 ,a larger1 lighter and longer berry is the ,james ,p4 ,howley1 which is being introduced in ,essex county4 ,the latter variety is not so early as the former1 but bears well1 and in the protected bogs along shore is frequently preferred4 ,northwest ,farmer3 ,mr4 ,edison ,gaylord1 of ,floyd county1 ,iowa1 advocates setting trees in a leaning posture1 to prevent them from being killed by the combined effects of the wind and sun on their southwest side4 ,prof4 ,j4,l4 ,budd1 of the ,iowa ,agricultural ,college1 says1 in confirmation of ,mr4 ,gaylord's view1 he saw hundreds of the finer cherry and plum trees in ,russia planted at an angle of forty-five degrees towards the one o'clock sun4 ,he says that only for a short time will trees thus set have an awkward appearance4 ,the most convenient boxes in which to start seeds and cuttings are those known as flats among gardeners4 ,a good size for the kitchen garden in which to start tomato seeds1 etc41 or for the ordinary conservatory1 is two feet long1 sixteen inches wide1 and three inches deep4 ,these shallow boxes are easy to handle1 take up little room1 and allow of much better drainage to the young plants4 ,salt or soap boxes can be easily cut up into three or four boxes three inches deep4 ,neat leather handles on each end of the box will increase its handiness4 ,the bottom is better if made of several pieces of board1 as the cracks insure good drainage4 ,james ,vick's plan of catching slugs is as follows3 ,take some pieces of slate1 or flat stones1 or flat pieces of tin1 and lay them about in the garden among the plants1 distributing them very liberally2 just at sundown go out and place a teaspoonful of bran on each piece of slate or tin1 and the slugs will soon become aware of it1 and begin to gather and feed on it4 ,in about two hours1 when it is dark1 go out again with a lantern and a pail containing salt and water1 and pick up each piece on which the slugs are found feeding1 and throw slugs and bran into the brine1 where they instantly die4 ,it is well1 also1 to go around in the morning1 and many slugs will be found hiding under the pieces of slate1 and can be destroyed in the brine4 ,by following up this method persistently for a few weeks the garden may be effectually rid of the nuisance4 ,a correspondent of the ,iowa ,register advises us as to the proper manner of performing this operation3 ,to heel trees in properly1 a trench should be dug on high1 dry ground from two and a half to three feet deep2 one side of which should slope from the bottom at an angle of #ce to #de degrees4 ,the trees should then be set against the sloping side of the trench and sufficiently apart to allow of fine earth being brought in close contact with every part of every root4 ,when the roots and bodies of the trees are carefully covered1 the trench should not only be filled but rounded up so as to form a mound over them4 ,when air spaces are left among the roots they are liable to mould and rot4 ,and very frequently1 when they have not been buried sufficiently deep1 the outside bark becomes detached from them and will slip off when they are being taken from the trench4 ,a correspondent of ,gardening ,illustrated 7,england71 says this is the way to make an asparagus bed3 ,trench the soil at once two spits deep1 and work in stable manure as the work proceeds1 or if procurable1 seaweed and plenty of sand1 or any gritty substance1 such as road scrapings4 ,it should be left as rough as possible on the surface until ,april next1 when the young plants will be in the best condition for planting1 viz41 with shoots a few inches long2 then draw wide drills1 and spread the roots of the plants out1 covering with fine sandy soil1 leaving the tips of the shoots just peeping through the soil1 and if mild showery weather prevails the growth will be rapid4 ,put some pea-sticks to support the growth and keep it from suffering by wind waving4 ,merely keeping from weeds is all the other attention required until ,november1 when the old tops may be cut off1 and a dressing of rotten manure spread on the surface of the bed1 to be lightly forked in during the following spring4 ,the ,rural ,new ,yorker says as follows3 ,we plant the ,cuthbert raspberry for late1 the ,hansel for early--both are of a bright red color1 and suitable for market as well as for home use4 ,for a yellow plant the ,caroline4 ,it is hardy and productive1 though not of the first quality4 ,for canning1 or for table use1 if you like a fruit full of raspberry flavor though a little tart1 ,shaffer's ,colossal4 ,it is rather dark in color for market1 and perhaps a little soft4 ,for a hardy1 early1 red raspberry that is sweet and delicious for home use1 plant the ,turner4 ,for a raspberry that is excellent in every way1 plant the new ,marlboro4 ,for the earliest and most productive of blackcaps1 plant the ,souhegan4 ,for a larger and later blackcap1 plant the ,gregg4 ,for currants1 plant the ,fay's ,prolific for red1 and the ,white ,grape currant for white4 ,for grapes1 plant the ,lady for earliest white1 ,moore's ,early and ,worden for early black4 ,for later1 plant the ,victoria or ,pocklington1 for light colored2 the ,vergennes1 ,jefferson4 ,brighton or ,centennial for red1 and the ,wilder1 ,herbert or ,barry for black4 ,for strawberries1 try the ,cumberland ,triumph1 ,charles ,downing1 ,sharpless1 ,manchester 7pistillate71 ,daniel ,boone1 ,james ,vick1 ,mount ,vernon1 ,hart's ,minnesota1 and ,kentucky4 ,you can not select a better list for trial unless by experience you know already what varieties will succeed best on your land4 ,,floriculture ,gleanings by an ,old ,florist4 ,,propagating ,,houses ,,and ,,other ,,things4 ,in the days of our boyhood the propagating house was1 in the more pretentious nurseries1 a very sacred place1 under lock and key1 and some of its mysteries supposed to be so profound that prying eyes of other establishments were not welcome4 ,bell glasses in those days were thought to be indispensable1 and some of the plants desired to be propagated were found to require months1 sometimes nearly a year1 before they could be transferred from the cutting pots4 ,the hot-water tanks1 and other bottom heat appliances of the present day were then unknown2 and these appliances have resulted in greater simplicity of management4 ,still we are bound to admit that the demands here generally embrace a class of plants that1 as a rule1 are found to root the most readily1 while those that have always been known to tax the propagator's skill1 as the ,heaths1 ,new ,holland1 and others called hard wooded plants1 are but little called for in this market4 ,at that time nearly everything was placed in pots of almost pure white sand1 surrounded by the ordinary atmosphere of the house2 while nowadays the establishment must be small indeed if it does not contain some place where the bed is so arranged that the heat at the bottom is from ten to fifteen degrees above that of the house proper4 ,here lies the whole secret as to whether it is a part of a single green-house or a house devoted exclusively to propagating purposes4 ,for the purpose of being able at all times to control the temperature of the top1 the propagating house has often a northern exposure1 except in the very dead of winter4 ,with a bright1 clear sun above it is almost impossible in the daytime to keep down the temperature of the house sufficiently to prevent the young cuttings from wilting1 after which disaster is very likely to follow in their final rooting4 ,given a top temperature never above #ee or #fe degrees1 with a bottom always from #aj to #ae degrees higher1 if the cuttings are in good shape it is a simple matter to root them in from seven to fifteen days2 though the time it takes depends1 of course1 upon the plant and condition of the wood4 ,at first efforts used to be contrived to get this bottom heat by means of the old flue system1 with plenty of material covering the bricks1 to break1 in part1 the dry burning nature of the heat4 ,then hot water came in and furnished what was thought the acme of a propagator1 and tanks of elaborate workmanship1 and made of the finest material down to the commonest wood1 were made so a circulation of hot water was kept up over as large an area as the necessity of the owner might require4 ,the results seemed excellent1 but lo1 every now and again1 disastrous failures would occur4 ,a material would spread all around called by the florist the cutting bench fungus1 that would sweep through his crop like a plague2 all sorts of theories would be given1 and numberless articles appear in the horticultural periodicals of the day on its cause and cure4 ,presently it was found that those who did not use a tank of water1 but had inclosed a space to be heated by hot water pipes1 did not seem to suffer so much from the invidious foe4 ,much moisture was found an excellent remedy for the enemy1 though it might have been its first cause1 as it could be best warded off by dousing with the once praised hot water tank4 ,whether a house is used exclusively or not1 the ordinary hot water pipes are simply inclosed in a brick or wood space1 with ventilators that may be opened to let off part of the confined heat into the house at pleasure4 ,the front benches used are about two feet six inches to three feet in width1 over1 say four #d-;inch pipes1 up to within eighteen inches or two feet of the glass4 ,on this is a platform over which three to six inches of sand is put1 and in this bed are placed the cuttings where1 with the differences before mentioned1 they are kept as uniform as possible1 and the sand kept decidedly wet4 ,almost everything we called soft wooded1 or that can be got from the soft wood1 even including most of our hardy shrubs1 can be rooted with almost unerring certainty in the larger establishments by the hundreds of thousands4 ,as modern ideas demand large propagating1 even in the summer1 when it is next to impossible to keep these proportions of top and bottom heat1 if in an ordinary propagating house1 such firms as ,miller ,hunt1 strike out with another idea to overcome the difficulty4 ,this is none other than instead of glass1 they have a muslin canvas-covered house1 in which they have again pits1 where mild bottom heat can be obtained by the use of spent hops1 tan bark1 manure1 or other material4 ,of course1 it would be idle to talk of a summer bottom heat of #fj deg41 but instead of that1 they get one of about #hj deg41 and depend upon a close1 uniform1 high1 moist temperature to carry out the same results4 ,with this1 rose plants can be and are raised by the hundreds of thousands from the single eye to a cutting1 with a loss of not five per cent in the aggregate1 and often not one per cent4 ,it is very evident that with new or scarce plants this is an enormous average1 as by its means firms can import the new ,european plants in the spring1 at perhaps very high rates1 start them into immediate1 rapid growth1 and from half a dozen plants to work on1 maybe in the next spring markets have hundreds for sale4 ,this is all new as managed by us old 'uns in former times1 but he who expects to be up with the present day and cater for that class of patronage1 must take the new and not the old way of doing things1 or he will1 in the vernacular of the streets1 get left4 ,as we are on this particular topic1 however1 and as the amateur window plant-grower may want to propagate some little stock as well1 even if not on these high-falutin ways1 it might not be amiss to say that beyond the methods of slipping here and there cuttings in and among others growing in pots1 or1 mayhap1 in a pot all by themselves1 they can readily root lots of plants in a water and sand bath1 which is nothing more than taking a deep saucer1 putting half an inch of sand in the bottom1 filling up the saucer full of water1 and keeping it full2 stick your cuttings into this1 place right in the sunniest spot of your window1 and they will grow about as certain1 many of them1 as if treated by the florist's more portentious method4 ,likely the reason of all this is1 the water keeps the cuttings from wilting long enough for them to put forth their efforts for existence in the shape of new roots1 obtained from the stored up material in the cuttings1 and as soon as this is done they become new individual plants1 requiring only to be transferred into a suitable medium of earth to go on as an independent1 but similar existence to the plant from which they were obtained4 ,,edgar ,,sanders4 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 subscriber4 ,,weeklies4 ,price of ,the two the two4 for ,harper's ,weekly #f #jj #d #fj ,harper's ,bazar #f #jj #d #fj ,harper's ,young ,people #c #ej #b #ee ,new ,york ,tribune #d #jj #b #ej ,toledo ,blade #d #jj #b #bj ,chicago ,times #c #be #b #ej ,chicago ,tribune #c #ej #b #ej ,chicago ,inter-,ocean #c #ae #b #ej ,chicago ,journal #c #be #b #ej ,peck's ,sun #c #ge #c #jj ,milwaukee ,sentinel #c #jj #b #ej ,western ,farmer 7,madison1 ,wis47 #c #jj #b #jj ,burlington ,hawkeye #d #jj #c #jj ,the ,continent 7,weekly ,magazine7 #f #jj #e #jj ,detroit ,free ,press1 with ,supplement #d #jj #b #ej ,detroit ,free ,press1 ,state edition #c #ej #b #bj ,louisville ,courier-,journal #c #ge #c #jj ,st4 ,louis ,globe-,democrat #c #jj #b #ae ,st4 ,louis ,republican #c #jj #b #ae ,scientific ,american #e #bj #d #ae ,interior 7,presbyterian7 #d #ej #c #fj ,standard 7,baptist7 #d #gj #c #fj ,advance 7,congregational7 #e #jj #c #ce ,alliance #d #jj #c #jj ,new ,york ,independent #e #jj #d #jj ,christian ,union #e #jj #d #jj ,boston ,pilot 7,catholic7 #d #ej #c #ej ,american ,bee ,journal #d #jj #c #ej ,florida ,agriculturist #d #jj #b #ge ,breeder's ,gazette #e #jj #c #ej ,witness 7,n4,y47 #c #ej #c #jj ,methodist 7,n4,y47 #d #jj #c #ej ,chicago ,news #c #jj #b #ej ,globe 7,boston7 #c #jj #b #ge ,youth's ,companion #c #ge #c #jj ,weekly ,novelist #e #jj #d #be ,ledger 7,chicago7 #c #jj #b #ij ,american ,bee ,journal #d #jj #c #be ,,monthlies4 ,harper's ,monthly #f #jj #d #ej ,atlantic ,monthly #f #jj #d #ej ,appleton's ,journal #e #jj #d #be ,the ,century #f #jj #d #ej ,north ,american ,review #g #jj #e #ej ,popular ,science ,monthly #g #jj #e #ej ,lippincott's ,magazine #f #jj #d #ej ,godey's ,lady's ,book #d #jj #c #jj ,st4 ,nicholas #e #jj #c #ej ,vick's ,illustrated ,magazine #c #be #b #be ,am4 ,poultry ,journal 7,chicago7 #c #be #b #ge ,american ,bee ,journal #c #jj #b #be ,gardener's ,monthly #d #jj #c #jj ,wide ,awake #d #ej #c #jj ,phrenological ,journal #d #jj #c #jj ,american ,agriculturist #c #ej #b #ej ,poultry ,world #c #be #b #ge ,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 ,,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 ,,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 ,,now is the time to ,subscribe for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer4 ,price only #b4jj per year is worth double the money4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,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 ,advertising4 #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 #b #jj4 ,all ,communications1 ,remittances1 c41 should be addressed to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,company1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,prairie ,farmer ,,entered ,,at ,,the ,,chicago ,,post ,,office ,,as ,,second-,,class ,,matter4 ,,chicago1 ,,january #ab1 #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--#ehda 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 horticulturists1 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 #b #jj 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 ,size4 #ehx#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 ,the sorghum-growers of ,kansas are invited to meet at ,topeka1 the second ,wednesday in ,february4 ,the ,kansas wool-growers meet on the #aeth of this month4 ,do not forget the ,mississippi ,valley ,horticultural ,society meeting at ,kansas ,city1 ,january #bb-be4 ,this will prove one of the important horticultural events of the year4 ,if any of our friends have ,vols4 ,i to ,,xiv1 and the years #ahfa1 #ahfc to #ahgc1 and #ahge to #ahhc1 of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 they would like to dispose of1 we should be glad to hear from them4 ,the fifteenth annual exhibition of the ,montana ,agricultural1 ,mineral and ,mechanical ,association1 will be held at ,helena1 ,september #hth-#acth1 #ahhd4 ,president1 ,s4,h4 ,crounse2 ,francis ,pope1 ,secretary4 ,the twenty-fifth annual fair of the ,linn ,county 7,iowa7 ,agricultural and ,mechanical ,society will be held on the fair grounds at ,cedar ,rapids1 ,september #i1 #aj1 #aa1 and #ab1 #ahhd4 ,c4,g4 ,greene1 ,secretary1 ,cedar ,rapids4 ,if you are in need of a first-class wind mill1 find out all about the ,nichols' ,centennial as advertised in our columns by ,nichols ,daggett1 and see if you do not think it just fills the bill4 ,it is strong1 durable1 steady1 and it takes and uses all the wind there is going4 ,hon4 ,e4,b4 ,david1 member of the ,illinois ,state ,board of ,agriculture from ,mercer county1 made a brief call at ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer office last week4 ,from him we gathered the facts regarding the late meeting of the ,board mentioned elsewhere4 ,mr4 ,david has long been a staunch friend of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 and his call was a very welcome one4 ,immigration at the port of ,new ,york fell off last year to the amount of #ff1dje persons1 or about #ad-a_/b per cent from that of #ahhb4 ,the total number landed this last year was #chh1cdb4 ,the greatest decrease was from ,sweden and ,russia4 ,from ,england came #cj1hah2 ,ireland1 #eb1eee2 ,germany1 #afd1jcf2 ,italy1 #bd1aja2 ,norway1 #aa1ecf2 ,hungary1 #aa1ddh2 ,switzerland1 #i1ddg2 ,denmark1 #g1ggj2 ,bohemia1 #d1feb4 ,last year the arrivals were #ahb1hic4 ,it is not unlikely that there will be a greater falling off this year for times are not sufficiently promising here to greatly stimulate emigration from ,europe4 ,the ,crystal ,palace ,company1 of ,london advertise the holding for six months1 from ,april #c next1 of an exhibition of arts1 manufactures1 and scientific1 agricultural1 and industrial products1 and invite the participation of ,american exhibitors4 ,a court in a central position on the main floor has been set aside for expected ,american contributions1 and the ordinary charge for space is two shillings per square foot4 ,this will probably seem a trifle steep to ,american exhibitors who are not accustomed to pay for space in their own exposition buildings4 ,last year was not a very surprising one in the matter of railway extension within the limits of ,illinois4 ,the report of the ,railway and ,warehouse ,commissioners will show that but #ace miles of track were laid4 ,but there are #aj1def miles of track in use in the ,state4 ,the companies among these lines numbering sixty-four1 operate #bi1cgj miles of road or nearly #bj1jjj miles outside of ,illinois4 ,the total net income of these companies was #ha1gbj1bef and the dividends amounted to #cf1cgd1dgd4 ,in #ahhb the dividends amounted to but #bi1jjj1jjj4 ,the average freight charges in #ahhc were #a4ji cents per mile1 while the year before they averaged #a4bj cents1 hence it must follow that the amount of traffic greatly increased over that of #ahhb4 ,a lecture course for farmers at the ,nebraska ,agricultural ,college1 will be given from ,february #d-ae1 by the regular instructors in the college4 ,one or more lectures will be given on the following topics3 ,breeds of cattle and swine2 breeding1 improving1 and care of stock2 care of farm machinery2 health on the farm2 adulteration of food2 economical farming2 tame grapes2 ensilage2 what to feed2 meteorology and plant growth2 sorghum-growth and manufacture2 horticulture2 principles of pruning2 the digestive organs of domestic animals2 injurious insects4 ,a number of leading farmers of the ,state have been invited to lecture upon their specialties4 ,all the facilities of illustration and study owned by the college will be at the disposal of the students attending the course4 ,these include several compound microscopes1 a good agricultural library1 meteorological apparatus1 six breeds of cattle and four of swine1 orchard1 nursery1 arboretum1 vineyard1 etc41 etc4 ,a limited number will be boarded at the college farm for a price not to exceed three dollars per week4 ,persons attending will be aided in securing cheap board in the city4 ,persons expecting to attend or desiring further information should write to ,s4,r4 ,thompson1 ,dean ,agricultural ,college1 ,lincoln1 ,neb4 ,some of our readers may wish to paste this item in their scrap books4 ,it cost to run the ,united ,states ,government last year the sum of #bea1dbh1aag1 expended as follows3 ,to supply deficiencies1 #i1hec1hfi2 legislative1 executive1 and judicial expenses1 #bj1ccb1ijh2 sundry civil expenses1 #be1dbe1dgi2 support of the army1 #bg1jcb1jii2 naval service1 #ad1ijc1eei2 ,indian service1 #e1bai1fjd2 rivers and harbors1 #ah1ihh1hge2 forts and fortifications1 #cge1jjj2 military academy1 #cce1eeg2 post-office department1 #a1ijb1agh2 pensions1 #aaf1jjj1jjj2 consular and diplomatic service1 #a1bef1fee2 agricultural department1 #dbg1bhj2 expenses ,district of ,columbia1 #c1dif1jfj4 ,the interest on the public debt amounted to #ei1afj1aca and the amount of principal paid off was #acd1agh1gef4 ,the receipts from internal revenue were #add1gbj1cfh1 and from custom duties #bad1gjf1dif4 ,the ,minnesota ,state ,horticultural ,society will hold its seventeenth annual meeting at the ,college of ,agriculture1 ,minneapolis1 four days1 beginning with ,january #aeth1 and with the ,minnesota ,state ,forestry ,association on the #ahth4 ,a cordial invitation is given to all persons interested in horticulture and forestry to be present4 ,a large number of papers and reports are to be read1 followed by discussions4 ,these reports are by persons who possess a thorough practical acquaintance with the subjects presented1 including such men as ,peter ,m4 ,gideon1 ,j4,c4 ,plumb1 ,dr4 ,t4,h4 ,hoskins1 ,prof4 ,c4,w4 ,hall1 ,prof4 ,j4,l4 ,budd1 ,dr4 ,f4,b4 ,hough1 ,h4,j4 ,joly1 ,j4,f4 ,williams1 and others4 ,a number of premiums are offered for apples1 grapes1 plants1 and flowers1 vegetables1 seeds1 and miscellaneous objects4 ,john ,s4 ,harris1 of ,la ,crescent1 is ,president1 and ,oliver ,gibbs1 ,jr41 of ,lake ,city1 is ,secretary4 ,,illinois ,,state ,,board4 ,the ,illinois ,state ,board of ,agriculture held a business session in ,springfield last week4 ,all the members were present at one time or another during the meeting4 ,the premium list was revised for the fair of #ahhd4 ,the premiums for speed were somewhat increased over last year4 ,in cattle sweepstakes classes it was decided that no animals can be allowed to compete except the winners of a first prize in other classes in which they had been entered1 except in the case of the grand sweepstakes1 to which will be permitted animals not previously entered for any prize4 ,the ,board is to make a laudable attempt to stimulate corn culture and to benefit the corn growers of the ,state4 ,it offers #ajj for the best bushel 7ears7 of corn grown in each of the three grand divisions of the ,state1 and a second prize of #ej for the next best sample in the three divisions4 ,the premium samples are to become the property of the ,board1 and the winners of prize premiums must deliver on cars directed to the agricultural rooms1 ,springfield1 twenty-five bushels 7ears7 of same variety that shall equal in merit the premium bushel4 ,the winners of the second premiums must send the samples and fifteen bushels of same variety and of equal quality4 ,the premiums will not be paid until the comparisons of the premium corn with the larger lots are made by a committee of the ,board at its winter meeting in ,january next4 ,the corn thus donated to the ,board will be distributed to farmers throughout the ,state for planting in #ahhe4 ,premiums are to be offered for tools1 implements and appurtenances used in the coal mining and handling industry of the ,state4 ,premiums for poultry have been increased1 and an expert will be selected to do all the judging in the poultry department4 ,the chicken exhibit at the ,fat ,stock ,show will not be continued4 ,the committee of dairymen appointed at the late meeting of the ,illinois ,dairymen's ,association did not present themselves at the ,state ,board meeting to confer about holding a dairy exhibit either at the ,state ,fair or the ,fat ,stock ,show1 as instructed to do4 ,no explanation of the failure was made4 ,the ,state ,board1 however1 to leave nothing undone to establish its desire to meet the dairymen half way or more1 appointed a committee consisting of ,messrs4 ,david1 ,chester1 and ,griffith1 to confer with the ,de,kalb committee1 in ,chicago1 at some convenient time to be agreed upon4 ,it was decided to hold the next ,illinois ,state ,fair at ,chicago the week beginning ,september #hth1 and the ,fat ,stock ,show at the ,exposition ,building1 ,chicago1 beginning ,november #aath4 ,,sorghum ,,at ,,washington4 ,prof4 ,wiley1 of the ,department of ,agriculture at ,washington1 will soon issue his report upon the sorghum business of #ahhc4 ,newspaper correspondents have been permitted to make a digest of the report4 ,he pronounces erroneous the prevalent impression that every farmer may become his own sugar-maker4 ,sorghum1 unlike sugar beet1 contains various non-crystallizable sugars1 the separation of which demands much skill and scientific knowledge4 ,sorghum-sugar will have to be made in large factories4 ,the existing factories have shown that it can be made1 but how profitably or unprofitably can not be stated by ,prof4 ,wiley1 who suggests that farmers near factories may1 in effect1 make their own sugar by raising the cane and trading it at factories for sugar4 ,cane giving sixty pounds of sugar per ton ought to bring the farmer thirty-five pounds1 the rest of the sugar and molasses going to the manufacturer to pay expenses and yield profit4 ,the profitableness of making sugar from sorghum depends largely on utilizing all waste products4 ,the scums and sediments make manure hardly inferior to guano4 ,bagasse1 or crushed cane1 can be turned into manure by being thrown into hog-pens1 as at ,rio ,grande1 ,n4,j41 or it will make a fair quality of printing paper4 ,it is not economical to burn it4 ,if the manufacture of sorghum-sugar is proved to be profitable1 it will result in supplying to a large extent our demand for sugar1 but as sorghum makes a great deal more molasses in proportion to sugar than sugar-cane does1 the ,professor concludes that when there is enough sugar there will be a great deal more molasses than can be disposed of4 ,prof4 ,wiley has made experimentally some fair samples of rum and alcohol from sorghum molasses4 ,under favorable circumstances one gallon of molasses weighing eleven pounds would give #b4ge pounds absolute alcohol1 #c4jc pounds of #ij per cent1 and #e4e whisky or rum4 ,thus each gallon of molasses would give nearly half a gallon of commercial alcohol and two thirds of a gallon of whisky or rum4 ,as it has been abundantly proved1 he says1 that sugar can be made from sorghum1 the ,government should make no further experiments in this direction4 ,prof4 ,wiley has tried the diffusion process1 and finds it yields #bj per cent more sugar1 but at a somewhat higher cost than grinding4 ,the ,government1 he thinks1 should purchase machinery for large experiments in the diffusion process1 and should raise its cane somewhere else than near ,washington1 as land there is expensive and not adapted to the purpose4 ,the ,government should also make arrangements with agricultural colleges or other agencies in various ,states for experimenting with sorghum-culture to determine what parts of the country are most favorable to the culture of sugar-producing plants4 ,prof4 ,wiley suggests in each ,state the trial of two acres divided into ten plots--five for sorghum1 four for beets1 and one for corn--to test for purposes of comparison the general fertility of the soil and the character of the season4 ,the ,government ought to carry on for a series of years the process of selection of sorghum seed in order to secure an improvement in the quality of the cane4 ,,the ,,cold ,,spell4 ,the cold weather of last week seems to have extended over nearly the entire ,north ,american ,continent4 ,nothing for severity has been known to equal it during a long series of years4 ,east1 ,west1 ,north1 and ,south it was all the same1 differing in degree of course1 but uniformly colder than scarce ever known in the same latitude4 ,the greatest loss to stock so far as heard from was in that in transit to market4 ,on some of the roads the losses were heavy4 ,a dispatch from ,independence1 ,mo41 says a train of fifteen cars1 loaded with mules from ,texas via the ,iron ,mountain and ,southern road1 arrived there on the #eth1 when it was discovered that at least #ajj of the mules had frozen to death1 and the others were in a freezing condition4 ,the mules were two years old and direct from grass4 ,they had been three days without food4 ,many trains arriving at ,chicago had scores of frozen animals4 ,no great disaster is yet reported from the far ,west or from ,minnesota and ,dakota4 ,still there must have been great suffering not only among the dumb brutes1 but among human beings as well4 ,it is fortunate that polar waves do not visit us more frequently4 ,the effect upon fruit1 buds1 trees1 and shrubs is not yet ascertained4 ,it will be a marvel if many localities are not barren of fruit of nearly all kinds next year4 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer will be very glad if its readers will favor it with their ideas and the results of their observations in regard to the damage of all sorts done by the intense cold of the first week of the year4 ,,questions ,,answered4 ,william ,miller and ,f4 ,myrick1 ,peotone1 ,ill4--#a4 ,what are the laws in regard to drainage passed by the last ,legislature8 #b4 ,who is the ,chief ,justice of the ,supreme ,court and who his associates8 ,answer--#a4 ,this is a question probably neither lawyers nor judges in ,illinois are competent to answer4 ,it you doubt it procure from the clerk of your ,county ,court a copy of the public laws of #ahhc and read the fifteen pages relating to drainage4 #b4 ,the ,chief ,justice of the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court is ,m4,r4 ,waite1 and his associates are ,s4,f4 ,miller1 ,s4,j4 ,field1 ,j4,p4 ,bradley1 ,j4,m4 ,harlan4 ,w4,b4 ,woods1 ,s4 ,mathews1 ,h4 ,gray1 and ,s4 ,blatchford4 ,samuel ,snodgrass1 ,meade ,co41 ,ky4--#a4 ,i have some large1 old1 and apparently healthy1 apple trees1 but they are comparatively barren4 ,what can ,i do for them8 #b4 ,i have others which appear to be going to decay and will soon die4 ,had ,i better anticipate their death by cutting them down1 or try to save them as ,i would like to do1 for their associations with the past4 ,answer--#a4 ,we know no better course for you to take than to dig a deep ditch all around the trees1 say three feet wide and as many deep1 and just within the outer reach of the limbs1 and fill this in with half the earth removed and the other half made up of vegetable matter1 ashes1 road dirt1 and such manure from the barn and stable as you can spare4 ,having done this make an arrangement about each tree that will retain all the rainfall which comes down to the earth beneath and collect as much more from the open spaces about as possible4 #b4 ,your old and decaying trees may be saved if decay has not gone too far4 ,but the remedy is an heroic one1 and rather expensive as you will find4 ,first treat the decaying trees as described for the healthy ones1 with the exception you add a greater proportion of fertilizers and manure when you fill in the ditch with half new material4 ,then 7and all this work should be done1 as it can readily be done1 in your latitude during the cold months when vegetation is at a stand7 give the old trees a thorough pruning1 even going as far as to remove #ij per cent of all the leaf and fruit buds on the tree4 ,then wait for results1 looking for nothing more than a new growth of wood the first year1 but fruitfulness thereafter and a new lease of life4 ,but remember as in the first place1 care must be taken to supply abundant water1 indeed as much more as the average rainfall1 so much being absolutely necessary to afford the roots the amount of manurial plant food1 in solution1 the new departure demands4 ,every fruit-grower knows when a dwarf pear has borne a certain number of crops1 fruit buds cease to form and the tree becomes nearly barren4 ,if at this stage the dwarf is deprived of every bud1 whether fruit or leaf1 and the limbs are left to resemble bare sticks1 and at the same time the earth about the roots is fortified with wood ashes and well rotted manure1 a handsome growth of branches will be made the first year and a crop of fruit result the second4 ,this1 the writer has tried with perfectly satisfactory results twice on the same dwarfs1 and has others which1 having been submitted to this course of treatment1 in the fall of #ahhb1 made a handsome growth in #ahhc1 and have set fruit buds for a good crop in #ahhd4 ,the life of an average apple tree in ,illinois is scarcely more than #ce or #dj years2 but there is no doubt if1 when they begin to show signs of decrepitude or decay1 they are treated as above1 they may be made to live and bear fruit for perhaps a hundred years4 ,,american ,,ash4 ,there are five well-known species of this genus 7,fraxinus ,americana71 and they occupy an important place as valuable timber trees4 ,this is especially true of the white ash1 more commonly called the ,american ash4 ,of this tree the late ,arthur ,bryant1 ,sr41 said in his ,book on ,trees3 ,it is one of the most valuable and worthy of culture for the quality of its wood and the rapidity of its growth4 ,when full grown it is one of the largest of the trees of our forests4 99 99 99 99 ,the prairie soils of ,iowa and ,central and ,northern ,illinois are well adapted to the growth of the white ash4 ,,wayside ,,notes4 ,,by ,a ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,prairie4 ,it is a strange and almost an unheard of thing for any one to say a good word for the tree peddler but ,i am going to say it if it breaks the heart of every horticultural baby in the land4 ,since a time to which the memory of man runneth not back1 the poor tree peddler has been abused and maligned by horticultural speakers and writers4 ,in conventions he has been ridiculed and denounced4 ,every cross-road nursery-man not possessed of stock sufficient to warrant a line of advertising even in his local paper1 nor business force enough to send an agent through his own neighborhood to take orders for trees1 has spoken in a horticultural meeting or written a letter to his favorite paper1 warning the farmers against the wiles of the oily tongued fellow with colored fruit plates1 specimens of preserved fruits1 and an order book for trees1 shrubs1 and vines4 ,and ,i think ,i have known of some of the big fish in the nursery business who with one end of their tongues have lashed some other big fish in the same business for employing irresponsible agents to sell stock for them1 while with the other end they were commanding a small army of the same class of agents to go forth into all the world and preach the gospel of tree planting and--sell trees4 ,others have sold and continue to sell trees to peddlers without limit1 for cash1 and of any and all varieties called for1 while they denounced the system of peddling in unmeasured terms4 ,now it is just as possible for a tree peddler to be an honest man as it is for the man who grows trees to sell to be honest4 ,i do not say that all men belonging to either class are honest4 ,it would be equally absurd to say that all of either class are dishonest4 ,i despise the quack1 the liar1 the deceiver in any business1 and ,i have no respect or love for the man who will sell worthless varieties of trees or wrongly named varieties1 knowingly4 ,honesty here as elsewhere is the best policy4 ,but here is a fact1 as ,i believe3 ,it is better to plant an inferior tree than none at all1 and ,i know of neighbors who would go down into their graves without ever planting a tree if some persuasive peddler had not talked it into them to do so1 and these same neighbors now have quite respectable orchards4 ,here is another fact3 ,one half the orders sent to nursery-men by farmers during the past twenty years have called for varieties utterly worthless for the localities in which they were to be planted4 ,and the tree peddler often gratifies the purchaser by pretending to sell to him a sort which he has made up his mind to have because he knows it was good in his old home a thousand miles away4 ,but the peddler1 not having this variety1 and knowing that if he did have it it would prove worthless1 substitutes a ,ben ,davis or some other approved variety1 and it goes into the ground and in due time produces an abundance of excellent fruit4 ,in this case the peddler does a really good thing4 ,if nursery-men will stop propagating everything but varieties adapted to the country and the markets1 and many of them are doing this1 the tree peddler will be powerless for mischief--will in fact become a great public benefactor4 ,but so long as nursery-men will continue to grow and sell worthless varieties1 and so long as the people will remain in ignorance regarding adaptability1 so long will the dishonest peddler remain an unmitigated nuisance and fraud4 ,in brief these three things are wanted3 ,intelligent and honest nurserymen2 orchard planters who either know what varieties are best for them to have1 or who are willing to trust the selection to the afore-mentioned intelligent and honest nursery-men2 and third1 first-class talkers1 intelligent as to varieties and methods of culture1 who buy only of the intelligent and honest nursery-men1 to go through the country and sell trees4 ,it is unfortunate that it takes so many words to express what ,i wanted to say1 but ,i am done at last4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have got it6 ,yes1 all the ice ,i want is now white for the harvest in our artificial pond4 ,it is the only thing that reconciles me to this fierce visit of polar weather4 ,as soon as a trifle milder wave gets along our way we shall carefully store away sufficient for the year's use4 ,by the way1 where are the poor deluded woodchucks1 muskrats1 and ,old ,settlers1 who told us we were to bask in mild etherialness all winter long8 ,i am disgusted this morning1 with the mercury at #cj degrees below zero1 and still going down1 at the whole batch of them1 and with ,vennor and ,hazen1 and all professionally weatherwise men and things4 ,i have heard of little real suffering in my neighborhood from the cold1 among either humans or brutes4 ,doubtless1 when the weather moderates and people get out to tell each other all about the cold spell1 there will be many true tales of intense suffering and more than the usual romancing about the terrible week4 ,and then the ,oldest ,inhabitant will thaw out1 and with all the self-satisfaction that superior age and experience crown him with1 will tell how much colder it was in such and such a year1 until we wish this little spell had sealed his memory and mouth1 for we do all take a great pride in living in a time that excels all other times1 albeit1 if it be only in a storm or a freeze4 ,but in these things the early times of the ,old ,settler can never be excelled1 no matter in what century he flourishes4 ,he is always master of the situation4 ,his experiences are like those of no other settler that ever lived and died4 ,with him1 imagination has gradually usurped the place of experience and its isothermal dips and dodges carry him through hotter and through colder seasons than are marked down in any ,standard ,time ,,prairie ,,farmer1 or any other map or chart in existence4 ,but for this weather business ,i should like to live next door to the ,old ,settler1 for he is generally truthful1 good1 kind1 full of practical knowledge and common sense4 ,,letter ,,from ,,champaign4 ,we are having some very sharp winter weather1 and sleighing as uninterruptedly good since the #bjth of ,december as ,i ever remember4 ,this morning1 ,january #eth1 the mercury reported #bh degrees below zero at #e3cj ,a4,m41 and #bj degrees below at #aj o'clock4 ,this is the coldest since ,january #bith1 #ahgc1 when #cf degrees below was recorded at the ,industrial ,university here1 and #db degrees below by the spirit thermometer at one of the ,jacksonville institutions4 ,but the wind was west at that date1 and it is so to-day1 showing our coldest weather comes from that direction rather than from the northwest or north4 ,the explanation ,i suppose to be1 those great fountains of cold storage1 the ,colorado mountains1 lie west and southwest of us1 and are several hundred miles nearer than the lower peaks and ranges northwest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is an interesting and important truth to know at this time that an unexpected source for seed corn has been discovered here at home4 ,it has been ascertained by experiment and investigation that the early frosted corn1 which has been allowed to stand in the field1 has a sound germ1 and though shrunken1 will make fairly good seed1 whereas corn which was not frosted till late in ,october1 and ripened in most respects1 save drying out1 is wholly unfit for seed1 having had the cells of the kernels ruptured by the freezings it has been subjected to4 ,this rupture of cells the grain of the frosted corn escaped1 having parted with the surplus water of vegetation before hard weather set in4 ,however1 the early frosted and shrunken cane fit for seed may be confined to this county or neighborhood1 or a narrow area1 and therefore ,i advise every one who thinks of making use of it to ascertain for himself1 by the usual methods1 whether the germ is sound or not4 99 99 99 99 99 ,several parties have written me--one from ,missouri1 another from ,indiana1 and a third from ,kentucky1 that they have seed corn for sale1 cheap and in quantity4 ,i have no doubt of it1 and ,i have accordingly advised each to advertise it in ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 if they are really desirous of selling1 stating briefly what variety1 where grown1 and at what price4 ,i should be glad to advertise it for them gratuitously1 but the contract of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer with its contributors contains a clause to the effect that they shall neither use its columns to grind their own axes nor the axes of anybody else4 ,with the recourse of early frosted corn to go to1 and the assistance of appropriately selected seed from abroad1 the gross mistakes and disappointments of #ahhc are pretty certain to be avoided in #ahhd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,no doubt many who are more or less familiar with the ,reports on ,hog ,cholera in the official publication of the ,department of ,agriculture1 ask themselves why ,dr4 ,detmers is singled out by ,frenchmen as the sole authority on swine diseases1 when his colleagues of the commission1 ,dr4 ,salmon and ,laws went nearly as far as he did in their extravagant statements4 ,but the prominence ,dr4 ,detmers has obtained in the estimation of ,frenchmen is now explained in this3 ,at a late sitting of the ,french ,academy of ,sciences that eminent savant1 ,pasteur1 referred to him and his investigations in flattering terms4 ,giving an account of the discovery of the microbe which causes the rouget of swine in ,france1 ,pasteur said3 ,respect for historic truth compels me to state1 however1 that in the month of ,march1 #ahhb1 the microbe of the rouget was discovered at ,chicago1 in ,america1 by ,professor ,detmers1 in a series of investigations which did great honor to their author4 ,with the indorsement of one of the most eminent scientists in the world1 before a body equally distinguished1 ,dr4 ,detmers may find some compensation in being singled out as the scape goat for an unfortunate commission which has cost the country many millions4 ,b4,f4,j4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year1 and the subscriber gets 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 ,,poultry ,,notes4 ,poultry-raisers4 ,write ,for ,your ,paper4 ,a ,,duck ,,farm4 ,you will not find it on the map because it is not mentioned there1 and ,i shall not tell you where it is because ,i promised the little woman who owns it1 and who gave me permission to tell other women what she had done1 that ,i would not mention her name or the name of the place where she lives and works4 ,how did ,i happen to find her8 ,i didn't find her2 it just happened--i4e41 if anything ever happens in this queer old world of ours4 ,we bumped our heads together once in a railway accident1 and we have been firm friends ever since4 ,her farm is only a bit of land1 some thirty acres1 but for the last five years she has made from ten to twelve hundred dollars a year from it1 and most of the money came from the ducks4 ,she sells eggs for hatching1 and ducks for breeding and for exhibition1 but the main object is ducks and feathers for market4 ,she thinks ducks are less trouble and quite as profitable as hens4 ,she keeps twenty-four stock ducks1 eight males and sixteen females1 through the winter4 ,the ducks commence laying from the middle of ,february to the first of ,march1 and lay from #ajj to #abe eggs each in a season4 ,the first laid eggs are set to get ducks to sell for breeding stock and for the early summer market4 ,for this purpose the eggs from the ducks that are two or three years old are used1 and when hatched the ducklings from those eggs are marked by punching a small round hole in the web of the feet4 ,she thinks1 and rightly1 too1 that the eggs from the older ducks procure larger and more vigorous birds than the first eggs from the young ducks4 ,as soon as the weather gets warm enough to ship without danger of chilling on the way1 she sells eggs for hatching at #c per dozen1 and finds no difficulty in disposing of as many as she cares to spare at that price4 ,her sales of eggs for hatching amount to about #ajj yearly4 ,besides the eggs used and sold for hatching she generally sends a twenty-four-dozen case to ,new ,york just before ,easter4 ,these large1 finely-shaped1 pure white eggs sell readily for ,easter eggs1 and bring from forty to fifty cents per dozen4 ,from the eggs set on her own place during the season she raises from ten to twelve hundred ducks each year4 ,the ducklings are hatched from the first of ,april up to about the first of ,august4 ,most of the ducklings are raised by hen mothers1 and she keeps some fifty hens for that purpose4 ,the hens are all pure ,buff ,cochins1 and are kept until they are two years and a half old4 ,besides raising two broods of ducks each season1 each hen pays her owner an average profit of seventy-five cents a year from the sale of eggs for market4 ,when fattened for market at the end of the second season1 these ,cochin hens are large and heavy1 and the carcass of the old fowl generally sells for enough to pay for a pullet to take her place4 ,no chickens are raised on the farm2 the pullets are bought of a neighbor who keeps the ,buff ,cochins4 ,she aims to set several hens and the incubator at the same time2 when the eggs hatch the incubator ducklings are divided up among the hens2 one hen will care for twenty ducklings until they are old enough to care for themselves4 ,the eggs hatch well--those in the incubator quite as well as those under hens1 and when the incubator ducklings are once mixed up with the others she finds it impossible to distinguish which from 'tother4 ,when the ducklings are ten or twelve hours old they are moved with the mother hen to coops and safety runs1 which are placed in an orchard near the house4 ,this orchard contains about four and a half acres1 and the coops are scattered over it a few rods apart4 ,on the side of the orchard that leads to the pond lot1 the bottom board of the fence is a foot wide and comes close to the ground in order to keep the ducklings from taking to the water too early in life4 ,when the ducklings are four weeks old the hens are taken away1 but the ducklings are kept in the orchard until they are six weeks old1 or until they are well feathered on the breast and under part of their bodies1 when they are turned into the pond lot1 where they take to the water like ducks4 ,the pond lot contains nearly thirteen acres1 five of which are covered with water4 ,originally1 this lot was a piece of low1 rocky1 bushy pasture land1 between two low ranges of hills4 ,a stream of clear1 sparkling water1 a famous trout brook1 ran through the center4 ,the woman who proposed to raise ducks saw at once the advantage of such a situation1 and had a dam constructed near the upper end of the lot1 and later another was made lower down1 so that the lot contained two large ponds4 ,where the fences which separate my friend's land from that of her neighbor cross the stream1 water-gates are put in1 which keep the ducks from swimming out with the water2 and the bottom boards of the fence around the rest of the lot keep them from getting out that way4 ,two well-trained dogs guard this lot at night1 and woe to the two-footed or four-footed prowler who intrudes4 ,the duck houses are simply long1 low sheds--with the exception of the one where the breeding stock is wintered1 which is inclosed--placed on the slope a few rods back from the water4 ,they were built of refuse lumber1 and the cost was comparatively trifling4 ,connected with the house for the breeding-stock is a small yard where the ducks are shut in at night through the laying season4 ,from the time when they are twelve hours old till within twenty-four hours of the time when they are killed for market1 the ducklings are well fed with a great variety of food4 ,from the first meal until they are turned into the pond lot they are fed every two hours between daylight and dark4 ,little and often1 is the motto4 ,before they take to the water the ducklings are fed a little cooked meat once each day1 and doubtless this ration of meat has much to do toward making the fine large ducks that my friend has a reputation for raising4 ,after they are turned into the pond lot the ducklings are fed but three times a day till within two or three weeks of the time when they are to be marketed2 then they are confined in the fattening yards and fed oftener4 ,the fattening yards are situated between the two ponds1 and so arranged as to inclose a portion of the stream4 ,the ducklings are marketed as fast as they reach a suitable age and size4 ,she commences sending them to market about the middle of ,june and keeps it up till about the middle of ,september1 when she quits till near the middle of ,january4 ,these prime young ducks1 getting into market at a time when such poultry is scarce1 bring good prices--from #bb to #be cents a pound1 dressed4 ,by the time the price begins to decline she has marketed all the earlier ones that she cares to spare1 and the later-hatched she keeps growing till mid-winter1 when fine ducks are again scarce and the price goes up4 ,at ,thanksgiving and during the holidays when the markets are crowded with poultry of all kinds1 she holds on to her ducks1 unless she has an order at an extra price4 ,at first my friend kept the ,rouens2 then she tried the ,aylesburys1 but now she keeps only the pure ,pekins1 and is so well satisfied with them that she has no desire to change for anything else4 ,she says1 ,for laying qualities1 quick growth1 great size1 fine flesh and fine feathers1 the ,pekins can not be excelled4 ,on her place ,i have seen six-weeks old ,pekins that weighed six pounds a pair alive1 and those that dressed from three to four pounds each at ten or twelve weeks4 ,at five and six months her ducks dress from six to eight pounds each4 ,for the feathers1 the best and finest of which are carefully saved by themselves1 my friend obtains forty cents per pound4 ,all the work connected with the duck-raising1 except now and then some heavy work which is necessary in the pond lot1 is now performed by my friend and her three children1 a boy of fifteen1 and two girls of thirteen and eighteen4 ,there is a moral to this1 but if you can't find it it will not do you one bit of good4 ,,fanny ,,field4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,consumption ,,cured4 ,an old physician1 retired from practice1 having had placed in his hands by an ,east ,india missionary the formula of a simple vegetable remedy for the speedy and permanent cure of ,consumption1 ,bronchitis1 ,catarrh1 ,asthma and all throat and ,lung ,affections1 also a positive and radical cure for ,nervous ,debility and all ,nervous ,complaints1 after having tested its wonderful curative powers in thousands of cases1 has felt it his duty to make it known to his suffering fellows4 ,actuated by this motive and a desire to relieve human suffering1 ,i will send free of charge1 to all who desire it1 this recipe1 in ,german1 ,french1 or ,english1 with full directions for preparing and using4 ,sent by mail by addressing with stamp1 naming this paper4 ,w4,a4 ,,noyes1 #adi ,power's ,block1 ,rochester1 ,n4,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,guilt frame--the prison window4 ,,the ,,apiary4 ,,apiary ,,appliances4 ,in the last issue of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer the ,italian and ,german ,bees were described true as life1 by that prince of writers1 ,l4,l4 ,langstroth4 ,after a careful perusal of the article named1 in which the good and bad traits of each race are delineated1 any person ought to be able to choose intelligently which bee is best1 all things taken into consideration1 for him to procure4 ,in starting an apiary1 there is another item of equal importance1 and that is what kind of dwellings should be erected for the occupants of this future city4 ,the wants of the future tenants should be considered2 provide them with all modern conveniences1 as to pantry and larder1 and don't forget1 as some architects do1 that abodes should be ventilated as well as warm4 ,some bee-masters prefer houses that are high between ceilings1 others low2 some prefer large houses1 many again those that are smaller4 ,the size has to be made according to the frame chosen4 ,there are five different sizes of movable frames now in use among bee-keepers1 and those are equally successful who use either size4 ,the ,langstroth is more in common use than any other4 ,some object to it1 claiming that it is too shallow4 ,illustration ,in looking at the plates of the five different sizes of frames1 an idea is gained how minds differ4 ,each one has its advocates1 and its votaries claim that the frame they use is the very best for all purposes4 ,we were once looking out of the window of a friend's house on her neat1 well-kept apiary1 and remarked what baby hives4 ,and we found no fault with the baby1 when this lady showed us her beautiful white sections of comb-honey1 and ate her delicious peaches1 canned1 with extracted honey for sweetening4 ,it must be fun to handle the little ,gallup1 but the ,langstroth has an advantage over all others2 it consists in this3 that it is most used1 and if a person desires to sell his hives and frames1 he can more readily do so4 ,it is also easily obtained1 as it is kept in stock by supply dealers1 and can be quickly sent forward when ordered1 but if it was an off size wanted1 a delay would occur2 some change might have to be made in the machinery1 and it would cost more1 as well as the delay occasioned1 which1 if in the midst of the honey harvest1 might cause great loss4 ,other appliances of the apiary1 to suit this frame1 are kept by supply dealers2 such as extractors1 comb-baskets1 uncapping cans1 etc4 ,with any of these frames a hive can be made large or small1 by regulating the number of frames4 ,if the hives are bottomless1 as many make them1 a tall hive can be made by tiering up1 as is practiced by those who work for extracted honey4 ,the ,adair frame was formerly used in a hive called the ,new ,idea1 or ,non-swarming ,hive4 ,its non-swarming qualities consisted in its being a long hive1 and if empty frames were always kept in front1 so that the bees had to pass through empty space to reach the brood nest1 they would not swarm4 ,frames should be placed in a hive an inch and one-half from center to center1 and should have three-eighths of an inch space between them and the hive4 ,this last item was considered of enough importance to have a patent issued for it4 ,if the distance from the top of the frames to the honey board1 or between the frames and the hive1 is less than three-eighths of an inch1 the bees will propolis it together1 and if it is more1 they will build comb between4 ,,mrs4 ,l4 ,,harrison4 ,,what ,,should ,,be ,,worked ,,for4 ,as publishers1 says the ,weekly ,bee ,journal1 we should1 #a4 ,encourage planting bee-pasturage1 that there may be1 every season1 a crop of honey to gather1 in order to make apiculture a certain occupation4 #b4 ,foster district and local societies to afford mutual instruction1 and strengthen fraternization4 #c4 ,institute large and attractive honey and apiarian exhibits at all fairs1 to educate the community to the desirableness of a superior product4 #d4 ,cultivate a discriminating domestic market1 to encourage superiority and excellence4 #e4 ,sell at all times1 and in all places1 an honest article under an honest name4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,brown',s ,,bronchial ,,troches for ,coughs and ,colds3 ,i do not see how it is possible for a public man to be himself in winter without this valuable aid4--,rev4 ,r4,m4 ,devens1 ,pocasset1 ,mass4 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 ,a ,,man ,,who ,,is ,,unacquainted ,,with ,,the ,,geography ,,of ,,this ,,country ,,will ,,see ,,by ,,examining ,,this ,,map ,,that ,,the ,illustration ,,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 ,richmond1 ,norfolk1 ,newport ,news1 ,chattanooga1 ,atlanta1 ,augusta1 ,nashville1 ,louisville1 ,lexington1 ,cincinnati1 ,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 ,,standard ,,books4 ,,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 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year and1 the subscriber gets 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 ,,scientific4 ,,the ,,star ,,of ,,bethlehem4 ,we have seen his star in the ,east1 said the wise men4 ,from what remote region of antiquity may we suppose that this fancy came1 that important events to the world of man were heralded by marvelous phenomena of the heavens8 ,to the ignorant man1 there can never be any world outside of that with which he is concerned4 ,so the primitive man had no use for planets1 comets1 and the like1 that were not in some way concerned with his destiny4 ,and we no doubt own our magnificent modern science of astronomy to the quack system of astrology1 which was only a device to induce the heavenly bodies to minister to the importance and conceit of man4 ,the accepted ,scriptures tell us that the birth of the ,savior of mankind was heralded by the appearance of a remarkable star in the sky4 ,taking this assertion to be true1 it might be a matter of some interest to consider what explanations have been made of this phenomenon4 ,a large majority of religious teachers1 we admit1 even to the present day1 have attempted no explanation whatever1 but have settled the subject by calling the star a miraculous appearance1 concerning whose true nature we can know nothing4 ,but two solutions of the phenomenon have been given by well-known astronomers1 either of which1 if accepted1 will place the miracle in the list of purely natural occurrences4 ,kepler held that the ,star of ,bethlehem was simply a conjunction of the planets4 ,astronomy1 which1 more fortunate than history1 can bring unimpeachable witnesses to its record of past events1 assures us that there was a remarkable conjunction1 or rather three conjunctions of the planets ,jupiter and ,saturn1 in the year of ,rome #gdg1 or seven years before the ,christian era4 ,it is now generally admitted that ,christ was probably born at least four years before the date fixed upon as the first year of our ,lord1 and remembering how much uncertainty hangs about this date we might consider ourselves fully justified in placing it1 as ,kepler did1 in the year #g ,b4,c4 ,this being granted1 let us see how the occurrence of the conjunctions in this year explains the miracle of the ,star4 ,in the first place1 note that the ,magi1 or ,wise ,men1 of the ,east 7presumably the country of ,chaldea7 were the first to call attention to the star as indicating the birth of the ,king of the ,jews4 ,the ,chaldeans were devoted to astrology1 and it is only reasonable to infer that whatever remarkable appearance they saw in the sky1 they would endeavor to explain it by their astrological laws4 ,on the #bith of ,may1 #g ,b4,c41 a conjunction of ,jupiter and ,saturn occurred1 in the #bjth degree of the constellation ,pisces1 close to the first point of ,aries2 on the #bith of ,september of the same year1 another conjunction of these planets took place1 in the #afth degree of ,pisces2 and on the #eth of ,december1 a third1 in the #aeth degree of the same sign4 7,these are not conjectures or inferences1 but known astronomical facts47 ,if we suppose that the ,magi1 intent on their study of the heavens1 saw the first of these conjunctions1 they actually saw it in the ,east1 for on ,may #bi1 it would rise three and one half hours before sunrise4 ,it is not necessary to suppose that the planets approached near enough to each other to appear as one star1 for they probably did not--it was their conjunctions that gave their astrological significance4 ,it plainly indicated to these observers that some important event was impending1 and what could be more important than the birth of a great man8 ,but where was this one to appear8 ,the sign ,pisces was the most significant one for the ,jews1 for according to astrological legend1 in the year #bhfe ,a4,m4 a conjunction of ,jupiter and ,saturn in this sign had heralded the birth of ,moses2 the proximity to ,aries indicated that the hero foretold was of kingly lineage2 the ,jewish expectation of a great king had become a well-known story in ,chaldea during the captivity1 ergo1 the inference was prompt and sure1 this conjunction indicated the birth of the expected ,king of the ,jews4 ,that they might be among the first to do honor to so great a personage as they believed this king to be1 the wise men soon set out for ,judea4 ,the journey probably took them five months or more4 ,on their way they witnessed the second conjunction1 which no doubt only strengthened their faith4 ,if they performed the journey from ,jerusalem to ,bethlehem at the time of the third conjunction1 ,december #e1 in the evening1 as the narration implies1 the stars would be some distance east of the meridian1 and would seem to move from southeast to southwest1 or towards ,bethlehem4 ,their standing over the house we may regard as an additional statement that crept into the narration probably through its repetitions4 ,such is ,kepler's explanation of the ,star of ,bethlehem4 ,but before he had given this to the world1 indeed while he was an infant in his cradle1 ,tycho ,brahe had connected the phenomenon with that of one of the great variable stars of the solar system4 ,the latter astronomer discovered1 in #aegb1 what appeared to be a new star in the constellation1 ,cassiopeia4 ,it was a star of the first magnitude when first perceived1 and daily it increased in brilliancy1 till it out-shone ,sirius1 equaled ,venus in lustre1 and could be perceived1 even by the naked eye1 at noonday4 ,for nearly a month the star shone2 at first it had a white light1 then a yellow1 and finally it was a bright red4 ,then it slowly faded1 and in about sixteen months had disappeared4 ,amidst all the conjecture concerning this remarkable appearance1 some regarding it as a new world in process of creation1 others as a sun on fire1 ,tycho ,brahe held to the belief1 though unable to prove it1 that it was a star with a regular period of light and of darkness1 caused possibly by its nearness to1 or distance from1 the earth4 ,when the telescope was invented1 forty years later1 the accuracy of this theory was known4 ,at the spot carefully mapped out by ,tycho ,brahe1 a telescopic star was found1 undoubtedly the same one whose brilliant appearance had so startled the world in #aegb4 ,upon this1 astronomers began to study the annals of their science for similar appearances1 and found that a very brilliant star had appeared and disappeared near the same spot in the heavens in #abfd1 and also in #ide4 ,the inference was that this star had a period of about three hundred years1 and counting back1 imagination might place one of its periods of brilliancy very near the time of ,christ's birth4 ,for this reason it received the name of the ,star of ,bethlehem1 and many have fully accepted the theory which makes this variable luminary identical with the ,star of the ,east4 ,this second theory has especial interest just now1 for if astronomical calculations are correct1 we may look for the reappearance of this remarkable star during the coming year4 ,if it does fulfill the prediction of its return it must be reckoned as one of the most noteworthy phenomena of the century4 ,for the benefit of amateur observers1 who are as likely as any to be the first to perceive this remarkable sight1 we may say that ,cassiopeia1 the constellation in which it will appear1 lies very near the ,north ,star4 ,you all know how to find the ,polar ,star by the pointers of the ,great ,dipper2 continue this line beyond about an equal distance1 and you will strike ,caph1 the largest star in ,cassiopeia1 or the ,chair1 so-called because the stars form the outline of an inverted chair4 ,near one of these the wandering luminary will probably flash out1 to amaze a wondering world4 ,we may remark1 in conclusion1 that though there are quite a number of variable stars1 their nature and the cause of their changes are but imperfectly understood4 ,the ,star of ,bethlehem has no doubt an orbit1 which brings it much nearer the earth at some times than others4 ,but astronomers do not believe that the mere fact of distance explains all changes4 ,there is a star known as ,mira1 which for eleven months is wholly invisible to the naked eye1 then flames forth as a star of the first magnitude1 and is visible for a period of nearly three months1 fading at its close into darkness again4 ,the star ,algol1 in the constellation ,perseus1 is usually of the second magnitude1 but every two and a-half days it begins to decline in brilliancy1 becomes very faint1 and remains thus for about three hours1 and then waxes bright again4 ,possibly this may be caused by the shadow of another star4 ,in #ahff a star of the eighth magnitude1 in the ,northern ,crown1 suddenly flamed up into extraordinary brilliancy1 remained thus for several months and gradually subsided4 ,this star was examined with the spectrum1 and showed lines of burning hydrogen4 ,this led to the theory1 now held1 that the increase in brilliancy of these stars is caused by the incandescence of this gas4 ,these fixed stars are all supposed to be suns of other systems1 and to be surrounded--like our sun--with envelopes of fiery gases2 from some cause not at all understood these gases may1 at regular periods1 flame up with fiercer heat than usual1 and produce this appearance of greatly increased light4 ,this is a very inadequate explanation1 no doubt1 but it is the best that astronomers have yet been able to devise in the matter4 ,a4,c4,c4 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 organs1 ,,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 ,,their ,,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 ,,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 ,,cut ,,this ,,out ,return to us with ,,ten ,,cts4 you'll get by mail ,a ,,golden ,,box ,,of ,,goods that will bring you in ,,more ,,money1 in ,one ,month1 than anything else in ,america4 ,absolute ,certainty4 ,need no capital4 ,m4 ,young1 #agc ,greenwich ,st4 ,n4 ,york4 99 99 99 99 99 #dj 7#ahhd7 ,chromo ,cards1 no #b alike1 with name1 #aj;c41 #ac pks1 #a4 ,,george ,i4 ,,reed ,,co41 ,nassau1 ,n4,y4 ,,household4 ,for nothing lovelier can be found ,in woman than to study household good4--,milton4 ,,how ,,the ,,robin ,,came4 ,happy young friends1 sit by me1 ,under ,may's blown apple-tree2 ,hear a story1 strange and old1 ,by the wild red ,indians told1 ,how the ,robin came to me3 ,once a great chief left his son1-- ,well-beloved1 his only one1 ,when the boy was well-nigh grown1 ,in the trial-lodge alone ,left for tortures long and slow ,youths like him must undergo1 ,who their pride of manhood test1 ,lacking water1 food and rest1 ,seven days the fast he kept1 ,seven nights he never slept4 ,then the poor boy1 wrung with pain1 ,weak from nature's overstrain1 ,faltering1 moaned a low complaint2 ,spare me1 ,father1 for ,i faint6 ,but the chieftain1 haughty-eyed1 ,hid his pity in his pride4 ,you shall be a hunter good1 ,knowing never lack of food2 ,you shall be a warrior great1 ,wise as fox1 and strong as bear2 ,many scalps your belt shall wear1 ,if with patient heart you wait ,one day more6 the father said4 ,when1 next morn1 the lodge he sought1 ,and boiled samp and moose-meat brought ,for the boy1 he found him dead4 ,as with grief his grave they made1 ,and his bow beside him laid1 ,pipe and knife1 and wampum-braid-- ,on the lodge-top overhead1 ,preening smooth its breast of red ,and the brown coat that it wore1 ,sat a bird1 unknown before4 ,and as if with human tongue1 ,mourn me not1 it said1 or sung2 ,i1 a bird1 am still your son1 ,happier than if hunter fleet1 ,or a brave1 before your feet ,laying scalps in battle won4 ,friend of man1 my song shall cheer ,lodge and corn-land hovering near4 ,to each wigwam ,i shall bring ,tidings of the coming spring2 ,every child my voice shall know ,in the moon of melting snow1 ,when the maple's red bud swells1 ,and the wild flower lifts its bells4 ,as their fond companion ,men shall henceforth own your son1 ,and my song shall testify ,that of human kin am ,i4 ,thus the ,indian legion saith ,how1 at first1 the robin came ,with a sweeter life from death1 ,bird for boy1 and still the same4 ,if my young friends doubt that this ,is the robin's genesis1 ,not in vain is still the myth ,if a truth be found therewith3 ,unto gentleness belong ,gifts unknown to pride and wrong3 ,happier far than hate is praise-- ,he who sings than he who slays4 --,j4,g4 ,whittier in ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,,after ,,twenty ,,years4 ,the following tale of love and faithful waiting is told the ,new ,york ,world by its ,canton1 ,ohio1 correspondent3 ,at the residence of ,thomas ,barker1 three miles from this village1 two people were to-day made man and wife4 ,william ,craig left his pretty girl sweetheart in a fit of jealous anger on the eve of ,dec4 #i1 #ahfc1 returned a week or two since1 found his betrothed still single and true1 and this afternoon the long deferred marriage was consummated4 ,all the surviving friends of their youth were present1 and many half forgotten associates came from neighboring towns and farms to join in the merrymaking4 ,twenty years ago ,will ,craig worked on his father's farm near here during the day and spent his evenings at the residence of a farmer neighbor4 ,the attraction was ,mary ,barker1 a pretty seventeen-year old girl4 ,craig was deeply in love and so was ,mary1 but like many other girls she liked to play the coquette occasionally4 ,their wedding-day was set for ,christmas1 #ahfc1 and the prospective bride felt secure4 ,one evening1 however1 the pretty ,mary pushed her coquetry too far4 ,on ,december #g1 #ahfc1 ,farmer ,barker gave an old-fashioned sociable in honor of his daughter's approaching wedding4 ,craig was there1 of course1 but his happiness was marred by the presence of a ,pittsburg youth--a new comer4 ,mary allowed this young man to pay her many attentions4 ,craig was madly jealous4 ,after all his attention he thought his betrothed showed too much regard for his rival1 and as she only laughed at his pleadings he grew angry and threatened to leave4 ,her seeming indifference made him desperate1 and he declared3 ,if you dance once more with that fellow you will not see me again for twenty years4 ,you couldn't leave me for even twenty hours if you tried ever so hard1 she replied1 and with a coquettish smile she went off to dance with his rival4 ,craig went home alone that night and the next day was missing4 ,the most careful search failed to reveal any trace of him4 ,the old couple continued to till the farm without the aid of the strong-armed son1 and at the neighbor's down the road pretty ,mary ,barker went about her household labors with a demure air that told plainly how she regarded her lover's disappearance4 ,she refused to keep company in the old-fashioned way with any of the young farmers who would willingly have taken young ,craig's place4 ,she went out very little1 kept a cat and grew domestic in her habits4 ,she had an abiding faith that ,craig would return1 and to all entreaties would only shake her head and say3 ,i am waiting for ,will4 ,the firm contour of the cheek grew somewhat less rounded1 the springing step less elastic1 but she would not think of marriage4 ,friday1 ,december #g1 of this month 7,december7 was just twenty years since the disappearance of ,william ,craig4 ,in the twilight a bearded man of forty came up the walk and as ,miss ,barker opened the door he put out both hands and said3 ,mary1 ,i have come again4 ,i am sorry you waited so long ,will1 was the quiet reply1 as she led him into the house1 where each told the story of the weary waiting1 and ,christmas was fixed upon once more as the day for the wedding4 ,to the eager questions of old friends as to where he spent the time1 he told them1 as he had already told his wife1 how he had at once gone to ,philadelphia1 enlisted in the army under an assumed name1 then1 after the war1 gone to ,nebraska and taken up a tract of valuable land4 ,this he had diligently cultivated until at present he is in more than comfortable circumstances4 ,the ,craigs will leave early in ,january for their ,nebraska home4 ,,will ,,readers ,,try ,,it4 ,the other day1 says an exchange1 we came across the following recipe for making ink in an ,english archological journal4 ,archology is the science of antiquities1 and surely this recipe is old enough to be good4 ,it occurred to us that during the summer vacation many of our boys who are longing for something to do1 might earn some money by manufacturing some of this ink and selling it in their neighborhood4 ,at any rate the recipe is a good one and worthy of a trial by old folks as well as young people4 ,here is the recipe1 and the way it was discovered1 as told by a writer in ,notes and ,queries3 ,while examining a large number of ,,mss4 of an old scribe some twenty years ago1 ,i was struck with the clearness and legibility of the writing1 owing in a great measure to the permanent quality of the ink1 which had not faded in the least1 although many of the ,,mss4 were at least two hundred years old4 ,it was remarkable1 that the writer must have been celebrated in his day for the excellence of his calligraphy1 for ,i met with a letter or two from his correspondents in which there was a request for the recipe of the ink he used4 ,i found his recipes1 which ,i copied1 and from one of them1 dated in #afed1 ,i have1 during the last fifteen years1 made all the ink ,i have used4 ,the recipe is as follows3 ,rain water1 one pint2 galls1 bruised1 one and one-half ounces2 green copperas1 six drachms2 gum ,arabic1 ten drachms4 ,the galls must be coarsely powdered and put in a bottle1 and the other ingredients and water added4 ,the bottle securely stoppered1 is placed in the light 7sun if possible71 and its contents are stirred occasionally until the gum and copperas is dissolved2 after which it is enough to shake the bottle daily1 and in the course of a month or six weeks it will be fit for use4 ,i have ventured to add ten drops of carbolic acid to the contents of the bottle1 as it effectually prevents the formation and growth of mold1 without any detriment to the quality of the ink1 so far as ,i know4 ,,the ,,secret ,,of ,,longevity4 ,a ,french medical man who has just died at the age of one hundred and seven1 pledged his word to reveal the secret of his longevity1 when no more1 for the benefit of others4 ,it was stipulated1 however1 that the precious envelope containing the recipe for long life was not to be opened until he had been buried4 ,the doctor's prescription1 now made known1 is simple enough2 and easy to follow2 but whether it is as available as he pretends1 the ,journal of ,chemistry says1 is extremely doubtful4 ,he tells his fellow-men1 that1 if they wish to live for a century or more1 they have but to pay attention to the position of their beds4 ,let the head of the bed be placed to the north1 the foot to the south2 and the electric current1 which is stronger during the night in the direction of the north1 will work wonders on their constitutions1 insure them healthier rest1 strengthen their nervous system1 and prolong their days4 ,it is1 he adds1 to scrupulous attention to the position of his bed that he ascribes his longevity1 the enjoyment of perfect health1 and the absence of infirmity4 ,,how ,,the ,,inventor ,,plagues ,,his ,,wife4 ,a facetious chap connected with one of our daily newspapers gave the following amusing burlesque on the trials of an inventor's wife3 ,it is all very well to talk about working for the heathen1 said one1 as the ladies put up their sewing1 but ,i'd like to have some one tell me what ,i am to do with my husband4 ,what is the matter with him8 asked a sympathetic old lady4 ,william is a good man1 continued the first1 waving her glasses in an argumentative way1 but ,william will invent4 ,he goes inventing round from morning till night1 and ,i have no peace or comfort4 ,i didn't object when he invented a fire escape1 but ,i did remonstrate when he wanted me to crawl out of the window one night last winter to see how it worked4 ,then he originated a lock for the door that would not open from midnight until morning1 so as to keep burglars out4 ,the first time he tried it he caught his coat tail in it1 and ,i had to walk around him with a pan of hot coals all night to keep him from freezing4 ,why didn't he take his coat off8 ,i wanted him to1 but he stood around till the thing opened itself1 trying to invent some way of unfastening it4 ,that's ,william's trouble4 ,he will invent4 ,a little while ago he got up a cabinet bedstead that would shut and open without handling4 ,it went by clockwork4 ,william got into it1 and up it went4 ,bless your heart1 he staid in there from ,saturday afternoon till ,sunday night1 when it flew open and disclosed ,william with the plans and specifications of a patent washbowl that would tip over just when it got so full4 ,the result was that ,i lost all my rings and breastpin down the waste pipe4 ,then he got up a crutch for a man that could also be used as an opera-glass4 ,whenever the man leaned on it up it went1 and when he put it to his eye to find ,william1 it flew out into a crutch and almost broke the top of his head off4 ,once he invented a rope ladder to be worn as guard chain and lengthened out with a spring4 ,he put it round his neck1 but the spring got loose and turned it into a ladder and almost choked him to death4 ,then he invented a patent boot heel to crack nuts with1 but he mashed his thumb with it and gave it up4 ,why1 he has a washtub full of inventions4 ,one of them is a prayerbook that always opens at the right place4 ,we tried it one morning at church1 but the wheels and springs made such a noise that the sexton took ,william by the collar and told him to leave his fire engines at home when he came to worship4 ,the other day ,i saw him going up the street with a model of a grain elevator sticking out of his hip pocket1 and he is fixing up an improved shot tower in our bed-room4 ,,recipes4 ,a hot shovel held over furniture removes white spots4 ,a paste of equal parts of sifted ashes1 clay1 salt1 and a little water cements cracks in stoves and ovens4 ,fried potatoes3 ,chop fine cold boiled potatoes2 heat some butter in a frying pan and put the potatoes in4 ,a few minutes before taking them from the fire stir in some well beaten eggs4 ,serve hot4 ,sardines picked up fine1 and mixed with cold boiled ham also minced fine1 and all well seasoned with a regular ,mayonnaise dressing1 make a delicious filling for sandwiches4 ,rye ,bread3 ,make sponge as for wheat bread2 let it rise over night2 then mix up with rye flour1 not as stiff as wheat bread4 ,place in baking pans2 let rise1 and bake half an hour longer than wheat bread4 ,one of the best ways to cure sore throat is as follows3 ,wring a cloth out of salt and cold water1 and keeping it quite wet bind tightly about the neck4 ,cover this with a dry cloth4 ,it is best to use this remedy in the night4 ,a delicious hot sauce for puddings is made of six tablespoonfuls of sugar1 two of butter1 and one egg2 beat the butter1 sugar1 and the yolk of the egg together1 then add the white beaten to a froth2 lastly stir in a tea-cupful of boiling water and a teaspoonful of vanilla4 ,a ,dish for ,breakfast3 ,take six good cooking apples1 cut them in slices one-fourth of an inch thick2 have a pan of fresh1 hot lard ready1 drop the slices in and fry till brown2 sprinkle a little sugar over them and serve hot4 ,a little curry-powder in chopped pickle gives a delicious flavor to it4 ,a tablespoonful of the powder to four quarts of pickle is about the right quantity to use1 unless you like to use the curry in place of pepper2 then at least twice this quantity should be put in4 ,a good way to extract the juice of beef for an invalid is to broil the beef on a gridiron for a few minutes1 and then squeeze the juice from it with a lemon-squeezer4 ,put a little salt with it4 ,this may be given1 as the sick one prefers1 cold or hot1 or it may be frozen1 and given in small lumps4 ,rolls3 ,flour1 two quarts2 sugar1 one tablespoonful2 one half cup of yeast2 one pint of scalded milk1 or water if milk is scarce1 and a little salt4 ,set to rise until light2 then knead until hard1 and set to rise1 and when wanted make in rolls4 ,place a piece of butter between the folds and bake in a slow oven4 ,for ,earache4--,a writer in the ,druggists' ,circular says3 ,the remedy which ,i here offer has1 after repeated trials1 never failed to afford almost instant relief4 ,it is perfectly simple1 easy of application1 costs but little1 and can be procured at any drug store3 ,olive oil1 #a ounce2 chloroform1 #a drachm4 ,mix1 and shake well together4 ,then pour twenty-five or thirty drops into the ear1 and close it up with a piece of raw cotton to exclude the air and retain the mixture4 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 ,,pamphlets1 ,,etc41 ,,received4 ,gunnison1 ,colorado's ,bonanza ,county1 by ,john ,k4 ,hallowell1 ,geologist1 ,denver1 ,col4 ,price #ej cents1 postpaid4 ,midland ,florida3 ,the ,eden of the ,south4 ,by ,carl ,webber1 ,new ,york4 ,united ,states ,consular ,reports1 ,no4 #ce1 for ,november1 #ahhc4 ,the ,saskatchewan ,fife ,wheat3 ,its history1 from its first importation from the ,saskatchewan ,valley1 in ,manitoba1 six years ago1 till the present time4 ,by ,w4,j4 ,abernethy4 ,price list of ,huntsville nurseries1 ,huntsville1 ,ala4 ,oscar ,close1 ,greendale4 ,catalogue of nurseries1 ,worcester1 ,mass4 ,price list of ,l4,r4 ,bryant's cider vinegar works1 ,princeton1 ,ill4 ,vich's ,floral ,guide4 ,here it is again1 brighter and better than ever2 its cover alone1 with its delicate tinted background and its dish of gracefully arranged flowers1 would entitle it to a permanent place in every household4 ,the #ahhd edition is an elegant book of #aej pages1 three colored plates of flowers and vegetables1 and more than #a1jjj illustrations of the choicest plants1 flowers1 and vegetables1 with directions for growing4 ,the price1 only #aj cents1 can be deducted from the first order sent for goods4 ,rochester1 ,n4,y4 ,the ,great ,rock ,island ,cook ,book1 dedicated to the women of ,america1 ,chicago1 ,rock ,island and ,pacific ,railway4 ,this book contains a selection of the most useful recipes and other valuable information in the culinary art4 ,it will be found especially valuable for the young housekeepers1 as they can hardly fail to become good cooks with such a guide4 ,buist's ,almanac and ,garden ,manual for #ahhd1 ,philadelphia4 ,this little book is in its fifty-sixth year1 and is one of the best of its kind published4 ,it contains a full descriptive list 7with cuts7 of all kinds of vegetables1 and many kinds of flowers4 ,report of the crops of the year1 ,december1 #ahhc4 ,department of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,the ,household ,magazine for ,january comes to us in its usual bright1 readable form4 ,it is an unusually good number and will be enjoyed by the ladies4 ,catalogue of ,clydesdale and ,cleveland ,bay horses4 ,imported and bred by the ,door ,prairie ,live ,stock ,association1 ,door ,village1 ,la ,porte1 ,ind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remember that #b4jj pays for ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer one year and1 the subscriber gets 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 ,,our ,,young ,,folks4 ,,the ,,city ,,cat4 ,he is gaunt and thin1 with a ragged coat1 ,a scraggy tail1 and a hunted look2 ,no songs of melody burst from his throat ,as he seeks repose in some quiet nook-- ,a safe retreat from this world of sin1 ,and all of its boots and stones and that-- ,for the life of a cat is a life of din1 ,if he is a city cat4 ,he is grumpy and stumpy1 and old and gray1 ,with a sleepy look in his lonely eye1 7,the other he lost at a matinee-- ,knocked out by a boot from a window high47 ,wherever he goes1 he never knows-- ,quarter or pause in the midnight spree1 ,for the life of a cat is a life of blows1 ,if he is a city cat4 ,he is pelted by boys if he stirs abroad1 ,he is chased by dogs if he dares to roam4 ,his grizzled bosom has never thawed ',neath the kindly blare of the light of home4 ,his life's a perpetual warfare waged ,on balcony1 back yard fence1 and flat2 ,for the life of a cat is a life outraged1 ,if he is a city cat4 ,the country cat is a different beast4 ,petted1 well-housed1 demure1 and sleek2 ,three times a day he is called to feast1 ,and why should he not be quiet and meek8 ,no dreams of urchins1 tin cans1 and war1 ,disturb his sensuous sleep on the mat2 ,ah6 cat life is a thing worth living for1 ,if he isn't a city cat4 ,and even when dead1 the cat ,with strident members uneasy lies ,in some alley-way1 and seems staring at ,a coming foe with his wild wide eye1 ,nobody owns him and nobody cares-- ,another dead ,tom1 and who mourns for that1 ,if he's only a city cat4 --,providence ,press4 ,,amusing ,,tricks4 ,,the ,,fruit ,,candle4 ,procure a good1 large apple or turnip1 and cut from it a piece of the shape to resemble the butt-end of a tallow candle2 then from a nut of some kind--an almond is the best--whittle out a small peg of about the size and shape of a wick end4 ,stick the peg in the apple and you have a very fair representation of a candle4 ,the wick you can light1 and it will burn for at least a minute4 ,in performing you should have your candle in a clean candlestick1 show it plainly to the audience1 and then put it into your mouth1 taking care to blow it out1 and munch it up4 ,if you think best1 you can blow the candle out and allow the wick to cool1 and it will look1 with its burned wick1 so natural that even the sharpest eyes can not distinguish it from the genuine article4 ,once1 at a summer resort in ,massachusetts1 ,i made use of this candle with considerable effect4 ,while performing a few parlor tricks to amuse some friends1 ,i pretended to need a light4 ,a confederate left the room1 and soon returned with a lantern containing one of these apple counterfeits4 ,do you call that a candle8 ,i said4 ,certainly1 he replied4 ,why1 there is scarcely a mouthful4 ,a mouthful8 ,rather a disagreeable mouthful1 ,i guess4 ,you have never been in ,russia1 ,i presume4 ,never4 ,then you don't know what is good4 ,good8 ,yes1 good4 ,why1 candle ends1 with the wick a little burned to give them a flavor1 are delicious4 ,they always serve them up before dinner in ,russia as a kind of relish4 ,it is considered bad taste in good society there to ask a friend to sit down to dinner without offering him this appetizer4 ,the bad taste would be in the relish1 ,i think4 ,not at all4 ,try a bit4 ,i took the candle out of the lantern1 and extended it toward my confederate1 who shrank back with disgust4 ,well1 ,i said1 if you won't have it1 ,i'll eat it myself4 ,and so saying1 ,i put it into my mouth and munched it up1 amid the cries of surprise and horror of the assembled party4 ,two old maids insisted on looking into my mouth to see whether it was not concealed there4 ,having soaked a piece of thread in common salt water1 tie it to a small finger-ring4 ,when you apply the flame of a candle to the thread it will burn to ashes and yet sustain the ring4 ,a ,,difficult ,,circle ,,to ,,jump ,,from4 ,take a piece of chalk1 and ask1 if you make a circle1 whether any boy standing in it thinks he can jump out of it4 ,as soon as one proposes to do so1 bring him into the center of the room1 draw a circle with the chalk around his jacket1 and say1 ,now jump out of it6 ,,an ,,impossible ,,walk4 ,ask one young lady in the company whether she thinks1 if she clasped her hands1 she could walk out of the room4 ,on her saying she could1 request her to pass her arm round the leg of the table or piano1 join her hands1 and walk away4 ,,the ,,hat ,,trick4 ,fill a small glass with water1 cover it with a hat1 and profess your readiness to drink it without touching the hat4 ,put your head under the table1 make a noise1 as if drinking1 rise1 and wipe your lips4 ,the company1 thinking you have drunk the water1 one of them will certainly take up the hat to see4 ,as soon as the hat is removed1 take up the glass and drink its contents4 ,there6 say you1 you see ,i have not touched the hat4 ,,the ,,incombustible ,,thread4 ,wind some linen thread tightly round a smooth pebble1 and secure the end2 then1 if you expose it to the flame of a lamp or candle1 the thread will not burn2 for the caloric 7or heat7 traverses the thread1 without remaining in it1 and attacks the stone4 ,the same sort of trick may be performed with a poker1 round which is evenly pasted a sheet of paper4 ,you can poke the fire with it without burning the paper4 ,,an ,,impossible ,,jump4 ,take a ruler1 or any other piece of wood1 and ask whether1 if you laid it down on the ground1 any of the company could jump over it4 ,of course one or two will express their readiness to jump over so small an obstruction4 ,then lay the ruler on the ground1 close against the wall1 and tell them to try4 ,a ,,difficult ,,load ,,to ,,carry4 ,take a piece of wood1 such as a lucifer match1 and say to one of the company1 ,how long do you think it would take you to carry this piece of wood into the next room8 ,half a minute4 perhaps one will reply4 ,well1 try1 then1 say you2 carry it4 ,you then cut off little pieces1 and give them to him one by one4 ,he will soon be tired of the experiment4 ,,to ,,turn ,a ,,glass ,,of ,,water ,,upside ,,down ,,without ,,spilling ,,its ,,contents4 ,fill a glass carefully1 place a piece of paper on the top1 place your hand on the paper1 and tilt the glass round sharply1 when it will be found that the pressure of the air upward on the paper will retain the water4 ,the glass may then be held by the bottom4 ,health and ,home says3 ,i want to tell you of something very funny to do1 if you have a little brother or sister who does not mind dressing up and standing still for a few moments4 ,my aunt showed me how to do it the other day1 when sister ,nelly had a birthday party4 ,we took little brother ,tommy out into the library and stood him upon a high wooden stool1 and dressed him up very finely in mamma's clothes4 ,the stool made him so full that the dress was of just the right length4 ,then ,uncle ,ned1 telling him to stand straight and firm1 carried him1 stool and all1 into the parlor4 ,i wish you could have heard the girls and boys laugh6 ,he had such a comical look--with his tall body and little round face--just like some of those ,french ,parian figures4 ,one little girl handed him a fan1 and then it was too funny to see the tall lady fan herself affectedly with her very small1 dimpled hands4 ,all the boys and girls just shouted4--,young ,people4 ,,bright ,,sayings4 ,a writer in the ,school-,boy ,magazine has gathered together the following dictionary words as defined by certain small people3 ,bed time--,shut-eye time4 ,dust--,mud with the juice squeezed out4 ,fan--,a thing to brush warm off with4 ,fins--,a fish's wings4 ,ice--,water that staid out in the cold and went to sleep4 ,nest-,egg--,the egg that the old hen measures to make new ones4 ,pig--,a hog's little boy4 ,salt--,what makes your potato taste bad when you don't put any on4 ,snoring--,letting off sleep4 ,stars--,the moon's eggs4 ,wakefulness--,eyes all the time coming unbuttoned4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if you would have good health1 go out in the sunshine4 ,sickness is worse than freckles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hypochondria4 ,,the ,,mysterious ,,element ,,in ,,the ,,mind ,,that ,,arouses ,,vague ,,apprehensions--,,what ,,actually ,,causes ,,it4 ,the narrative below1 by a prominent scientist1 touches a subject of universal importance4 ,few people are free from the distressing evils which hypochondria brings4 ,they come at all times and are fed by the very flame which they themselves start4 ,they are a dread of coming derangement caused by present disorder and bring about more suicides than any other one thing4 ,their first approach should be carefully guarded4 ,editors ,herald3 ,it is seldom ,i appear in print and ,i should not do so now did ,i not believe myself in possession of truths1 the revelation of which will prove of inestimable value to many who may see these lines4 ,mine has been a trying experience4 ,for many years ,i was conscious of a want of nerve tone4 ,my mind seemed sluggish and ,i felt a certain falling off in my natural condition of intellectual acuteness1 activity1 and vigor4 ,i presume this is the same way in which an innumerable number of other people feel1 who1 like myself1 are physically below par1 but like thousands of others ,i paid no attention to these annoying troubles1 attributing them to overwork1 and resorting to a glass of beer or a milk punch1 which would for the time invigorate and relieve my weariness4 ,after awhile the stimulants commenced to disagree with my stomach1 my weariness increased1 and ,i was compelled to resort to other means to find relief4 ,if a physician is suffering he invariably calls another physician to prescribe for him1 as he cannot see himself as he sees others2 so ,i called a physician1 and he advised me to try a little chemical food1 or a bottle of hypophosphates4 ,i took two or three bottles of the chemical food with no apparent benefit4 ,my lassitude and indisposition seemed to increase1 my food distressed me4 ,i suffered from neuralgic pains in different parts of my body1 my muscles became sore1 my bowels were constipated1 and my prospects for recovery were not very flattering4 ,i stated my case to another physician1 and he advised me to take five to ten drops of ,magende's solution of morphine1 two or three times a day1 for the weakness and distress in my stomach1 and a blue pill every other night to relieve the constipation4 ,the morphine produced such a deathly nausea that ,i could not take it1 and the blue pill failed to relieve my constipation4 ,in this condition ,i passed nearly a year1 wholly unfit for business1 while the effort to think was irksome and painful4 ,my blood became impoverished1 and ,i suffered from incapacity with an appalling sense of misery and general apprehension of coming evil4 ,i passed sleepless nights and was troubled with irregular action of the heart1 a constantly feverish condition1 and the most excruciating tortures in my stomach1 living for days on rice water and gruel1 and1 indeed1 the digestive functions seemed to be entirely destroyed4 ,it was natural that while in this condition ,i should become hypochondrical1 and fearful suggestions of self-destruction occasionally presented themselves4 ,i experienced an insatiable desire for sleep1 but on retiring would lie awake for a long time1 tormented with troubled reflections1 and when at last ,i did fall into an uneasy slumber of short duration1 it was disturbed by horrid dreams4 ,in this condition ,i determined to take a trip to ,europe1 but in spite of all the attentions of physicians and change of scene and climate1 ,i did not improve1 and so returned home with no earthly hope of ever again being able to leave the house4 ,among the numerous friends that called on me was one who had been afflicted somewhat similarly to myself1 but who had been restored to perfect health4 ,upon his earned recommendation ,i began the same treatment he had employed but with little hope of being benefited4 ,at first1 ,i experienced little1 if any1 relief1 except that it did not distress my stomach as other remedies or even food had done4 ,i continued its use1 however1 and after the third bottle could see a marked change for the better1 and now after the fifteenth bottle ,i am happy to state that ,i am again able to attend to my professional duties4 ,i sleep well1 nothing distresses me that ,i eat1 ,i go from day to day without a feeling of weariness or pain1 indeed ,i am a well man1 and wholly through the influence of ,h4,h4 ,warner ,co's ,tippecanoe4 ,i consider this remedy as taking the highest possible rank in the treatment of all diseases marked by debility1 loss of appetite1 and all other symptoms of stomach and digestive disorders4 ,it is overwhelmingly superior to the tonics1 bitters1 and dyspepsia cures of the day1 and is certain to be so acknowledged by the public universally4 ,thousands of people to-day are going to premature graves with these serious diseases1 that ,i have above described1 and to all such ,i would say3 ,do not let your good judgment be governed by your prejudices1 but give the above named remedy a fair and patient trial1 and ,i believe you will not only be rewarded by a perfect restoration to health1 but you will also be convinced that the medical profession does not possess all the knowledge there is embraced in medical science4 ,a4,g4 ,,richards1 ,m4,d41 #dfh ,tremont street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,,compiled ,,correspondence4 ,e4,b4,f41 ,scotia1 ,neb41 writes3 ,the weather1 so far this winter1 has been extremely warm4 ,no snow to exceed one inch since ,october4 ,cattle and hogs doing finely4 ,corn planted early is a good crop both as to quality and quantity1 but late planted is soft4 ,wheat and oats were an extra good crop1 wheat yielding from #be to #ce bushels per acre1 and oats from #ej to #ge bushels4 ,e4,b4,f4 99 99 99 99 99 ,cobden1 ,ill41 ,jan4 #f4--,we have been through the coldest weather ever experienced here since weather records have been kept1 which is twenty-five years or more4 ,yesterday morning the mercury reached #bd degrees below at my house1 which is #bjj feet higher than the village4 ,reports from lower situations run down to #bf1 #bh1 with one of #cj4 ,this is six degrees lower than the lowest record ever made here1 which was twenty years ago1 when on the #ast of ,january it marked #ah below at my house1 with some other records two or three degrees lower4 ,at that time peach orchards were badly killed4 ,there can be no doubt that such is the case now4 ,and if it has been proportionately cold north1 ,i fear that the injury to all kinds of fruit trees must have been very serious4 ,,parrer ,,earle4 99 99 99 99 99 ,kane ,co41 ,jan #g4--,the weather has been intensely cold here since the #c;d instant4 ,the thermometer has been from #d to #bh degs4 below zero at #g a4m41 and from #b to #af degs4 below at #b p4m4 ,the #eth was the coldest4 ,the mercury dropped to #bh degs4 below at sunrise2 in some places #cb degs4 below4 ,on the #fth1 #bb degs4 below at #g a4m42 at #ab m4 #d degs4 below2 at #e p4m4 #aj degs4 below4 ,domestic animals were kept closely housed1 except while being watered4 ,where they were exposed to the weather1 they froze4 ,we have not had such continued cold weather since ,january #ahfd1 when for ten successive days it was intensely cold4 ,some farmers are short of coarse feed1 and are shipping bran and middlings from ,minneapolis1 and corn from ,kansas and ,nebraska4 ,many farmers who were shipping milk to ,chicago1 are now taking it to the cheese factories4 ,there has been an over supply of milk in the city4 ,the dividends for ,october were from #a4af to #a4be per cwt4 ,j4,p4,b4 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 ,,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 ,f444444444444444444444,springfield1 ,illinois 99 99 99 99 99 ,,live ,,stock1 ,,etc4 ,jerseys for ,sale4 ,one heifer1 #b years old in ,may1 due to calve in ,april4 ,heifer1 #b years in ,june1 and due to calve in ,april4 ,cow1 #d years old1 due to calve in ,may4 ,bull calf #e months old1 and one good yearling bull4 ,address ,l4,p4 ,,wheeler4 ,quincy1 ,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 ,,house ,,plans ,,for ,,everybody4 ,by ,s4,b4 ,,reed1 ,architect4 ,one of the most popular ,architectural books ever issued1 giving a wide range of design from a dwelling costing #bej up to #h1jjj1 and adapted to farm1 village1 and town residences4 ,it gives an ,,estimate ,,of ,,the ,,quantity ,,of ,,every ,,article ,,used ,in the construction1 and probable cost of constructing any one of the buildings presented4 ,profusely illustrated4 ,price1 postpaid1 #a4ej4 ,address ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,chicago 99 99 99 99 99 ,,map ,of the ,united ,states and ,canada1 ,printed in ,colors1 size #db-a_/b feet1 also a copy of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer for one year4 ,sent to any address for #b4jj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,agents ,,wanted ,,everywhere to solicit subscriptions for this paper4 ,write ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,co41 ,chicago1 for particulars4 ,,literature ,,the ,,wrong ,,pew4 ,there's one who wrote in years gone by in clear and ringing rhyme-- ,a poet of an elder day and of a distant clime-- ,who sang of mortal misery1 of sufferers long and lorn1 ,man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn6 ,the hand that held that golden pen--that golden tongue--is dust2 ,a dust that's dear to hearts that hold his homely truths in trust2 ,and you who read this simple tale of wrath1 and ruth1 and wrong1 ,may hear the echo of the sob that breaks upon my song6 ,i sat upon the ,sabbath-day within the sacred fane1 ,the sunlight through the windows poured like rainbow-tinted rain2 ,while maids and matrons passing fair1 and men of high degree1 ,all fashion's proudest votaries1 knelt low on bended knee4 ,and there was one of stature tall1 whose robe of silken sheen ,draped quiet grace and courtesy that might have shamed a queen1 ,save only that her pallid face1 and drooping1 tear-dimmed eyes1 ,looked like the ,peri's1 waiting by the gates of ,paradise4 ,what is it moves that jeweled throng of dainty worshippers8 ,their hearts have probed the cruel wrong that rankles sore in hers2 ,for she who sat beside her there--ah1 heart of hardest stone6 ,swept forth with stern and haughty stare1 and left her there alone4 ,then one1 ,god bless her woman's heart6 the loveliest woman there1 ,stepped down the aisle with stately tread1 and calm and steadfast air2 ,with gentle voice1 and tender eyes distilling heaven's own dew1 ,she whispered to the shrinking girl1 ,i've room1 my friend1 for you4 ,i think earth's sorest sinners need a judge less stern than they ,who wear their ermine clasped across a breast of common clay6 ,i think heaven's loveliest angels come among us circling down1 ,to bear the cruel earthly cross1 and then regain the crown4 ,alas6 alas6 for paltry pride arrayed in rich attire1 ,and woe is me for priestly praise which is our heart's desire6 ,would we could seek1 like pilgrims gray1 beside that sunlit sea1 ,the simple faith that lit the shores of sacred ,galilee6 ,sometimes it seems that ages past our souls have sojourned here2 ,but ,god's great angel guards the gate and stands beside the bier2 ,for when some mystic touch awakes the chords of memory1 ,his awful hand holds down the note1 and clasps the quivering key4 ,bend low1 bend low the lofty brow and bring the sack-cloth gown2 ,throw dust and ashes on our heads1 and through the sinful town2 ,i think the green earth grows more gray1 beneath its golden sun1 ,because the good ,god sits in heaven1 and sees such evil done4 --,edward ,renaud4 ,,yik ,,kee4 ,after father died some ten years ago1 ,i found1 that for three years we had been living on credit4 ,i was eighteen1 strong and well1 but did not know how to work4 ,in the little back room of the ,new ,york tenement house 7by the way1 the landlady seized my clothes for our rent7 ,i considered my future4 ,i had inherited a great faith in relatives1 from my father1 so ,i wrote to seven4 ,i received six polite notes1 telling me to go to work1 and the following letter3 ,,jonesboro1 ,,colorado--,,jackson',s ,,ranch4 ,dear ,nell4--,i'm your cousin ,jack4 ,your father once give me money to come out ,west4 ,i've took up land1 got a comfortable home1 no style or frills1 but good folks to live with and healthy grub4 ,i've got the best wife you ever see and seven fine youngsters4 ,the city ain't no place for a friendless girl4 ,wife wants you to come4 ,she'll be a mother to you4 ,come right off4 ,i'll meet you at ,denver4 ,jack4 ,inclosed was a check sufficient to defray expenses2 so ,i started4 ,denver was then only a large town and the depot a barn-like structure4 ,i got out of the cars and stood bewildered among all the emigrants and their bundles4 ,some one touched me on the shoulder--a roughly-dressed1 broad-shouldered man with long1 blonde beard and big blue eyes4 ,are you ,nell8 he said4 ,yes2 and you're ,cousin ,jack4 ,i knew you1 he said1 as he led the way1 by your black clothes an' sorrerful look1 an' them big blue eyes1 like yer father's as two peas4 ,we'll git the shader outer 'em when we get home4 ,yer father was a mighty good man4 ,bless yer dear heart1 don't let them tears come4 ,this 'ere's a dry country1 we don't waste no water4 ,comforting me in his kind1 rough way1 he reached his team1 a big green wagon1 drawn by two wild-looking steeds which ,i afterward knew to be bronchos4 ,a fat1 blonde boy1 about twelve1 held the reins4 ,that's ,ted1 said ,cousin ,jack4 ,ted1 this is ,miss ,nell1 yer cousin2 give her a hug4 ,the fat boy solemnly obeyed4 ,after this he seemed to have a special claim on my affections because he met me first4 ,jack's wife was a jolly1 plump woman1 with brown eyes and curly hair4 ,she always had a baby in her arms and another at her heels4 ,she adored ,jack4 ,i never knew them to have a quarrel4 ,i soon grew to love the life at the ranch4 ,i liked the big1 half-finished house1 its untidyness and comfort--its pleasant1 healthy atmosphere4 ,i loved the children1 the household pets--,shep1 the sagacious dog2 ,thad1 the clever cat2 the hens and sheep2 the horses ,dolly1 ,dot1 and ,daisy1 that did the plowing1 and the marketing at ,denver1 twelve miles away1 and were so gentle and kind we used to ride them without saddle or bridle4 ,i learned that cattle grew fat on the dry-looking grass and gave the best of milk4 ,i learned to love the broad plains and the glorious sunsets1 and to watch the distant bands of ,indians with half fear1 half interest4 ,i helped ,cousin ,mary1 sewed and cooked1 kept the house and children neat1 and lifted many burdens from her weary shoulders4 ,we were so happy4 ,the children and ,i took long walks over the plains1 and ,ted and ,i took many rides on ,dolly and ,dot1 and in the long winter evenings ,i told the children stories4 ,occasionally ,harry ,white came over to visit us from his ranch five miles away4 ,he lived with his old mother2 he and ,jack were dear friends4 ,harry needed a wife1 ,jack used to say1 winking at me4 ,one day ,jack went to ,denver for supplies4 ,he went alone1 and coming home later than usual1 ,ted and ,i and baby ,mame went out to meet him4 ,jack looked sober and guilty1 and seemed ill at ease4 ,if he ever drank1 ,i should have thought him intoxicated4 ,in the wagon was a queer-shaped heap under a horse-blanket4 ,i was sure it moved4 ,when we got behind the barn ,jack said1 sheepishly1 avoiding my eye4 ,well1 ,ted1 ,i calkerlate ,i've got su'thing in that there waggin that 'ul astonish yer marm4 ,little ,mame pulled the blanket off the heap2 she had been peeping under it all the while she was in the back of the wagon4 ,there lay a human being4 ,such an object2 short and squat1 dressed in a queer blue blouse with flowing sleeves1 wide trousers and queer wooden shoes4 ,he had small1 black eyes1 a shaven poll1 from which depended a long thin queue4 ,his countenance was battered and bruised1 his clothes torn and bloody4 ,there was a row down to ,denver1 said ,jack2 the ,christian folks stove in these 'ere heathen's winders1 tore their houses down1 an' killed half on 'em4 ,i cleared out soon as ,i could4 ,when ,i got half way home ,i heard a noise back o' me1 and out crawled this thing4 ,i was so dumfounded ,i couldn't speak4 ,he thought ,i was going ter send him back1 an' he fell ter cryin' an' jabberin' in that yap of his1 an' clingin' onter my han' an' kissin' of it4 ,it sorter turned my stomach4 ,i told him ter set down1 give him some crackers ter eat1 covered him up an' told him he could live with me4 ,what do you s'pose marm'll say8 ,oh6 ,cousin ,jack1 ,i said1 of course1 she will not care4 ,your home is a refuge for all the wretched and unfortunate4 ,now don't1 ,nell1 he said1 turning as red as a rose1 and busying himself about the harness4 ,the ,celestial looked at us solemnly3 ,mame toddled up to him4 ,he looked at her curiously1 but did not move4 ,get out1 ,john1 said ,jack1 you needn't be scared no more2 we're to home4 ,he got out stiffly1 and1 to my surprise1 turned and lifted the baby down4 ,she caught his pig-tail1 and pulled it in wild delight4 ,he seemed grieved when ,i took her away4 ,when ,jack told ,mary1 the good soul found a thousand reasons why he should stay1 and hurried to make him a bed in the attic4 ,the ,celestial did not say much1 but when ,jack called him ,john1 he smiled a sad smile4 ,melican man callee ,john4 ,hump4 ,yik ,kee4 ,so with due consideration for his feelings we addressed him as ,yik ,kee4 ,he was of great use4 ,he helped take care of the children1 did the washing 7,mary did not fancy his method of sprinkling clothes7 and helped ,jack on the farm4 ,we made him one of the family4 ,he was always pleasant and smiling1 but was a man of few words4 ,cousin ,jack added much to his income by trading in hides4 ,ranchmen living at a distance sold their hides to him and ,jack sold them to traders who came around at certain times in the year4 ,harry ,white was a partner in the business4 ,he used to go on a sort of round-up and visit the ranches all over the country4 ,the cattle of the ranchmen roamed in vast herds over the plains1 protected only by the brand of the owner4 ,cattle stealing was frequently practiced4 ,offenders in this respect were shown no mercy4 ,they were convicted1 tried1 and executed only in the court of ,judge ,lynch4 ,i never blamed the ranchmen for this2 it was impossible to guard the herds in the vast area over which they traversed1 and the cattle must be protected in some way4 ,gil ,mead was a wealthy ranchman1 who lived about ten miles from us4 ,he owned the largest herd of cattle on the plains4 ,they were branded with the vowels of his name4 ,e4,a41 which could be recognized anywhere4 ,he always shipped his cattle ,east to his brother in ,chicago4 ,i feared the man4 ,he was tall and gaunt1 with deep-set black eyes and low forehead4 ,his home was unhappy2 his wife cross and ugly1 and his children wild and unruly4 ,this made him more than commonly disagreeable4 ,i think it was in the fall of '#gd that ,harry ,white brought the big load of hides to ,jack4 ,both were much pleased at the bargain they made4 ,harry gave glowing accounts of a new customer--a ranchman from ,chicago1 who had taken up an abandoned homestead4 ,he had purchased many cattle from his cousin1 ,gil ,mead1 and hoped to rival him in the number and quality of his herd4 ,jack packed the hides away to keep till ,december1 when we expected the dealer4 ,one afternoon1 not long after this1 ,gil ,mead rode up to the house1 looking very agreeable and pleasant4 ,a couple of strangers1 also ranchmen1 were with him4 ,they wanted to look at the hides1 one of the men being a trader1 ,gil said4 ,jack was in ,denver1 so ,yik ,kee and ,i went to the barn with them4 ,they looked the hides over carefully1 and conversed in low tones1 ,gil with a suppressed oath4 ,finally they thanked us courteously and took their leave4 ,hump2 no goodee1 said ,yik ,kee1 but he wouldn't say any more4 ,at five that evening1 when we were at supper1 a crowd of twenty-five or thirty men rode up on horseback4 ,jack came out and met them1 inviting them in to take supper1 in his generous1 hospitable way4 ,they wanted him to go to ,denver with them1 there was to be a meeting there of importance to ranchmen4 ,the meeting would be at eight4 ,they had brought with them an extra horse for ,jack4 ,mary looked around for ,yik ,kee to help her1 but he had mysteriously disappeared4 ,i faintly remembered seeing his white1 horrified face peering around the barn at the horses4 ,i noted the visitors ate little--the food seemed to choke them4 ,some of them watched ,mary and the baby in a queer sort of way4 ,when ,jack1 as was his custom1 kissed his wife and babies good-by1 one of the visitors1 an oldish man1 coughed huskily1 and said3 ,blest if ,i kin stan' this4 ,they all rode off1 ,jack the merriest of all1 waving his hat till he was out of sight4 ,when we were clearing up the unusual quantity of dishes1 ,yik ,kee appeared at the end window and beckoned me4 ,i followed him out4 ,ted was with him4 ,behind the barn were the three horses saddled4 ,shep was with them1 released from confinement1 where he had been secured from following his master4 ,foller 'em1 said ,ted in an excited whisper4 ,yik's afraid they're up to something4 ,what is it1 ,yik8 ,i said1 sternly4 ,no fooling now4 ,for answer he twisted his long pig-tail around his neck1 tying it under his left ear in a significant manner4 ,hump1 he hangee2 stealee cow4 ,oh1 ,mary1 ,i sobbed1 remembering ,gil ,mead's visit1 and his strange actions1 and dimly seeing what ,yik ,kee meant1 ,i must tell ,mary1 ,i said1 wildly4 ,hump1 no1 said ,yik ,kee4 ,yellee sick1 and he closed his eyes in a die-away sort of manner4 ,go now--too latee4 ,we mounted4 ,mother'll think we're gone to ride1 said ,ted1 as we galloped over the plains4 ,he was deathly pale1 poor little fellow1 but he sat erect and firm4 ,i saw his father's big ,colt's revolver sticking out of his pocket4 ,he was a determined boy4 ,even in my despair1 in my wild hope that ,i could save ,jack by begging on my knees1 that ,i could cling to him1 that they would have to kill me first1 ,i could not help a smile at the comical figure ,yik ,kee presented on horseback4 ,his loose garments flapped in the wind1 his long pig-tail flew out behind1 and he bobbed up and down like a kernel of corn in a corn-hopper4 ,it was a soft1 warm night1 lighted only by the pale young moon and the twinkling stars4 ,we rode as fast as our horses could gallop4 ,shep was close at our heels4 ,way ahead1 when we reached the top of a little hill1 we saw the crowd of horsemen4 ,they were riding toward ,denver4 ,we galloped on with renewed zeal4 ,they turned into a cross road leading to ,mead's ranch4 ,on this road was a bridge over ,dry ,gulch1 which was in the spring a roaring torrent4 ,beyond the bridge1 across the fields1 was the hay-stack of ,mead1 where was stored sufficient to feed his domestic cattle through the winter4 ,we at last reached the turn in the road4 ,they were three miles in advance1 riding rapidly4 ,yik ,kee stopped at the turn4 ,hump6 ,can't catchee4 ,hangee at bridge4 ,you goee6 ,he turned his horse and sped across the field1 deserting us basely4 ,we rode on1 ,ted and ,i4 ,he was pale and still2 my cheeks were burning4 ,we neared the bridge4 ,the high mound of earth before us hid us from sight4 ,we stopped our horses and listened4 ,the men had lighted torches1 some were preparing a rough gallows under the bridge2 two were uncoiling rope2 some held the horses of the others beyond the bridge4 ,the men were masked now1 and ,i could see by the lighted torches that this number was increased4 ,jack was very white and sad1 but he showed no fear4 ,i am innocent1 gentlemen1 he said1 slowly1 but ,i refuse to tell you of whom ,i bought the hides4 ,i understood him4 ,could ,harry ,white be a cattle thief8 ,i felt as if ,i were going mad4 ,what shall we do8 whispered ,ted1 cocking his revolver8 ,suddenly a bright red light illuminated the heavens1 followed by clouds of black smoke and a queer crackling noise4 ,a yell from the men--,gil ,mead's voice above the rest4 ,the hay-stack was on fire4 ,it seemed to me in the gale around it that ,i could see a foreign-looking human vanishing across the plain4 ,the men mounted their horses1 ,gil ,mead at the head1 and set off across the fields at a mad gallop4 ,they must save the stack4 ,they left ,jack1 bound hand and foot1 and guarded by one man4 ,shep1 the wonderful dog1 had kept by us until now1 slinking in the dark shadows4 ,now1 gliding sidewise and still1 he reached the man on guard whose back was to us1 and with no warning growl caught him by the throat with strong white teeth that could choak a coyote in a second4 ,the man1 who was in a sitting posture1 fell back with a groan4 ,ted struck him over the head with the butt of the revolver1 and pulled off the dog4 ,i cut ,jack's bonds with a knife4 ,he looked at us wonderingly and staggered to his feet4 ,never mind how we came1 ,jack1 ,i said2 quick1 mount the horse beyond the bridge1 and ride to ,denver for your life4 ,they will not harm a woman and child4 ,harry ,white1 he muttered1 the loyal soul that even now could think of another's danger4 ,i will tell him4 ,no1 no2 not of this--only say1 if he stole the cattle1 to fly the country4 ,they will find out1 sooner or later4 ,he galloped down the road4 ,ted and ,i mounted1 calling off ,shep1 who sat on his haunches watching the unconscious man1 and then we1 too1 sped down the road4 ,the hay-stack was giving out great columns of black smoke1 but the fire was dead4 ,ahead of us was a riderless horse1 ,dolly1 who greeted her master with a joyful whinny4 ,where was ,yik ,kee8 ,then ,dot1 my horse1 shied from the road at a recumbent black figure4 ,it was the indomitable ,yik ,kee1 who had crawled all the way from the stack on his stomach1 so that he could not be seen1 after lying in the ditch till the blaze had faded out4 ,hump6 no catchee ,chinee2 heap sore1 he said1 laconically rubbing his stomach4 ,he mounted ,dolly1 and we rode on to ,white's ranch4 ,harry rushed out at the sound of horses' feet1 at midnight4 ,there1 under the twinkling stars ,i looked into his eyes1 and ,i told him the whole story4 ,he showed no guilt1 but only said we must stay the night at his ranch1 for the men would come back to ,jack's for him1 and then mounting his fleet colt rode off down the road4 ,i comforted his mother as best ,i could4 ,at day-break we rode home4 ,mary was in a wild state of alarm4 ,where had we been8 ,where was ,jack8 and how cruel we were to leave her alone4 ,she said that at one o'clock three masked men had come to the house and searched it and the premises1 and had not molested her or the children1 only asking where ,jack was1 very sternly and sharply4 ,at noon ,jack1 ,harry1 the sheriff1 and a party of armed men from ,denver rode up1 stopping only a moment to tell me they would be back at night4 ,i dared not tell ,mary1 and she worried all the afternoon at their strange conduct4 ,at night ,jack and ,harry came home1 looking tired but happy4 ,then ,jack told ,mary1 and she clung to him as though she could never let him go4 ,it seemed the pleasing ranchman from ,chicago was one of a band of cattle thieves4 ,he sold the hides to ,harry1 who1 honest and open himself1 was slow to suspect wrong dealings in others4 ,the sheriff had caught the men skinning a cow that belonged to ,mead1 and had captured the gang and taken them to ,denver4 ,the men concerned in the attempt to lynch ,jack were sincerely sorry4 ,their regrets would not have availed much1 however1 if they had succeeded in their purpose4 ,they gave each of the children ten acres of land2 they gave ,ted sixty-five1 and me1 whom they pleased to consider very plucky1 one hundred and fifty acres4 ,i felt rich enough1 and time has made it very valuable land4 ,the man on guard was our warmest admirer4 ,he thought ,ted1 ,shep1 and ,i wonders of courage4 ,he said when ,i came down on the bridge with the open knife1 he thought his last hour had come4 ,gil ,mead committed suicide not long after this4 ,he was always queer4 ,no one ever knew that ,yik ,kee set the stack afire4 ,i tell you ,jack rewarded the faithful fellow--gave him a good farm1 taught him to work it1 and built him a house4 ,the funniest thing was ,yik ,kee had a wife and three queer little children back in ,china1 and ,jack sent for them1 and ,yik ,kee and his family are as happy as they can be4 ,the children play with ,jack's 7he has twelve now7 and get along finely together4 ,in '#ge ,i married ,harry ,white1 which1 ,i suppose1 was foreseen from the beginning--at least1 ,jack says anybody could have seen it4 ,the most serene and satisfied face at the wedding was that of the ,celestial4 ,in my inner consciousness1 notwithstanding he is a heathen ,chinee1 ,i have the conviction that as great a hero as is seen in modern times is the man of few words1 ,yik ,kee4--,the ,continent4 ,,humorous ,a ,,leedle ,,mistakes4 ,i see all how it vhas now1 observed ,jacob ,handonder1 as he came out4 ,oh1 you do6 ,you are the man who got drunk and raised a fuss on a street car8 ,i vhas der man1 and ,i tell you how it vhas4 ,you see1 ,i vhas tight4 ,i took too much beer4 ,can a saloon-keeper take too much beer8 ,vhell1 maype ,i vhas seek4 ,i shtart to go home4 ,vhen der sthreet car comes along ,i pelief it vhas my house4 ,i got in und look all aroundt1 but ,i doan' see ,katarina4 ,i call out for der shildrens1 und eferybody laughs at me4 ,maype dot makes me madt1 und der drifer calls a boliceman1 und ,i vhas galloped down here4 ,so it wasn't your home8 ,not oxactly4 ,it vhas a leedle mistake4 ,it'll cost you #e4 ,vheel1 dot ain't so bad4 ,i pay him oop und go home to preakfast4 ,be careful next time4 ,oh1 ,i vill dot4 ,next time ,i vhas tight ,i go home on some shtreets midout cars4 ,if ,i take some ice-wagon for my house ,i pelief ,i got cooled off pooty queek4 ,,sharper ,,than ,a ,,razor4 ,a long-waisted man1 with the nose of a fox and an eye full of speculation1 walked up to a second-hand clothier1 in ,buffalo1 the other day1 and said3 ,see that overcoat hanging out down there8 ,of course4 ,well1 ,i've taken a fancy to it4 ,it's rather cheeky to ask you to go down there1 but ,i'll make it an object2 ,i won't give but #h for the coat1 but ,i'll give you #a to buy it for me4 ,you are also a ,jew and know how to beat him down4 ,here are #i4 ,the dealer took the money and started off1 and in five minutes was back with the coat4 ,good6 chuckled the other4 ,i reckoned you'd lay him out4 ,how much did you make for your share8 ,vhell1 ash dot is my branch shore1 and ,i only ask six dollar fur de goat1 ,i was about tree dollar ahead4 ,a ,,coming ,,dividend4 ,last fall1 when a would-be purchaser of railroad stock called upon ,russell ,sage and asked him regarding the outlook of certain stock1 ,mr4 ,sage replied3 ,splendid idea6 ,that stock is certain to raise fifteen per cent4 ,upon what do you base your calculations8 ,upon the immense crops to be moved along that line4 ,the other day the same gentleman again interviewed ,mr4 ,sage regarding the same stock1 and the great financier replied3 ,best outlook in the world for that stock6 ,certain to advance fifteen per cent4 ,do you base your calculations upon last fall's crops8 ,no1 sir2 it's going to be an open winter1 and the line will save enough in snow-plows to declare a dividend of five per cent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at a party3 ,merchant--,ah6 ,how d'do1 ,mr4 ,blank8 ,how is your paper coming out8 ,i read it daily4 ,by the way1 you are getting up a report of this grand assembly1 ,i suppose8 ,editor--,no4 ,by the way1 how is your store coming on8 ,my cook buys a good deal of you4 ,you are here drumming up custom1 ,i suppose8 99 99 99 99 99 ,yes1 said ,mrs4 ,towers1 as she expatiated upon the beauties of her flower-garden1 ,i have given it great care1 and if you come over in a week or two1 ,i expect to be able to show you some beautiful scarlet pneumonias4 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 ,,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 ,,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 ,self ,cure ,free ,nervous ,debility ,lost ,manhood ,weakness 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 ,,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 ,send for ,catalogue and ,prices4 ,,atlas ,,engine ,,works ,illustration ,,indianapolis1 ,,ind41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,manufacturers ,,of ,,steam ,,engines ,,and ,,boilers4 ,,carry ,,engines and ,,boilers ,,in ,,stock for ,,immediate ,,delivery 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 ,,popcorn4 ,warehouses #aae1 #aag #aai ,kinzie ,st4 ,,office4 #aae ,,kinzie ,,st41 #ajd1 #ajf1 #ajh1 #aaj ,michigan ,st4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,,general ,,news4 ,gen4 ,butler is now out of office4 ,a verdict of not guilty was rendered in the ,emma ,bond case4 ,st4 ,petersburg1 ,russia1 is in a panic over recent acts of the ,nihilists4 ,two wolves have lately been killed in the vicinity of ,douglas ,park1 ,chicago4 ,another effort is soon to be made in ,congress to reinstate ,fitz ,john ,porter4 ,brokers in ,dubuque have offered #ccj1jjj cash for the ,b4,f4 ,allen ,homestead4 ,at ,winnipeg on ,thursday of last week the mercury was #de degrees below zero4 ,albert ,e4 ,kent1 of ,san ,francisco1 gives #be1jjj for a chemical laboratory at ,yale ,college4 ,judge ,mc,crary1 of the ,supreme ,court1 has resigned1 and accepted a position as a railway attorney4 ,the ,government of ,china has ordered the construction of two more torpedo boats at the ,german port of ,stettin4 ,st4 ,louis had many fires last week4 ,there were nine outbreaks within forty-eight hours4 ,the firemen were completely worn out4 ,there were #cai failures in the ,united ,states last week--the largest number yet recorded within the same number of days4 ,there was strong talk at ,hillsboro of lynching the discharged prisoners in the ,emma ,bond case1 but better counsel prevailed4 ,governor ,stoneman presided at a meeting in ,san ,francisco1 where arrangements were made to hold a world's exposition in #ahhg4 ,the mercury at ,charleston1 ,s4,c41 was #ac degrees below zero ,january #dth4 ,through ,new ,england the weather was extremely cold4 ,mary1 the seventeenth wife of the late ,brigham ,young1 died at ,salt ,lake ,city ,saturday from blood poisoning4 ,she has fourteen survivors4 ,a pie made of tainted meat caused the poisoning of sixteen boarders and three ,sisters at a convent in ,montreal4 ,two of the former are dangerously ill4 ,it is announced from ,paris that the ,french government is intending to sell the railways owned by the ,republic4 ,the ,rothschilds stand ready to purchase them4 ,by a railroad accident near ,fort ,dodge1 on ,wednesday last1 three persons were killed and several wounded4 ,among the killed was ,mrs4 ,j4,h4 ,south1 of ,bureau ,co41 ,ills4 ,mrs4 ,holcomb1 daughter of the murdered millionaire ,crouch1 of ,michigan1 has committed suicide4 ,there is some suspicion that she knew something about the murder4 ,a nihilist proclamation has been issued threatening the ,czar4 ,there is much anxiety at ,gatschina palace4 ,it is now said the ,czar's injury in the shoulder the other day was caused by a bullet4 ,the ,united ,states ,consul ,general at ,cairo reports the deaths by the cholera epidemic at from #fe1jjj to #gj1jjj4 ,a member of the international tribunal says there are still from one to three fatal cases each day4 ,the ,gould system of railroads is about to establish a telegraph school at ,st4 ,louis1 with a view not only to educating operators1 but of selecting pupils from the acclimated people along the ,southwestern lines4 ,the ,catholic convent at ,belleville1 ,ill41 took fire from the furnace ,saturday evening1 and in an hour was reduced to ashes4 ,sixty pupils made desperate efforts to escape1 some of them leaping from the windows4 ,twenty-seven lives were lost4 ,the ,secretary of ,state at ,springfield has issued papers of incorporation to ,col4 ,wood's museum1 at ,chicago1 with a capital stock of #ajj1jjj4 ,the ,colonel is said to have secured a lease of his old stand on ,randolph street1 and the ,olympic ,theatre4 ,henry ,villard closed his business career by handing over to assignees his mansion on ,madison square and other property1 with instructions to dispose of the same1 pay a mortgage of #bjj1jjj1 and discharge any indebtedness to the ,oregon ,railway ,company1 the residue to be given to his wife4 ,the directors of the ,northern ,pacific road held a meeting in ,new ,york1 on ,friday1 of last week4 ,a letter was read from ,henry ,villard1 resigning the presidency of the company because of nervous prostration and in deference to the interests of the stockholders4 ,the resignation was accepted1 and a special election was ordered to choose a successor4 ,the directors voted ,mr4 ,villard #aj1jjj per annum for his services4 ,vice ,president ,oakes reported the line in first-class order except one hundred miles near the junction west of ,helena4 ,it is understood that the ,oregon ,navigation company will reduce its dividends to #h per cent4 ,the ,oregon ,transcontinental has raised #c1jjj1jjj in ,boston with which to lift its floating debt4 ,,markets ,,market ,,reports4 ,,office ,,of ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer1 ,,chicago4 ,jan #h1 #ahhd4 ,,financial ,,and ,,commercial4 ,the extremely cold weather of the past week interfered with business very generally4 ,in financial circles1 as in others1 the arctic wave made matters rather quiet4 ,early in the present week1 however1 business at the banks was active4 ,the arrival of delayed mail trains added to the volume of business2 but while there was much activity1 the monetary situation remained about the same as usual4 ,in the loan market quotations were #fg per cent4 ,eastern exchange sold at #gjge;c per #a1jjj premium4 ,government securities are as follows3 #d's coupons1 #aijg ,q4 ,apr4 #abc-a_/d #d's reg41 #aijg ,q4 ,apr4 #abc-a_/d #d-a_/b's coupon1 #ahia ,q4 ,mar4 #aad-a_/h #d-a_/b's registered1 #ahia ,q4 ,mar4 #aad-a_/h #c's registered ,q4 ,mar4 #ajj ,,grain ,,and ,,provisions4 ,the leading produce markets have been irregular for several days past1 and the tendency1 in the main1 was downward4 ,yesterday wheat was moderately active1 but the market was depressed at the close4 ,there was a drop1 also1 in corn1 oats1 mess pork1 and lard4 ,,flour was quiet at about the following rates4 ,choice to favorite white winters #e #be #e #ej ,fair to good brands of white winters #d #ge #e #jj ,good to choice red winters #e #jj #e #ej ,prime to choice springs #d #ge #e #jj ,good to choice export stock1 in sacks1 extras #d #be #d #ej ,good to choice export stock1 double extras #d #ej #d #fe ,fair to good ,minnesota springs #d #ej #d #ge ,choice to fancy ,minnesota springs #e #be #e #ge ,patent springs #f #jj #f #ej ,low grades #b #be #c #ej ,,wheat4--,red winter1 ,no4 #b #if #ih;c2 car lots of spring1 ,no4 #b1 sold at #ic-c_/d #ie;c2 ,no4 #c1 do4 #gg-a_/b #ha;c4 ,,corn4--,moderately active4 ,car lots ,no4 #b1 #eg-c_/h #eg-e_/h;c2 rejected1 #df-a_/b2 new mixed1 #dh #dh-a_/d;c4 ,,oats4--,no4 #b in store1 closed #cc-a_/b #cc-e_/h4 ,,rye4--,may1 in store #eh #eh-a_/b4 ,,barley4--,no4 #b1 #fb #fc;c2 ,no4 #c1 #dd;c4 ,,flax4--,closed at #a #da4 ,,timothy4--#a #be per bushel4 ,little doing4 ,,clover4--,quiet at #e #ij #f #ae for prime4 ,,provisions4--,mess pork1 ,february1 #ad #de #ad #dg-a_/b per bbl2 ,may1 #ae #ae #je4 ,green hams1 #h-c_/h;c1 per lb4 ,short ribs1 #g #db-a_/b per cwt4 ,,lard4--,january1 #h #ge2 ,february1 #h #he4 ,,lumber4 ,lumber unchanged4 ,quotations for green are as follows3 ,short dimension1 per ,m #i #ej #aj #jj ,long dimension1 per ,m #aj #jj #aa #ej ,boards and strips1 ,no4 #b #aa #jj #ac #jj ,boards and strips1 medium #ac #jj #af #jj ,boards and strips1 ,no4 #a choice #af #jj #bj #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 #jj #b #aj4 ,hand picked navies1 #b #ae #b #bj4 ,,butter4--,dull and without change4 ,choice to extra creamery1 #cb #ce;c per lb42 fair to good do4 #bf #cj;c2 fair to choice dairy1 #be #cj;c2 common to choice packing stock fresh and sweet1 #bj #be;c2 ladle packed #aj #ac;c2 fresh made1 streaked butter1 #i #aa;c4 ,,bran4--,quoted at #aa #hg-a_/b #ac #ej per ton2 extra choice #ac4 ,,broom-,,corn4--,good to choice hurl #f-a_/b #g-a_/b;c per lb2 green self-working #e #f;c2 red-tipped and pale do4 #d #e;c2 inside and covers #c #d;c2 common short corn #b-a_/b #c-a_/b;c2 crooked1 and damaged1 #b #d;c1 according to quality4 ,,cheese4--,choice full-cream cheddars #ab-a_/b #ac;c per lb2 medium quality do4 #i #aj;c2 good to prime full cream flats #ac #ac-c_/d;c2 skimmed cheddars #i #aj;c2 good skimmed flats #f #g;c2 hard-skimmed and common stock #c #d;c4 ,,eggs4--,in a small way the best brands are quotable at #be #bf;c per dozen2 #bj #bc;c for good ice house stock2 #ah #ai;c per pickled4 ,,hay4--,no4 #a timothy #aj #aj #ej per ton2 ,no4 #b do4 #h #i2 mixed do4 #g #h2 upland prairie #h #jj #aj #ge2 ,no4 #a prairie #f #g2 ,no4 #b do4 #d #ej #e #ej4 ,small bales sell at #be #ej;c per ton more than large bales4 ,,hides ,,and ,,pelts4--,green-cured light hides #h;c per lb2 do4 heavy cows #h;c2 ,no4 #b damaged green-salted hides #f;c2 green-salted calf #ab #ab-a_/b cents2 green-salted bull #f c2 dry-salted hides #aa cents2 ,no4 #b two-thirds price2 ,no4 #a dry flint #ad #ad-a_/b;c4 ,sheep pelts salable at #bh #cb;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 #be #bf;c per lb2 ,pacific coast of #bc #bf;c2 fair to good ,wisconsin #ae #bj;c4 ,,poultry4--,prices for good to choice dry picked and unfrozen lots are3 ,turkeys #ad #ae;c per lb2 chickens #aj #aa;c2 ducks #aj #ab;c2 geese #i #aa;c4 ,thin1 undesirable1 and frozen stock #b #c;c per lb less than these figures2 live offerings nominal4 ,,potatoes4--,good to choice #ce #dj;c per bu4 on track2 common to fair #be #cj;c4 ,illinois sweet potatoes range at #c #c #ej per bbl for yellow4 ,baltimore stock at #b #be #b #ge1 and ,jerseys at #e4 ,red are dull and nominal4 ,,tallow ,,and ,,grease4--,no4 #a country tallow #gg-a_/d;c per lb2 ,no4 #b do4 #f-a_/d #f-a_/b c4 ,prime white grease #f #f-a_/b c2 yellow #e-a_/d #e-c_/d;c3 brown #d-a_/be4 ,,vegetables4--,cabbage1 #h #ab per #ajj2 celery1 #ce #dj;c per doz bunches2 onions1 #a #jj #a #be 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 ,michigan1 ,indiana1 and ,eastern ,iowa--dark ,western lots generally ranging at #a #b;c per lb4 less4 ,coarse and dingy tub #be #cj ,good medium tub #ca #cd ,unwashed bucks' fleeces #ad #ae ,fine unwashed heavy fleeces #ah #bb ,fine light unwashed heavy fleeces #bb #bc ,coarse unwashed fleeces #ba #bb ,low medium unwashed fleeces #bd #be ,fine medium unwashed fleeces #bf #bg ,fine washed fleeces #cb #cc ,coarse washed fleeces #bf #bh ,low medium washed fleeces #cj #cb ,fine medium washed fleeces #cd #ce ,colorado and ,territory wools range as follows3 ,lowest grades #ad #af ,low medium #ah #bb ,medium #bb #bf ,fine #af #bd ,wools from ,new ,mexico3 ,lowest grades #ad #af ,part improved #af #ag ,best improved #ai #bc ,burry from #b;c to #aj;c off3 black #b;c to #e;c off4 ,,live ,,stock ,,markets4 ,the total receipts and shipments for last week were as follows3 ,received4 ,shipped4 ,cattle #be1eid #ac1gbb ,calves #cec #aff ,hogs #de1cgf #ca1hfd ,sheep #ad1bjf #h1ijc ,the live stock receipts are increasing1 and show a large gain over last week4 ,,cattle4--,the receipts for ,sunday and ,monday were rather large1 being estimated at #f1hjj head of cattle1 as against #c1gjj received in the corresponding time last week4 ,shipping grades of cattle were active and firm yesterday at #e #f #fg-a_/b1 exporters taking a fair number4 ,common lots were lower1 with sales to dressed-beef buyers as low as #d #be4 ,a good share of the day's trading was done at #e #gj #f #fj4 ,quotations are as follows3 ,fancy fat cattle #f #ge #g #jj ,choice to prime steers #f #je #f #gj ,fair to good shipping steers #e #ee #f #jj ,common to medium steers #d #be #e #ej ,butcher's steers #d #ej #e #jj ,cows and bulls1 common to good #c #jj #d #be ,inferior cows and bulls #b #jj #b #ie ,stockers #c #dj #d #dj ,feeders #d #be #d #ge ,milch cows1 per head #be #jj #ee #jj ,veal calves1 per #ajjlbs #d #jj #g #be ,,hogs4--,the receipts ,sunday and ,monday were estimated at #ah1jjj hogs1 against only #f1gjj received in the corresponding time last week4 ,although the receipts have been increasing during the last few days1 supplies are still remarkably small for the first half of ,january4 ,the great bulk of the crop has undoubtedly been marketed1 but there are known to be a very good number still unmarketed1 and it is believed that farmers are unwilling to ship freely to this market while packers are so largely inactive1 fearing a decline in prices4 ,shippers have been taking most of the hogs lately4 ,butchers took in the neighborhood of #a1ijj hogs1 leaving a few thousand still unsold4 ,sales were made of heavy at #e #aj #f #be2 light at #e #aj #e #ge1 and skips and culls at #c #ej #e4 ,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 for weights of less than #ajjlbs4 ,,sheep4--,the market opened with a good supply1 the receipts for ,sunday and ,monday being estimated at #b1ejj head1 as against #a1ifh received in the same time last week4 ,there was an active local and shipping demand for all desirable offerings1 and prices ruled firm at the recent advance1 sales being made of fair to choice at #c #fe #e #fj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,commission ,,merchants4 ,j4,h4 ,,white ,,co41 ,,produce ,,commission #ajf ,,water ,,st41 ,,chicago4 ,refers to this paper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,your ,,name printed on #fj ,cards ,,all ,,new designs of ,gold ,floral1 ,remembrances1 ,sentiment1 ,hand ,floral1 etc41 with ,love1 ,friendship1 and ,holiday ,mottoes4 #aj;c4 #gpks4 and this elegant ,ring1 #ej c41 #ae pks4 ,ring1 #a4 #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 ,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 #ajjj ,every #ajj ,days ,positively sure to ,agents everywhere selling our ,new ,,silver ,,mould ,,white ,,wire ,,clothes-,,line4 ,warranted4 ,pleases at sight4 ,cheap4 ,sells readily at every house4 ,agents clearing #aj per day4 ,farmers make #ijj to #abjj during ,winter4 ,handsome samples free4 ,address1 ,,girard ,,wire ,,mills1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,best ,,quality4 ,illustration #hj ,cards ,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 #ejj ,,virginia ,,farms ,,mills ,for ,sale and ,exchange4 ,write for free ,,real ,,estate ,,journal4 ,r4,b4 ,,chaffin2 ,,co4 ,richmond1 ,virginia4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,patent ,procured or no charge4 #dj p4 book patent-law free4 ,add4 ,w4,t4 ,,fitzgerald #ajjf ,f ,st41 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,cards #ej ,,satin ,,finish ,,cards1 ,new ,imported designs1 name on and ,present ,free for #aj;c4 ,cut this out4 ,,clinton ,,bros4 ,co41 ,clintonville1 ,ct4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,educational4 ,,mt4 ,,carroll ,,seminary ,and ,musical ,conservatory1 ,carroll ,co41 ,ill41 ,never had an agent to beg funds or pupils4 ,the ,,pecuniary ,,aid ,,system is original1 and helps many worthy girls1 without means1 to an education4 ,oreads free4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,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 99 99 99 99 99 ,,special ,,offer4 #fg ,,for #ah6 ,illustration ,a ,superb ,new ,family ,sewing ,machine6 ,combining all the most recent improvements1 and now selling for #fe1 is offered by ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,publishing ,,company to subscribers to ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer ,,for #ah1 including one year's subscription to the paper4 ,this exceptional offer will remain open for a few days only4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous4 ,,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 99 99 99 99 99 ,stock ,farm for ,sale ,consisting of #efe acres--#cfj under plow1 #ce acres timber1 balance in grass--situated in finest ,county in ,iowa1 one-fourth mile from ,village1 ,station1 and ,creamery4 ,or will sell one-half interest to practical stockman and feeder who will assume management4 ,write for particulars to ,h4,i4 ,,smith1 ,prest4 ,first ,national ,bank1 ,mason ,city1 ,iowa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,print ,your ,own ,cards ,labels1 ,envelopes1 etc4 ,illustration 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,d1 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 ,,pig ,,extricator ,to aid animals in giving birth4 ,send for free circular to ,,wm4 ,,dulin1 ,avoca1 ,pottawattamie ,co41 ,ia4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,free ,by return mail4 ,full ,description ,,moody',s ,,new ,,tailor ,,system of ,dress ,cutting ,,moody ,,co1 ,cincinnati1 ,o4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,prairie ,,farmer is the ,cheapest and ,best ,agricultural ,paper published4 ,only #b4jj per year4